Notes: Many thanks to Kaze and Lisa for plot help! A couple of sentences were added to make things more clear.
Chapter Nine
The kid was still trying to pull away from Zack's grasp. He glowered up at the brunet, but as he gripped Zack's wrist it was obvious that his hand was shaking. He was afraid.
Zack switched gears. "Hey, it's okay," he said in a kind tone, looking the boy up and down. He was about eleven or twelve, and though his clothes were too small and tearing in multiple places, they were clean. His hair looked as if it had been recently cut, and not by a professional. Long and short pieces randomly stuck out in every direction.
Zack received a rapid shake of the head in reply. "I won't go back!" the kid insisted. "I won't!"
"Go back where?" Zack frowned.
The boy glowered. "I know you came to get me and take me back to Del Vinci," he said. "But I can get away from you just like I got away from those thugs he sent after me before."
"Del Vinci?" By now Zack was thoroughly confused. "I think we need to start over," he declared. "I'm Zack Fair. I live across the street. I've seen a light over here the past couple of nights, and since the place is supposed to be vacant, I knew something must be up. So I come here and find you! That's the truth--I don't know anything about some Del Vinci or anyone else that wants to catch you."
The kid shifted, shivering a bit as the cold found its way through the rips and tears in his clothes. He was still regarding Zack with suspicion, but Zack had the feeling that he was considering Zack's words as the truth. Slowly Zack released his grip on the boy's arm.
"This guy Del Vinci thinks I know where something is that he wants," the kid said at last. "I've sworn up and down that I don't, but he doesn't believe me. So he and his creeps have been after me for a long time."
"And who is this guy?" Zack asked.
"I don't know." The boy looked down at the snow, kicking at a powdered rock with his foot. "He has a lot of money and a big house. Several of 'em. I heard him bragging about the houses he owns to some of his thugs."
His shivering was not lost on Zack. "He sounds like the kind of guy I'd like to punch in the nose," he said. "And it must be pretty cold in the house here, without any heat or blankets or stuff like that."
A shrug. "It's better than outside," the kid answered.
"And being in our house would be even better," Zack said grandly, gesturing across the street. "How about you come over and get a cup of hot chocolate, and we can get the police on this Del Vinci's case?"
For a moment the young face brightened at the idea. But then his shoulders slumped and the corners of his mouth turned down. "Won't I get in trouble for being in this house?" he said.
"How'd you get in it anyway?" Zack wondered.
"I didn't know where to go, but then I saw this big empty place and the garage door open a bit, so I crawled in under it and found a door leading into the house," was the answer. "It didn't look like anyone was living here, so I . . . picked the lock and went in. Later I went back and pulled down the garage door the rest of the way, just in case Del Vinci's men came along."
"I think we could get you off the hook," Zack said, "all things considered. So, what do you say?"
"Well . . ." The boy looked up again. "Maybe just for a bit."
"Great!" Zack chirped. "And hey, I told you my name. What about yours?"
Another hesitation. "Oliver," he said at last.
"Cool name," Zack grinned, as they began walking. "You like Oliver Twist?"
"I never read it," Oliver said.
"Me either," Zack smirked.
This elicited a slight smirk from the kid as well.
As they arrived back across the street and went up the walkway, Zack jogged up the ice-free steps and hopped onto the porch. "I'm back!" he called as he threw open the door. Oliver shyly followed, removing his shoes at the doorway when he saw Zack doing likewise.
Cloud looked up with a start. He was holding the phone in one hand and Marlene's blue pony in the other. An eyebrow arched upon seeing Oliver.
"Long story," Zack said. "This is Oliver. He was staying in the house over there because he was running from some creep named Del Vinci."
Cloud's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "You've gotta be kidding," he said.
Zack blinked. "What is it?" he asked.
"This is Vincent on the phone," Cloud said, "and he's got a lot to say. Including stuff about Del Vinci."
Zack gave a low whistle. "No kidding," he breathed. "So is Del Vinci mixed up in our mystery too?"
"He's not sure," Cloud said. "I'm not, either. We're going to need to have a conference to discuss all of this."
Marlene walked over to Oliver, who was staring at Cloud in shock. "Hi," Marlene greeted. "I'm Marlene."
Oliver started, looking down at her. "Oh . . . hi," he acknowledged.
Marlene held up a turquoise pony. "Would you like to play ponies?" she offered.
