A PALE HORSE

Abe, Peter, and Max were getting ready to load the second SAM on the truck when Joshua came rushing up to them. “We don’t have time for those anymore! Leave ’em!”

“What do you mean?” Peter asked him. “These are part of our plan.”

“I mean there is no time! Sarah has contacted Naomi and her life is in danger. She told the girls where she is and basically how to find her,” Joshua told them. They were all moving now. They shut and locked the doors to Abe’s hangar, and jumped into Joshua’s waiting Tahoe.

“How was Sarah able to contact them? Is she some sort of psychic?” Peter asked.

“Not far from it. Turns out Sarah is a projector. She can project herself places. It’s like a radio broadcast- she basically can shotgun herself out to everyone and everything close to her, or even to specific people. Not her physical form, mind. Just her consciousness.” Joshua spun the tires as they left the access road headed toward the river, and he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow as he continued to explain. “She projected herself to the closest receiver, Naomi.” Joshua looked sidelong at Abe, who in his turn, looked confused and a bit stunned. He drove through the gates of the airport at a breakneck speed with his sirens blaring. Peter was holding on for dear life in the front seat and as he clicked his seat belt into place.

“Joshua, she’s like twelve years old! Are you trying to tell me that Sarah and Naomi used some kind of link? So, they both have this power-“

“Gift” Joshua corrected. Peter waved off his correction.

“Okay, gift… to contact each other?” Peter said, rolling his eyes.

“No,” Joshua said, “I’m trying to tell you that Sarah used her projecting gift to contact the closest person to her with the receiving gift, which as it turns out, is Naomi.” Joshua veered left to miss a person that had turned in front of them on the road. Peter said a prayer that they would make it to their destination.

“So, is Sarah where we think she is?”, he asked Joshua. He swerved around a battered Toyota with a pizza delivery sign lit up on its roof, and continued on. “Oho, yeah! Rose was able to help the girls stabilize their connection. The women were able to see the guy who… ‘purchased’ Sarah. They saw him talking to Olivier.” At the shocked expression on Peter’s face and the gasp from Abe, he said, “It’s bad, but that’s not the worst of it. The man that purchased Sarah had already raped her.” Peter was quiet for a moment and then in an act of pure emotion punched the dash in front of him. He heard Abe swear softly from the back seat, wishing all sorts of harm on the pervert that would harm a child in that manner.

“I will kill him this time.” They heard the steel in Max’s voice as he vowed to end Olivier. Joshua looked at him in the rearview mirror.

“Believe me, I’m as incensed as you, Max. Just remember, there is a difference between murder and defense.”

Max looked at Joshua in the mirror and replied, “I am already damned.” He said it in an almost amused, yet very flat, voice.

“Are you sure about that? It has been my experience that the repentant are the easiest to redeem.” Joshua thought he saw a flicker of hope on Max’s face as he saw him turn and look out the window.

“Huh,” he grunted in response, “I guess we will see.”, and Joshua let it go. They flew through the city streets until at last, Joshua pulled the SUV over about a block and a half from the warehouse.

“Get your gear… we run from here,” he said as he opened the driver’s side door. They all piled from the vehicle and went to the rear. Joshua opened the tailgate and all the others gathered around him. “I have a few things that will help us. Backup is on the way, but we’re going to be on our own in there for a bit.” He started pulling out items that he thought they would need. Abe and Max began selecting various implements, vials and tools and stowing them on their bodies while Peter stood, taking it all in. Here it was, laid out in front of him. The dankness of the air around them completed the scene as he stood staring at, not only the classic vampire-killing stuff: holy water, stakes, and crosses made of silver, but also modern and unexpected things like night-vision goggles, bolt cutters, and flash-bangs. Joshua spoke to them as he hurriedly completed his loadout. “It’s not easy to smoke a vampire, gents.” Peter had started grabbing at things and attaching them to his carrying gear, and he was going to speak up about what he knew, but Joshua continued as if reading his intent. “No, not because they are hard to kill. They are just extremely fast and clever. You do not have to stake a vampire through the heart to kill it, although that method works. It can be killed many of the same ways a human can. They can still be repulsed by holy water and crosses, but that’s temporary. The thing is,” he said, scratching his stubble, “for a human to kill a vampire they have to be extremely lucky by taking the vampire by surprise. If it knows you are coming, it will use its speed and strength against you. If it knows you’re coming, you’re typically dead.” He threw a kevlar vest at Abe, who quickly grabbed it and threw it on over his LBC.

