Okay Ch 21. I'm expecting maybe 2 more chapters to the story. I think this
is better than the short song-fic I just posted. Anyway enjoy! Oh, the song
lyrics are from "Iceblink Luck" by the Cocteau Twins off the album "Heaven
or Las Vegas"
*-*-*-*-*
Dylan sat on the bed and fingered the brocade bedspread. She wondered if the angels even realized she was missing. Dylan was sure that they did; the question was did they know where she was. The room was like a fortress the only thing she could think of that might get her out was nothing short of a fire but knowing the Chief he would leave her sealed in the room to burn to death. Still she had to get out somehow and a fire was as good of an idea as any that she had. She walked into the bathroom that was off of the room she was in and filled the tub and soaked several towels as a precautionary measure. If they didn't let her out she would need some sort of protection and hoped that her idea was enough.
As she threw the towels in the tub she heard a knock on the bedroom door. "Dylan? Are you decent?" It was the Chief. She was getting a visit from the little man himself. She turned the water off, shut the bathroom door and threw herself on the bed just as the door opened. "Ah Dylan I was afraid you might have escaped. Oh that's right this room is escape proof one of the reasons you are in here."
"Some escape proof room if you leave the door unlocked," she said sarcastically.
"I didn't want to seem a bad host after all you and I have a history, one with betrayal and deceit but a history none-the-less. It hurt that you would come to my competition just to spy on me especially since I you were one of the best. You could have put that talent of yours to work," said the Chief. He sat on the bed near her and she scooted away.
"I do put my talent as you call it to work. I'm one of the good guys," said Dylan.
"Good, bad it's all relative. What about the old man who saved your life when you were infected with Vivian's virus? I'm sure the US government would have called him bad, he was after all a Cold War spy for the other side, but he saved your life and so I'm sure you think he was good. So it's relative."
Dylan glared at him and didn't say a word. He smiled, his perfectly straight teeth shining in the warm light of the bedroom. "Speaking of relatives I have someone I would like you to meet." The Chief using the small set of wooden steps next to the bed climbed down and walked back to the door as Dylan watched him. Part of her was afraid that he would open the door and reveal Anthony standing there in his dark suit with his hair perfectly parted and pale blue eyes blank in the deception. Instead the Chief opened the door to reveal his new accomplice, Ekaterina Dunayevskaya. "I would do introductions but I think you already know each other."
"Kate?" said Dylan in disbelief.
"Hello Dylan," said Kate coolly.
"What are you doing? The man is insane," said Dylan.
"Insanity is also relative," replied the Chief. "I'll just leave you two alone a moment to get reacquainted. Not too long mind you but long enough." He stepped out of the room rubbing his hands together. "This will be interesting," he thought and closed the door behind him.
"He might be insane but thanks to him the eggs will be back in the museum by morning," Kate looked at the odds and ends of porcelain figurines on the dresser. "Tacky."
"He stole the eggs. He is the bad guy report him to the police and they will get the eggs for you," said Dylan.
"Why? So the theft can be all over the papers? So my reputation will be trashed?" Kate turned from the dresser swiftly and threw one of the figurines at Dylan. Dylan ducked and it smashed against the wall above her head. "You would like that wouldn't you? You would like to see me go back to Russia, my head hanging in shame!"
Dylan shook her head. "Kate," she said calmly trying to get the other woman to relax. "I want to see the eggs back in the museum and you get credit for having the Chief arrested." She tried to get the woman to trust her no matter what their differences were they were both at the Chief's mercy now.
"Oh please Dylan, do you think I was born yesterday? You hate me and what I have with Anthony. You are jealous. You would love to see me tried for stealing the eggs but that won't happen. That man, Francisco will be helping me return them in the morning. I will then tell Mr. Hartman who will hail me as a hero for keeping it quiet. That is it. I'll be a hero."
Dylan wondered who was more insane the Chief or Kate right now it seemed as though Kate was winning. Both of the women jumped when they heard a scream in the hallway. Suddenly the door flew open and the Chief stood there enraged, his black dyed hair fell over one eye and his nostrils flared as he stared at Dylan. "What happened?" asked Kate.
Without taking his eyes off the angel he answered, "Your friends happened and your boyfriend Kate. Francisco is dead. You!" He shook his finger at Dylan. "You! You will pay for this and Anthony too but his punishment will be worse than yours. He will get to see you die my dear." With that he grabbed Kate by the arm and dragged her out of the room locking the door behind him. Dylan didn't have any doubts that he would follow through with his threat. "Its now or never," she said to herself in a whisper. Climbing off the bed she moved the stool for the vanity aside and crawled underneath. She used her thumbnail to unscrew the plate from the wall outlet. Then she started to look for something with which she could remove the insulation from the cables inside the wall. Lyrics from a Cocteau Twins song popped into her mind and she sang them under her breath, "You're the match of Jericho that will burn this old madhouse down."
