"I hide myself within my flower,

That wearing on your breast,

You, unsuspecting, wear me too--

And angels know the rest.

I hide myself within my flower,

That, fading from your vase,

You, unsuspecting, feel for me

Almost a loneliness."

The roar of the gun had left Sophie cowering on the floor, curled up in a ball with her arms covering her head. Except for the rapid pulsing of her heartbeat in her ears, there was no sound, her hearing dulled by the sudden explosion only inches from her head. Her racing thoughts quickly told her that she was not bleeding, nor in pain. She was alive.

A strong hand wrapped around her arm and dragged Sophie to her feet. Fear was replaced by confusion when she tilted her head up to look at Silas' tense face, then followed the direction the gun had been pointed. The angel statue that had been sitting on the table was shattered against the wall. She could see a small black object laying in the middle of the smashed, painted glass. A few white sparks jumped from the neat, round hole in the middle of it.

"What...what is that?" Sophie asked, frowning and turning her face back towards Silas.

He grimaced, letting go of her arm, but refusing to look at her. "Let us just say that the room was bugged. Now it is not."

"How did you know...?"

"I've been in here since early this morning," Silas muttered, clicking the safety of the weapon back on. "I had plenty of time to plant it before you got here. But considering that bullet was meant for you, mademoiselle, I doubt the reason is of much importance."

Sophie felt a shiver go through her body. The tone in his voice was flat with a hint of steel behind it, the same tone she had heard in her Grandfather's voice when people had laughed at his theories, a sound of anger trying to cover a deeper wound. Silas was putting the gun in its holster, a glassy look in his eyes that affirmed her thoughts. She sighed, her fear slipping into anxiety.

"You're not going to kill me," she said, knowing it was more of a question than the firm statement she wanted it to sound like.

Silas didn't reply, and her fear returned. Sophie took a step back as he took a step forward, until he had backed her up against the wall, their bodies only inches apart. Tilting his head, he leaned in close, one hand on either side of her body. Her form went rigid.

"I have killed many," he purred in her ear, his breath teasing her neck. "I've had so much blood on my hands... All this time, I thought that I was doing the work of God. Then..."

Swallowing roughly, Sophie struggled not to cry out. "Then?"

He laughed, a quiet sound that held no mirth. "Then a little French sprite stuck her nose into my plans..."

She felt her breathing stop. His hands shifted, moving from the wall and each one lightly touching either side of her face. Silas turned his head so that he could see her, the corner of his mouth tilting up into a slow smirk at her wide-eyed expression.

"And the little sprite," he continued, "was full of questions. This would get her in a very bad situation...very bad indeed."

"What situation?" she choked out, her mind imagining lines of frost appearing where his ice cold hands touched her skin.

Silas smiled, which made her shiver again. "You see, there was a man," he murmured, his smile fading as he toyed with a lock of Sophie's hair. "Who was sent to silence the sprite before she asked the wrong questions..."

Sophie closed her eyes, wanting to fight against his touch. But his voice was hypnotic and she needed to hear more. "And what happened?"

"The sprite managed to ask the wrong questions... at the right time. The man realized that the people who sent him to silence her had lied and the man began to wonder..." Silas trailed off, frowning.

Opening her eyes, Sophie looked up at Silas. His eyes were turned towards the window, as if he were seeing something far away. "The little sprite would have liked to know what the man wondered," she said softly.

His eyes flickered shut just as a blaze of anger coursed through him and by the time they opened again, the emotion was gone. "They told me that Aringarosa was dead. They told him I was dead, all the while they knew we were both alive. Then, the one who ends up telling me the truth is the girl they want me to kill. Tell me, little sprite, what am I supposed to think?"

"Silas, Opus Dei is trying to hide the secrets I know from the world. You know what they've done to accomplish that and now they've been hiding things from you. Please, believe me," Sophie stressed, her eyes bright with restrained emotion. "If we could just--"

Sophie's words died as he raised a finger and pressed it lightly to her lips, a sign for silence. She quieted, watching as he turned an ear to the air and listened. At first, Sophie couldn't hear anything special; the tick of a clock, the sound of running water in the next room. But as she focused, she heard voices, low and angry. They were getting closer.

"Damn it," he hissed, pushing off the wall. "Get your belongings. Now."

Complying without protest, Sophie grabbed her purse from the bed and shoved her papers inside it. There was authority in Silas' voice that she wasn't about to question and since he had admitted that someone from Opus Dei wanted her dead, she would follow his commands...

... For now.

Silas walked to the door, trying to keep his panic under control. He'd wasted far too much time talking to the little brat, wasted far much time being so close to her when they should have been running. And now, with the listening device ordered placed in the room destroyed by Silas' own weapon, he knew that someone would come to make sure the job was done. The Teacher had said as much.

