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  Strapped onto the rack was Ashby, the ropes burning into her wrists and ankles.

  Tightening the gears of the rack, back on to Kat, was Gavin.

  “‘That we are true lovers run into strange capers: but as all is mortal in love in nature so is all in nature in love mortal in folly,’“ He stated, turning to face Kat, an ugly smirk playing across his lips. “Shakespeare’s As You Like It. And we are true lovers, you and I. You can feel it. I know you can.”

  Kat paused, considering. She hoped she was a good liar. “And if I do, what will happen?” She flirted, eyes meeting his for the first time. Inside, it burned her, however she concealed it seamlessly.

  “Then you would come to me and surrender yourself.”

  “Haven’t I already? You can let Ashby go when I come to you, and then, not only will I have surrendered, but I’ll be yours… fully.” Kat played out the last word carefully, grasping for time and at any chance of escape.

  Gavin cocked his head to the side and the appearance of a hungry wolf slid over his features, his eyes glowing, almost, as he spoke. “Agreed, but we do it to my… taste.”

  Kat hesitated again, more fearful, but aware she needed to play her cards carefully.

  ‡

  “Deal,” she whispered, dropping the guns to the floor and taking a tentative step toward him. He held his hand up to stop her. The crowd seemed to take a collective sharp breath.

  “On all fours. Crawl to me,” Gavin said with a cold snicker.

  Kat was livid. “I am not a dog. At your insistence, I am to be your princess. I have two feet which I will walk on.” She struggled to refrain from spitting it at him. To her surprise, Gavin smiled.

  “Eric, Brandon, since my lady does not wish to crawl, kindly carry her to me. Handle her gently if you would,” he drawled.

  Two men stepped forward, hoisting Kat up and almost, but not quite, throwing her at Gavin’s knees. He gave a merciless laugh. “Get up, darling.”

  Kat dragged herself to her feet. Ashby was now only inches away and, seeming to sense Kat’s plan, stopped struggling. Kat could only be glad Gavin seemed to be oblivious. She looked him in the eye. “Now let her go free so we may proceed with your plans.”

  “As you wish,” Gavin replied, turning to face Ashby again. He reached into his pocket, searching, for something. Relief swept over Ashby. He must be searching for a key to the locks. She saw the glint of silver just as Gavin pulled his out of his pocket. It was only when Gavin raised his hand that Kat and Ashby fully realized the situation, and by then it was too late. The ‘key’ stabbed into Ashby’s chest, blood spattering onto Kat and Gavin, staining both her hair and his smile with gore. Neither girl had a chance to cry out. As Gavin withdrew the small, thin blade from Ashby’s increasingly motionless body, Kat sank to her knees, closing her eyes to shut out the reality and the tears.

  “Now, who wants to be next?” Gavin called into the crowd and bent down next to her to whispered. “I kept my promise, she has been released. From this life at least.” The sweet, consoling tone, that of which you might use to comfort a two year old, only sickened Kat further. Her eyes still shut, she felt Gavin move in closer to her and kiss her on the cheek. She felt like lashing out and striking him, but the shock froze her. It was then that she lost herself into the commotion of the sick-minded crowd clamoring to be the next sacrifice.

  ‡

  For the next twenty minutes or more, the smell of blood further consumed the room, and though it felt like an eternity to her, she still didn’t open her eyes. The sounds told her enough. It was only when the screams subsided into echoes in her mind that she dared to open her eyes.

  It was to her great surprise that she found Gavin kneeling next to her. “It’s time,” he stated, his haunting eyes dancing over a large wooden table that had been placed in the middle of the room. On it lay a circular stone basin filled with blood, presumably that of the people who had just died. Looking around, Kat saw only five people remaining, other than herself and Gavin.

  He helped her to her feet and led her to the table. Kat didn’t really hear what he was saying. The drone of his voice only penetrated her at two points: the words ‘dying’ and ‘reborn’. She wouldn’t let it happen. Almost at the table, she shoved Gavin hard, his fingers flailing wildly to try and catch her. He grabbed her hair and pulled as he fell forward onto the table.