*-*-*-*-*
"What are we going to do now?" asked Alex. She sat on an orange upholstered chair in the reception area of the hospital. "I don't know," answered Natalie. Natalie looked between Alex and Anthony. She thought Alex looked exhausted but the Thin Man looked worse. "Listen guys you said that Duarte said we know where she is. That's a clue."
"Well," said Alex, "we do know where she is, she is with the Chief. The problem is any leads we had as to where the Chief is are gone." Alex stood and paced the area near them. Anthony wanted to tell her to stop but if that was how she dealt with not knowing where Dylan was he could live with it. He also had to live with the guilt of killing the one person who could have helped them find her. He had let her down. His mind wandered to Knox's house three years earlier. He had seen the sheet was fastened to a sliver of glass, he could have turned back and pulled her up but instead he walked out with his employer and turned his back on her letting her fall. Shaking himself from the memory he walked across the room to the designated smoking area and lit a cigarette. The tobacco calmed him but didn't chase away the blame he had wrapped around himself like a thick blanket.
"The leads are not necessary," said Natalie perkily a big smile on her face. "Remember when we were working with Mitchum, before we knew Daniels was a jerk?" Alex just looked at her she didn't know what Natalie was talking about. "Come on Alex, you have to remember, we had found out that they had lost her signal near Kings Canyon and Mitchum looked up the locations that the Chief had homes and he said.." A look of remembrance crossed Alex's face and she finished her sentence, "He has two here in LA., but Nat the FBI raided all of his places based on the information Dylan and Anthony gave them. It's a good idea but I doubt he will be in one of those." Alex hated to burst Natalie's excitement. It had been a good idea but not logical.
"He must have meant something by saying that we know where she is," said Natalie with frustration, "villains just don't give clues that have no meaning." She dropped down on the gold colored chair next to Alex and Alex placed her arm around Natalie's shoulders and said, "We'll find her."
A young doctor walked up to the two women, "Ms Cook?" Natalie looked up at him. "Mr. Rutherford is awake. I know that he shouldn't have any visitors but he is insistent and I think it would be alright if it was just for a moment."
Natalie turned her head and looked over at Anthony. "He had been asking to see our friend Anthony. He should be the one who goes." Anthony put out his cigarette. "The doctor smiled, "Fine Mr.." "Just Anthony," said Natalie, "He doesn't talk much." "Okay Anthony, come with me and you may speak to Mr. Rutherford."
As they took the elevator up to the third floor Anthony had a sense of déjà vu. He half expected to see the Chief dressed as a nurse leaving Rutherford's room but instead the corridor was empty except for a policeman reading People Magazine, seated outside the room. The cop who when he looked up, Anthony recognized as Wally. He looked at Anthony nervously. "This is Anthony," said the doctor to Wally. "He has five minutes, no more." Then to Anthony, "Enjoy your visit."
Anthony walked into the sterile white room; machines beeped and hissed keeping Rutherford alive. He approached the bed and wasn't sure if the man he was visiting was even awake until he heard his name whispered. "Anthony." He sat in the hard plastic chair next to the bed and took the man's hand. "I have to tell you. I have to help her. I am sorry." Anthony wanted to tell him it was okay, that he didn't have to talk but Dylan was with the Chief and he needed to know where that was exactly. "I hid the body," breathed Rutherford. Anthony wasn't sure what the man was talking about but let him talk none the less, "I needed help so I contacted the Chief. I was in debt. I did what I had to."
"Dylan?" asked Anthony.
"You spoke?" asked the man lying in the bed. Anthony nodded. "You must love her to speak." Anthony nodded again then said, "The Chief has her. Where is he?"
"Under your nose," said Rutherford gasping for oxygen. Anthony shrugged signaling he didn't know what he was talking about. "Across the street. Next door. He is watching you everywhere." Anthony was getting tired of the clues. He wanted a straight answer. "Where?" asked Anthony. "Go to my home and you will see." Rutherford smiled as he closed his eyes and the heart monitor and breathing machines went on steadily doing their work.
Natalie jumped up and ran to the elevator as Anthony stepped out. "So?" she asked bouncing up and down. He reached for his pad and realized he didn't have it on him it was in his suit which was in Alex's car with the sword. Unwillingly he spoke, "We have to go to Rutherford's."
"What did he say exactly?" asked Alex.
"Across the street, next door he is watching you everywhere. Go to my home and you will see," he said and headed out the sliding glass door the two angels following. He stopped at Alex's car and waited.
"Nope, uh-uh I don't think so if anyone is driving my car this time it's me," Alex said defiantly crossing her arms over her chest.
Anthony lifted an eyebrow and asked, "Do you know where Rutherford lives?"
