…BUZZ…BUZZ…
Barbara's eyes hot open and darted towards the cell phone; better than 20 years of living on the run had conditioned her into a light sleeper. She forced herself up and looked around. She immediately registered Kim's empty bed but as she shook out the cobwebs from her head, she heard the shower going and her granddaughter's alto voice singing "Good Morning" from Singing in the Rain. She…if she closed her eyes again, listening to that voice, Barbara could almost imagine that she'd actually been a PART of her granddaughter's life.
Well Patrick, She thought to herself, sighing contentedly. Our granddaughter is indeed part Lager.
Granddaughter? That was definitely something that she could get used to saying more often. Barbara HAD been out of the picture for such a long time but…yesterday had been near perfect. Now she was…she was really beginning to feel like a grandmother, like she had a family that cared about her again.
But good feelings aside, people had died from ignoring phone messages. She grabbed her phone and activated the messaging app.
"Text from Anne: Message received and understood. Will meet you in Brest at location to be chosen later. Laufer is sending help. Name of Meisner. Be at Maitre Brasseur and both order apple brie panini. Meisner supposed to be very trustworthy. Tell Kim I love her. Talk again soon."
So Anne was developing contacts within the Laufer? And in Pennsylvania no less? Maybe not that surprising considering that Middleton was the largest Wesen community in North America. But still, very rare to encounter them or the Royals outside of Europe or Arabia. Barbara had absolutely no love for the Royals, let alone someone like Lynne who wanted to BE one. She'd encountered the Laufer on a handful of occasions but usually tried to steer away from their business.
But if it will protect Kim or…or bring you closer to Anne, it's worth it!
But Barbara had to do her own part to keep her granddaughter safe. And that meant she had to get them to Brest. Any form of public transportation was out, especially if they were going to be getting an extra pair of hands in a few hours. That left the Ducati. The quickest route to Brest would take them a few days but she'd likely take back roads. She'd run circles around Andrew Lynne before but that had been with the element of surprise. That meant, extreme arrogance or no, Lynne would be much more motivated. So that would add probably another two days onto the road trip. Still, the French countryside was a good place to lose somebody if you knew how. A 2011 Ducati going through the country wasn't exactly subtle but…not much could be done in that regard.
"Morning Grandma," Kim emerged from the bathroom, one towel wrapped around her body and the other containing her hair.
"Morning Kimmie," she replied. "I just got a text from your Mom."
"Really? So what's the plan? Are we taking on the Lynnes?"
The girl sure didn't shy away from a fight. That was obvious and Barbara couldn't help but flash a small smile. Right then, she couldn't help but see herself at that age instead of Patrick or Anne. "Only if we have to Kim. You and I have a little road trip ahead of us. Hey, could you do me a favor? The morning desk clerk speaks English. When you're dressed, could you tell him we're going to check out a little early? You and I have…a lunch date we need to get to."
KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP
Kim felt good, very good. A hot shower, even when she was already feeling good, always seemed to make her feel relaxed. It was like the soapy water just washed away her troubles along with the dirt on her skin. Upon Grandma's request, she grabbed the outfit she'd laid out for the day, laced up her sneakers, pocketed the butterfly knife she'd spent the previous knight sharpening with Grandma's whetstone, and headed into the hallway towards the elevator. Grandma was planning a road trip? That sort of made sense; Kim had no idea the kind of resources Adrianna Lynne or the rest of her family had at their disposal but…even in a city of over a million people, Kim and Grandma Kessler ran the risk of being uncovered so moving out was probably a safe bet. But where would they head? They could head to the US Embassy in Paris. Kim had her passport for ID. She could tell the authorities there that she'd been kidnapped…but what would prevent the Lynnes from just trying again, coming back to Middleton and slaughtering who knew how many innocent Wesen trying to get to her? No; Mom was never one to leave anything to chance or a danger unchecked…and Grandma sure didn't seem to be the type either. So wherever they were going, it had to be somewhere where they could regroup.
Thinking of that, Kim thought of Mom. She…she was going to be there. And Kim…oh she missed her. She missed Daddy, Aunt Amy…heck…she was already starting to miss her brothers a little. She…she wanted to be home, to have a NORMAL life. No…no…she wanted HER life back. She wanted to sleep over at Tara's, to go work at Buried Treasures. She was already so sick of having to be a half-step from combat. Grandma had been a nice distraction but with the prospect of leaving, as Kim looked out the elevator's window at the city, Kim was once again all too aware of who was on her tail.
