Ch 7: Secrets
Constance woke to the sound of medical machines and murmuring voices. As her eyes adjusted, she saw the white tile ceiling of the infirmary. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, she saw Sir Integra and Walter standing over her.
"Welcome back, Miss Williams." Walter said as Constance struggled to sit up. The effort caused a sharp pain to rip through her right side and she flopped back down onto the bed.
"What happened? How long have I been here?" Constance asked in a weak voice.
"24 hours-don't try to get up." Integra answered as Constance made another feeble attempt to get herself into a sitting position. "The nurse said that you have 2 broken ribs. It was indeed fortunate that one of our patrols spotted you on the way back to the house and brought you here." Integra was still reluctant to tell Dr Williams about the true identity of those who had really brought her back. It had caused some consternation among the doctors and technicians when Alucard was seen in at the infirmary door with Constance in his arms.
"I saw someone in the road when I wiped out. I thought he was dead." Integra and Walter looked at each other, questioning whether or not to tell the doctor about the young soldier who had turned into a ghoul and escaped the house as Constance described the man she had seen in the road that night and the man that had killed him. Integra shook her head slightly, making the decision not to tell her yet. The little exchange between Integra and Walter was not lost on Constance and she began to suspect that more was happening at the Hellsing organization that she was being let in on. Walter tried to tell Constance that her accident was most likely the result of exhaustion on her part and a rough spot in the road, but the more he talked, the less convinced Constance became. She knew what she had seen. A man that she had pronounced dead just hours before her accident was walking around as if her were alive. She had also seen another man kill the supposedly already dead man. I have to find out what happened and what's going on here; Constance thought as Integra and Walter, having wished her a speedy recovery, left the hospital wing.
Her guide came to her again that day while she was under the effects of the sedatives she had been given.
"Why did you not tell me what's happening here? How am I supposed to fulfill my purpose when I am in the dark?"
"I could not tell you everything. Some secrets must be learned in your own time." Her guide answered.
"Well, I think now is a good time." Constance retorted in anger. "I'm growing weary of secrets and lies."
"Very well" the guide answered. "If you wish to know what this place is about, go to the library tonight. In one of the bookcases, you will find the answer." With that, Constance was given a vision of a hidden panel, a safe and a code. Just what I need, Constance thought, now I'll find out what the hell is going on here.
"But be careful" her guide said. "If you are discovered, you may have to reveal a secret of your own to protect yourself." With that, her guide was gone and she was left staring at the ceiling again.
That night, after the doctor in charge had finished his rounds, Constance sat up in her bed. She tried to ignore the pain in her side and slipped carefully to the floor. Still in her hospital gown and robe, she left the infirmary and headed to her room to change into more practical clothes. She left her room and headed to the library, determined to discover the true nature of the organization that employed her. As she walked into the library, she inhaled the odor of dusty books and leather furniture. She fumbled in the dark for the switch of a small lamp. When the light from the lamp filled a small amount of the room, she spied several portraits and antique swords together with the bookcases filled with musty books and some antique furniture. As she looked around, she spied the bookcase that her guide had shown her. Just as he had predicted, the bottom shelf of the bookcase could be removed to reveal a safe cleverly hidden in the floorboards. She winced at every sound the computerized lock made as she punched in the code she had been given. At last, the door opened with an agonizing creak and she soon had access to sheaves of paper files. So intent was she on finding the answers contained in these files, she did not notice the tall man in the room with her.
Alucard had been wandering the house in boredom. The police girl was training with the rest of the soldiers and Integra was away from the house on business until tomorrow, leaving him with no one to torment. Perhaps it would be a good night to go hunting. He was aimlessly walking the hall when he heard a noise coming from the library. Approaching the door, he could see the small beam of light coming from under the door. Perhaps Walter was awake, Alucard thought. Walter was always good for a conversation. After all, they had fought together many years ago. Alucard grinned as he recalled the exploits of the aptly named "Angel of Death". With that thought, he phased through the wall and found himself staring not at Walter, but at a woman with dark hair crouched over the base of the bookcase that Alucard knew contained the most secret information about the Hellsing organization.
Constance had just began to open one of the files that she hoped contained information about how a dead man could be up and about when a baritone voice behind her growled "I knew there was something wrong with you.spy!" In an instant, Constance was on her feet, the pain in her side pushed into insignificance by the adrenalin that was now pumping through her body. Her adrenalin level went even higher when she got a good look at the person who had discovered her here.
The first impression Constance got was that the man was very, very tall. He was clad in a long red coat topped with a large brimmed red hat. Under the hat, she noticed that the man had pitch-black hair that brushed the collar of the gray suit that he was wearing under his coat. As she looked in shock at his face, she noticed that his eyes were blood red. The last thing she noticed was the white gloves on his hands.the same gloves that she had seen protruding from the chest of the soldier the night of her accident. Her shock transformed into an animalistic fear as she realized that this was the man who had killed the soldier that should have already been dead.and he was standing between her and the door.
