Chapter Fourteen
Les Lilas
-oOo-
The time away from the monk allowed Chloe to cool down and to get her thoughts straight. For some reason, whenever she was around Silas, her thoughts got muddled and she couldn't think out a plan properly. She put it down to stress and to the frustration he caused her, but something in the back of her mind was telling her it might be something more and complicated. However, her rational side told her to ignore it completely.
She had left Silas tied to the bed for at least thirty minutes. She had already bought what she could with the rest of her cash; gauze, TCP, painkillers and a few other first aid items. She was loathed to use the last of her money in case the Council were able to track her if she used her credit card, but she may have no choice in the future and she simply had to get Silas fit and well if she was going to use him as a bargaining chip.
After another fifteen minutes, Chloe headed back to the hotel and found Silas asleep on the bed, looking rather uncomfortable with his arms tied above his head. Quietly so not to wake him, she put the shopping bag down near the door and gingerly got to her knees by the monks feet. She carefully removed his worn sandals and carefully hitched up his robe to check on the wound. Chloe tensed and froze when the monk sighed in his sleep, but he fell still and silent once more allowing her to lift the hem a little higher until the gauze was visible. There was a little blood that had seeped through, but was now dried. She thought it would be better to change the gauze when the monk was conscious so returned the hem of his robe, got to her feet and walked over to where his head lay.
Chloe was surprised that he could look so innocent and pitiful when he was unconscious. It was a far cry from the terrible, hateful glare he kept giving her when he was awake. She noted as well that although he looked quite different then your average male because of his albinism, he really was quite handsome, if a little gaunt and drawn, probably due to his hard life and his even harder lifestyle. The man punished himself almost daily because of his sins and because of his need to be closer to God.
Chloe recalled some cases she had worked on, when killers reformed and turned to religion to repent and to be forgiven for their crimes. Maybe Silas truly regretted his actions, maybe he was trying to make it up. She recalled his angry words, 'I would rather have died'. Perhaps he was telling the truth, perhaps he believed he should die because of his crimes. Chloe frowned at this revelation. Maybe they really weren't different at all. Both of them had grown reckless and distant from everyone because of their past. And now here they both were, reluctantly thrown together.
"Rubbish" whispered Chloe as she tore her eyes away from the monks sleeping face. It was ridiculous to think that this whole thing was planned by a 'higher power', she controlled her own life and so did Silas. And they were not alike, she was tired and was seeing things in his face that she shouldn't. The last thing she should let herself do was feel for somebody else, especially considering that somebody else despised her more then anything.
She jumped as she saw Silas shudder and try to curl into a ball, but his restraints prevented that. Chloe figured he was cold, but was afraid to touch him, so she grabbed a spare blanket from the cupboard near the bathroom and draped it over his still form.
With one last glance, she turned on her heels and left the monk to himself, unaware that as she closed the door, one red eye was curiously starring after her.
-oOo-
Chloe had settled in the restaurant section of the hotel. It was small and shabby, but it was quiet. Chloe sat on her own at a small table by the dusty window with a cup of hot coffee and a salad sandwich. It felt good to have a full stomach and to have time to think about her next step.
She sipped her coffee and let her mind slip back to the man asleep in her hotel room and the moment she had with him as he lay still. She hadn't felt remotely close to another human being in so long that it both confused and frightened her, especially as he had tried to kill her and annoyed the hell out of her. She didn't see what the attraction could be, even if it was attraction, but she sure as hell was not going to let him think he had her around his little finger. If she had to, she would put a gun to his head and pull the trigger; after all, it was his patron that had sent those men to kill her and her boss.
Chloe sighed and took a bite of her sandwich. She had to get in touch with Aringarosa eventually and make her demands. She only hoped that her hunch about his love for Silas was right. But keeping Silas so close to the hospital and in the city was a big risk, so she decided that as soon as she patched the monk up, she would try to find a place further away where she could keep Silas.
