Duplicity
By Divamercury
Hello, all. I know that you all must think that I've dropped off the face of the planet or something, but I assure you that I am still here, still writing, and I have every intention of doing so. I want to thank Pixie-Dust for all her incredible help in getting me out of my writer's block, Spin for her undying support, Inquisitive1 and Angharad for their awesome Ian/Sara fics that have kept me going, and every single one of you that has reviewed my series. Don't stop! I hope you like this chapter, and hopefully it won't take me as long to post next time! Life has gotten extremely crazy lately, but hopefully it will get better. Just please, PLEASE don't give up on me! I love you all!
~DM
Chapter 17
I threw the phone into the cradle in disgust. Everything had gone completely wrong!
"Why isn't it possible for a girl to find decent help in this city?" I asked. One of my many spies had just informed me of Crane's botched job. Unable to wait any longer to chew someone out, I grabbed the phone again and dialed furiously.
"Yes?"
"Goddamn it, Bill! You really fucked up this time!"
"Not so loud, damn it! You want someone else to know who I really am?"
"I'm not so sure I even give a shit anymore. You blew it big time, Crane. You killed the wrong fucking man!"
"Hey, he fit the description you gave me."
"Oh, so that was all that you were going on? You're the killer here, Crane! Don't you ever watch your back to see if anyone else has a scope pointed at it? How else do you think that Pezzini's on to you, you ass? Nottingham's the key, and you lost it. So what are you going to do now?"
"Kill both of them?"
"Wrong. I don't trust you enough to do this alone anymore. Here's what I want you to do"
* * *
"So you ran into a wall, Ms. Pezzini?"
"Umyeah. Slipped on the stairs and bam," I said lamely.
I wasn't sure if the doctor bought it, but all he said was, "Well, you'll have a knot on the back of your head here for a few days, Ms. Pezzini, and you had a moderate concussion, but I think the danger's passed. It should be safe for you to go home." I winced as he finished treating the sensitive area.
"Are you sure about that?" I asked under my breath.
"Pardon?" he asked.
"What about Mac?" I covered. Ian smirked.
"Well" the doctor glanced over from me, sitting on the edge of one hospital cot, to Mac's horizontal form on a second cot. "I'm afraid she's in a state of severe catatonia. She's alive, but only barely. It's like she's had some sort of extreme mental strain or trauma, and to be quite honest, I'm not sure that there's anything we can do. Either she snaps out of it or she doesn't at this point. I'll go tell the nursing supervisor that you're ready to check out." He left the room, and I put my head in my hands.
"Damn it! We can't do anything for her! She saved all our asses and now we can't return the favor?"
Ian silently sat down beside me on the cot and put an arm around me. "We'll think of something, Sara."
"What about Raven?" I asked, looking at him. "Do you think that she could help at all?"
"She probably couldbut seeing her reaction to Jackson's death, I would be surprised if she is in any condition to do soor to want to do so."
"What do you mean?"
"Put simply, it's highly likely that Raven has dropped into madness."
"You mean she's gone crazy? Snapped just like that?"
Ian looked at me. "Can you not understand that?"
I thought for a moment. What with losing everyone that I had lost, it was pretty amazing that I was still forming intelligible thoughts. I could see the situation from her point of viewI didn't know how I would react if I lost Ian like thatprobably in a similar, insane, bloody fashion—but I wouldn't attack my friends, purposefully or inadvertently.
"Yeah, I can see where she's coming from. Just hope she hasn't turned into a blubbering mess."
Gabe rushed into the room at that moment. "Sorry I'm late. Connor was pretty stunned, so much so that he couldn't drive, and I had to take him home. How are you doing?" he asked.
"I had a moderate concussion and a big knot on my head, but that's it."
"Only a moderate concussion from that hit you took? Damn, you have a hard head!"
"Didn't we know that already?" Ian teased.
I gave them both a death glare until Gabe spoke up again. "How's Mac?"
"Not too good, according to the doctor. He says she's in a severe state of catatonia and that she'll either come out of it or she won't," I said, disgusted with the apathy we'd encountered.
