Reaching the cabin of the Duke with no further incidents, Bela softly knocked on the door, ever well-mannered. The jovial man was quick to open up and to usher them in, showing his vast, luxurious personal quarters.
Ethan was dazzled by the wealth on display here. Glass shelves with small, no doubt expensive figurines peered at him from every corner. Every wall was decorated by a beautiful painting, done in various styles. Ethan was no collector himself, but he wouldn't have been surprised if these were the original pieces. As a centerpiece, in the middle of the cabin was a large statue of a horseman, with its rider raising his sabre high. The statue was made of some green stone, possibly jade. A work desk with stacks upon stacks of documents, as well as a modern, full-sized computer were under the room's sole porthole. There was no bed, so the blonde man presumed that the Duke slept somewhere else and this was more like a work space.
Ethan somberly noted that this cabin alone probably contained more wealth than he made in his whole life as a system engineer. Bela glanced at all the luxury with a clinical, detached expression. She likely evaluated the pieces quickly with her sharp eyes, but did not appear to be shocked by it.
And why would she be? She is like a vampire princess herself… Am I the only person here without some tremendous wealth?
"Welcome, friends, to my humble abode!" Ever jolly, the Duke greeted them with mirth in eyes. Ethan barely suppressed a snort at that. To the large man's side, his two, likely most trusted minions stood, with arms folded behind their backs: Millie and Tom.
Bela spoke next, however her eyes lingered on a particular painting on the east wall of the cabin. Ethan, following her gaze, found nothing particularly impressive about a portrait of a lady in an old-fashioned dress with a weasel or something in her arms. But what did he know about art?
"Quite a collection you have here, Duke. But I think it's finally time to discuss the predicament our mother is in and how we can all aid her."
Duke nodded at that, his jovial mood quickly turning somber. He spoke quietly, but with clear conviction in his tone.
"Most right, my lady. But before we start, are you sure it is wise for young Rose to be present for this conversation? We have a room ready for you, Mister Winters, Tom here could escort the young miss there, while we proceed here."
Ethan considered that for a moment. He didn't want his daughter to leave his side amidst this unfamiliar ship, yet he also wished to avoid burdening the small child with all the serious talk that would take place here. At this point, he trusted the Duke to have their interests at heart, so he nodded his acceptance of the offer. Kneeling before his angel, he held her tightly, as he whispered into her ear:
"Why don't you go with uncle Tom, love? You should rest in a proper bed while we talk about our boring adult stuff here. Maybe you can grab a nice, tasty snack on the way, too?"
Even though the little girl was apprehensive about leaving her father's side when surrounded by strangers, she was reassured by his soothing tone. And she grew to like Tom, already. She nodded her tiny head and accepted the tall man's offered hand and the duo left the cabin.
"Your daughter is so well-behaved, Mister Winters. I don't have any kids of my own yet, but something tells me he or she will be an uncontrollable little monster at that age." Spoke out Millie, looking at the departing child with clear fondness in her metallic grey eyes.
Bela giggled lightly at that. She knew a thing or two about uncontrollable monsters, with her own two troublemaking younger siblings. Ethan just smiled proudly and nodded, before motioning to Duke to continue. The huge man wasted no time in doing so.
"You should get to know the people we are up against, I think. Their organization is known by quite a few names around the globe. The Twelve Families. The Connections. The Cartel of Shadows. What we call them matters little, however. What matters is the vast amount of resources at their side. The fact that they have their finger in a great deal of pies all around the world. Corporations work with them. Governments close their eyes on their illegal activities. Private military companies are on their payroll. These are no mere thugs that have taken your mother and your wife." The Duke looked at Bela and Ethan as he named the victims, respectively.
Bela looked shocked at the last word. She glanced at Ethan with questioning eyes. The blonde man was dreading this moment. How do you tell a woman that your wife went to work for people who abducted her mother? Voluntarily, at that. He cleared his throat and spoke, trying to sound neutral.
"My wife… Mia was pressured to join them. I don't know the exact details, but I assume they threatened her that they would hurt me and Rose if she refused… She just left us in the middle of the night, leaving a note to forget about her and live our own lives."
Bela stifled a gasp at that. For a second, Ethan was afraid that she would perceive him as an enemy now, an accomplice to the kidnapping of her own mother. That would've been a twisted turn of events, for sure.
What happened instead surprised the distraught man. Looking down at the floor, ashamed, he didn't see the oldest Dimitrescu sibling approach him, and take him into a gentle embrace. Unlike the bone-crushing hug Daniela graced him with before, Bela held him so tenderly in her soft and warm embrace, Ethan felt his woes melt. As he leaned into her touch, without even thinking about it rationally, she whispered a reassurance into his ear.
