by CK Dawn
A low roaring echoed through the nothingness as the scene went black. Cassie believed herself blinded. She opened her eyes wide to be hit with a strong wave. It encircled her inside the nothingness, forcing her upward. As it strained against her body, she attempted to relax into it. Yet, the unstoppable current made her fearful. She cried out and shut her eyes.
When Cassie opened them, she was staring into Albert’s dark brown eyes. She watched as the last glint of light dissipated from his gaze. Her head leaned forward making the connection between them far too intimate, uncomfortable. She shot back from his grip, his hands slipping from her shoulders.
“Breathe, my dear,” Albert said softly, remaining still beside her. “Just take a breath, slow in and slow out.”
Cassie tried to do as he instructed. Shock had hit her so hard she hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath. It came out in a harsh wheezing sound as the air pushed between her teeth. When she trusted herself to breathe again, she turned toward Albert. The fallen before her blurred from her vision as tears filled her eyes. With a raw and heavy heart, she said, “I don’t know what to say.”
“Of course not. What’s there to say?” Pity filled Albert’s words. “I know this causes you pain, but that was not my intention.” He patted her hand where it lay flat against the tile floor. “There will be time to grieve later. Now, you must use this knowledge to act. We must help Gabe.” He rose to his feet and extended his hand. “Come.”
Cassie stared up at him with eyes wide like those of a frightened dear. Yet, bit-by-bit, her features changed. She raised her chin and hardened her gaze, motivated by a steely determination. She stood without his aid, her hands balled into fists at her sides. “Let’s go.”
“Good girl. Follow me.” The doors groaned in protest as Albert forced them open. The elevator sat about three feet shy of the landing. He hoisted himself up and out with ease and then turned to offer his hand to Cassie. She ignored him and crawled out on her own.
Once free, the pair found themselves in an empty corridor. Albert moved along, checking every intersection before proceeding. No one hindered their progress. “This way,” he called over and over as he ushered her through a series of hallways and staircases. When she was almost out of breath, they stopped at yet another elevator. “This is it.”
“You can’t be serious.” Her every nerve caught on fire and she couldn’t keep the edge out of her voice.
“Gabe is in a restricted part of the building. The room holding him is soundproof and almost impossible to reach without clearance.” He pointed to the elevator doors. “This is the lone way in or out. And to work it you need the code.” The buttons gave off a digital melody as Albert’s fingers moved across the keypad. In an instant, the doors opened and he stepped inside. “Do you want to help him or not?”
Cassie muttered a string of expletives before entering. From the interior, Albert punched in another sequence and the elevator shot upward. It gained speed as it ascended causing Cassie’s stomach to drop. She covered her mouth and prayed to hold onto her...When was the last time I ate? The thought passed though her mind in a flash as her hunger made itself known with a gurgle.
Albert stared at her, his thoughts written across his face.
“Don’t worry I’m not going to lose it,” Cassie said, then laughed again. “My mind or my lunch.”
“I hope not. Especially since the sights hereafter may cause your stomach more grief than the mere rocking of an elevator.” He turned away as their journey upward ended with a rough halt. The doors opened on a screech. Albert exited into the small space beyond. A large metal door lay ahead, designating the lone room on this floor.
Cassie followed a step behind as she tried to prepare for what was to come. The door creaked open. Stale air mixed with the repugnant scent of sweat and blood assailed her. She scrunched her nose in an attempt to block the odor. With another step, she noticed a glow coming from the center of the room, but Albert’s form blocked her view. Frustrated, she shoved him forward and stomped.
“Move it.” The words barely left her lips when she saw him. Bound to a chair with thick metal restraints sat Gabe, beaten and bloody. His rich dark hair stuck in clumps to his head. His body sagged forward as if he’d been struggling to break free and lost the fight. Hands, blue from lack of circulation, drooped. She absorbed the horror with a single word, “Gabe.”
