Notes: Many thanks to Kaze and Lisa for plot help!
Chapter Eleven
Genesis was at first perturbed by Vincent's sudden action. He only wanted to unequivocally reveal his presence on his own terms and in his own time. Vincent would not decide it for him. As far as Genesis was concerned, the right time had not yet arrived.
He wrenched his arm away. "I really won't be of much more use to you on this case," he said, straightening his suit jacket. "I suggest you take that envelope to Mr. Strife and not worry about what I'm doing."
Vincent's eyes narrowed. He had never mentioned Cloud's name. "You know more than you should," he retorted. "That's enough to make me concerned."
Genesis shrugged. "In the overall picture, I don't know any more than you," he said. "And I must bid you adieu."
At that moment, a group of people were getting off the elevator. Genesis headed directly for them, pushing his way into the crowd. Vincent glowered in frustration, moving to chase after him. The people, already confused, were further bewildered when the stern-faced, dark-haired man passed through their ranks as well. When he arrived at the end of the group, the enigmatic stranger was nowhere in sight.
Crimson eyes darkened. He should have known G would pull any stunt he could to get away. Gackt, or Project G, or whoever he was, did not want to meet up with the others. What kind of secret agenda did he have? And was this actually something that Vincent should not have to worry about, as G had told him? Maybe the mystery surrounding him really did not connect with the mystery Vincent was helping to solve. And maybe it should be left alone for now.
"Vincent!"
He turned at the sound of Cloud's voice. The blond, as well as Sephiroth, were coming over to him. Behind them were two others, one of whom looked vaguely familiar. The crowd of people, dispersing now, glanced over their shoulders at the new arrivals.
"What's going on?" Cloud frowned, seeing Vincent's concentrated expression.
Vincent shook his head. "I lost someone," he grunted, looking past Cloud at the others. Now he knew why the one man looked familiar. Vincent had nearly run him down earlier that day. And he was recalling now that the broad man matched a description Cloud had once given him of Dalton. That meant that the other stranger must be Azazel Rakesh.
"Who did you lose?" Sephiroth asked, crossing his arms.
"Nevermind." Vincent held out the envelope. "Vivalene got away, too," he reported. "This was in her mailbox."
Sephiroth took it from Vincent, studying the return address. "'Diamond Rose Lodge,'" he mused. "I've never heard of it."
"I almost thought you were going to say Diamond Rose Ranch, good sir," Dalton commented in sarcasm, pushing his spare glasses up on his nose. "'Diamond Rose' sounds more like that kind of establishment as opposed to a lodge."
"Not a fan of ranches, I guess," Cloud said. Not that he cared.
"Not especially," Dalton said.
"It sounds like some Old West girl's name," Cloud complained.
Sephiroth ignored the comments. "Let's go to the limo to open this," he directed. "Technically this is a federal offense."
"It's just a sweepstakes," Cloud said, rolling his eyes. "It's not like she's really won anything--just the chance to get four magazine subscriptions cheap. And four more after that, and four more after that, and it just goes on and on without any resolution."
"Perhaps we should open it," Dalton suggested, gesturing to himself and Azazel. "Or Azazel, at any rate. After all, she was his secretary."
Sephiroth grunted, not agreeing either way. He turned, heading for the door. The others followed.
"Why are you here?" Vincent asked as they went through the revolving doors and into the snowy night.
"The home address Vivalene gave me was for this hotel," Azazel answered. "We decided to come here looking for her."
"Meanwhile, Zack called Thorton at his house to get Linda's address," Cloud said as they began their journey through the parking lot. "So he and Angeal went to her place to try to find her."
Before coming to the hotel, the others had returned the children to a very relieved Aerith and Tifa, and Sephiroth had seen to it that extra security guards were posted around the grounds. Others were stationed right in the house. He was highly annoyed, and he was not going to take any more chances on a second break-in. The others, including Cloud, concurred.
Cloud was also wondering what on earth the truth was about Oliver. Dalton had mentioned what Vivalene had told the kid. And it did not make sense. What was Oliver an amateur in? Dalton thought it sounded bad for the boy's integrity, and Cloud had been thinking to himself that it did sound that way, as if Vivalene was scolding him for doing a bad job of spying or some other underhanded deed. Then again, she had said Oliver had not fooled "them" or "her", which could indicate just the opposite, that maybe he had pretended to be on their side but was not. Yet he had not acted as though he had ever even pretended to work with them.