Constance woke to the sound of medical machines and murmuring voices. As her eyes adjusted, she saw the white tile ceiling of the infirmary. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, she saw Sir Integra and Walter standing over her.
"Welcome back, Miss Williams." Walter said as Constance struggled to sit up. The effort caused a sharp pain to rip through her right side and she flopped back down onto the bed.
"What happened? How long have I been here?" Constance asked in a weak voice.
"24 hours-don't try to get up." Integra answered as Constance made another feeble attempt to get herself into a sitting position. "The nurse said that you have 2 broken ribs. It was indeed fortunate that one of our patrols spotted you on the way back to the house and brought you here." Integra was still reluctant to tell Dr Williams about the true identity of those who had really brought her back. It had caused some consternation among the doctors and technicians when Alucard was seen in at the infirmary door with Constance in his arms.
"I saw someone in the road when I wiped out. I thought he was dead." Integra and Walter looked at each other, questioning whether or not to tell the doctor about the young soldier who had turned into a ghoul and escaped the house as Constance described the man she had seen in the road that night and the man that had killed him. Integra shook her head slightly, making the decision not to tell her yet. The little exchange between Integra and Walter was not lost on Constance and she began to suspect that more was happening at the Hellsing organization that she was being let in on. Walter tried to tell Constance that her accident was most likely the result of exhaustion on her part and a rough spot in the road, but the more he talked, the less convinced Constance became. She knew what she had seen. A man that she had pronounced dead just hours before her accident was walking around as if her were alive. She had also seen another man kill the supposedly already dead man. I have to find out what happened and what's going on here; Constance thought as Integra and Walter, having wished her a speedy recovery, left the hospital wing.
Her guide came to her again that day while she was under the effects of the sedatives she had been given.
"Why did you not tell me what's happening here? How am I supposed to fulfill my purpose when I am in the dark?"
"I could not tell you everything. Some secrets must be learned in your own time." Her guide answered.
"Well, I think now is a good time." Constance retorted in anger. "I'm growing weary of secrets and lies."
"Very well" the guide answered. "If you wish to know what this place is about, go to the library tonight. In one of the bookcases, you will find the answer." With that, Constance was given a vision of a hidden panel, a safe and a code. Just what I need, Constance thought, now I'll find out what the hell is going on here.
"But be careful" her guide said. "If you are discovered, you may have to reveal a secret of your own to protect yourself." With that, her guide was gone and she was left staring at the ceiling again.
That night, after the doctor in charge had finished his rounds, Constance sat up in her bed. She tried to ignore the pain in her side and slipped carefully to the floor. Still in her hospital gown and robe, she left the infirmary and headed to her room to change into more practical clothes. She left her room and headed to the library, determined to discover the true nature of the organization that employed her. As she walked into the library, she inhaled the odor of dusty books and leather furniture. She fumbled in the dark for the switch of a small lamp. When the light from the lamp filled a small amount of the room, she spied several portraits and antique swords together with the bookcases filled with musty books and some antique furniture. As she looked around, she spied the bookcase that her guide had shown her. Just as he had predicted, the bottom shelf of the bookcase could be removed to reveal a safe cleverly hidden in the floorboards. She winced at every sound the computerized lock made as she punched in the code she had been given. At last, the door opened with an agonizing creak and she soon had access to sheaves of paper files. So intent was she on finding the answers contained in these files, she did not notice the tall man in the room with her.
Alucard had been wandering the house in boredom. The police girl was training with the rest of the soldiers and Integra was away from the house on business until tomorrow, leaving him with no one to torment. Perhaps it would be a good night to go hunting. He was aimlessly walking the hall when he heard a noise coming from the library. Approaching the door, he could see the small beam of light coming from under the door. Perhaps Walter was awake, Alucard thought. Walter was always good for a conversation. After all, they had fought together many years ago. Alucard grinned as he recalled the exploits of the aptly named "Angel of Death". With that thought, he phased through the wall and found himself staring not at Walter, but at a woman with dark hair crouched over the base of the bookcase that Alucard knew contained the most secret information about the Hellsing organization.
Constance had just began to open one of the files that she hoped contained information about how a dead man could be up and about when a baritone voice behind her growled "I knew there was something wrong with you.spy!" In an instant, Constance was on her feet, the pain in her side pushed into insignificance by the adrenalin that was now pumping through her body. Her adrenalin level went even higher when she got a good look at the person who had discovered her here.
The first impression Constance got was that the man was very, very tall. He was clad in a long red coat topped with a large brimmed red hat. Under the hat, she noticed that the man had pitch-black hair that brushed the collar of the gray suit that he was wearing under his coat. As she looked in shock at his face, she noticed that his eyes were blood red. The last thing she noticed was the white gloves on his hands.the same gloves that she had seen protruding from the chest of the soldier the night of her accident. Her shock transformed into an animalistic fear as she realized that this was the man who had killed the soldier that should have already been dead.and he was standing between her and the door.