Oliver blinked in surprise. For a moment he looked as though he might refuse, perhaps thinking it a sissy thing to do, but then he nodded. "Okay," he agreed.
Marlene beamed, leading him over to where the other ponies were gathered on the floor. "Cloud, can I have Sugar Apple back?" she asked, looking up at him.
Occupied with the phone again, it took a moment for the words to register in Cloud's mind. But then realization dawned as he stared at the pony he was still holding in his left hand. "Uh, sure," he said, handing the toy over while still trying to listen to Vincent.
Zack smirked in amusement at the scene. And he was touched by Marlene's immediate attempt to make Oliver feel welcome. She was sometimes still a bit shy, but she often tried to reach out to people who were feeling sad or awkward. Oliver seemed to be relaxing a bit more, settling back into the role of being a normal kid instead of a hunted boy on the run.
"Well, goodness," Aerith said, coming to the kitchen doorway, "what's all this?"
Zack looked to her. "I knew I saw lights across the street!" he greeted. "I'll explain everything, but right now we need some of your famous hot chocolate. Got any on hand?"
Aerith smiled a bit. "I think I can process that request," she said.
Zack grinned. "Excellent! You're always right ready with what we need."
"I don't know about that," Aerith said, "but I try my best." She looked to Oliver and Marlene. "We'll need to call his family," she said. "They must be worried about him."
Zack nodded. "I hadn't asked him about them yet," he said. "He didn't make any mention of them, and coming to think of it, he didn't give me his last name, either."
Aerith frowned. "I hope nothing has happened to them," she said.
Zack had been thinking along the same lines. If Oliver had been held captive by this Del Vinci, who was to say that the creep had not killed Oliver's family members in order to keep them from finding him? That sounded like the sort of thing a guy like that might do.
And that would give Zack even more reason to punch him out.
Before long, Sephiroth and Angeal were called into the living room to hear Oliver's story and Vincent's report over cups of hot chocolate. Vincent, Cloud said, was preparing to leave the hotel and recommended that they find out about Linda at the bookstore as soon as possible. He doubted Mr. Latham could tell him anything more, but he hoped that what he had heard so far would be a help.
Sephiroth and Angeal exchanged knowing looks when Cloud mentioned the enigmatic auburn-haired man. Considering Vincent suspected him to be Project G, Cloud did not say much on the matter since Oliver was present, but he said enough to give the other men a good idea of what the stranger had looked like. If they were not mistaken, Genesis had mysteriously appeared once again. And he did not want it to be known. Neither Sephiroth or Angeal were familiar with this Gackt, but some Japanese singer was the farthest person from Genesis's true identity that he could get. They would have to give this more thought. Why would Genesis be involved? And why was he so intent on staying incognito? The villains would not likely know him, so he must be trying to stay hidden from those who had known him on Gaia.
"And now tell everybody what you told me," Zack said to Oliver after a brief silence.
Oliver hesitated but then complied. As he spoke, he mostly studied his hands or the mug of hot chocolate. Everyone listened, wanting to grasp every detail of the strange tale.
Zack looked to Oliver at the conclusion. "So, is there any family we can call when we get the police?" he asked.
Oliver shook his head. "Del Vinci's men killed them all when I was really little," he said, a bit of bitterness creeping into his voice. "I don't really remember it, but he talked about it a lot and said how he'd only left me alive because of what he wanted to get from me."
"And do you know at all what it is that he wanted?" Sephiroth asked.
". . . Some family fortune." Oliver frowned. "He said he knew that my dad'd given me the key to unlock it or something, and that I . . . must've hidden it on the night his thugs broke into the house." This last part he said after another slight hesitation, his gaze darting around the room.
Sephiroth frowned too. Del Vinci sounded foolish, to have the entire family killed when he wanted something of theirs. How could he expect a young child to be his only lead?
. . . What if he did not? What if the boy's family was alive, but Del Vinci was keeping it secret? Maybe he had told them that Oliver was dead. Sephiroth would not speak of this yet, since it might give the youth false hope, but as soon as possible he would suggest the idea to Zack and the others.
"Do you remember the key?" Angeal asked.
"A little," Oliver said. "I remember Dad telling me I had to keep it safe."
"What about the place you ran away from?" Cloud spoke. "Do you know where it is, so we can tell the police about it?"