Of course, when Oliver had been asked what Vivalene had meant, he had shrugged and not really answered. Annoyed, Sephiroth had told him that if he was holding back some important information he could impair the entire case. But Oliver had not budged. By now even Zack believed that Oliver was hiding something, but he continued to insist that he did not think Oliver was on the bad guys' side. Maybe Oliver was spooked out of his mind, Zack had suggested, and believed he was protecting someone, possibly the Julieanna person. Sephiroth had said that by saying nothing, he would likely be putting her in more danger. And Oliver seemed to be an intelligent boy, so he would surely realize that fact. Everyone was stymied.
Sephiroth unlocked the limousine as they approached it. Walking around to the driver's side, he hauled open the door and slid inside. "What happened to Latham?" he asked as the others climbed in too.
"He was poisoned after all," Vincent explained for the second time. "Gackt said he didn't do it."
"Is he dead?" Cloud frowned.
Vincent leaned back in the seat. "He wasn't when I left him at the ambulance," he said. "They thought they'd be able to save him. I was going to call the hospital later and see how he is."
"Do you believe this . . . Gackt gentleman didn't do it?" Dalton asked.
"I don't know." Brief irritation flashed in Vincent's eyes as he recalled how the other man had eluded him. "It depends on whose side he's on."
"A lot of things depend on whose side people are on," Cloud muttered. He sighed, leaning back as he looked over at Vincent. "Thanks for doing this tonight," he said. "It sounds like it was a lot more hectic than I even figured it'd be."
Vincent grunted. "I didn't mind."
Sephiroth passed the envelope to Azazel. "Open it," he said.
A bit surprised that Sephiroth was actually handing it over, Azazel took it. Tearing open the flap, he removed several folded sheets of paper. He frowned as he spread them on his lap. There was the usual letter welcoming the person to the sweepstakes, the page of stamps of magazines that could be sampled, and various other odd and ends.
"It looks like your typical sweepstakes package," he said.
Sephiroth turned around in the seat to get a better look. "Is this part of a typical sweepstakes package?" he grunted, picking up a small rectangular card. It seemed to be a postcard, as it was made of thick paper and bore a glossy image of a large home with stained glass windows. On the opposite side, a short message had been scrawled.
The girl's gonna prove to be a problem, Boss. How long can we leave her alive before she spills the beans
on everything? And there's Del Vinci, too. He knows you're up to something. He's gonna make things really
rough for us if he finds out the truth. Actually, maybe he's already started. I bet you anything his men burned
Marcel's house! It was probably a warning to tell us we can't go against him. Marcel's one of our best agents,
too. Going after him must be Del Vinci's way of saying he can get any one of us if he puts his mind to it.
"Is 'the girl' Jessie Thorton?" Cloud wondered, taking the card from Sephiroth.
"That would be my guess," Sephiroth said. "Or maybe Julieanna is more likely, since in order for her to 'spill the beans' she would have to be roaming free somewhere."
"Or maybe Jessie escaped," Zack suggested.
"With her injuries, it's not likely," Vincent said.
Sephiroth nodded his assent. "The envelope is postmarked early this morning. The communication may have been written last night." He studied the envelope again. There was not anything special about it to indicate extra postage had been paid for a rush delivery. More than likely it had been mailed in town. The zip code for the Diamond Rose Lodge indicated it was somewhere near Domino. Maybe it was in the canyons.
"If Del Vinci did set fire to Marcel's house, that seems to indicate that we've walked right into a grim feud," Dalton said.
"This case just keeps getting better," Cloud muttered, running a hand through his hair.
"These criminals are smart," Sephiroth said, looking through the rest of the contents while Azazel watched Cloud examining the postcard. "They might communicate all the time by inserting their messages into sweepstakes and other junk mail offers."
Cloud snorted. "Smart, alright," he said. "Everybody gets a truckload of junk mail every day. No one would think to look for anything suspicious in pre-approved credit card offers and sweepstakes packages."
