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~When All Else Fails~
“Train, I TOLD you to get the car gassed up.”
“And I TOLD you that I don’t have any money.”
“Are we going to have to sleep here?”
What a merry party they were. Stranded in the middle of a forest, with the car out of gas, and without dinner. Sven Vollfield sighed, briefly grateful that Eve, at least, wasn’t too much of a complainer.
His other Sweeper partner, Train Heartnet, was another matter entirely.
“Well if you had actually listened to me when I said that I don’t have any money-“
“What do you mean you don’t have any money? I split up the bounty equally.”
“That was two MONTHS ago!”
“Someone’s coming,” Eve informed them calmly.
The words were barely out of her mouth when a light, lilting voice behind them spoke. “Is there a problem?”
Train and Sven turned. Behind the car, coming up to meet them was a figure in a cloak. As they stared the person lifted a hand to reveal a woman with pale, milky skin and purple, interested eyes. She smiled gently.
“I heard you arguing.” She said, sounding a bit apologetic.
“Well, our car is out of gas…” Train said, seeing Sven staring at her.
“I see.” She mused. She stroked her chin while she thought. “There’s no gas station here, but if you want to, I can bring you enough to get you into town that’s fifteen minutes away.”
“How?”
“I live nearby.” She explained. “Are you sweepers?”
Sven nodded.
“Sometimes they do get lost here. You’re lucky it’s still late afternoon or nobody would help you till morning.” She paused. “Just wait here.”
“We can go with you,” Train offered.
But she looked briefly scared. “No, no.” she said. “It’s better if I go alone.”
The woman left. Train looked at his two companions, then asked, “Is she going to try to leave us here?”
“I don’t think so.” Sven said, leaning against the car. He lit up a cigarette. “But I think she’s hiding something from us.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Her name was Erin Costello. She was twenty but could have passed for eighteen. She introduced herself as she put the gas in their tank.
“But who are you living with?” Sven asked. “Surely you don’t live here all alone?”
“Oh, no,” she said, slightly shaking. She capped her gas can. “I live with my grandfather.”
“I see. Do you need a ride back into town?”
“No, thank you.” She smiled again. “It’s nice meeting you, Sven, Train, Eve.”
“I hope we meet again,” Train said with a friendly grin.
She chuckled. Sven shut the door behind him, and only he heard her whispered reply: “I hope not.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I don’t believe it,” groaned Sven. After all that trouble, they were back to eating crusts.
“And now I have to pay for board and lodging…hey, are you even listening?” Sven bellowed, seeing Eve and Train staring at the bounty board.
“Sven, have you seen this?” Eve asked.
“seen what?”
“This old man has a lot of bounty on him,” said Train, pointing to a regal-looking old man. “Joyce Moriarty,” the name proclaimed.
“THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND???” yelped Sven. “All for a man who looks like last year’s history professor?”
All right, so that was a bit of an exaggeration. Joyce Moriarty might not be a robust man, but he looked powerful. Stern. Like a man who could order someone to his death…and enjoy it. His deep blue eyes glared icily out of the picture. “What did this man do?”
“He’s widely known to be the mastermind of several drug cartels here,” said the waitress. “He also owns a bank, but once you don’t pay you’re loans there you’re as good as dead. He’s filthy rich. Everyone’s afraid of him.”
“What do you say, Sven? Should we nail him?” Eve asked.
“Why not?” Sven responded. “Joyce Moriarty, huh?” he murmured. “Your days are as good as over.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next night, they drove up to Moriarty’s summer house. It was in the same forest that they got stalled in yesterday. Sven parked the car far away from the imposing mansion, visible even by the light of the half moon.
“The house looks more like a castle,” Eve said as she got out of the car. She had pointedly refused to sit this one out.
“The waitress wasn’t kidding then,” Train said, getting his Hades ready. “I wonder what kind of security measures they-“
There was a bark, a snarl, then the next thing they knew, half a dozen mastiffs loomed out of the darkness to pounce on them. Sven was promptly bowled over by a particularly large one. Only his suitcase prevented him from being torn to ribbons.