"It's a big place in one of the subdivisions around here," Oliver said. "It's not as far away as I'd like it to be. I wouldn't have stopped at the empty house if it hadn't already been so late. . . ."
"The police didn't find any indications of an intruder last night," Sephiroth said. "Where did you manage to hide?"
A shrug. "Oh, there were a couple of secret passages I found after I poked around a lot," Oliver replied. "The police didn't find those because they didn't think there'd be any. I didn't either, not in a new house. I just found them by accident. I hid there when I heard people coming, 'cause I didn't know who it was. And when I realized it was the police, I didn't come out because I figured I'd get in trouble with them. I didn't want to go to any kids' jail."
Cloud nodded. "Understandable."
Zack nodded too. "Okay," he said, reaching for the phone. "I think it's time to get the police to chase down that creep."
Either Del Vinci had anticipated the police's arrival after Oliver's escape or else he simply was not at home. More likely it was the latter, as within a half hour of the officers being sent to the address Oliver provided, Zack received a startling call.
"There's no one currently on the premises, except for us," the policeman told him. "But there are a couple of crates in the basement that are marked 'Jenova Corp.'"
"You're kidding!" Zack gasped. "Can we come down there and identify them?"
"Yes," he was told. "Come as quickly as possible."
Oliver wanted to come too. But the adults were firm on the matter.
"You just got away," Zack said. "We don't know if Del Vinci and his creeps might come back."
"Maybe once we know if the house has been vacated, the police will want you to look around," Angeal said. "But it wouldn't be wise just yet."
"You can stay here for now," Marlene volunteered. "Aerith and Tifa already said it was okay. And you can meet Denzel! He should be back soon." Denzel had been out for the evening with the local friends he had made, sharing dinner at one of their homes. But he had called and said he was coming back before long.
Oliver smiled a bit. "Okay," he agreed.
"Great!" Zack grinned. "We'll see you in a bit!" And with a wave, he headed to the door with the others.
Del Vinci's manor was indeed too close for comfort. Sephiroth had barely been driving for ten minutes when they came across it. It was situated at the back of a sprawling front yard, covered with untouched snow. Zack stared at it longingly, but followed the others up the walkway and past the policemen guarding the premises.
"Is there any more news?" Sephiroth asked once they had identified themselves.
"Not that I've heard," said the first officer. "I think you can just go on in."
Sephiroth nodded and walked past, heading for the front steps. The others trailed after him, glancing at the wrap-around porch as they went. The wooden door was open, leaving only the storm door as a barrier between the elements and the interior. Sephiroth pulled open the metal and glass door, stepping into the parlor. One officer was examining a desk leaning against the wall. He looked up as the four men entered.
"Mr. Sephiroth?" he greeted.
"Yes." Sephiroth eyed him. "Where is the door to the basement?"
"Down this hall," was the response. The officer gestured behind him at a sprawling corridor. "It's the first door on the right."
Without another word, Sephiroth walked past him and headed in that direction.
"Thanks!" Zack called as he and the others hurried after Seph.
Both the stairwell and the basement itself were well-lit. As the quartet reached the bottom of the steps, they entered into what seemed to be Del Vinci's personal bar. Crates lined the floor against one wall, with a long counter and many shelves behind it on the opposite side. Various bottles lined the shelves, and as Zack walked closer out of curiosity, many fancy French and Italian labels came into view.
"Well, he sure doesn't skimp on his wines," Zack said.
The sound of glasses clinking made him start. "Who did that?" he frowned, looking back over his shoulder. But Cloud, Seph, and Angeal looked just as confused.
"It wasn't us," Cloud said. "And I don't see anyone else down here."
"But that's crazy!" Zack exclaimed. His eyes narrowed. "Gunju, are you hanging around?" he demanded. But no one answered.
The brunet glanced back over his shoulder. "You guys heard it, right?" he said, his eyes pleading for them to say Yes.
Sephiroth nodded. "It was very distinct." He walked over near some of the crates, lifting the lids. One contained nothing but wine glasses, but none of them showed any indication of having moved. Neither did the sealed bottles stored in another crate.
Zack walked around to the other side of the bar. Nothing looked out of place. He threw his hands in the air in disbelief.
"Our crates aren't among these," Sephiroth said, straightening up. "Let's keep going."
Cloud was already wandering ahead, peering into some of the other rooms. "Most of these rooms are vacant," he frowned. "Or they have other crates in them. But I don't see any of ours."