"Wonderful." He sighed.
"Gabriel." He looked up at Ian, whom I also focused on. "You haven't told everyone about your news yet."
"What are you talking about, Ian?" I asked, eyebrow raised. "Gabe, what does he mean?"
"Ian, do I really have to say—?" he asked. "I mean, this isn't the best time"
Ian and I stared at Gabe until he met my gaze and caved. "All right, fine. Mac and Iwe broke up."
"What?" I asked, stunned. "When were you planning on sharing this with the class?"
"At dinner. But since dinner never happenedIan noticed that we were edgy around each other and demanded to know what was going on when we met him at Tina's, so we told him ahead of time. We were planning to tell you and Raven later, but"
"It didn't work out that way." I sighed. "I'm so sorry, Gabe."
"It's okay. It was getting rough. We were constantly at each other's throatsit took a lot of work to hide it from you guys, but I guess we did a good enough job of it because you didn't notice that anything was off. And that's part of the deal with all the boxes at my place. Mac had some things that she'd moved in because she'd been planning to move in. She was re-packing. Some of the boxes did hold new merchandise, but I don't tend to get shipments as big as that one."
"Everything's falling apart," I murmured.
"Don't worry, Chief. We're still with you," Gabe said, gesturing to himself and Ian. "Connor will be, toobut I definitely think you should give him the lowdown on the Witchblade. I think he's supposed to be part of the group."
"He does seem familiar" Ian mused.
"And Mac would be with us if she was conscious," I said.
"I'm really concerned about Raven. We should probably go and check on her." Ian looked worried.
"I agree. That probably wouldn't be a bad idea," Gabe said.
"I'm not trying to sound selfish here, but have we forgotten that she just threw me into a wall? And you too, Ian. Don't get me wrong, Rave's a good friend, but don't you think that something's a bit off with her when she starts throwing her friends into structures? Very hard structures?"
"If you don't want to go, we won't make you," Gabe replied. "If that could even be humanly possibleI don't think anyone could possibly force you into anything."
"I didn't say that I wouldn't go. I will, even if it's just to make sure she doesn't kill the two of you. But I think we should give her a little time to cool off first. Sort things out."
"As much as she can at this point," Ian said.
We paused by Mac's bedside and silently hoped for her speedy recovery. Ian and Gabe had walked out into the hall and I was about to follow them when I caught sight of Danny standing by Mac's bed looking at her with a sad smile.
"Hey, Danny?" I asked.
"Yeah, Pez?"
"Look out for her, okay?"
He grinned. "Sure thing, Pez. Not a problem. Take care of yourselfand remember, even though I'm not exactly matter, I'm still here for you 100%." I grinned, turning to leave.
"Oh, and Pez?" he said.
I whirled. "Yeah?"
He swept his hand across Mac's and grinned. "I can't touch her."
"That's good to know. Thanks, Danny," I said, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. Ian had stopped in the doorway but had apparently not heard our exchange. When he re-entered the room, however, he saw Danny and smiled.
"We need to go, Sara. He'll watch out for Mac."
"Yeah. If he does as good a job watching her as he does me, she's in good hands."
"Why, Pez, I do believe you'd be making me blush if I still had blood," Danny said, sweeping a bow and sitting on the side of Mac's cot.
"Well, if that's not food for thought, I don't know what is. We'll be back, Danny. Stick around," I said.
"Not like I've got anyplace better to go," Danny smirked. With a final smile, Ian and I left the room and, after rejoining Gabe, left the hospital.
* * *
Immo called me from his subterranean laboratory and I descended eagerly, excited at what I would find.
"So he's ready?" I asked when I met up with Immo.
He sighed. "Yes, it's ready. I'm not sure it's worthy of "he." I can't believe I let you talk me into doing this"
"My dear, beloved, darling Dr. Immo, you know why I talked you into this," I said, all the false sweetness draining out of my voice. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I'm the boss now, and just like my father before me, I own you. Now where is he?"
