Chapter 26, Sins Of Our Mothers

Sergeant Stoddard was escorting Jill to the main reception area. All the while he had been talking about himself and she could barely stand it. The elevator filled with his scent of cheap aftershave and cigarettes. It was enough to make her gag. In the end she pitied whoever would have to use it next. It could be worse, he could've farted. Her thoughts then drifted some more and she wondered if he had been able to get that receptionist's phone number.

The elevator doors opened and standing in front of the reception desk was Sergeant Paul Costello, Petey Staggart and two other tin men that she did not recognize. She and Stoddard walked over to the desk. The receptionist was nowhere to be found.

Jill felt anxious seeing all of the tin men standing around. She warily said, "Good morning Sergeant Costello. Do you have business here as well?"

Costello looked at her with sympathetic eyes. "I do Miss Wilkins but unfortunately it concerns you. You're under arrest."

She looked at him in shock. "For what?!" she asked disbelievingly.

"Failure to register as an outworlder."

"What?!" She was still in shock. With a shaking hand she reached in to an inside pocket and pulled out her registration card. She stretched out her arm and held in front of Costello. "Here's my registration card. We went down to that office right after we were done talking to you." As she glanced over at Petey her voice rose higher. "You even told Petey to take us down there!"

Costello took her card, glanced at it and put it in his pocket. "I'm sorry Jill," Costello answered and he motioned the two tin men to go over to her. One took a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket. "We don't have any record of you completing any paperwork. For all we know your registration card is a forgery."

Jill looked dumbfounded at him. "I can't believe that you think that Cain would be in with me to get a fake I.D." The tin man with the cuffs stopped. "Seriously, do you really think that?"

Costello paused and then nodded to the tin man with the cuffs to continue. The tin man said to her in a low quiet voice, "I'm sorry Miss Wilkins. I'll be as gentle and professional as I can, but you're going to have to put your hands on your head and then I'm going to have to pat you down. It's standard procedure." Jill snorted her acknowledgment and kept her eyes on Costello and Petey.

The tin man proceeded to pat her down. He lightly touched her left side. "Sergeant?"

Oh shit.

"What is it Sulouff?"

"Miss Wilkins, please reach down slowly and unbutton your jacket."

She did as she was told.

Petey stood slightly behind Costello. For a moment she could have sworn she saw him make a sly smile. It was the type of smile that a cat would make after having cornered a mouse.

Sulouff took the handgun out of its holster and handed it to Costello. He sighed deeply. "Where did you get the gun?"

She knew what Costello was thinking but she lied anyway. She shrugged and quietly replied, "I found it."

Costello sighed again. Damn it Cain. "Petey, mark it down that we discovered an unregistered, military issue handgun on the suspect."

Suspect?! That's just great….. Jill turned around and found that Sergeant Stoddard had walked back over to the elevator. "Hey! Wait!" She called over to him. "Can't you do something?"

Stoddard slowly shook his head no.

Jill grew incensed. "If you can't personally do something, can you at least tell those soldiers that were interviewing me or get a message to General Turnbaugh that I'm being arrested?"

Stoddard started at her for a moment. Then they all heard the ding of the elevator arriving. The doors opened and Stoddard walked through them. "It's out of our jurisdiction, but sure, I'll give them all the message." Before Jill could reply he closed the doors.

"Fucking bastard", she thought to herself.

The other tin man started to rattle off her rights but she barely heard him. She was still taken aback that this was happening.

The tin man who had cuffed her gently took a hold of her arm and pulled her towards the door. She asked, "Where are you taking me?"

Costello answered her, "To the 9th Street Precinct."

As they walked out in to the sunlight Jill realized with dismay that if they were arresting her, then they would be after Cain next.

Not long after Cain left, DG went back inside the palace to warm up. As she walked the halls back to her private chamber she flagged down a young courier.

The school girl curtsied deeply and said, "Good morning Princess Dorothy. How may I be of service?"

DG softly smiled. The girl could not have been any more than 9 or 10. "There's no need to be that formal. What's your name?"

The school girl rose up and grinned broadly. "Samantha. But your highness may call me Sam. I much prefer that."