“Vampires shoot, too?” Abe asked, strapping the last side of the vest.

Joshua chuckled wryly, “Better safe than sorry… I don’t know what else we will run into. Olivier may have good old human thralls and henchmen, you know.” Max quickly unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt to reveal a similar, yet more form-fitting and expensive, vest to Joshua.

“I am covered.” Joshua just smiled and whistled and continued to outfit himself. Peter could tell that Max had been, if not in these exact circumstances, at least in some that were close enough to this, and that made him curious and wary of his new Russian friend. He would have to sit down sometime soon with Max over a beer and learn more about the stoic ex-gangster.

Joshua broke in again, “Those of us who are marked, like Peter and me, have an advantage; a hedge of protection so to speak. Max and Abe, stay out of the way when it gets thick in there, okay?” He spoke in clear tones that brooked no argument.

Joshua is definitely in his element, thought Peter.

“Peter!” Joshua called on him. Peter stepped forward and took a flat tear shaped object from Joshua, “I have been told to give this to you and show you how to use it.” The object was about the size of Peter’s palm, and warm to the touch in an energized way. It pulsed slightly, and it was made of what appeared to be the same shiny metal as the key he had produced earlier that day. It was marked similarly to the scar on Peter’s shoulder.

“What is it?” Peter asked him, still mystified as to why the object looked like his scar.

“It is the sigil of Michael. It’s your protection against the nephilim or their descendents. Michael himself has gifted you with his sigil of protection. Not to get too weird about it, but you are one of us. This”, he said, gesturing to the object, “is your defense. Just hold it in your palm as you would a sword hilt and call on Michael to protect you. This will activate a weapon to manifest in your hand.” Peter was excited and made as if to speak when Joshua placed his palm against Peters mouth, “Hold your horses, cowboy! You only use this when it’s needed. Understand?” Peter nodded against Joshua’s hand and he let go. “Good! This is powerful magic, Pete, and should only be used when you are fighting the Corrupted. It’s not a parlor trick to pull out and show your friends. And don’t even think about trying to replicate it for customers.” Peter was wounded by the harsh words but mollified when Joshua said, “It’s really cool!... don’t spoil the surprise!” Peter tossed the object once, letting the glint catch the light of the day, then he caught it quickly and put it in his pocket. Peter grabbed a rope, two small flashlights and a couple of flash-bangs. Peter couldn’t think of anything better to take when faced with a bunch of nocturnal vampires.

“Joshua, they’re going to hate these, right?” Peter grinned, holding up one of the flash-bangs.

“Oh, yeah! They will get disoriented and sort of… irritated, when one of those goes off. Take more than you think you’ll need.”

“What about Sam?” Peter asked. “He was supposed to meet up with us.”

“Never mind that… what about the FBI?” Abe asked.

“As you may guess, my agents are not equipped to deal with this threat, either mentally or physically, and knowledge is a dangerous thing, Abe. So, no.” Joshua turned to address Peter, “Sam knows where we are and will be with us shortly. He is coming with some friends.” Joshua gave Peter a meaningful look and Peter nodded with a smile. “Max, what about you? Are you absolutely sure that you want to confront Olivier in his shop?” Joshua asked him. “I’m not sure of the reception you will receive. I’m sure by now that your father has had a conversation with him.” Joshua told him.

“I am sure. Although, at the moment, I am not sure what kind of reception he will get from me,” Peter watched as Max clenched and unclenched his fists.