There was a shot, and another. Two of the mastiffs fell dead by Train’s bullets. Eve swept another into a tree. It fell to the base, yelping. Sven used the stun light of his suitcase to startle the dog, then used the net to round up the rest.
“Train! Eve! Are you allright?” Sven asked hurriedly, brushing dust from his pants.
The other two made noises of assent. “Who the hell uses dogs as lookout?” grumbled Train.
“They must hate you,” smiled Eve.
“Let’s get going,” Sven suggested. As they walked, Sven realized that one of the dogs was missing-preferably back to its master.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Really? I see…Cara and Elimar are dead.” A hand stroked the huge mastiff. “Not to worry, Ava. You did a fine job.”
The mastiff whined, a worried sound in the darkness.
“It was a warning, but I didn’t think they’d listen.”
“My lady?”
She turned. A bodyguard was standing at her door. “Please, my lady, your grandfather is asking for you. There are some intruders that have managed to get past the second line of bodyguards.”
“I know. Ava told me.” She sighed. She rose from the bed and pulled on a coat. “Very well, tell Grand-Pere I will be with him shortly.”
“Of course, My Lady.” The bodyguard dipped his head respectfully and retreated.
She looked out at the moon. By its dim light her violet eyes glimmered, sad and silent.
“And so the cycle begins again.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Man, this guy certainly knows no limits when it comes to bodyguards,” panted Train. They had just fought off what seemed like and army and yet there were more coming.
“Are you tired?” laughed Sven.
“That’s not what I mean,” said Train. “But at this rate it’ll take us forever to search for him. He might escape.”
Sven nodded thoughtfully. “Seems like we have to split up. Eve, can you go back outside and make sure that he doesn’t take off from under our nose?”
Eve nodded. “How about you two?”
“We’ll search.”
“Be careful.” With that Eve bounded away, her long blond hair trailing after her. Sven was at least relieved to think that most of her way back would be cleared of enemies.
“I’ll go right.” Train said. Sven went left without a word.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The way Sven chose was almost suspiciously clean of bodyguards. He wondered if he chose the wrong way. He rounded a bend, then-
Suddenly there was a burst of gunfire. Sven backed away into the corridor just in time, but not entirely unscathed. His shoulder was bleeding. Heavily.
“Damn it.” He swore. He’d be needing first aid. He threw a smoke bomb into the corridor and fired at the bodyguards as they stood there confused. A few minutes later the way was clear.
Clear, that was, until he smacked face-first into a corridor, indeed by his own smoke bomb.
He backed away, rubbing his nose. It was impossible that so many guards would be here just to protect a corridor…
The smoke cleared, revealing a keypad of numbers to his right.
That was just great. To be duped by a door-lock combination.
Sven stepped back. He thought for a few seconds, then finally lifted his eyepatch to use his eye. If there was someone here who would know the combination, it would be the next person who came through this door. Unfortunately, Sven only needed the combination and not the actual person.
The future was blurred. It showed him a hand, dialing the numbers: 011235813. Then a room, filled with moonlight.
“Grand-Pere,” a voice murmured. Then a chair. There was a figure in it, raising a gun…
Sven shook himself from the vision. He was shaking, even though it was not entirely in pain. The next person who would use the door might be in danger…the bounty’s grandchild. Perhaps not an innocent. But Sven’s instincts, much similar to the one he had gotten while rescuing Eve, were telling him that this grandchild was not to be involved.
When the pain finally subsided, Sven rose and dialed the numbers.
Sven stood in the doorway in shock. Train was lying in a heap on the floor, obviously drugged.
Or worse.
“What have you done to him?” Sven shouted. As he had seen, there was a chair in it. The bright lights revealed Joyce Moriarty sitting calmly in a red velvet armchair. He was pointing a gun at Sven.
