Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart or any of it's characters Cornelia Funke does. I own Kat, her mother Illene, Dr. Inglewood, his son Detective Inglewood, Sophia, and Graziano.


A/N: Hey ya'll thank you so much for all the good reviews! If you want to read another really good Inkheart story, check out MusicRush's Dustfinger's Sister: Violet.

Kat felt sorry for Mrs. Medlock from the Secret Garden who wore an attire close to the one Kat was wearing. The boots hugged tightly against Kat's feet and ankles, even though most women wouldn't have trouble wearing the one inch heels, Kat did; she wasn't one for wearing fancy dresses and high heels period. Her normal attire were usually jeans or cargo pants; a t-shirt or blouse and sneakers or sandals. For times when she had to go to meetings and other events with her mother for the Southern Italy's Making History Foundation she would wear a nice pant-suit and black buckle loafers that barely had a heel on them at all.

"Oy! What's takin' you so long in there? Joy gave birth to Basta Jr. faster than you're takin' to dress!" Cockerell's voice snapped from the outside of the bathroom door.

"I'm not used to wearing such...Fancy clothing, I'm being careful."

"Fancy?!" Cockerell's voice laughed, "it's just the typical Black-Jacket's wife attire! We have 'undreds of them! Don't matter if that one gets ruined there's plenty more, now step out of there!"

Kat paused, best not to make him too angry she figured. She turned the bathroom door knob, took a step forward - and fell straight onto Cockerell.

"Fallin' for me so soon, eh?" He smiled, Kat blushed hard and used him as a leaning post as she stood up and balanced herself on the heels. "Don't tell me you've never worn heels before! I never heard of a woman not wearing them!"

"All my shoes are flat bottoms," Kat replied.

"Oy! Hold on then, Joy said you were lookin' at those shoes strangely, here, thank her she brought them by a moment ago," Cockerell exclaimed handing Kat a pair of boots that were the same as the ones she had on, only the heel was maybe half an inch off the ground. I'm going to have to thank Joy over and over again! These boots are killing me! She sat down on Cockerell's bed and took off the boots, then set them on the floor next to the left side of the bed; she changed into the boots Joy brought, they were still tight, but she could walk in them!

"Do tha' again."

"Do...What again?" Kat asked, confused, all she did was walk.

"When you walk," Cockerell muttered, "just walk."

Kat shrugged and walked, she glanced at Cockerell to see exactly what had captured his attention: the way her skirt was hugging her waist showed very well how her hips moved. Her face went bright red, pervert! She thought humiliated.

"Cockerell," exclaimed a new voice, Kat looked up to see a girl around twelve standing in the door way; she had dark curly brown hair, wide blue eyes behind small square wire framed glasses; she wore a plain black dress; black tights under the dress and ankle lengthed boots with a smaller heel than Kat's boots had.

"Yes, Sophia?" He asked.

"Daddy wants to know if you want a batch-eh-lohr party," Sophia replied, Kat noticed her hands were in her pockets.

"Hmm..." Cockerell muttered, "no, she's much prettier than the maids," he smiled, "what do you have in your pockets, Melinda?"

The little girl glanced up at Cockerell, "don't tell daddy?"

"I won't tell your father as long as it's not something for that other girl, Silvertounge's daughter," replied Cockerell.

Sophia reached into her pocket and took out a small bright green tree frog with red eyes, "I found him near the pond. Oh please Cockerell, can I keep him?"

"Well," Cockerell paused, stroking his beard.

"Please, you're daddy's best friend you're like an uncle, if you say it's okay daddy will say it's okay! Please!"

"Alright," Cockerell smiled, "but remind your father he needs to be in Capricorn's church at eleven tonight for the wedding."

"OK! Thanks Cockerell, bye! Come on Froggy, lets go visit big brother," she beamed, running out of Cockerell's house.

"Thats Sophia, Granziano's daughter," Cockerell explained, "now lets-"

"Oy, Capricorn wants to see you, without the girl, said it's important," grunted Flatnose, "somethin' 'bout that Rangaslono guy not cooperating."

"Alright," Cockerell replied, taking Kat's arm he dragged her out with him, "stay with Joy," he grunted.

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It had been hours since Cockerell left, nightfall had long since past, Basta and Joy had gone to bed while the village still buzzed with life of the night guards. Kat was walking through the spot light lit square to get towards the kitchen, she was starving.

"SHHH!"

"Huh?"

"SHH!"

Kat turned around to see Dustfinger with Joy in his arms, "this way," he hissed to her, "I'm going to get you all out of here."

Thank God! Kat thought to herself as she followed Dustfinger to a dark blue car, Mo, Meggie, and Eleanor were already inside, she opened the back door as Dustfinger slid Joy into the back. Kat also noticed the arab boy that Mo had read out of that book was with them; the poor thing still looked terrified, I know the feeling.

"Here," Dustfinger exclaimed, handing Kat her car keys, "its right next to Eleanor's."

"Thanks," Kat replied, taking the keys.

"Drive," Dustfinger exclaimed, "just drive, no matter what drive."

