Chapter Four
A Reason
-oOo-
Chloe stayed behind her desk and watched as everyone working on her floor eventually pour out of the office to return home for the evening. She remained behind, pondering exactly what she was going to encounter in the cell.
She had never seen anyone inflict pain on themselves, minus of course herself, but she did it in the privacy of her own home and was ashamed to let anyone see the scars. Silas was almost proud of torturing himself in the Lords name, or repenting as he had called it. But if it got her that much closer to finding the truth about the Council, she would have to put up with whatever self-mutilation Silas exposed her too.
Tired, she checked the clock, it was almost seven in the evening, and still one person remained in the office and Fache had not yet come for her. She pulled the keyboard towards her and painfully typed into a search engine all the words she could think of that might help her narrow down the search for her rapist.
Chloe did this almost everyday, but still the same meaningless pages turned up about religious groups that she had researched and visited trying to match the face of the rapist to those who compromised its membership. But her heart always welled and the pain of her attack returned and left her feeling as empty and hollow as she had that fateful night.
She was scanning the pages of Frances Most Wanted, when Fache tapped his knuckles on the wood of her desk. She snapped her eyes up to him and it was clear he had been standing there for quite some time.
"Oh, Captaine. Je suis docile. I was miles away" she forced a smile. Fache nodded.
"Silas is downstairs" he handed her a key, "His discipline and cilice are in a box by the door. Don't forget to clear the mess up afterwards," he said in a hushed tone.
Chloe nodded and took the key from his hand before hastily switching off her computer and marching down the stairs to the holding cells. It was a long corridor, terrible cold bars reached from floor to ceiling, separating the criminals for their captors.
Gingerly she looked into the nearest one, Silas was sitting on the ground, his head in his lap, almost as if he were praying, his hands were uncuffed. Chloe lifted the parcel sitting on the floor, which she picked up.
On hearing the noise, Silas raised his head and glared at her through the bars. Chloe ignored the hateful look as she unlocked the door and was careful to close it after her. She dropped the box by her feet and kicked it towards the monk. He looked at it briefly, then back up at Chloe.
"The items you requested are in there. You have ten minutes to do whatever it is you want to. Then you're to hand them back. Is that clear?" she said.
Silas glared at her, "You will turn your back, woman" he ordered, grabbing the box and pulling it closer to him.
"Gladly" she muttered and left the cell, making sure to lock it after her. She turned her back on the prisoner, but she could hear him rifling around in the box.
She sighed as she stood on the spot, hugging herself from the small draft that floated through the corridor. She looked around her, she had only been down here once before, and that was to give Jerome a report he needed. She had always been uncomfortable with the shadows in the cells corners and the cold air. It reminded her of the bridge.
Chloe jumped as she heard Silas gasp in pain, without thinking she turned her head and saw the monk leaning over on one knee, he had pulled one of the trouser legs of his jumpsuit up to his thigh and had wrapped the cilice tightly around his leg. He had pulled a leather strap to tighten the contraption. Chloe saw blood trickle down his leg and onto the floor.
Silas turned his pained eyes towards her, but he instantly growled, "Look away!"
Chloe snapped her head around, "Jesus!" she whispered as the monk began to mutter a prayer under his breath.
Uncomfortable, listening the monk in pain, she began pacing up and down the isle. Then she heard the sharp slapping of the discipline across the monks back and his fast silenced yelps of pain. Chloe shook her head, something boiling in the pit of her stomach.
What a fool, she thought, torturing himself for a God that doesn't exist.
She was angry that Silas made his self-harming public, that he wasn't ashamed of it, while she hid her own scars. She was angry that the monk was stupid enough to fall for the ridiculous traditions of Opus Dei. And she was angry that he had no real reason to do this to himself, but she did.
Finally after the fifth crack of the discipline, the cell fell silent but for Silas' heavy breathing. Chloe impatiently marched to the cell door and saw the monk bending over himself, sitting still, his back and leg exposing new wounds over the old ones.
I hope it's worth it, Chloe thought, stupid idiot.
Yanking the cell door open, Chloe grabbed the discipline from the floor and threw it into the box; she turned her attention to the monk.
"Happy now? You think your God can forgive you for your crimes because you've shed your own blood?" she said harshly, unable to hold in her rage.
Silas looked up at her briefly, "My God?" he whispered in exhaustion, "The God of us all" he added.
