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"Deception Island" Round Robin
Writers/Rotation Tricia, Chris White, l_greytree, Angela, Rithannen, Bek, Ea, Heartfelt
Artists/Rotation Chococat, Starfall Valtash, Rithannen, l_greytree, Darkzel, Chris White, Adorna, SayAye, Myst
Rules Each participant has one week to complete their part beginning from when the previous part is posted. No main character may be killed. Very minor OC's may be used; use of JF characters is highly encouraged. Participants may write about all the characters in their turn, or focus only on the characters they wish to write about at that time. If you cannot complete your turn, notify Tricia by email so the turn can be given to the next writer on the list. Skipping a turn will not eliminate you from the round robin; skipping and not telling anyone you're doing so will. Email your part as a Word doc to Tricia. You may write one paragraph or several pages. Artists have one week to complete their illustration of any scene from the story. Art may be simple lineart or more elaborate work. 72 dpi jpg, 600px max width.
Maps Moreau
Mansion Basement The Pirates' Hideaway Amusement Park
Deception Island
Part 1 -- Tricia "This sure was a lucky break, wasn't it?" Finn leaned against the railing of the yacht he and his friends had been invited aboard. Because they'd been in the right place at the right time -- and were unlucky -- they were now cruising Curacao in style. "If our charter hadn't broken down we'd still be sitting there instead of riding on this super-duper boat!" "The Sophie is a yacht," corrected the smiling blonde woman by his side. She was dressed in khaki shorts and a matching short-sleeved shirt. A cute little white hat sat on her head which Finn had been studying with envy since he'd stepped on board her boat. Oops -- yacht. "She's beautiful," Finn gushed, running his hands over the highly polished mahogany railing. He leaned over the rail so that his head dangled above the churning blue waters rushing past the hull. "I can't believe you're letting us ride on it, Emily." She replied in a lightly accented voice, "You and your friends are here on vacation. It would have been a shame to ruin it by leaving you floating in the middle of the ocean on a boat with a broken motor." "Yeah, but this is a yacht!" Finn exclaimed, flopping onto the right side of the rail once again. "No one cares about fishing anymore. This is better than that!" Emily smiled. "Then I'm glad we were in the area and able to give you a ride." She turned to look aft, her short hair fluttering around her face. "How are your friends faring with this unexpected turn of events?" Finn laughed. He couldn't imagine the others being anything but as thrilled as he was by their present good fortune. "They're loving this, but I'll go check on them just in case." "Tell them we'll make a loop and begin to head back. The captain and I don't want to interrupt your plans for the rest of the day. You've got Willemstad yet to explore," Emily reminded him. "I know!" Finn all but ran to the back of the yacht, where the others were sitting around or inside the hot tub that was right on deck! Finn had never known a boat -- a yacht -- could be this neat. It was like a fancy floating house. There was even a bar by the hot tub with a male bartender working it. Finn had already tried ordering a pina colada and had been given the drink with two umbrellas stabbed into the pineapple. He couldn't believe it. "Hey, guys, Emily says we'll start to turn around soon," he called out as he ran up to the others. "We won't be too late for the hotel luau." "Which is your number one priority, of course," Calyx Starr drawled as he lifted a leg from the water and attempted to hook it over Black's shoulder. Black, seated across from him in the tub, knocked his leg aside. Calyx huffed, "I think we need more time in here to soften up. Someone's still a little uptight." "I'm in here with you, what more do you want?" Black muttered. He ran a dripping hand through his hair. "I thought I was going fishing this afternoon, not hot tubbing. I'm not normally this flexible. Be grateful." "I'm grateful," Hadrian said from where he sat on the edge of the tub. He swung his legs back and forth in the bubbling water and smiled at Black. "I think this is fun." "Fishing would have been better," Caled declared. The shirtless blonde was lying on one of the chaises, sunglasses on. "I was looking forward to hooking something large that would put up a fight." "Sweetheart, Darkness is mine. How many times do I have to tell you this?" Caled laughed. "Well, I know John Stonebrook likes our new ride," Finn said as he straddled the detective where he sat on one of the chaises. He wrapped his arms around the other man's neck. "Isn't that right, John Stonebrook?" John cupped Finn's hips. The detective was the only one still wearing his shirt. His thumbs gently caressed the bare skin of Finn's lower back. "It's fun, but I'm still having trouble believing it. I thought we'd be sitting around waiting for the Caribbean version of the Coast Guard to show up and pick us up." "The poor captain of the charter is still on that boat," Hadrian pointed out. He nibbled his bottom lip. "I hope he's safe." "He wasn't going to abandon the thing, Hades." Caled rubbed idly at his chest, acting unaware that the action had drawn the attention of every man there, though the teasing motion of his fingers over his nipples left room for suspicion. "Captains are supposed to go down with their ships. Not that he was in danger of that," he added quickly when Hadrian sucked in his breath. "Another boat's already helped him or he's on his way back to the resort as we speak, Hades. Don't worry about him." "I still feel bad leaving him behind," the black-haired sorcerer murmured. "It's his fault for not maintaining his boat," Calyx said dismissively. He lifted the dripping ends of his purple-tipped hair from the water and studied them. "You'd think a private charter boat would be in better condition. He just lost a big chunk of cash by crapping out on us." "Good thing Emily found us then." As if she'd heard Finn's comment, the blonde woman emerged from the boat house and approached them at the hot tub. "I hope everyone's comfortable?" she inquired. "We are, thank you." John maneuvered Finn off his lap, much to the redhead's consternation. "This has been very generous of you. I know fuel for something like this must cost a fortune." "The owner of the Sophie is a wealthy man," Emily explained with a smile as she walked to the bar. She leaned forward and spoke quietly with the bartender, who then set out six glasses and filled them with ice. "He wouldn't have hesitated to lend his assistance had he been here." "Who does own this boat?" Black pushed Calyx's wandering foot away again. "Why isn't he on board?" "You've heard of Neptune Bay, yes?" Emily leaned against the bar as the bartender mixed liquids out of sight behind the bar. "It's that huge amusement park we're going to tomorrow!" Finn exclaimed, just in case any of the others had forgotten. Emily laughed prettily. "The man who designed Neptune Bay is the owner of the Sophie. His name is Arthur Moreau." "Holy cow, sweetheart." Calyx sat up a little straighter. "Our benefactor is loaded. Where is he? I'd like to chat him up a bit." All of them pretended not to hear Caled's muttered, "Gold digger." Emily turned to watch the bartender fill the glasses with a bright yellow liquid. "Mr. Moreau is currently at work on his next creation. It's a private amusement park he's developing on his own island. The Sophie was returning from a supply run for the island when we came upon your fishing vessel." Finn's eyes bulged. "A private amusement park? Wow. I wonder what's on it." "Why is it private?" John asked, frowning. "Private for whom?" "The most special of guests," Emily said cheerfully. She placed the glasses of yellow liquid that the bartender had poured onto a serving tray. She then carried it to the hot tub. "Compliments of any guest who steps foot on the Sophie. It's a special recipe of Mr. Moreau's. Made with Lemoncello. It's very refreshing." Calyx, Black and Hadrian accepted glasses. Emily then offered the tray of drinks to Finn, John and Caled, who took the remaining three cocktails. "May the rest of your stay in Curacao be filled with more pleasant adventure than you've seen so far," Emily toasted them, although her hands were empty. She made a mock salute, anyway. "To new adventures."