Kat nodded, she rushed off to her car and waited for Eleanor to quickly pull out nearly five minutes later. She started her car and followed the car out, right now she didn't have much of a choice but to follow. She looked down in the passenger seat to find her pink cell phone, she grabbed it and flipped open the lid when they were nearly an hour away from the village. The screen flashed: 15 Missed Calls. Five were from her boyfriend, Billy, the other ten from her mother. She put the cell phone down again, more focused on the road, "oh shit!" She shouted at seeing headlights in her rear view mirror.

What was the number that Dustfinger gave me to call incase of trouble? Crap, crap, crap, she thought to herself, she recalled the number, grabbed her phone and dialed.

"Eleanor? It's me, Kat," Kat exclaimed into the phone, "they know we're missing their about ten miles behind me."

"I am not going back to that confounded village, I won't, I won't, I won't!" Eleanor shouted, hitting the steering wheel.

"I'm not planning on it either," Kat replied, "Eleanor watch out-" she started when Eleanor's car skidded off the road. "I'm pulling over to help you all-"

"NO!" Mo's voice exclaimed through the phone a good minute later, "just drive!"

"But I can't just leave y-"

"Their not only after us, Kat," Mo exclaimed, "their after you and Joy too! She's Basta's wife there's no way he's going to give her up without a fight. You're to be Cockerell's wife, and from what I've read and seen, Basta, Flatnose, and Cockerell were called the Deadly Trio since they stick close together. Now just drive dont worry about us! I'll call you! GO!"

Kat nodded, though she felt guilty, extremely guilty. She wasn't only leaving behind Mo, Meggie, Eleanor, the Arab Boy - Farid - but Joy also. She felt like she was betraying her, I'll call them and see where they are, I'll make it up to them somehow. She drove faster at seeing the headlights getting closer, taking a breath in she turned off her lights knowing how dangerous it was. Right now she didn't have a choice, after half an hour of the delivery lights being gone she turned her lights back on and realized how close she had been to falling into a ravine.

Kat drove, and drove, and drove and drove; she yawned hours later, the sun had risen it was noon, she blinked, she was in her home village! She had driven straight through; to get to the village the first time she had only driven three to five hours for three days because she had other places to photograph as well.

"Katherine!"

"MOM!" Kat yelled, parking her car and putting the emergency break on she shut off the car, put her keys and her phone in her pocket and ran over to her mother.

"Oh Kat! Where were you?!" Illene asked, hugging her daughter close, "a detective's here because I asked- what are you wearing?!"

"Mom, mom," Kat panted, "there's other people who need help! Mo Folchart and his daughter Meggie Folchart, a woman named Elinor - Eleanor I don't know the spelling of her name, Farid, and Dustfinger."

"Honey...What are you talking about?" Illene asked, hugging her daughter close, worry shined her eyes, "look at you, you look so tired."

"I drove straight through, please mom...They need help."

"What's going on, Illene-" A tall man stopped in front of the two, "she came back."

"Kat, this is Detective Inglestone; Detective Inglestone, my daughter, Katherine- Kat."

Kat looked at the police detective, after a few minutes of getting herself calmed down enough, she told her entire story to him. He didn't believe her at first, until she noted both her clothes, and grabbed her cell phone, going through the picture gallery of photos her phone took she found a picture of Basta who was sneering down at the camera, a gun in his hand.

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Cockerell was angrier than he had been in a long, long time. How did they wind up with an incompetent, supersticious, egotistic, imbecile as their leader?! He had arrived back at the village only six hours ago to find his fiancee gone, long with her car. Mortola had come up to him looking angry demanding to know if he had seen Basta and Flatnose, when he said no he was told to gather men and do a search for the two missing black jackets. He had six men in one car, and four men in a second car, they had been half way down the road when their two dogs ran out and barked at them.

Cockerell grabbed the dogs, they were missing their leashes.

"Oy, looks like Basta's failed again," grunted Graziano as he crossed his arms, his dark brown eyes darkened with disgust.

Cockerell sneered, "it's high time Capricorn found a new second in command. One that has a good hiding place for car keys...Which is not under one's pillow."

"You'd make a good leader," Graziano noted, his gravelly voice sounded approving. He stroked his scruffy beard; his face was a squared face; he had dark brown eyes, long raven black hair; he wore the same attire as other black jackets, only instead of only carrying a pistol or rifle he carried a thick belt filled with two pistols, extra bullets, and daggers and knives of all kind. He was three inches taller than Basta, and much stronger, a force to be reckoned with.

"What are you talkin' about? You'd be Capricorn's first choice," Cockerell exclaimed as he handed walkie-talkies out, "everyone knows who we're looking for. If you find Basta before we do...Soften him up a bit and harass him with anything 'unlucky' you can find!"

The black jackets laughed and walked off.

"I highly doubt that," Graziano replied, "I'm more of a...What we call in this world, hit man, than I am a leader. Tell me, you must have another reason for being so angered with Basta, I can see it by the way you are acting."

Cockerell grunted as he walked with Graziano, though they were from two different worlds the two men had an...Odd friendship. They were not lovers, or anything along that lines, just friends. Perhaps it was the fact the two had lost their entire families when they were both young that formed their friendship; or perhaps it was the fact they liked working for Capricorn; or maybe even because they got to terrify people on regular basis.

