Chapter twenty ~ Decoy
He was shaking as he clambered into a taxi, his leg was bleeding freely, and the bruises on his face showed up vividly in the dull light of the taxi. The driver stared at him for a few moments, but knew not to ask questions. he drove, quicker then necessary, to the desired location and Artemis slipped out passing the driver a few notes through the open window.
As Artemis walked up the drive, for one of the first times in his life he felt remorse for what he had done. He had killed a man, unarmed and unable to defend himself, he had gunned a man down in cold blood. As he reached the front of the hotel, he pushed open the doors and collected the keys for the apartment Butler had arranged for him. this was where Emma, Tamarisk and Holly were supposed to be meeting him. Mulch had been the one, along with Butler who set up the bomb. Mulch had added a bit of fairy technology, not a timer like an ordinary bomb, but a sensor. this sensor was set to the door of the apartment. When it was opened the bomb went off.
Artemis reached his room and pushed open the door. if they weren't in there it meant they were dead. At first he thought it was empty, but as he reached the bedroom he heard voices.
He opened the door, wishing he had kept the gun, after all it could easily be a trap. Maybe Butler had talked, but wait no Butler would never do that.
Commander Root was standing by the bed, Tamarisk was sat in the corner with a tear stained face, and Emma was watching the burning hotel, which could just be seen from the window. Tamarisk jumped up as he entered. "Oh Artemis, oh thank God, you're safe!" she said hugging him. she let go eventually and turned to the bed.
"She knew Koboi was after her, so she didn't come to the hotel, she went somewhere different, to lead her off the trail, that's what she said. Well she just managed to get here, before collapsing." Tamarisk explained, trying to keep her voice steady.
Artemis approached the bed where Root stood desperately trying to heal his LEP officer. he shook his head in anger.
"She needs professional healers, Fowl. We need to get her underground at once."
Artemis nodded, unable to take it all in. "Where's Mulch?" he managed to stammer.
"Why?" Root asked, suspiciously.
"I wanted him to go and find Butler, see if.see if he's."
Tamarisk nodded. "I understand, but he left half an hour ago to try and find you and hasn't returned yet."
"We cant wait for them, we need to get Holly down below, now. Before it is too late." Root said, angrily.
Artemis nodded, not really hearing. All he could see was the face of Towers swimming in front of his vision, all he could hear was the sound of the shot. That was it now it was over, for both of them. Maybe Tower's had, in death, actually won.
"I'm taking her below, you're on your own now, Fowl." Root spat as he picked up Holly and disappeared out of the room.
"Koboi is unconscious hidden in the bushes by the hotel." Artemis shouted after him as he remembered. Root grunted a reply, which sounded like, "I'll send someone for the little imp."
Emma left the window and went up to Fowl. "My father." she began.
He cut her short. "He's dead." "You sure?"
Artemis nodded, in disgust.
"Artemis, he had to die, you must see that." She said, putting her hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off, and flung the briefcase on the bed.
"There you go, Tamarisk. There's your precious money."
"I don't care about the money, Artemis." She said angrily. "And I cant believe you would think that off me, after all that has happened."
Artemis flopped down into a nearby chair and rested his head on his hand. "What happened?"
"Holly went off, to stop Koboi coming to this hotel. That's all." Tamarisk said quickly. "We didn't abandon her we didn't know where she was going, she never told us."
"What about you? what happened with my father?"
Artemis sighed. "There is nothing to tell." He said, rubbing his bruised face.
"Let me see your leg." Emma said, getting up.
"There is no need."
"Don't be stupid." She said kneeling down by him and looking at the wound. "It's alright, it's not that deep." She said getting back up. "But it needs bathing."
"Don't bother." Said Artemis, clambering up.
"Artemis?" Tamarisk asked.
He pushed past her and got to the window. "Don't you understand Tamarisk? Too many people have been hurt for this money!" he yelled angrily.
"Holly will be alright once she's down below, and they'll send someone to get Koboi."
"What about Butler? I can't just sit here at the thought of him, dying."
"Artemis."
"I'm going to find him." he turned to Emma. "You can drive, right?"
"I have had like six lessons."
"And your point? Come on." He said, starting out of the room.
A/N there wasn't supposed to be this many chapters, when I started I wasn't expecting to get over ten!! Thanks for all the nice reviews!!
