Killing Him Softly: The Angel Figerine
by tarskeewee08
Jake
sees Laredo come out of the room and heads to him. "How is she?"
Laredo looks up at him and frowns. "She's tried and confused
what do you think?"
"I need to see her" he says walking
toward the room.
Laredo grabs his arm and stops him. "No! I want
her rested and cleaned up. He looks up to see Marcela and calls to
her over speaking in Greek telling her to see to his Christina. Jake
pulls his arm out of his grip. "I need to know where they took
her!"
Laredo looks him up and down. "I told you in due time. First I need to spend sometime with my wife. Get some men to Aldina and have them do a sweep. Check out her story thoroughly.
Jake frowns at him. "What? What does that mean
check out her story?"
"Do as you're told and stop with all
these damn questions! What is wrong with you?" Laredo growled
stepping into Jake's face.
He bows his head obediently "Yes
sir" he says then turns and walks away.
Laredo watches him retreat. He needed to get to his Panther room and make some calls. He wasn't so sure that the agent would have let her escape. If she or Christian were regaining their memory reprogramming would need to take place immediately. He would summon his doctors to the Palace.
(Evangeline's POV)
The door slowly opens and I sit up on the bed immediately. Seeing Marcela enter I sigh a breath of relief. "Marcela" I say timidly.
She smiles at
me and hurries to my bed. "Princess, I am so glad you decided to
help us."
I look at her and nod. Throwing my feet over the bed
I get up go to her and hug her tightly. It feels good to be around
someone familiar "Have you seen Jake? Is he near by?"
"Montego
sent him away."
"What!" I exclaim
She nods. "He told
him to go back to Aldina and check out your story."
I walk away
from her and pace the room. She looks me up and down and I know I
must look a sight in the torn gown I have on.
"Let me run
your bath and get you changed." She says heading to the
bathroom.
"No, I don't want to get changed for him. I need to
find Jake. I need to explain the danger we're in."
She looks at me sweetly. "Princess, it may be hours before he returns. You need to go through the motions to keep Prince Montego calm. He sent me in here to fix you up, please. It's imperative that we keep up appearances."
I chew on my bottom lip and think about what she says. How in the hell can I stall Laredo and keep him off me until I can get to Christian. Hugging myself I think about the many nights I let him abuse me and thought we were making love. Reflecting on it now makes my skin crawl. "Okay Marcela, but promise me you will find Jake and tell him that I need to see him immediately. Promise me!"
She touched my arm. "Yes I promise"
I
watch her go into the bathroom to run my bath. Going to the window in
my suite I see that the latch is bolted down. He must have tightened
everything secure since the ball. Feeling my heartbeat quicken I
touch the latch and fear takes hold of me. Christian please come to
me so I can tell you the truth and we can get out of here. God help
us.
Laois Village
"McBain if you don't stop
pacing I'm going to go nuts!" Laois says watching John walk back
and forth in front of him.
John stops and scowls at him. "I
don't like this. I think we should set up post closer to the
Palace. We're too far from her."
Laois shakes his head. "We have to stay away. We don't want to risk running into Jake before she tells him the truth."
"Fuck it I can't do
this!" John shouts and heads for the door. Laois picks up his gun.
"Stop right there!" he shouts.
John turns around and sees the
gun leveled at him. "Oh so you want to take it there?" he said in
a low angry voice.
"I need you to calm down I know you're
worried about her but she's inside now. We have to play this out."
he said un-cocking the gun and lowering it.
John stood there
looking at him. "I can't sit here for 12 hours and wait patiently
not knowing what's going on."
Laois nodded. "Marcela is
supposed to check in with us at 1:30. She will give us an update. Be
patient McBain if something was wrong we would have heard it by
now."
John rubbed the anxiety out of his jaw. How could he have let her go? What had he done? Pacing again he worried about Evangeline and how far things would go today in order for her to help to Christian. God help him if he lays one hand on her.
The Palace
Jake stood outside the Palace gates talking to his guard. He received word that she appeared from an alley out of nowhere. A witness saw two men in a yellow boxed shape car leaving that alley 30 minutes later. Jake told the guard to keep that information to himself and not to report it to Laredo. He turned and looked back at the Palace.
He needed to talk to Christina. He needed to find out why she was allowed to return. He was afraid for her. If Laredo discovered something was amiss she would definitely be in trouble.
(Evangeline's POV)
Coming out of the bathroom in my long black silk robe I look up to see Laredo sitting in the chaise lounge chair with his legs crossed and hands folded. His green eyes were fixed on me and he reminded me of a snake ready to pounce on his prey.
"Hey" I say shakily
"Christina
you look beautiful as always." he said looking me up and
down.
"Thank you husband"
"Come to me"
I walk slowly across the marble floor my robe blowing lightly at my feet. I've brushed my hair flat and my bang covers the top part of my forehead hiding the tension in the upper part of my face.
