Faith anticipation was slowly abated as she felt the gentle touchdown of
the plane. After skillfully landing the pilots immediately directed the jet
towards the appropriate terminal. Even before that Faith had unfastened the
seatbelt and was sitting in the empty chair near the aisle. With her bag
clutched in her hand she glanced down at her watch. It was a little after 3
A.M. grateful for the early morning hour. Less or no traffic and everyone
should still be asleep. Reaching the mansion would not be a problem but
getting in might.
The hissing sound of the door opening pulled her back from her thoughts and Faith quickly maneuvered around other passengers. As she approached the door she spotted Natasha. The nagging feeling had returned and she couldn't understand why. She looked at the woman's features again. Faith hadn't realized just how tall Natasha was. They were about the same height of 5'11 and Natasha seemed to be in fitting health. She had the same hair color, same eyes, and even the same body frame. Could she really be? Faith shook her head. 'No, nothing a little hair dye and contacts can't change to make a person appear something they're not. Come on Faith you know better. You've done countless of transformations before. Natasha is just a coincidence.'
"Thank you for choosing British Airways. We hope you enjoy your stay in New York." Eugene's cheery voice broke through Faith's trance. She quickly flashed the flight attendant a smile and continued down the aisle. She was nearly out of the plane before Tasha stopped her.
"Thank you again for everything. I wish you the best of luck," she smiled, her sincerity reflected in those hazel eyes. "Maybe we might run into each other while in New York."
Faith grinned, "Yes we just might. Well good luck to you, Natasha." She continued down the corridor and headed straight for one of the many rows of lockers that adorn the walls of the terminal. Finally spotting the appropriate one she punched in the combination on the keypad and a locker opened. Faith bent to retrieve the small duffle bag then entered the ladies room. Grateful that it was empty Faith found a stall, locked it, and placed one of the handles onto the hook. She dropped her other bag on the floor and took off her coat, draping it over the top of the hook.
Faith then carefully unzipped the bag. Grinning as she made a quick assessment of the contents. Ian had filled the bag with her most desired weapons, daggers. She hated guns and would rather use blades instead. Not that she wasn't any good with firearms on the contrary Faith was an excellent marksman. She just rather preferred the blade. Much like hand-to- hand combat but with a blade as an extension of one's self. How she actually enjoyed the deadly dance of steel striking against steel. It was a dance she knew well.
Anticipate but never underestimate your adversary's next move, outmaneuver every attack. Then to retaliate with your own sets of thrusts and blows. As the dance ends you hope that you will turn out to be the victor. And to not celebrate over the defeat of your foe but rejoice in the knowledge that your skills had once again saved your life. It was the feeling of achievement she would never get when using a gun. Perhaps it was her own silliness but she felt that with a blade came honor. Unfortunately there was no honor in death and Faith never relished in taking someone's life. She just appreciated the fight but in a deadly dance such as this death was the only conclusion. Faith made sure it was not hers.
"Get your head out of the clouds, Faith. This isn't a fairy tale the one in distress is a knight in tarnished armor. The woman is no damsel at all but a Homicide detective. Who has no idea what's going on and probably doesn't care what happens to the knight. Justice will never be served to the evil villain and he won't just die either. Instead he will manage to live on forever and wreck havoc on other poor souls. And it's the sidekick that actually comes to the rescue. Perhaps this is a fairy tale; a rather warped out one." Faith snorted as she pulled out a unique apparatus from the bag.
The device had some kind of harness with three straps that needed to be fastened and a long metal scabbard. The lengthy equipment was as long as her forearm. Faith comfortably positioned the weapon, metal scabbard on top, and began to tightly fasten the straps. Faith clenched her hand into a tight fist and snapped it down. Within the blink of an eye a 'snkit' sound echoed in the empty restroom and a long jagged blade protruded out. She turned her arm to inspect the blade. The metal was cool against her fingertips. 'Just how I like it: Shiny and sharp. Who needs claws when you have an 9 inch blade sticking out of your arm.' Faith grinned. With another flex of her arm the blade retreated back into the scabbard. She quickly fastened the other weapon onto her right arm.