The elevator settled on the ground floor and the doors slid open, revealing a sun filled lobby. Kim walked down the hall and…wait a minute!
"Avex-vous vu cette fille? Elle repond a Kimberly?"
Kim instantly plastered herself on the wall, just around the corner, and peaked around. She'd DEFINITELY heard her name. There were two people at the front desk, a man and a woman. Both were dressed fairly simply, more for functionality than for flair. She couldn't see any guns or…one of them turned his back to her and Kim could see a dagger hilt barely visible in the gap between his pants and jacket. That…that hilt was far too decorative to be police-issue, at least not any police that Kim knew of. There looked to be something stamped on it but…Kim couldn't make it out.
This was bad. She…did she have the helmet on when she entered the hotel? Could the clerk ID her? No time to find out. She dashed back towards the elevator and hammered the button for the third floor. Okay, Grandma would have to have a scenario for this, something like scaling the outside of the building and leaping onto the parking garage. The doors chimed open and Kim ran towards the room. She jammed the key into the reader and leapt inside, hammering on the bathroom door.
"Grandma," she gasped as she knocked. "Two people were downstairs asking about me! One of them had a knife that I KNOW wasn't…"
The door swing open and Grandma stepped out, fully dressed and ready for a fight. Without a word, she strode past Kim and hefted their bags onto one of the beds. Had she really…but Kim had only been gone ten minutes and…
"What did they look like?" Grandma barked as she motioned Kim over to her bag.
"Uh, a man and a woman," Kim breathed, pulling on her new jacket and then shouldering her knapsack. "Both were mid to late twenties. Man was blonde and the woman brunette."
"What weapons could you spot?"
"Uh…only on the man," Kim pocketed the folding knife on her other side. "I…I spotted an ornate hilt, probably a machete or long dagger; bigger than a knife but smaller than a sword."
Grandma led her out into the hall and towards the elevators. "Did you catch any of the conversation?"
"Not much," Kim started pacing up and down. She…she'd been on missions with Mom before…why was she so nervous about this? These…these weren't even Wesen…they wouldn't be if…
"Kim?"
Kim must've zoned out for a moment. She looked at Granma and…Grandma looked concerned and pulled Kim into a hug. "Kim, it's going to be okay. I promise you that. I will get you out of here but you need to keep your head. Now, could you make out any of their conversation?"
"Uh, the woman…the woman did all the talking," Kim breathed. She could handle this! She was better than this, better trained. "It was all in French. I recognized my name very clearly though. And something about…I think she said they were my parents and I'd been missing for two days; something along those lines. So…how are we going to get to your motorcycle?" Kim walked over to the window and looked down. "It's a long away down."
"Well I don't know about you but I was thinking of walking out the front door," Grandma patted Kim on the shoulder and hit the call button for the elevator. "I'd guess they're currently searching the floor below us so we should have about seven minutes." The light above the doors indicated the car was coming from two floors up. The door dinged and opened, revealing an empty car. The pair walked in, Kim waiting to follow the elder woman's lead. Grandma set her bag down and drew one of her batons. Taking careful aim, Grandma poked at the lighting fixture. Kim heard a noticeable "POP" as the fixture was knocked loose…wait a minute…Grandma's plan was to…really? The elevator shaft? Okay…Kim's sewing of her passport and cash into the lining of the knapsack had been clichéd but…in all fairness she never really expected that to work. Grandma on the other hand…this woman was a seasoned fighter, probably the closest Kim would ever come to meeting a real life secret agent face to face…and her idea was to…hide above the elevator shaft?
"Uh…Grandma," Kim piped up as the older woman climbed into the shaft and reached a hand down to haul Kim up. "Isn't this just a little…a little TOO obvious?"
"Oh that's the beauty of it Granddaughter of mine," She chuckled, putting the lighting fixture back into place. "In the words of Sherlock Holmes, 'It's so overt that it is covert'."
Kim had just braced herself when the elevator began moving downward. Was there anything she'd missed about their potential pursuers? She kept replaying the scene backwards, trying to pick something out. She'd only seen the two of them, of that she was sure. The weapon handle wasn't a typical hilt, distinctly decorative or old-fashioned, but that wasn't enough to determine if they were Grimms. That she could remember, neither of the two seemed to resemble Adrianna Lynne.
