Never had he felt like this, never had he suffered so under the weight of his own convictions or felt such an ache around his heart. Looking around the room he wondered if anything would ever be the same again after he had questioned that which should never have been questioned. What he had done was beyond – way beyond redemption and he had only himself to blame for that. It was true that he hadn't acted entirely alone but the wrongdoing had been his and his alone. For want of a better phrase or hindsight he had been stupid, beyond stupid, in doing what he had done. Now she had disappeared and it was entirely his fault, he knew it.

For days his mind had tormented him with possibilities of what might have happened to her, all he could hope that she was safe and well in good hands but he knew the world well enough to know that it was an empty hope. A hope as empty as the promise he had made to her that he would always be with her and would never leave her, as empty as the promise he had made when he had told her that nothing would change after she'd been in her first coma. All he'd ever done was hurt her; now that he had been proved not to be her father his transgressions against her seemed much worse in their magnitude.

Since her disappearance he hadn't been the only one suffering. Every morning he would watch as Kit left the house, each day he looked a little more worn down than the last. For hours he would sit watching the clock as minutes ground by like hours and hours like days until Kit would return. Each evening his eyes would close as he saw the bleak look covering the features of a man falling apart at the seams with worry in his heart, worry that he had inflicted through his thoughtless actions.

Mumbles echoed in silent halls occupied only by shadows. Eyes followed him as he marched through marble doorways flanked by his two comrades, blind to the hateful looks of the people around them. No fear touched their hearts of what was to come. Hard as flint and cold as iron they remained defiant. Hecklers jeered at them from the protection of the crowds that had filled the room since their arrival but none of their words did anything to shake the resolve of those they wanted so desperately to intimidate. Many of those that wanted to strike fear of what was to come into the hearts of those walking passed them found their plans backfiring when they ended up quaking in their boots upon receiving black looks from the trio. Even though their numbers were greater they couldn't refrain from letting fear overcome them and they retreated from the hall.

Triumphant despite their dreaded fate they continued on through the halls of marble that had become their prison. Their footsteps resounded off the walls in echoes that were terminated by the continuous whispers all around them. As yet no one had made a move to physically attack them but even if they did it would do them no harm, they were strong enough to fend off even the most violent of attacks. It was inevitable that there would be a time when they would have to defend themselves against the mob that surrounded them. The time when they would meet their fate was soon at hand, it hung in the air like a foul miasma that began to choke their hopes of escaping unscathed.

Suddenly the halls of marble they had passed through came to end. A door was held open by two men that looked rougher than that which they were holding. Beyond the door lay a courtyard with three stakes stuck firmly in the ground. Standing as firmly as the stakes were six men all holding rope in their hands ready to bind their captives to what was sure to be their fateful demise. Raising their eyes skyward they noticed that the sun would soon be climbing to its eternal throne to shine over the world, this did not bode well for any of them. Faced with their fate their hearts sunk into their shoes and long ignored anxiety began to fracture their resolve but on the outside they still remained as defiant as ever, showing weakness now would be the end of them. It would only lead to more trouble which would make their deaths all the more painful.

Many years spent in one of the greatest armies the world had ever seen had given him instincts that told him that he had only two options open to him if he was going to get himself and his two comrades out alive, fight or flight. Looking about him with his razor sharp, ice cold eyes and analysing the situation with his shrewd brain it soon became clear to him that fighting was not an option. Even with his sheer physical prowess and that of his comrades it was more than likely that would eventually be overcome by the sheer numbers of those around them or would be driven out into the rapidly brightening courtyard. As insulting as it was there was only one other choice, he and his comrades had to run.

With one silent sign to those that had been captured with him he turned quickly on his heel. As he had suspected the crowd surged forward forcing him to rip out the throats of those closest to attack him. Blood poured forth onto the floor from those he and his comrades had immobilised which held back any further attacks for only a matter of seconds but it was enough time for them to make some headway back through the halls of marble.

People were cut down like wheat as they fought their way through crowds of living and dead alike. For a time they felt confident that they would make their way out but it was only short lived, the crowd surged again using their sheer numbers to grab at those they wanted to punish. Overwhelmed by those that had recovered their wits and bellies enough to re-launch their attack they found themselves dragged like rabid dogs back to where they were to meet their fate. No matter how much they struggled against the countless hands that held them fast they couldn't break free. As they were drawn closer to the door of the courtyard they began to get more desperate, whether they showed any weakness now or not it didn't matter, they had lost.

Relinquishing themselves to the dark hand of fate they allowed themselves to be carried out. No further struggles were wrought on those that held them bound like animals. Before any of them could make any further move they were thrown to the ground in the courtyard. Screams tried to fight their way through tightly closed lips as the sun made their skin begin to smoulder under its murderous rays. Trying to push away their pain they struggled against the ropes that were being tied about their bodies, bonds that would see the end of them. Time was rapidly running out as they used whatever energy they had left to still the hand of fate.

"What happened?" Robyn's delicate voice broke through Nick's reverie.

Nick jolted back into the present and turned his head to look at Robyn, "We escaped, it was a narrow escape and to this day I'm still not certain how we did it."

"It must have been terrible."

"It was, I never thought I'd come that close to dying." Nick paused and a thoughtful expression crossed his face, "How can you read my thoughts like that?"

Robyn shrugged, "It's just something I can do, I don't do it unless I can help it but you did look rather far away."

"That's ok. We're here at least. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I have no choice; it's the only way I'll be protected so I have to go in."

Nick nodded and turned off the engine. Getting out of the car he grabbed Robyn's crutch from the back seat before going round to the passenger side and helping her out. When he was sure that she wouldn't topple over he let her go. Smiling slightly he let her go ahead of him as locked up the Caddie. This done he caught up with her, before opening the doors to the club he checked one final time that she wanted to do this. Receiving her assent he pulled open the polished silver doors and let her enter, looking behind him at the streets all around he was sure he could feel something. After a few moments he put it down to just being his imagination.

Stormy blue eyes smiled in silent victory, he had located her. Now all he had to do was wait.