Chapter 11: The Mansion
Shade led the others back to Gerard's mansion, and now they stood outside it, hiding in tree branches, hidden behind leaves. Shi and Keegen had caught up to them, but they still hadn't seen Jake. Shi was knelt down in branch in a separate tree from the others, when Keegen jumped over, startling her slightly and almost loosing balance.
"You're almost as jumpy as Adam." he remarked, smiling weakly.
"Sorry, I was thinking on how to get in." Shi said, looking back at the house.
"We can always go through the window where I jumped out." Shade hissed from the tree across from her.
"They'd have guards there by now." Shi said, shaking her head.
"So. Not many guards can fit there." Shade said. "Besides, they're not demons or anything." he added, shrugging.
"I'm half way debating just walking through the front door." Keegen muttered, and Shi nodded.
"I've been thinking about that too, but I don't know what they'll do to the others." Shi said, looking back at him.
"Lets just run in and slit up." Shadow said. "That's always worked before." she added shrugging.
"Yea but before we've always had Madende…" Shi mused.
"Well you have me now, and Jake's already in there." Keegen said, standing.
"You two do make up for him." Shi smiled, also standing. "Through the front door it is." she added, jumping down.
"Sweet!" Shade and Shadow said, also jumping down.
Eclipse and Keegen followed, landing right beside Shi as they all hunkered down and ran silently over to the door. As they reached the door, Keegen kicked it in, and everyone ran in. The main room was empty and silent. However, the further in they went into the house, the weaker they seemed to get.
"What the hell is going on?" Keegen asked, bending down, placing his hands on his knees.
"I don't know. Its like our energy is being drained…" Shi muttered, leaning against a wall.
Shade and Shadow also slumped against a wall and looked around. Eclipse leaned against the wall next to Shi and looked at her.
"Well…this is going to make things more difficult." Shade muttered. "No wonder I felt odd earlier…" he added, shaking his head.
"We'll manage, come on." Keegen said, standing and slowly walking off.
"Keegen are you going to be ok?" Shi asked.
"I have to be to get Adam out of here." he muttered, looking over his shoulder at her.
Shi nodded sadly and looked around.
"Shade, Eclipse, go with him. Shadow and I will go that way and try to find a way to the basement." Shi said, walking over to her sister.
"You can't go alone." Eclipse said, shaking his head.
"Eclipse, now is not the time to start panicking." Shi said, shaking her head. "I can take care of myself, and you have to know that." she added, looking back at him.
"But-" he started, but Shi cut him off.
"No buts. Just go with the boys and find Jake. Shadow and I will be fine." she said, smiling at him.
Sighing, Eclipse nodded and turned back to the others, as Shi and Shadow turned and ran down a dark hallway, disappearing in the blackness.
XxXxXxXxXx X
Shi and Shadow raced up the dark hallway of Gerard's mansion, looking in every door that was open. It had been silent except for the sounds of their feet, but now a soft humming covered their noises. Shi and Shadow continued up the hall, ignoring their growing feeling of weakness, and spotted an open door, where a little light filtered out. Slowing to a silent walk, they approached the door. Peering around the corner, they noticed it was Gowin, Gerard's main man. He was sitting in a tub of cold water, with his clothes still on, humming a unfamiliar tune.
A noise up ahead distracted Shi and Shadow, and they looked ahead, and ran passed the door. Shi slid to a stop at the end of the hall and noticed that another hall stretched to the left and right. Sighing, she shook her head and tried to catch her breath.
"I think we're lost, Shadow…" she muttered.
Shadow didn't respond. Shi looked up and around, but her sister was no where to be seen.
"Shadow?" she called, looking all around.
A muffled cry came from the room they had just passed, and Shi looked back at it. The sounds of splashing water reach her sensitive ears, and she raced back down the hall towards the door. Just as she reached the door, Shadow was slammed against the wall, as Gowin kissed her full on the lips. Shadow was struggling to get free, trying to push him off, and kicking her feet, but he was much stronger and bigger than she was. Shi turned and flitted up the hall. She remembered passing through a kitchen, and since she didn't have any useful weapons on her, and she couldn't turn into her demon form, she needed something. Coming into the kitchen, Shi found a drawer full of kitchen knives.