The cart came to a halt, the doors dinged open and somebody…it was them! Kim instantly recognized the voice of the woman. Kim looked to Grandma who quickly gave her a shushing motion. Grandma delicately knelt down to one of the vents. She peered in briefly, deftly got back up, and pointed two fingers down then held up three. She saw three people in the cart.
For only going up a single floor, it seemed a maddeningly long journey. Kim managed to pick up a few snippets of conversation. The woman seemed to be laying down a sob story about how Kim was their whole world or something like that. As one actress to another, the crocodile tears actually weren't bad. They must've had a hotel security guard with them. The cart finally came to a stop and Kim heard the doors open.
"Ja vais verifier l'etage suivent," She heard the woman say.
"Nous allons trouver sonepouse. Je promets."
So the man was going up to the fourth floor; yet another stretch of waiting. The moment the doors closed though, the man continued talking. He must've taken out a cell phone. Once again, he was speaking so naturally Kim was missing every third word but this guy was definitely not a Grimm. It sounded like he was private security or paramilitary. Once again, the cart came to a stop and the voice trailed out, finally leaving the cart empty.
Grandma knelt down again and peered into the cart. She smiled and gave Kim the signal to remove the fixture once again. "See," Grandma chuckled as she helped Kim down. "I told you it would work. Everybody always writes off the classics."
"Who are they?" That…Kim still couldn't believe that had actually worked.
"Lynne family body guards by the look of it," Grandma replied, hitting the button for the ground floor. "I can't believe the hotel staff bought that story. I mean, a blonde and a brunetteshow up claiming to be looking for a redheaded daughter? Of course, what else should I expect from Andrew? Nobody ever accused him of being especially imaginative."
So it was a hereditary thing? The more Kim thought about her past few days though, the greater a question this whole thing was becoming. Adrianna might have been inflating her accomplishments but…the people they'd just dodged were private security. Shouldn't they…Kim HAD to think that they would've been able to foresee something like this, or at least guard against it. "Grandma…WHAT is going on? Adrianna Lynne, those two in the elevator…how can these people be such efficient and feared Grimms…and yet be so stupid?"
Grandma got a laugh out of that. "Well Kim, they ARE ruthless and efficient Grimms. They can fight, blend into a crowd, they've got an impressive network of informants…but they are so conventional when it comes to actually looking for a target on their own that it is almost laughable. What's more, they employ people exactly like them. Qualified people to be sure but…they're nothing but 'yes men'. Imagine an army of Colonel Klink clones." Grandma looked to Kim. Who was Grandma talking about? "Good grief; I just realized that I'm old. Well, the entire Lynne family is so convinced that they know everything that they've stopped trying to learn, a complete shadow of what the family used to be. He's illegitimately related to the Hapsburgs on his mother's side."
Wow…Grandma really seemed to know a lot about this family, or at least the man that headed it. And Grandma's assessment made sense. Skill in battle didn't always mean skill with strategy. When they sparred together, Mom always parroted back that quote from one of her favorite TV shows when she was a teen. "One step ahead of the enemy isn't a plan. Two to three steps ahead, meeting an enemy's move before it's even made, THAT's a plan."
The pair emerged out of the elevator and paused at the lobby. Grandma instructed Kim to don her helmet and head to the guest entrance to the parking garage. Grandma would go out the front of the hotel. Kim turned and set a brisk walking pace, fast but not appearing rushed. Entering the parking structure, she remembered that Grandma had parked down one level and turned to the staircase. Reaching the landing, Kim saw cars littered all over the lot but Grandma's motorcycle was still easily recognizable.
You know, Kim thought to herself. There might actually be something to Grandma's theory. Kim quickly spotted the woman in question. Who'd expect a Grimm to ride something like this?
"They've got a car watching the garage exit," Grandma replied. "Think we can lose them?"
KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP
Martin Meisner marched into Maitre Brasseur and ordered a toasted onion croissant and a coffee. He'd been hesitant to let the Schade woman out of his sight. She was important to the Royals and if depriving them of her company…or what he was beginning to suspect she was carrying…then Martin would be only too glad to strike that blow. But he'd left Aleksie to watch her in his absence and the man was quite capable. Still, it had to be something quite important for Sean Renard to call him all the way to France on such short notice.
His comrade had been a little sketchy on the details, only telling him to be at this café by one to meet a Barbara Kessler and her granddaughter. It was critical that Martin get them to Brest as soon as possible to meet with Sean and another contact. The two must INDEED be important if Sean himself was coming to Europe, especially after his little stint in Vienna.