Jerome snuck back into Chloe's thoughts, she hoped he was safe, she would risk calling him in the morning, but right now she needed space from him. She recalled the case file and how its contents taunted her. She remembered Silas' face as he saw the images of her beaten and broken, she hadn't seen much behind those ruby eyes, but she knew enough to figure out he was sickened. With her or with her past, she didn't know, but she was enthralled with that expression that maybe he could care for someone other then Aringarosa and his God.
Chloe finished her coffee and sandwich and made her way back to her room. As soon as she opened the door she could hear them monk's laboured breaths as he tried to wriggle out of his restraints. Chloe pulled her gun out of her waistband and rounded the corner, clicking the hammer back and watching the monk's startled face as he registered her in the room.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You won't get far with your leg in that condition" she said quietly. Silas growled and lay still, reluctantly agreeing with her.
"You must let me go, woman. I need to be at the Bishops side" he hissed painfully.
"You need to shut the hell up" she snapped and tucked her gun back in her waistband once she was sure he didn't have the strength to escape. Chloe moved towards the end of the bed, "Now I need to change the bandages, so don't move" she instructed as she peeled back the robe up to his thigh and began to arduous task of unravelling the dirty gauze from his pale leg.
Silas remained remarkably quiet as she completed the task. Chloe risked one glance at him and found his chin raised and his eyes clothes as if he were trying to believe he were somewhere else. Chloe could appreciate that entirely, she didn't imagine when she woke up that morning that she would be tending to the medical needs of Silas.
"Done" she said, snapping the monk out of his thoughts. He looked at her for a second or two. Chloe looked away first and began throwing the dirty gauze into a plastic bag.
"I must use the bathroom" he croaked. Chloe glanced at him, afraid that he was going to ask that sooner or later. She didn't want to untie him in case he had gained enough strength to overpower her and escape, but she didn't have a choice. She wouldn't leave him there to soil himself.
"Fine, but don't try anything" she warned while pulling out her gun again as she cut at his restraints. She pointed the gun level with is forehead as he rubbed his sore wrists and sat up. He glared at in the corner of his eye as he gingerly and painfully got to his feet.
"It's insulting to have you point that thing at my head" he said.
"Wouldn't you do it in my position? You're a murderer, how can I trust you?" she asked, both standing on either side of the bed.
"I suppose if I were you, I wouldn't trust any man" he replied. Chloe raised the gun with a spurt of rage at what he was implying. She wasn't sure if he was being serious and sympathetic or jesting, it was hard to say with his expression being so blank.
"I suppose I don't then" she replied, "But that includes you" she added.
Silas suddenly looked disgusted, "I would never…" he hissed venomously, unable to finish his sentence. Chloe found herself believing him instantly. The look in his eyes told her he would never touch a woman that way. Chloe suddenly felt ashamed.
"Of course, your celibate" she said, lowing her gun a little as her arms grew tired, "Doesn't mean you won't kill me the second you see an opening" she added.
Silas growled and turned his back on her as he walked into the bathroom, tightening the lock behind him. Chloe sighed and suddenly felt overcome with grief. She wasn't sure why, but she sat down the bed and cradled her skull in her hands wishing that all this was over with and she could go home and sit in front of the TV with a bottle of wine, just like she did every night, alone and constantly afraid of the shadows.
Chloe felt tears well up, but she could force them back down, they spilled over her eyes and down her cheeks stubbornly. She furiously wiped them away as she heard the shower start. She starred at the door and figured it was probably a good thing the monk was taking a shower, he was beginning to smell and the wounds on his back could do with the clean water. While she waited, she put the blanket back in the cupboard and made the bed. She had no idea where she would sleep that night. The monk would have the bed; it was easier to tie him to it. She supposed she would grab some blankets and pillows and sleep on the floor. Gingerly she looked at the double bed. She could sleep on the other side, but she didn't know how she felt about being so close to the monk and how he would feel having her too close.
Chloe sat there on the bed until the monk came back out, his hair damp and his robe hanging off of him like a potato sack. Chloe made a mental note to go and buy him some clothes in the morning, but the sky was already dark and the streets were quieting. At least, she thought, she had brought herself some clothes; the ones she wore were now stained and needed a good wash.
"Back on the bed" she instructed, her hand going for her gun again, but Silas sat alongside her without question. Chloe blinked but didn't say anything.