Faith pulled out a pair of high-topped black boots from the bag. 'Ah, please don't tell me he wants me to where this with these pants? Besides what is wrong with my shoes?' She complained while examining one of the shoes. At the foot of the shoe a small incision could be seen between the thick rubber sole. She purposefully tripped the trigger and instantly a curvy 2 inch blade sprung out. "Oh, well if you put it in that case, sure." She said sarcastically. Faith carefully sat on the toilet and began to switch boots. Before getting up she reached into the bag and pulled out a pair of sheathed black boot knives. After securing her knives and boots she stood up and looked what other goodies Ian had left her.
Inside she found 3 screaming arrows, her favorite throwing knife. The sleek metal was S-shaped with the blade at on end. There was no handle grip, which made the knife easier to throw, and a much smoother sail through the air. She pocketed those in a compartment in her leather jacket. She also pocketed the small 150,000-volt stun gun that was left in the bag. Lastly Faith pulled out a set of car keys, a cell phone, and an envelope. Inside the envelope was a parking ticket, directions to the car, and money to pay for the parking. Also inside was a small white card key. No doubt a key to get inside the mansion.
Faith double-checked the duffle bag and when there was nothing else in it she shrugged on her coat, easily concealing the two weapons on her arms, and unlocked the stall door. She picked up her bag and tossed the black duffle into the nearby trash bin. Faith made a quick check in the full- length mirror making sure nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Before leaving the ladies room she decided to call Ian, no answer. She tried again as she walked out of the ladies room but still no answer. 'Damn it something is definitely wrong. Ian always answers on the first ring.' Then suddenly as she emerged someone bumped into her and she lost her grip on the phone.
"Oh my God, I am so sorry. I was on my phone and you just came out of nowhere. I didn't see you." Faith straighted up and smoothed out her clothes as she turned to look at the woman. It was Tasha the flight attendant.
"I take it this wasn't exactly what you meant about running into each other." Tasha's eyes widen as she recognized the passenger. "Don't worry about I wasn't exactly paying attention either. Speaking of phones where did I drop mine?"
"Here you go ladies. You both had dropped them and I picked them up for you." Eugene handed them back their phones.
"Thank you," they both said. Faith placing her phone in her coat while Tasha placed hers in purse.
"Again I'm sorry," Tasha apologized. "Don't worry about it. Maybe I'll see you around. You two have a good morning." Faith smiled and left. Tasha and Eugene followed behind.
"So did you get a hold of your friend, what's his name?" Eugene asked. "Jake, Jake McCarty. Yeah I did, I'll be taking a cab to his apartment. I'll be staying at his place while I get a few other things settled. I just left a message on his machine." Tasha informed.
Faith quickly found the shiny silver Jaguar Ian had left behind in the parking lot. She turned the alarm off and popped the trunk. She placed her bag in the back and slammed the lid. Before getting in the car she pulled out the cell contemplating if she should try again. 'No,' she thought. 'If he didn't answer the first time then most likely Ian wasn't going to this time. He was in trouble.' Faith got into the car and revved the engine. She pulled out of the parking stall and began her journey towards 1111 Faust Street.
With Faith's exceptional driving skills, going at the speed that could have broken the sound barrier and most importantly without getting caught, found herself standing behind one of the walls that secured the mansion. She decided to park the Jag about a block up from the mansion. Faith scanned the area first before making a run for the wall. With moves that would make Jackie Chan proud Faith scaled the wall and was quickly over.
Like a feline she landed gracefully to the ground. She used her powerful legs to run across the grounds, making sure to avoid any and all security cameras. Ian no doubt was the one responsible for setting up security and knowing Ian so well she knew what to look for, where to go, and when to move. Soon she reached a metal door concealed behind some rather tall shrubbery. She pulled out the white card key and slipped it into the slot. Immediately the door quietly slid open and Faith was finally inside.
