-Later-
After they had gotten back from McDonalds and Eli had eaten her happy meal, he had her take her bath. This time, he kept an eye on her as the bath filled to make sure she decided not to play anymore games of 'tidal wave'.
Instead of playing twenty questions, she talked and sang to herself.
"Oompa, loompa, ommpadee doo!
I got another puzzle for you!
Oompa, loompa, ommpadee dee!
If you are wise you'll listen to me!"
She sang proudly, accidently splashing Ian at the end of it. She winced. "Sorry." He nodded.
"Mama was bad, Tony was bad. But one day they gonna be good and come back. And we all go to the castle and live happily ever after. I know it. Daddy say be a good girl, and they come back. I be very good girl!" She turned to Ian. "Am I a good girl?"
"Yes, of course." He answered, half lying. He simply wanted her to continue her ramblings. Especially since they were on her family.
"Thank you. This bandage too itchy. I'm gonna take it off cause it old." She pulled off the bandage on her knee. Her knee had bruised over and was healing. She flung the dirty, wet thing over the bath tub. It landed on Ian's shoe. With a sigh, he picked it up and threw it away.
He got her out of the tub and dressed for bed. He was about to take her to her room when she stopped. "Ian, you said I could play with the DVD."
"I said maybe. It is getting late." He replied. She pouted.
"Please???" He groaned. He was beginning to become a real push over. At least with her. He nodded and took her to the Living room.
She played with it a while more and then started watching the movie again. She fell asleep during the movie. Ian turned the DVD player off. He picked her up off the couch and took her to her room. He tucked her in. She snuggled into her blankets. Was this really the same demon that jumped on him in the mornings, painted on his clothes, and bopped him on the head with a fairy wand? He shook his head and turned off the light. He shut the door behind him.
He had taken about five steps away from the door when there was a huge crash from Eli's room, followed by her screaming. He backtracked with the speed of a demon to see what was going on.
When he opened the door he noticed that 1)the window was broken and 2) there was a man over by the bed that had Eli under his arm with a gun to her head. She was awake now.
"Put the girl down." He demanded. The man shook his head.
"She is the means to an end." He replied. Black clothing, semi-automatic pistol, accent to the man's English. Out of country, most likely one of the rebels of the team who had taken Lily, inexperienced and not well equipped. To take him out would be easy. To do so and keep Eli safe was another.
"She is only a child. What can she do?" He stated as he moved closer. The man took a step back, getting a tighter grip on Eli as he did.
"Ian, he hurting me." She whimpered out.
"Stay where you are, or I will shoot her. Children grow and the apple never falls far from the tree. The world will be better off."
Ian viewed the surroundings. He could not go for his weapon fast enough to stop the man and get Eli away. But he had to stop him before he tried to get away. This guy wouldn't be stupid enough to kill her in the mansion. But he was a young rogue, so Ian could not trust that fact. He noticed that right behind him and Eli was one of her bags. If he took another step back ward he would.....
Ian looked at Eli. Now was the time she could play twenty questions. She mouthed words to him.
"Stay?" Negative. "Move?" Yes. "Now?" No. "When you move?" Wrong. "When he moves?" Yes. "Backward?" No. "Forward?" He gave her a final look that said yes. She nodded slightly.
The man noticed the interchange between them. He pressed the gun closer to her head. "Stop that."
Ian held his breath and took a step forward. "Listen.." The man shook his head. And just as Ian expected, he took a step back.
Eli pushed forward when he did and he fell. The automatic went off, but the bullets did not connect with Eli. She ran over the bed before she sprinted out if the room. Ian was already attacking the man. The man quickly got up and tried to shoot him, but it was like shooting at air.
When he ran out of bullets, he ran to leave the same way he had entered. He had jumped out, expecting to land on the balcony below. He was not expecting to feel something cold and sharp enter through the back of his skull. His body missed the balcony and landed on the ground with a disgusting crack.
Ian shook his head. He would deal with the body tomorrow morning. It was too tiring to do so tonight. And he had to be close by to Eli in case another tried to do the same thing.
Eli! He looked around and remembered she had run out. He looked down the hall and found her under one of the ancient tapestries on the walls. She was crying so he picked her up and started to calm her down. The poor thing was shivering. He needed to call Irons. He went to his room, setting her down on the bed before picking up his cell phone.
"Yes?" Irons voice replied, tired sounding.
"Mr. Irons, an attempt has just been made on young Eli's life."
"Did they succeed?"
"No."
"Good. We had news that two men left the kidnappers in hopes of finishing off the whole line. They left within three days of each other. Another may be on his way. Be on your guard."
"Yes, sir."
"Mr. Carver denies the rumor you mentioned, but he is an awful liar. What did you find out from the girl?"
"Nothing, yet sir. She will not talk."
"Get it out of her soon."
"Yes, sir." He heard Irons hang up. He put the phone down and turned around. Eli was sitting on the edge of his bed frowning.
"You lied, I talk." She told him.
"I know you do. It is something else." He told her. She nodded. She was obviously still very upset, which was not unusual.
"The bad person came. He tried to kill me." She said softly. He sat down next to her and she leaned against him.
"They will not hurt you." He told her. "I will not let them. I promised, remember? As long as you are here, no harm shall fall on you." She smiled a little and nodded.
There silence for a moment. Then Eli turned and asked
"Can I sleep here with you tonight? I don't wanna sleep alone again. The bad men might come again. Please?" He nodded. She moved and got under the covers. He moved next to her. He felt her little body next to his and one of her arms on his stomach. He was not quite sure what to do, so he just layed still and waited for her to fall asleep. After she did, he allowed his body to get comfortable and drift off to sleep, not forgetting to make sure he had more than a couple of weapons close by.
He just prayed she didn't kick him in her sleep.