"What will you do with me?" he asked quietly.
Chloe starred at her lap, fingering her gun, "We need to get out of the city and then I'll let Aringarosa know I have you hostage" she explained. There was no point in lying.
"Why?" he frowned. Chloe got to her feet and grabbed the duct tape.
"I told you. The Council have hired men to kill me; I needed you to bargain with the Bishop. I need him to point fingers at the other conspirators so I can finish this once and for all" she explained, "Hands" she instructed.
Silas shifted and held his wrists out in front of him. Chloe tied the tape around his wrists and for added measure tied his feet together so he could not run if he did manage to subdue her.
"My leg" Silas muttered, "It still hurts"
Chloe shifted through her bags and pulled out the painkillers, popping one into his mouth and holding a glass of water up to him so he could swallow it down. Chloe put the glass back as Silas stretched out flat on the bed, taking up one side of it.
"Are you hungry?" Chloe asked distantly, burrowing again through the bags and pulling out a banana. Silas nodded and took it gratefully, finishing it within two minutes.
"You should get some sleep" Chloe ordered, "We'll be heading out early in the morning and you need rest if you're leg is to heal properly" with that she leant against the wall at the foot of the bed and slid down it so she sat on the floor. Silas starred at her wearily.
"Are you not tired?" he asked suspiciously.
"I'm not going to sleep while you're awake" she said, removing her gun and laying it beside her. Silas flopped his head on the pillow and closed his eyes.
Chloe waited until she was sure he had drifted off and got her mobile out of her pocket. She had been meaning to call Jerome in the morning, but she needed to make sure he was okay. She dialled his mobile number into her own and listened to the dial tone. It cut into the messaging service which worried Chloe, she waited until the beep and sighed, "Jerome, it's me. I just wanted to make sure you're alright. I'm safe but give me a call as soon as you get this message. I love you, bye".
She threw her phone back into her bag when something caught her eye. The familiar folder carrying all the data on her rape case. Slowly, Chloe's fingers found the file and pulled it out. She had been meaning to look at the reports properly, but she couldn't bear to stare at the pictures of all those girls for too long. Hastily, Chloe first went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth and washed her face before returning to the bed and sitting alongside Silas who was fast asleep. She sat on the pillow with her knees up to her chin and the file on her lap. For the whole evening, she sat forcing herself to read every account, look and every picture in detail until it was burned into her brain. Her heart bled for the seven girls who had shared the same horrific ordeal as herself, she held back tears as she read her own statement and saw her own picture. But at some stage, she just slipped into unconsciousness next to the monk who had been awake the whole time, watching the fear and pain on her face as she relived the terrors of her past.
Hot breath on her face, the pain in her chest. The glint of a blade, the crush of the man on top of her.
"I'm going to have you bitch"
Chloe struggled with the hands that held her tightly, her fists slamming against a hard powerful chest. Her shouts and screams going unanswered under a strong hand. She felt herself falling, pain ripping through her body, her sight blurring through her tears, the fear and the anger clashing with one another.
"No!" she screamed, she struggled and struggled, but she was weary and her screams were futile. No one was coming; she was going to relive the whole thing again.
"No!" she yelled, but nothing, nothing stopped, no one came, and she was alone again.
"NO!" she screamed and her eyes flew open at last. She coughed and spluttered as if she had been held under water. Her eyes were wide with terror and watery with unshed tears. She looked to her right and saw Silas, sitting over her, his bound hands on her shoulder. She realised he had woken her. He looked down on her with mixed emotions on his face, but she could not bear for him to see her in such a fragile state.
"Get off me!" she shouted, jumping off the bed, accidentally spilling the papers from the file onto the floor and running for the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her and fell to the floor in a heap, sobbing her heart out and rocking on the spot, trying to force the images from her mind, but they refused to move.
"Oh God!" she wailed, gripping her head. "Why won't they go away?" she asked herself. Slowly her sobbing ceased and her calm returned, but she could not bear to face Silas. He had seen her at her weakest; he had recalled her from the depth of her own personal Hell. He knew more about her now then anyone had ever known, and it disturbed her that it was him that had seen it.
