Chapter Seven: Kidnapped
Maria's foot bobbed excitedly in the stale air of the Padre's office. Where is he? Her aggravation seemed to increase the temperature of the room, and she tugged off her headscarf, dabbing at her forehead. The chair seemed too hard all of a sudden, so she stood, pacing over the worn wooden floorboards until the room was stifling. She wished his window weren't stuck in its frame. "Where the hell is he?!"
At her outburst the cell phone in her pocket went off, as though in contest to her words. She yanked it out and snapped it open. "Yes?" Her voice was low. "For the third time, stand by! How am I supposed to gain any field experience with you and your grand pack of bloodhounds breathing down my neck?" Irritated, she flipped it shut without waiting for an answer.
As though on cue, Padre Barrows opened the heavy oak door, slipped inside, and flipped the light switch. The overhead illuminated him as he shut the door and made his bent-backed way behind his frail desk. "My apologies, Maria. I assume you've been waiting, considering your impatient expression." He gave her a chastising look, as though reminding her that he was, after all, a holy man. "I had some unfinished business to attend to."
Maria declared angrily, "Speaking of, when will we finish our little attack plan, hmm?" She stalked over to stand in front of the desk, hands on hips and eyes set in a glower. "HQ is already at my back for an answer! I need that from you." When he motioned for her to sit, she said, "No, I'll stand," and turned, shoving her hands into her hair.
"Tonight, my dear. Tonight." Tilting back in his chair, he rolled his eyes heavenward, smirking. "But not in the church. Understand?" His eyes met hers, eyebrows raised, and she grinned slowly.
"Ah, indeed I do. But . . . "A confused expression crossed her face."How will I lure them elsewhere?"
Sitting forward, he linked his fingers atop his desk. "Leave that to me. Just have your part ready."
She nodded, her grin turning malicious. As she reached for the doorknob, the padre murmured, "Oh, and, Maria?" She glanced back at him. "No killing tonight."
Her brows convened in the middle of her forehead. She turned fully, slowly, to face him. Her eyes narrow, she muttered, "Can't I just kill Amon, then?"
Padre Barrow stood, leaning forward and planting his hands firmly on his desk. "Again, leave him to me. I'll take care of him myself. And as for Robin, you are to keep her in the predicated location. HQ will take it from there."
Her voice filled with disgust, she snarled, "Fine." Though I really wanted to see Robin's face as he died in front of her . . . She strode out the door, letting it fall shut behind her.
The darkness seemed to engulf the outside world. Amon sighed silently, standing at the window in their chamber, and stared out at the nothing that hid everything. The night could be one's ally, but only if one was in the night, looking in the window instead of out.
He turned, casting his softened gaze upon Robin's sleeping form. Her breath stirred her forelocks, making them wave in the air. She hadn't changed from her dress, and lay with its skirts rumpled beneath her legs.
She gave him peace, when she lay like that, gentle and relaxed. He sat on the bed, easily rolling her over, though harder than intended. As she came to a stop, her eyes opened, and her gaze was confused. When they focused on Amon, her brow cleared, and she smiled.
His voice was soft when he murmured, "You should change from your dress." He gestured at the skirts. "It's getting wrinkled." At her nod, he stood, offering her a hand. An odd look flittered across her eyes, one that looked amused, confused and gratified at the same time. He realized that offering her a hand up from the bed was a little over-polite, but at least he didn't blush.
She accepted his hand, snagged a pair of pajamas, and walked into the bathroom, glancing at Amon as she shut the door. He thought he saw a smile upon her lips.
What was that all about?
Amon sat staring at the bathroom door before turning back to the window. His eye caught a figure, and he sat bolt upright. Maria. What on earth was she doing out there? She seemed to move a little more fluently than usual, though that might just be the ever-consuming dark, but her eyes shifted as she skulked about the grounds. Her back was bent, as though she might break into a run, or skitter away across the flat ground.
Amon heard something snap behind her. She whirled, eyes frenzied and nerves taut, but neither of them could see what had caused the noise, whether it was man or beast. Her heart beat faster, and though he couldn't hear it, he could almost feel it. She's terrified. Of what? She turned back around and doubled her pace; heading for the woods, though Amon couldn't imagine why she'd be more scared of open ground than a closed forest.