Alex and Natalie looked at each other and Nat tossed Anthony her keys. Drive mine we'll follow.
*-*-*-*-*
Dylan sat on the bed and fingered the brocade bedspread. She wondered if the angels even realized she was missing. Dylan was sure that they did; the question was did they know where she was. The room was like a fortress the only thing she could think of that might get her out was nothing short of a fire but knowing the Chief he would leave her sealed in the room to burn to death. Still she had to get out somehow and a fire was as good of an idea as any that she had. She walked into the bathroom that was off of the room she was in and filled the tub and soaked several towels as a precautionary measure. If they didn't let her out she would need some sort of protection and hoped that her idea was enough.
As she threw the towels in the tub she heard a knock on the bedroom door. "Dylan? Are you decent?" It was the Chief. She was getting a visit from the little man himself. She turned the water off, shut the bathroom door and threw herself on the bed just as the door opened. "Ah Dylan I was afraid you might have escaped. Oh that's right this room is escape proof one of the reasons you are in here."
"Some escape proof room if you leave the door unlocked," she said sarcastically.
"I didn't want to seem a bad host after all you and I have a history, one with betrayal and deceit but a history none-the-less. It hurt that you would come to my competition just to spy on me especially since I you were one of the best. You could have put that talent of yours to work," said the Chief. He sat on the bed near her and she scooted away.
"I do put my talent as you call it to work. I'm one of the good guys," said Dylan.
"Good, bad it's all relative. What about the old man who saved your life when you were infected with Vivian's virus? I'm sure the US government would have called him bad, he was after all a Cold War spy for the other side, but he saved your life and so I'm sure you think he was good. So it's relative."
Dylan glared at him and didn't say a word. He smiled, his perfectly straight teeth shining in the warm light of the bedroom. "Speaking of relatives I have someone I would like you to meet." The Chief using the small set of wooden steps next to the bed climbed down and walked back to the door as Dylan watched him. Part of her was afraid that he would open the door and reveal Anthony standing there in his dark suit with his hair perfectly parted and pale blue eyes blank in the deception. Instead the Chief opened the door to reveal his new accomplice, Ekaterina Dunayevskaya. "I would do introductions but I think you already know each other."
"Kate?" said Dylan in disbelief.
"Hello Dylan," said Kate coolly.
"What are you doing? The man is insane," said Dylan.
"Insanity is also relative," replied the Chief. "I'll just leave you two alone a moment to get reacquainted. Not too long mind you but long enough." He stepped out of the room rubbing his hands together. "This will be interesting," he thought and closed the door behind him.
"He might be insane but thanks to him the eggs will be back in the museum by morning," Kate looked at the odds and ends of porcelain figurines on the dresser. "Tacky."
"He stole the eggs. He is the bad guy report him to the police and they will get the eggs for you," said Dylan.
"Why? So the theft can be all over the papers? So my reputation will be trashed?" Kate turned from the dresser swiftly and threw one of the figurines at Dylan. Dylan ducked and it smashed against the wall above her head. "You would like that wouldn't you? You would like to see me go back to Russia, my head hanging in shame!"
Dylan shook her head. "Kate," she said calmly trying to get the other woman to relax. "I want to see the eggs back in the museum and you get credit for having the Chief arrested." She tried to get the woman to trust her no matter what their differences were they were both at the Chief's mercy now.
"Oh please Dylan, do you think I was born yesterday? You hate me and what I have with Anthony. You are jealous. You would love to see me tried for stealing the eggs but that won't happen. That man, Francisco will be helping me return them in the morning. I will then tell Mr. Hartman who will hail me as a hero for keeping it quiet. That is it. I'll be a hero."
Dylan wondered who was more insane the Chief or Kate right now it seemed as though Kate was winning. Both of the women jumped when they heard a scream in the hallway. Suddenly the door flew open and the Chief stood there enraged, his black dyed hair fell over one eye and his nostrils flared as he stared at Dylan. "What happened?" asked Kate.
Without taking his eyes off the angel he answered, "Your friends happened and your boyfriend Kate. Francisco is dead. You!" He shook his finger at Dylan. "You! You will pay for this and Anthony too but his punishment will be worse than yours. He will get to see you die my dear." With that he grabbed Kate by the arm and dragged her out of the room locking the door behind him. Dylan didn't have any doubts that he would follow through with his threat. "Its now or never," she said to herself in a whisper. Climbing off the bed she moved the stool for the vanity aside and crawled underneath. She used her thumbnail to unscrew the plate from the wall outlet. Then she started to look for something with which she could remove the insulation from the cables inside the wall. Lyrics from a Cocteau Twins song popped into her mind and she sang them under her breath, "You're the match of Jericho that will burn this old madhouse down."