"He needs a name. To name is to know—"
"To know is to control, yeah, yeah, Dad's favorite line. Bullshit if you ask me, but I don't really like using pronouns in place of names anyway. I like Damien."
"How fitting. Seen any Gregory Peck films lately? All right, Damien, then. What about a surname?"
"Umm" I was at a loss for a moment, then murmured, "Malvado. And I don't appreciate all the sarcasm from your end, Doctor."
"Fine. I'll keep that in mind. Come out here please, Damien."
I gasped as the man appeared. He looked exactly like him.
"I trust this is satisfactory?" Immo asked dryly, seeing my dropped jaw.
"Don't be a smart ass. Of course he's satisfactory. More than that, even." I circled my property.
"What do you remember, Damien?" Immo asked.
"Not muchI think I've been asleep for a while."
"You have. Why are you awake now?"
"My predecessor has died."
"Not exactly," I said. "He has become defective in his emotional makeup and must be eliminated. You are the only one I trust to do so."
Damien gave a look that seemed to say, "And who are you?"
"This is your mistress, Adair Avilla," Immo added.
"Thank you for trusting me with this undertaking, mistress," he said, understanding in his gaze. "I will not fail you. Where is my predecessor?"
"Ian Nottingham is with Sara Pezzini, the—"
"—Wielder of the Witchblade," we said together.
"Yes. I know who she is. Do you want me to eliminate her as well?" he asked.
"Not just yet. We'll play with her a littleand you'll be having some help although I'm not sure you really need it. Here's what you must do"
* * *
"You're sure you're feeling all right?" Ian asked for the hundredth time as we walked in the door of the apartment.
"Yes," I stated emphatically. "I promise, I'm fine. No—well, very little—pain. Trust me." I kissed him. "But thanks for being worried."
"It's my job." He smiled.
"Do you want to go check on Raven a little later?"
"I think that you were right. We should give her some time to cool off. I tried to contact her with my mind while the doctor was taking care of you and Mac, but I didn't get anywhere."
"I've been meaning to ask you about that."
"What?"
"The telepathic talking thing that everyone except me can do. It would make things easier if I couldnot to mention lower my phone bills." I smirked.
"I think you can do it because of the Witchblade," he said. "We've never explored that possibility. I've been thinking about you and your control over the Witchblade lately and you've been doing well. But there are some things that I can teach you along those lines, like the telepathy and some tracking skills."
"Sounds like fun," I said.
"That may be, but I can think of something more fun," he said with a wicked grin, putting his hands on my waist and drawing me closer.
"Ooooh, you naughty boy," I said, about to say more, but Ian silenced me with a kiss.
* * *
When we woke up the next morning, Ian said that he was going to one of the other corporations to see if he could find a job there.
"Then later we should go and see Raven," he said.
"Have you heard anything?" I asked.
He shook his head. "She hasn't reached out to me."
"Hmm. Probably not a good sign. We have no idea what kind of state she's in."
"Don't worry about it," Ian said. "If you're preoccupied like this while you're at work, something might happen to you. Raven needs you to stay sharpand so do I."
"Ian, relax. I'll be fine."
"I'm just worried about this killer. He knew you by name, he's been making sure that you're the one seeing his little escapadesI'm afraid for you, my love."
"I appreciate it," I said, kissing him. "But if I don't leave now, I'll be late and Laredo'll have my ass."
"Not if I have anything to say about it." He smirked.
"That's not what I meant. If you think he's competition, you're dreadfully mistaken. I'll see you tonight."
"Goodbye, my Sara," he said as I headed for the door, and I shot him one last smile before closing the door behind me.
I showed up at the precinct on time, wondering how Connor would be faringassuming he had actually showed up for work. I wasn't sure of what his reaction would be to seeing me, but I would soon find out.
"Hey, Pez!" Jones called.
"Jones." He looked as though he wanted to say something else, but I raised a hand. "Hang onto that thought just one sec I'll be right back." I ducked into my office and closed the door. Thankfully, Connor was there.
"Hey, Pez," he said.
"Hey, Connor. How are you holding up?"