How quickly I gave in, Silas thought bitterly. Even though the phone call Sophie received had exposed the layers of deception that Silas had been wrapped in, there was anger in learning that his entire life had beem a violent, blood-stained lie.

"I'm ready," the girl called quietly, breaking through his thoughts.

He looked over his shoulder. Sophie stood a few feet behind him, her hands clutching the handles of her purse so hard that her knuckles were white. There was a look in her eyes that tugged at his soul and Silas suddenly wished he could protect her from whatever was waiting outside the door. The feeling was alien but strengthened his resolve to get them both out of the hotel... alive.

"If it helps," Silas said as he held out his hand to her, "I believed you from the moment you got that phone call. Now it's time for you to believe me... I'm not going to kill you."

Sophie hesitated only a moment before taking his hand, slipping her fingers among his. He pulled her to his side and reached for the lock of the door, turning it slowly. The door opened without a creak and Silas leaned out to peer into the hallway. The direction to the left of the room was empty but as he looked to the right, his blood ran cold.

They got here rather quickly, he mused. I suppose the bullet in the bug may have piqued the new Teacher's interest.

Two men, dressed in black robes, were going from room to room. They knocked until someone answered and then quickly turned away. Silas sighed inwardly, pulling back into the room and regarding Sophie evenly. It took him less than a second to determine if the effort would be worth it.

"You're going to do exactly what I say. Understand?" he asked, dropping his voice to a bare whisper.

Sophie shifted from foot to foot, biting her lip and tightening her grip on her purse. She nodded, trying to ignore the fact that she missed the comfort his touch had given her and the odd fact that it had given her comfort at all. Whatever was outside in the hallway, it wasn't going to be pleasant. She needed to clear her mind of all thoughts except one... Escape.

"Good," he muttered, opening the door again and quickly checking the location of the men. They were less that thirty feet away, A woman was yelling at them for waking her up. Silas stepped out into the hallway, swiftly pulling Sophie out and pushing her in front of him. "Out the lobby. Walk quickly but do not run until I tell you."

Easy enough, Sophie thought. She kept her eyes on the floor, the oriental pattern repetative and calming. Silas hadn't let her get a glimpse of the other half of the hallway and, in truth, it was probably better that way. Her mind wanted to run; she would get her chance soon enough.

"Silas?"

The strange, deep voice made Sophie jump. She almost ran but a cold hand on her shoulder kept her from bolting. "Shh.Not yet..."

"Silas!"

"Now?" Sophie hissed.

"SILAS! DAMN YOU!" the voice roared and the sound of feet running across carpet soon followed.

"Now," he agreed.

Sophie needed no further encouragment. Her feet took over her body and she tore through the hallway with speed a cat would have envied. Silas was at her heels but still seemed to have control over his commen sense for when Sophie ran for the elevators, he grabbed her arm and dragged her into the stairwell.

Sophie found herself being shoved down the stairs. "There's not enough time!" she groaned, taking the steps two at a time and almost tripping as they began to blur together. "I'm going to fall down these damned things..."

"If you fall then I'll catch you," Silas growled. "Just run, will you?"

Shouts filled the stairway and Sophie could hear people storming along behind them. I hope he's serious, she thought, swallowing her panic and racing down the stairs as fast as her feet would carry her. A fall at this speed...

"STOP!" their pursuer screamed. "Stop, or else!"

One flight...two flights... Sophie felt her lungs burning in her chest. Where was the door to the blasted exit? Wait... a door! The sign next to it read "lobby" and she almost cried in relief. Maybe they were going to get out of this after all.

Silas grabbed her arm as she began to slow. "Not there!"

"But--"

"I know you're confused," he breathed, pulling her behind him as they neared another door. "But trust me, for the sake of God."

Without waiting for her reply, Silas opened the door to the lower level of the building and yanked her inside. The hallway before them was dimly lit, revealing six more doors. The only one Sophie saw was the one at the end of the hallway, with the glowing "exit" sign above it. She began to run towards it, only to be jerked in another direction yet again.

"Here," Silas said, pulling her through a small metal door on the right. "We have only a few seconds."

Sophie looked around the room as the albino shoved a wooden desk in front of the entrance. It seemed secure enough and, so far, no one had tried to knock the door down. Except... She swept her gaze around again to make sure she saw correctly, then felt her chest clench.

"There's no exit! You just barricaded us in!"

"Ou contraire, little sprite. Look for yourself."

She looked in the direction Silas pointed and nearly giggled. "No way."

"I suppose the staff uses this... it leads directly to a room inside the lobby. I told my...associates... that I would be using the exit down this hallway. With any luck at all, they will not expect us to go back up."