*-*-*-*-*
"What are we going to do now?" asked Alex. She sat on an orange upholstered chair in the reception area of the hospital. "I don't know," answered Natalie. Natalie looked between Alex and Anthony. She thought Alex looked exhausted but the Thin Man looked worse. "Listen guys you said that Duarte said we know where she is. That's a clue."
"Well," said Alex, "we do know where she is, she is with the Chief. The problem is any leads we had as to where the Chief is are gone." Alex stood and paced the area near them. Anthony wanted to tell her to stop but if that was how she dealt with not knowing where Dylan was he could live with it. He also had to live with the guilt of killing the one person who could have helped them find her. He had let her down. His mind wandered to Knox's house three years earlier. He had seen the sheet was fastened to a sliver of glass, he could have turned back and pulled her up but instead he walked out with his employer and turned his back on her letting her fall. Shaking himself from the memory he walked across the room to the designated smoking area and lit a cigarette. The tobacco calmed him but didn't chase away the blame he had wrapped around himself like a thick blanket.
"The leads are not necessary," said Natalie perkily a big smile on her face. "Remember when we were working with Mitchum, before we knew Daniels was a jerk?" Alex just looked at her she didn't know what Natalie was talking about. "Come on Alex, you have to remember, we had found out that they had lost her signal near Kings Canyon and Mitchum looked up the locations that the Chief had homes and he said.." A look of remembrance crossed Alex's face and she finished her sentence, "He has two here in LA., but Nat the FBI raided all of his places based on the information Dylan and Anthony gave them. It's a good idea but I doubt he will be in one of those." Alex hated to burst Natalie's excitement. It had been a good idea but not logical.
"He must have meant something by saying that we know where she is," said Natalie with frustration, "villains just don't give clues that have no meaning." She dropped down on the gold colored chair next to Alex and Alex placed her arm around Natalie's shoulders and said, "We'll find her."
A young doctor walked up to the two women, "Ms Cook?" Natalie looked up at him. "Mr. Rutherford is awake. I know that he shouldn't have any visitors but he is insistent and I think it would be alright if it was just for a moment."
Natalie turned her head and looked over at Anthony. "He had been asking to see our friend Anthony. He should be the one who goes." Anthony put out his cigarette. "The doctor smiled, "Fine Mr.." "Just Anthony," said Natalie, "He doesn't talk much." "Okay Anthony, come with me and you may speak to Mr. Rutherford."
As they took the elevator up to the third floor Anthony had a sense of déjà vu. He half expected to see the Chief dressed as a nurse leaving Rutherford's room but instead the corridor was empty except for a policeman reading People Magazine, seated outside the room. The cop who when he looked up, Anthony recognized as Wally. He looked at Anthony nervously. "This is Anthony," said the doctor to Wally. "He has five minutes, no more." Then to Anthony, "Enjoy your visit."
Anthony walked into the sterile white room; machines beeped and hissed keeping Rutherford alive. He approached the bed and wasn't sure if the man he was visiting was even awake until he heard his name whispered. "Anthony." He sat in the hard plastic chair next to the bed and took the man's hand. "I have to tell you. I have to help her. I am sorry." Anthony wanted to tell him it was okay, that he didn't have to talk but Dylan was with the Chief and he needed to know where that was exactly. "I hid the body," breathed Rutherford. Anthony wasn't sure what the man was talking about but let him talk none the less, "I needed help so I contacted the Chief. I was in debt. I did what I had to."
"Dylan?" asked Anthony.
"You spoke?" asked the man lying in the bed. Anthony nodded. "You must love her to speak." Anthony nodded again then said, "The Chief has her. Where is he?"
"Under your nose," said Rutherford gasping for oxygen. Anthony shrugged signaling he didn't know what he was talking about. "Across the street. Next door. He is watching you everywhere." Anthony was getting tired of the clues. He wanted a straight answer. "Where?" asked Anthony. "Go to my home and you will see." Rutherford smiled as he closed his eyes and the heart monitor and breathing machines went on steadily doing their work.
Natalie jumped up and ran to the elevator as Anthony stepped out. "So?" she asked bouncing up and down. He reached for his pad and realized he didn't have it on him it was in his suit which was in Alex's car with the sword. Unwillingly he spoke, "We have to go to Rutherford's."
"What did he say exactly?" asked Alex.
"Across the street, next door he is watching you everywhere. Go to my home and you will see," he said and headed out the sliding glass door the two angels following. He stopped at Alex's car and waited.
"Nope, uh-uh I don't think so if anyone is driving my car this time it's me," Alex said defiantly crossing her arms over her chest.
Anthony lifted an eyebrow and asked, "Do you know where Rutherford lives?"
Alex and Natalie looked at each other and Nat tossed Anthony her keys. Drive mine we'll follow.