As she was casting her eyes around, she glimpsed Amon in his window. She stopped cold, eyes wide and frightened - until a nasty smile spread across her mouth. Her eyes would have been frightened, but for that smile. She smoothed out her dress and fluffed her hair, her eyes never leaving Amon, then broke the gaze and trotted off to the woods. It was only when she disappeared into the inky blackness that he realized his breath had silenced, and made himself breathe again.
Right now. It's upon us. Time to run.
Robin rushed out of the bathroom. "What was Maria just doing?" He had forgotten that the bathroom had a window, too. The witch's voice was soft, shaky. "It's now, isn't it?" Her eyes were uncharacteristically wide.
Amon stared down at her, standing tall next to him as she searched through the window. "Robin . . ."
Her head came up, and she murmured, "Yes?" What is wrong with his voice? He sounded husky. Perhaps he's ill?
They were both surprised when Amon said, "Forgive me if I fail in protecting you."
Robin felt as though she'd been hit in the stomach. "Wh-what?" she whispered frantically. What does that mean? His hands were almost to her shoulders and mouth open to speak when his laptop, ever hooked up, beeped loudly.
Amon jumped and brushed past her, avoiding her eyes, to see what the email was about. "Amon? What did you mean?" He shook his head slowly. Robin paused, worried, then, "A-Amon?"
She put a hand on his shoulder, faintly worried when he didn't flinch. Then she focused her eyes on the screen.
Dearest Brother,
I'll keep this brief. Maria's working for your old arch-enemies, SOLOMON. Just like them to slip her into wherever you go. Her mission is to kill Robin and the Padre will be dealing with you, if you don't get your asses out of there now. Run.
Nagira.
Amon suddenly whirled away, snatching his coat and throwing hers over her shoulders. She tugged it on, grabbed her bag, permanently deleted the email and closed the laptop as she slipped into her bag. Amon picked up his own bag and opened the door silently, peeking around both corners before allowing Robin to pass through. He turned back to shut the door--
An explosion blew the church doors open and the shockwaves roared up to them from downstairs. Amon cursed. Robin staggered, falling into a wall before righting herself and running to the balcony of the floor. Gunshots filled with Orbo whistled past her cheek and she reflexively sent bolts of fire down to her attackers.
As shouts came up from the ground floor, Amon yanked Robin back from the edge, snarling, "What the hell were you doing? You could have been killed!" He shook his head, muttering, "Follow."
Amon shot down the stairs, Robin hot on his heels, and they dashed through the acoustic corridors and into the sanctuary. Behind them they heard Maria directing her troops to their room. "Third door on the right!" echoed around the high ceilings. Robin whirled, slamming the heavy oak doors. As she turned, she stopped. Amon had turned to look at her. "She fooled both of us." His tone was sympathetic and angry at the same time. She nodded, taking gulps of air, trying to steady her heartbeat. She moved closer to him, away from the sounds of outrage at their disappearance. He lifted a hand to her shoulder as she pressed her own to her chest. "I'm scared."
Me too "I know. I - understand."
Suddenly, the sanctuary doors blew inward. The ex-Hunter stood still, looking as though he might make a deadly move at any moment, as Maria smirked at them. She stood with her arms crossed, backed by a few hundred SOLOMON fighters, as the witch and her protector shifted in her view.
"Your deaths are imminent, O Fugitives." Maria's voice rang against Robin's ears. It made her angry.
"Only you, Maria." Robin's voice was low and venomous. It clearly startled both Maria and Amon. "Only you would be so bold as to joke about death. Only you would joke about the death of The Witch when she is standing before you. Only you would make me that angry." Her back was ramrod straight. As she took a step toward the aggressors, her gait was obviously strained. "You kill the only people who might have cared for me as a child. My parents. You destroy what I made of my life in Italy. The convent with Father Julianuo. You manipulate those around me in Japan, and again force me out of a life. Raven's Flat and the Hunters." She was nose to nose with Maria, and the girl's eyes were stark and fearful. Her troops had fallen silent and still when Robin spoke. "You chase me into hiding, and won't even give me that. Here, with Amon. And you threaten my partner, my protector. My friend. Amon." She never once glanced to the side. Had she looked back, she would have seen Amon's eyes narrow, and his shoulders stiffen. She leaned forward, leaving mere inches between Maria and herself. Her voice dropped to a whisper laced with poison. "If you dare to steal from me again, your life will become living hell. Your sleep will be filled with nightmares of screams and the stench of burnt flesh. Paranoia will overcome your waking hours, and trust will be even more alien to you than it is now. Flames will dance along the edges of your vision, and you will go mad." She stepped back a pace. "This, I promise."