Finn and the others echoed the toast. The drink was cool and tasted fruity with a slight bitterness beneath, like the rind of a lemon. "Ooh, this is good!" Finn enthused. The next moment his eyelids drooped over his eyes and the glass slipped from his fingers to the deck. ************************** "I'd say we've been fucked." Calyx stood on the narrow pier and glared at the others beneath the gleam of a full moon. "How could all of you drink the mystery punch? Didn't any of you suspect her?" "Why didn't you?" Black snapped back. He turned away from the empath and faced John. "No one's on board?" The detective shook his head, looking grim. "Whoever was on it is now gone. Keys, too. Radio's been removed." Hadrian, who'd walked to the end of the pier and now stood on soil, pointed up the large, tree-covered hill that was the only landmark in sight. "I think we need to climb over that. I think I see lights in the sky."
Calyx groaned, knowing Hadrian was right. They'd woken up on deck exactly where they'd passed out. Emily was gone. The bartender, too. By the moon overhead, they'd been unconscious for at least six hours. It had been time enough to take them to this strange harbor in the middle of fucking nowhere. Besides the lonely pier meant to house one vessel, the crescent shaped white beach to their left was absolutely barren. Ditto to the right. Out to sea, the water stretched to the horizon, unbroken by land or ships. "We've been fucking shanghaied," the empath complained. "This is ridiculous." "At least you weren't kidnapped in order to be sold as a sex slave," Caled told him, smirking. "Black would have no chance of 'saving' you." Black ignored the blondes and headed towards Hadrian. "Someone brought us here for a reason. We need to find them to ask them. Stop talking and let's go." Grumbling, the others fell in behind him as they began to scale the hill, headed towards the faint lights beyond. ***************************** They found a house. Actually, it was a mansion. John had never been inside a place like this but he'd seen them on TV and in magazines.
He was slightly nervous as he rang the bell, but also angry, too. He knew all too well how lucky they were that whoever had kidnapped them hadn't meant them immediate harm. They'd been careless and could have been killed. When he looked down at Finn, who was squatted beside a porcelain frog that sat on the porch, John's hands sweat as he thought of his lover in the clutches of strangers. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. No way. He banged on the door with his fist. The heavy door opened after a few minutes. A thin, short, one-eyed man with an eye patch stood just inside. His hair was a copper-colored mess. A faint scar ran down his left cheek. It pulled his smile to the side as he grinned at the group gathered on the porch. "So Emily picked you, eh? This'll be fun." The young man stepped back with a flourish. "Welcome to Moreau Mansion. We've been expecting you." "Wait a minute --" John began. But when he blinked, the one-eyed man was no longer beside the door. In fact, he was gone completely. "Wait here," John told the others as he quickly stepped forward. "I've got your back," Black immediately spoke up, pushing forward to join John. Together the two men stepped cautiously inside the door. An envelope sat on the marble floor inside the foyer. The space was otherwise empty. A chandelier hung overhead. An illuminated niche in the wall held an ornate Chinese vase. Another niche held a framed painting. Ahead, a set of carpeted double stairs led upwards. Beneath them was an opening which led to another room. "Where'd he go?" John blurted, quickly scanning the area. "He was right here!" Black drew his attention. "This note is for us." John joined him as he opened the envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper. Black read and it looked up at John, his face blank. "The others need to hear this." ********************** Hadrian read the letter again. It didn't make sense to him. "But how --" "Read it aloud," Finn encouraged. Nodding, Hadrian began to do so:
Hadrian raised his head. "Are we truly going to do this? Search for these clues?" Caled growled, "Unless you have a key to that yacht, I don't see how we have any other choice." "We should investigate the house," John spoke up. "There may be phones or a radio." "We need a map of the amusement park," Finn added. "If we're going to go looking around and all. It sounds like Deception Island is huge." Black rubbed at his mouth. "Don't forget we've already seen a man inside this house. He didn't vanish into thin air. He's here somewhere." "I say we stock up on food and booze and talk this out while we feast," Calyx drawled. He shrugged when the others looked at him. "You just know this guy has a humongous kitchen. I'm curious to see what he's got." Part 2 -- Chris White "Let's split up and search the house," said Black once everyone had recovered from Starr's predictable if suicidal suggestion. Calyx rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sweetheart, let's go be teen slasher movie characters and make sure we can be picked off one by one. No thanks." "In pairs," amended Black, shooting Starr a dark look. "The faster we throttle an answer out of someone, the faster we get out of here," agreed Caled. "And the faster we get to check out the amusement park!" added Finn. Ignoring the kid's outburst, John looked up at the mansion. The place probably had a basement, an attic, and maybe three floors from the positioning of the windows, though it looked like the third floor only rose over certain spots. "The kid and I will take the attic and the third floor where it exists." Finn took hold of John's hand. "I love it when you get bossy, Daddy." "Starr and I will take the basement and the first floor," said Black. Calyx crossed his arms. Basements were creepy enough when there weren't crazed killers lurking around. "Darkness, must you live up to your name? We don't have so much as a flashlight. What happens if someone cuts the power out on us?" "He'll navigate by the light shining out of your ears," smirked Caled. As the other blond flipped him off, Caled said, "Okay, Hades and I will scour the second floor. I bet that's where all the bedrooms are, anyway." Hadrian blushed. "Caled, I don't think we should drop our guard like that until we know what's going on." "It's not my guard I was planning on dropping," grinned Caled. John and Black rolled their eyes. Calyx and Finn both looked at their men, thinking that Caled might not have a bad idea. "We'll meet back here at the entrance," said Black. "You run into trouble, make as much noise as possible and we'll come running." "I'll scream like a girl if I have to, sweetheart," said Calyx. "Maybe there will at least be some nasty hunks of metal in the basement we can pick up as weapons before someone else does." Finn started dragging John toward the carpeted stairs. "Let's get moving, Daddy. We have to secure those rides!" John groaned but let himself be dragged, carefully watching for the traps that the letter had warned about. How he was going to keep Finn from tripping every single one in his mad dash to investigate every nook and cranny he had no idea. Caled took Hadrian's hand and followed the bouncing redhead. "Stay close to me, Hades. I won't let anything happen to you." Hadrian smiled, warmth pooling in his stomach at how protective Caled was of him. "I'm not helpless, you know." "I know," said Caled with a grim expression as they climbed the stairs. "But I already could have lost you from drinking that stupid punch. I'm not going to make a mistake like that again." "Let me guess, sweetheart," drawled Calyx, looking at Black. "You want to start in the deepest, darkest part of the house and work your way up." "You got it," said Black. "Come on. Let's look for the stairs down." "You so owe me for this, Darkness," grumbled the empath. "You owe me wild sex on one of the roller coasters at the very least." "I think we'd have to release the safety bars for that," said Black, rolling his eyes as he tried to decide which way to start. Often the basement stairs were near the kitchen. Taking Starr through the kitchen was going to involve having to bodily dragging him through it lest he trip some cabinet trap or try to drink something that might have rat poison in it or something. "Use your imagination, sweetheart," purred Calyx, coming up behind Black and sliding his arms around his lover. "You can sit on my lap, trapped there by the safety bar pressing into you, with my cock inside you. The coaster and gravity will do the rest."
