Chapter 5
Allan, Layla and Sawyer were in the dining hall where they were to meet Nemo. He called them over to a small area towards the back.
"The plans the Fantom stole from the Bank of England, these are his copies. Da Vinci's blueprints of Venice." said Nemo.
Allan took out his glasses as Nemo opened up the books, showing all of the buildings in Venice.
"Its foundations and waterways." finished Nemo.
"So he'll attack the conference by sea." said Sawyer.
They all went back to their rooms while Allan figured out what the plan was. Layla went in search of the library. Nemo told her he had an exceptional library on board, but she couldn't remember where it was.
"Looking for something?" said Sawyer.
Layla turned around to see Sawyer propped up against the wall.
"The library, not that it's any concern of yours." she said.
"Well, I may not know this ship very well, but I believe it's that way." he pointed.
"Thank you." said Layla.
"May I be so bold as to ask if I may join you?" smirked Sawyer.
"Well, since you asked, and are putting yourself out there, I will be kind of enough to allow you." she said.
"Thanks." said Sawyer.
They both walked down the hall towards the library, not either of them speaking a word. Layla hated silence so she thought she should say something.
"So, you have a thing for Mina?" she asked.
"Now wait a minute. Just because I asked to come along doesn't mean you can go rooten around in my personal life." said Sawyer.
"What personal life?" asked Layla. "And besides, it was just a question. It seems to me that you're a bit testy at being turned down."
"Look I was not turned down."
"Oh it looked that way to me." said Layla.
"Okay maybe she said some things that would classify as being turned down but, she never actually said I don't like you like that. So maybe there is still hope." he said.
"Yes, and my father will stop acting like a prat every time Robert is mentioned. Which will never happen." said Layla.
"Who's Robert?" asked Sawyer.
"Ah look, the library, well I thank you for walking me hear but I am afraid I must leave you. I like to read in peace. Good day Sawyer." said Layla.
"Tom, please." he said.
Layla smiled. "Good day, Tom."
"Good day, Layla." he smiled.
She opened the door and shut it, breathing a sigh of relief as she closed her eyes. She should never have brought Robert up. She knew if she did she would be scolded by her father. Hopefully he never found out.
Layla had been in the library for hours, reading books about all kinds of things. She had never seen such a variety of books for one topic. She was so engrossed that she did not see Sawyer enter the library. He walked up behind her and read over her shoulder. She was reading something about Egyptians it seemed.
Sawyer cleared his throat, making Layla jump about three feet into the air.
"Sawyer! What the hell are you doing?" she questioned.
"Well, I came in here to get you, but you were so engrossed in your book you didn't hear me." he said.
"Get me for what?" she spat.
"Dinner's ready." he said.
"Oh." said Layla, feeling a bit of guilt for yelling. "Well, than, shall we?"
They walked down the hall towards the dining room when Layla overheard her father talking. What spike her interest was when Nemo asked him if he was haunted by his past. Layla slid up against the corner of the wall to get a better listen.
"Heh. Vanity. Pride." he paused. "Mistakes that, uh, cost me someone dear."
Layla knew he was talking about Robert. It never bothered her that he was distraught about losing him, but it seemed that her father loved him more than herself.
"So now you throw yourself in harm's way." said Nemo.
"Oh. Old tigers, sensing the end, they're at their most fierce." said Allan. "And they go down fighting."
Layla slumped back against the wall, tears threatening to fall. She hated that her father still was hung up on Robert's death, but at some point you had to get over it, and she was afraid he never would.
"You alright?" asked Sawyer with concern in his features. Layla looked up to him and saw compassion in his eyes, something she thought she'd never see.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Very hungry, so let's go." she said, and walked off leaving Sawyer in her wake.
Sawyer caught up with her, and walked the rest of the way to the dining hall with her.
Throughout dinner, Layla did not once look at her father, or much of anyone else for that matter. When dinner was over, she got up and left before anyone else. She needed to be alone. Sawyer went to go after her, but was stopped by Allan.
