Chapter 73
Author's Note: Another chapter. Sorry it took so long but sad chapters are hard to write D: Once again thank you for your reviews. And thanks to everyone who has put the story on their favourite or following list :D I apologise Nico fans. He isn't in this chapter but he will appear later on, soon!
Pietro wasted no time taking Dafne to the entrance of the crypt. There was a lantern hanging on a hook. Pietro lit it for her.
"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked.
Dafne shook her head. It was better for her to go alone. Pietro nodded in understanding.
"If you need me, just call. I'll wait for you here," he said gently, eyeing the murky staircase, "Watch your step bella."
Dafne took that advice and proceeded carefully down the stairs, into the dark. It was a heavy dark, cold and rank. It caught in her throat and chilled her bones.
The stairs ended and she held the lantern higher, casting light into the crypt, illuminating the bars. A set of clasping hands. A partially hidden washed out face.
"Basta!" her voice echoed off the walls.
The face moved, pressed itself more against the bars, eyes narrowed.
"Little mouse," he said in a voice that was hoarse, surprised. A tad alarmed, "What are you doing here?"
"I..." Dafne choked back a sob. If only she was here to spring him from this cell. But she had come without a key. "To see you," she managed.
"But how..." Basta asked as she made her way over to him, "Did you run away to come here?" he started shaking his head, "You should go before you get caught..."
"I'm allowed to be down here," Dafne told him, "I have Capricorn's permission." Those words tasted like ash in her mouth. Oh yes she had permission from the man who was keeping him locked down here, on death row.
"You've spoken to Capricorn?" Basta said, his hands rubbing the bars, "So he knows?" he hung his head, already knowing the answer, "Of course he does," his head jerked up, "Who's he going to give you to? Cockerell?" his voice cracked with distress, "I'm so sorry, little mouse, I'm so sorry..."
Dafne hushed him.
"He's not giving me to Cockerell. He's..." she paused, knowing that Basta wouldn't like her next words. She sighed, "He's given me to Pietro."
"Pietro?" Basta repeated slowly, stunned, "Why did he choose him?" there was anger creeping into his voice now.
"Pietro convinced him to... He did it to help," she added quickly at Basta's appalled expression, "To keep me safe. From Capricorn and Cockerell..."
"Oh I see," Basta said furiously, "Safe up north where you can be conveniently alone and he can try to charm you away from me!"
He started cursing Pietro and making death threats. Dafne vaguely wondered if Pietro could hear him upstairs.
"That's not going to happen," she cut over the top of him, "Ever. You're the only one I want to be with."
He really was. And she suddenly couldn't back tears anymore. She didn't want to lose him. She leaned against his prison and buried her face in her hands. Basta's fingers were immediately through the gap in the bars, stroking her hair.
"Oh dear heart don't cry," he said repentantly, "I didn't mean to upset you. I know you'd never abandon me for that idiot," he sighed, "And I admit you'll be safer up north. And it's not like it'll be permanent. I'll come get you once I've made up for losing Dirtyfingers... and the other things. Did Capricorn say when I'm to be let out?" he asked with hope in his voice.
That made telling him the truth all the worse. She lowered her hands and turned to face him fully, biting her lip hard.
"He says you won't be let out," she said in a trembling voice, "Until Dustfinger is found. If he isn't, he says you'll be..." she forced the word out, "Executed." She spoke it barely above a whisper but it resonated in the silence that followed.
"Executed," Basta echoed in disbelief, "Executed. But I'm his..." Second-in-command? Favourite? Adopted son? Whatever it was, Basta only said it in his head, "He wouldn't just..."
He looked at Dafne pleadingly. As if begging her to tell him this was a jest. She starred back at him sorrowfully. That was enough for him to start believing. He made a pitiful noise in his throat like a sob, collapsing against the bars. He stayed like a moment before anger pumped new life into him. He pushed off the bars to pace his cell,
"Damn it! Why did I get in the cell with him!" he shouted at the ceiling, "Why am I so..." he gave a snarl of frustration, grabbing his head with his fingers. His next words were more fearful than angry, "Executed."
