Chapter 14: The Informant
Brady pushed his way through the bustling city crowd, uncaring of his surroundings. When they arrived very early this morning around 4 a.m., even at such a late hour they began to hear rumors about a big art theft at a mansion in Vaux Le Vicomte. Supposedly, a beautiful young woman and her male escort had stole away with a very valuable piece of art, injuring one guard in the process. That meant only one thing to John and Brady: Stefano DiMera was definitely in Paris.
"Hold on, son!" John called through the crowd, making his way to Brady's side quickly and taking hold of his shoulder. "What do you plan to do, storm the Von Amburg Estate?"
"What am I suppose to do, Dad? Stand around and wait for DiMera to show his face? I don't think so. I'm going to get Chloe," Brady replied, tearing himself from his father's grasp.
"Son, don't even think about going in half cocked. You've got to think with your head, not your heart where DiMera's concerned. Now listen to me on this, son. I know him better then anyone. We can't go to the Von Amburg Estate. Not yet at least. We have to scope all this out, ask around for information. If we go in there without any knowledge of the situation at hand, DiMera will win," John said firmly. Brady wanted to protest, but he couldn't deny facts. And the fact was, he would lose if he burst into the DiMera mansion like this.
"Alright. I have a few contacts here. I'm going to go see them, hear what they know about DiMera's situation. You stay around here, see if anything looks suspicious and find out all you can about the art theft," John instructed. Brady nodded, turning from his father to continue the survey of the vast market-place. "Be careful, Son."
"Same to you, old man," Brady called. John shook his head, turning in the opposite direction. There was a gun shop owner near by he knew, and many other informants should this one fail...
(Elsewhere in the market-place)
Victoria smiled sweetly, paying the short bald man before her for her purchases. Her smile quickly faded to a disgusted sneer as she turned around to find Merdoc behind her. His fat lip thanks to her vicious bite didn't give her any pride, although she felt it should. She shoved the leather bag roughly into his chest.
"Here. Take this, and then find Veni. He'll have the stuff we need waiting for you," Victoria said through clenched teeth. Merdoc scowled, picking up quickly on her anger.
"I don't see what you're so mad about. I'm the one with the busted lip. Not to mention the fact that I'm the one Stefano's gonna beat for messing up the mission. Convenient isn't it, that you, his daughter get praise for bringing in the painting despite everything, and I'm the one who gets blamed for setting off that alarm, when YOU'RE the one who caused me to fall and trip that alarm," Merdoc spat. Victoria rolled her eyes, flipping her long hair over her shoulder.
"You done yet?" Victoria questioned.
"No. Furthermore..." Merdoc started, but one look of warning quickly silenced him. His busted lip didn't feel too good at the moment. He didn't wish to feel more of the ice queen's wrath.
"Shut up, and do something right for a change. Get the rest of the stuff and meet me back here in 20 minutes. Father and Elizabeth are waiting at the docks," Victoria stated. With that, she stalked off, leaving a grumbling Merdoc to do the grunt work. She didn't make it too far before she spotted the unmistakable blonde head of one Brady Black. She'd studied those pictures so much over the past few months, she could probably recognize everyone in Salem from a mile away. She ducked into an alleyway she knew he would pass, and hid, waiting for him to come within reach. Brady stopped just short of the alley, sensing something he knew he should be catching. He was about to head in the direction Victoria had just left when two female hands grabbed him, pulling him quickly into the dim alleyway. Victoria pulled Brady into the alley, pulling them both behind a dumpster and out of sight.
"Chloe!" Brady gasped in surprise. He was so overjoyed at the sight of the brunette, he nearly wrapped his arms around her before she hushed him.
"Shhh!" Victoria hushed, putting a finger to her luscious lips to signal him to keep quiet. She peeked over the dumpster to watch as Merdoc passed by, mumbling curses, something about being under appreciated, and a barely coherent comment about "would love to throw her in a fire pit." Victoria shook her head, turning her attention back to the stunned blond standing against the wall in front of her.
"Chloe?" Brady asked again. Victoria shook her head.
"No. She's not here. Father took her with him this morning."
"You... you're Aida aren't you?" Brady concluded, his excitement obviously diminished now that he knew he hadn't found his Chloe. If he hadn't been so shocked and excited, he would have known that instantly. She might be Chloe's identical twin, but the woman before him was definitely not his Diva. Victoria was a bit taken back; never in her life had she ever heard anyone else say her birth name.
"I... how did you... no one else has ever called me that," Victoria said in near whisper. "I stopped being Aida Miller 17 years ago. I'm Victoria."
"I prefer Aida," Brady stated. "Where is she? Where has DiMera taken Chloe?" Brady demanded.
"The docks. We're leaving Paris, thanks to that idiot Merdoc... er, I mean Philip. That's who you know him as," Victoria replied. Brady looked confused, but Victoria couldn't help but notice the pure hatred that clouded his amazingly blue eyes at the mere mention of Philip.
"Philip, and Chloe aren't the people you know. They are Merdoc, and Elizabeth, Stefano's own creations. All they know about their pasts is what father tells them," Victoria clarified. Brady's jaw clenched, fists balled tightly in his attempt to control his raging anger.
"DiMera," Brady breathed with disgust. The mere name sounded so vial. "Where is he taking her, Aida?"
"I honestly don't know," Victoria replied sadly. All she knew was Merdoc's foul up had caused far too much suspicion for the DiMera clan to remain in Paris. Stefano merely instructed her to begin loading up all the art works, weaponry, and to prepare the other men and women for a quick departure this afternoon, but their destination was known only to Stefano. "Stefano wouldn't say, just that we were leaving. Did you bring your father?"