"I finally found a woman," he exclaimed.

Graziano whistled.

Cockerell grunted, "a fine woman at that," he replied, "a raven haired beauty whose smarter and prettier than all the maids combined - including Resa. On top of this she takes pictures for a living, I have seen her photographs, it is as if you could step into them. Having her along on burns to take pictures for me...I could relive those moments anytime I wanted too so easily. So very, very, easily. Then Basta, that idiot, decides not to hide the keys - maybe with Silvertounge's it was an accident - but not with Kat's - Hell it was no accident. He takes pride in the fact that he's married to a red-headed beauty, though her hair resembles straw now if you ask me. He figures noone can have a woman as pretty as she is, or even prettier at that!"

"Ah the fight over women," Exclaimed Graziano with a sigh, "a battle that we ponder why we waste our time on - my woman is lovelier than yours, and so on. Yet, when it comes to it, we males are very territorial of our women. We think of them as the most beautiful creatures to walk this planet of ours; yet when another man walks in with a woman he feels is prettier than another's woman...Well a man has to stand up for his lady of course."

"If that's not bad enough he made moves on Kat," Cockerell sneered. "Kat doesn't know him, plus she was scared, which was good it kept her in line, unlike Joy who forgets where the line is from time to time."

"I would not worry so," Graziano replied as they neared an old hovel, "Joy seems to keep her husband prowling only around the maids; though since they know he is married they all tell Joy when he is harassing them. It is quite a sight to watch Joy walk past in a huff and Basta following behind her begging for forgiveness so he can share the same bed with her at night. She has more power over him than he likes to think."

"Joy's gone too, did I mention that?" Cockerell smirked.

"No, you didnt," Graziano replied, "we should watch our step when we find Basta then...He will most likely be more angry about his wife being taken than Silvertounge dissapearing."

"MMPPHHMMHHHH!"
"I think we found them," Cockerell replied as she stepped into the hovel, Flatnose was kicking rats off his feet who were busy chewing at the rubber soles of his shoes. Basta was red in the face, eyes bulging, he kicked out at Cockerell in anger.

"It's not me who sleeps with car keys under their pillow," Cockerell sneered, "letting yourselves get tied up with your own rope - what idiots you are!"

Graziano untied Flatnose, letting the giant take the gag off himself.

Cockerell, however, worked slower, when he finally finished cutting the ropes he sneered at Basta.

"Don't look at me like that, Cockerell," Basta sneered, "that fire eater took my wife! MY WIFE! NOT HIS MINE!"

"You have to find Silvertounge first," sneered Cockerell, before getting the walkie talkie and telling the other black jackets the search was over, Basta and Flatnose had been found.

"My wife-"

"Capricorn has doubts you can actually carry on your position, if you're not careful you might become a regular black jacket while someone else becomes Capricorn's second in command," Cockerell sneered.

"Enough," Graziano snapped, I'm going to the village and taking four of the men - inlcuding these two - back with me. Why don't you take the other two and go burn that older woman's prized book collection?"

Cockerell smiled, "burning books, smells like paradise to me."

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Two days later Kat had learned that Mo, Meggie,Eleanor, and Joy were safe; she had also learned Mo, Joy and Meggie were staying in her neighbor's apartment he rented out to summer guests. A thick blanket of light grey storm clouds covered the sky, threatning to unleash mother nature's tears at any moment. Kat grabbed her camera and stood on a hill that faced downwards towards the ocean, she snapped a few photographs knowing they'd be good.

She walked on then paused at hearing foot steps behind her, she grabbed her cell phone in her pocket and turned around, noone, nothing. Okay girlie, you need to stop being so paranoid, they're not going to find you again. Chill out.

Why did she have a feeling she was wrong, so horribly, horribly wrong? She rounded the corner and got ready to knock on the door of the rental apartment when she found the door wide open. Inside she heard voices, two very familiar male voices. Basta and Flatnose. Before she could call Detective Inglestone Basta was walking out of the bedroom, "don't kill that cat, don't you know it's unlucky?!" He snapped.

Kat dialed Detective Inglestone and kept the phone upside down in the pocket so the microphone was near the open. He needed to hear what was going on, she wouldn't run this time, not this time; not when she had a chance to help Joy, Meggie, and Mo like they had helped her.

"A man could be driven insane by your supersticious babble!" Sneered Flatnose before he froze.

Basta looked up and a cold, cold smile went across his lips, "well, well, who do we have here?"

Kat glanced to Meggie who stood with Pippo, the two looked terrified, she saw Joy step out and hug the two close and protectively to her.

Every instinct Kat had told her to book it and run for her life; no, not this time. Not this time.

"Decided that you miss Cockerell, eh?" Flatnose laughed, "funny 'cause he was in a real pout earlier how you left him at the altar!"

"Shut up!" Basta sneered, grabbing Kat by the arm, "get those two children, Joy come here. We're going to pay that one's grandfather a visit," he pointed at Pippo, "now lets go."

Kat hoped Detective Inglewood was listening, she really, really hoped he was.