Black shuddered, his pants suddenly feeling a bit tight. Why did Starr have to have such a vivid way of sparking his imagination. "Not on your life, Starr. Now let's get moving." Calyx slipped his hand down to cup Black's crotch. "Maybe I'll make you blow me on the ferris wheel, next. I think I saw one. Unless you want to fuck in there too and make the car rock." Black pulled away before the blond could get them both so distracted they'd get killed. "This is a mission, Starr. Life or death. Remember? Come on." He randomly picked a direction and got moving before the empath could see the warm flush on his face. With a quiet snicker, Calyx followed. Sometimes, his Darkness was way too easy. Send feedback to Chris Part 3 -- l_greytree Black and Starr did a quick but careful perusal of the rooms on the first floor in search of stairs heading down. Black turned on all the lights he could find. They found the steps leading to the basement between the kitchen and the dining room. Before going downstairs Starr had to check out the refrigerator. "C'mere Darkness! Look it's a huge 'Sub Naught' fridge. Only super rich people have these." Calyx exclaimed as he opened the large door. Black looked annoyed. Starr ignored him. "Let's see what's in here," he continued, "There must be some fancy wine and maybe some caviar. Do you know what I did with caviar last time I…never mind!" Black looked on top of the refrigerator and noticed several items. "Hmm, what's that?" he muttered to himself. He reached for a chair and tested its stability. "Aha! Caviar!! Remind me to pick this up when we head towards a bedroom, sweetheart." Starr continued, "Ooooo! Chocolate torte! We could have fun with that! Look at all those little layers. I'd hate to be the guy who had to make all of those." Black moved the chair to one side of the fridge and climbed up. There were a few papers, a box of loose black tea from India, a coconut and a flashlight. Black picked up the coconut and shook it. He heard sloshing inside and wondered why there was a coconut on top of the fridge. "Ewwwww! There's a jar of pickled frog legs. Who in their right mind eats that shit? I think I'll just put that in the deli drawer so I won't have to look at it. Hmmmm…what else?" Starr continued to rummage around. "Mangos, something weird lookin', pineapple, and something else that's weird lookin'. Don't these people have normal stuff?" "I found a flashlight," Black said as he nonchalantly jumped off the chair. "There's also some fancy cheese with a name I can't pronounce…Masca-something. I wonder if it tastes good. Are you ignoring me Sweetheart?" "Never. Let's go downstairs. You hold the flashlight and-" "And think of really creative things to do to you with it. Sure!" Black rolled his eyes at his lover and headed for the stairs. Calyx turned on the flashlight and followed Black. The lights in the basement weren't as bright as in the rest of the mansion but they could clearly see everything. At the bottom of the stairs, there was a six foot tall carving of a giraffe that seemed to glare menacingly at all who descended the steps. Calyx gave it the evil eye. Most of the basement contained boxes of various shapes and sizes. One corner housed the utilities including a very large water heater, furnace and a myriad of pipes.
In the southwest corner there were two doors. Black and Starr approached cautiously. There was neither light nor sound coming from either room. Black went to the southernmost one and noticed that it was a pocket door with a decent seal and an environment control box on the side. Starr looked at all the dials, sliders and settings and wrinkled his nose. The light switches were next to the box. "It's probably a giant humidor," Black mentioned, "These dials control the temperature, and humidity. I don't know what the rest of those things do." Black turned on the light switches and slid the door into the wall. "JACKPOT!!!" Starr screamed, "We WIN! It's the wine cellar! And it's huge!!" "Give me the flashlight," Black said as he grabbed Starr before the empath charged into the room. "Let's look for traps and important things first; then you can check out the wines." "I'll need to sample some, sweetheart. I think I just found what's going to make this fiasco worthwhile." Starr grabbed a bottle. "Bottle opener, please." Black decided it was probably useless to argue with Starr at this point. He pulled out his set of keys which had a Leatherman, a picture key frame, and a dozen keys on it. He opened the Leatherman and found the bottle opener. "Don't drink all of it, please," he asked, handing the opener to the empath who quickly opened the bottle and started drinking. Black retrieved his keys. "This is good. Want some?" Starr asked and laughed as Black barely muttered a 'no' and started searching the room. Black was very efficient. Starr decided he'd probably just get in Black's way if he tried to help and it was probably better if he leaned against the wall and enjoyed the show. Every now and then he'd whistle when he'd catch sight of Black bent over. Black ignored him and after fifteen minutes of searching, he declared the room safe and lacking of any clues. They proceeded to the next door. It was regular door and Black pushed it open cautiously and then found the light switch. This room was smaller than the wine cellar and contained everything about the Deception Island Amusement park. Starr let out a low whistle. "I think this room should prove quite useful," Black stated. There were maps on the walls as well as schematic drawings of some of the attractions. There was a computer against the back wall and the north wall had several shelves full of books and binders. The southern half of the room was dominated by a gigantic table with a miniature rendition of most of the island and the amusement park. Starr felt a little dizzy. The bottle of wine, that he was holding, was empty. He decided he might need another especially since his Darkness had found a computer. Black did a quick inspection of the room and the computer and didn't find anything that appeared to be unsafe. He sat down and turned on the computer. He was hoping he'd be able to get an internet connection and look at the files. "Can you not stay away from a computer?" Starr asked sitting down on the floor next to Black, "Why don't we look at the maps for a minute or three, shut the door, and fuck like bunnies. Then we can go tell the others we found the cool stuff and let them figure it out." "No." "OK. How about we shut the door and fuck like bunnies and then get the others." "No." "How about we just fuck like bunnies since I know you want to leave the door open." "No." "You're no fun, sweetheart," Calyx protested but then moved to between Black's legs. He nuzzled Black's groin and saw his lover shudder as he tried to ignore the sensation. "Damn," Black muttered as the computer requested a user name and password. Starr looked at him questioningly. "I need a password to get in." Starr laughed at that and said. "No…you don't. I'll let you in anytime sweetheart." When Black continued to stare at the screen Starr pulled himself up to his knees and reached between Black's legs. Black was ignoring him again. How frustrating for a slightly drunk and very horny empath! He started stroking Black's cock. "I bet he used cocksucker as a password." Black felt himself getting hard and squirmed to get away from Starr's hand. "I'm trying to do something here, Starr," he said in a slightly exasperated tone. "So am I. You keep doing your thing and I'll keep doing mine!" Starr replied. 'And we'll see who gives up first,' he thought to himself. The outline of Black's cock was clearly visible through his black shorts and judging by the frown on his face, he was having a difficult time concentrating. "You like this, don't you sweetheart?" Calyx laughed softly as he saw Black shudder again. "This is how you want it all the time. Naughty little slut, you like to live dangerously…and that's what makes me so hot for you. I'm getting hard too, ya know." Calyx unzipped Black's shorts and freed his erection. Pre-cum was already forming at the tip and Calyx just couldn't resist licking it. Black moaned and leaned back in the chair. He knew he could no longer concentrate on anything besides his beautiful lover and spread his legs wider, giving Starr greater access. Starr leaned forward and took the entire turgid length in his mouth at once. He licked a few times to tantalize Black but then started sucking in earnest. He firmly grasped the base of the shaft with one hand and giving Black a searing look, set a punishing rhythm with his hand and mouth. He then slipped the other hand behind Black's cock and started playing with the two plump balls. Black couldn't last long under such an onslaught and came screaming Calyx's name. Starr swallowed it all and licked his lips. "My turn, darling," he whispered as he stood up. He moved so his groin pressed against Black's face. "You know what to do, so you better get movin'." Black used his fingers to undo the button and then grabbed the zipper with his teeth. He pulled the zipper down an inch at a time while giving Starr lustful glances. When the zipper was all the way down, he leaned his head back in offering and opened his mouth. Starr didn't need a second invitation; he grabbed Black by the hair on both sides of his head and shoved his cock all the way into Black's mouth. Black moaned and closed his lips. Tight, wet, heat encircled Calyx's erection and he started to piston back and forth. "You're so good at this, sweetheart," he murmured, "I wish we could do this all day. Would you like that?" Calyx moved faster. "…always having your mouth open to take me whenever I want…always ready to spread your legs at my command. Do you like feeling my cock slamming the back of your throat? Black tightened his lips and increased the suction. After a few more thrusts Calyx came in his mouth. Eventually Black put his arms around the empath's hips and held him in silence for a few minutes. "I need