Gingerly, she got to her feet, her back aching from sitting so long on the cold hard tiled floor. She stepped up to the mirror and looked at her red, blood shot eyes and her streaky face and messy hair. Chloe splashed water onto her face, rubbing away the streaks of tears then she flattened her hair with the palms of her hands. She checked the cabinet in the bathroom and found what she was looking for. The complimentary men's razor. She grabbed it and held it over her wrist, digging deep into the flesh until all the pain inside of her faded and was disguised with that on her wrist.
Once the wounds were washed and the razor returned, Chloe wrapped toilet paper around her wrist and pulled her shirt sleeve down over the cuts. She checked herself in the mirror once more time before opening the bathroom door. Already light was beginning to seep through the window, Chloe knew she had to move if she was going to get Silas to a safer location before the Council sent more goons after her.
To her relief she found Silas sleeping on the bed. She gathered together the papers that had fallen out of the file and stored it back in her bag. She seized some fresh clothes and returned to the bathroom to have a hot shower and wash her stringy hair. It felt good to wash away the nightmares but her thoughts lingered on the touch of Silas and his hands resting on her shoulder. She shook her head, convincing herself that he only did it because she was keeping him awake with her shouting. He didn't care and she didn't want him to. At least the rational side of her didn't.
Chloe changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a white jumper. She threw her old clothes in the bin and returned to the bed. Silas was stirring, but she turned her back to him, not wanting to discuss the previous night with him. Apparently neither did he, for the first thing he said was whether she could pass him some food. She tossed him cereal bar and an apple as she rustled through the bags, figuring what she could leave behind to make the journey easier.
Chloe threw the rubbish in the bin and turned to Silas, "I need to get you some proper clothes. What size are you?" she asked.
Silas looked at her, "I will not don anything except my robes of God" he replied sternly. Chloe pulled her gun out of her bag and pointed it at Silas. He flinched, but she just glared at him.
"You will if you want to get out of this thing alive" she snapped.
"You wouldn't kill me. You need me" he replied.
"Alive yes, but not necessarily in one piece" she hissed angrily, shaking her gun at him, "Fine, I'll guess your size. Stay there" she ordered and grabbing her purse took the lift down the lobby and entered the hotels own small shopping complex. She grabbed a pair of men's jeans and a dark jumper as well as a belt just in case the jeans were slightly too big. The trainers were the hardest thing to buy as she was less sure of what shoe size he was then clothes size, but she settled for a size nine and took her purchases back up to the front desk. Another woman stood in the place of the brunette Chloe had spoken to the previous day and ordered another taxi, she checked her watch on the way to the lift and found an hour had now passed since she left Silas in their room.
He sat on the edge of the bed, his feet and wrists still bound with his head resting between his knees in prayer. Chloe dropped her bag on the ground with a clatter which caused the monk to snap his head up and glare at her angrily. She cut off his bonds and pointed the gun at him whilst handing him the bag of clothes.
"Go into the bathroom and get changed," she ordered.
Silas looked into the bag, glared at her and marched off into the room, locking the door behind him. Chloe made sure she had everything they would need when Silas stepped cautiously out of the bathroom. Chloe did a double take, not used to seeing Silas in anything other then his robe or prison jumpsuit. The jeans were perhaps a little too baggy but the belt did its job, the jumper was well fitted and sat comfortable on his broad shoulders. Chloe instructed him to put the robe in the plastic bag. He starred at her, almost silently begging her not leave it behind.
"You can have this back once this is over" she promised. Silas seemed satisfied with this answer and allowed her to take the robe from him. After securing his hands behind his back, Chloe led Silas to the lift, her hand gripping his fore arm tightly. To any other person, she would probably look like a possessive girlfriend, but she didn't care, she could not risk Silas escaping, he was the only card she had left to play.
Chloe grabbed a map from the front desk; she needed to find a safe place to meet Aringarosa. She needed to be out of the city, somewhere quieter and less congested. Chloe had hardly ever left the centre of Paris, except perhaps for holidays, but she hardly took time off of work to go away and relax, it wasn't what she did.