Sephiroth leaned back, picking up the envelope once more. "This could be in the canyons above the city," he mused. "If I can find the precise location on a map, we should attempt going there." He glanced up at the snow. "If this storm turns out to be very bad, we might not have another chance for a while."
"If it turns out to be very bad, we might not have a chance to get down for a while," Cloud retorted. Visions of them being stranded at the lodge with a bunch of crooks danced through his mind.
"I believe the weather report called for only scattered snow showers," Dalton volunteered. "Though the mountains would still get more, of course."
Sephiroth reached for his laptop, pulling it onto his lap as he lifted the lid. After booting it up, he opened the map program that Jenova Corp had been designing. Now would be a good time to test its accuracy. He typed in Diamond Rose Lodge and pressed Enter.
Cloud leaned over the top of Sephiroth's seat, watching the results--or the lack thereof. "Nothing's coming up," he frowned.
Sephiroth looked at the screen in annoyance. "In case it's a glitch with our program, I'll have to try another," he said.
But none of the programs netted results, nor did the Yellow Pages. The Diamond Rose Lodge was unlisted.
"That woman probably knows where it is," Azazel said. "That Linda person."
Cloud nodded. "Let's drive over there," he suggested. "Maybe Zack and Angeal have had some luck."
Sephiroth set the laptop aside, shutting it down before turning his attention to the car. Placing the key in the ignition, he turned it. As the engine came to life, he reached up to pull down the seatbelt.
Cloud looked to Vincent. "Do you want to come?" he asked.
"I have an early shift tomorrow," Vincent replied. "I should be getting back. But I'll come with you." He reached for the door handle. "In my own car."
"Okay," Cloud said. "It shouldn't be too hard to follow us. Ours is probably the only limo on the streets this late."
"Probably." Opening the door, Vincent began to climb out. Once on the sidewalk, he looked back at Cloud.
"When I saw Vivalene, she was wearing a sling," he said. "She must have found a crooked doctor to treat her shoulder."
"Then that's something to look into," Cloud said.
Vincent nodded, shutting the door and going to where he had his own car. When Sephiroth saw him drive over to the limousine, he pulled out of the parking lot and towards the exit. Vincent followed.
He had noticed along the way that G's car was gone. If he lived at this hotel, Vincent had to wonder if he would come back at all. Maybe he would vanish just as Vivalene had done.
In the meantime, Zack and Angeal had arrived at Linda's home, which seemed to be a peaceful house on a peaceful middle-class street. The walk was neatly shoveled, and from the overall appearance of the house--and the yard, even though it was half-buried under snow--Linda was very conscientious about keeping her property in order.
But despite the late hour, things inside the house were not quite so peaceful.
"What were you thinking, losing the paper like that?! Couldn't you have been more careful?"
"Oh, so you've never accidentally dropped something?!"
"Not something that important! At least one of those businessmen saw it. Shouldn't you be more concerned than you are?"
"What can they do? They don't know what it means!"
Zack winced at the sounds of the argument. Was it his imagination or were the windows rattling?
"Isn't that Dave in there yelling at her?" he said as he reached to open the car door.
"I think so," Angeal frowned. "I can't tell for certain." He stepped out onto the pavement.
Zack hopped out as well. "They oughtta be more careful," he said. "Who knows how many people can hear them!"
"Including 'those businessmen,'" Angeal commented as they went up the ice-free walk.
"Maybe they heard us coming," Zack said, jogging up the steps. "Things've calmed down in there."
As he was lifting his fist to knock, the door flew open. Dave stood in the lighted doorway, his expression a storm cloud.
"Here they are now!" he ranted, still speaking to Linda.
"Just two of 'them,'" Zack retorted, crossing his arms.
Angeal came up behind him. "We couldn't help but overhear what you were saying," he said. "We came to talk to Linda about Mr. Latham and Del Vinci. Do those names mean anything to either of you?"
It was obvious that they did. Dave shot daggers at both newcomers with his eyes. "Did Thorton tell you about that?" he snapped.
"No," Zack said, annoyed with the man's attitude, "Mr. Latham told a friend of ours."
Linda stepped into view. "It's alright, Dave," she sighed. "Let them come in. They know this much." She studied Zack. "I don't think they're like Del Vinci's business people. At least this one isn't."
"Well, thanks," Zack said. "We just want to get Jessie back safe and get this smuggling business stopped. That's all."