Chloe stormed over to the desk and retrieved the first aid kit, "Not my God, I don't believe in anyone who would demand pain from me," she snapped, ripping open a bag of cotton wool and pouring a few drops of TCP on it. She moved forward and carelessly dabbed at the wounds. But Silas pulled away and pulled himself up to full height. Chloe was alarmed to see how much taller he was then her, but she didn't let it show on her face. Then Silas lashed out, grabbing Chloe by the neck and pushing her against the wall. His face was inches from her own and she could see the anger etched into his pale features.
"You dare blaspheme in front of me, woman" he spat.
Memories flashed back into Chloe's mind as she felt the monks grip tighten on her throat. Her fear was indescribable as she recalled those cold fingers, his body pressing against hers, his hissing voice describing what he was going to do to her.
"No!" she gasped. Trying to pry his fingers from her neck, "Please!" she begged.
Something in Silas' eyes seemed to register her fear and his grip lessened. Chloe didn't realise a tear had made its way down her cheek.
"Step away from her!" a voice ordered.
Silas turned his head and saw Fache posed by the door, his weapon unholstered and pointed at his head.
Chloe felt a huge surge of relief run over her like cold water, Silas' hand unclasped from her throat causing her to almost fall to the ground as her head spun.
"Miss Blanc?" Fache asked.
Slowly Chloe got to her feet, she starred at Silas who was looking intently at the Captain. Without another word she gathered herself and stormed out of the cell, Fache grabbed her by the arm before she could leave.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, he gun still trained on the monk.
Chloe looked over his shoulder at Silas, who starred back at her. She still felt the shadow of that fear in the back of her mind. He had made her feel that fear, he brought back that terrible night. She looked back at Fache and felt anger towards him for forcing her to take the case.
"I quit Capitaine. Find someone else to use" she hissed and twisted her arm out of his grip before running to the exit.
-oOo-
Chloe had fled from the building with all her anger, pain and sadness pent up inside her small frame.
She had hated herself for failing under the monk's glare. He knew now that he was stronger and in control, she had lost her authority over him. But she didn't care right now, she just wanted to go home and drink herself in a stupour so that she might forget this day ever happened.
Chloe was forced to get a taxi again, and as she leant back against the seat, she recalled the pure unsaddled hatred in the monk's eyes. He really believed he was dong the right thing by chastising himself and he almost killed her because she was sceptical of his practise and beliefs.
There was no doubt in her mind that the man could kill. And for that, Chloe hoped he went away for a long time. He deserved nothing less.
But then she remembered the regret in his eyes as she pleaded for him to stop. It was if her words had soothed the monster he had become and opened his eyes to the foolishness of his action. He had attacked a policewoman. And one who was supposed to clear his name. Silas had sealed his own fate and Chloe was not going to be made to feel guilty about that.
Besides, what did it matter to her? So what if the Council of Shadows were not revealed? They had already killed the four important members of this Priory of Sion, what more damage could they do? But Chloe knew this argument wasn't sound, she was just too angry and emotional to see the truth.
After paying the taxi driver, she entered her lonely apartment and found her answering machine flashing.
Loathed to answer it, she did anyways and heard the familiar voice of Captaine Fache, "Officer Blanc. Come to my office first thing tomorrow morning to discuss tonight's incident. No excuses" and then the message ended.
Chloe growled and threw her jacket on the sofa and headed to her small kitchen for a glass of wine.
The Captain's words rang in her head. He wasn't happy, but neither was she. She was doing this case as a favour for Fache, she had no obligation to go behind the backs of Fache's superiors to do the Captains job for him. He could go to Hell if he threatened to fire her over her behaviour. She had rights, and because she was the goddaughter of his friend, he had no right to exploit them.
Chloe grabbed the bottle of wine and took it with her to the sofa, draining the first glass in a few gulps.
Unwanted images flashed before her eyes.
Hands tearing at her clothes. Fingers entwining in her hair. The smell of booze and cigars on his breath. The feel of his tongue as it ran down her face. The blood pooling around her body. The cold as she lay exposed on the ground.
Chloe sobbed and allowed the dam holding her emotions in check to break. She cried for her innocence, she cried for her pain, she cried for being broken.
Nothing will ever be the same again. She thought, and after the sixth glass of wine, she finally dozed off into a fitful and nightmarish sleep.
-oOo-
fabala4077 - Thanks for your suggestion. I'm still pondering on it. Aringarosa will be coming in the picture some time soon, the plot is slowing coming together in my mind and I think it would benefit the story if he was actually the Aringarosa in the book. But watch this space!
phoenix rising06 - Thanks mate, just like fabala4077, I think the book version is more popular.
A/N: You've probably noticed that I've rewritten the last two chapters. That was because I didn't think they portrayed Silas in the way that I wanted to. It was bugging me for days that it just didn't feel right. I hope the changes are an improvement, so let me know!