Stopping in front of him he sits up and runs his hand from my lower thigh slowly to my hip. My entire body tenses at the calculated move and he looks up into my eyes as he caresses me. Taking his hand to the belt on my robe he pulls at the tie and it falls open to reveal my nightgown that stops at my thigh above my knee. He sits back and looks at my body.
"Did he touch you?" he asks in a cold
voice
"No, of course not?"
"How did you escape?"
"I
waited until he and the rebels were asleep and I ran through the
forest for hours. Coming on a small cottage I met a villager and told
him who I was. I begged him to take me to a phone to call you again.
He was too fearful but agreed to take me to Aldina. We got to the
alley in the marketplace and he let me go. I ran as quick as I could
for help."
Laredo listened to my story expressionless and I could feel my hands shake lightly as I spoke to him. He sat back up and put his hands between my knees forcing my legs apart. My eyes grew big with the knowledge of what he was about to do. He did this when he wanted to initiate sex. That's the one thing I couldn't do with him. I just couldn't give myself to him again. I wouldn't survive it.
Stepping back I smiled sweetly. "Where's
Jake?"
He stood up angry. "Why do you step away from me?"
I
look at him surprised. "That was not my intent Laredo I swear. I
just….I'm just so tense from this whole ordeal. I was so
frightened of never seeing you again."
He rises and walks to
me standing close. I look up into his handsome cruel face. He lips
curl up into an evil smile. "Take off your clothes Christina now!"
"Did I do something to offend you?" I ask innocently
recalling the type of responses he preferred.
"Take off your clothes!" he shouted in my face making me jump.
I nod and drop my robe. He watches me intensely for the slightest hesitation. I think of John and his words. He was right….how could I sacrifice to the man who destroyed my life. I hear Laredo's voice in my head telling me that my name is Christina Pandeli and my body begins to shake. I know he can see me tremble because he's now wearing an amused look on his face. Crossing my arms I pull at the hem of my nightgown with both hands and lift it above my head, leaving me in my panties and nothing else.
Laredo moves my hair from my shoulder and the slides his finger down the contour of my collar bone to my breast. I remain frozen and keep my eyes on his. "I thought you were beautiful the first day I saw you." He says in a low husky lustful voice.
"I remember, in Monte Carlo." I say resisting the urge to slap his hand away that now is squeezing my left breast.
"No….in Statesville" he says chuckling squeezing my breast harder.
I gasp and step back forcing him to let go of his hold on me. "What?" I say visibly shocked. Instinctively I cover my breast. He glares at me and his emerald eyes blaze with anger.
"You are no longer my Christina! You're that haughty attorney again that pushed past me in that prison without even acknowledging my presence."
"Laredo I don't
know what you are talking about." I say stepping back.
He steps
toward me. "Yes you do. Do you think I'm stupid? I knew the truth
the minute you stepped back from my touch. My Christina has never,
NEVER turned from me. It was the core of her programming. It's not
possible."
"I am Christina, I swear it. You sound like that strange man telling me I was someone else. It's not true, you know me!" I say taking another step backward.
Laredo lets go an evil laugh and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I swallow hard and feel the most vulnerable I've ever felt in my life. I remember the first time they put that helmet on my head, he was in the room. I didn't recall that detail until now. This man was a monster. Oh god!
Turning I run into the bathroom and swiftly he catches me by the arm and pulls me to him forcefully. Grabbing me around my waist he held me from behind and I'm frozen with terror. Taking his other hand he places it gently on my throat and I feel his fingers tighten.
"Please don't." I say
softly.
Feeling him grind on me and his hand travel to my breast
and I think of what he could do to me now. Fighting the urge to vomit
I work hard to gather my strength. It will be over 10 hours before
John gets here and Chris is off somewhere. I'm helpless.
"God even now with you fighting me my need for you clouds my judgment. I should snap your neck and be done with you once and for all. But I am in love with Christina and trust me Evangeline you will be her again."
The threat is enough to make me fight and I swing my arms backwards trying to reach his face. He dodges my move and tightens his grip on my throat forcing my hands to his fingers desperate to stop him. Leaning into my ear he mockingly taunts me. "Before I break you, we will have some fun."
Dropping his hand he grabs my arm pinning it roughly behind my back and drags me kicking and screaming back to the bed.
Outside the Palace
Jake sees two black limos pull up to the gates and frowns. He walks over to the limos and the window rolls down. The beaded eyed man that peers out at him with a pointed nose and thick coca cola bottle glasses makes him shiver. He immediately recognizes his face as the doctor that did the experimentations.
He hears Christina's cries. He remembers her looking over to him and screaming Christian help me. Then a flood gate of emotions hit him and he remembers Natalie, Antonio, Mama, Llanview, Statesville, Evangeline, John. Shaking his head the doctor frowns.