Now.
Amon, shielded by Robin's form, slid his gun from its holster and aimed. Aimed right through Robin. Then he whispered, for her ears alone, "At my signal go right. I'll go left. Use your craft, but sparingly." Her head dipped in what might have been a nod, but appeared to be the fight going right out of her.
"Now." The whisper triggered the rest of their lives. Robin dove left, lighting the uniforms of the first two rows of SOLOMON troops. Screams were barely beginning to ring as Amon clipped off two shots into Maria's shoulder, and echoes were bouncing as the gun flew from Amon's hand. Maria's good arm was lifted, and the weapon settled snugly into her palm as she gritted her teeth against pain.
Robin dipped into the shadows as Maria's labored voice cried out, "Stupid, Amon! Very stupid!" Her breath hitched. "You should have prepared to be fighting another witch! Isn't that what you were trained for?! You've killed before, Amon! Your motto used to be 'Always be prepared'!" A strangled laugh rang out. "You just signed Robin's death warrant. Shooting me? Hah! You didn't even have Orbo!"
Robin snuck a glance at the scene. Maria held the gun steadily aimed at Amon's temple. She took a step toward where he stood, body tense and ready for flight. His eyes glittered with unveiled hatred that Robin had never seen before. The look was directed five feet in front of him, and if he moved, that five feet would turn into point blank. Robin shifted a little, and when he twitched, she knew he'd seen her. Desperation entered his gaze, and Robin knew it was her time. Her mind whirled.
A bead of sweat slipped between his brows and he twitched. If sweat blinded him, they were both dead. Maria snickered harshly. "I could kill Robin now, with no regret. SOLOMON wouldn't be able to fault me. It's self-defense." Another step. Everything else seemed to fade away, even the screams of the dying men and shouts of horrified troops. Robin's breathing thundered, Amon's heart raced. Maria's step echoed in the pseudo-silence. "Or . . . you could do it for me."
Amon's mouth thinned. Like hell, he thought. Don't say we didn't warn you. We won't care. He waited.
Robin's eyes snapped. A wall of inferno flared up in front of Maria. She cried out, and they heard the clatter of Amon's gun as it fell to the ground. Robin flung herself at Amon, throwing them into the pews. They tumbled onto the cold stone, then ducked under the bench and crawled toward the altar. The flame vanished.
Maria snarled. "Fools!" She turned to the terrified troops behind her. "Fire at the ceiling!"
The men sounded bewildered and scared. "But--they didn't go up--"
"Idiots! Of course they didn't go up! Fire!"
The rage in her eyes pulled their fingers to the triggers. Shots exploded against the keystone, and a massive groaning echoed throughout the sanctuary as debris plummeted down atop Robin and Amon's heads.
Amon flinched as the first chunk of stone dropped on his head, then rolled atop Robin. "Amon!" Her squeak reminded him once again of her youth, her fragility. "What--?"
"Do you want to be hit in the head?!"
She shook her head, then, eyes tearing, threw her arms around his neck. A shard of the masonry smacked into her wrist, but she kept her hands atop his head. Strangely enough, Amon's weight wasn't frightening. Robin pressed her face into his shoulder, missing the strange look in his eyes as he ducked his head again.
Maria howled in fury. "Come out! Come out! You can't hide forever!" The sound of wood smashing into stone resounded as Maria crafted the pews into the air and at the walls. Four rows flew into the burning, sulfur air and splintered on contact in thousands of shattered sounds. Amon glanced to the side, dislodging the still-falling debris, and realized that the pew they were in front of was next. Robin knew, too, and when he met her gaze, tears had dried and anger had taken their place. She nodded, once. He slid off her, to the side, then stopped.
"Amon, Robin, dears. Don't make me do this the hard way. My patience is wearing thin. Come out now!"
The pew in front of them lifted into the air, creating a vacuum that dragged debris with it. They were pulled to their feet, staggering. Amon's hand went reflexively to his holster, then he grimaced when he remembered that his gun had been 'confiscated'. Robin stared at the troops, watching sadly as fear grew in their eyes. She imagined them burning, and it was so. Screams would haunt her for years to come, but now, that could not be helped.