Dave snorted, but at Linda's look he sighed and unlocked the storm door. Zack grabbed the handle, pulling it open as he stepped inside. Angeal followed him, quietly shutting the door behind him instead of letting it bang closed. As they walked further into the living room, Dave hauled the wooden door shut behind them, locking both the main lock and the deadbolt.
Linda produced the crumpled note from her fist, holding it out so that Zack and Angeal could see it. "'The diamond rose glass will have to wait,'" she said with a rueful half-smile.
"So what does it mean?!" Zack exclaimed.
"It's a code," Linda said. "Carol took down the message and stuck it on the wall downstairs at Mr. Thorton's. It means to hold off on the investigation for a while."
"But why 'diamond rose glass'?" Zack frowned.
"For Diamond Rose Lodge, a local retreat," Dave grunted. "Del Vinci reportedly goes there a lot. We've been wondering if he secretly owns it."
"But wouldn't 'Diamond Rose' be a dead giveaway if any of your enemies saw the note?" Angeal said. "I can't imagine it wouldn't make them suspicious."
"I worried about that very thing," Linda said, turning and walking to the cream-colored couches, "but I decided I could get away with it. Please, sit down," she said with a vague gesture.
Zack followed, sinking into the nearest couch. Angeal sat next to him. Linda and Dave took the opposite couch.
"There actually are diamond rose glasses," Linda said, leaning forward and clasping her hands. "I was lying when I said I hadn't heard of them. But they're very rare and I haven't seen them up close and personal."
"So what are they?" Zack wanted to know.
"My great-grandfather invented them," she said. "They, and others, were custom-made for high-paying customers. He made glasswares, you see, and a lot of people still know about him around here." She leaned back. "Anyway, one of his frequent customers was eccentric. He wanted rose-colored goblets studded with diamonds. So my great-grandfather made a set of eight. The customer kept them for years and displayed them with pride, drinking out of a different one each day. But several years later, they were lost in a fire. Or so the story goes. Great-grandfather suspected that the servant had run off with them, since he disappeared that day. Neither were ever seen again."
Zack whistled. "Those things'd be worth a pretty penny, especially if real diamonds were used," he said.
Linda nodded. "I've always wanted to find them. I first heard about Diamond Rose Lodge because of them, and foolishly, I guess, I hoped that maybe the glasses had ended up there and were on display. So once I went up there to look around. It's in the canyons above the city, overlooking a waterfall. It's a really beautiful place."
Zack blinked. "No kidding," he said, exchanging a look with Angeal. That sounded familiar. Maybe the lodge was located right near the cliff where he and Dalton had fallen.
"I didn't find the glasses," Linda said, "but I saw someone whom I thought was Del Vinci. This was before the scandal, and I tried to find him, but I never could see him again. When I casually mentioned the incident to one of the staff, she said that I probably did see him because it was a favorite place for him to come."
"And Linda remembered that after the scandal," Dave spoke. "When Del Vinci disappeared and she started trying to find him, I found out about her investigation."
"Dave insisted on helping," Linda said. "He didn't think I should be doing it all alone. So we take turns driving up to the lodge now and then for day trips, hoping to catch a glimpse of Del Vinci. No luck so far." She frowned.
"Anyway," she continued, "'diamond rose glass' ended up being used as a code because of the real glasses. It was so obvious, I thought it just might work. Del Vinci knows about my great-grandfather's glasswares.
"I was going to drive up to the lodge today, but Dave called and left the message with Carol telling me not to go because it's been snowing off and on in the mountains all day. They're supposed to get more overnight."
"I guess anyone up there'll be snowed in, then," Zack said.
"I'm sure." Linda nodded.
"I dunno if Del Vinci could be up there or not," Zack frowned. "He's sure been busy tonight, at any rate." With that, he and Angeal took turns explaining about Oliver and Del Vinci's manor. Linda listened, stunned by the tale. Dave crossed his arms and scowled.
"Do you know if Del Vinci has a pet bird?" Angeal presently asked.
"I didn't know he did," Linda blinked. "So the theory is that he's somehow using these birds in his crimes because of the different odd sounds they mimic?"
"Something like that," Angeal said.
"What about Oliver?" Zack queried. "Do you know anything about him?"