“Well, keep it together long enough for us to get Sarah and get out. I don’t care what you have to do to appease him or stall him, but give us as much time as possible. Abe, are you going with Max or with us?” Abe looked thoughtful for a moment and then said,

“This is a young man’s game. I will stay and monitor the AO from the outside. I’ll pass along intel as I get it and you can pass off the girl to me once you have her,” Abe told them. His eyes held regret that he would not be in on the adventure, but he knew that his old body couldn’t stand up to this.

Joshua brought them together and they clasped hands as he said, “May the Master watch over you.” With that the men parted ways. Max straightened his tie and put on his sunglasses. He smoothed his hair and started down the street to grab a cab. Peter, Joshua, and Abe made their way toward the dock, but veered to the left before they came to the waterfront. Joshua was usually at home around here, but today it smelled worse than death, and he was all too aware of the fading daylight in the distance. It was close to three in the afternoon, and they had quite the mission ahead of them. We absolutely, 100%, have to be done and gone before dark, he thought. He quickened his pace, and Abe and Peter followed suit. They skirted the water line until they came to what looked like a drainage runoff from the Quarter. Peter was there first to spot the lock on the gate.

“Now what?” he said, exasperated.

“Move it!”, Joshua said, trotting in behind him. Joshua had the key from earlier in his hand, and held it out towards the lock. The metal sparked and morphed slightly as they watched. Joshua shoved the key into the padlock and it gave with a click.

“Wow!”cried Peter.

“Later!” Joshua said, rushing past him into the darkened tunnel. They all entered and stopped. Abe could hear the skittering of either insects or rats off in the distance. He didn’t know which, but he wasn’t fond of either. He also wasn’t fond of the muck that they found themselves standing in inside the decrepit tunnel. They all moved forward slowly as the sediment and sludge of decades squished grotesquely under their feet. Joshua turned to them and said, smiling, “This ain’t nothin’, boys.” Peter took out one of the small flashlights that he snagged from Joshua’s truck and flicked it on. Abe took the small handheld from his back pocket and gestured to Peter and Joshua that they should do the same.

“Comm check.” They quickly established that all three were working as expected, and replaced them securely. Abe reached out and grabbed Peter’s shoulder,

“Be careful down there. May the Master watch over you.” He gave Peter’s shoulder a little squeeze.

“You too, Abe...you have us on the radio. Call us if you see anything we should know about. Be careful, old man!”

Peter laughed when Abe stood up straighter and said, “Who you calling old?” He playfully punched Peter in the arm and looked at Joshua when he said, “Joshua, look after him. He’s been known to get himself into trouble.” He pushed Peter towards Joshua.

“I copy, chief. Keep us posted.” Joshua pulled on Peter’s shirt to get his attention, “This way,“ he said. “Follow me and keep your sigil key in your hand.” At his blank look Joshua sighed and said, “The shiny teardrop! Put it in your hand.” Peter pulled the object from his pocket and clenched it in his fist. He swallowed his fear and followed Joshua into the darkness. This first thing that Peter thought as they walked along was how he had gotten to this point in his life. As a child, he had wished for adventure. When his parents died in such a tragic way he decided that adventure was really not for him. He discovered that you can create your own adventure without leaving the comfort of your home. He was now one of the premier cosplay experts in the world and was in the business of inventing adventurers. He had studied and created characters based on what he thought were mythical creatures, only to realize that everything he thought was imagination was actually real. He was definitely living a surreal fantasy. They walked for what seemed like hours, when in reality, it was only a few minutes in the darkened tunnel. So far, the tunnel had not taken any turns, so when they finally came upon a split, Peter was unsure of what to do.

He looked over at Joshua, “Now which way do we go?” he asked, concerned they would lose their way. Joshua pulled something from his vest pocket and made a mark on the wall.

“We have been walking north so far, so if what I remember about the city and the warehouse location is accurate, we go left.” As he said this, he pointed in the direction they were to follow. Peter went to go ahead of Joshua but Joshua grabbed his shirt and said, “Me first, kid. Rose would kill me if anything happened to you!” Peter wasn’t happy about it but let Joshua take the lead. They were about halfway up the new tunnel when Peter froze. He thought he heard someone snicker. He clutched the teardrop-weapon tighter in one hand and the flashlight in his other hand. They moved a little further, and Peter could swear someone tapped him on the shoulder.

