Bad New: This sucks. And I still have my one paper to do.
Good News: It's okay, I had subway for lunch. O.O
Anywho, thank you for all of the reviews. I already have chapter 16 written (on paper) and if that isn't scary, I don't know what is. I haven't updated this frequently since...in...well I've never updated without a two month space between chapters. Go me. I so have my priorities out of order. I give me until Friday before I have writer's block again. Lovely.
So anywho--chapter 15. Enjoy. I hope. Or eat one of the new Cruch sticks. Those things should be illegal--they're addicting!
Ch 15: Show Me
Jesse, who I was still clutching too, tensed beneath my grip. Hector glanced at Jesse and raises his scarred eyebrow. He was clearly amused by Jesse's reaction.
"Nombre Di Dios," Jesse let out a breath he'd been holding. This was becoming very deja vu for me.
Hector's reaction when he saw me cowering behind Jesse was new, though. His eyes grazed over what he could see of me, and he scowled menacingly. No one else seemed to notice that he looked like he wanted to murder me with his bare hands.
"Where's the device?" Paul called up from the fourth step to Hector. With a sneer, he tore his gaze from mine.
I know he isn't my Jesse, but part of me still ached from that glare. Part of me still absorbed the hate radiating off of him.
"Pull up the fourth plank," Hector replied. His voice was much colder than before. Father Dominic glanced at Hector as he repositioned the ancient book in his arms.
Paul did as he was instructed. After a few hefty yanks and pulls Paul gave up, and leaned against the stair railing, panting a bit. Sweat lightly adorned his forehead and cheeks from the exertion.
Hector muttered angrily in Spanish and, using his mind, forced the wooden step from its place. Splitters of wood flew in every direction. Instinctively, Jesse tried to protected me. It didn't matter. The wood shards just viciously flew through us. At least the thought was comforting.
"Shit!" Paul yelled and shielded himself with his arms. Father Dominic narrowed his eyes at Paul but didn't say anything. Hector stepped down to where Paul was and gave him a crooked, innocent smirk.
"Did I forget to warn you to move?" he asked Paul bitterly. Paul reciprocated with a rude hand gesture and headed back up the stairs. Father Dominic remained silent, though this was obviously irritating him. I could tell. He wore the same frustrated expression he always used when dealing with me.
Using his mind, once again, Hector lifted the device from the floor.
"Padre, you and Slater should step outside for a moment," Hector said. His tone towards Father Dominic was calm and sincere.
This was the most Jesse-like side to him I'd seen so far. The ghost before me was nothing like the one from my dreams. And considering Saben manipulated them, they should be somewhat accurate. But this wasn't even close.
The rectangular device was still in mid air, suspended by the ghost of someone I thought I knew. Red and green lights painted the stainless steel surface. Complex gauges and dials were alined below a digital screen, set in the middle of the device. A key pad graced the spot by the off switch, as well as a set of speaker-like holes.
We were going to need a password to shut this thing off. But how we were suppose to get that—
The device let out a low growl as the steel began to bend and distort. The grinding and screeching of bolts and hinges filled the air as Hector forced pressure on the box. Suddenly, a gas expelled from the speaker holes and filled the room.
Saben hadn't told me about the nerve gas because of the wreck. They really were using the stuff.
A blue light shimmered on the force field surface as the device collapsed and fell to the floor as mutilated rubble. With a slight buzz, the shield vanished.
Hector walked down the last four steps to make sure the field was destroyed. He looked smug as he approached us. Jesse was still tense in front of me, as he watched his double approach.
"You deserve an explanation," he told Jesse firmly, and glanced at me. "And so do they."
He pointed to the basement door with his thumb. It was a good thing Hector was clad in his 1850's attire or I never would have been able to tell he and Jesse apart.
Well, other than Hector's attitude problem. Which I must say, is not attractive. Don't get me wrong. When Jesse get's angry, he's still extremely hot. But this...guy wasn't. His eyes were cold and black. His very essence reeked of rage. I felt more like running from him screaming, not like jumping his bones.