For the briefest of moments, Gabe’s eyelids fluttered. Cassie held her breath in anticipation and moved closer while Albert stepped away, hugging the far wall. “Gabe,” she called louder and placed a hand on his knee. “Can you hear me?”
An eternity seemed to pass before Gabe lifted his head and whispered, “Cassie?”
“Thank God,” she said with a sigh of relief. “I’m here. It’s me.” She looked into his eyes to reassure him while bending down to examine the bindings. She brushed the cuffs with the tips of her fingers. The metal had torn into his wrists and ankles.
He stared back at her. “Don’t worry. It’ll be okay. I’ll get you out of here. I promise.” He winked at her then and clicked his tongue. “I have help.”
Her heart weighed in about a hundred pounds too heavy. He’s been tortured and he’s worried about me. She shook her head in disbelief and concentrated on getting him out of the chair. On the underside of the steel arms, she found a manual release lever. “You don’t worry, Gabe.” She cupped his cheek then tried the lever. “We’re going to get you out of here.”
“We?” he asked without taking his eyes off her.
“Yes, we.” She glanced over at Albert while continuing to work on freeing Gabe. “Come over here and help me.”
Albert stood fixed to the far wall. He stared at Gabe, remorse and guilt filling his eyes. He took a step forward to help, only to be stopped cold by Gabe’s heated gaze.
“When I get free, I’m going to rip your head off.” Anger so palpable filled the room and turned Gabe’s words raspy.
“Funny,” a voice echoed from the doorway. “I had the same thought.” All eyes turned in unison toward the sound, but before anyone could capture the source, it moved away. An indistinguishable blur crashed through the confined space and landed beside Albert. As the form stopped dead, Val appeared. “You old fool. And here I thought you’d seen the error of your ways. Pity.”
Cassie’s gaze drew to Albert. His shoulders sagged low like an unbearable weight pressed down upon him. She caught the look of resignation in his eyes. Words formed in her mind as if he spoke into her ear. “Tell Gabe how sorry I am, dear child. My time here is done. I no longer deserve to be a part of this world. And I leave it now of my own free will.” She stiffened as his eyelids fluttered down. He didn’t even put up a struggle as Val latched monstrous hands against both of the old fallen’s ears. In one agonizing motion, Albert’s head tore clean from his body. The snapping of bone, the ripping of muscles and flesh, the severing of veins and arteries created a horrific clamor of death.
Albert was right. Cassie almost laughed at the bitter irony as her stomach reared and the bile rose.
Twenty
Cassie wanted to turn her face away from the horror but found herself glued to the scene. Shock and disbelief rippled through her. She considered it a great testimony to her resolve that she managed to push the acid down without divulging the contents of her stomach. A few months ago, she could say she had never seen a dead body, save for her parents after the accident. Now she had seen enough violent deaths to have the images haunt her for several lifetimes.
With effort, she tore her eyes from the violence and stared at Gabe. Color returned to his hands as she managed to pull the manual release lever. When he leaned forward, she noticed the scars on his back seemed fresher, as if they had only recently healed. Before she could comment, Val stalked toward them.
At the same moment, as if on cue, the elevator doors opened just outside the room with a screech. Val halted in his tracks.
Within the elevator car stood a man Cassie d
idn’t recognize. The casual grin he wore looked out of place with the heavy load slung over his shoulder. It bore down on him and crinkled his shiny gray suit. It took Cassie a second to identify the metallic black load.
“Oh shit.” The thought hadn’t left her before Gabe grabbed her around the waist propelling them across the room and inside the elevator with dizzying speed.
“Rafe, now!” Gabe roared at the man as he covered Cassie’s body as much as possible with his own.
“Better duck.” Rafe grinned at the demon still standing in the room and fired. The elevator doors closed at the same time as a blast shook the core of the building. The elevator car rocked, before Cassie felt the floor disappear under her feet. The cabin began to plummet.
Gabe pushed her to the far corner and peered at Rafe. “She’s not going to survive this crash,” he shouted over the screeching metal.