Chloe gripped Silas' arm as she shook open the map and let her eyes scan over the map. All manner of names popped out at her, Bagnolet, Nanterre, Clichy. But she didn't know whether they were safe towns. Desperate she looked about and saw the brunette receptionist shifting through some papers at the desk. She dragged a reluctant Silas over to her and tried to give a convincing smile.
"Hi, we're going on a day trip" she began, "I don't suppose you know of anywhere just out of the city which is nice and quiet. We've just had enough of the city" she smiled.
The brunette leaned over the map Chloe had handed to her and jabbed her finger at Les Lilas.
"Oh! I went here with my husband for our honeymoon, I haven't been there in winter but it's beautiful in spring" she chirped.
Chloe grabbed the map and studied the route. It would take hours to get there by car, but it appeared a train would be able to take them straight from the city to Les Lilas with no detours or connections. Simple.
"That's sounds good" she replied, "Is our taxi here yet?" she asked. The Receptionist hurried off to talk to a colleague.
"Are you making this up as you go along?" Silas asked, breaking out of his silence. Chloe sighed; refusing to answer in case she told the truth and made herself fell even less confident. She was relieved when the receptionist returned.
"He's waiting right outside" she confirmed.
"Alright, we'll we're checking out today. Can I have the bill?"
Chloe put the tab on her credit card and hurried Silas out of the building to the black cab waiting outside. The driver was a portly man who leant on the car door swinging his keys on his index finger. He saw Chloe and Silas heading towards him and pushed himself away from the door to stand in a more sophisticated stance. He took Chloe's bags from her and stored them into the boot. Chloe took no time to wait for him to open the door for them and went about getting Silas into the car, being careful not to knock his leg. He put his seatbelt on without any fuss as Chloe walked around the other side of the car and scurried in just before the driver returned to his own seat.
Chloe gave him directions to the train station and leaned back in her seat, her stomach a mass of nervous knots. She was cranky, tired and scared and she hated it. She had gotten used to checking over her shoulder since the incident, but now it was more then that. She looked over at Silas; he head was resting on the window and he his were drooping. He looked tired and worn, obviously still affected by the painkillers.
The driver was annoyingly chatty, he assumed that Silas and Chloe were a married couple, Chloe didn't correct him although wise she would have to explain the whole complicated situation and she really didn't have the energy. She allowed him to run off about married life and how his own was pure bliss, Chloe had tuned off when he reached what he did for his silver anniversary. Her mind went back to the previous night, waking up to see Silas starring down at her, his warm hands on her shoulder, that strange and uncomfortable look in his eyes. She glanced over at him, he was dozing and looked as far away from murderous as you could get. He looked almost angelic and innocent.
Chloe almost jumped as the car came to a halt and the driver held out his hand for the fee. Chloe dug around in her bag and found her emergency stash to pay the man. She looked over at Silas, feeling oddly sick at having to wake him, but she put a gentle hand of his shoulder.
"Silas" she said quietly, wondering why she wasn't just shouting down his ear hole and dragging him out of the car by his arm. The monk stirred and his red eyes slowly opened. He looked out of the window first, realising they stopped and looked curiously over at Chloe. He unfolded his arms awkwardly.
"Come on" Chloe instructed, though with less of a tone in her voice and stood on the pavement waiting for Silas to shuffle out of the car and join her. The driver hauled her bags out of the boot and handed them to her with a lift of his cap and a smile.
Chloe grabbed Silas by the sleeve and walked alongside him to the ticket counter. It seemed their train was just about to leave, so they both jogged to their platform, Silas more limping then anything, and jumped aboard just as the doors were closing.
The train was relatively empty and the pair were able to find a compartment all to themselves. Silas slumped onto the chair opposite Chloe and struggled to rub his pained thigh with his tied hands.
"Please, these are not needed" he said, lifted his bound hands up. He looked at her pleadingly. Chloe was reluctant.
"I can't trust that you won't hurt me" she replied, voicing her first concern.
