The Alexandru Chronicles: The Beginning (36 page)

Chapter Thirty

It felt like an eternity of just walking in a black maze, not knowing where she was going and following Cirpian's voice. When he eventually told her to stop, and stay quiet, she was not just surprised, but anxious for a reason on why she was suddenly halting.

Yet, it didn't take long, even though it seemed like it had; for him to tell her that she could continue.

When she finally emerged from the dark alleyway, it was this single light, above the back door of the complex, that had her slightly dazed.

“
Stay put.”

“
What?”

“
Shhh...Stay put and don't make a sound, I'll tell you when you can enter.”

Genevieve couldn't say why she was letting a man tell her what to do. Not to mention, a man who wasn't even present. It was his voice that she was listening to.

Yet, for some reason, her stubbornness and, for that matter, her common sense, had both decided to take a brief vacation—together. And, because neither one was around to, deliberately, pester her, she was left feeling more than a little cooperative.

As she stood there watching that back door, itching to go in, and wondering to herself what the hold up was, it was then that she saw the door open and a man emerge. The man didn't look too friendly. In fact, he looked liked someone she wouldn't have wanted to meet in a dark alleyway.

Oh.., wait...

Well, he looked like someone, who she might have either seen on the news or used in a photo line up as a murder suspect. It wasn't just that, though, there was something not quite right about his looks. She couldn't quite put her finger on it...Possibly, the most accurate description of him, was that he was inhuman looking.

Just the sight of him, had her warily edging herself back into the shadowy alleyway. This was bullshit, she wasn't going to wait around for this ape monster to leave – she needed to get to Kyle. Yet, just as she was about to turn tail and head back the way she had come, she stepped on something hard. The moment she heard that crack under foot, she knew that she was in trouble, because the man started making his way toward her. Reaching for her gun, she was astonished to not feel it at her side. As she stood there, thinking where it could possibly be, the answer, like the man coming toward her, suddenly dawned on her.

Shit, her gun holster was still laying on the coffee table.  

Before she could even chastise herself, for her stupidity, she heard Cirpian say,
“Don't worry, you won't need it.”

When the man suddenly halted in his tracks, Genevieve was surprised when he, sparing one last glance in her direction, turned and hurried in the opposite direction of her and the door.

As Genevieve perplexedly watched the ape monster's departing back, she tried figuring out what or who could have possibly gotten him to leave so quickly?

Yet, before she could think any more on it, she heard Cirpian's voice,
“Go now...”

He didn't have to tell her twice, she hastily left her hiding place and slipped, silently, through that back door.

As she made her way along the dark corridor, she was astonished to no longer hear Cirpian's voice.

Where was he?

“Cirpian...” she whispered his name at least three times, before eventually giving up.

During the course of whispering Cirpian's name, Genevieve had tried to keep her voice from betraying her true emotions – she was scared shitless. Yet, she couldn't turn back and leave Kyle to these...these...

Well, she couldn't really say what they were...All, she knew, was that something inside her, either her conscience or something deeper than that, was saying these individuals, that had her partner, were not human.

It was just as Genevieve was about to give up hope of ever finding her why through this dark maze, that she heard voices. As she followed these voices, she, a few seconds later, noticed this faint, yellowish, glow, coming from where the voices were at.

It didn't take but minutes, for her to eventually stumble upon the owners of these voices. Yet, as bad luck would have it, she had come out in the open.

As Genevieve frantically looked around her, she noted that there was close to thirty people around; all congregated around a red headed woman. Yet, what really caught her attention; was the man tied up in the chair. She knew, just from his clothing and crew cut, that it was Kyle.

Instinctively, Genevieve wanted to run to him.

Yet, it was her cautious cop instincts that had her halting in her tracks.

Hastily propelling herself back into the shadowy dark corridor, her survival instincts quickly started to kick in.

Find a hiding place.

Once she had hastily scanned the area, for a good place to hide, she finally decided on a group of boxes over in the far left corner – behind Kyle; that seemed a better place than any.

Quickly eyeballing the distance, Genevieve tried determining how much time it would take her to get over there. She would have to be pretty stealthy, and as silent as a mouse.

It would be so nice, if Cirpian would intervene now and instruct her on the appropriate course of action.

Yet, still, there was that possibility that he hadn't been with her; that it had just been her sanity's fatal attempt at killing itself.

Before moving from her spot, she took a deep breathe and willed her legs to move.

The moment she moved out into the open and toward those boxes, she was positive that someone would turn around and see her.

All and all, the distance to the boxes, was just about eight or so feet away. Yet, while, in any another circumstances, it would have just been a nice stroll over to them; this was by far the most excruciating stroll she had ever made. Her legs were so sluggish, that she thought they would give out; before she even made it over to the boxes.

If it wasn't bad enough that her legs were giving her problems, then it was this cold perspiration slowly working its way down her back and face, which had her clothes not just sticking to her, but her eyes itching from the sweat that had already rolled into them.

What had seemed like hours, was actually just a few minutes. Yet, when she finally got over to those boxes, she was so relieved that she found herself breathing a sigh of relief.