The server handed him his order and he began looking for a suitable table to keep watch. Years of being hunted by the Royals had instilled in him many useful habits, the east of which being…
"My granddaughter and I will have an apple brie panini."
For starters, the woman had said her order loud enough for anyone listening to pick it up. That had to be his contact. His eyes shot to his watch. They were nearly 90 minutes early, a bad sign in his experience. Watching while not looking like he was staring, he saw that both women were redheads, a very strong family resemblance between them. Both were given their order. The older woman, Kessler, looked around and lead the younger girl to a table. Martin took a seat at the table directly behind them.
"Frau Kessler," One of the hands paused. Damn it; things needed to look natural or it would be obvious to whoever was pursuing them that they'd met someone here. This had to look like two women simply sharing a meal. "Please act natural. I am Martin Meisner. I come at the request of the Laufer. I have orders to get you to Bret." Thank God the hands started opening the sandwich again.
"A pleasure," The older woman replied. "How do you want to make our exit?"
Martin looked at his watch again. "The lunch rush should be starting in a few moments. Wait until the line at the counter reaches five. I'll leave first. You wait until the line reaches seven and leave. I'll be in the champagne colored Mercedes SUV."
"I'm the dark blue Ducati motorcycle parked directly behind you."
Martin's prediction had indeed proved accurate. Within ten minutes, enough people had trickled in to provide a suitable distraction for the staff. He finished the last of his croissant and sipped at his coffee as he exited, walking directly towards the SUV parked on the far side of the avenue. At the rate customers looked to be pouring in, Kessler and the girl shouldn't have long to wait. Sure enough, the two women emerged and headed towards his location. He'd performed this maneuver many times over the years so it was almost like second nature to him. Cracking the window slightly, he waited until they were right next to the car.
"Follow me. Our first stop is Dourgne," He stated. The Kessler woman gave the slightest of nods. This woman was indeed a professional. She seemed to be able to convey entire sentences with simply a nod of her head.
The Mercedes came to life, as did the motorcycle behind him.
"Once more unto the breach, once more," Martin sighed as he pulled into traffic and headed west. "Or plug the wall up with our English dead."
KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP
Ever since middle school, like numerous American girls, Kim had wanted to go to France. Paris, Calais, Cherbourg, she wanted to see it all. Now…now, on the back of a motorcycle, she was treated to a scenic view of the French Pyrenees Mountains. The beauty of the countryside was almost enough to allow Kim to forget her predicament. But…it WAS soon to be forgotten. Mom would be waiting for her in Brest. She'd have a plan. Kim would help patch things up between Mom and Grandma and together, three generations of Lagers would see to it that the Lynnes would NEVER harm another Wesen again!
After what seemed like hours, both vehicles began slowing down as they approached a small village. Through her helmet, Kim could see a small sign that read "Albias". Grandma had said that they would likely be sticking to small villages and back roads for the trip. They'd made a pit stop in Dourgne but Kim was seriously hoping they were nearing their stopping point for the day. Sure enough, Kim let out a silent cheer as both vehicles pulled into the small inn in the center of town.
"Take everything with you and leave the keys," Their new contact, Meisner, ordered as he motioned them inside. "The vehicles will be hidden."
Kim looked to Grandma. It had become pretty obvious to Kim that her Grandma was one of those people who looked at their bike as kind of another child. But Grandma didn't give a thought as she hefted her bag off the bike and followed the man inside.
In the lobby, Meisner exchanged a few words in French with the clerk and the trio quickly proceeded up the stairs and into a room. It was a little small, Kim couldn't help but notice, but not terribly uncomfortable for only the night.
"We should be safe for the night," Meisner announced, taking off his sunglasses and removing his hood. It was then that Kim got her first good look at their ally and…WOW! Kim was…well…the only word to suitably describe Meisner was "gorgeous" and even that seemed to fall short. Tall, a set of piercing brown eyes that likely would've turned Tara into a babbling loon, and just enough scruff to give him a rugged appearance. "Now we can speak privately. Frau Kessler, if I'm going to help you, I need to know who is pursuing you."
"We kind of made Andrew Lynne's youngest daughter out to be the fool," Grandma replied, taking a seat on one of the beds.
Kim spotted Meisner's eyebrows raise. He recognized the name! "Do you know him?" She asked, taking a seat next to Grandma.