Dafne watched, every part of her aching to hold him. If only these bars could simply disappear. If only such a thing could just happen.
"Only if Dustfinger isn't found," she said, trying to comfort him. But the words felt like a lie. She didn't trust Capricorn to not kill him regardless. Basta was not to know that though. He took hope from her words, lowering his hands,
"Well he should be found," he said, sounding desperate to convince himself, "How could he not? He sticks out like a sore thumb. I made sure of that. There's no place for him to hide," he nodded, drifting back over the bars, something she was grateful for. He put his hands around the bars and she stroked his fingers. He smiled, "Yes they'll find him little mouse."
Dafne nodded robotically in agreement. She felt like crying again but fought it. It would only upset him. Not that it mattered, he upset himself a moment later, when his certainty crumbled into doubt.
"Then again they are idiots," he said of the men, looking full of despair, "What if they don't catch him..."
He went to retreat back into his cell but Dafne caught hold of his hands, preventing him.
"I could try to steal the key from Mortola," she whispered, "Set you and Resa free..." she trailed off momentarily. Where was Resa? She had been too distracted by Basta to look for her. She wasn't sharing a cell with him. Dafne swung the lantern to glimpse another set of bars nearby. She was probably in there. She would go to her but not now. She turned back to Basta to finish, "We could make a break for it."
Basta already had a look of opposition on his face.
"No," he said fiercely, gripping her hands, "No. That would be suicide little mouse. Don't you dare try stealing the key. I don't want you thrown in here with me."
"And I don't want you to die," Dafne countered just as fiercely, "What if Dustfinger isn't found?"
Basta looked tense,
"I don't know," he said helplessly. Then a desperate hope gleamed into his eyes, "Maybe Capricorn will change his mind. I'm his second in command. I've served him since I was a boy. That has to count for something..."
"Not to Capricorn," Dafne hissed, "Wake up Basta, he isn't going to make a special consideration for you."
"He might," Basta insisted, "He might."
"He won't," Dafne said in a hard voice, "Basta please, you have to accept that this man you worship doesn't give a damn about you. If he did, you wouldn't be in this cell!"
Basta was silent. He didn't try to argue, as he had done countless times she'd tried to make him see the truth. He just hung his head, defeated.
"I'm sorry," she said, hating to make him hurt.
Basta looked at her and sighed,
"I'm sorry too."
"Why?" She asked, confused.
"For not taking you away from this place," he said, "If we had just left any of the times you asked..." he grimaced, looking not only guilty but regretful, "We could be living in that house with the horseshoe on the door right now. That's my fault little mouse. I kept telling you it was too dangerous but... Truthfully I was more scared to leave than anything. I've only known one kind of life and I wasn't ready to give it up for a completely different one. I lied when I said I wasn't stalling dear heart. I was. But now I wish I hadn't. I could have spared us a lot of suffering..."
He trailed off, looking wretchedly at the floor as if he were too ashamed to look at her. Dafne was a little hurt learning the truth but she didn't have it in her heart to be angry at him. She stroked his face as best she could with the bars in the way.
"Nevermind that," she said gently, "What's done is done and we can still leave. If you're ready now. I'll steal the key from Mortola. It's dangerous but we can't risk the men not finding Dustfinger..."
"Little mouse," Basta looked up at her forlornly, "It's all very well for you say 'I'll steal the key from Mortola'. But you can't just waltz into Mortola's room and take it off her..."
"I'll take her by surprise, knock her out and tie her up," Dafne said, trying to sound confident, "She's an old woman and I'm pretty strong."
Basta's mouth twitched in weak smile,
"You are strong dear heart. But even if you managed to do that, you won't be able to slip me and Resa past all the men."
"Pietro could help us," Dafne said off the top of her head, "He could tell everyone he's taking you down to the arena. That's where the execution, isn't it. That's next to the car park..."
"Pietro isn't going to risk his neck to save me little mouse," Basta said, his mouth twisted sourly, "If I'm dead, there's nothing standing in his way from pursuing you."