"Let her be." he said. "When she's quiet for more than 20 minutes straight, something's wrong. She'll be fine in the morning. Come, let's get some sleep, hm?"
Sawyer nodded and went to his rooms. As he passes Layla's, he questioned whether or not to knock and see is she was alright. He decided to leave her be and went to his rooms, thankful he could get some sleep.
The next morning, Layla was up early. She decided to grab a book from the library and go to the top deck for some fresh air. She grabbed a chair and pulled it into the shade. She propped her feet up onto the rail and dived into her book.
She heard the door open and saw her father step out with his rifle. There was a man to his right with balls. He was no doubt going to practice his shooting.
"Chilao." he yelled. The man let loose a ball and it went flying into the air and landed in the water. Allan aimed his gun and no more than five seconds, fired, hitting the ball straight on.
"Chilao." he yelled again.
Layla tuned him out and went back into her book. She read about two more pages when Sawyer came up.
"Did you want something?" asked Allan.
He got very moody when someone watched him work like Sawyer was. As if he was testing him or something.
"No. I was just wondering why you signed up for all this." asked Sawyer. "Nemo told me you hate the British Empire."
Allan stopped and reloaded his gun.
"They called and I answered." he said.
Layla scoffed a bit at his answer.
"Yeah, well, that ain't all of it though, is it?" asked Sawyer.
Layla had to admit he was pretty smart. She was surprised he could see through her fathers facade.
"Chilao." said Allan, and another ball went flying.
"Sorry I asked." said Sawyer. He walked up to the railing and noticed a pair of boots of to his far left. He turned and sneaked a glance at Layla, her head buried into a book.
Allan stopped and lowered his weapon. Layla's ears perked up. She wanted to hear what her father would tell him.
"A few years ago the British approached me with a mission, for queen and country." he said.
"That sounds like the morning ride to work for you, I'd imagine." said Sawyer.
Layla couldn't help but smile at his choice of words, and saw how true they were.
"I signed on without hesitation. I even took my daughter and my son-in-law. I led and my son and daughter followed. He died in my arms." paused Allan.
Layla felt her eyes well up with tears as she heard her father's confession. She never would have thought he would tell that story to anyone.
"After that, I washed my hands of England and the empire and, uh, the legend of Allan bloody Quartermain." finished Allan.
Sawyer looked a bit guilty of bringing anything up. Allan looked out to sea and chanced a quick glance to Layla. He looked back towards Sawyer and grabbed his rifle.
"Now, would you like to learn how to shoot?" asked Allan.
Layla smiled at her father's antics. He always thought everyone should shoot like him.
"I can already." boasted Sawyer.
"Oh, I saw, it was very American." said Allan. Layla laughed at the look on Sawyer's face. "Fire enough bullets and hope to hit the target. Sawyer, I'm talking about pipping the ace, at 900 yards. Try."
Allan handed the gun over to Sawyer, and he grabbed it.
"Easy. Easy." said Allan. "Chilao."
The ball flew into the air as Sawyer aimed the gun.
"Aim." said Allan.
"That's easy." replied Sawyer.
"Allow for wind, target movement." said Allan.
"Yeah, that's easy too." said Sawyer.
"This is the part that's not, hmm? You have to feel the shot. Take your time with it. You have all the time in the world. Take your-" Sawyer shot and Allan took the rifle from his hands, "Too soon. But that was bloody close, and at 500 yards too. Again."
Sawyer took the rifle and aimed again.
"Chilao." he said. The ball flew through the air as he took his time aiming. "Did you teach your son to shoot like this?"
"Wrong question." groaned Layla.
"Quartermain?" asked Sawyer. Allan walked back inside, leaving Sawyer on deck. Sawyer lowered the rifle and looked out into the ocean.
"You have to be careful what you ask him." said Layla.
Sawyer turned quickly, forgetting that Layla was on deck.
"He gets testy when you mention his son." she said as she came to stand next to him.
"Why?" asked Sawyer.
Layla sighed and looked out into the ocean, blue sky spanning out around them.
"Like he said. He died in his arms. He feels horribly guilty about it. Never really has gotten over it." she replied.