"We're here to see Montego. He wants us to examine the princess."
Jake looks at the car and frowns.
"Examine?" he says weakly.
The flood of memories having him fighting for breath.
"Yes let
us through!" The doctor snaps.
Christian nods and steps back.
He holds his head while the long limos pass. His guard walks over to
him. "Sir are you okay? You look green." he asked him in
Greek.
He realizes what danger Evangeline is in but finds himself paralyzed. He makes no move to save her. Shaking his head, he wheezes and grabs the guard arm. "Get a car to take me up to the Palace. Get it now!" he says bending over.
The guard takes
off to get the car. Christian now feeling tears come down his face
has to get to Evangeline, he has to fight this hold on him that
prevents him from fighting back.
The car pulls around and he
jumps in. He has to get to Evangeline now.
(Evangeline's POV)
"No! Please let me go!" I scream as he throws me on
the bed.
He comes on after me and puts his almost 300 pounds of
weight on me. I scream as loud as I can and feel his nails scratch me
as he yanks at my underwear. Oh god he will rape me if I don't do
something now. Looking to my left I see a angel figurine he bought me
in Italy and I try to free my arm that's pinned under me to reach
it. He is licking my faces and trying to get his belt undone on his
pants. Forcing my legs apart with his knees I cry in pain. "Laredo
please god…don't do this!"
He looks in m face at my tears coming down. "Why did you let him into your head? Why did you let him take you from me!" he says pulling his pants down and reaching under him to grab his penis.
I shake my head back and forth. "Please…please don't hurt me. I will do whatever you say but don't do this to me. I've been through so much. God please!" I say tears streaming down my face. "If you love Christina then don't destroy parts of me like this. Don't do this to me!" I whimper trying to reach him.
He pushes his way into me and stops. My words having some affect. He stares into my eyes and I see a hint of compassion. Rising off me he puts his penis back in his pants and I scramble away. My heart is pounding in my chest. I pull the pillow over me to shield my nakedness and cry.
He sits on the edge of the bed with his back to me. "I want my Christina back and I will have her. It's the only reason I showed you mercy. I won't have an image in your head of me raping you conflicting with Christina's love."
I look at him appalled. He's completely mad. I reach to my right and grab the Angel figurine. I will bust him over the head if he comes to me again. He turns and looks at me.
"I will have her back!" he snaps.
Laois Village
"Sir Marcela is on the
line" A rebel soldier says running into the cabin out of
breath.
John and Laois jumped up from the table and followed him
out. They ran to the cabin desperate for news on her.
Rushing in Laois snatched the radio handle from one of his men and speaks into it. "Marcela! What's going on?"
"Laois, you have to get here. I think he has already attacked her. He has doctors that just arrived! Oh god I couldn't help her. Everything is happening so fast."
John's heart starts pounding. Attacked her? Doctors? No god no…
"Why do you think she was attacked?" Laois asked looking up at John who is now breathing hard and red in the face. His hands are clenched into fists and Laredo knows that within minutes he will bolt and head to the Palace.
"I heard her screaming and begging. I couldn't get to her in the suite and before I could reach you I saw the limos arrive with the doctors. They went straight to Panther!"
"Where is Laredo now?"
"He's with her. I don't know how much time we have Laois.
Jake isn't here yet, please hurry this is my fault for encouraging
her. She needs help!" Marcela said her voice cracking.
"On our way….over!" Laois throws the radio receiver onto the counter and looks at John sadly. "I'm sorry. I will take every man I have right now and go full steam into the Palace"
John runs his hands through his hair. His mind is racing with images of her being raped and brutalized. His vision is blurred with rage and tears. He walks back and forth and tries to recall his training. He tries to figure out the best way to get to her before she is killed or worse brainwashed and tortured again.
He looks at Laois. "The Palace…there has to be secret passageways something."
Laois walks over to the table and unrolls the map. "We've studied it but we can't find anything."
John goes over and looks at the map. He traces the outer perimeter to the lower veranda. An entire section is missing and unmarked. "Where did you get this map?"
"Its public record at our clerk office. It had to be submitted to make sure that the renovations after a fire years ago were up to code."
John shakes his head. "Well they submitted what they wanted. When I took her from the suite there were guard voices around this perimeter…here…and here…" he says pointing.
"I couldn't figure out how they got to us so quick. This has to be an entrance. We can take the back path through the forest and come up around here. Then we will scale the fence and go straight in. They won't be expecting us so soon. If they are we will have to act quickly with as much manpower as possible."
Laois
nods. "Let's go..."
John forces his fear and guilt over what
is happening to his lady aside. He had to remain calm to save her
life. He had to keep it together. But once inside the Palace he will
deal with Laredo once and for all.