  She twisted, letting it rip out and raced over to where the guns remained. Without thinking, she shot the rest of the cult followers dead, cursing herself for missing three shots, and for regretting missing the shots. Then she turned to Gavin.

  “You don’t want to shoot me, Kat. It’s not too late to finish the ritual,” he murmured, almost fearfully.

  “Bloody Hell! You are CRAZY, understand?!? CRAZY!” Kat yelled, finally snapping. “You killed the only real friend I’ve ever had and you just expect me to comply?!” She screamed, motioning to that which she had not yet acknowledged, Ashby’s still form. Kat was in tears now.

  She aimed and fired.

  The bullet hit Gavin in the stomach and he curled into himself, folding into a ball.

  She ran to Ashby. She was still clinging to life. Kat felt her heart soar at the discovery. “I’m gonna get you out of here,” she murmured into Ashby’s hair as she picked her up and cradled her gently in her arms. Leaving the room, she ignored Gavin’s pleas for help. He was still alive when she managed her way out of the house, maybe even still alive when she set the house ablaze. He was not still alive however, as she carried Ashby’s body toward the approaching ambulance, toward their salvation, and toward the dawn of a new day.

  ‡?‡

  at midnight, the dawn

  She took the mug gladly. It was cracked in places, but still managed to hold the warm liquid adequately, even with its blue varnish fading and chipping. Breathing in the steam, she smiled up at Alexi in thanks.

  It had been like this between them ever since they had met, mere weeks ago. He had started caring for her, and it was the first time since she had run away that she hadn’t been relying only on herself. She took a sip.

  “How is it?” He smiled at her as she gulped down the tea.

  “Warm,” Cassidy replied thankfully, clear blue eyes flashing and dancing as she the heat woke her up again. She giggled a bit as he blushed.

  “So, any word from Romulus on our next job?” The tense words spilled from Alexi’s lips in a jumble, and his eyes gave away his nervousness.

  She responded with eyes twinkling as she watched her friend squirm. “Have you heard about the abandoned convent down by the docks?”

  “You mean the one kids keep disappearing from?” Alexi balked, startled.

  When Alexi had first come here two months ago, he had gotten off the plane in Helsinki with two of his friends, and in a matter of minutes they had been separated. He had searched for them, tried their phones, until finally someone picked up, days later. The voice was shaky and unfamiliar, though her screams and sobbing had convinced him that there would be no hope in finding his friends alive. She had convinced him, as of that moment, that the most he could do to not end up like them was to stay the hell away from the docks where they had died. Sometimes, Cassidy reminded him of that girl.

  “That’s the one,” Cassidy said, coy smile lighting her features. “Apparently Romulus heard about some guy named Scorpio taking it over and brainwashing all the girlsies and boysies trapped there. He wants us to take him downtown, get Scorpio on his side. Should be fun right?”

  Alexi’s voice caught in his throat. “Should be fun.”

  -?-

  Cassidy shook out her matted blonde hair, bending over the sink and washing out the street dirt. She couldn’t count the number of times she had done this at various coffee shops, fast food joints, and other public venues. Still, they had to look the part, and today they needed not to be messed with. It would be a difficult task, especially when dealing with a guy who had appeared out of nowhere and single-handedly gotten a
snaky reputation in less than a week.

  “Alexi, hand me some paper towel,” she huffed, finishing up with her hair. She took a large wad from him and wrung out the excess water, turning to the hand dryer on the wall to finish the task. Alexi still hadn’t spoken much, and she had begun to wonder if he’d be up to the job ahead.

  Hurrying now, she quickly washed herself down, removing the smell of sweat off her skin, then changed into a black woolen sweater she had stolen the day before, pairing it with a skirt Romulus had lent her for the job. She smeared on bright red lipstick taken from the store they were in, then turned to face Alexi.

  He couldn’t help but smile at the stunning transformation.