"You have your gun," he said, nodding towards her bag. Chloe bit her lip, reluctant to give the monk any kind of advantage. She may have the gun, but he was far stronger and bigger then her and could over power her if he reached her before she got to her gun. But she saw the fatigue in his face, the drained and reluctant expression mirrored her own and she knew he just wanted this to end and the only way that could happen was if he just went along with Chloe and didn't make things difficult.
"Fine" she muttered, fetching a penknife out of her pocket and severing the tape. Silas nodded and rubbed his wrists.
"How's your leg?" she asked. Silas looked at her suspiciously, but then slowly lifted his trouser up, but could not reach past his knee. He looked at Chloe but she shrugged.
"We'll have a look later" she replied, not sure if she wanted him to drop his jeans right there in front of her, of course he wouldn't want that either. Chloe averted her glance and looked out of the window, watching the scenery of the city rush by. She finally felt a little calmer as they left the busy city behind, but she was still sitting before a murderer.
"What were you dreaming about last night?" Silas asked, his voice cutting through the silence. Chloe started and starred at him, his own pink eyes piercing her own. She gaped, unsure of what to say. She was surprised of his outright question, but then he had been prying before when he saw the scars on her arm. It's just that since then, he had kept himself to himself and his hatred for Chloe prevented him from being interested in his captor. But then a thought occurred to her.
"It was about you" she said sharply, "I don't fear you"
Silas frowned, "Would it surprise you if I said I did not want you to fear me. But just to let me go?" he replied.
Chloe frowned as well, confused by his answer. She had expected anything but that, most of the criminal she had encountered got off on causing others to fear them. Silas however hated her, but he didn't want her to fear him. How did that make sense?
"You know I can't do that until Aringarosa helps me" she replied, playing with the hem of her jacket.
Silas was silent for a moment, but there was something in his tired face that told her he wanted to say something. She sat quietly, hoping to coax it out of him when he finally opened his mouth.
"The Bishop. He is not a bad man," he said.
Chloe starred.
Silas continued, "He is afraid for me. He is the only man to have shown me any kindness and I know he would not cause you trouble unless he had a good reason"
"Trouble? You call sending assassins to kill me, trouble?" Chloe asked.
"He would never have done that, Bishop Aringarosa is the least violent man I know"
"Compared to you, I supposed" Chloe retorted, raising an eyebrow.
"I wholly regret my actions, I pay for them each day I breathe" Silas muttered, his eyes glazing over as if looking back into a memory, "The Teacher was good with words, he convinced me my actions would bring about strengthening the Church and fulfilling my duty to God. Instead I did the work of the Devil," he said glumly.
Chloe didn't want to get into another debate about religion and God, but she was curious to why the monk still stood up for Aringarosa.
"If Aringarosa didn't send those men to kill me, who did?" she asked.
Silas starred at her a deep frown laced on his forehead, "I can think of no one, but…" he faltered. Chloe leaned forward and urged him on.
"Go on" she pressed.
"Aringarosa was often sedated in the evenings, he sometimes talked in his sleep, one evening I returned from prayer and saw a man exit the Bishop's room. He was dressed as a Bishop, but I had not seen him before"
"So you don't know who he could be?" Chloe asked. Silas shook his head.
"He must have been a real Bishop, although wise the guards wouldn't have let him into the room" Chloe mused, glad to be that little bit closer to identifying her enemy. It seemed that perhaps Silas and Aringarosa were innocent, merely pawns, but she knew the Bishop was in deep with the Council. He had to be; she just needed to know what he valued more, the Council or his monk.
-oOo-
Possessed-Gummy-Bear-Inferno - Lol, yeah I was kinda enjoying the mental picture of Silas taped to a bed. Yummy! Ah well back to reality!
Laura - You know what, I didn't actually realised what the name Peniz looked like until you mentioned it!
Mish - Thanks for the comp, I thought people might get all touchy on the subject of him getting over his illness too fast but I'm glad I've made it as realistic as possible.
phoenixrisingGhostLoveScore - Aww, your comments always make me blush, everyone is completely enthralled with Silas being tied to the bed! Though I can't say I blame y'all!
A/N : Just a quick Christmas message. I hope you all had a wonderful day full of love, family and lots of food and presents! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!