“So you must be the other Sweeper,” said Moriarty mildly. “I must applaud you for making mincemeat of my security.’
“What did you do to him?” Sven repeated.
“Oh, he’ll live. For a short while. It’s not fatal, just enough to knock him out. I’m afraid that he’s paying compensation for the trouble you brought me tonight.”
“You’re the one who gave us trouble! What were those dogs for?!”
Moriarty’s eyes widened. “Hmm, so she decided to get involved too.”
“She?”
“Grand-Pere,” a voice murmured from the door that Sven left open. It was the voice he heard in his vision.
“Ah, Erin,” Moriarty said cordially, pointing the gun at her. “You took long enough.”
Sven froze. He couldn’t even turn around. He saw that nymph-like Erin Costello pass by him, and stand behind Moriarty’s chair. A white mastiff followed her.
“Erin…what does this mean?” Sven said in shock.
“I’m sorry, Sven,” she whispered. “Joyce Moriarty is my grandfather.”
“That’s impossible!”
“Oh, yes,” Moriarty said. “Her mother was my only daughter.” He looked at Erin. “So you know him, eh? Why didn’t you dispose of him when you met him?”
“I didn’t know for sure that he was after you.”
“But my stupid Erin, I am the only bounty in these woods.” There was disgust in his tone.
Erin looked down. “I’m sorry, Grand-Pere.”
“No matter, You may kill him now.” Said Moriarty in a bored voice.
Both Erin and Sven looked at Moriarty in shock.
“Well, go on.”
Erin looked at Sven uncertainly, then back at her grandfather. “Grand-Pere, I don’t think-“
“Or shall I kill him for you?” Moriarty cut in.
Sven saw the conflict in Erin’s face. “You don’t have to do as he says, Erin.”
“On the contrary, she does. She has killed a few people, and another one won’t matter. On the other hand, if she doesn’t kill you, I will turn her out of the house, and have her arrested as a murderer. Any attempts from her to discredit me will result in her…ah, premature, permanent silence.”
“You’re a monster,” Sven said. Erin didn’t look surprised at Moriarty’s threats. Obviously she had heard it before.
“Erin.” Moriarty called again.
Erin stepped forward, her face carefully blank. In one hand she held a pistol, in another, a blade.
“Erin, you don’t need to do this. Erin, we’ll catch your grandfather. Please! I don’t want to have to hurt you!”
Erin began her run. When she was two feet from Sven she hit his injured shoulder with the but of her gun then twisted to punch him in the face. Sven raised his hands in defense, internally wincing with pain.
With kicks, punches and threatening jabs from her short knife, Erin drove Sven back. She didn’t seem to hear any of the words Sven told her.
“ERIN!”
The shout came from Sven. As before, she didn’t listen. She crouched to deliver the final blow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Erin heard a click. “Good job, Erin,” her grandfather praised her.
There was a single shot. She didn’t think, only reacted: she stood up quickly, shielding Sven’s body with hers.
“E…Erin?” Sven said, horrified.
She didn’t feel it at first. Then, she heard her grandfather say, “Erin, you should have moved out of the way. Now I have to do it again.”
That was when she felt the pain. She opened her mouth to speak. She had been hit from behind, in the lungs. The moonlight was bathing her in pale light.
Blood flowed from her lips. She turned and smiled sadly at her grandfather.
“You’ve never valued me, Grand-pere.”
Then the moonlight turned black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sven caught Erin, dropping his suitcase in the process. Moriarty raised his gun again, but before her could aim properly another gunshot knocked the gun out of his hands.
“What the-“ Moriarty cursed, sucking on his hand. He gasped upon seeing Train standing up, looking perfectly at ease.
“You!”
“That was a nice nap,” Train said pleasantly. “But it’ll take more than that to take me out of commission.”
“Nice timing,” muttered Sven darkly.
Train smiled. “What can I say? Heroes always make a late entrance.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The smell of eggs and bacon woke her up. She opened her eyes, then tried to sit up.
“OW!”