DG kindly smiled again. "Sam…I need you to go see if there are any messages from two very close friends of mine. Their names are Raw and Calm. They should've arrived yesterday but haven't yet. Can you do that for me?"

"Of course your highness!," answered Sam enthusiastically. DG handed her a silver coin. Sam's eyes grew as round as saucers. "And you'll get another one when you come back," she added.

"All right!," squealed Sam. With the excitement of earning her first silver coins she lost all sense of decorum and reverted back to just being a kid. Through all of her sadness, DG smiled as she watched Sam run down the hallway. She had been the one bright spot all morning.

Since the terrorist attack, security had been tightened around and in the city. Even so, Zero and Lieutenant Lundgren readily passed through the checkpoints. Their forged documents, badges, clothing, and even handguns were minutely accurate reproductions of standard tin men. Zero thought about the Father as they passed through the city gate. He might be an anal prick but it was that impeccable sense of detail that made getting in to the city so freaking easy.

His thoughts were interrupted by Lundgren's voice. "Where did you want to go before we went to the safe house?" Lundgren had been annoyed all morning. Once again Zero had refused to tell him what additional business they had in Central City.

"We're going to meet up with an old broad of mine on the other side of town," he answered. He thought of Atricia's mocha skin and it excited him. Of all of them, she was his favorite. He snickered to himself. Certainly Atricia would have one or two broads available for the boy too.

Cain turned the corner, stopped dead in his tracks, and quickly ducked behind a bush. He was fortunate that the military was one step above austere in its landscaping.

He saw his old friend Costello, and two other tin men escorting Jill to a waiting squad car. He narrowed his eyes and with shock and dismay realized that Jill had her arms behind her back.

Damn it. I shouldn't have left you alone.

That thought was quickly followed up with, And I gave you the fucking gun back too.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he left his guard down and never heard the footsteps behind him. He only felt the sharp pain from a blow by the butt of a handgun reverberating through his head.

As he sunk to his knees he turned around to see who had attacked him. He saw fiery red hair and recognized that it was Petey. I'm sorry that I couldn't keep my promise Jill.

Petey sneered at him. Before he could reach for his gun he felt another sharp blow to his head. As he lost consciousness he heard him say in a low voice, "Serves you right for interfering cowboy." And with that Petey kicked him in the gut for good measure.

The day dragged on for DG. They had not yet moved Azkdadellia. There was something about a delay while they made arrangements for a private room, guards, and god knows what else. She had visited her briefly but there was no change in her condition. Whatever was given to her by Dr. Addison and his nurses must have been really potent.

DG was headed back to her garden when the young courier, Sam, found her.

Sam curtsied deeply again but when she rose she had such a look of disappointment on her face that DG's kind smile quickly turned to one of apprehension. "Sam, what's wrong?"

"Your highness," Sam's voice trembled.

DG put her hands on Sam's shoulders in an effort to try to calm her down even though her heart was going a mile a minute. "It's okay Sam. Take a deep breath and try again."

"Your highness," Sam started again. "Your friends are missing." Sam started to sniffle. "They found their horses in a village outside of here. A search party is looking for them." Sam sniffled some more. She was afraid of how DG would react to the news.

DG pulled her in and gave her a big hug. "Sam, that's bad news but I don't blame you." Oh god, what happened to them? DG released Sam from her embrace and then reached in to her pocket. "Here's the other silver coin I promised you."

Sam took the back of her hand and wiped her nose with it. She curtsied again. "Thank you Princess Dorothy."

DG gave her a sad smile. "You better get going Sam. I'm sure that you have other messages to deliver."

Sam nodded at her and ran off in the other direction.

DG continued to her garden. Her steps were slow and heavy. Her gut told her that something terrible had befallen Raw and Calm.

She hoped that when Cain, Jill, and Glitch returned to the garden that they would have better news.

The twin suns were sinking lower in the sky and DG finally rose from the bench. She had waited outside all afternoon but there had been no sign of Cain, Jill, or Glitch. She was cold and hungry and her gut told her that something was very, very wrong.

As she neared the exit to her garden she heard footsteps approaching. With dismay she thought that she only heard one set. If her ears were right then it was not the trio who had set off to get the books.