"Pietro isn't as horrible as that," Dafne said, "When Capricorn told us he might execute you, Pietro advised him against it..."
"Really?" Basta said, surprised, "Why?"
"He said it would be a waste to get rid of such a loyal person," Dafne replied, "Please let me ask him Basta. It won't hurt to ask. He's only upstairs."
Basta closed his eyes with a sigh,
"Alright, get him down here. I'd yell for him myself but I've already shouted myself hoarse."
So Dafne went to the foot of the staircase and called for Pietro. He made his way down, guided by the flame of his cigarette lighter.
"Quite a mess you've landed yourself in amico," he said as he regarded Basta in his cell rather solemnly.
Basta glared at him,
"Don't act like you care," he hissed.
"If I didn't care I wouldn't be here," Pietro replied, "Though I can't say I'm that happy with you at the moment," his expression hardened, "You do realise how much harm Dafne could have come to if Cockerell had gotten his hands on her. You should have thought of that before getting into the cell with Dustfinger. Your lucky I was able to convince Capricorn to give her me instead."
"Oh yes I'm so lucky you're in love with my girlfriend," Basta said sarcastically, "That's the only reason you did it."
"The reason doesn't matter," Pietro said, "The point is that she's safe. And you should be grateful, pumpkin."
"Don't call me pumpkin! How many times do I have to bloody repeat myself!"
"Enough!" Dafne intervened, "We're wasting time," she turned to Pietro, "I have something to ask you."
Pietro listened to her plan. By the end, he was frowning. That wasn't a good sign.
"I'm sorry bella," he said, "I can't do this for you. Helping prisoners escape would be a death sentence. And I don't fancy dying. My family wouldn't like the idea either. They are loyal to me. We'd end up in some shoot-out with Capricorn's other men. I don't want that."
"See little mouse," Basta said, "I told you he wouldn't help us."
"Not in a way that puts me at a disadvantage," Pietro corrected him, "I'll gladly look for Dustfinger so you avoid execution. I have my men searching for him. I'll join them once I take Dafne back to the house. We better be going," he glanced at Dafne apologetically, "It's almost lunchtime."
"I don't want to go," Dafne said, leaning against the bars, gripping Basta any way she could.
"You have to bella," Pietro said gently, "You don't want to anger Capricorn by not showing up with his lunch."
Dafne looked at Basta sorrowfully,
"I don't want to leave you."
"I know you don't dear heart," Basta said in a strangely calm voice, "But you have to," he looked at Pietro, "There's one more way you can help me."
Pietro cocked his head slightly in curiosity,
"Yes?"
Basta sighed, looking at Dafne in a way that was sad but determined.
"I want you to take Dafne home to her village instead of up north."
Dafne stared at him in surprise. He smiled at her softly before shifting his gaze to Pietro.
"She wants to go home Pietro," he said, his voice firm but pleading, "She's been wanting that since I stole her away. So take her."
"Basta..." Dafne said, still shocked.
"I need to keep my promise little mouse," he told her.
"That promise was for us to leave together," she said.
"We'll be together soon enough," Basta said in a confident voice, "Don't you worry. Once Dustfinger's found, I'll be let out of this cell. And the next time I'm sent out of the village, I'll drive all the way to your old master's house."
"But what if..." Dafne began, thinking only if Dustfinger wasn't found, if Basta was only let out of the crypt to go to his execution.
Basta hushed her,
"Everything will be okay," he told her, "As long as Pietro promises me to do his part. Will you?" he asked Pietro in a somewhat threatening voice.
Pietro eyed him a moment, smiled faintly and nodded.
Basta gave a sigh of relief.
"Good. You can tell Capricorn she ran away from you. He'll have no reason not to believe you."
Pietro nodded in agreement.
"It's a plan then. We really have to go so I can look for Dustfinger," he said to Dafne.
"Can I just have a few minutes alone with Basta," Dafne asked.
"Don't take too long," Pietro said before flicking on his lighter to guide him upstairs, "Time is precious."