This brief relief was stupid of course, because Genevieve knew that she shouldn't have been so relieved to be behind those moldy, smelly, boxes. For it wasn't as if she was home free. She was still out in the open and, whoever came over to those boxes, would see her by just looking down.

While her new vantage point was less cover than the one in the corridor, she now had a better view of Kyle' back; she noticed that he was tied up with rope, not zip ties.

That was good, considering how zip ties were a bitch to try and cut. As it was, it would still be a pain in the ass to get him untied, because the rope didn't look frayed or, even, old – it appeared to be pretty new.

As Genevieve looked around for something to cut his binds with, she saw a sharp rusty piece of metal sitting on the ground—not too far from his chair.

Well, that was convent.

Before edging her way over to him, she hesitantly looked over at the red head and her group, who, presently, had their backs to her and, it appeared, that nobody was even paying attention to Kyle's tied up form; their attention appeared to be more focused on something else, other than what she was doing at that moment.

No sooner had she left her hiding place, was Genevieve again feeling that sensation of being completely exposed. While nobodies eyes were on her, she was still terrified over someone turning around and seeing her.

Yet, when she eventually got over to Kyle, she was again relieved, which had her, once more, left wondering why that was; and if it was possible for her brain to have completely converted itself to insanity.

Deciding not to dwell on it, she quickly grabbed the rusty piece of metal and started cutting at Kyle's bindings.

“Kyle...,” she whispered, “I'm here.”

“
That's nice to know.”

The moment she heard this person's voice, she knew that it wasn't Kyle.

She was so surprised, though, by this knowledge, that her attention was no longer on the red head and the others, but the person, who she had thought was Kyle.

When he broke away his rope bindings and stood up, he didn't give her much time to be even surprised over that; before he was taking a step toward her.

“You're pretty...no wonder he likes you so much...”

Possibly her sisters were right and she really did need glasses. How she had thought this guy was Kyle, was beyond her; he had a pot marked face and his teeth were all yellow from years of drug abuse. The only characteristic that both this man and Kyle had in common, was that they both had that same dark complexion. Not, just that, though, this man was also wearing Kyle's clothes; which fit him poorly.

As he wickedly grinned at her, he took another step toward her.

During her surprise over this man not being her partner, Genevieve had been slightly taken off guard. Yet, no sooner did he make a move toward her, was that emotion quickly replaced with her survival instincts. And tightening her grip on the piece of metal, that she had in her hand, she got ready to swig.

“I'm sure he won't mind, if I have a little bite.”

It was him grabbing hold of the chair, that he had been tied up in, and throwing it to the side, that had her marking, with her eyes, where she was going to swig her piece of metal at. She had just marked out this spot, when he suddenly rushed her; which had her instinctively swinging her weapon, right at his head.

XX
X

The moment the big ape monster, had come outside, he had sensed Genevieve's blood; he had been all too ready to pounce on her. Yet, it had been this strange voice, in his head, that told him that his prey was no longer over there in that direction; that he needed to head in the opposite direction.

When he eventually got over to where the voice had instructed him to go, he at first couldn't hear anything. Yet, when he heard this small rustling, coming forth from a group of trash cans, he quickly headed over to them.

“
Come out here, baby...” he chuckled. “I'll go easier on you, if you don't hide from me.”

When the rustling only continued, and, what ever was making that noise, made no effort to come out, he, growling, swiftly leaped over the trash cans and landed, none too gracefully, behind them—startling this scrawny little cat, that had been searching for scraps or rodents to eat.  

Before the poor beast could even run away, he quickly picked it up by the scruff of it's neck. As it growled, none too happy with him, he said, “Well, you are food...and you do smell amazingly good.”

Just as he was baring his fangs, it was then that he heard this movement behind him.

Swiftly turning around, still firmly holding the cat, yet he had instinctively brought that hand down to his side, he surprisingly stared at who was behind him. Before he even had time to react to this person, they swung their sword, which was even more a surprise than the person themselves. He didn't even have time to utter a scream, and, that same surprised expression, was still present when his head went flying from his shoulders.

As the ape monster's head flew through the air, Cirpian found himself wondering if it was possible, that in this man's next life, he would not just be a little more compassionate towards defenseless animals, but he wouldn't make the same, cruel, mistakes as he had in this life time.

As he continued to stand there, just watching the decapitated ape's body dissolve, he, sheathing his sword, looked down at the scrawny little cat that was now, purringly, rubbing itself against his legs.

Leaning down, he gingerly scratch between the cat's ears and, after rubbing the scraggy animal's chin, he, picking the cat up, whispered in it's ear, “Find me later..., and I'll take you home with me.”

After he had released him, the cat, looking adoringly up at him, hastily scurried away.

Once the cat was gone, Cirpian, turning on his heels, swiftly made his way over to one of the complex's windows and, slithering up the building, he said a quick prayer that his little warrior queen had enough sense not to do anything too rash.

Yet, he knew that because of her stubbornness; she would most likely be trying to save her partner -  not at all thinking of the repercussions of her actions.    

XXX

 
The moment she saw the blood spray, she knew that her slightly ajar aim had made contact.

Yet, while the wound she had made, would have killed most people, it didn't seem to even deter the jackass in front of her. In fact the only reaction she got out of him, was this surprised anger.