"I am so sorry Ethan… We will get Mia back along with our mother, I promise you that. And we will make these people pay for what they did. Nobody should ever threaten one's family… I cannot forgive that."
So shocked at the comfort he so desperately needed, Ethan hugged her back tightly. They stood like that, in silence - just two people lost amidst the sea of deceit and betrayal, seeking an island of reassurance in each other.
And they found it. Ethan brown-grey eyes sparkled with newfound determination as he gazed into her own bottomless molten gold irises. The woman saw that spark and gave him a firm smile back.
Finally letting go of each other, the kindred spirits knew that they both would do whatever it takes to bring their loved ones back home, safely. And to make those who crossed them pay dearly. Regardless of their foe's wealth and connections, the pair was dead set on succeeding.
The Duke cleared his throat, finally breaking the duo from their trance. Millie shuffled her feet, looking almost sheepish at being a witness to an intimate scene like the one that just took place.
Bela just smiled at them and spoke, a new flame of conviction in her voice.
"This is where we should head first, I think. A small logistics and refueling island that mother's plane likely landed on. Here are the coordinates." Bela gave the Duke a small scrap of paper at that. He was clearly pleased with it as he spoke, once again sounding jolly.
"Ah! I've suspected they had a facility like that somewhere around the Atlantic ocean, yet the precise coordinates eluded me. A great find, my lady. Where did you manage to obtain such information?"
It was the blonde woman's turn to look uncomfortable. It seemed like she wasn't proud about how she gained that knowledge.
"The details are...unimportant. We also heard a curious name: 'Nightcrawler'. Do you know if we could locate that person?"
At that Duke clicked his own tongue, in displeasure, before responding.
"Ah, I know that miscreant well. He or she is responsible for many darker dealings the organization we oppose makes. Kidnapping, extortions, blackmail, murder even. A 'fixer' they call his kind. There are far more than one of them working for The Connections, yet the Nightcrawler is the most nefarious one, trusted with the most important tasks. I've been on their tail for a while now."
Ethan spoke at that, curious: "Do you know where they are then?"
The Duke just shook his head, sadly, before replying: "Unfortunately, all we know for now is a pseudonym, which is quite useless information by itself. I already have a trusted contact working on revealing more, but for now we will have to skip that lead."
Bela let out a small sigh, likely unsurprised at this turn of events. Ethan felt like this wouldn't be the last time they've heard that mysterious person's name. The Duke continued.
"But this island is a promising lead, make no mistake! I'll make sure we chart a course there immediately. This beautiful ship may look like a simple luxury yacht, but we have here the latest in ways of modern subterfuge! Anti-radar coating, scouting drones, cutting edge electronic warfare suit! I dare say, even our most formidable foes will never see us coming."
Both Bela and Ethan stared wide-eyed at the man, who was gesturing wildly as he spoke. The Duke seemed particularly proud of his ship and they both could see why. What kind of connections would one need to obtain a vessel such as this, loaded to the brim with modern military equipment, no less? The rotund man was ever an enigma.
"Fortunately, it appears the island in question is relatively close to us. We would reach the optimal striking distance in mere ten hours at top speed. You two should get this time to get ready, I imagine you all would want to be at the forefront. We have a small armory at the lower deck, if you're interested in acquiring a tool of trade or two, Mister Winters. Free of charge, just this time."
The pair thanked their gratuitous host and took their leave at that.
Ethan decided to head to the armory first, and Bela, not interested in modern firearms, went towards the ship's bridge - to learn more about their target as well as their own capabilities. Her bright mind would serve them better than her brute strength in the hours to come. Before they parted their ways, the blonde woman gave another, quick but warm embrace to the man. Ethan, appreciating the surprising but welcome gesture of comfort, returned it, gently. As they parted, Bela said nothing, but her serene expression conveyed her feelings all the same. Ethan felt heat coming to his face at the sudden, intimate contact with the beautiful blonde. Mumbling an awkward "see you…" the man went on his way, down to the armory, soft giggling at his sheepishness following him.
Contemplating the sudden turn of events, Ethan couldn't help but experience a certain...elation. True, that was one fine mess he had found himself in, once again. But with Bela at his side, he felt like he could take on the world. Not to mention her crazy sisters and their enigmatic host. He couldn't even explain the trust he put in them rationally. He just knew that no matter what storm may come to batter their shore, they would be ready for it. More than ready.