What the hell? Am I imagining things? He spun around but didn’t see anyone. When he turned back around he found that Joshua was quite a bit further up the tunnel than he was. He started moving faster and, once again, he thought he felt a tap on his shoulder, accompanied by the smell of… barbecue? It was weird, and he was getting freaked out. When he started moving again, he was ready. He smelled the same smell first. He gripped the object tight. Then he heard a snicker and felt the tap. As he spun around for the third time, he whispered Michael’s name. SHOOM! His hand erupted with light. He heard a loud scream and saw in the beam of his weapon a vampire retreating into the darkness, cursing loudly. Peter could see a faint glowing through the creature’s fingers that were clenched tightly around the side of his head. One side of the face was glowing and bloodied. Peter looked down and, on the ground at Peter’s feet lay an ear. Peter heard someone coming up behind him and turned to confront this new unknown, only to see Joshua stop short.

“What happened? Are you okay?” Joshua asked, huffing a little from his sprint back.

“I cut off its ear! Look!” Peter said in shock, nudging the thing gingerly with his toe. Joshua looked at the ear, then at Peter, and then looked down the hallway. What happened next took Peter completely by surprise. Joshua brought his arm up from behind him and forward, saying something that Peter could not hear. Just as he did that, a glowing, oxblood red crossbow appeared. Joshua took aim down the hallway and fired. A shaft of red flew from the end of the crossbow and, a moment later, Peter saw an explosion of light at the end of the tunnel, followed by a quickly silenced scream. “What just happened?”, Peter asked Joshua in surprise.

“I killed your vampire friend. How’d you manage to cut off its ear?” Joshua asked, just as surprised as Peter.

“Well, it was in the tunnel behind me, taunting me. You know, it kept tapping my shoulder and laughing in my ear. When I swung around and said Michael’s name like you told me to, this flaming sword appeared so suddenly it freaked me out. I swung out and… I cut off its ear.” He said, toeing it again as it rolled around in the muck. Joshua grinned and slapped him on the back.

“I wondered what form yours would take! A flaming sword, huh? You do take after your namesake, Peter!” Peter was confused, which made Joshua bark a laugh. “I’ll explain later. Come on.” The two men started up the tunnel again when Joshua turned to the younger man, “We will need to move fast and be on the lookout now. If that one went and told the others that we are in the tunnels, then we’re going to have company.” The two men walked at a faster pace, never looking in one spot too long. They came to the end of their current tunnel and had to make a decision on whether to go left or right. This time though, they could see a light at the end of the left tunnel.

They turned to go in that direction when they heard someone say, “I wouldn’t go that direction if you want to see daylight again.” Joshua spun around and Peter let out a yelp. He jumped a good foot off the ground, whirling to face the voice and evoking Michael’s name again. The sword burst into being and was met with a pair of blades which blocked his. “Whoa, down boy!” Maggie smiled and squinted through the dual flashlight beams trained on her pretty face. Peter thought how weird it was that they were literally slogging through the most vile-smelling stuff he had ever been near, and Maggie manages to enter the picture looking fresh as a daisy. Go figure!

“Um, Joshua? How do I call this thing off? Is there a sheath or something? Down, sword!” Peter looked down to address the golden flaming weapon that was still very much at the ready in his grasp.

Joshua grinned and said, “I got you, son. Just say ‘Peace’ and press here”, he said, indicating a small symbol near the base of the hilt.

“Peace.” Peter pressed the symbol and instantly the teardrop-shaped object reappeared in his hand. He returned it to his pocket.

“Are you nuts? Keep that thing in your hand, Peter! We are in some deep-“, Joshua looked down and gestured forward with his chin. “Look, just keep your sword ready!” Peter, flustered, gripped the sigil key tightly and turned back to Maggie.