"By reputation only," It almost sounded like Meisner was fighting off laughter. "He's a Royal pretender who curries favor by ridding the Royal families of Wesen they consider to be a nuisance. Rather full of hot air if you ask me. The Laufer largely considers his…family…to be little more than an annoyance, even for a former Grimm." He turned and Kim could tell that he was studying the two of them. But for what, Kim had no idea. "You're Grimms." He stated matter-of-factly.
"How did you…" Kim blurted out but was quickly silenced by Grandma. He…how did he…? Kim hadn't given anything away! She was positive of that!
"Might I ask why you think that?" Grandma inquired.
"You didn't flinch," Meisner assured, setting his duffle down on the opposite bed, taking a seat next to it. "In my experience, Wesen, even the most hardened of Laufer Wesen, flinch slightly at the mention of a Grimm. That rules out Wesen. Lynne wouldn't be after you if you were Royals or ordinary humans so the only logical motive he might have for his pursuit of you would be that you're Grimms yourselves."
That…that was pretty darn impressive! Kim had been absolutely positive that she hadn't given anything away…and in doing exactly that, she'd…well…she'd given pretty much everything away. This Martin Meisner wasn't just a pretty face.
"Is that going to be a problem?" Grandma asked.
"Not for me," Meisner calmly replied and turned towards the door. "I'll send up for some food."
KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP
…Failure…
…Disappointment…
The words had bombarded Adrianna like her older brother Alistair's fists used to when he trained her. In Father's own words, Adrianna had become a blemish on the family name. Not only had she forced her father into the position of having to explain to the Venetian Royals why the half-breed Sean Renard was still breathing…but that BITCH Kimberly Possible had virtually walked right out of her grasp. How had…Adrianna's guards had searched her…she'd SEEN them do it…and where had Possible gotten Hellebore…?
This was NOT the end! All of those thoughts and more cascaded through her head as the black Mercedes SUV swept through the pitch black and into the small village of Albias. Father had sent out eyes and ears all over southern France, prepared to pay any price for even the slightest shadow of Possible…or the unknown figure that had helped Possible escape. That…that had to be another Grimm, and a fully trained and experienced one to boot. Adrianna had only ever seen fellow Grimms move with such grace and precision.
So while Alistair and Aletta remained with civilization, Adrianna, the family embarrassment, was relegated to traipsing through the backwater corners of the French countryside, following up on any rumor that had been reported. One of the many tips that they'd received had been that two luxury vehicles had been spotted heading towards the town and one of the vehicles, a high-end Ducati motorcycle, matched the vehicle that had been spotted leaving the Vieux hotel with two riders.
She was GOING to find her and she was going to make her PAY! Father wanted the Possible girl alive, Adrianna couldn't deny what having a descendent of Torstenson serving their cause would mean, but he hadn't said anything about her being unharmed…and Adrianna planned on teaching her an entirely new definition of pain. The SUV pulled to a halt outside the town inn and Adrianna leapt out with her escort behind her. They had their own orders but Adrianna was far beyond being subtle at this point. The "inn" was little more than a large house, likely no more than half a dozen rooms on the top floor, easily searchable in no time. With an agility that was second nature to her, Adrianna leapt up onto the ledge, switching on the FSB issue night vision goggles, and subtly peering into the first window. Just her luck that she would be sent to a backwater hole like this where the pitiful excuse for an Inn didn't even have a computer to hack into. The first room proved to be empty, both beds perfectly made, not a thing out of place. Sliding around the edge of the building, she quickly spotted an open window. That…was usually an indication that the room was occupied. Well, it seemed as good a place as any to make an insertion into the building. She peered inside. Only one inhabitant, not her target…if her target was even here! She raised her leg over the window sill and…
…CRREEEEEEEKKKKK…
The room she'd just come from! As stealthy as she could, she darted back to the room and peeked through the window. The room was still empty and for the most part quiet. But as the Americans said, maybe it was too quiet. Fortunately the window was "locked" with little more than a small metal hasp. As quietly as she could, she drew a dagger, slid the blade into the gap between the window panes, and lifted the slim piece of metal, succeeding in remaining virtually silent. Still, undetected, she reached a leg inside and…
"What the…"
KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP
Barbara just couldn't sleep, even with Meisner standing guard. She tilted her head and saw the unconscious form of her granddaughter, even in difficult times such as these still looking so innocent. Heaving a sigh, Barbara hauled herself out of bed, careful not to disturb Kim, and quietly took one of the empty chairs.