to look at this computer. Considering it's in this room, there's probably important info in there somewhere," Black said looking up at Starr wistfully. He would rather continue their current activity but that wasn't going to get them off the island. "I'd rather you held me for a while longer but that's not going to help." Calyx replied echoing Black's thoughts. "I'll go make sure the wine cellar is still secure. Holler if you want me." Black raised an eyebrow at Calyx as the empath headed towards the other room. He then turned his attention to the computer screen which was still requesting a username and password. He glared at it. Since the computer wasn't cooperating, it was time to play dirty. Black pulled the keys out of his pocket and found his keychain. On one side there was a picture of Calyx and on the other a picture of Captain Dickerson and Anna. He pried it open and retrieved the flash drive hidden inside. He plugged it into the USB port on the computer and rebooted. This better work. The flash drive should allow him to bypass the computer's security and access the files on the hard drive. Black stared at the computer screen and the same login screen appeared. He muttered a few curses to himself and banged his head on the computer desk. He was sure that the information they needed was on this computer. He closed his eyes and rested his head next to the keyboard. This was supposed to be a fun vacation where he and Starr could relax, make love, snuggle and not have to fear for their lives. Black felt like he had failed Starr again. He thought of the little surprise he had planned back in the hotel room for Starr. Before they left for this vacation, Black had secretly bought Romance for Dummies and had planned out a stratagem for this particular evening. Black had made sure their reservation was for a Jacuzzi suite and yesterday he had snuck out to buy bubble bath. Asking the teenager at the soap boutique for advice had been really embarrassing. He had ordered a dozen roses and a bottle of the finest champagne to be delivered to the room tonight. Tonight he was going to give Starr the little present he'd saved up for and recently purchased. What a disaster. Black opened his eyes. This was not exactly how he envisioned the magical evening. As he picked up his head to look at the login screen, his eye caught the F1 key. He sat back up with renewed hope. Most people didn't protect the F1 key. Black did a soft reboot and hit the F1 key at the startup screen. He smiled as the setup utility appeared without asking for a password. He navigated to the startup options menu, enabled booting off of a USB drive and saved the changes with a sigh of relief. The next reboot bypassed the evil login screen. The first thing Black did was look for online access and he quickly found it. He then sent an email to Captain Dickerson explaining the situation and tried to make it look like they had agreed to help Emily Moreau prior to their being stranded. He hoped the captain wouldn't think he failed again. Noticing an unsent draft in the email program, he opened it. It was a message from Arthur Moreau to an Inspector Luiz Alfredo Vargas-Yunque of the Inter Caribbean Police:
Black changed the recipient and sent the email to Captain Dickerson. Maybe the captain would be able to forward it to the appropriate person who could then assist them and Emily. Black turned around and looked for Starr. The empath was still in the wine cellar looking at the wines. Their eyes met; Black smiled at his lover and lost himself in a sea of emerald. Starr walked towards him with a bottle in hand. "I don't think this one is too expensive. How about we pop it open?" Starr smiled sweetly at Black who felt his will power melting. "OK, but just don't drink too much." Black again handed his Leatherman to Calyx who proceeded to open the bottle and take a long swig before handing it to Black. Black took a small mouthful, "Nice. But I don't think this is the cheap stuff, Starr," he said giving Calyx an admonishing glare before returning the bottle. Calyx smiled innocently which made Black chuckle and kiss the empath. "Do you think you can find the circuit breakers?" he asked Starr. "Yep. I most certainly can…" Starr replied. Black looked intently at him and then at the bottle of wine. "That's the second one, right?" he asked. "Of this kind, sure," Starr smirked at Black, "We'll find the circuit breakers." "Be careful and don't touch anything!" Black warned Starr, "And call me if you find anything suspicious. OK?" "Sweetheart, the basement is not that big. You can pretty much see all the corners and you can hear me if I scream my lungs out. My bottle and I will be fine. You go back and find all the answers on the computer." Calyx shooed Black back into the room. Once Black was sitting at the computer and suitably distracted, he downed half the bottle and set off in search of the circuit breakers. Black rapidly searched the documents on the computer. He found listings of contractors, manufacturers, and suppliers. He found Arthur's notes on how he selected this island and how the idea of Deception Island was conceived. Arthur had logged daily reports on the progress of the different areas of the amusement park from breaking ground to their completion. His notes also confirmed that around three months ago, Arthur discovered people living in his amusement park. Black found himself lost in the story of Deception Island. From the notes, he got the impression that Arthur Moreau was a fatherly type and Deception Island has been his beloved child. He could certainly comprehend why Arthur had become very agitated and upset at the discovery of trespassers. He didn't really understand why the authorities had been dismissive of Arthur's claims. A scream broke through Black's thoughts. "SWEETHEART! Get over here NOW!" Starr yelled. Black jumped out of the chair and raced out of the room. Starr was to his right at the other end of the room. "What's wrong?" "I found the circuit breakers like you asked but when I opened the door, I heard a funny little noise and found this little box with a little timer activated and I have a really big bad feeling about this." "Shit!" Black raced towards Starr and looked to where the empath was pointing. There was a small box underneath the circuit box with a digital timer counting down from probably had been five minutes. There was a loose wire dangling from it. Black took the flashlight from Starr and examined the little box. There was a detonator, connected to both a timer and a packet of explosives. Wonderful. The dangling wire was the trigger and must have been connected to the door. Black carefully pried the cover off the explosive. Plastic C-5. Great. There was enough plastic explosive to destroy the entire house if not half the island. "Starr, I need you to get the others out of the house right now and as far away from the house as possible. I'm going to defuse this little thing." He ordered Starr calmly. "It's bomb, isn't it. I'm not leaving you. You're coming with me." "It is a bomb, but it's a really simple and tiny one. There's no danger. I've defused this kind before. Go upstairs now and get the others." Black lied and started pushing Starr towards the stairs. "We won't get to the bottom of this mystery if the house blows. I'll be fine." They got to the stairs and Black pushed Starr upwards. "Now! That's an order." Starr didn't say anything but Black could tell that the empath was worried. Hell, Black was worried. Black ran back to the computer and logged in to the JCPD government files and accessed the bomb diagrams. He quickly reviewed the general layout of a plastic bomb as he opened his Leatherman to the clippers and then returned to the circuit box. Two minutes. He identified the wires connecting the detonator to the explosive and the ones connecting the timer to the detonator. There were several extra wires. Some of them must be decoys. One minute thirty seconds. Black heard a commotion upstairs. Good. The others should be able to get far enough away. He disconnected the device from the circuit breaker box so at least there wouldn't be a massive electrical explosion or fire if the bomb went off. One minute. Pulling the decoy wires would detonate the bomb. He carefully pulled the cover off the timer. There were four wires, one red, two blue, one yellow, coming out of the timer. He noticed that the red wire was connected to a ground in the timer. That was obviously a decoy. The other three all came from the timing device. Thirty seconds. Black traced the yellow wire directly to the detonator coil. That was a decoy as well. Black frowned at the two identical blue wires. Twenty seconds. Black heard the others leaving the house and the front door closing. He breathed a sigh of relief that at least the others were out of the house. Fifteen seconds. Black separated the two wires with the edge of the clippers. He followed the first one to the detonator and noticed that it was connected to a resistor cleverly placed below a cap. Ten seconds. Black maneuvered the clippers so only the other blue wire was between the blades. Five seconds. He stared defiantly at the wire and snipped. There was silence. Black smiled and listened to his pounding heartbeat which he hadn't really noticed before. He found the bottle of wine Starr had opened and decided he needed another sip. It was empty. Figures. Black carefully separated the components of the bomb. He left the defunct timer and the detonator on the floor and then hid the plastic explosive in the wine cellar behind a bottle of Krug's champagne. Finally he went back to the computer, closed all the documents from the JCPD site and logged off. He half thought that he should send Captain Dickerson another email explaining that he'd just defused a bomb with C-5 plastic in it but decided against that for now. He should check on the others. Black
went up the stairs and found the door not only shut but locked. Starr
must have pulled it behind him as he left and the lock had been set.