"Well he mentioned it was his son-in-law. How did his daughter take the news?" he asked.
"She took it harder than anyone. She was there after all." she replied.
"What happened?" he asked, getting the feeling she was the daughter.
"About three years ago, I was married to a very fine young man. He was the greatest thing that had ever happened in my life. My father was overly proud of him, and taught him everything that he knew. My father wanted him to fight along with us. We were on a hunt, somewhere in Romania. We came upon a castle and decided to search it, just to be safe. So, I took the high road, my father took the low, and my husband went in the middle. I was upstairs going through some rooms when I heard him scream. I never forgot it. It still lives in my dreams, every night." she paused, a lone tear fell from her eye and she quickly wiped it away. " I ran as fast as I could down the hall and came to a balcony. I looked down and saw my husband in the middle of the floor, my father cradling him. I was frozen. I didn't know what to do. My legs wouldn't move, my arms, nothing would move. His screams brought me back to reality and I raced as fast as I could down the stairs. I fell to the ground next to him, hoping I wasn't too late. He was gone by the time I reached him."
Layla stopped and let a few tears run free. Sawyer placed his hand on her back, telling her he was there.
"He died in my father's arms, and I didn't even get to say goodbye." she finished.
"Is that why he doesn't like to talk about it?" asked Sawyer.
"He thinks that if he talks about it, I'll be reminded and blame him for the fact that he got to say goodbye and I didn't. He grows more distant with me everyday, and the feeling of losing him too just kills me." she said.
"Have you tried telling him?" asked Sawyer.
"Yeah and it's of no use. He acts like he was the only one affected by it. If I didn't know any better I would say that he was married to him. I guess he just thinks that I blame him for what happened and doesn't want to deal with it." said Layla.
"I'm sure everything will work out." said Sawyer.
"Yea. That's what I thought too. Still waiting for it to happen." she said with sarcasm.
Sawyer laughed and pulled her into a hug. Layla loved the feeling of being in his arms. They stood their for a few minutes, neither one saying a word. The sun began to go down and the sky was filled with pinks and oranges.
"Come on, let's go get something to eat." said Sawyer.
He opened the door for Layla and she smile as she walked past him.
"Were is this coming from?" she asked.
"Where is what coming from?" he asked.
"This compassion side of you. I never would have thought you possessed any." she said.
"Well, there's a lot that you don't know about me." stated Sawyer.
"Touche." she replied.
They entered the dining room where some food was sitting out. They grabbed a plate and piled on a few pieces of fruit, vegetables and meat.
They sat down and started eating their food, occasionally glancing at one another.
"So, tell me about yourself, Agent Sawyer." said Layla.
"Well, there's not much to tell really. Grew up in America, in the south. I always wanted to be a secret service man. Me and some friends would find some sticks in the woods and pretend they were guns. I would be the agent and I would have to find the bad guy. When the opportunity came for me to enroll, I jumped on it without the slightest hesitation. So did my best friend." said Sawyer, finishing in a sad voice.
"What happened to him?" she asked.
"He died. Killed by the Fantom." he said.
"Oh dear. I'm sorry." she said.
"Don't be. I'll get my revenge." he said.
"How brave of you. Now that is something else I've just noticed about you." she said.
"And what's that?" he asked with a smile.
"That you are willing to brave everything, to reap revenge for a lost friend. You are willing to give up everything, to make things right. That's not something most people would do in your situation." said Layla.
"Well, what can I say. I have a big heart." said Sawyer.
"Indeed." smiled Layla.
They both stared into each others eyes, moving closer inch by inch. They were centimeters apart when a servant walked in. The broke apart quickly as the servant took their plates.
"Uh, I have to go talk with your father. Care to join?" asked Sawyer.
"Sure." said Layla.
Sawyer gabbed her hand and walked next to her towards Allan's stateroom. Neither one looked at the other and neither one said a word. Both were feeling a bit uncomfortable from the previous events, and neither of them knew what to say.
Another chapter for ya!! Thanks for the reveiws everyone...i loved them. So please keep them coming!!