"Man, I should've thought to ask the guy where in the basement they were!" Zack berated.
The sound of a vacuum cleaner stopped him in his tracks. "That's the same sound I heard at Thorton's!" he exclaimed.
"And who'd be vacuuming down here?" Cloud frowned. The sound seemed to be coming from the nearest door. He crossed to it, pushing it open as he peered into the darkened room.
"Anything?" Zack asked, coming up from behind.
Cloud advanced into the room, feeling on the wall for a lightswitch. "I don't know," he said. "I don't hear anything now. And I can't find the light, either."
Zack pulled out his keychain flashlight, clicking it on. He flashed the small beam around the space. The carpet looked expensive, but other than it, the room looked empty.
"Are you sure this is where it was coming from, pal?" he said with a blink.
"No," Cloud said. "I'm not sure at all."
"Now it sounds a washing machine running," Sephiroth frowned from out in the hallway.
Zack stood still to listen. Seph was right. "What the heck's going on here?!" he cried, hurrying back to the doorway and peering into the corridor.
Angeal was on the opposite side, looking into another room. "This one is set up like a bedroom," he said. "Maybe this is where Oliver was staying."
Zack came over to look. It looked well-furnished, but when he shined his flashlight on the bed, a pink-and-white comforter was illuminated.
"Nope, this must be a girl's bedroom," he deduced. "Wonder who was in it." He narrowed his eyes. Would there have been other "guests" like Oliver? If so, where were they now? It seemed weird, that no one had been in the house when the police had arrived. Del Vinci seemed the sort who would probably want a guard, at least.
Angeal was having similar thoughts. "I wonder if all of this was a set-up," he said. "Maybe Del Vinci wanted us to come here."
"But that wouldn't make any sense!" Zack protested, looking up at him. "And how would he even . . ." His eyes widened. "Angeal! You're not saying maybe Oliver's working for Del Vinci, are you?"
"I don't know," Angeal said. "You have to admit, this is strange. What if he didn't run away at all, but was deliberately sent to get our attention?"
Zack shook his head. "I'm not going to believe that," he said. "The kid was really terrified when I found him at the house!"
"Unless he's an excellent actor," Sephiroth grunted as he walked over and looked into the room. "Something doesn't seem quite right about him. I have the feeling he's lying about something."
"Like what?" Zack said, looking up at the silver-haired man.
Sephiroth shook his head. "I can't place it," he said. "He seems uneasy, as if he's a culprit afraid that he'll be found out. I sensed that he felt that way about us, not just Del Vinci and his gang. There was the way he hesitated before saying what he must have done with the key, as if he was going over the facts in his mind to make certain that it was the story he wanted to tell."
Zack frowned. "Not good enough evidence," he said. "It's probably just something he hates talking about."
"Probably," Sephiroth agreed. "But you never know."
Cloud was standing in the hall, listening to both them and the washing machine sound. "It's stopping," he said. "It sounds like the agitator cycle is ending."
"And we still can't find any of the appliances making these noises!" Zack said, glad for the change of subject. "It really is like Gunju's hanging out here, playing practical jokes on us!"
"He's probably busy with his own problems." Sephiroth walked into the girl's bedroom, moving to open the nightstand drawer. It was empty.
His eyes narrowed as the sound of a ticking clock filled the room. No clock was in sight. Was it a bomb? It did not seem that that would be Del Vinci's style, but who could say?
"Wait a minute." Angeal walked into the room with a deliberate air, crossing to the window. As he pulled back a white curtain, a small creature blinked at him.
"What's that?!" Zack exclaimed, hurrying in with Cloud right behind him.
Angeal held out his finger. A small, colorful bird stepped onto it, chattering in bliss. "A cockatiel," he announced. "A member of the cockatoo family. And an excellent mimic."
"Mimic?!" Zack stared. "Don't tell me all these sounds we've been hearing is this little guy!"
"They've been known to imitate appliances around the house," Angeal said. "And clocks."
The bird responded by making the ticking sound again. Zack was fascinated.
"Hey, that's pretty cool!" he declared. "But what's a bird doing in a place like this?"
"Maybe it's a pet," Sephiroth said.
"Yeah," Cloud said, "instead of a cat, this guy has a bird." He crossed his arms.
"Cat?" Sephiroth repeated, looking to Cloud with a raised eyebrow.
Cloud shrugged. "Some spy movie was on the other night," he mumbled. "The bad guy had a cat."