He examined the lock. It was of decent quality and would take some
effort to pick. Black decided the others would come find him soon
and he would be perfectly safe at the computer sending the captain
another email or studying the maps of the amusement park. Send feedback to l_greytree Part 4 -- Angela "I want one of those, Daddy!" Finn said, eyes looking up at the large roller coaster he could see in the distance. Meanwhile, John was standing behind him, nearly having heart palpitations as the redhead leaned from his hips out a huge window.
"Get away from there, kid," he grumbled. "You're going to fall." "It's alright, John Stonebrook," Finn replied, looking at him with a bright smile. "I won't fall." He did, however, do as he was asked and continued looking around the room. "This place is all dusty. It makes my nose itch." "It's an attic," John muttered. "That's what they do." He continued looking around as Finn eyed the amusement park in the distance longingly. "Why are we up here, Daddy?" he said, rocking on his feet. "Why can't we look through the second floor like Caled and Hadrian? I bet they are having fun." They had gone through half the attic and, despite some rather playful efforts, John had not yet given into Finn's playful advances. The redhead was starting to get bored. "Because we wouldn't be getting anything done," he muttered. He closed the chest he had been peering into. "I wonder if anyone else has had better luck. We haven't found a thing up here." "We found the amusement park," Finn muttered. He turned back to the window and just moved his head in time to avoid getting it split on a sharp, flying object. The arrow hit the back wall of the room as John stood, grabbing for Finn. The redhead was already at the window however, looking for whoever had shot at him. "I don't see anyone."
John grabbed him, pulling him away. "Finn, when someone shoots at you, you don't make yourself even more visible," he said, looking the redhead over for injury. He thought he could actually feel his hair turning grey. A gentle hand curled under his chin and lifted his eyes. The glory he saw in the turquoise orbs that met his own made his chest swell with too many emotions he couldn't identify. "I'm alright, John Stonebrook. But there is a note on the arrow." John glanced over at the arrow and paper attached to it. "Right." He pulled off the paper. In black marker was written, Leave. "A
bit cliche," Finn muttered. Shouting from downstairs cut off
John's reply. Finn frowned. "Did he just say 'bomb'?" Send feedback to Angela Part 5 -- Rithannen Rather than taking the obvious, curved double stairs, Caled insisted on first investigating the main floor for alternate routes. Hadrian at his left shoulder, Caled led the way out of the foyer and through a grand hallway, the ceilings flying so high that Caled had to admit, to himself only of course, that he was a bit intimidated. Absently, he found himself thinking that Hadrian, born and reared in a castle, was most likely far more comfortable in such an impossibly large home. Caled then determined that he needed to stop being insecure and just find some damn stairs. “Caled?” Hadrian ventured softly, his hand lightly gripping Caled’s forearm. “I believe we just passed a stairway.” Holding back his grunt, Caled looked back over his shoulder and there was, indeed, a stairway. “I knew that,” Caled mumbled. Focusing back on the “mission” at hand, Caled forged onward to the second floor, listening for Hadrian’s nervous footsteps right behind. He was on high alert for anything that might be waiting around the corner. Slowly advancing, Caled was pleased to find no traps hiding on the landing. He was even more pleased to find that his original prediction had been right. The second floor was nothing but luxurious, enormous bedroom suites. Though still somewhat wary, Caled was beginning to believe the threats they’d received to be entirely false. There were three suites of rooms immediately in front of them. Caled decided to check them for traps or ambushes. Brusquely, the mercenary barked a quiet order. “Wait here for me, Hades. I’ll be quick.” Hadrian hesitated when Caled entered one of the suites. Biting his lip, he weighed his options: he could wait, as Caled said, or he could help. Hadrian summoned his courage and decided that, if he checked the next suite, they could be done and rejoin the others sooner. That sounded like a much better plan to Hadrian...except for the fact that the empty second floor was growing creepier by the second. In the cavernous, dark house, every little noise was adding to Hadrian’s discomfort. Still, h checked one suite by himself as Caled methodically scoured the others. If little Finn wasn’t afraid to go upstairs into something as frightening as an attic, and if even Calyx was doing his part to help, then Hadrian wasn’t going to be considered a coward. Leaving the first room, Hadrian looked down the dark hall toward a large set of doors. Caled was still busy checking the other rooms, and Hadrian was certain he could give that large set of rooms a quick sweep by himself. Tiptoeing past the suite where Caled was crouched behind a chair, Hadrian found himself in front of two very ornate doors. Hadrian assumed it must have been the quarters for the Master of the house. Drawing a deep breath, he reached for the door handle, wishing for a short moment that he had the protection of his gloves. Just as Hadrian touched the gilt with a fingertip, a loud, heavy slam over his head caused him to jump and release a sound of shock. “I thought I told you to wait for me, Hades,” Caled grumbled testily, his palm flat against the door above where Hadrian stood. “Oh gods,” Hadrian gasped, one hand pressed against his throat to still the thudding of his heart. “You nearly killed me!” Noting the visible shaking that had overtaken the sorcerer, Caled cursed himself for sneaking up on the younger man. Reaching down, he covered Hadrian’s hand with his own and turned the handle, admitting them into the darkened suite. A gentle push maneuvered Hadrian through, and Caled scanned the room for his objective. There, the silvered silouhette of the biggest bed he had ever seen in his entire life, mounded with pillows the likes of which sultans would kill for. Realizing Caled’s intent, Hadrian opened his mouth to protest. It was halted by Caled’s warm hand. “I’m sorry,” the mercenary murmured. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.” “Mhfrrmnmhh.” Frowning, Hadrian moved Caled’s hand away. “I wasn’t frightened,” he lied. “Merely...surprised.” “Oh? Then I suppose it was my overwhelming sexual prowess that ‘nearly killed’ you, eh?” Chuckling, Caled just shifted his rejected hand lower, the fingers skimming Hadrian’s stomach through his cotton shirt. “We’ve checked every room. I’d say we’ve earned a little break. Don’t you think, Hades?” “Please,” Hadrian objected, though, this time, he didn’t try to move Caled’s hand. “We really need to go and find the others.” “The others? You’re getting greedy, little sorcerer. Do I have to punish you?” the blond teased, even as he inched them both to the beheamoth of a bed. “I could tip you cross my lap and spank your arse to remind you that it’s only one man you need.” As he said the words, Caled lovingly gave Hadrian’s backside a rough pinch. It earned him an embarassed moan. “You know I didn’t mean it that way,” the dark-haired man whispered, his arms wrapping around Caled’s neck once he turned into the blond’s arms. “You are the one man I need.” Feeling bold in the kissing dark, with the familiar sound of the ocean beyond the balcony, Hadrian pushed himself to his tiptoes and whispered hotly into Caled’s ear. “I need you.” “And I -- “ “There’s a fucking bomb in the basement!” In a flurry of white-blond, Calyx burst through the open door, panting from his break-neck run up the stairs. “Out, now!” With no time to even groan a lament for his tightened balls, Caled threw Hadrian at Calyx and shouted at the empath to take Hades and run. Without waiting to see that they obeyed him, he was running for the attic stairs to warn Finn and the old man. Send feedback to Rithannen Part 6 -- Bek When Black made his way outside he was greeted with the sight of Calyx arguing with Caled and Stonebrook. Though he could not hear them, the three of them were in all out antagonistic poses, and it was obvious from their body language that it was about to get physical. The thought was confirmed as Calyx turned violently towards the house and took a step forward. He progress was immediately halted as Caled grabbed him around the waist and pulled him back. Black started forward at a quicker pace not at all pleased about having his lover man-handled. Black broke into an all out run when he saw Calyx toss off Caled's arm and throw a punch at him. Caled deflected the punch and went in to grab Calyx again.