She looked at her watch, the indigo backlight illuminating the face. Faith sighed it took her fifteen minutes. 'Must be getting rusty.' She chastised for letting her skills slip. Every second counted, Ian counted on her. It was a good thing she knows the mansion well or else it would take her forever to find Ian. By then it would be too late. The hallway was dark but Faith didn't need any light to see where she was going. There were only two rooms she was planning on visiting: Dr. Immo's lab and the torture room.
~*~
The hissing sound of the door opening pulled her back from her thoughts and Faith quickly maneuvered around other passengers. As she approached the door she spotted Natasha. The nagging feeling had returned and she couldn't understand why. She looked at the woman's features again. Faith hadn't realized just how tall Natasha was. They were about the same height of 5'11 and Natasha seemed to be in fitting health. She had the same hair color, same eyes, and even the same body frame. Could she really be? Faith shook her head. 'No, nothing a little hair dye and contacts can't change to make a person appear something they're not. Come on Faith you know better. You've done countless of transformations before. Natasha is just a coincidence.'
"Thank you for choosing British Airways. We hope you enjoy your stay in New York." Eugene's cheery voice broke through Faith's trance. She quickly flashed the flight attendant a smile and continued down the aisle. She was nearly out of the plane before Tasha stopped her.
"Thank you again for everything. I wish you the best of luck," she smiled, her sincerity reflected in those hazel eyes. "Maybe we might run into each other while in New York."
Faith grinned, "Yes we just might. Well good luck to you, Natasha." She continued down the corridor and headed straight for one of the many rows of lockers that adorn the walls of the terminal. Finally spotting the appropriate one she punched in the combination on the keypad and a locker opened. Faith bent to retrieve the small duffle bag then entered the ladies room. Grateful that it was empty Faith found a stall, locked it, and placed one of the handles onto the hook. She dropped her other bag on the floor and took off her coat, draping it over the top of the hook.
Faith then carefully unzipped the bag. Grinning as she made a quick assessment of the contents. Ian had filled the bag with her most desired weapons, daggers. She hated guns and would rather use blades instead. Not that she wasn't any good with firearms on the contrary Faith was an excellent marksman. She just rather preferred the blade. Much like hand-to- hand combat but with a blade as an extension of one's self. How she actually enjoyed the deadly dance of steel striking against steel. It was a dance she knew well.
Anticipate but never underestimate your adversary's next move, outmaneuver every attack. Then to retaliate with your own sets of thrusts and blows. As the dance ends you hope that you will turn out to be the victor. And to not celebrate over the defeat of your foe but rejoice in the knowledge that your skills had once again saved your life. It was the feeling of achievement she would never get when using a gun. Perhaps it was her own silliness but she felt that with a blade came honor. Unfortunately there was no honor in death and Faith never relished in taking someone's life. She just appreciated the fight but in a deadly dance such as this death was the only conclusion. Faith made sure it was not hers.
"Get your head out of the clouds, Faith. This isn't a fairy tale the one in distress is a knight in tarnished armor. The woman is no damsel at all but a Homicide detective. Who has no idea what's going on and probably doesn't care what happens to the knight. Justice will never be served to the evil villain and he won't just die either. Instead he will manage to live on forever and wreck havoc on other poor souls. And it's the sidekick that actually comes to the rescue. Perhaps this is a fairy tale; a rather warped out one." Faith snorted as she pulled out a unique apparatus from the bag.
The device had some kind of harness with three straps that needed to be fastened and a long metal scabbard. The lengthy equipment was as long as her forearm. Faith comfortably positioned the weapon, metal scabbard on top, and began to tightly fasten the straps. Faith clenched her hand into a tight fist and snapped it down. Within the blink of an eye a 'snkit' sound echoed in the empty restroom and a long jagged blade protruded out. She turned her arm to inspect the blade. The metal was cool against her fingertips. 'Just how I like it: Shiny and sharp. Who needs claws when you have an 9 inch blade sticking out of your arm.' Faith grinned. With another flex of her arm the blade retreated back into the scabbard. She quickly fastened the other weapon onto her right arm.