Walking through the halls on his way to the armory, Ethan was taken out of his reverie by what sounded like powerful swings of a bladed weapon. The noise came from the room to his immediate right. Peering into the large room that turned out to be an exercise space, Ethan could only gape in dark fascination at the sight.
It was Cassandra, hard at work at honing her deadly craft. She was now dressed in an exercising outfit - a shirt and pair of shorts, still showing plenty of her toned and powerful legs. But it was not her body that drew Ethan's attention now. Instead, he was mesmerized by her violent, yet undeniably graceful movements. As if dueling an invisible enemy, she slashed her vicious sickle before dodging an imaginary attack. Every single movement she did was precise and economical, a refined parry flowing into a swift swipe. A stunning kick and an elegant leap backwards completed the performance. The speed and strength of her moves looked completely inhuman.
Ethan was suddenly glad he never actually had to face the brunette Dimitrescu in an all-out fight. His self-preservation instinct screamed at him to quickly leave and don't look back, yet he just couldn't help but to admire her incredible agility.
She is more than just some sadistic psycho… an artist of pain and misery seems a more fitting title for her...What a monster.
Sweat beaded on his forehead as he noticed her black lips curl into a wicked grin. She was facing the opposite direction the entire time and there were no mirrors around, yet she clearly noticed his unabashed staring. Suddenly Ethan was aware of a large fly, sitting right on his hand. As he glanced at it in horrible realization, the insect bit his appendage painfully, drawing blood, before returning to its mistress, flowing right into her skin. The brunette witch, standing still now, not turning to face him, spoke in a playful voice, yet with clear hints of malice in it.
"Enjoying the show, Ethan? Why don't you join me for a round?"
The man could only stare at her in shock, as she swiftly turned 180 degrees on the heels of her feet, her vicious amber orbs locked on his own in an instant. She was grinning from ear to ear and her left eye was narrowed while her right one was wide open. Her fingers were twitching in anticipation. She truly looked like a deranged psychotic murderer at the moment and Ethan wanted to be anywhere but here. He stood still instead, silent, not wanting to break eye-contact and provoke her.
Seeing his paralysis, but apparently dead set on her 'invitation', the witch threw her sickle away carelessly, the weapon landing in a corner with a clung. She opened her arms wide, her grin morphing into a frown as she spoke.
"Come on, you coward. One bout, no weapons. Just you and me. Bela talked my fucking ear off about how brave you were in confronting Miranda for your little Rose. Yet you are afraid to face little old me? Are you planning on hiding behind Bela's skirt from now on? What a fucking coward. I can't understand what she sees in you. Craven maggot."
By the end of her tirade, her tone switched to almost growling, with spittle flying from her mouth. Her words have sparkled a flame of defiance in Ethan, however. He clenched his fists in anger.
That bitch… She knows she is far stronger than me. I doubt she will actually be delusional enough to attack me right here if I refuse her. Yet if I just walk away now she will never respect me. Goddamnit, hope all this training with Chris will pay off… She can't be as good in unarmed combat as she is with her sickle, right…?
"One bout with no weapons? You're on."
Hearing his defiant tone, her angry snarling mouth turned into a wicked grin once again. She assumed an unarmed combat stance that looked flawless to Ethan, who trained in that style hard, himself.
Fuck me...
Entering the sparring ring and assuming his own stance, he was barely prepared for a violent flurry of blows that followed. The witch was unbelievably fast and her strikes had a lot of power behind them, despite their swift delivery. The blonde man's hands had seen worse though, and he blocked blow after blow.
Feeling her assault momentarily slacken, he delivered a couple of powerful punches himself, yet the brunette flowed around them easily, looking almost bored as she did so. Remembering his training, he feinted one blow just to land another on her solid frame. Letting out a small grunt of pain, she instantly responded with a bone-crushing kick with her right foot to his side. The blow was so powerful, Ethan felt a rib crack and the air blown out of his lungs. In shock and agony, he spat right in her face, coloring her black lips with his fresh red blood.
As he regained his bearing and jumped away from her, the witch didn't hesitate to lick the blood off, giving off a slight moan of pleasure at the taste. She winked at him and spoke, almost sensually.
"Looks like the first blood is mine today, as well, Ethan. And it's as delicious as I remember it to be..."
God, how I hate the way this bitch keeps saying my name.
Even though Ethan was more aware than ever of the brunette vampire's overwhelming power, he would not yield so easily. Clenching his willpower in his fist, he made a taunting gesture at the witch opposing him. She wasted no time in rushing him at that, throwing one powerful punch after another; ending the series of punishing blows that broke his guard wide open with an open-palmed strike of inhuman strength against his chest that sent him flying back a few steps, making him land right on his back.