That was exactly the moment Black reached the group. He quickly grabbed Calyx around the waist and drew him into his arms, then he side stepped Caled and tripped him up. Caled sprawled on the ground and Black lead Calyx out of range of the blonde's long legs. He was obviously angry, but then so was Black. "Darkness, thank God you're alright! I'd thought you'd be blown to smithereens! I was just about to go in and look for you when tall, blonde and stupid here tried to stop me." At that Calyx threw a dirty look over his shoulder at Caled, with whom Black was currently engaged in a rather intense glaring match. "Is that why he felt the need to man-handle you? I had wondered…" Black replied coolly, still glaring down at the man. "You'd have preferred it if I'd let him go in after you so you could be blown up together?" Caled viciously inquired, temper flaring. "I'd have preferred if you'd kept your hands off him." Black stated, letting a hint of a threat creep into his voice. Caled's lips drew back into a snarl, he was obviously about to say something mean to Black in reply when Hadrian decided to play peacemaker. The sorcerer fell to his knees by his lover and brushed some grass from the blonde's shirt. "Caled was just worried about Calyx, and you as well Black. We didn't want either of you getting hurt. If Caled hadn't been closer to him, I also would have tried to stop Calyx from entering the building." Hadrian said softly glancing up at Black from his kneeling position. His eyes were a stormy gray and laced with worry for both himself and his friends. Black decided that what Hadrian had said made a lot of sense. If positions were reversed he would have acted much the same way. He did, after all, have quite a soft spot for Hadrian, and if it came down to it he would physically restrain him if he thought it would keep the young sorcerer from danger. It was just the fact that Caled had done it to Calyx that had Black up in arms. For some reason, one that he tried very hard not to dwell on, Black really didn't like it when Caled touched Calyx. It wasn't that he felt threatened per say, it was just that Black would have preferred it if Caled didn't, in fact, flirt so much, and if Calyx didn't flirt right back. Black knew that they were both attracted to each other, just as he knew that Calyx loved and cared for him. So he shouldn't feel threatened and angry. Except that he did. Black also knew that Caled was his friend, Calyx's too, and that it shouldn't be wrong for Caled to touch Calyx. Except for how it was. Black bit back a sigh, he tried not to let his insecurities show too terribly much, but he was stressed and worried. It was time to get back on track. He looked back down at Hadrian's worried eyes, and then glanced to Caled's angry blue ones. Black smiled tightly and said. "Of course, Hadrian, the stress of being here has my temper strained." Hadrian smiled adoringly up at him, and helped Caled to his feet. John and Finn, who hadn't said anything during the brief conflict between Caled and Black, rushed over to Caled to see if he was well. While they were distracted Black took the opportunity to hug Calyx a bit closer and bury his nose in the empath's hair. He smelled good. He smelled like Calyx. Black felt himself calm a bit. "Darkness, you ok?" Black didn't need to see the empath's eyes to know they would be filled with worried curiosity. Black breathed into Calyx's neck and reassured him he was fine. They stayed like that for a few more moments, just holding each other while Black breathed in Calyx's scent, when Stonebrook's voice broke into their calming reverie. "Black, where do you think we should go from here?" Send feedback to Bek Part 7 - Terri L Black
took another deep breath of Calyx's hair reveling in the comfort of
his lover's presence just a little longer before he broke away. "We
didn't get much time to finish searching the mansion, so we should
do that Stonebrook nodded once. It made sense. He took a sidelong glance at Finn and saw that the Angel wasn't paying attention. Finn was staring off into the jungle. "Did you see that?" Finn asked the others. "See what?" John Stonebrook asked when the others didn't answer. "There was a movement in the trees. Let's check it out!" the impetuous Angel exclaimed as he ran off. "Finn wait!" the detective shouted after the Angel and hurried to catch up. By the time he entered the patch of trees Finn had run off into, the Angel was no where to be seen. Send feedback to Terri Part 8 - Ea Finn ran. He had caught a glimpse of red and then someone moving away quickly. If he could just keep up for long enough to find out where they hid out – and then…? Finn had not thought that far, but if he got back with something, John Stonebrook would be so pleased and maybe then they could finally go see the amusements. Distracted by his thoughts he stumbled over a root and landed with a dull thud. Before he was able to move, he was held down by a pair of strong arms. “Silence,” his captor whispered. “Don’t fight me, or they’ll hear us.” Finn struggled, but his wrists were quickly tied together and a cloth bound over his mouth. Then he was thrown over the man’s shoulder and was carried deeper into the trees. All Finn could see of him was a heavy chestnut coloured braid and a nicely toned back leading down to an equally well shaped bottom. ********** As the others caught up with him John stood bewildered, looking at the dense growth of the trees. Finn had simply… vanished. As he started to go in the direction Finn seemed to have taken, Black took hold of him. “Don’t, John. We’ll have to organise this or else we’ll risk losing you too.” John fought him; he knew Black was right, but he couldn’t just leave the kid; he could end up anywhere. And with anyone… John shut the thought out of his mind and turned to Black; “So, you have a plan?” “No, not exactly, but we’ll have to go after Finn as soon as possible. His tracks should be easy to follow. And we have to be certain there are no clues in the house and find out how to search the rest of the island.” As he looked around, he saw agreement, if not compliance, on the faces of the others. “Let’s go back and sort this out.” He walked quickly towards the house, expecting them to follow. Caled scowled but went and the rest followed suit. Black led them into the kitchen, thinking they could all need refreshment. They arranged themselves around the table in the adjoining breakfast room and Black was just about to speak when Caled interrupted him; “I’ll go after Finn. This is unknown territory and, with all due respect John, I think I’m the best one of us when it comes to track him down.” He smirked lightly, looking confident. Black knew he was right and nodded, though John seemed about to explode. “John, I know how you feel, but he’s right. We shouldn’t waste his skill.” John didn’t know if he was angrier with himself for agreeing with Black or with Caled for being the better choice. All he wanted was to find the kid and get him out of here. What if he never saw him again? Fear and anger made his stomach clench tightly and he looked over at Caled; Don’t fail him or I’ll… Caled read his eyes; “I’ll get him back to you. A promise John.” John had to let go then. He knew Caled was the best choice, but still… His eyes spoke clearly when he looked at Caled; In one piece, unharmed. The mercenary returned his stare calmly; Trust me. Hadrian had followed the silent discourse between them. He now stood up and said with a voice that sounded much more confident than he felt; “I’ll go with you. You might need me.” He couldn’t let Caled leave him here. For all of his lover’s skill, Hadrian was afraid he might encounter something that could not be taken down by brute force. Someone should go with him and he couldn’t imagine that he, himself, would be of much use to the others anyway. Caled looked up, surprised. For a short moment he had forgotten all about the pretty sorcerer. He had gotten so used to Hadrian always being so compliant and it was strange hearing him speak out like this. “Caled, you know I’m right,” Hadrian said, seeing the disbelief in his eyes. He moved over the blond man and put out his hand. “Caled? I can’t let you go alone; we don’t know this place or what kind of people that live here.” Caled shook his head; “Hades, you can’t…” but the younger man just kept looking at him. Black felt he had to interrupt; with this pace they’d get nowhere. “Caled, Hadrian, you’ll go after Finn – now. When you have found him, return here and wait for us. The rest of us