“Sorry Maggie, you’re lucky to still have your ear!” Peter told her. Maggie tilted her head to the side in question as Joshua barked a laugh.

“What about my ears?” Maggie asked him.

“Never mind, just be glad you weren’t here earlier. Peter is a danger to ears everywhere,” Joshua told her. “We’ll fill you in later.” To Peter he said, “Just be careful where you point that thing.” He nodded down at the sword in Peter’s hand. Peter nodded.

“What’s down there?” he asked Maggie, jerking his head in the opposite direction.

“A whole lot of vampires. Part of them are occupied with what looks like some very willing women and part of them are sleeping. I saw one of them leave earlier. He went down the way you came from. Did you see him?” she asked the guys.

“Peter briefly made its acquaintance. Where is Naomi? Momma Rose said you guys were together?”

“We were, but we were wasting too much time and there were so many doors, we decided to split up and check them. My side led here, and once I saw what was in the far door, I decided to backtrack. That’s when I heard you coming up the tunnel and hid. We need to go back up this way to Naomi. Hopefully she’s found her by now.” Maggie turned and started back up the tunnel to the right. Before long, they came to doors that lined the hallway at regular intervals.

“Were you able to see what’s inside the doors?” Peter asked Maggie as they came even with the first of many doors.

“Most of them are unlocked and are filled with boxes and crates. I didn’t get a chance to look in any of the crates, but I did find a couple of the doors had high tech locks on them. I would give anything to get a good look inside!” whispered Maggie. “This way.” She led them past a couple of doors before stopping before one that had a sophisticated key pad on the outside. “I tried this one. Couldn’t access it,” she told them. She made to move on, but Joshua stopped her.

“Why don’t you and Peter go on ahead? I’m going to look around a bit. I want to see exactly what they are up to here.” Joshua told her. Maggie looked torn. Peter could tell that she really wanted to stay and help Joshua, but at the same time she wanted to find Sarah and Naomi.

Peter looked at her and said, “Hey- he’s a big boy. Sarah needs you right now, okay?”

Maggie thought quickly, and relented, saying, “Okay, but you have to swear that you’ll tell me what you find later.”

Joshua grinned and vowed, “I promise!” Maggie nodded and then took Peter’s hand and led him away into the darkness. They moved swiftly and silently until they reached the point that Maggie started from.

“Okay, here’s where we split before. Past here… I don’t know.” The two set off up the hallway. Every so often one of them would try the handle of the many doors along the way. The first few held supplies and crates like the other rooms Maggie found, but the further they went the rooms changed. One room opened up into what looked like a nursery for a giant baby. Everything in the room was scaled up to an adult size including the giant diapers stacked neatly by the door.

“This looks like something I’ve seen on reality shows…” Peter shook his head sadly and said, “Still can’t understand why anyone would want to live as a baby! Who is gonna change the diapers?” he asked, pointing at the stack by the door.

“Ugh!”, Maggie said disgustedly. “Let’s get out of here.” They closed the door and moved on up the hall. The next door they opened was covered in fabrics from the floor to the ceiling and even some tacked along the ceiling draping down over an enormous bed covered in pillows. The fabrics were all in bold colors and flowed down over the floor. On the bed lay a young woman, she was barely clothed in what looked to be wispy harem pants and nothing else. “Um, you take this one,” Peter said, averting his eyes.

“Yep, I got it.” Maggie approached the bed. The steady rise and fall of the girl’s chest let Maggie know that she was asleep. When she reached the side of the bed, Maggie noticed that the prisoner was chained by both her ankles and wrists to the bed. The chain looked to be long enough that she could get up and walk around but not enough that she could go very far. Peter looked at Maggie and nodded to her to wake the girl up. Maggie bent close and put her hand over the girl’s mouth in case she screamed. The girl’s eyes flew open and Maggie made shushing sounds to quiet her down. When the girl calmed Maggie removed her hand.

“Who are you?” the girl asked quietly. “You shouldn’t be here! If they catch you, they will kill you!” She was starting to panic again and Maggie shushed her once again.