After they had gotten back from McDonalds and Eli had eaten her happy meal, he had her take her bath. This time, he kept an eye on her as the bath filled to make sure she decided not to play anymore games of 'tidal wave'.
Instead of playing twenty questions, she talked and sang to herself.
"Oompa, loompa, ommpadee doo!
I got another puzzle for you!
Oompa, loompa, ommpadee dee!
If you are wise you'll listen to me!"
She sang proudly, accidently splashing Ian at the end of it. She winced. "Sorry." He nodded.
"Mama was bad, Tony was bad. But one day they gonna be good and come back. And we all go to the castle and live happily ever after. I know it. Daddy say be a good girl, and they come back. I be very good girl!" She turned to Ian. "Am I a good girl?"
"Yes, of course." He answered, half lying. He simply wanted her to continue her ramblings. Especially since they were on her family.
"Thank you. This bandage too itchy. I'm gonna take it off cause it old." She pulled off the bandage on her knee. Her knee had bruised over and was healing. She flung the dirty, wet thing over the bath tub. It landed on Ian's shoe. With a sigh, he picked it up and threw it away.
He got her out of the tub and dressed for bed. He was about to take her to her room when she stopped. "Ian, you said I could play with the DVD."
"I said maybe. It is getting late." He replied. She pouted.
"Please???" He groaned. He was beginning to become a real push over. At least with her. He nodded and took her to the Living room.
She played with it a while more and then started watching the movie again. She fell asleep during the movie. Ian turned the DVD player off. He picked her up off the couch and took her to her room. He tucked her in. She snuggled into her blankets. Was this really the same demon that jumped on him in the mornings, painted on his clothes, and bopped him on the head with a fairy wand? He shook his head and turned off the light. He shut the door behind him.
He had taken about five steps away from the door when there was a huge crash from Eli's room, followed by her screaming. He backtracked with the speed of a demon to see what was going on.
When he opened the door he noticed that 1)the window was broken and 2) there was a man over by the bed that had Eli under his arm with a gun to her head. She was awake now.
"Put the girl down." He demanded. The man shook his head.
"She is the means to an end." He replied. Black clothing, semi-automatic pistol, accent to the man's English. Out of country, most likely one of the rebels of the team who had taken Lily, inexperienced and not well equipped. To take him out would be easy. To do so and keep Eli safe was another.
"She is only a child. What can she do?" He stated as he moved closer. The man took a step back, getting a tighter grip on Eli as he did.
"Ian, he hurting me." She whimpered out.
"Stay where you are, or I will shoot her. Children grow and the apple never falls far from the tree. The world will be better off."
Ian viewed the surroundings. He could not go for his weapon fast enough to stop the man and get Eli away. But he had to stop him before he tried to get away. This guy wouldn't be stupid enough to kill her in the mansion. But he was a young rogue, so Ian could not trust that fact. He noticed that right behind him and Eli was one of her bags. If he took another step back ward he would.....
Ian looked at Eli. Now was the time she could play twenty questions. She mouthed words to him.
"Stay?" Negative. "Move?" Yes. "Now?" No. "When you move?" Wrong. "When he moves?" Yes. "Backward?" No. "Forward?" He gave her a final look that said yes. She nodded slightly.
The man noticed the interchange between them. He pressed the gun closer to her head. "Stop that."
Ian held his breath and took a step forward. "Listen.." The man shook his head. And just as Ian expected, he took a step back.
Eli pushed forward when he did and he fell. The automatic went off, but the bullets did not connect with Eli. She ran over the bed before she sprinted out if the room. Ian was already attacking the man. The man quickly got up and tried to shoot him, but it was like shooting at air.
When he ran out of bullets, he ran to leave the same way he had entered. He had jumped out, expecting to land on the balcony below. He was not expecting to feel something cold and sharp enter through the back of his skull. His body missed the balcony and landed on the ground with a disgusting crack.
Ian shook his head. He would deal with the body tomorrow morning. It was too tiring to do so tonight. And he had to be close by to Eli in case another tried to do the same thing.
Eli! He looked around and remembered she had run out. He looked down the hall and found her under one of the ancient tapestries on the walls. She was crying so he picked her up and started to calm her down. The poor thing was shivering. He needed to call Irons. He went to his room, setting her down on the bed before picking up his cell phone.
"Yes?" Irons voice replied, tired sounding.
"Mr. Irons, an attempt has just been made on young Eli's life."
"Did they succeed?"
"No."
"Good. We had news that two men left the kidnappers in hopes of finishing off the whole line. They left within three days of each other. Another may be on his way. Be on your guard."
"Yes, sir."
"Mr. Carver denies the rumor you mentioned, but he is an awful liar. What did you find out from the girl?"
"Nothing, yet sir. She will not talk."
"Get it out of her soon."
"Yes, sir." He heard Irons hang up. He put the phone down and turned around. Eli was sitting on the edge of his bed frowning.
"You lied, I talk." She told him.
"I know you do. It is something else." He told her. She nodded. She was obviously still very upset, which was not unusual.
"The bad person came. He tried to kill me." She said softly. He sat down next to her and she leaned against him.
"They will not hurt you." He told her. "I will not let them. I promised, remember? As long as you are here, no harm shall fall on you." She smiled a little and nodded.
There silence for a moment. Then Eli turned and asked
"Can I sleep here with you tonight? I don't wanna sleep alone again. The bad men might come again. Please?" He nodded. She moved and got under the covers. He moved next to her. He felt her little body next to his and one of her arms on his stomach. He was not quite sure what to do, so he just layed still and waited for her to fall asleep. After she did, he allowed his body to get comfortable and drift off to sleep, not forgetting to make sure he had more than a couple of weapons close by.
He just prayed she didn't kick him in her sleep.