will start to look for clues and we might be gone by the time you return.” “We’ll return Finn to the house,” Caled said. Silently he found some water bottles and took the map of the island that Black had printed out earlier. He looked at John for a moment, acknowledging the worry in the older man’s eyes. Then he abruptly turned and left, Hadrian scurrying after him. ***** Calyx was the first to break the silence. “God, I just wished he would leave. All that manly-man posturing. Now, can we can finally get something to eat?” John scowled and Black looked at Calyx, exasperated. “Yes, if you will. Put something on the table and we’ll talk this over.” In the end, all three rose and tried to put together something that had a reasonable resemblance of lunch. Black had to restrain Calyx from going to the cellar for wine – they really didn’t have time for that. Calyx pouted and every time he saw his chance he pinched Black’s bottom or whispered lewd suggestions about what he would do to him if John had left with the others. When they sat down, Black winced and made certain to make as much room between them as possible. As always Calyx had made him hot, but however much he wanted him, he’d just have to wait. Just then he felt a foot sliding up his leg and he glared daggers at the blond who just smiled innocently. As they started to eat, Calyx’ attentions seemed to waver and Black felt grateful – and a little disappointed – but at least they could now try to concentrate on the situation. “Okay,” he said. “We have Finn missing, Caled and Hadrian going after him and still no clues. We can do no more for Finn right now, I’m so sorry John, but we simply have to find something that can give us a lead.” John pulled himself together. He knew he had to trust Caled, but Finn was so trusting and he could not stop thinking about what could happen to him here. He wished he had fought Black harder and went after Finn himself. Black could see John struggle and felt truly sorry for the man. He knew he should have let him go, but they really needed his expertise here. When John seemed calmer he looked at the others and said; “Let’s try to go over what we found the first time and see if anything possibly could be a clue. We obviously have to think a little out of the box and look for stuff that appears normal but mightn’t be – anything that feels wrong. Emily’s letter said that the clues where spread around the island and we cannot even count on that there’s one in the house. John, when you were up in the attic, did you notice anything at all that struck you as a little odd?” “Apart from the arrow?” John said. “Arrow?” “Yeah. Someone shot an arrow with a note on it, saying “Leave”, in through the window, almost hitting Finn. Right after that, Calyx shouted to us about the bomb and I just grabbed him and ran. I don’t think I noticed anything unusual before that. We’ll have to go through it again.” Calyx groaned. Just his luck to be stuck here when he and Darkness could have had fun in a cosy hotel room instead. When the other men turned and looked at him, he put up his hands; “Okay, okay – let’s go fucking search then. You can start with the attic and I’ll have another look at the wine cellar.” He smirked. If he could find more wine as good as the bottle he had earlier he could at least get something out of the situation. “No, you don’t,” said Black. A bored and horny empath was more than enough for him to handle right now; he didn’t need him drunk as well. “You’re coming with us. We can’t separate again. And we’ll start right here in the kitchen.” Calyx glowered at Black. Maybe he could find an opportunity later to persuade him to a quick fuck; like in the cellar. Served him right for being so uptight. But the sooner they finished here and found the clues, the sooner they could get back to their hotel. The thought made him perk up; “So Sweetheart, where do I start – checking out the meat selection?” Ignoring them, John had risen and started to look around the kitchen. As he hadn’t been in here before he might be able to find something the others had overlooked. He paused over the coconut on top of the fridge. It was a weird place for it, as everything in the kitchen seemed to have been put away neatly and orderly. But it didn’t appear to have been tampered with and he decided to put it back and move on. Assessing the contents of the fridge he didn’t find much out of the ordinary either, but the jar of pickled frog feet made him pause though. He held it out and asked the others; “You’ve seen this?” Calyx made a face. “Eww, put it back. Seeing that shit once was enough.” “Yeah, it’s weird. Seems a bit out of place; all the other stuff’s quite normal – for someone rich,” John added. He looked at the jar again, thinking; “You know, I had an aunt who liked that stuff. Said something about it being an old family tradition, from Europe. Apparently some ancestor of hers left the recipe and they sort of kept it up. Weird lady; always talked about fairies and had a pet rat.” He looked up, seeing their incredulous stares. “Well, she did. Not my fault.” He glared at them, but put the jar back in the fridge. The rest of the kitchen and the pantry held no further surprises. It appeared to be well-used and well-kept, but apart from a large selection of honey – 18 different kinds – nothing else seemed out of the ordinary and they decided they had to look somewhere else. They were almost finished with the first floor when they heard the sound of a door slamming from the direction of the main entrance. “What was that?” Calyx said, and set off towards the foyer. “Calyx, no!” Black ran after him and crashed into Calyx who had stopped abruptly in the door opening. The blond stumbled sideways and grabbing for something to hold on to he fell into the Chinese vase set into a niche below the stairs. It wobbled for a bit but settled back down. “Shit!” exclaimed John, when he saw what had made Calyx stop. In the middle of the floor lay the body of the young redhead that had greeted them by the door a few hours before. “Is he dead?” “No, only unconscious,” said Black, who was now kneeling beside the body. “When he wakes up we can finally get some answers.” A small, creaking sound made them look up, and in silence the three men watched the niche with the vase swing round and reveal a dark opening with a narrow stairwell inside. ***** Hadrian fought to keep up with Caled. The mercenary strode hurriedly towards the trees and the stiffness of his back belied the fact that he was very uncomfortable with Hadrian going with him. Why couldn’t he have stayed with the others? He’d be safer that way and Caled was afraid he would end up having to save both Finn and Hadrian from some unknown danger. The map Black had given him was not very detailed, but Finn seemed to have had gone south in the direction of ‘The Faerie Ring’. The area was surrounded by a dense ring of trees and he hoped Finn had left enough tracks for them to follow. As soon as they got within the trees, silence settled around them and the hum of the sea disappeared. This did not feel normal and Caled’s senses were on high alert. He looked back at Hadrian who appeared to be even more affected by the eerie feeling. Caled felt slightly guilty for being angry with him. Maybe Hades was right and he would need him before they got this problem solved. “Come here,” he said, waiting for Hadrian to catch up and wrapped his arms around him. He was tense, even within Caled’s hold. “Do you feel it too?” “I do. Life is strong here and the trees feel wary. We’d better be cautious. Can you see if Finn has left any tracks?” “Yeah. He wasn’t careful, so it should be quite easy.” He held out his hand. “Let’s go find him. Hopefully he hasn’t gone that far. I wish I knew what it was he saw.” Hadrian shivered and took his hand gratefully. There was something here that did not feel right. Besides Life, something else, something different, guarded this place, and he was glad that Caled was close. When they went through the trees, as quickly and silently as possible, the eerie feeling grew. Everything was hushed, even the sound of the birds that had been quite loud outside. Soon they came upon a spot where a struggle seemed to have taken place and Caled grew worried. After that, the tracks became harder to find and they knew that they could not be Finn’s. But then, as the trees thinned, it looked like the one making them became less careful and they had little trouble following them. Suddenly Caled stopped and held out his hand. Someone was speaking nearby.