She stopped and there in the gateway stood Glitch.

"Are you alone?" she asked solemnly.

Glitch looked to his left, then to his right, and then turned completely around. "Yep."

DG could not help but roll her eyes and smile. But then she turned serious again. "Where's Cain and Jill?"

"Huh?"

With growing alarm she said, "Jill was being questioned by General Turnbaugh's men this morning. Cain was going to go get her, then get you, and then go to get those books from Dr. Addison."

"Oh?……I haven't seen them all day." Glitch answered with concern. He may still have been wounded from last night and this morning but he pushed the pain aside as he realized, along with DG, that his old and new friends might be in trouble.

DG grabbed his arm and was going to start to pull him down the walkway but then she stopped. She relaxed her grip and then looked in to his eyes, "Will you go with me down to the barracks to see if we can find them?"

Glitch looked down at her and smiled. "What are you waiting for doll?"

They reached the building where General Turnbaugh's office was located. They walked inside and went over to the receptionist's desk.

The receptionist heard them but did not bother to look up from what she was doing. "May I help you?" she asked distractedly. She was trying to get her work done so that she could leave on time.

Before DG could say anything, Glitch leaned over the counter and said quietly, "I think that you need to show some more respect to the princess."

The receptionist, quite annoyed, started to say, "Look, I'll be with you in a minute," and as she looked up her jaw dropped. Never in her life did she expect to see the Princess Dorothy, heroine of the O.Z. standing in front of her, with her trusty headcase by her side.

She jumped up so fast that she knocked over her chair. "I'm so sorry your highness. I'm so sorry," she kept repeating. Papers went flying.

DG finally said, "It's okay. Don't worry about it." The receptionist calmed back down and tried to tidy up the scattered papers the best that she could.

"We're looking for two friends of ours. Major Wyatt Cain and Miss Jill Wilkins. Have you seen them?" DG asked. Her heart was fluttering but she did her best to remain calm and not look distressed.

The receptionist did not say anything for a second. Then her eyes lit up. "Oh, the major? I did see him this morning. He escorted a woman upstairs and then came back down here alone."

"Did he say where he was going?" DG anxiously asked.

"No. Someone left an envelope for him and he opened it before he left. But then I didn't see him return or that woman leave."

DG was ready to press the receptionist for more information when they heard the ding of the elevator. Sergeant Stoddard had a woman on his arm and they were leaving the building. As they walked past they heard him say, "So the police show up to arrest this outworlder and she pulls out this freaking gun on 'em. So I rushed in, grabbed it and… "

"Wait!" DG yelled after them.

They stopped and turned around. The look on Sergeant Stoddard's face was priceless. He never expected to be ever standing that close to royalty in his "real" life.

DG marched over to him. "What was the name of that outworlder?" she demanded.

Stoddard coughed. His mind was racing. He was trying to figure if he could tell only half the truth to princess, maintain his hero status with the broad, and still get lucky tonight.

DG walked closer to him, her fists were clenched. "I said, what was the name of that outworlder?"

"Your highness, her name was Miss Jill Wilkins."

DG's eyes narrowed. "Where were the police taking her?"

"I don't know. I didn't stick around after she was taken in to custody."

Glitch tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up at him. "They would've taken her to 9th Street."

DG's eyes lit up. She knew that he was right. "Well, just what are we waiting for?"

Elsie was walking home alone, like any other night. For some reason she felt uneasy, like she was being followed. She quickened her gait and as she did so turned to look behind her. Even though no one was there she was still uncomfortable. She clutched her large purse closer to her chest and continued down the street.

The feeling would not leave her and she quickened her gait even more. She could not keep up the pace though and she abruptly turned down an alleyway in order to catch her breath.

She peeked around the corner and saw no one coming down the street.

She turned back around, yelped in surprise, and dropped her purse. There stood a very petite woman with her white hair tied up in a bun. She wore a plain gray coat that matched her plain gray dress. Her coat was open and it exposed her flowered half-apron. In a soft spoken voice that cracked with years she said, "I'm so sorry to scare you honey."

Elsie let out a sigh of relief. "You nearly scared me half to death," she told the old woman.

"Do you think that you could help me for a second?" the old woman asked.