He was shaking as he clambered into a taxi, his leg was bleeding freely, and the bruises on his face showed up vividly in the dull light of the taxi. The driver stared at him for a few moments, but knew not to ask questions. he drove, quicker then necessary, to the desired location and Artemis slipped out passing the driver a few notes through the open window.
As Artemis walked up the drive, for one of the first times in his life he felt remorse for what he had done. He had killed a man, unarmed and unable to defend himself, he had gunned a man down in cold blood. As he reached the front of the hotel, he pushed open the doors and collected the keys for the apartment Butler had arranged for him. this was where Emma, Tamarisk and Holly were supposed to be meeting him. Mulch had been the one, along with Butler who set up the bomb. Mulch had added a bit of fairy technology, not a timer like an ordinary bomb, but a sensor. this sensor was set to the door of the apartment. When it was opened the bomb went off.
Artemis reached his room and pushed open the door. if they weren't in there it meant they were dead. At first he thought it was empty, but as he reached the bedroom he heard voices.
He opened the door, wishing he had kept the gun, after all it could easily be a trap. Maybe Butler had talked, but wait no Butler would never do that.
Commander Root was standing by the bed, Tamarisk was sat in the corner with a tear stained face, and Emma was watching the burning hotel, which could just be seen from the window. Tamarisk jumped up as he entered. "Oh Artemis, oh thank God, you're safe!" she said hugging him. she let go eventually and turned to the bed.
"She knew Koboi was after her, so she didn't come to the hotel, she went somewhere different, to lead her off the trail, that's what she said. Well she just managed to get here, before collapsing." Tamarisk explained, trying to keep her voice steady.
Artemis approached the bed where Root stood desperately trying to heal his LEP officer. he shook his head in anger.
"She needs professional healers, Fowl. We need to get her underground at once."
Artemis nodded, unable to take it all in. "Where's Mulch?" he managed to stammer.
"Why?" Root asked, suspiciously.
"I wanted him to go and find Butler, see if.see if he's."
Tamarisk nodded. "I understand, but he left half an hour ago to try and find you and hasn't returned yet."
"We cant wait for them, we need to get Holly down below, now. Before it is too late." Root said, angrily.
Artemis nodded, not really hearing. All he could see was the face of Towers swimming in front of his vision, all he could hear was the sound of the shot. That was it now it was over, for both of them. Maybe Tower's had, in death, actually won.
"I'm taking her below, you're on your own now, Fowl." Root spat as he picked up Holly and disappeared out of the room.
"Koboi is unconscious hidden in the bushes by the hotel." Artemis shouted after him as he remembered. Root grunted a reply, which sounded like, "I'll send someone for the little imp."
Emma left the window and went up to Fowl. "My father." she began.
He cut her short. "He's dead." "You sure?"
Artemis nodded, in disgust.
"Artemis, he had to die, you must see that." She said, putting her hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off, and flung the briefcase on the bed.
"There you go, Tamarisk. There's your precious money."
"I don't care about the money, Artemis." She said angrily. "And I cant believe you would think that off me, after all that has happened."
Artemis flopped down into a nearby chair and rested his head on his hand. "What happened?"
"Holly went off, to stop Koboi coming to this hotel. That's all." Tamarisk said quickly. "We didn't abandon her we didn't know where she was going, she never told us."
"What about you? what happened with my father?"
Artemis sighed. "There is nothing to tell." He said, rubbing his bruised face.
"Let me see your leg." Emma said, getting up.
"There is no need."
"Don't be stupid." She said kneeling down by him and looking at the wound. "It's alright, it's not that deep." She said getting back up. "But it needs bathing."
"Don't bother." Said Artemis, clambering up.
"Artemis?" Tamarisk asked.
He pushed past her and got to the window. "Don't you understand Tamarisk? Too many people have been hurt for this money!" he yelled angrily.
"Holly will be alright once she's down below, and they'll send someone to get Koboi."
"What about Butler? I can't just sit here at the thought of him, dying."
"Artemis."
"I'm going to find him." he turned to Emma. "You can drive, right?"
"I have had like six lessons."
"And your point? Come on." He said, starting out of the room.
A/N there wasn't supposed to be this many chapters, when I started I wasn't expecting to get over ten!! Thanks for all the nice reviews!!