"I don't know if you're the brightest man I've ever met... or just insane."

He smiled and this time, she didn't shudder. "I won't dissuade you from the former, though it's likely a bit of both."

With the press of a small, white button along the wall, the metal doors slid open. Silas stepped in and Sophie followed, pretending to study her purse. The elevator had been cramped enough for one person; only by flattening her back to Silas' chest was Sophie able to just fit inside the tiny box.

"I'll have to cut back on the chocolate," she laughed, though it sounded forced, even to her ears.

"Or stop bounding around with Disaster."

A mischievious glint entered her eyes. "Must I? I was just starting to enjoy your company."

Silas muttered under his breath but before Sophie could grill him over whatever he'd said, the elevator came to a halt. They both fell silent as the doors opened, revealing the lobby. The only people visible were the clerks, all busy at their desks with one thing or another. It was quiet and the bright lights would afford no place to hide in case they were spotted by the wrong people.

"Shall we?" Sophie asked, her hand tightening around his.

Putting up the hood of his robe, Silas gave her hand a small squeeze in return. "After you."

Sophie stepped out into the light, keeping as close to Silas as possible. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for anyone who might have stared at them a moment too long. A few clerks looked up but went back to work, uncaring. Silas led her toward the lobby door, allowing her to act as the lookout. The woman should be able to sense if something was wrong--she seemed smarter than most.

Feet from the door, a familiar, digital jingle broke the deadly silence.

"Damn the Adam's Family! I've changed my mind," Silas fumed. "I am going to kill you."

"Sorry!"

"Not as sorry as you're going to be when I--OOF!"

Suddenly, Sophie jerked him foreward, flying out the exit and into the night. He was about to snarl at her when the sound of gunfire and screaming clerks persuaded him to start running.

"Car! Car! Car!" Sophie wheezed, fumbling with her purse and yanking out a set of keys. She flung herself the last few feet toward her car, popping the locks with the click of a button.

Silas flung the door open and scrambled inside with the speed only pure adreniline could give. "Go, go!"

"Going, dammit!"

The key slid into the ignition, bringing the car to life in a matter of seconds. Sophie kicked the car into reverse, hitting the gas and turning towards the road. A second gunshot resonated through the air as the back window exploded. Another click put the car into drive and true to its reputation for being a speedy beast, the Mercedes roared from the parking lot. All the while, the Adam's Family theme rang cheerfully in her purse.

"Goddamned son of a..."

Gasping for air, Silas lay against the seat, listening in awe as the flurry of profanities poured from his companion's mouth. Every nasty word he had heard over a lifetime Sophie snarled within seconds, and she soon began to make up new ones that would cause a sailor to blush.

Her cellphone began to ring again. When Sophie showed no signs of letting up from her screaming rant, Silas picked it up and let the caller get an earful involving intercourse and chickens before holding the phone to his own ear. "Hello?"

Robert Langdon, hearing the screaming, was stunned into silence. "This is...Robert. Uhm...is Sophie...?"

"A bit stressed at the moment, I'm afraid. Your ill-timed call nearly got her shot and has apparently damaged her...I quote... goddamned expensive car."

Sophie took a breath, seeming to have run out of ideas. "Damned...damned little..."

"Fuckers?" Silas offered, still holding the phone to his ear. Robert choked on the other end.

"Damned little fuckers!" Sophie declared, cutting off an old woman and blowing the yellow light.

Robert set his phone down a moment, staring at it as he heard the loud blare of a car horn and another string of indecentcies. What the hell was going on?

"Are you there, Robert?" the male voice asked casually.

Picking up the phone, Robert sighed. "Silas, I presume."

"Indeed," the albino replied, wincing as the car took a sharp corner and skidded. "Listen carefully. Your little cryptographer has landed herself in a rather unattractive city. Now, not all the people that would like to see her dead are going to be as civil as I. So, I have a proposition."

Robert heard Sophie go quiet and fear trickled into his mind. He had warned Sophie not to go and now his worst dreams were coming true. "What kind of proposition?"

Silas glanced at Sophie, who had paled. "Bring everything the police and anyone else has on offenses made by Opus Dei to Notre Dame de la Garde by Thursday night. That gives you three days to collect every resource you can find. If a member so much as burped during a meeting, you will bring records of it to me. Borrow, bribe or steal if you must. If you do this, you might see Mademoiselle Neveu alive again. Understood?"

There was a long pause. "Understood."

"Excellent. Remember... Notre Dame, by nightfall on Thursday. Good luck, Robert."

The line went dead and Robert slumped in his chair. Looking at the clock, he hung up his phone, then dialed the number for Captain Fache. Three days...