Art by SayAye ***** The man carrying Finn finally stopped and lowered him to the ground. He looked at Finn, assessing him. “Stay still,” he whispered. “I don’t know you and I won’t remove the gag before I know it’s safe. This is a dangerous place and if you’re too loud they will hear you – and you don’t want that – trust me!” His eyes kept darting nervously away from Finn and towards their surroundings. Finn nodded, hoping he would free him soon. The ties were really uncomfortable and he was so hungry; he hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday. So he kept still, looking about him, while the man moved silently around, scanning the area. They were still within the trees, but the growth was less dense here and Finn guessed they were close to edge of the small forest. Crouching down before Finn, his captor said; “I’m going for a little while to fetch some water. Be quiet and stay here. I’m going to free you when I come back. You understand me?” Finn oumphed against the gag and nodded. Of course he wouldn’t leave, this was far too interesting, but he couldn’t understand why it was so necessary to tie him up. Hoping the man would come back soon, he sat still and his eyes followed him when he quietly glided into the trees. The last he saw of him was the chestnut braid dancing against his back. Turning his attention towards the surroundings again he suddenly noticed a small figure stepping out from the trees. It looked female, and she was a bit smaller than Finn and very thin and lithe. He thought she was very pretty with her light brown skin, long black hair and luminous, green eyes. Her clothes were simple and their colours blended with the forest. Stepping towards him, she crouched down, all the while examining him with her intense and inquisitive stare. “You’re
not from here,” she said. To be continued ... send feedback to Ea Part 9 -- Heartfelt Relief flooded through Hadrian as he watched the braided man leave. Caled exhaled quietly, for once glad there wouldn’t be a confrontation. Things were too unsettled here and he was on uncertain footing. Until the mystery surrounding this island became clearer, Caled was content to wait and watch. He began to move toward Finn and the girl, not considering her a threat. But no sooner had he taken a step than he heard a muffled shout from behind him. Caled swung around toward him, his muscular body tensed for a fight, but it was too late. They were surrounded by five men, one of them holding Hadrian with a hand covering the startled sorcerer’s mouth. They had appeared as if by magic. Caled might have thought it so had he not known that such craft didn’t exist in this world. But the weapons the men held were all too real. He and Black had spent a pleasant, if morbid evening downing beers and discussing the difference between the tools of their chosen trades. Although Caled was convinced that a man could wish for nothing better than a good sword at his side, Black’s description of guns had left him impressed then and wary now. Each of the men held what the JC officer had called a “gun of machines” or some such. Their grip on their arms was confident and professional and Caled quickly pegged them as being in a similar line of work as himself. Hades' eyes were huge, the silver nearly swallowed by panic-widened pupils. He attempted to reassure his lover by maintaining a calm air, but it was difficult when five laser-sighted barrels were pointed in his direction. “Lookie what we have here,” the man holding Hadrian crowed. He leaned forward until Hadrian could see dirty brown hair from the corner of his eye. Lips brushed hotly against Hadrian’s ear making him shiver in disgust. The sorcerer sought and held Caled’s steady gaze, trying to match his unconcerned demeanor, but it was a wasted effort. The mercenary was smaller than Caled but no less intimidating, especially when Hadrian felt an easily identifiable bulge pressing against his ass. “Yeah,” opined another of the mercenaries, his hair color and confident posture reminding Caled somewhat of Black. “The boss will want to chat with these two.” He looked toward where the mysterious girl was crouched over Finn. “Looks like Sasha caught another one. Her daddy’ll be proud.” Caled spared only a moment trying to decipher the reference to the girl’s father. He had only caught a glimpse of Finn’s captor, but the resemblance between them was unmistakable. So whoever the braided man was, he had his own private army of sorts. Why he would also travel with his child in tow was a curiosity that he would have to wonder over at a more opportune moment. Say when Hades wasn’t being held by a gun-wielding scumbag, who seemed more intent on fondling his captive than keeping him under guard. Caled held back a growl as he was prompted forward by one of the guns of machines. ****** The sound of people approaching through the trees drew Finn’s gaze away from the pretty girl. He perked up when he recognized his friends and tried to greet them, forgetting that he was still gagged. “Um-mm! Mmeeumm!” Hadrian looked down at the trussed up red-head, marveling at how unconcerned he appeared. Finn wriggled around on the ground like a puppy trying to see what was happening. The girl stood up and glanced at the newcomers, her green eyes lingering over the muscular blond. “Who are they?” she asked the black-haired mercenary. “Do they belong to them?” “Beats me. We found ‘em skulking nearby and decided to bring ‘em over for some friendly conversation.” He nodded toward Finn. “What about him?” “I found him lying here tied up,” Sasha answered. “I don’t know where he came from.” Finn tried to speak, but all the gag let through was some very interesting moans. “Who are you?” Caled held the girl’s gaze, refusing to admit that her piercing green eyes were making him at all uneasy. “The man who built this place was my uncle. He sent Daddy a message saying he was in trouble, so we came here to find out what was going on. Only now, there are strange people on the island and we can’t find Uncle Moreau anywhere.” That’s because he’s dead, Caled thought, but he kept the observation to himself. No use offering up any information until he could be certain whether these people could be counted as ally or foe. Finn wriggled and moan with renewed fervor, drawing more than one not unlustful gaze. Sasha watched him silently for a moment but when he began to rub his cheek against her leg, she relented. As soon as the gag was out of his mouth, Finn began to speak in an excited rush. “I know your Daddy! The man who brought me here, he has long, pretty, red hair and green eyes just like yours. And he looks just like you, so he must be your Daddy, right? Am I right? Well he brought me here and I know you’re the good guys because he told me to keep quite and be careful because ‘they’ are scary! Only I don’t know who they are. But if they’re scary and he wanted to protect me by keeping me quiet then you must be the good guys, right?” Hadrian blinked as he tried in vain to follow Finn’s unfathomable logic. Apparently this girl was the daughter of the man who had captured Finn, but that certainly didn’t put him any more at ease. The |