As she approached his downed form, the man swung his feet in a wide arc, taking her by surprise and knocking her down herself.
The brunette brought herself back up momentarily, with catlike grace, yet Ethan did the same and bull-rushed her hard, leveraging his heavier bulk against Cassandra's relatively lithe frame. Smashing her into the wall, with enough power to knock the air out of her lungs, he raises his fist, ready to pummel her no-longer smirking face. The first blow connected, drawing a thin line of dark blood from her lip.
Before the man could repeat the action, the witch dispersed into her swarm form, flowing around him before coalescing right behind him. Wasting no time, she grabbed his head by his blonde hair, just to savagely slam his face into the wall, twice, in quick succession. With the monstrous power behind Cassandra's violent action, a normal human would have surely been knocked unconscious already. Ethan could only thank his own, distinctly unnatural physiology granting him the extra resilience needed to endure this punishment. It still took everything he had just to not black out.
Before she could slam his head once more, the man returned the favour with a brutal elbow slam against her stomach, making her lose the grip on his head and back off a step. Hastily turning around, aiming a powerful right hook at her face, the man was shocked when she caught his fist in her own left hand. Trying to strike her, once again, smirking mouth with his left hand, he was left aghast as she repeated her previous gesture with her right hand now.
The strength in her arms was truly immense. As she pushed him back into the wall, not letting go, the man felt his hands cry out in anguish at the vast pressure the brunette exerted against them. At this rate, the fragile bones in his wrists would not last long against this monstrous power. Looking into her wild, exhilarated expression, he instantly knew that she would have no qualms whatsoever in actually breaking his hands. Her insane grinning face was inches from his own now. He could yield and hope she would be sane enough to stop...or…
Collecting his resolve, Ethan did something the witch herself used against him, two years ago.
A vicious headbutt right into her nose, followed by a satisfying crunching sound, made her stumble back as she let his arms go, stars in her eyes. Before he could pummel her into the ground, she dispersed into her cursed swarm once more. The man could only growl in frustration at his intangible foe.
"That's cheating, you fucking bitch!"
As she coalesced a couple of steps away from him, her expression was one of joy, even though her now ruined face was marred by her own dark blood. Her eyes were open wide as she spoke, her shaky voice also showing her exhilaration.
"Nobody ever said anything about me not using both of my shapes… How are you still standing!?"
Before the fight resumed, Ethan took a moment to appreciate the state of the combatants. His whole body was hurting, his face was a bloody mess and he was breathing hard. His broken rib was begging for attention. He was pretty sure some organ was bleeding internally. Sweat was running down his whole frame. He wouldn't last much longer.
The brunette witch, on the other hand, was barely panting, her eyes still glinting crazily. Even though her own face was a mess, Ethan knew she could go for more than a single bout of this. Not only was she stronger and faster than him, but also more enduring.
Still, he won't give up so easily. Looking at her with determination burning in his eyes, the man could swear the bitch purred in delight at seeing his continued perseverance.
Fully recovered herself, the witch wasted no breath in resuming her relentless assault on the battered man - a barrage of punches and kicks that no normal human could withstand.
Trying to connect a blow in between her own vicious strikes, Ethan could only dismay as he found his movements too sluggish to hope to best her formidable defense now. Instead, on overextending his final strike he found himself sent flying as the brunette used his own momentum to throw him over her. Landing on his back hard, the man knew that he was done for. There was no strength left in his sore muscles and no fight in his spirit. The witch was just too damn powerful.
As he lay on the floor, too exhausted to stand up, staring straight up at the ceiling, a pair of feet in black training shoes came up to his face.
Guess the crazy bitch wants to stomp on my face now… Well done, Ethan. Agreeing to fight a psycho vampire unarmed. Mia would be proud.
Preparing for the pain, the man is surprised when a strong and firm hand grasps his own instead, pulling him up to his feet.
Standing up, he finds himself staring right into Cassandra's yellow irises, inches from his own brown-grey eyes. She is panting pretty noticeably now. The expression on her face is...unusual. Instead of her normal insane grin and wide eyes, he is treated to an almost serene visage. Her now almost pleasant-looking orbs gaze at his face in scrutiny, as if trying to find out something that she missed before. Ethan must be going crazy as he sees a measure of respect glint in her eyes as she speaks, surprisingly calmly and quietly, as if this was a special moment.
"No human has ever given me this much trouble before, not even close… I guess Bela was right. There is something special about you, Ethan."