  Walking out of the store, the duo didn’t glance up to meet the eyes of the store clerk. Out of the corner of his eye, Alexi could see he regarded them with suspicion: the street girl transformed into a deadly butterfly accompanied by a well off looking boy.

  Outside he hailed them a cab, opening the door for Cassidy when it arrived before climbing in himself. “The docks please. We’re headed for the convent,” he said, trying to exude a confidence he was in fact having a difficult time finding.

  The driver looked back, startled, as Alexi passed him a bill and motioned him onward.

  The taxi sped along, giving Alexi the feeling that the driver wanted them gone as fast as possible. When he looked at Cassidy he saw she was smirking at the erratic driving. She turned to him and laughed when she saw that his jaw was clenched and firm, flooding his face with tension. Suddenly, they lurched to a screeching halt. Alexi flicked another bill at the driver, then got out wordlessly.

  Cassidy strode toward the small wooden door nestled in a stone exterior and gave it a heave, expecting it to be jammed.

  It flew open effortlessly.

  “Odd,” she murmured, glancing back at Alexi.

  “Trouble?”

  She paused, looking queasy, and nodded.

  -?-

  It had the Hallmark of a classic horror movie.

  Their effortless entry, and now the musty odor of a dank, damp basement. Their breath hung in the air in front of them, the winter chill reaching inside what must once have been a thriving convent.

  Times had changed though, and the nuns who had lived here had either died or gone to live at someplace else. Once, visitors and perhaps relatives would have entered here, but the entryway now seemed to hold only ghosts. A reception desk lay untouched to their right, save for being adorned with a bronze cross that the new residents had turned upside down. The light was minimal, but in the din of the entrance hallway the filth of their surroundings was visible. More visible however, was a light coming from under a door near the end of the hall.

  Alexi cringed.

  “Shall we?” Cassidy whispered.

  He nodded in reply.

  Sticking close together, they crept toward the door quietly. The stone floor was covered in dirt and masked their footsteps well, but when they tried the door, there was a loud groan before the hinges gave.

  The couple cringed, and a voice rang clear through the convent. “Miss me, darlings?”

  It was like listening to velvet, or perhaps drowning in it.

  He could barely breathe. He could see his breath was coming out in shorter bits, as the cloud in the cold air was becoming smaller and less frequent. He could hear Cassidy’s voice somewhere next to him, shouting something like: “Don’t do this to me,” but the world went black before he could tell for sure.

  -?-

  The smell of vomit assaulted his nostrils as he woke. The lumpy mattress under him seemed to be wet, seeping through his shirt and chilling his skin. He blinked his eyes open, and was startled to come face to face with a white-blonde, blue eyed version of himself. This version seemed slightly taller, thinner, paler and even more out-there than he was. And cocky. This version seemed cocky.

  Trying to sit up, Alexi’s head immediately started to swim. He only got a few inches from the matress before a combination of dizziness and handcuffs pulled him back down to the bed. “Where’s Cassidy?” He slurred, coming out more like, “Whars Cashity?” His brow furrowed in frustration at the tongue that had seemingly gotten heavier in his mouth while he slept.

  “Hold on, boy,” Scorpio snickered “Cassidy is fine; she’ll be with us in a little while. We just need some… alone time first.”

  “And why do we need alone time?” He replied, slurring slightly less. The furrowed brow had turned quizzical as he waited for the response.

  “Well, Alexi Hunter, it seems I have the bodies of at least two of your friends lying around, and even though my girl warned you not to come here, you came anyway. That’s admirable I suppose, but also a bit stupid. After all, the two of them together didn’t make it out of here alive. What makes you think you can, with my girl?”

  Alexi’s jaw dropped. “Cassidy is…”

  “Mine. Yes, that’s a hitch in your plans, isn’t it?” He chuckled, and Alexi was dimly aware of a cold glint permeating his eyes. “Sure, she appears to be on Romulus’ side and yours too, and maybe she is... but first and foremost, she is loyal to me. Fear is a good tool against those who would defy you.”

  “What are we really here for then?” Alexi asked gravely.