She shook her head. "Del Vinci uses children in a lot of his schemes," she said. "At least that's how the evidence points. He likes to use them against people he has problems with, or try to manipulate them and make them do things he wants, such as stealing for him." The bitterness and anger were rising in her voice.
"That's sick!" Zack said in indignation.
Angeal nodded. "Oliver said that Del Vinci's men killed his family and that Del Vinci thinks Oliver knows where a family fortune is hidden," he reported.
"That sounds like him," Dave frowned, "only I wonder if he could have kept at least one other family member alive and in another location, as backup or leverage."
"That's what Seph wondered!" Zack exclaimed. Sephiroth had finally revealed his idea after they had left the kids back at home and right before they had split into two groups. The others had agreed it was possible, and Zack hoped it was. Then Oliver would not have to be all alone or put into a foster home.
"Did you ask him how many are in his family?" Dave asked.
Zack shook his head. "He was pretty young when they were killed," he said. "I didn't wanna bring up a lot of painful memories for him. But now that there's this idea, I'm planning to ask him all about his family when we get back. Or in the morning," he amended with a sheepish look at the clock.
"Good," Dave said. "I'm thinking this kid must be a key to this entire situation."
"Oliver also mentioned a girl named Julieanna," Angeal said. "Del Vinci's men seemed to be very interested in her whereabouts."
Linda looked thunderstruck. "Julieanna?" she repeated, her face draining of color. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah," Zack said in confusion. "Why?"
"That's the name of Jessie's sister," Dave explained. "The one that disappeared after the accident."
Zack's mouth dropped open. "No kidding!" he breathed.
Though also surprised, Angeal shook his head. "It could be a coincidence," he said.
"It could," Zack said, "but I bet it isn't!" He straightened, his eyes filled with a familiar fire and determination. "I bet she's alive and Del Vinci wanted her for some reason, too. And now she's on the run from him!"
"Would Del Vinci have any reason to go after the Thorton family?" Angeal asked.
"I don't know," Linda said, shaking her head. "I haven't heard about anything like that, and I've known them for years. But with someone like Del Vinci, it's always possible."
"The weird thing about it is, Oliver acts like he's hiding something," Zack said. "Seph thinks maybe he knows where Julieanna is and won't say. But we can't figure out why he won't just tell us so we could help her! He says he doesn't even know her!"
"I'd like to question that kid myself," Dave growled. From his expression and tone of voice, he was quite annoyed with what he was hearing of Oliver's behavior and would not put up with it.
Linda gave him a Look. "The poor thing is probably traumatized by threats Del Vinci has made," she said. "You can't be too hard on him, especially if he's been living with that wretch for years."
Zack tried to steer them back to the subject. "When we were poking around in Del Vinci's place, we also found a bedroom," he said. "It looked like a girl's room, so maybe it was even Julieanna's before she disappeared."
Angeal nodded. "That's where the bird was found, too," he said. "It was on the windowsill."
"Then maybe it was her bird and not Del Vinci's," Dave suggested.
Zack's eyes widened. "Hey, yeah!" he cried. "But why was it just left there if she ran away?"
"She could've had no choice," Dave said. "When it mimics everything, she might have had a hard time sneaking off with it in tow."
"But at least she could've put it back in its cage or something," Zack said. "Leaving it out seems so irresponsible."
"Most kids are," Dave grumbled.
"Not all of them," Linda said, her voice firm. "The explanation could be entirely different. I bet Oliver helped Julieanna escape and then got away himself. They could have been chased and were forced to leave the bird. Maybe Oliver was even going to bring the bird for Julieanna, but wasn't able to."
"And he probably does know where she is," Zack moaned. "If only he'd say!"
"Did you ask him about the bird?" Dave asked.
"He asked on his own if the bird was alright when I said I'd found it in the windowsill," Angeal said. "I told him it was and asked him if he knew about it. He shrugged and said it had been around the house."
"He gives these really vague answers," Zack said. "It really bugs Seph, and I'm not too happy about it, either. But I still don't think he's part of Del Vinci's racket."
He frowned, looking to Linda. "What kind of threats do you think Del Vinci would make on him and Julieanna?" he asked, thinking back to a comment she had made moments earlier.