“Careful, your injuries aren’t healed yet,” said a voice over her head.
She turned to see Eve looking at her from a doorway. She held a tray of food in her hands, and more bandages. “Eve,” she said, surprised.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. Where am I?”
That was when she noticed Sven sleeping on the chair next to her bed. “Uhm-isn’t he uncomfortable?”
“He’s fine. You’re at a cabin we rented.”
Train entered the room, yawning. “Hey, princess, how come they get their breakfast first?” He stopped when he saw Erin sitting up. “Hey, good morning, Erin.”
“Good…Morning.” She said, feeling off guard. “What happened?”
“We turned you grandfather in, and we healed you.” Train said succinctly. He sat down on her bed. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, then stared at her hands. “So he’s…gone, then?”
“Oh, no, we didn’t kill him.”
“I know.”
Sven dipped his head, then woke up with a jerk. “Why are you all-oh, Erin! You’re awake!”
She smiled shyly. “Good morning, Sven. I’m sorry about your injuries.”
“Oh, I’m fine.”
There was a very awkward pause.
“I am going to get more breakfast,” Eve said finally. “Train, come with me.”
“What? Why?!”
“Just come.” Eve pulled Train out of the room by his wrist, protesting all the way.
“Are they always like that?” Erin asked Sven with another smile.
“Usually.” Sven said.
Another awkward silence. Then Sven asked, “Was he always like that? Your grandfather?”
She looked out of the window, pondering her answer. “I can barely remember…but no. It was only when my parents died within days of each other that he started to change. He was a banker at first. Maybe a bit strict, but not the criminal type. Then one of his rivals murdered my parents. They almost got me too, but my mother hid me in a closet. Since then he’s been out for revenge. I was five when my parents died, and when I was eight, he got his revenge. However, he was in too deep with drugs then.” Her fingernails clawed her blanket. “I was hoping he’s go back…to who he was. I’ve been killing for him, all this time. I didn’t even realize until last night that I was walking a path that I didn’t want to follow…”
“He failed you,” Sven said.
“No, no. I failed him. Maybe if I tried harder…He would’ve changed eventually.”
“That’s not true. He made his choices as you made yours.”
She nodded. “I know…but I still loved him. Is it wrong?”
Tears fell from her cheeks. “I’m sorry.” Sven said.
“For what?”
“For putting you through that.”
She hugged herself, looking vulnerable. “It’s fine.” She smiled through her tears. “I’m happy I met you, Sven.”
Sven smiled back, feeling all warm inside. Nobody had ever told him that before. Then he remembered something. “It’s still stupid, though.”
“What was?”
“You saving me. You could have died.”
“Oh, that’s…something I had to do.”
“Why?”
She didn’t answer directly. Instead she said, ”May I join you?”
“What?”
“I want to be a sweeper.”
“NO.”
“Please?”
“NO.”
She smiled again and reached into a pocket. She fished out a wallet and opened it for him. “Please?”
Every pocket of her wallet was crammed with cash and credit cards. Sven’s financial troubles were over.
“Heck yes!” Train shouted from the doorway. He was grinning.
“What? Don’t decide on things like that without my permission!” Sven shouted.
“Sven?”
He turned at the sound of her voice, then started when he realized that she moved closer to him. She gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. His mouth dropped open
She shrank back to her bed. “May I join you?” Erin asked again, blushing slightly.
Brain temporarily short-circuited, Sven nodded numbly.
“Thank you.”
“So you’re joining us?” Eve said over Train’s shoulder.
“Yes!” exclaimed Erin. “Hey, Sven? Sven?”
“I think he’s knocked out.” Eve commented. Sven still looked stunned.
“Maybe you have to kiss him, Train,” Erin suggested. Her cheeks were still pink.
“NO WAY!!!!” Train and Sven, released from his paralysis, shouted. She only smiled.
~Comments, rates, messages and requests are loved. Critics are welcome.~
~Ja~
~I'll show you another sweet dream the next time we meet~
