Chapter 10
A cursory search found some clothing for Darien in a large walk- in closet, and now that he was dressed in jeans, dark sweater and a loose jacket and handcuffed securely to Bobby, they were ready to make good their escape. But he was still skittish and refusing to budge without Ella Craven.
"I ain't going nowhere without Ella," he repeated, tugging on the other end of the metal cuff in a show of stubborn resistance. The woman at the center of the dispute was still on her knees across the room, a pleased smirk evident from beneath the duct tape.
"Fawkes," Bobby scolded in exasperation. "We don't have time for this crap. Now let's get the hell out of…" He jerked his arm and made a grab for his friend.
"Nope,." Darien shook his head furiously as he took another step backwards. "I swear to God you'll have to carry me out of here without her."
"Agent Hobbes, we have to go," Rudy urged. They had been inside much too long now as it was.
Claire, who had done a good job of calming her Kept and had even coaxed him into getting dressed, now took on the role of mediator. "If it gets Darien out of this horrible place, let's just bring her along Bobby. Who knows," she continued, this time glaring straight at Ella Craven, "there might even be a reward for her capture."
"Well, if she's going, I'm coming too," announced Wesley Carter matter-of-factly.
Bobby rolled his eyes incredulously. "This is unbelievable. Why don't we go wake up the rest of the castle, see if anyone else wants to come traipsing through that big 'freakin' hell hole with us."
Lili pulled Ella to her feet. "I'll get her dressed, then we really need to get out of here."
The journey down into the depths of the castle and then back along the dreaded tunnel went without incident, though it was possibly too much to hope for that they would get in an out undetected, and their fears were confirmed as soon as the group emerged from the cave. Muffled shouts and barking dogs could already be heard from somewhere deep in the surrounding forest, with powerful beams of light piercing the darkness.
"Did you losers really think it was going to be that easy?" taunted Ella Craven, making Bobby wish he hadn't given in so easily to Darien's request to remove the duct tape from her mouth.. "The alert went up the minute you took him out of the Institute."
"The sodding tracking device," Claire groaned.
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now," Bobby said, urging Darien and the rest of the group quickly onwards
The news he'd just received from a stressed sounding Eberts wasn't great either. In the hour or so it had taken them to make good their escape, the Institute's security team had thrown a tight cordon around the entire area, blocking off roads and other access points to the village and effectively preventing Eberts, Tzarnov and their transport out of here, from reaching the agreed rendezvous point. The orders Bobby had been given were to continue as planned and try to hold out until their two colleagues found a way to reach them.
Well, at least it's stopped raining, Hobbes thought grimly, as he brought up the rear of the group as they moved rapidly through the dense forest.
"So lemme get this straight." Darien said as he walked alongside Claire, ducking his head slightly to look at her. "I work for a secret government agency with you and that little wacko guy...Robbie..."
"Bobby." Claire corrected.
"..and Ella's not my partner and I don't work for the NSA?"
"Well, you have been loaned out to them on the odd assignment, but 'no', you've never been a full time employee of the NSA and you have definitely never been that woman's partner…in any sense." She threw a scowl at the back of the woman in question who was currently several yards ahead of them with Wesley Carter. Rudy lagged just a little way behind the pair with his gun at the ready.
It was dawn and after a long and wearying hike through the dense woodland, they were now only about a half a mile from the rendezvous point. What on paper had been the fastest and most straightforward escape route was now complicated by the tenacity of the hunting pack, and several times over the past few hours they had been forced to backtrack or take cover to evade the constant threat of detection.
And with their pursuers still hot on their trail and probably in possession of a tracking device, they just had to hope that their luck would hold and they could keep their lead long enough to make the rendezvous with Eberts and Tzarnov. For this reason, Hobbes and Lili had decided to scout ahead of the group to ensure that nothing unpleasant was lying in wait on the home run.
Darien raised the back of one of his cuffed hands and rubbed it wearily across his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief. "Wow!"
As he struggled to absorb what he was hearing his gaze was drawn to Ella, who kept glancing back at him with an almost burning intensity and it took a huge effort on his part to focus his concentration. He knew without the shadow of a doubt what she expected him to do and the consequences if he didn't go along with it. Eventually, he managed to drag his bewildered attention back to the woman known as Claire.
"Don't you remember any of it?" she was asking with a look of genuine concern and Darien's response was an almost regretful shake of his head.
"It's weird, cause I feel I should know you both - you don't seem like complete... strangers.. if you know what I mean, but… " he sighed wearily, "Hey, I'm sorry."
Claire reached out and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Don't be sorry sweetheart. Heaven knows what Arnaud and these...these bastards have done to you, but I promise we'll put it all right when we get you home."
Ella Craven let out a short cynical burst of laughter. "What we've done to him What about what you and that Agency of yours have done to him?" She took another glance back at Darien. "Don't listen to her, baby. I warned you about them, that they'd try to twist the truth, to turn you against me…us."
