PART TWELVE
Sara was still thinking about what Danny had said as she entered into the car with the other three. She turned in the seat so that she could look at everyone. Dianna had laid her head on Gabriel's chest and was lightly dozing.
"Sara is something wrong?" Ian looked from the driver's seat at her. "You seem to be pale."
"Danny knows something is up." She stared into Ian's dark eyes. "He's always known something was going on but never said anything."
"Will he make any problems?" Gabriel asked as he stroked Dianna's hair absently.
"Just the opposite. He said he would cover for us as much as possible." She paused for few uneasy seconds before continuing. "And he said that he hoped one day I would be able to tell him all about the bracelet and how Dianna suddenly started wearing it."
"He knows about the Blade?" Ian's eyes grew large as he mouth set hard. "How?"
"To quote our friend back there," she pointed toward Gabriel, "he said he felt he was as connected to it as the four of us are." Sara turned back around and stared out the side window. "All these years and I never knew." Shaking her head sadly she shrugged. "He never let on that he knew anything."
"We need to tell him eventually." Dianna whispered as she snuggled deeper into Gabriel's embrace. "He has the right to know."
"I know baby." Sara whispered. "So, where too now?"
"We have to get her now. She doesn't have much more time Sara." Dianna sat up suddenly, tears filling her eyes. "We have to go to her now."
"She has given me all the information I need to find the place." Ian growled as he started the car and put it in gear. "It will not be long."
Dianna was quiet as they drove. She had buried her face deep into Gabriel's shoulder and had begun to doze. Gabriel looked at Sara several times in concern only to receive reassuring smiles from the older woman.
"I can feel her." Suddenly Dianna sat upright and stared out the side window. "Ian, she's close, slow down a bit."
"Is she all right?" Sara asked slowly, watching the younger woman.
"Yes, she's scared but not hurt." Dianna peered at the buildings carefully before finally shouting out. "That's it!" She pointed as Ian came to a stop. "He has her in there." Before anyone could react or move, Dianna had bolted out of the car and headed into the old warehouse.
"DIANNA!" Gabriel yelled. Dianna didn't acknowledge his cry as she disappeared inside. "We have to get to her." Gabriel opened his door and began running toward the building with Sara and Ian close behind.
Sara and Ian caught up with Gabriel just as he entered the building. Just as Gabriel was about to shout out to Dianna, Ian touched him on the shoulder lightly and motioned for him to be silent. Carefully they began to move through the warehouse, looking for Dianna or any signs of the girl.
"I knew you'd come." A male voice caused the three to stop and take cover. Looking over old crates, they could see that Dianna had found the man and the child. The small girl was cowering on a dirty mattress that had been thrown on the floor. "It didn't take you as long as I thought it would."
"Let her go." Dianna said softly as she took a step forward. "If you were waiting for me, then you have no farther need for her.
"Oh but I do." The man grinned and leered at Dianna. "I have no intentions of letting either of you go. Surely you knew that when you walked in." Sara started to stand but was stopped by Ian's hand as the man continued speaking. "You're psychic, remember?"
"What do you want?" Dianna took several more steps forward, moving toward the girl. "Why did you kidnap the girl?"
"Come on now Miss Huntress. Haven't you figured that out yet?" He waited as Dianna looked at him confused. "You really haven't realized who I am yet, have you?" He began to laugh, sending chills over everyone's skin. "I'm the one that keeps getting away."
"What does he mean by that." Gabriel asked as he stared. "What does he mean the one that keeps getting away?" Ian and Sara could only shrug.
"The one that keeps getting away?" Dianna looked down at her wrist and saw the bracelet begin to pulse. She then saw herself in the past, in three different crime scene, each more brutal than the last. She could see herself looking at blood that splattered over the floor and wall. "The one that keeps getting away." She whispered again as she found herself in the present. "I know who you are."
"You and I go back a long way, don't we." He moved a step toward Dianna. "You play the game so well."
"A game?" She stared at him in both shock and anger. "To play a game, you must have willing participants. I don't recall any of those children being willing to play your sick game."
"But you have. You never had to keep looking for me. You could have stopped after the first one, but you didn't." He was close enough to touch her. "You had to keep playing didn't you?"
"I didn't want to. You made me." Her voice was beginning to fill with rage as the bracelet began to transform with in a loud metallic clanging. "I couldn't let you get away with the things you did to those children."
"Not in anger Princess." Gabriel whispered as Ian and Sara held their breath.
"What is that you have? A new toy?" The man started at the gauntlet now covering Dianna's hand and forearm. "How interesting."
"Kathy, listen to me honey..." Dianna spoke to the terrified girl as she continued to stare at the man. "Baby, I want you to get up and run to those boxes by the door. Can you do that?"
"He'll hurt me." The small voice cried.
"No he won't. I won't let him." Dianna soothed. "Just run as fast as you can. I won't let him get anywhere near you." She waited as the child looked at them both hesitantly. "Go now Kathy."
No longer hesitating, the girl stood and began to rush to the area Dianna indicated. The man tried to grab for the small body, but Dianna reached out and grabbed his wrist tightly.
"You bitch!" He shouted as he backhanded Dianna with his free hand. "You've only made her death worse. And I'll make sure you are still alive when I do her."