"I suppose that I could. What is it?"

"Good. Can you help me throw a couple of bags of garbage in to the dumpster? I'd ask my grandson, but he's not around," replied the old woman. She started to mumble, "His father's never around, he's never around… you'd think that they would be around to help an old woman like me…"

Elsie sighed and with a bit of slight aggravation she muttered, "Oh, alright." She knew that she should be getting on her way. Her cat, Sparkles, would be whining in the doorway, waiting to be fed.

She walked while the old woman shuffled down the alleyway. The old woman said, "You can call me Mrs. Jeirles."

Out of politeness Elsie replied, "And you may call me Elsie."

"Yes, of course you are my dear." Elsie did not pick up on what Mrs. Jeirles said under her breath.

They reached the dumpster and Elsie grabbed a bag of garbage. She picked it up and the bottom fell out. The slop splattered on to her chambermaid's uniform. Elsie threw what was left of the bag on to ground and then held out her uniform. "Oh would you look at that!" she cried out in frustration. She turned around to further complain to Mrs. Jeirles, but the old woman was nowhere to be found.

"Mrs. Jeirles?" she said out loud a little nervously.

A high sing-song voice called out from behind the dumpster. "Go home did Mrs. Jeirles." A woman with pale green skin and long red hair that reached to her waist emerged from behind the dumpster.

Elsie's expression turned from nervousness to fear as she stared at the figure in front of her. She took a few steps back and bumped in to a body. She abruptly turned around and saw a man with fiery red hair and freckles standing there.

"Call the police!" she squealed. She turned back around and stared at the woman. "They were supposed to all have been killed off!"

Petey said rather nonchalantly, "Really? Why kill her? I've found that I've liked her company."

Elsie turned back around and stared at Petey in utter shock. "What did you say?! The Queen's grandmother commanded that they all be killed! Her breed was nothing more than assassins, loyal only to the highest bidder!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…. Feisty one are you," said the woman as she took a few steps closer to Elsie.

Petey then violently shoved Elsie towards the woman. She stumbled and fell into the woman's waiting arms.

The woman then pushed Elsie in to the side of a building with a hard thud.

"Ow…" muttered Elsie meekly. The woman placed her hand over Elsie's mouth. She started to whimper and then cry in muffled sobs.

"There there now," Petey told her. "From what I understand it won't hurt a bit. In fact I've been told that it's a bit erotic."

Elsie whimpered again. The woman whispered in her ear, "Hymnshra, I be named. Command, did the Queen's grandmother give. Betrayed were we but no one would listen. Scattered were we through the far lands. New life found I thru the Father." She paused, and then hissed, "Pay will the royal house of Gale."

Another whimper emerged from Elsie. Hymnshra removed her hand and placed her mouth over Elsie's. It engulfed her completely. She squirmed but Hymnshra held her fast against the wall. She kissed her passionately and pushed her body hard against Elsie's. Petey was enthralled with the display and felt his manhood rise. He put his hand on the dumpster to steady himself.

Then a muffled scream emerged from Elsie and her eyes rolled back in her head. Her hands balled in to fists and her arms flailed wildly. Hymnshra embraced her tightly and continued to push her against the wall. Then flailing slowly stopped and Elsie's skin turned alabaster white.

As soon as it had begun it was over. Hymnshra left Elsie's body drop to the ground. Petey's breathing stopped as he saw Elsie's body turn to white dust.

Hymnshra stood over the pile of white dust. She licked her lips and then turned to Petey who was still steadying himself against the dumpster. She said matter-of-factly, "Soon to die she was anyway."

As before she raised her arms above her head and brought them together. Her body shimmered and there before Petey stood Elsie.

"Whoa."

"Where be my purse?" Elsie coughed and cleared her throat. "Petey! Get my purse."

Petey stood and looked at her a moment longer. The heat that he had been feeling before was gone. He picked up Elsie's purse and handed it to her. "Thank you. Now I need to go home and feed Sparkles. He's probably whining in the doorway."

Petey shook his head and started to walk down the alleyway with Elsie.

Author's note: Thanks to all who have written a quick review and to those who have been lurking in the shadows. "I promise that I'll see to this to the end with you."