"Tired of every mother fucker we run across trying to rape us!" she growled, grabbing the biggest knife she could find.
Flitting back down the hall, Shi made it back to the room in no time. As she race through the door, she realized that Gowin had ripped Shadow's shirt off and it lay in the floor, ripped in half. Shi growled and stepped forward.
"Get off of her!" she yelled, but Gowin completely ignored her.
Jumping forward, Shi held the blade tightly to Gowin's throat and growled deeply.
"I said, get off of her…" she growled in his ear, and Gowin froze.
Shadow moved to the back of the tub, and shivered, trying to catch her breath. Gowin moved quick for a human, and turned away from the blade, grabbing Shi's wrist and aiming the point straight at Shadow's bare back. Shi used all her vampire strength to stop him from pushing the blade any farther, and stabbing Shadow.
"Shadow! Get out of the tub!" she cried, bracing a foot against the outside of the tub.
Shadow unwillingly fell out of the tub, drained of all energy from fighting off Gowin for so long. Shi took this opportunity to bite down on Gowin's hand as hard as she could, hearing his bone snap.
"Ah!" Gowin cried, ripping his hand from her mouth. "You little biting bitch!" he growled, grabbing her under her arms and throwing her into the tub with him.
As she hit the water, Shi lost grip on the knife. Gowin pounced immediately, pinning her to the bottom of the tub. Shi gripped his arm with one of her hands and felt around for the knife with the other.
"Stop it! Let her go!" Shadow cried weakly, trying to get up.
Drained of all her energy, Shadow collapsed back on the wet floor. Shade and Keegen suddenly rounded the corner, Eclipse close behind.
"Hey!" Keegen snapped, running forward.
Shi's hand suddenly shot out of the water, blade in hand, and slashed across Gowin's chest. Howling in pain, Gowin fell back, just as Keegen attacked him, flipping the tub over. Water spilled everywhere, and Shi slid out on her side across the ground, coughing.
"Shi, are you alright?!" Eclipse yelled, racing forward to her.
Shi coughed and sat up as he pulled her to her feet, and hugged her tightly, rubbing her arms and back.
"I think…" she muttered, gasping still.
They both looked back at Keegen, who was sitting on top of Gowin, beating him with his fists.
"I'll teach you to fuck with my friends! I'll rip your dick off and shove it clean up your ass!" he growled, continuously hitting Gowin.
Eclipse raised and eyebrow and looked at Shi, who looked back at him. Shade ran over to Shadow, pulling his shirt off as he went, and knelt down beside her, pulling her up. Pulling the shirt on over her head, Shade pulled Shadow to her feet and hugged her tightly, as she shivered violently against him. Shi too was shivering, and looked back at Keegen, who had stopped beating on Gowin and stood. Walking back over to Shi, he looked down at her.
"Are you ok?" he asked, taking the kitchen knife from her.
"Yea." Shi said, nodding.
Keegen nodded and went to Shadow and Shade, to check on them.
"How is she?" he asked Shade, looking at him.
"Weak and cold. But I think she'll be ok." Shade replied, rubbing Shadow's arms, trying to warm her.
Shi gasped suddenly behind him, and jumped back. Keegen and Eclipse turned to see Gowin getting to his feet. Before Eclipse could move, Keegen tossed the blade up, catching the very tip of if with his fingers, and threw it as hard as he could. The blade dug itself deep into Gowin's forehead, making a crunching noise as it pierced through his skull. Shi, Eclipse and Shade stared in shock at Gowin's body as it hit the floor with a loud thud, then looked back at Keegen.
"He won't be waking up from that one." Keegen muttered, shaking his head.
"I hope not." Eclipse said, looking back at Gowin.