"No, you won't hurt her or any other child again." Dianna took a step back as she wiped the blood from her now bleeding lip. "You won't hurt anyone."
"You can't stop me." He rushed her in a blind rage.
Dianna simply stepped aside and used the man's momentum to push him into a tumble. She turned as he stood and faced her again.
"Kathy, keep running. I have some friends in a car outside. Go to them." Dianna didn't wait to hear if the girl heard her, she instead waited till the man was on his feet again, facing her. "I don't want to hurt you."
"I'm not going to just give up if that's what you think."
"Kathy!" Sara whispered loud enough for the child to hear and stop. "Over here. We're Dianna's friends. Come to us honey. We'll keep you safe." The child ran into Sara's waiting arms and hid her small face in Sara's shoulder, crying hard. "Shhh, don't worry. You're safe now baby."
The sound of conflict suddenly caught Sara's attention. She held the child close to her as she looked over the crates and saw Dianna in full battle with the man.
Dianna effortlessly continued to use the man's moves against him. He would lunge toward her only to find empty air where she once stood. Finally he reached down and picked up a large pipe. In an instant the gauntlet produced a long sword, gleaming and sharp. Dianna used it to reflect each blow the man threw at her.
"Please, just put that down. I don't want to hurt you." Dianna pleaded with her assailant. "You can't just walk away this time."
"You whore!" Again he rushed her, coming dangerously close to her head with the pipe. Dianna simply moved to the side and raised the sword. It connected with the man's midsection, running him through completely with ease. Dianna watched as the man glared first at the blood pouring from his body, then into her eyes. "Damn you bitch." He whispered in anger as he felt his life begin to fade. "You're no better than me." Then he was silent and still.
Dianna pulled the sword from the man's body and watched in horror as he fell silently to the floor. She took a step backwards and almost tripped over a box. Gabriel and Ian were up first, rushing to the young woman's side. Sara stood, heaving the child in her arms and followed the men, careful to keep Kathy's face from the sight of the blood that began to pool under the inert body.
"I didn't want to hurt him." Dianna whispered as she felt the gauntlet change. "I didn't want too Gabriel."
"I know Princess." Gabriel grabbed her as Ian hovered over the body, checking for vital signs. "You did what you had to do."
"He's dead." Ian stood, still staring at the man. "He would have killed you if he had the chance."
"That doesn't make it any easier." Dianna spit in anger.
"I know." Ian lowered his head. Looking around he found a slender pipe and in a move that shocked everyone there, forced it through the wound that the Witchblade had created. He looked up at their faces. "This way there will be no questions on where the weapon is." Sara nodded in understanding. "You should take the child out and call Danny. He will want to know what has happened here." He then looked at Gabriel. "Mythkeeper, you too need to take the Princess out of here." Gabriel nodded as started out with Dianna in his arms.
"Aren't you coming?" Sara asked.
"In a moment. I must make sure all is set for Danny." Ian began looking around as his instructions were carried out.
Danny had come quickly and once he saw what had happened, he glanced knowingly at Sara and called for back up and the child's parents. Sara was quiet as she held Kathy tightly in her arms. Ian and Gabriel seemed to hover around Dianna, as though they were protecting her. Shaking his head he neared Sara once more.
"Look. I know I said you could take your time, but I think you need to come clean with me." His words held more than a hint of warning. "Sara I need to know what's going on."
"Tonight. I promise Danny. Meet us at Gabriel's and we'll all tell you what we know." She glanced in the direction of the three. "You have to understand it will be hard to believe."
"Sara, I worked with you. I was your partner remember?" He ran fingers through his dark hair. "Look. I want to know. You just make sure that everyone that is involved is there. Understood?" Sara nodded. "Good. Now if you will excuse me. I have a crime scene to investigate."
"KATHY!" A woman's voice screamed from one of the police cruisers that pulled up.
"MOMMY!" Kathy shouted back as Sara put her down. She watched as the small girl ran to the man and woman nearing them. The man reached down and scooped the crying child into his arms as the woman wrapped her arms around them both. "MOMMY, DADDY!"
As the family was reunited, Sara moved toward the other three. She sighed deeply as she gazed into Dianna's eyes.
"You okay sweetie?"
"I'm all right Sara." Dianna accepted the hug offered by Sara. "I tried not to kill him. He just wouldn't listen."
"You'll run into that honey." Sara pulled back and looked at everyone. "Danny wants to know. He's coming by your place tonight Gabriel." She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "I think it's time." She glanced at Dianna. "You think you're going to be up for it?"
"I think I have to be Sara." Dianna leaned against Gabriel. "He's a good man and could be a great ally. That is something we will defiantly need."
"Okay." Sara nodded. "Good. Give me a minute. I'll see if it's all right to take you home now and let Danny take your statement tonight. Once we finish talking to him."
"Just a few more minutes Princess." Gabriel tightened his grip as he watched Sara speak to Danny then turn back towards them. "Well?" He asked as Sara neared.
"He said that would be fine." Sara crossed her arms. "I wish I would have done this a long time ago." She snarled as Gabriel started to open his mouth. "Bowman, if you give me one of your philosophies, I'll..."
"In time and on time." Dianna whispered with a smile.
"I didn't say a word." Gabriel grinned as Sara threw her hands up.