“I’m Maggie. Here, you must be freezing,” she told the girl, covering her naked chest with Peter’s hoodie.

“Thanks,” she said meekly.

“This is Peter. We’re here to rescue a little girl named Sarah, have you seen her?” Maggie asked her.

“I haven’t been out of this room in a while,” she whispered.

“How long is a while?” Peter asked her gently.

“What’s the date?” She looked at him steadily.

”April 17, 2019” Peter told her.

“In that case, I have been down here a year and 5 months.” With that pronouncement, she began to cry. “My family probably thinks I’m dead.” She told them through her tears.

Maggie looked at Peter and frowned, “We can’t leave her here.” Peter nodded. He turned back to the girl.

“What’s your name?”

“Vicky,” she told them. “Are you going to help me?” The hope that was shining in her eyes was almost too much for Peter, he turned around so that Vicky wouldn’t see the anger on his face and get scared.

He heard Maggie say, “Yes, hold still and let me see if I can pick these locks.”

“Oh, no need. The keys are in the cabinet over there,” she revealed, pointing to a small cabinet in the corner of the room. Peter walked over and pulled the cabinet door open. Inside he found an assortment of sex toys and devices, drug paraphernalia, a couple yards of what appeared to be silk, some vials, women’s underwear, a locked strongbox, and, on a tiny hook, two shiny bronze keys. He grabbed the keys and quietly closed the door to the cabinet. Even down in these depths and having spotted no one around, he didn’t want to chance them getting caught. He handed the keys to Maggie who took them from him quickly without looking, intently working the lock around the girls ankle.

She absently asked while she worked, “So, what else was in there? Anything that could help us?”

He shook his head, saying, “You don’t want to know. And, no.” Maggie unlocked the cuffs on Vicky’s arms and legs. The girl gingerly rubbed the spots where the cuffs were only moments before. Maggie could see old scars and some bruises that were in the process of healing as she surveyed the young woman’s condition.

“Is there anything else you can dress in?” Maggie asked her. Vicky shook her head no as she zipped Peter’s hoodie. Skimpy Princess Jasmine pants and an oversized hoodie! Maggie wanted to scream. “Okay, well,” she pulled her out the door and Peter followed. “I need you to be very brave and follow this hallway down to the intersection. Go left down at the intersection, at the end there will be… “ she looked at Peter for help.

“At the end there will be daylight and a large man named Abe, he kinda reminds me of Morgan Freeman. He will help you… just tell him Peter sent you and he will get you to a safe place. You must be very quiet! Here, take this.” He thrust a flashlight into her hands and told her to look for arrows set in intervals on the wall. “They’ll point you in the right direction. Just make sure you turn left from this tunnel, do not go to the light at the end, understand?” She shivered slightly. “Vicky, look at me! You can do this! Help is at the end, I promise.” She nodded and let go of Maggie’s arm. She squared her shoulders and entered the hallwayl. “Oh, if you see an older man wearing a suit coming up the tunnel, his name is Joshua. Just tell him Peter and Maggie are sending you to Abe, and he will make sure you are going in the right direction.” She smiled timidly, and took a step of two, then suddenly whirled around, reaching for Maggie, and almost falling onto her. The girl grabbed her in a fierce hug as sobs racked her. Peter and Maggie completely engulfed her, to comfort her and to muffle her crying.

“Shhh, it’s alright now. You’re going to be fine and no one will ever do this to you again, okay?” Maggie did her best to soothe the girl, but she was worried that they were taking too much time. Peter and Maggie let her cry for a few more seconds, and then they looked at each other, an unspoken signal that time was not on their side and they had their own to rescue.

Peter locked eyes with the girl and said softly but seriously, “Vicky, get going! Tell Abe what we told you, and we will see you soon, okay?” Vicky’s body had stopped convulsing with her emotion, and she looked up at the two of them, wiping her face.

“Thank you.” She turned, flipped on the flashlight that Peter had given her, and made her way up the hall. Maggie turned and grabbed Peter by the arm.