Ethan couldn't tell what shocked him more. That the violent psycho helped him up instead of stomping on his face like he expected her to or that she finally pronounced his name in a normal way. Regardless, even if he was bloodied and bruised in defeat, he felt like he had won something here, today. Finding his wit back and trying to capitalize on the moment, the man speaks, amicably, while offering her a hand to shake.
"A good fight, Cassandra. I can now see why Bela has so much respect for your martial prowess."
Apparently, that was exactly the right thing to say, since the brunette's eyes lit up in joy, growing wide at the praise. She eyed his outstretched hand for a moment, before accepting it and giving him a firm shake, as she spoke, her tone unsure, for once.
"She does…? I mean, of course she does. I am the strongest sibling, after all."
In truth, Bela never said anything like that, though before they got to the Duke's cabin, she did mention that it was Cassandra who dealt with all the 'riffraff' that attacked the sisters yesterday. And it was not hard for Ethan to connect the dots: the brunette was the brawn of Team Dimitrescu and was obviously very proud of that fact. And if a half-truth will turn the most dreaded person onboard this ship into an acquaintance, that was an absolute win in Ethan's book.
The brunette woman stood as if unsure herself about the current situation. She shuffled her feet for a few moments before clearing her throat and declaring loudly.
"Well, this was entertaining, but I do feel like I need a shower now. Don't want Daniela all over me, licking your blood off, after all!"
At that, Cassandra left the exercise room, not forgetting to pick up her sickle as she went. For once, she gave him no psychotic grin or a thinly-veiled threat as she departed. Ethan just stood flabbergasted for a full minute. Did he just befriend a psycho vampire that wanted to drink his blood as she tortured him to death with a dirty knife?
"I need a fucking drink…"
Forgetting his earlier desire to visit the armory and ignoring his aching bones, sore muscles, the broken rib, the messed up face, and very likely a ruptured lung, the man went straight to the bar that was closest to him. He did take the time to clean the blood off his face with a towel on his way out, though. The last thing he wanted was to run into Daniela and have her licking his face like a dog. The man sighed as he realized that the mental image of that won't be leaving him anytime soon.
Looking at the map of the ship, he noted that the bar was actually on the upper tier, far away from him. Determined to get his hands on some whiskey, he trudged his way up.
Several tiers up, as Ethan got closer to his destination, he could hear beautiful sounds of music being played. Entering the open-topped bar stocked to the brim with all kinds of alcoholic beverages, the blonde man wasn't even surprised anymore as he saw the source of music.
Of course it was Daniela, playing the violin. She had her eyes closed, as her dainty fingers moved around the strings of the instrument deftly, clearly experienced from years of practice. Her face was locked in a serene expression, and Ethan couldn't help but to admire the quality of her performance. Even if she did have all the time in the world to practice the instrument, locked in her castle, she was, undeniably, very talented with the violin.
Every crewmate around was standing still and silent, listening to her play as well, as if entranced. Nobody paid the battered blonde man any mind as he went to the counter and asked for some whiskey. Daniela's nostrils twitched slightly, but to Ethan's relief she kept playing with her eyes closed. The barman, not moving his gaze from the redhead musician, poured Ethan the requested liquid. Taking a deep gulp, the man released a sigh of relief. As the hard drink soothed his parched throat and mind, the beautiful music soothed his ears and soul, making the man feel at peace after the brutal confrontation he just lived through.
Is it still Stockholm syndrome if I bond with my captors after escaping them?
Smirking at his own little joke the man fell down the counter unconscious, now that the gentle sound of music shooed the last of the adrenaline from his veins, running throughout his utterly exhausted and broken body.
Author's Note:
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! It was a bit heavy on exposition, but I felt like it would work nice to deepen the plot a bit.
As you may see, I kinda made Dimitrescu daughters have certain 'roles'.
Bela is a leader or brains. She is good at inspiring others and have extremely well-developed problem solving skills. She can think fast, even in tough situations. Other sisters respect her and listen to what she has to say, most of the time.
Cassandra is a damage dealer or brawn. She is very good at any kind of combat, deadly at any range. Also a local torture technician, though usually a mere threat of her is enough to make anyone spill the beans.
Daniela is a support/utility, with a variety of random skills that reflect her rapidly shifting interests: She can drive a car (very poorly), she can play a violin (very nicely!) and she can use her natural charm to talk her way out of most situations. She is also the most stealthy sibling, who can sneak up on almost anyone. But in direct combat, she is the weakest of the three sisters.
If you have any thoughts, suggestions, or questions, feel free to write them!