Rafe’s gaze raked down her body and up again in half a second. “We’ll have to get above it,” he announced in a tone one would use to discuss what they wanted for breakfast. In one swift motion, he jumped up and ripped the roof off the elevator; the cabin speed ever increasing. “Ladies first.”
Cassie bit back a scream.
“Just hold on to me,” Gabe said to her. She tightened her arms around him and felt his muscles tense under her fingers as he jumped. He didn’t pause until he had a firm hold of one of the thick cables on top. In a blink Rafe appeared, holding on to the wire across from them, still with the rocket launcher on his shoulder.
The elevator disappeared beneath them and another five seconds later, it crashed with a horrible roar. A cloud of dark smoke rushed toward them. Cassie shuddered. Gabe’s strong arms squeezed her closer. Despite everything, she somehow felt safer in his embrace.
A cold sweat broke out on the back of her neck. Another pair of eyes watched her. Turning her head, she found Rafe looking at them with a devilish grin. Who the hell is this guy? Yet, the question would have to be saved for later.
“Let’s get to the next elevator door below and get the hell out,” Rafe said and started making his descent. Gabe nodded and followed his lead. As they came to the door, Rafe pried it open with ease. Gabe swung them onto the floor and finally let go of Cassie, setting her on her feet.
“You okay?” he asked, checking over every inch of her for signs of injury.
“I’m fine,” Cassie said and swatted his hands away.
“Wonderful news, but we have to keep moving,” Rafe said already heading down the hall.
“Just a second,” she yelled more high pitched than intended. Glancing down at her throbbing feet, she saw the culprit of her pain. Balancing on one leg at a time, she ripped off the stilettos and stretched her bare feet on the floor. Her toes gripped the carpet with pleasure. “Now we can go.”
Gabe took her hand. “I could carry you.”
“Not a chance.” She trotted down the hall until they caught up to Rafe.
When they were a trio once more, Gabe slapped the other fallen on the back, furrowed his brow and said in a sardonic tone, “Nice show.”
“Hey, I like to make an entrance, you know,” Rafe said with a grin and turned to look at Cassie. “We haven’t been properly introduced, cherie.” He checked her out with obvious appreciation.
Gabe growled. “Not the time or place, jackass!”
“You’re right,” Rafe said without taking his eyes off her. “They’ll be plenty more.”
Cassie shook her head to clear it, all the while trying to keep up with the two men. “Who,” she gasped for a breath, “are you?”
Gabe didn’t let Rafe utter a word. “Cassie, this is Rafe. He’s an old...acquaintance.” Gabe said the last word with distaste. “And he’s helping us, for now.”
“Let me guess,” Cassie’s voice dripped with sarcasm as their pace slowed to a more manageable walk, “another fallen?”
Rafe’s grin widened. “Of course.”
They continued through the maze of the Obelisk. At the second turn, Gabe asked, “How the hell did you manage to get to that elevator with a rocket launcher?”
Deep laughter echoed through the hallway. “Let’s just say the human mind is easily swayed.” Rafe winked at Cassie. “Or I’m that good.”
Cassie rolled her eyes at the display. “Oh, save me from male showmanship.”
A few more hallways and they reached the door leading out to the garage area. Rafe reloaded the rocket launcher and adjusted it on his shoulder.
He carries it as if it was a feather. She shook her head in wonder. Unreal.
“Prepare for company,” Rafe said in a tone that left no doubt he was enjoying this a little too much.
Gabe leaned in and Cassie heard his low voice in her ear. “Try to get to the exit. If you manage it, run. Get to our hotel room.” As she was about to start protesting, he added, “I’ll be right behind you. It’ll be easier for me to fight if I don’t have to worry about you every second.”
Cassie heard the steel in his voice. There would be no use arguing, so she nodded. Gabe squeezed her hand as Rafe opened the door. The three of them barely had time to drop and roll before shots fired.
“Don’t hit the girl, you idiots.” Someone roared through the commotion. “Aim only for the fallen!”