Faith pulled out a pair of high-topped black boots from the bag. 'Ah, please don't tell me he wants me to where this with these pants? Besides what is wrong with my shoes?' She complained while examining one of the shoes. At the foot of the shoe a small incision could be seen between the thick rubber sole. She purposefully tripped the trigger and instantly a curvy 2 inch blade sprung out. "Oh, well if you put it in that case, sure." She said sarcastically. Faith carefully sat on the toilet and began to switch boots. Before getting up she reached into the bag and pulled out a pair of sheathed black boot knives. After securing her knives and boots she stood up and looked what other goodies Ian had left her.
Inside she found 3 screaming arrows, her favorite throwing knife. The sleek metal was S-shaped with the blade at on end. There was no handle grip, which made the knife easier to throw, and a much smoother sail through the air. She pocketed those in a compartment in her leather jacket. She also pocketed the small 150,000-volt stun gun that was left in the bag. Lastly Faith pulled out a set of car keys, a cell phone, and an envelope. Inside the envelope was a parking ticket, directions to the car, and money to pay for the parking. Also inside was a small white card key. No doubt a key to get inside the mansion.
Faith double-checked the duffle bag and when there was nothing else in it she shrugged on her coat, easily concealing the two weapons on her arms, and unlocked the stall door. She picked up her bag and tossed the black duffle into the nearby trash bin. Faith made a quick check in the full- length mirror making sure nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Before leaving the ladies room she decided to call Ian, no answer. She tried again as she walked out of the ladies room but still no answer. 'Damn it something is definitely wrong. Ian always answers on the first ring.' Then suddenly as she emerged someone bumped into her and she lost her grip on the phone.
"Oh my God, I am so sorry. I was on my phone and you just came out of nowhere. I didn't see you." Faith straighted up and smoothed out her clothes as she turned to look at the woman. It was Tasha the flight attendant.
"I take it this wasn't exactly what you meant about running into each other." Tasha's eyes widen as she recognized the passenger. "Don't worry about I wasn't exactly paying attention either. Speaking of phones where did I drop mine?"
"Here you go ladies. You both had dropped them and I picked them up for you." Eugene handed them back their phones.
"Thank you," they both said. Faith placing her phone in her coat while Tasha placed hers in purse.
"Again I'm sorry," Tasha apologized. "Don't worry about it. Maybe I'll see you around. You two have a good morning." Faith smiled and left. Tasha and Eugene followed behind.
"So did you get a hold of your friend, what's his name?" Eugene asked. "Jake, Jake McCarty. Yeah I did, I'll be taking a cab to his apartment. I'll be staying at his place while I get a few other things settled. I just left a message on his machine." Tasha informed.
Faith quickly found the shiny silver Jaguar Ian had left behind in the parking lot. She turned the alarm off and popped the trunk. She placed her bag in the back and slammed the lid. Before getting in the car she pulled out the cell contemplating if she should try again. 'No,' she thought. 'If he didn't answer the first time then most likely Ian wasn't going to this time. He was in trouble.' Faith got into the car and revved the engine. She pulled out of the parking stall and began her journey towards 1111 Faust Street.
With Faith's exceptional driving skills, going at the speed that could have broken the sound barrier and most importantly without getting caught, found herself standing behind one of the walls that secured the mansion. She decided to park the Jag about a block up from the mansion. Faith scanned the area first before making a run for the wall. With moves that would make Jackie Chan proud Faith scaled the wall and was quickly over.
Like a feline she landed gracefully to the ground. She used her powerful legs to run across the grounds, making sure to avoid any and all security cameras. Ian no doubt was the one responsible for setting up security and knowing Ian so well she knew what to look for, where to go, and when to move. Soon she reached a metal door concealed behind some rather tall shrubbery. She pulled out the white card key and slipped it into the slot. Immediately the door quietly slid open and Faith was finally inside.
She looked at her watch, the indigo backlight illuminating the face. Faith sighed it took her fifteen minutes. 'Must be getting rusty.' She chastised for letting her skills slip. Every second counted, Ian counted on her. It was a good thing she knows the mansion well or else it would take her forever to find Ian. By then it would be too late. The hallway was dark but Faith didn't need any light to see where she was going. There were only two rooms she was planning on visiting: Dr. Immo's lab and the torture room.
~*~