She shook her head. "Oh, he'd say anything," she said, bitter again. "He'd threaten death and torture, being very graphic about his descriptions of both. I've heard more than one tale from people who have been captured by him at one time or another. There aren't very many who get away."
"Can't all those people testify against the creep?!" Zack exclaimed.
"It's his word against theirs," Linda sighed. "He wriggles out of everything. We need concrete proof to catch him."
Zack ran a hand through his hair, slumping back into the couch. "Hey," he said, "if everything's connected, do you think Del Vinci knows where Jessie is?"
"I bet he does," Linda said.
"Would he keep her alive?" Angeal asked, his eyes narrowing.
Linda looked overwhelmed. "I don't know," she said. "He might for a while, if he does have some interest in the Thorton family. Otherwise . . ." She let the sentence hang in the air, unfinished.
"What if he's even keeping her at the lodge?!" Zack sat up straight again. "Maybe that's where we all need to go!"
"But there's the snow," Angeal reminded him.
"We could try, anyway," Zack said. "Maybe there's some report on if the roads are blocked or whatever."
"You could be on to something," Dave admitted. "Maybe we should all go. My van's equipped for this kind of weather."
"Really? Then I say let's go!" Zack grabbed out his phone. "I'll call the others to tell them. They'll want to come too! Maybe they've had some luck catching Vivalene."
Linda stared. "Vivalene?" she repeated. "Mr. Thorton's customer?"
"Yeah!" Zack said as he dialed Cloud's cell number. Seph was probably driving, if they happened to be in the limo right now, so Zack had decided it would be better to call Cloud.
"Apparently she's one of Del Vinci's associates," Angeal said.
"That's not surprising," Dave muttered. "I never liked her."
Zack came to attention as a click came over the phone. "Cloud!" he greeted. "Where are you?"
"Right outside," Cloud answered. "We just pulled up. Did Linda tell you anything?"
"Yeah!" Zack said. "A lot. Hurry up and come in! We've got a lot to talk about and plans to make. We might be heading to some place in the canyons called Diamond Rose Lodge."
A pause. "Do you know where it is?"
"Linda and Dave do!" Zack said. "Come on!"
In a moment footsteps were heard on the porch. Dave got up and crossed to the door, opening it and admitting the other group. The basic events from both sides were recounted and plans were indeed made. Zack was stunned to hear of what had happened at the hotel, both before and after Seph and Cloud's arrival. Vincent had finally relayed some details of the problem with Vivalene.
In light of everything, Sephiroth conceded that they should attempt going to Diamond Rose Lodge. It could be a chance to bring the mystery to a head. And at any rate, it was their best lead. First they would stop at their homes to quickly gather a few items in case they ended up spending the night in the canyons. And perhaps they should try speaking to Oliver again as well. Maybe he would know something about the establishment.
"Do you believe the staff at the lodge might be working with Del Vinci?" Sephiroth inquired as they headed for the door.
"I'd wondered," Linda admitted. "I couldn't say. If they're hiding Jessie there, or if Del Vinci really does own the lodge, then at least some of the staff is probably involved."
"You never know," Zack said. "Maybe they pulled off some crazy thing where they snuck Jessie past all the staff and into a room."
Cloud nodded. "They might keep her bound and gagged all the time," he added.
Dave opened the door, stepping onto the porch and electronically unlocking his van from a distance. "Del Vinci's more the type to let his prisoners run free in some enclosed place," he said, "emphasizing that they're free, but not really."
"Creep," Zack muttered.
The snow was coming down harder by the time the van was climbing the canyon road. Dave kept the radio on as they went, leaving the volume turned down until it came time for the next weather report. They had agreed that if the road grew too slippery and dangerous, or if they heard a report that the road was going to be closed, they would turn back. They wanted to solve the mystery, but there would not be any sense in getting themselves killed or stranded while trying.
Angeal was mostly silent on the drive, as was Sephiroth. A glance at his old friend let Angeal know that Sephiroth was thinking the same thing. Neither one of them could get the idea out of their minds that it was Genesis whom Vincent had spoken with at the restaurant. And Vincent had at last admitted that it was "G" he had lost when Cloud and the others had found him.