"Lets go before more people show up." Keegen said, looking at all of them and walking to the door.
Shade nodded and bent, picking Shadow's legs up. She hugged his neck tightly and laid her head against his shoulder. Eclipse lead Shi out of the room, holding her close to him, while Keegen lead the way.
"I thought you could take care of yourself." Eclipse muttered, looking straight ahead.
"Don't start…" Shi said, coughing lightly.
"Well…" Eclipse started, but Shi pulled away from him.
"I slip up once, and you go off thinking I can't take care of myself." she growled, walking ahead of him, towards Keegen.
"Shi, come here, please." Eclipse called, chasing after her.
Crossing her arms tightly over her chest, Shi shivered, and walked passed Keegen, who grabbed her and pulled her back to him.
"You're going to freeze to death if you don't warm up." he muttered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"At this point I really don't care." Shi muttered, looking away. "Can't do anything about it anyway. I can't use my demon energy to warm myself." she grumbled.
"Stay with Eclipse. Let his body heat warm you." Keegen said, looking down at her.
"I'm not happy with him right now." Shi said, her eyes narrowing.
"So I heard." Keegen said, looking back ahead.
They had reached the end of the hall way, where Shi was earlier, and looked down both hallways.
"Which way do you think we should go?" Keegen asked.
"I don't know. I was up here earlier and I don't know which way to go. They both look the same." Shi muttered, shrugging.
"Shi, please. Come here." Eclipse said, stopping beside her.
Keegen and Shi looked at him, before Shi turned away, shivering again.
"I'm sorry, ok?" Eclipse said, hooking a finger under her chin and making her look back at him.
"No, its not ok. You have to trust me. You can not protect me from everything." Shi said, looking at him. "And I don't need you jumping my ass every time I slip up." she added, pulling her head away and looking back down the hall.
"I wasn't jumping your ass!" Eclipse cried.
"Sure sounded like it to me." Shi growled.
"I promise, I wasn't. I was just scared that you were hurt." Eclipse said, stepping in front of her and Keegen.
Keegen continued to watch him silently, as Shi looked at him out of the corner of her eye.
"I'm sorry, really I am. I wasn't trying to snap I promise." Eclipse begged, holding out his arms to her.
Keegen looked down at Shi, and raised an eyebrow, as she thought it through for a minute. She shook her head and stepped forward, Keegen's arm slipping off her shoulders.
"I'll forgive you this time…" she muttered, as Eclipse wrapped his arms around her.
Keegen smiled and looked around.
"I say we go…left." he said, looking down the hall.
"Then we go left." Shi said, and Eclipse walked with her down the hall after Keegen.
XxXxXxXxXxX
Finally finding the way into the basement, Jake ran as fast as he could down the long hall way. The jail cells finally came into his sight and he slid to a stop beside the first one. It was empty. But in the next one, Jeric lay motionless on the bed, sleeping lightly.
"Jeric!" he hissed, going to the door.
Jeric bolted up in the bed, wincing roughly as he did, and looked at Jake.
"Jake!" he said, gently getting out of the bed and going to the door. "Where are the others?" he asked.
"Close. They'll be coming around any second now." Jake said, looking over in the next cell.
Abi and Adam sat on the edge of the bed, also sleeping. Abi's arms were wrapped tightly around Adam's sides, and her face buried in his neck. Her face was wet with tears, and she shivered lightly. Adam's arm was draped over her shoulders, his head turned away from her, eyes closed and breathing lightly. Running over to the cage door, Jake gripped the bars and pulled against the door.
"There are alarms on the doors. If you pull it open, they'll go off and you'll have the same problem Shade did." Jeric warned, going to the wall and looking in at Abi and Jake.
"Abi!" Jake cried, making both Adam and Abi jump.
Abi looked over at the door, and her face lit up instantly.
"Jake!" she cried, jumping up and racing over to the door.
Slipping her arms through the bars, she hugged him tightly through the door, tears rolling down her face again.