He was more confused now than ever, but he knew deep down that he would always do what she asked and exactly what she expected of him now. Time was wasting, he had to make a move before the other two came back.
Preparing himself with a slow measured inhalation of breath he slowed his step.
"Uh, ma'am? " Now what did that little guy call her? "Uh, Keepie."
Bingo! A warm smile touched the lovely face.
"What is it, Darien?" There was something in her soothing tone that almost jogged something… a barely suppressed memory…but it was snatched away from him as he struggled to hold onto it.
He held out his wrists and tried to look as innocent as possible. "Do you think you could take these off, just for a little while? They're kinda…chafing."
Claire was suddenly lost in the impact of those dark brown eyes as they stared longingly at her, and despite a monumental effort to maintain some degree of detachment she found herself reaching out to take his arm, slowing her own pace to match his. She carefully lifted one of the heavy metal bracelets to reveal an angry red welt beneath.
"Ouch." Darien let out a quiet hiss for added effect, as she started to run a finger gently over the inflamed section of skin.
"They do look sore," Claire admitted, giving him a sympathetic smile. "But I'm afraid you'll just have to grin and bear it for a little bit longer. I've got some ointment in my med kit and as soon as we…" her words ended abruptly as Darien suddenly stumbled. She realized her mistake the instant she put out a hand reflexively to steady him. With rapid ease he lunged forward, looping his manacled wrists over Claire's head and around her body.
Claire could feel the tension in his body as he pressed against her back, the heat of his breath brushing her cheek as his grip intensified and he pulled her in close, an anguished cry leaving her as the all- to-familiar chill began to envelop them both.
"No, Darien don't…"
At the sound of the skirmish behind Rudy spun around gun at the ready, fully expecting to break up a struggle or something, but his eyes widened in shock when he realized that the couple had completely disappeared from sight. Squinting in the few rays of early morning light able to filter through the dense foliage, he turned a slow wary circle, figuring they had to be lurking in the shadows.
"Put the gun down buddy," came the disembodied voice from somewhere ahead, or was it behind, followed by a startled female yelp just before something collided with Rudy, catching him off guard and taking him to the ground where he found himself blinking straight into Claire's shocked face just inches from his own, with her body sprawled awkwardly on top of his. Wondering how in the hell she'd gotten there.
Any thoughts Rudy might have harbored of raising his gun ended as something heavy, like a thick soled boot stomped down on his wrist, grinding painfully until his fingers involuntarily released their tenuous hold on the weapon. "That's it. Give it up," his invisible assailant prompted., then he gasped in frightened disbelief as the gun floated upwards into midair. Just seconds later a tall figure materialized above him in a shimmering haze of metallic flakes.
Darien looked troubled as he loomed over the prone couple with Rudy's gun now covering them, but he held his position until Ella Craven appeared at his side grinning triumphantly. With another smirk in Claire's direction, she held out her handcuffed wrists expectantly and then waited as Darien wrapped his hand around the bracelet and applied a coating of Quicksilver, easily snapping the metal chain like glass.
"Well done, baby," she crooned as she put a hand on the back of his head and pulled him down for a deep lingering kiss, blissfully aware that Claire had no choice but to watch the overt display of affection through horrified eyes.
As Ella released him and took the gun from his hand, Darien's gaze shifted briefly to Claire's and for a moment she caught the faintest hint of regret there before he reached down and hauled her gently to her feet.
Rudy was left to clamber up unaided and had just pushed himself unsteadily onto his knees, when Ella moved behind him and brought the butt of the gun down viciously on the back on his head with a loud crack, sending the young man back to the muddy earth in a boneless heap.
"That's one minor problem out of the way," she stated coldly, prodding the unconscious man with the sharp tip of her boot. "Hmm, now what to do while we wait for good old Bobby to get back?" Her eyes lit up as if with sudden inspiration. "I know. Let's take care of another piece of pest control." Then without shifting her gaze from Claire's, she called amiably over her shoulder. "Oh Wesley."
As soon as the man stepped apprehensively into her line of vision she turned, giving him a warm smile that he began to return with a relieved one of his own even as she raised the gun and fired, striking his thigh and shattering the bone. She waited a beat for the pain to register and his sharp cry of pain and then as he collapsed to the ground she fired again, this bullet shattering his skull.
Having left Lili behind at the rendezvous point, Bobby was already on his way back along the woodland trail as the two shots rang out, and it was unadulterated fear for his friends that pushed him to cover the remaining distance at a relentless pace. If he'd heard the gunfire from nearly half a mile away, then it was a fair bet that so had Arnaud's army of security who would by in all likelihood be converging on the location.
Now he cautiously peaked out from behind the shelter of a large tree and mumbled a curse as he saw the two bodies lying motionless in the center of the clearing. Full daylight was still another hour away, and in the still dim light it was impossible to make out their identities.