Why was Genesis so intent on staying away from them? Was it because he was guilt-ridden? Or was there another reason? Was he even still angry? After he had rescued Zack, that did not seem likely. At least, they had assumed it was him after Zack had showed the large black feather that had been left on the property of the cabin where he had been held captive. Angeal had been turning the events over and over in his mind every day since Zack had returned.
It pained him. And it was utterly frustrating and agonizing when he seemed to be so close to seeing his childhood friend again and then the opportunity was snatched from him.
Sephiroth was upset by it, too. But he did not feel the same intense agony as Angeal. If Genesis was truly back to himself, then Sephiroth wanted to meet with him again. He had been looking for Genesis, just as Angeal had been doing. But if Genesis did not appear, Sephiroth was likely to handle it better than Angeal would. He and Genesis had severed their bond years earlier, largely because of Genesis's jealousy and hatred towards his old friend. The wound was still there, but it had scabbed. If Sephiroth believed that Genesis did not want to reconcile, he would move on. He had tried to reach out to Genesis in the past. And by looking for him in the present, Sephiroth was showing that he was still willing to try.
Angeal had known Genesis for a lot longer than Sephiroth had known him. They had grown up together at Banora. For years they had talked, explored, and gotten into trouble. Then they had joined SOLDIER and had gotten into even more trouble. The last time they had ever spoken, after they had both deserted, Angeal had determined that he had to fight against everything in the world that threatened it. And that had included Genesis. But instead of being angry at Angeal, Genesis had only seemed to accept that they would have to fight. After all, he had said, it was life mirroring art once again. They would duel as the two friends had dueled in Loveless.
They had fought for a long time, with each gaining the upper hand for a time. Eventually it had ended in a draw. Exhausted, they had collapsed on the battlefield, staring up at the sky as twilight and then night had arrived. When they had parted, it had been on bittersweet terms. Each had traveled a different road, and each had been forced to accept that it was not likely they would meet again on the same side.
Angeal had never spoke of that battle to anyone, not even Sephiroth. But he thought of it often. Two childhood friends, brought to that end. He hated it. He did not want it to be the end of their story.
He wanted them to meet once again--on the same side.
With a sigh he glanced over at Dalton and Azazel. They were also quiet, staring out at the swirling white. Could they be trusted? Neither Angeal or Sephiroth could forget that it was because of those two that so much chaos had happened nearly a month ago. At any time Dalton could begin to regain his memory and plot to double-cross them. And of course Azazel showed no remorse for having held Zack captive for several days while everyone had panicked fearing he was dead. Azazel was probably proud of his scheme, only regretting that Zack had escaped.
Sephiroth's stare was intense. He did not trust them, and he was letting Angeal know that he should not, either. It was far too risky. And it was not unfair of those who had been unfairly hurt time and again to feel that way. Anyway, Dalton and Azazel no doubt did not trust their necessary allies.
Sephiroth had to wonder whether Dalton even trusted Azazel. He did not remember the other man, and he would have no way of knowing that what Azazel said was the truth. Dalton put on a good act of being calm and taking everything in stride, but Sephiroth had noticed how he had been shooting glances at Azazel. Azazel seemed to take no stock in it if he was aware of it.
The silver-haired man sighed as he leaned back in the seat. When they had returned home to collect their belongings, Oliver had finally met Denzel and had consented to wearing a spare pair of pajamas. He had been asleep in one of the guest rooms. Aerith had insisted that he not be disturbed after the long and trying day. Sephiroth had felt that it was important enough to warrant an awakening, but the boy had been so deeply in slumber that Sephiroth had only received a confused mumble to his question about Diamond Rose Lodge. So in irritation he had decided to let the matter go and stick with the plan of driving up to the retreat.
The van swerved without warning, sending everyone veering to the right. Those next to the doors knocked into them. Zack cried out in surprise.
"What is it?!" he exclaimed. "A big ice patch?"
"It is," Linda said with a frown. "There's quite a few up this way." She reached to turn up the radio.
"And what was predicted to be scattered snow showers has turned into more of a regular snowstorm!" the announcer intoned. "It's not strong enough to be a blizzard down in the city, but up in the canyons the winds have really been picking up speed. Officials have been discussing whether or not to close the canyon road during the storm."