"Jake, I've missed you so much!" she cried, as Jake hugged her back through the door.
"I know, I'm so sorry I couldn't get here sooner. "Jake said, fighting the tears in his eyes.
"Don't be, just get us out of here." Abi said, looking up at him.
"I don't know where the alarm system is, so I can shut it down." Jake said, looking around.
"Throw the whole circuit." Jeric suggested. "That'll shut it off." he added, smirking.
Nodding, Jake started to pull away from Abi, when the others slid down the stairs. Looking back, Jake sighed as Keegen and Shade ran over.
"Adam!" Keegen cried, stopping beside Jake.
"You're here!" Adam cried, running over. "You have no idea how much I've missed you." he said, smiling through the bars.
"Yea I do." Keegen smiled, sticking a hand through the bars and rubbing the side of Adam's face.
Adam put a hand over Keegen's and closed his eyes. Shade ran over to the circuit box and looked back at the others. Shi and Shadow huddled together off to the side, shivering and dripping wet.
"Ready?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Everyone nodded. Keegen grabbed one of Adam's hands and looked back at him. Shade nodded and grabbed the switch, throwing it down. The lights went out instantly, throwing them into total darkness.
"Lets get these doors open." he said, running over to Jeric's door and starting to pick the lock.
Upstairs, Gerard growled as the power went out.
"God damn it! Someone get down to those cells!" he yelled, jumping to his feet. "Where is Gowin?!" he snapped as one of his men ran through the door.
"We haven't seen him since earlier." the man said, bowing to him.
"Well you better get to finding him! And get some men down there! The Fox's are here!" he yelled.
"Yes Sir!" the man yelled, racing off.
"What's going on?" Sarah asked as she walked up with her two sisters.
"The Fox's are here!" Gerard snapped, looking back at her.
"Gerard!" Vicky called, running in. "Gowin's dead." she said, stopping beside him.
"What?! How?!" he yelled, looking at her.
"Knife through the forehead." Vicky said, looking at Sarah, Hannah, and Paige.
Gerard growled and looked back at the three.
"Alright, you four go search the place. I'm going to the basement to see what's going on." he said, starting down the walk way.
The girls nodded and took off.
In the basement, Shade got Jeric's door open and stood back as he walked out.
"How is Madende?" he asked, looking at him.
Shade stopped and dropped his head.
"Shade! How is Madende?!" he yelled.
"I don't know…" Shade said quietly, looking up at him. "His mind went black about an hour ago, and I haven't been able to pick anything up since." he said.
"Where is Bryn?" Jeric asked, looking around. "I was sure he'd be here." he added.
"He left when I told him Blake wasn't here…" Shade muttered.
Jeric looked at him, fear taking over his face.
"What is he thinking?" he asked quickly.
Shade was silent for a minute, listening to Bryn's thoughts.
"His exact thoughts are…Dear God what have I done?" he said quietly, looking up at Jeric.
Jeric's eyes widened and he turned away, trying to shimmer.
"What the hell…Why can't I shimmer?" he asked, looking back at Shade.
"The house drains the demon energy out of us." Keegen said, looking back at him.
He was holding Adam close to himself, as Jake had pulled the door off its hinges and was holding Abi tightly.
"How did you get out earlier?" Jeric asked, looking back at Shade.
"Through the window at the end of the hall." Shade said, pointing down the hall.
"I'm going back. I have a bad feeling. Will you be ok?" he asked.
"Of course. Just go." Shade said, nodding.
Jeric nodded and jogged down the hall to the window, jumping up and pulling himself gently out of the window. Once he was outside and a distance away from the house, he felt his energy coming back slowly, and shimmered off, leaving the others to battle with Gerard and his minions.
A/n: uh oh...eh heh, so Jeric knows something bad is up...what will he do? Hang around for the next chapter and find out! Review for me!!! LaterZ!
SHOUT OUT!!
to Abi of course :P thanx for sticking with me :)