Oh she knew that cruel fact quite well.
Despite Basta's reassurances, he could still find himself on his way to meet the Shadow. Just like Resa. Her execution was a certainty.
"I have to talk to Resa," she told Basta in a slightly shaky voice.
He nodded and she slid away from his cell, over to the next one. There was Resa, pale but composed, perched on a stone coffin. She hopped off and came over to the bars as soon as she saw Dafne.
"Oh Resa," Dafne said mournfully, "Why didn't you escape when you had the chance?"
Resa seemed prepared for this question. She handed her a scrap of paper. Perhaps she had been writing while Dafne talked to Basta. There was more than one thing written on it but Dafne could see the part was meant for her.
Meggie is my daughter. I couldn't leave without her.
"Your daughter, really?" Dafne said in surprise.
Resa nodded, looking happy despite the grimness of her situation.
"So Silvertongue is your..." Resa nodded before she could finish. She gestured for Dafne to turn the paper over.
Mo will save us.
Dafne bit her lip. She didn't want to tell Resa that her husband might be dead. That would break her heart and quash her hopes. She couldn't do it.
"I hope he does save you," she forced herself to say. She didn't know how he could, even if he was alive. He would need a SWAT team. Things looked very bleak. Tears pricked her eyes. "I don't want you to die Resa."
Resa smiled like a mother comforting a child. I'll be fine, the smile seemed to say. Dafne blinked back her tears, thinking no you won't, whilst simultaneously admiring her bravery. She didn't doubt her friend would stay brave until the end.
"I wish I could help you," she told her. How she wished that!
Resa mouthed something. It's. Okay. She understood she couldn't do anything for her. Dafne nodded though Resa's reassurance didn't make her feel any better.
"Dafne?" Basta called her name in a soft child-like way.
"I'm coming," Dafne said, though she felt torn about leaving Resa.
Resa tried to make it easier, nodding her head in Basta's direction as if to say, yes go. Their fingers caressed as Dafne handed back the paper. Resa's brave facade slipped, revealing the sadness underneath. But then she recovered with a smile. She retreated back into the shadow of her cell, trying to make it easier for Dafne again by pulling away first. Not that it was easy stepping away from her friend's cell. It was very hard.
Basta looked at her sympathetically when she returned to him.
"Come closer," he said and kissed her as best he could with the bars between them. The kiss wasn't comforting though. It made her fearful. What if the kisses he gave her down here were the last he ever gave her? She had once hated him but now the idea of losing him was the worst thing in the world. She gripped him through the bars, I won't let you die, she swore silently, I'll do whatever it takes, anything.
She couldn't rely on Dustfinger. Or Pietro. Or Silvertongue. Or Capricorn. In the end, it was up to her. Because none of them cared about Basta like she did.
"I love you," she told him with complete and utter surety.
"I love you too," he murmured, kissing her. He made it a long kiss because his next words were, "You need to go little mouse."
Dafne nodded shakily. Yes she needed to go. She needed to do what she needed to do.
"Take the cat with you when you go," Basta said in an unsteady voice, "It'll end up shot without me around to protect it. Stupid thing."
Dafne stared at him tensely. She could see it in his eyes. He understood there was a real possibility he could die. He wasn't to know she wouldn't let that happen.
"I'll take him," she said, her face set with determination, "My brother loves cats. He'll love you too, no doubt about it. And we'll be happy living in our house with the horseshoe on the door. I'm sure of it."
Basta smiled at her tenderly, managing to mask any other emotion he was feeling.
"Yes little mouse."
She returned his smile and kissed him, savouring the sweetness of his mouth like a drink before entering a desert. Deserts were dangerous places to cross but people still reached the other side alive. People willing to fight against the odds. She was ready to fight too.
They caressed each other before Dafne returned to Pietro and the light of day. He kept making assurances about finding Dustfinger as he returned her to Capricorn's house. Dafne barely listened, too busy with her own plan. She entered the kitchen with a single purpose. She needed a knife.
To be continued...