Gabe threw himself and Cassie toward the far wall, behind a stack of empty industrial sized bins. Rafe squeezed off the rocket launcher, causing Cassie to go temporarily deaf. She stood motionless between Gabe and the wall. He covered her with his body but she still felt the searing heat of the blast. Voices screamed in unison and the smell of burnt flesh hit her nostrils. She tried not to dry heave.
“Gabe, some help over here would be appreciated,” Rafe shouted nearby.
“Stay here until you see it’s safe to get to the exit,” Gabe told her without waiting for her response. He sprang up to join Rafe, who was being surrounded by no less than five men. Humans from what Cassie could tell. Now that Gabe wasn’t covering her, she could also see body parts littering the floor. More men poured out of a number of doors leading from the building’s interior.
“Shit! Where are the rest of your men?” She heard Gabe scream to Rafe as he knocked a gun out of one of the men’s hands in a speed too fast for a mortal to follow. Rafe threw the empty rocket launcher and ducked to avoid more bullets flying his way.
An instant later, the large metal gate to the loading dock began to go up. About twenty men stood outside wearing black special-ops style outfits. They were armed to the boot. Their training was evident in the way they moved, spreading around the perimeter with military efficiency and crouching to avoid being hit. As soon as they detected their fallen boss unharmed, they swooped in, firing precise shots. Before Val’s men had time to react, a number of them were taken out. The same voice Cassie heard before now told them to fall back and take cover. She couldn’t identify the voice’s source.
Despite her terror, Cassie smiled as the odds improved.
Then she heard Gabe. “Cassie, get to the exit now!”
“My men will cover you,” Rafe shouted at the same time whirling to meet his next opponent.
Cassie looked around and noted no one in the immediate vicinity. Gabe and Rafe were engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Ok, this is it. She prepared herself. Make a run for it. She got up from her crouch and sprinted for the exit. She held to the wall as she ran. A few times, she heard shots fired near her.
To her surprise, she made it to the exit with no major problems. Her heart beat hard. She cursed at a painful stitch in her side. As she reached the gate, she gave herself a moment to stop, catch her breath and check on Gabe.
Just as Cassie turned to search for him, a large form flew into her, throwing her to the floor. The air pushed from her lungs as her head hit the concrete floor. A numbing pain filled her and her sight faded to black.
“You weren’t thinking of leaving this party, sweetheart, were you?” A familiar voice sounded above her head. “Your daddy might get offended you didn’t
say goodbye.” He bent over her, laughing. “To be honest, I’m offended.”
Her vision cleared just before she saw Dan’s hand come around her neck. He started pressing hard, the movement constricting her airway. A wild look of pleasure gleamed in his eyes. Oh my God, he’s enjoying this. The thought seemed so absurd. Yet, it made terror much more palpable. The cold stone floor underneath her pressed into her back.
Dan kept his hold firm as Cassie tried to pry his fingers from her throat. Tears formed in her eyes causing his face to go hazy.
“Don’t worry.” His breathing became ragged. “I won’t kill you now. I just need you to calm down and come along.”
Cassie closed her eyes, blinking away the tears. Her thoughts shifted. Something primal overtook her, something she never felt before. A strange calm replaced the panic. She opened her eyes and managed to smile. She saw with satisfaction the look of surprise on Dan’s perverse pretty boy face.
“You should...let...me go.” A hoarse whisper came forth, but before Dan could do or say anything, she wriggled her body to create a small space between them. When it became just wide enough, she nestled her knee into his crotch and pushed with all her strength. It gave her enough time to twist further, bringing her knee up and into his crotch a second time with more force. He screamed and loosened his grip.
Cassie jolted up and her fist shot out to connect with Dan’s jaw. The move surprised her as much as him but there was no time to think. She had seconds to get out and she prayed Gabe was not far behind.
One of Rafe’s men, a tall lanky guy with long stringy black hair, ran to her side and pointed his gun at Dan. “Go!” He yelled at Cassie. Forcing her legs into action, she ran for it. A shot echoed behind her but she didn’t turn around to see the result.