"Trouble sleeping?" Meisner's eyes were still riveted to the window faceing the direction they'd come from. If they were being followed, they'd have to enter the town from that direction.
"It's different," Barbara pulled her duffle to the chair. "Fighting the good fight when you've suddenly got someone right next to you that you'd die to protect." She reached inside the duffle and her hands quickly sought out its quarry, Patrick's old rapier/cane. Drawing the sheathed blade, she also pulled out a rag and a jar of linseed oil. Pouring a few drops of oil onto the rag, she began to polish the already shining blade. Funny; she'd always chided the old goof that he polished the damn thing so often he was going to take the finish off. And now, whenever Barbara was fretting or worried, she found herself doing exactly the same thing. God…she missed him so much!
"It is indeed," Meisner agreed. "How long have the two of you been separated?"
Under other circumstances, Barbara would've been suspicious of a man like Martin Meisner. He seemed to have an uncanny knack for recognizing everything about you given enough time. But…despite everything…Barbara felt that she could trust this man, that Kim was most definitely safe with him around. As she looked at the figure standing before the window, bathed in moonlight…maybe it was telling Kim all those stories about her grandfather, maybe it was holding the rapier, but Barbara was so reminded of Patrick right then. "This is the first time we've spent any real time together since she was born. My daughter and I…kind of had a falling out shortly after she was born. Anne's going to be waiting for us when we get to Brest. You have any family?"
There was a pause. An agent of the Laufer was far from an easy life. To Barbara's knowledge, many people joined their ranks because of the Royals persecuting loved ones. Hopefully she hadn't just put her foot in her mouth. "No, not for a long time."
"I'm sorry," Barbara quickly apologized. "I…I didn't mean to bring up…bad memories for you."
"No apology necessary," Meisner sighed and turned slightly from the window, actually smiling at her. "I greatly admire that you are so eager to still make good memories with your family after all this time apart from them. Good memories, memories like that, can save your life, warm you on a cold dark night."
"Wow…you're wise beyond your years Martin Meisner," Barbara sighed, running the oil soaked rag up and down the blade. In the darkness of their room, the man before her really DID look like Patrick. Ever since Patrick's death, relationships had been…difficult to put it mildly…but…if she had been closer to Kim's age, or even Anne's, she'd have dragged him off to…oh brother! She had to be old enough to be his mother! But…eh…a lady can still imagine.
"If I may, how has it been since you lost your husband?"
Well…he'd been able to guess everything else. In for a penny, in for a pound. "Since Anne…my daughter…was eleven. He was murdered by…by a Koschie. He…"
"We've got trouble," Meisner interrupted. "SUV approaching with its lights off."
Barbara instantly shut her mouth, sheathed the rapier and leapt to the window. She couldn't make out the exact model but she could definitely tell it was a high-end SUV, not unlike the one Meisner drove, that came to a stop a block from the inn. And those that piled out of it certainly weren't any light night travelers seeking accommodations. Five people, one with long blonde…oh it COULDN'T be! What were the odds? Barbara had taken great lengths to shake any and all tails that she even SENSED were following them. She'd checked every inch of her Ducati for any tracking bugs…and then it was REchecked by the men she'd given the bike to after getting here…and the Lynnes STILL managed to happen upon their exact location? No one in that family was that clever. So either the entire family had been thoroughly misjudged for the better part of two hundred years…or this was definitely one of the most unlucky nights of Barbara's life. Their vehicles HAD been a little noticeable…but so much so that they could be tracked?
"It's the Lynnes," Barbara grumbled. "We're about to be uncovered real quick. Back stairs?"
Okay…Meisner would have to take Kim. Together, the pair could handle anything that came their way…but Barbara would have to slow down the trouble-maker. Any way she could, any time she could by them, and then she'd join them later.
"Kim," Barbara ran over and shook her granddaughter awake. "Kim, you need to get up."
"What…YAWN…is it Grandma?"
"We've got to move. Somebody's found us."
"Oh FUCK!" Had…had Kim…Barbara had half a mind to reprimand her granddaughter for such language. "I…uh…I mean…what…how…"
"Even a broken watching is right twice a day," Well…Kim was indeed learning. She'd fallen asleep in her clothes in the event of a quick escape. "We don't have a lot you go with Meisner and try to secure some transportation."