Zack held out a finger, gently stroking the bird's crested head. "But if this is the source of the vacuum sound, doesn't that mean the bird was at Thorton's place?" he said.
"Looks that way," Cloud said.
"Some criminals train birds to assist them," Angeal said, a bit of anger slipping into his voice. It bothered him when animals were mistreated in any way, and being used as a criminal's aide definitely qualified.
"But birds can't smuggle things," Zack frowned. "I mean, they couldn't pick up the gems and put them in the radios. Well, they could, but I don't see any point in training them to do that!" He gestured wildly in frustration.
"Nothing is making sense," Sephiroth said. "We're going to have a lot of questions for the boy when we get home."
One of the police officers came to the doorway, his expression concerned. For a moment he stopped and stared in astonishment at the sight of the four men gathered in the bedroom with a ticking cockatiel. "What's that?" he asked.
"The source of some sounds we've been hearing," Angeal replied, holding out his finger with the bird.
The officer gave a weary sigh. "Too bad it can't be like a parrot and repeat some key phrases instead," he said.
"Has something happened?" Sephiroth asked, stepping forward.
The policeman nodded. "Del Vinci did have a guard stationed here," he said. "We just found the body at the edge of the yard, under a bush."
Zack's mouth dropped open. "Murder?!" he gasped.
"Yes. He took two rounds of gunfire to the chest." The man frowned. "Nothing in the house looks disturbed, but that doesn't mean something isn't missing."
"Could the guy still be hanging out here?" Zack wondered, his eyes wide.
"It's possible. Have you found your crates yet?" the officer queried.
"No," Sephiroth said.
"They were left with the shipments for the bar," the policeman said. "When I saw them gone, I assumed you'd taken them."
"We haven't seen them at all," Cloud said.
And that meant someone else had moved them. But who? And why?
"The murderer could be right down here in the basement with us," Zack realized. "Somebody didn't want us to find our stuff!"
"Do they also want to keep us here?" Sephiroth wondered. "They would surely realize that we would stay to search for our belongings." Maybe his earlier thought of a bomb was not so far-fetched. They might be in for an ambush, at any rate.
Cloud frowned, crossing his arms. "And what's going to happen to that bird?" he said.
"We'll take it into police custody," the officer said. "Maybe some of the sounds it makes could be clues."
"I heard a vacuum cleaner noise at Thorton Book and Antiques," Zack volunteered. "There was weird stuff going on there, but I dunno why the bird would've been there!"
"We'll look into it. Meanwhile sirs, it would be better for all of you to leave right now." The policeman's voice was firm. "If you believe someone wants to keep you here, it must be for an ill purpose. The mob is not something to tangle with lightly."
"We're not going to just run away!" Zack protested. "We're in this pretty deep." Unlike Dalton, Sephiroth had felt that he was forced to tell the police about their smuggling problems, since that had been the direct reason why Jessie Thorton had been beaten and abducted. But he had also told the police that he intended to see this through to the end and that he and the others would keep investigating.
"I realize that," the officer said. "Of course you want to get to the bottom of this smuggling case." He looked to each of them. "However, for your own safety I have to ask you to cooperate."
Before anyone could reply, Zack's cellphone rang. In surprise he pulled it out and opened it. "Hello?" he said.
"Zack!" It was Aerith, and she sounded openly distraught.
Zack's stomach twisted. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"A while after you left, these men broke into the house," Aerith told him. "I don't know what they wanted; they started going through all the rooms and overturning furniture! I demanded to know what they were doing, and one of them grabbed Marlene."
"Is she okay?!" Zack gasped. Everyone else turned to look.
"I don't know!" Aerith exclaimed. "Oliver ran over then and told them to put her down. Tifa and I tried to stop them, but in the end they still got away. And both Marlene and Oliver have been taken with them!"
The phone suddenly felt slippery in Zack's grasp. He gripped it tighter. "Do you think they were after Oliver to begin with?" he worried.
"I think so," Aerith said. "That seems likely, anyway. We've already called the police."
"Are you okay?" Zack exclaimed. "You and Tifa and Denzel?"
"Denzel isn't back yet, which is probably a good thing," Aerith said. "Tifa and I are fine. We're just very worried about Marlene and Oliver."
Zack ran his tongue over his lips. "I'm sure they're fine, too," he tried to say. "We'll be right there!" After saying goodbye, he ended the call and replaced the phone in his pocket, his hands shaking.