“Come on, she will be fine.”

“How do you know?” Peter asked her. “I feel bad about making her walk out alone.”

“I know because she wants to live.” They stepped out of the harem room and closed the door, moving quickly further down the corridor. “I know because they didn’t break her spirit. She’s a survivor and there will be time for her to process later. She has hope and her hope will get her through.” Maggie had started to chew up the hallway and Peter quickened his step to keep up. They passed a few more doors opening them as they went. They saw the inside of a castle with a large four-poster bed and tapestries on the wall, an S & M chamber with all manner of whips and chains, and the final room they came to had the door cracked and a dim light emitting from the space. Voices, one female, one male, from inside. Naomi’s voice, then the sound of flesh meeting flesh and a cry of pain. A smack.

“You aren’t the one I want to play with, cocoa. The one I want, I have. You are old and mean, and you will pay for making me sully my hand in hitting you. You thought you could come and steal my property? Steal my fun?” Again, they heard flesh meet flesh and then they heard

Naomi say, “Let me loose and I’ll show you what fun is all about! I will ‘fun’ you until they need a dental record to ID you.” Again, flesh met flesh in what sounded like a punch.

“Oho! A whimper? You may be as fun as her after all!” Peter couldn’t wait any longer. He jumped up and rushed into the room. He saw a man standing over a bound Naomi, who was protecting a small body curled into a ball on the bed. Peter flew at the man pulling him away from Naomi and planting a fist first in his face then in his stomach. The man retaliated by throwing the next punch to Peter’s jaw. He went to throw another punch as Peter recovered, but felt the blade of Maggie’s katana against his throat and stopped immediately.

“You’ve never had a shave this close, big boy. I really wouldn’t move if you want to live a little longer.” Maggie’s voice had turned as steely as the blade trained on the man she faced. He was bulbous and sweaty and disgusting, and Maggie really just felt like running him through, especially after seeing the condition of the room they were standing in. A concrete, blood-stained floor, an ancient brass bed with threadbare linens, twisted and bloody, a similar cabinet to the harem room that would no doubt have the same contents that Peter wouldn’t discuss. She would never understand how the nobility of man, man that had walked on the moon, cured disease, did so many incredible and altruistic things, could sink so low with a child.

The man swallowed and stammered, “It-it-it seems eh-everyone wants to play today! Now take it easy with those, sweetling! I wouldn’t want to see that pretty face get damaged.” He gave her an uneasy grin. Still holding one of her katana’s to the man’s neck, she flicked out with the other one and within a blink it was back by her side. The man grinned and said to her, “See? You didn’t even hit anything.”

“I never miss. Look at your arm.” He looked down at his arm and found that a long line of hair was missing from his forearm. “It’s not a question of whether I want you dead or not, because, believe me, I do. But it’s your lucky day... because we are here for her.” She told him without breaking eye contact. “Peter, are you alright?”

Peter who was watching her with a grim smile said, “Yeah, I’m fine. Momma Rose hits harder than this guy.” He turned to Naomi. He grabbed a lockblade and clicked it open, working the duct tape on her wrists. He freed her and said, “You okay?” She rubbed her sore wrists briefly and looked up with tears in her eyes.

“I think there is something seriously wrong with Sarah, Peter. She was talking to me earlier as I was looking for her and she kept telling me how tired she was. Then when I found her, I tried to wake her up. She won’t wake up.” They could hear the fear in Naomi’s voice as she softly stroked the child’s head. Peter went to the washstand and found a small bowl with pink water in it. He picked the bowl up and, looking at Maggie, smashed it over the man’s head. He crumpled to the ground unconscious.

“Let’s get her out of here.” Maggie sheathed her swords and helped Naomi gather the girl into her arms. Peter picked the man up and dumped him on the bed, when he moaned like he was going to wake up Peter punched him again. He locked the man to the bed using the cuffs that were placed at the head.

“Let’s get out of here, indeed.” Peter echoed, closing the door quietly, then turning to throw the deadbolt.