"What…Grandma, I…I'm not leaving you…"
"It's okay Kimmie," Barbara…Barbara hadn't expected it to be this hard. This poor girl had had to grow up at least ten years in a matter of days and…and now she was being told to leave a family member in harm's way. "I'll buy you two some time and meet up with you later."
Thank God Kim didn't have it in her to argue. The two grabbed the entire luggage and headed to the door. A million different scenarios were going through Barbara's head as she remade the bed in what had to be record time. But all that mattered was getting Kim back to Anne! Anne would NOT suffer another loss like her father, not so long as Barbara drew breath. If she couldn't apologize in person…Barbara could at least do this for her daughter. But…at the last second, Barbara placed a hand on Meisner's shoulder. There WAS one more thing she could do.
"Listen, if the worst should happen...will you please do something for me when you get to Brest?"
"Anything," Meisner promised.
It took every ounce of mental fortitude that Barbara could muster. Barbara patted her duffle that Meisner was carrying. "Please…see to it that this duffle is given to Kim's mother. This…this is everything that we have left of her father. I…tell her that I wish I'd been better…"
Meisner waved a hand or silence. "You'll tell her yourself."
Barbara could feel a tear roll down her cheek. "Just get my granddaughter there alive." With temporary goodbyes said, Barbara turned to the task at hand. Like any in her lineage, she always had a supply of throwing knives stashed on her person but she her primary weapon, her pair of kama blades, and took up a position just below the window. Just as she knelt down, she heard a small thump. The Lynne, whoever it was, must've grabbed the ledge, exactly what Barbara would've done. The inn had no computer system to hack so she couldn't know for certain what room was theirs. This one was stealthy though, Barbara would pay her that. Unless you were listening very closely, you wouldn't even know the person was there. Meisner and Kim had to be out of the inn by now so…
…CRRREEEEEKKKKK…
That would bring the party crasher back in no time. Sure enough, within seconds, Barbara picked up the faint sound of metal on metal as a blade made contact with the window hasp. As if frame by frame, a well-toned leg passed through the window, clad in black. With reflexes that a rattlesnake would envy, Barbara's hands lashed out and hauled the interloper inside. There was a clamor of noise but both were quick to leap to their feet in fighting stances, giving Barbara her first look. Andrew's youngest, Adrianna herself, stood before her, a bitter snarl on her lips.
"You will pay dearly for that," She hissed, unsheathing what appeared to be a pair of short katanas. No sooner had the words let her lips did the young Lynne leap at Barbara. All attack; that was all Andrew Lynne ever knew and therefore all he ever taught. Steel on steel rang through the room as Barbara parried blow after blow.
"You're too late," Barbara jabbed, dodging another attack and bringing the wooden hilt o one of her kamas down hard on Adrianna's spine. "Kim Possible is already gone. It looks like yet AGAIN you'll have to run back to Daddy and explain how you let her slip through your fingers."
Kim wasn't kidding about this one! Barbara had crossed swords with Andrew on several occasions, both discreetly and openly. He was easy to get riled up…but if it was possible, this one was WORSE than her old Dad.
"I'm going to hurt her," Adrianna hissed, her eyes looking half mad. "When I get my hands on her, I'm going to hurt her, in absolutely every way that she fears. And when she finally succumbs, when there is nothing left, I will take her home. I will laugh as I sit back and watch as she fulfills the destiny of every Grimm that came before her, while she slaughters every one of the Wesen filth that she ever called friend, and taking special joy as together we kill that Mannschafte Falke who dares to…LOVE her!"
That…had been a surprise but one for later. Barbara's focus had to be unshakable. "Not while the spirit of Torstenson lows in our VEINS! HAKKE PALLE!" Finally Barbara took the initiative to go on the attack. She ducked a blow and lashed out with a sweeping kick to her opponent's legs, knocking her to the ground and sending her katanas skidding across the floor. Not waisting a moment, Barbara leapt onto the prone figure and pressed one of her kamas to Adrianna Lynne's throat. "People like you will never stop. You won't stop until she's dead…or you are. So what exactly is there to keep me from pressing this sharpened blade through your neck and painting the floor with your blood?"
…ZAP…
Everything went dark.
Author's Notes:
Man, sorry that this chapter took me so long. I've had a lot of work things going on. I really enjoyed writing the scene where Kim and Barbara make their escape. I was watching Boondock Saints when I wrote it and loved incorporating a few "bad television" clichés.