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Funky in Fishnet

Diablocat

Chapter Five

The remaining league had retired to the drawing room by the time Jekyll reappeared. Mina looked up from her book.

"Did you ask Katrina how she acquired the wound?"

Jekyll nodded. Mina urged him with her eyes to go on.

"She was shot by a member of the Thieves' Guild at their base outside Kenya-about two miles away. Apparently she has been working undercover within the operation for the past two weeks, trying to find out where the stolen Box was being hidden."

"But Katrina told us the entire corporation exists of men. How would she be able to find anything out?"

Jekyll swallowed nervously and wiped his brow with an anxious hand "She would... perform favours for one or two of the men and then exchange that for information. Apparently the Guild has a few young women around who do that, but not for information, for money. Katrina tried to convince them into running away but they wouldn't have it. The day before yesterday she received word of Allan's death and the letter fell into a pair of rather inconvenient hands. She ran but was shot in the hope of killing her."

A deathly silence fell across the room "She shouldn't have had to do that." Nemo said softly, a quiet rage boiling in his soul. This girl was the daughter of Allan Quatermain, not some common prostitute!

Mina stood and went to move toward the door. Jekyll held up a hand "She's sleeping now."

The heat was unbearable.

Tom Sawyer lay in his bed, tossing and turning. He had already dressed to the lowest degree, wearing only a thin cotton vest and boxer shorts to sleep. The heat hadn't bothered him any other night but it was the only thing he could think of that was keeping him awake (Or was it?)

Tom shook his own head to banish the thought. What else could there possibly be keeping him awake?

Maybe he was worried about Katrina. No, not worried, concerned, he wasconcerned, that was it. Getting out of bed Tom slipped on a pair of trousers and padded two doors down the hall to Katrina's bedroom.

Gently opening the door his eyes were met with the sight of Katrina, still led on her right side. Sweat was pouring down her forehead and she was muttering in her sleep. Tom crossed to her and placed a hand on her forehead. She was burning up, her breathing was shallow and she was shivering.

Running through the fields behind the Quatermain manor being chased by Charlie, Katrina's laugh sounded like water gurgling through a drain.

Hiding in the long grass Katrina could barely contain her giggles. Her heart beat faster as Charlie crept toward her, obviously not noticing where she was and passing her by. When he had his back turned Katrina leapt out "Surprise!"

Charlie gave a yelp of shock and caught his sister around the waist pulling her into a big hug.

"Come on, we should get back. My shooting lesson is at four o' clock." Charlie set the fourteen year old girl down on the ground and took hold of her hand, guiding her through the long grass that she could not see over.

Through the conservatory window Katrina watched her father and Charlie shoot at pigeons in the dimming light. Charlie's Eighteen year old frame was slender and elegant, just like Katrina's own figure was getting to be. He aimed the gun, allowing for wind target movement. The moments between him aiming and actually taking the shot made Katrina's heart beat fit to burst. It seemed like an eternity. She closed her eyes, imagining herself with the gun and not Charlie.

The shot resounded and Katrina's eyes opened with a jolt.

"Good shot lad!" Father clapped Charlie on the shoulder and they both made their way inside for the night. Katrina smiled as if the victory had been hers. As if the clap on the shoulder had been hers.

"What are you thinking of?" Charlie asked Katrina as she stared into space curled up in a chair in the library that night. She smiled at him.

"Adventure. Can we go on one?"

"You want us to go on an adventure?"

Katrina frowned "Maybe. I can't decide."

"Decide on what?" Asked their father as he wandered into the library, a pipe in one hand and a newspaper in the other.

"Going on an adventure." Charlie answered for Katrina.

"Like you, father." Before their father had even asked Katrina had obligingly collected her father's slippers from the hearth rug and brought them to him.

"Jolly good. Now young Charlie, a letter arrived for me this morning."

"What about?" Charlie asked.

"A mission. For Queen and country. What do you say?"

Charlie was silent for a long while. Father sent Katrina off to bed. Katrina hugged her father tightly. He patted her on the head. As Katrina passed Charlie she hugged him too. Her older brother wrapped his arms around Katrina in the special hug that only they shared no one else.

Two days later they were gone. As they said Goodbye Charlie knelt in front of Katrina who sat on the steps of the Quatermain Manor. From his pocket he pulled a leather bracelet. It tied at the bottom and the bracelet itself was beautiful.

"This is for you. Maybe when I get back we'll have that adventure, eh?"

Katrina nodded.

Charlie pulled Katrina into a tight hug "Stay alive Charlie, please." Katrina whispered. Charlie hugged her even tighter "Of course."

Charlie got into the carriage, their father to follow. He turned to Katrina before he got in "Be good lass." Was all he said to her before they departed.

Katrina never saw Charlie again.

She was in the dark place again. It was so cold here. Katrina could almost hear the grim expression on her own face.

"Is this is then?" She felt like shouting "Is this the end of Katrina Quatermain? I worked so hard to make him proud of me and he never was. He never got to see..."

And then, as if almost by magic, Katrina was being gently pulled to her feet.

"It's not the end. It's never the end."

Katrina began to flail wildly in the darkness "Charlie?" She called.

"I'm here pet."

"Where?"

"In your heart."

"Oh Charlie," Katrina felt her shoulders slump and her whole body deflate "It is the end. It is."

"I'll be damned if it is." Another voice said. Katrina felt her heart skip a beat "Father?"

"That's right lass." Said the voice of Allan Quatermain "And you may not give up now. I forbid it. On your way now. Don't trip."

Tom dabbed at Katrina's burning forehead in an effort to bring her fever down. Her breathing was getting shallower by the second. All of a sudden Katrina's entire body went limp and fright gripped at Tom's heart, fearing for the worst. He grabbed her hand and held it tight.

And then... Nothing.

A small smile spread across Katrina's face and her breathing returned to a normal pace. She had stopped shivering and whimpering in her sleep.

'Her fever's broken.' Tom's mind whispered to him. He grinned a little in relief and brought a thin sheet up to cover Katrina. Climbing back into his own bed Tom fell asleep almost immediately.

Katrina opened her eyes a little and peered into her dark room, the ghost of a smile still on her face.

The first thing she noticed was that she felt better. Much better, in fact. She wasn't cold anymore and her sutured shoulder ached only with a dullness that could be ignored.

Gently Katrina sat up on her bed. Rotating her good arm she felt it crack and creak with new usage. Well, she had been led on it for two days.

Slowly Katrina stood and made her way over to the window. Peering out through the curtains she relished the night sky, with all its twinkling beauty.

"Wish you could be here for our adventure Charlie." she murmured, smiling a little and glancing down at her right wrist where the bracelet had stayed through thick and thin for the past six years.

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