"What is it?" Cloud asked.
"Marlene and Oliver have been kidnapped!" Zack burst out. Quickly he repeated Aerith's story, while everyone stared in shock, including the policeman.
"Moving our crates may have just been a ploy to keep us here longer," Sephiroth frowned. "If our house was being watched, they would know that the only people in it were women and children."
"And it'd mean that someone was watching the house while someone else was here!" Zack realized. "Oh man, this is getting worse all the time!"
The officer's face showed obvious concern. "Have the police been called?" he asked.
Zack nodded. "Aerith said she called them." He slapped his forehead. "I should've asked her what the creeps looked like! Maybe we'd recognize them."
"Let's just get back," Sephiroth said. "We can hear what's said to the police." He moved past them to go to back up the hall. "We'll have to look for the crates later."
The others concurred. As they followed, Angeal paused to pass the cockatiel to the awkward police officer. "There should be a cage for it somewhere in the house," Angeal told him.
The policeman nodded, starting as the bird imitated a ringing telephone without warning. The men from Jenova Corp turned back to look. The officer pointed at the bird with his free hand.
Zack shook his head. "That's one crazy cockatiel," he said.
Marlene was trying hard not to be frightened.
After all, she had been taken twice before, and no harm had come to her those times. On the first occasion, Reeve had not wanted to hurt her and he had ordered his men to be gentle. The second time, Loz had seemed big and fearsome, especially after what he had done to Tifa. Marlene had been afraid of him and furious with him, and yet she had preferred to be with him instead of Kadaj. Loz had not hurt her, and she had stayed close by him while Kadaj had spoken to the other children.
But this time was different; the awful men who had broken into the house had been very rough and mean to her as well as to Oliver. And they had hurt Tifa and Aerith, too, when they had tried to get in the way and prevent the kidnapping. Marlene was very worried about them both.
When the thugs had left, they had cursed at both of the children before throwing them into the back of a van. Now, as it rolled over the bumpy and sometimes icy streets, Marlene was jostled back and forth. Oliver was as well, but he seemed not to noticed or care. He was sitting right next to the divider between the front and the back of the vehicle, desperately trying to hear what their captors were planning.
Marlene crawled over to him. "What are they saying?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I can't tell." He clenched a fist, obviously troubled. "We can't let them take us to wherever we're going. I know that much."
"But what can we do?" Marlene frowned. "The doors are locked." Oliver had already tried pushing against them, to no avail. The thugs had not been stupid enough to leave the double-doors at the back of the van unlocked.
"I don't know." Oliver sounded despairing. There was not anything in the car that they could throw at the windows to break them, either.
Marlene sat in silence with him for a moment. "What did that one guy mean?" she asked, remembering something that had puzzled her as they had been shoved into the van. "The one who was talking about someone named Julieanna."
An indescribable look flashed through his eyes. "I guess he thought I'd know where she is," he said.
"Do you?" Marlene pressed.
"I don't know who she is," Oliver replied, "so I don't know how I'd know where she is." He shifted, pulling his ragged coat closer around himself. He had not taken it off back at the house, insisting that he felt better with it on. Aerith had suggested that he could put on some of Denzel's clothes, but he had not wanted to impose that way, especially without asking Denzel.
"Did these men come for you?" Marlene wondered.
"I think they're looking for Julieanna," he said. "And since they thought I'd know where she is, they grabbed me. You were just in the wrong place . . . or I was." He glowered at the metal floor. "I shouldn't have ever let Zack bring me over."
"That's not true," Marlene frowned. "It was cold over there. You needed to come where it was warm. And it sounds like that Del Vinci man might have something to do with what's going wrong for Cloud and the others at their company, so they needed to know about him."
"But now we're in this mess." Oliver looked up at the small windows in the upper part of the doors. "It's weird that the police didn't even find a guard at Del Vinci's place, too. Maybe something went wrong with a rival gang."
"You mean like with people shooting?" Marlene asked, not liking that thought at all.
"Something like that," Oliver said.
Marlene looked at him. "Have you seen a lot of that happening?"
He hesitated, then nodded. "Too much."
"It's awful to see people die," Marlene said.
He looked surprised. "You've seen it?"