  “You are here to negotiate a deal. You on my team, or I let the brainwashed maniacs loose on the city, a few at a time, night by night, until they’ve got the whole place overrun. They’re contagious, you know. If you agree, I’ll give them parts of the cure, bit by bit, as you do my bidding.” Scorpio continued to smile. “If you’re not good, I might even feed our precious Cassidy to them, though that would be a shame, don’t you think?”

  Alexi’s face grew dark. “How do I know they’re really infectious? What work would I be doing for you?”

  “As for your first question, I could answer that by letting them loose in the city, but that wouldn’t be very nice of me, so let’s avoid that. The other option, which I do believe is the one you’d prefer, involves me going to fetch one of our little infectees and simply showing you how delightfully rabid and dangerous they are.”

  Alexi winced at his words.

  A jubilant expression to crossed Scorpio’s features when he saw that, like a man on his wedding day.

  “And the answer to my second question?” Alexi asked, eyes narrowing. Scorpio’s expression became nauseously close to pure delight.

  “You’d take care of Romulus. For Good. Cleverly, mind you. It wouldn’t be some simple hit. I want to completely neutralize both him, and his whole silly cell. Of course, he will have to be killed, but first I need to make sure that there will be no repercussions, and no one to take his place.” Scorpio’s business-like smile slid back into place. “It shouldn’t be too hard for you, should it?”

  Alexi regarded him with a long stare before replying. “No, it shouldn’t. Just why do you think I’m the right one for the job though?”

  His grin faded as he got up and left the room. He paused at the door, turning back over his shoulder to regard Alexi. “Let’s just say I’ve fallen out of mother-dearest’s favour, and the only one I feel like I can trust is my brother.”

  -?-

  For a long time, Alexi debated the validity of what Scorpio had said. Yes, he had been adopted, so it was possible to have siblings, theoretically. Yes, he did see a resemblance. Yes, also to the probability of finding family in this city. That was what he had come to Helsinki for in the first place, but after the disappearance of Rochelle and Thomas, his focus had turned more to proving his independence... and to some extent, revenge.

  He had purposely lost all contact with his Canadian adoptive parents after finding out that they had lied to him for the first twenty years of his life. They were rich, conservative and absent from much of his childhood. In some ways, finding out he was adopted had made him feel like he was abandoned twice.

  “Alexi?” Cassidy whispered tentatively, poking her head around the corner of the door. Only now did he look up fro
m his reverie, fully taking in for the first time his surroundings.

  The vomit stained mattress matched the stone floor, which was caked in bile and blood. Another bed was pushed against the opposite wall, giving the room the feel of a cell. It didn’t help that he was still chained down.

  ”Are you ok? Scorpio wouldn’t tell me where you were,” Alexi’s asked, his expression all worry upon seeing his companion. It didn’t matter that she had lied to him. They were in this together.

  “Am I ok? Alexi, you’re the one covered in puke and chained to a bed!” She threw her arms in the air, exasperated.

  She crossed the small space between them and took a set of keys out of her pocket. Looking up at his face, she answered the question that resided there. “He gave me them to free you with. I’m supposed to get you cleaned up and to your real room. The only reason you’re in here is because you apparently wouldn’t stop puking. Or that’s what he says anyway. He’s had me distributing parts of the cure to all his science projects since you passed out yesterday.”

  The locked handcuffs clicked open as she jiggled the key.

  “So they really are all infected with something?” He asked, sitting up and rubbing his wrists.

  Cassidy looked at him uncomfortably. “I don’t know if it’s that they’re infected so much. I think they might have died, and come back to life.”

  -?-

  The two friends wandered down a narrow corridor in silence. Alexi hadn’t said a word since Cassidy had dropped the crazy bombshell on him. Finally though, his head was swirling too much not to ask.

  “What do you mean you think they died? People can’t die and come back to life just like that. And certainly not a whole roomful of them,” he whispered, really coming closer to a hiss. The idea was so insane, yet he could tell Cassidy had been serious. “What makes you think that anyway?”