Maria chuckled. "I was told not to harm you or the church, but to hell with that." Her eyes held a demonic gleam, and her brows rose as the pew shot from behind her directly at Amon.
Amon felt heat curl his hair, and watched, almost stunned, as the sturdy wood was incinerated before his eyes. He glanced at Robin, catching her sigh of relief, and noted the worry line and sweat between her brows. Worried for me?
"Damn it!" Maria shouted. She had drawn Amon's gaze, but now she pointed at Robin." Now!"
Amon whipped his head around and threw himself at Robin, but he was too slow. A yellow liquid shot her in the back of the neck, courtesy a sneaky troop who had evaded everyone's thoughts. As though falling through molasses, Robin's eyes went wide, staring at Amon, and she dropped, falling, falling further and further out of Amon's grasp. On her knees now, she clutched at her sides, arms wrapped around her midsection. Amon fell in front of her, grasping her forearms and holding her upright. "Robin!"
She looked up, eyes wide but unfocused. Amon . . . he looks scared. "A-Amon . . ." A hand clutched at his trench coat, and Amon pulled her into his arms.
She looked at him, seeing a tear fall from his eye. She lifted a shaky hand, catching it on a fingertip, and looked back at him. "Don't cry, Amon . . . not for me."
His voice shook as he said, "Why not? Robin . . !" She sagged in his arms, slumping into him, and murmured, "Don't cry . . . I've never seen you . . . cry . . ." With difficulty, she lifted her head, brow creasing with the pain and the effort. "Don't. It makes me . . . sad . . ." She placed a hand on his cheek, wondering at his open mouth. "Wh . . . what?"
"I didn't protect you." He was crying freely now, and he clutched her limp form to him. "I promised I would . . . Robin, please, don't give up. I'll . . . I'll find a way. I . . . I always do, don't I?" He settled her across his lap, holding her head up so she could see him.
A faint smile, tinged with very real fear, touched the corners of her mouth. "Yes . . ." She lifted a hand with the last of her strength, placing it on the one beneath her chin. "I won't give up." The whisper faded in his ears, her eyes closed, and a boot struck him in the back of the head. He cried out, slumping back onto the ashy stone. He felt Robin being lifted from his grasp, and his eyes opened in time to see Maria smiling benevolently down at him.
"Quite a trip, that I did all this in the house of God. Quite amusing." She glanced at the soldier holding Robin, then back at Amon. "You look pitiful. She's going to die, you know. SOLOMON will probably torture her for Orbo, 'cause any made from her will be very strong, then they'll kill her." She leaned over, grinning. "And I'll get to watch." She straightened. "Padre Barrow will be along in a moment to deal with you. It was interesting meeting you. You're a tricky man to confuse." She stared down at him for a moment, her grin fading. "Thinking about all the grief you just gave me, I figure I owe you a gift too." Her foot connected with his side, and he shouted, curling in on the wound as she laughed and stalked away. The soldier glanced down at him, sadness creasing his face, and knelt. "One more goodbye."
With difficulty, Amon sat up. He couldn't believe this man was being so kind, but he wasn't about to waste a second pondering the matter. The man held Robin out to him, and he caressed her face. Her eyes were closed, her breathing sound, and tears sprang to his own eyes. "I suppose I'll have to think fast, if I want to see you sleep peacefully again." He bent, pressing his lips to her brow, then sat back, waving at the man to go and blinking tears back. Blurry, then black went his vision, and he crumpled to the floor once more, splayed among debris and blood, thinking of his lost witch.
Author's Notes: Hides behind the couch Please don't kill me!!!! OK, after like months of NOT updating I'm finally here...updating. Things have been busy with 2 hurricanes hitting me three weeks apart from each other. I'm tired, stressed, and just out of it all. I thank you, my reviewers for understanding. You guys make me want to keep writing! :D
To all who prayed for me during the hurricanes I thank you. I will be updating again sometime in December or earlier. After that I will be updating A LOT sooner. Promise. I'm not going to post my reviews in this chapter because I don't have the time and I'm tired. I'll just post this chapter for you people to FINALLY read it and be happy. Thanks again to all you guys and girls, lol. I love ya!!!