"Agent Hobbes, I know you're there," came the unmistakably mocking tone of Ella Craven, and he gave another curse as he flattened his back against the tree trunk. And as if her taunts weren't bad enough, her next words shook him to his core. "Show yourself, or I'll make Darien snap Keepie's scrawny neck."
Taking a deep calming breath, he glanced out a second time and froze at the sight of Darien with Claire once again in his embrace, the metal chain from his handcuffs pulled taut over the pale skin of her neck Bobby could tell she was terrified, but to her credit she was doing her best to put on a brave front.
There was no choice; it was as simple as that. "Okay, I'm coming," he called back as he stepped out from behind his shelter, arms held out to the side and the gun gripped loosely between the thumb and forefinger of his left hand. Ella Craven smirked as she ordered him to toss the weapon and the key to Darien's cuffs across to her, and only when he'd complied did she allow Darien to finally release his Keeper. With a relieved sigh, Claire rushed to Bobby's side.
"Did he hurt you?" he asked evenly as his arm looped protectively around her, and was rewarded by a fervent shake of her head.
"And I don't think he would have," came the whispered response, though he could tell the ordeal had unsettled her.
Once Ella had released Darien from his cuffs, she handed him Bobby's gun and jerked her head at the couple.
"Shoot them," came the abrupt order.
Darien did his best to keep the gun leveled at the pair, but his hand started shaking as he glanced at Carter's corpse a few feet away and the ever widening pool of blood seeping out of the shattered remains of the skull. Claire made a little gasping noise and edged closer to Bobby, her hand nervously finding his.
An eon seemed to pass before Darien's emphatic, "No!" cut through the eerie quiet.
Ella's stared back with a mixture of anger and irritation,. "Alright. Then I'll do it.," she snapped impatiently, but Darien moved quickly before she could even raise her gun, grabbing her arm and forcing the weapon from her fingers. Then he took a measured step backwards to stare at her defiantly. A long way from the unquestioning obedience she had come to expect.
He was doing his best to conceal the mounting anxiety he actually felt. "I…I don't know if I remember these people, but one thing I do know is that I don't want to hurt them….or anybody…," adding as an afterthought "….with the possible exception of Dr. De Wolfe."
Ella tried softening her stance and her tone "We need them gone, baby. Very soon we'll have all the money we could ever need, then it's me and you living the high life for ever more," she purred.
"But that's just the problem…baby." Darien took another step away from her. "I don't think I want to live the high life - at least not with someone like you. You just shot a man in cold blood and it didn't seem to bother you. And you keep saying we're partner's or something, but there's this… distance between us. Hell, I bet you can't even tell me what my favorite color is?"
She raised a perfect eyebrow, looking completely confused by his outburst.
"Purple." Darien spun around to stare at Hobbes, who was grinning broadly. "Fawkesy, your favorite color is purple."
"And your favorite food is Bobby's home made Calzone or sometimes one of those revolting bacon cheeseburger things," Claire added, giving him a reassuring smile. He liked this woman - a lot - that was one thing Darien knew without question..
The strain was evident on his face as he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, before turning back towards Ella.
Darien gestured at them. "See, that's what I'm saying. How come if they don't know me, they know all sorts of things about me that even I don't know…or at least think I don't know." Okay, that wasn't good. Now he was confusing himself "But the one thing I do know is that me and you don't …," he gestured at himself and then Ella, struggling to find the right word, "… connect."
"Well duh, that's what amnesia can do to you." She was getting pissed off now he could tell. "As Dr. De Wolfe keeps saying, you just need to give it time and …"
"It's more than that. Don't you get it?" he responded before she could finish, shaking his head furiously. " It's like when we screw…which is incredible by the way…"
"Oh gross," from Bobby, who looked as if he might actually throw up. "Way too much info there, my friend."
Darien threw a quick grin in his direction as he continued. "…but there has to be more than just the physical. Where's the emotion…the love."
"How can you doubt that I love you," she snapped, flashing a fierce warning with her eyes at both Bobby and Claire to interrupt at their peril.
"Nuh, uh, you're obsessed with me - with us. Even my scrambled brain knows the difference. And you're way too bossy."
"That's cause she's like some freakin' Dominatrix," Bobby chimed in, sensing the time was right for some of his own brand of persuasion therapy. "In your heart of hearts, you know it don't feel right with Cru-Ella there, partner. But if you can't trust anything else, then trust your own instincts. And if you don't wanna come with us that's fine, we won't force you. Just get as far away from her and Arnaud as possible."
Something in the intensity of the older man's words finally triggered another memory jolt and suddenly he knew the truth, knew for certain that this man and woman really were his friends. His mind made up, he was just about to take a faltering step in their direction when a noise stopped him in his tracks.
It was a slow hand clap that got louder as the tall figured sauntered from the shadows at the edge of the clearing.
"Bravo, everyone. That was thoroughly entertaining," said Arnaud De Fehrn with a sardonic smirk.
TBC