"It doesn't look so good up there," Zack frowned. "I can't see much of anything just ahead." In fact, he really could not see much of anything where they were, either. If it was only a full-fledged blizzard ahead of their position, it was quickly rushing to meet them. And then they would have to stop and wait for it, which none of them wanted to do.
"I don't think it's going to be possible to get through tonight," Dave said. "I'm going to turn around the next chance I get. I've been thinking I needed to ever since we came around that last bend."
"If the storm passes tomorrow and the road is blocked by snow and ice, some of us can come up here with a helicopter if necessary," Sephiroth said.
"Whatever it takes to get in," Linda said. She rubbed her eyes. "If they are holding Jessie at the lodge, I guess they probably wouldn't kill her tonight."
"I don't think so," Sephiroth agreed. "Not unless all of the staff is involved. Even then, it would be a risk that I doubt they would want to take at the moment. There would likely be guests who would know nothing of it. And the storm might be too strong for them to even take the body very far."
Dave began to slow down as they neared the next bend. With care he steered the van's position around until it pointed the way they had come. Then he eased his foot on the accelerator, allowing just enough gas to move forward.
"Watch out for the big ice patch," Zack said, peering out the window as he searched for it himself.
The van moved down the path without incident. But something did not feel right. Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, squinting through the increasing flurries at the scenery. He did not recall there being such a large pine tree on the way up. And the cluster of evergreen trees to the left was new as well.
"Are you going the right way?" he asked, his voice a bit harsh. If Dave had somehow turned onto another path, they could be going deeper into the canyon instead of leaving it. And that could be very dangerous under the circumstances.
"There weren't two paths," Dave retorted. "This has to be right."
"I don't know. . . ." Linda looked worried. "It doesn't feel right to me, either. And where's the patch of ice from before?"
"Yeah!" Zack said. "We should've passed it by now. The thing stretched almost all the way across the road! We were just lucky we only grazed the end of it."
"There's a small one up there," Cloud said, seeing the glint from the headlights.
Dave maneuvered around it, the van veering sharply to the right as he did. "This curve wasn't on the other path," he grumbled.
An angry flurry of wind and snow shot out of the darkness, pelting the hood and the windshield. Startled, and suddenly unable to see, Dave sent the van to the left. The wheels rolled over a patch of ice, spinning out of control as they took the vehicle with it. Zack yelped in surprise and shock, gripping the top of the seat in front of him as the van made one, then two ungraceful ballet whirls. Dave slammed on the brakes, desperation on his features.
At last the van came to a halt at the side of the road. Everyone slumped against their seats, staring at the white all around them. Linda reached to switch on the windshield wipers.
"It looks like we're going to be stuck here for a while," she said. "The storm's too strong."
"It could last for hours!" Zack protested. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Is everyone okay?!" he exclaimed, looking to the others around him.
"We're fine," Cloud said.
"A bit shaken, but otherwise quite well," Dalton said in a dry tone as he pushed up his wandering glasses.
Sephiroth was squinting out the window. "There's a light up there," he announced, pointing across the way to a glow on a hill.
Zack perked up, undoing his seatbelt to lean over further. "That's not the lodge, is it?" he wondered.
"It shouldn't be," Linda said. "It's supposed to be deeper in than this."
"It could be a ranger station," Angeal suggested.
Sephiroth nodded. "Some of us should investigate." He undid his seatbelt as well, moving to open the door. As he did, a flashlight beamed on the glass and metal.
"Are you folks okay?" a concerned voice asked.
From where he was still sitting, Sephiroth looked up at a man in a ranger's uniform. "We're fine," he grunted, echoing Cloud's statement from a moment ago.
"The blizzard caught up with us!" Zack announced, looking out past Seph.
"Well, you're all out mighty late on a winter's night," the ranger said. "I was checking the roads to make sure there were no accidents and I saw your van do a spin."
Sephiroth ignored the intended query. He did not really want to explain their purpose for being here. "Is that your station?" he asked, nodding towards the light.
"It is," was the reply. "And it would be a lot safer for all of you to wait out the storm in there. It could go on for a while."
Zack glanced around at the others in the van. "We'll take you up on that!" he said, seeing the affirmative nods.
Vincent leaned back, crossing his arms. "I guess this means I won't be making it to work in the morning," he grunted.