"Yes, he's here. He's with some contact of his," Brady answered. Victoria nodded, opening the small purse which hung loosely by a strap over her shoulder. She took out a little black box with a currently blank screen and many dials and buttons, handing it to Brady.
"Here, take this. Your father will know what to do with it."
"What is it?" Brady asked skeptically.
"It's a tracking device. My companion, Jordan, has something similar with him so he can monitor my movements and track down our destination. See this necklace?" Victoria asked, indicating the ruby necklace she still wore. "I wear this on every mission so Jordan will always know my location and back me up if I need help. Stefano knows nothing of my partnership with him. This," Victoria continued, taking out a slip of paper from her purse," is where you can reach him. His equipment is far more advanced then that one there, he can keep you informed on coordinates, and preciously pin point our exact path to wherever the hell Stefano is taking us. This here, is to help you follow if you need it," Victoria finished. Brady hesitantly took the paper with Jordan's address and phone number, depositing it and the tracking monitor in his jacket pocket.
"How do I know we can trust this Jordan? You for that matter," Brady questioned skeptically. True, she was Chloe's twin sister, as her physical appearance proved, but she had after all been raised by Stefano DiMera, the very man responsible for Chloe's disappearance. Not to mention, if she was here, then she was in fact the mysterious beauty responsible for the art theft. Victoria sighed, looking him straight in the eye.
"Do you know what it's like to wake up one morning, and find you still have another human being's blood on your hands? Know what it's like to know that, no matter how much you scrub and clean, you will never cleanse yourself of that feeling, that horrify guilt? To know that you can never free yourself from the bindings that hold you to a life of servitude, a life in which you're brought up to have no morals, and no regrets?" Victoria questioned firmly. "That's the life I was forced to live, Black. Being no more then a pawn in my father's twisted game of chess. And that is exactly the kind of life Chloe will live if you don't trust me. I know you can trust that. So, what's it going to be? Are you going to trust me when I tell you that I can help you, or do I have to take on Stefano on my own?"
"You really do care for her, don't you?" Brady asked quietly. Victoria nodded slowly, the cold, hard look she'd been raised to display melting away into the true emotion only Aida could feel.
"Yes, I do. My whole life, I've known she was out there, somewhere. And I always wished I could be with her instead of here, in Europe where Stefano could take away my innocence, my soul. I've never been allowed to know the real Chloe, but I'll be damned if I allow that light to be gone forever, even if it meant I couldn't be in her life. It's too late for me. I know... I know that I can't ever be free. But... Chloe doesn't have to go down the path I was forced down," Victoria answered. She looked over the dumpster again, catching sight of Merdoc again. "Listen, I have to go. Keep your cell phone with you, I'll contact you if I have any more information for you, if I can do so safely. Give the tracker to John, he'll know how to use it if you need it, but Jordan's equipment will be your best bet if you plan to follow us once we make it to our destination," Victoria instructed. Before she could leave, Brady gently took hold of her upper arm, turning her back to face him.
"Thank you, Aida," Brady said sincerely. Victoria shivered slightly from the use of her real name, nodding in reply.
"Just don't let Stefano win this. I can't take him on alone and still get Chloe away from him safely, for good. She needs you," Victoria replied. She left the alley quickly, making her way over to an awaiting Merdoc without casting another glance towards Brady. Brady watched her go in silent amazement, almost unbelieving of her astounding resemblance to his Diva. The only difference, as Chloe had quickly noted that day on the jet three months ago, was the absence of life from the dull blue eyes. Brady vowed then and there he would die before he allowed that light he cherished so dearly to die in his Diva's eyes...
Elizabeth smiled admiringly at her father, looping her arm in hers as they walked along the deck of DiMera's private ship. She truly worshiped and adored the powerful man she was fortunate enough to call her father, and wished only to gain as much praise and attention as her twin sister Victoria received.
"Elizabeth my dear, I am very sorry your training has been so abruptly interrupted. I had not wished to move us from our home, but it must be done," Stefano pointed out as he surveyed the many boxes being carefully stored in the cargo hold. Elizabeth wrinkled her nose, a habit she preformed when she was either disappointed or disgusted.
"Yes, well, if not for that imbecile Merdoc, we wouldn't have to relocate, but as you said, DiMera's are strong. We work with the hand life deals us, and always come out on top," Elizabeth stated matter-of-factly.
"Ah, my precious daughter, I am so very proud of you," Stefano said proudly. Elizabeth's gaze wondered towards the plank, where one could board or depart the ship.
"Sister!" Elizabeth called, leaving her father's side to embrace her sister. She noticed Merdoc behind Victoria, but she ignored him, giving him only a look of pure disappointment. Victoria pulled back slightly, trying to mask any of the troubled emotions she'd began feeling so strongly since her meeting with Brady. Of course, it didn't work. From day one, she could never hide anything from her twin. They had a bond not even vast distance could break. "Victoria, what is wrong? You look upset!"
"It's nothing Izzy. I just wish we didn't have to leave, that's all," Victoria lied. Elizabeth wasn't at all convinced, but she decided she would wait and question her sister later.
"As we all are, daughter. Come now, we must cast off to make our destination on time," Stefano said. Merdoc moved off to help load supplies, feeling unwanted in the family party and was better off doing what he usually did, the grunt work. The DiMera family walked away from the bustle of the final loading procedures, taking leisure on deck chairs already placed on the vast deck at the bow of the ship.
"Where ARE we going father?" Victoria prodded. Somehow, the word father no longer came so easily to her lips anymore.
"Now, if I were to tell you that, it would ruin the surprise of our arrival," Stefano stated, chuckling slightly. Victoria breathed in a sigh, nodding slightly and involuntarily beginning to play with the ruby necklace around her neck as the plank was raised and she ship cast off. She watched the dock as it disappeared slowly from sight, praying the Black's would be able to follow...