"Come," Hector waved us on with his hand. "Time is of the essence. And this is not a good place to stop and chat."
Jesse and I followed Hector up the stairs. As I passed the missing step I realized I couldn't smell the freshly broken timber. My chest tightened. How could Jesse have endured this like he did? This isn't life. This just is.
I looked down at my chest. I was still breathing. My lungs filled and emptied. But I no longer needed to breath. It was just a voluntary motion. Like blinking now was.
I stopped at the top of step and closed my eyes. I'm not ready to die yet.
I was in a fight for my life. And this was one fight I couldn't lose.
Jesse turned around and looked at me curiously. I shook my head and caught up with him.
Get a grip, Suze. You can fall apart later.
Jesse took my hand and lead me to the front yard, where the others were waiting. Paul was leaning against Father Dom's car, waiting for us to come outside. Father Dominic waited by the door, still holding the huge book.
"Slater should drive," Hector said, his tone bitter once more. He turned to Father Dominic and placed a hand on the book. "You and I need to help Susannah find the dagger."
I looked at the pair, my eyebrows raised. What dagger?
Father Dom pulled out his keys and tossed them to Paul, who caught them easily. Paul climbed in the driver's seat, while I was hearded into the back seat with Father Dominic. Jesse climbed and sat beside me, while Hector sat up front. It's a good thing no one was around. This had to look odd.
A young boy driving, with a Priest in the back seat. That just sounds wrong.
"We should go to the mission. They won't bother us there," Father Dominic suggested. Oddly, I was reminded of Father D saying that about Maria and Diego, and they showed up anyway. I just hope he's right this time. Hector nodded to Paul and turned around.
"Susannah," Hector said, his voice still burning my ears, as Father Dominic handed me the book. "What did the dagger look like?"
"What dagger?"I asked and opened the cover of the book. Dust laced the thin, crispy pages. Hector looked at me angrily for a moment, but then his expression went blank.
"The one Saben had at the hospital."
Oh. That was a dagger? It looked like a knife to me. One in the same I guess. Then again, I hadn't seen a dagger before, so how was I suppose to know the difference?
"Oh," I replied intelligibly. "Um, sharp."
Hector ran his hand through his hair and sighed.
"What color was the handle?" he asked, frustrated again. Frustrated with me. I could feel Jesse and Father Dom staring at me, so I closed my eyes. I tried picturing the dagger. I hadn't paid much attention to anything but it's proximity to me.
Think, Suze. Think.
I focused as best as I could. The blade was long, thin, sharp. The handle had been–
"Black, with a green serpent twisted around it." I opened my eyes. Hector was staring at me intently. The hate he had been radiating ceased a little, or so it seemed to me.
"With a blood red gem for an eye?" he whispered quietly, and I nodded. Hector turned the book on my lap to face him and began flipping through the pages. Dust flew around, causing both Father Dominic and Paul to start sneezing. Jesse was kind enough to rolled his window down so they could breath (apparently they aren't as smart as him–or I'm just biased).
After a few minutes, Hector stopped, having found the page. I looked down at the drawing in the book–it was a perfect depiction.
"That's it," I said and turned the book back around. Jesse and Father Dom read over the forgein text while Hector pinches the bridge of his nose. I couldn't understand the words before me. It definitely wasn't English or French.
"It's worse than I thought," Hector's voice was loud, and more bitter than ever. "They've gotten a hold of the of the στιλέτο από καταδικασμένη."
I started at him. What was he talking about?
"It's Greek," Hector lightly traced the picture with his thumb. "The Dagger of the Damned."
In case you all havne't noticed, Idon't speak Greek. Thanks to bablefish, that is the translation I have. It probably really says petunia flavored rhino in Greek. I have no idea. Fake it for me please.
Thanks for reading. And have a splending day...week...year...muffin.