"What do you mean? I'm great! Couldn't be better," he said rapidly.
"Uh-huh" I said. "You're completely fine after having a building almost crush you yesterday."
"Exactly!"
Brief pause. Then—
"You're the worst liar I've ever met," I announced.
"Well, if we do paperwork then you won't have to hear me blather."
"Good point."
There was pounding on our office door. Sighing, I dropped my gear—which I was still holding for some reason—and flung open the door.
"Hello, Jones. Sorry to keep you waiting."
"S'okay. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that we found a body. Abdomen cut open, seems like the same MO as our serial killer but without all the damage and missing organs and stuff. Seems almost like the person was interrupted."
Oh, God. Jackson.' My stomach lurched at the thought of having to go back to that building again, to have to relieve the feelings I thought I'd buried. Groaning, I gathered my recently deposited gear and Connor and I headed for the crime scene.
"Who called it in?" I asked Connor as we got into our unmarked car.
"Me."
I did a double take while pulling out of the precinct parking lot—probably not the best thing—and barely managed to avoid running into several trash cans belonging to a neighboring building that were protruding slightly into the street.
"You!" I exclaimed. "What were you thinking?"
"Chill, Pez! No one knows that we were there, and Jones obviously didn't know it was me calling or else he would have mentioned it. I called anonymously from a pay phone near my place after Gabe dropped me off and I snapped out of my little daze. I didn't want Jackson to just lie there until someone wandered up to the roof and almost stepped on him. It just didn't seem right."
"I didn't know him as well as I should have. Raven was the only one that really did" I trailed off. "But anyway, thanks for callingkinda slipped my mind."
"Have you talked to her yet?" Connor asked.
"Who, Raven? Not yet. Probably some time today, but I don't know yet. Ian wants to come with me."
"I don't blame him. From what I've seen, that chick can pack a major punch, and I don't mean with fists."
"Are you implying that I can't take care of myself?"
"No. I know better than to do something stupid like that, even if I am just a dufus rookie. I'm just saying that she can definitely get the drop on peoplelike she did on you, me, and your former bodyguard boyfriend yesterday. That in itself says something."
"I guess soanyway, I was thinking of going on my lunch break."
"I'll come, too."
"Connor! Jeez!" I pulled into the parking lot of the crime scene building, slamming on the brakes once I made it into a space and causing us to both fly back in our seats. "Didn't I just say that I'll be fine on my own?"
"And didn't I just mention Raven's kick-ass potential?" Connor wanted to know, not backing down from my glare. Finally, realizing that it was a draw, I sighed and conceded.
"Okay, fine, I'll let you comebut remember, I warned you of the likelihood of bodily injury. Maybe I should get you to sign a waiver"
Connor punched me in the shoulder. "Thanks, Pez. I can feel your confidence in me. Come on, let's get this over with."
"Yeah."
* * *
Needless to say, going back to that building was the last thing I wanted to do, but when the forensics team took Jackson's body away, I couldn't help but feel a little better about the whole thing. Now I was more determined than ever to catch this bastard killer, and the first place I needed to go to get some info? Raven's.
When Connor and I were done at the crime scene, he suggested we run to Raven's.
"Fine. We'll go so you'll leave me alone about it."
"What about Ian?"
"He can come see her, too. But he's busy this morningjob interview. Don't worry about iteven if he does get mad, he won't be mad for long. He knows better than that."
"No sex?"
"Damn, rookie, is that really all that men think about or is it just a myth?"
"Do I really have to answer that question?" Upon seeing my look, he sighed. "Will I ever learn to keep my mouth shut?"
When we reached the doorway of Raven's apartment, I got ready for some kind of showdown. The door was ajar and I rapped on it briefly before entering, gun drawn. Connor followed close behind.