She nodded. "I saw a lot of people being sad and hurt and dying," she said, her mind awhirl with the destruction of Midgar and the ensuing geostigma. The experiences in those few years had sobered her a great deal, though she did not feel so much like an adult that she no longer wanted to engage in acting like a child and playing anymore. And judging from how Oliver had enjoyed playing ponies with her earlier, he was the same.
"I hate it," Oliver said, bitterness slipping into his voice again. "All I want is to get away from this guy and everything he's doing. But I don't know if I'll ever be able to."
He looked at her. "When the van stops and they open the doors, we'll have to run for it," he said.
She bit her lip. "But where can we go?" she worried. "Maybe we'll be up in the mountains or someplace where we really can't go off alone."
"It'd be better to be out in the cold than to be caught by them," he retorted.
She stared at him. "Are they going to kill us?"
He was silent for a long moment. "They won't kill me," he said. "But I don't know what they're going to do with you. Maybe they'll want to use you so that they can do something to Cloud and the others."
"They can't," Marlene frowned. "I won't let them!"
"Then we have to get away," Oliver told her. "Even if it's the middle of nowhere."
"But we're not even dressed for it," Marlene protested. "We'd get lost and then we'd probably die anyway!"
Oliver sighed, looking down at his ratty clothes and old sneakers.
"Let's wait and see," Marlene pleaded. "I don't want to be with these men, but I don't want to be out in the cold, either."
There was silence for a long moment. ". . . Okay," Oliver said. "If it was me, I'd leave anyway, but I guess I can't do everything I'd like when someone else is along, too."
"Cloud will come for us," Marlene said. "And he won't let these men use him. Just wait and see!"
"They could kill him in an instant," Oliver said, clenching a fist.
"They won't!" Marlene said. "Not Cloud."
"That's what I thought about Dad."
Marlene looked at him. She wanted to say something in reply, but she did not have the chance.
The van came to a halt. Oliver tensed, snapping to attention as he slowly got to his feet. "They're getting out of the cab," he said. "Let's be ready to run, if we can."
Marlene bit her lip, standing as well. What would happen when the doors opened? Would they be able to get away? Would there be anywhere to go if they did? It did not feel like they could have traveled into the canyons, but maybe it was still a really isolated area where they would not be able to get help.
The doors opened. "Okay, brats, let's go," growled one of the men. In one hand he held a gun. Behind him, lights of a nearby residential district were visible.
Oliver snatched Marlene's hand. "Come on!" he ordered, as she gave a cry of surprise. They ran forward, Oliver kicking out at the first man as he leaped into the snow. Not pausing to let Marlene recover, he tore into the street, still gripping her hand. She struggled to keep up, stumbling as the men cursed and yelled. A bullet sailed over her head, landing somewhere nearby.
Oliver gritted his teeth, not slowing his frantic flight. The men were giving chase now. He ducked into the shadows, not watching where he was stepping in his haste to escape. Suddenly the ground gave way under his feet. A gasp left Marlene's lips. They were tumbling down a small hill, over and over and collecting snow before landing in a heap at the bottom. And the men were still coming. They had not found the hill, but they were right above it. Their footsteps stopped in the powder as they beamed their lights around the area. Any minute they would see the decline.
Oliver began to rise, snow falling off his hair and coat. He looked down at the petrified Marlene, who was staring up at him from the snow-covered ground. Holding a finger to his lips, he stood up and waited for her to do the same. Then he grabbed her wrist, leading her around the hill to where several good-sized houses were standing. They would get help at one of them.
After they were out of sight around the corner, the children broke into a run. They dashed up the steps of the first lighted house, Oliver reaching to pound on the door. Marlene stuck close to him, her heart doing somersaults. Would they be discovered? Would the men find them before someone came to the door? Would the people inside the house even help them?
The door opened, revealing a very unamused man with dark hair and pale skin. "What is it?" he frowned, peering through the storm door. He arched an eyebrow at the children's bedraggled appearances.
"You've gotta help us!" Oliver exclaimed. "These guys that work for Del Vinci kidnapped us and we got away, but they're chasing us! They're just right around by the big hill!"
Marlene gave a shaking nod. "We need to get in and call for help!"
For some reason, the man seemed to believe them. "Alright," he said, unlocking the storm door and holding it open. "Come in. But make it quick."
Oliver nodded, hurrying in without bothering to stamp his feet free of the snow. Marlene followed, taking note of the way the light shined on the man's right hand as he closed and locked the door after them.
It did not look natural.