"Raven? Raven, are you in here?" I walked through the apartment, surveying the damage that I knew she had caused and that I was—strangely—not surprised to see. It looked like she'd had a serious fight with the curtains courtesy of her katana and all that was left was a shredded pile of cloth on the floor beneath the window. Fine pieces of broken glass from smashed objects—most notably picture frames—coated nearly every surface and in the center of it all sat Raven, the eye of the storm. She sat there, clutching something to her chest, staring blankly into space and rocking back and forth, chanting unintelligibly. Taking my chances, I approached her and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. Connor made a sound and backed away, not forgetting what had happened when he did the same thing earlier. Raven's eyes re-focused and her hand made it halfway to her katana before she realized that it was I.
She dropped her hand and she let out a little sob. "I'm sorry, Sara," she murmured. "So sorry."
"I know you are, Raven. It's okay. I'm here for youI just wanted you to have a little time to yourself to grieve, considering you threw us into walls yesterday and then came back here to trash the place." I knelt down beside her and put an arm around her shoulders.
"Foolish birdie, tossed the Wielderand even hurt her brother knight," Raven said, looking miserable and leaning into me. "Silly creature"
"Raven?" I asked. She wasn't making senseand she sounded so different from her normal, chipper self.
"The soldier startledoh, hello, Soldier," she said with a small smile, spotting Connor. "And the priestess injured, in more than one way, mind you. I wish I could help"
"You can help, Raven. Come with me to see her and maybe you can draw her out," knowing that she was talking about Mac. Connor, however, looked completely confused.
"Broken dreams are all that remain when the broken heart dies," she said lightly, taking a completely different direction.
"Raven" I whispered. "What's happened to you?"
"Severe grief," a voice said behind me. I whirled toward the window and Raven and Connor also looked in that direction.
"I thought you were going to go on an interview today, Ian," I said, relieved. I was afraid it would be some kind of intruder.
"I finished sooner than I thought."
"Guess so."
Raven made a strange sound, her face contorted in an expression that clearly radiated distrust. I didn't have long to mull over it, though, because all of a sudden Raven leapt to her feet and sprang toward Ian. She dropped her comfort object as she did so, a framed 8x10 photo of Jackson and her together, whose glass joined the rest on the floor in a shower of slivers.
"Naughty serpent!" she screamed angrily, throwing punches at Ian, who easily dodged them. "Deceitful dragon whose fire burns the truth to smoldering ashes! All that remain are lies!"
"Raven!" I cried incredulously, managing to pull her away from a not-too-happy Ian with a little help from Connor. "It's Ian. Dragon, remember?"
"This is not my Dragon. This dragon is closer to a serpentan evil, silver serpent who wants to steal the ruby from the princess and use it to do her bidding." Her eyes narrowed.
"Do you have any idea what she's talking about?" Connor asked Ian as Connor and I half-dragged Raven to her couch. I was trying to placate her as I went along.
"No clue," Ian said. Perhaps I should go, considering our hostess isn't taking too kindly to my being here."
"Maybe that would be best. Raven, will you be all right?" I asked.
She nodded slightly, her gaze still fixed on Ian.
"Okay. Come on, Connor," I said, and the three of us left Raven's apartment.
"What are you going to do for the rest of the day, Ian?" I asked.
"Oh, I'll be around," he said, and after I blinked, he was gone.
"Damn. Some things never change."
"Okay, what just happened here?"
"Connor, it's a long story. One that you're entitled to hear, considering all that's happened. I'll tell you when we get back to the precinct."
"You promise?"
"Yeah, I promise. But before we head back to the precinct, I want to go by the hospital. I want to check on Mac and see if she's doing any better."
"Sounds good, Pez." We left the building and Connor drove us to the hospital.
* * *
"How is your mission coming, Damien?"
"Things are going according to plan, mistress. The only one who seems aware of the fact that I am not my predecessor is someone I was not previously aware existed. She goes by the name of Raven, though I am unaware of her surname. She seems close to Sara, and therefore most likely to the other, but she has clearly gone mad in recent days. Therefore they will not take her ravings of lunacy seriously."
"This is good news. Our plan will most certainly work. The Wielder's downfall is eminent. Continue this work."
"As you wish, mistress. I will continue, watch her every move, and then strike when all information has been discovered and relayed to you."
"Excellent. Get back to work."
"Yes, mistress."