Page 36 of Elemental Hope
“He will,” Nathaniel said. “Symeon’s arrogance is one of his many weaknesses. He’ll believe he’s outsmarted us and he won’t be able to resist taking his chance. He has too much riding on delivering Dominic to Octis not to.”
Fifteen minutes later, wearing their makeshift disguises, Nathaniel and Coryn stepped into the sunshine. It was just before mid-morning. They hurried down the path, trailed by Shadow, and Dominic soon lost sight of them.
“I hope they’ll be okay.”
“Nathaniel will keep a close eye on Coryn, don’t worry. I wouldn’t send him out there if I didn’t know Nathaniel could wipe Symeon off the face of the planet without even breaking a sweat.”
“So why hasn’t he?” The question came out before Dominic could stop it.
“Because he, like me, is not a cold blooded killer.”
“Sorry. I should connect my brain before I open my mouth.”
“It’s a natural question. If I, or Nathaniel, had dealt with Symeon years ago then you and Evrain would have been saved a great deal of trouble. We’ve come close a few times, I can tell you, but I’ve never used my power to kill, and I hope I never will. I imagine Nathaniel feels the same. That’s the difference between us and Symeon. He has the ethics of a rattlesnake on crack.”
Dominic nodded. “I get it. What do you think is up with the fur-ball? That’s the first time since she arrived that she’s shown any interest in going out.”
“Call of nature?”
“I don’t believe that any more than you do,” Dominic said. “You know something about that animal. Evrain did too. She’s not what she seems.”
“Talking of… She’s back.” Gregory opened the door just enough to let Shadow back inside. She immediately jumped into his arms, uttering a series of meows.
“So what does she have to say for herself?” Dominic asked, half joking.
“It’s warm. The mice are sleeping. Symeon is still in the woods waiting and there’s someone with him.” Gregory was absolutely serious.
Dominic had no reply. Shadow turned her green gaze on him and he could have sworn she was smiling. He had no time to debate the merits of a supernatural pet because a few minutes later he and Gregory slipped down the path from Hornbeam Cottage, then into the lane. They moved quickly, keeping to the edge of the path, using the shadows of the trees to conceal themselves as much as possible. About halfway to the main road Dominic stopped, patting his pockets. He tapped Gregory’s shoulder then whispered urgently in his ear for a few seconds. After some gesturing and frustrated signing from the older man Dominic turned and jogged back toward the cottage. He’d lost sight of Gregory around a bend in the path when a branch seemed to dip in the breeze to snag in his hair. As he pulled away, the cord holding his protective amulet worked free and dropped the ground, nestling amongst the soggy leaves.
Dominic kept going as if he hadn’t noticed, though he was acutely aware of what was happening and how defenseless he now was. He listened hard but he didn’t hear anyoneapproaching. He reached the cottage gate wondering if all Gregory’s plotting and the pain he’d been through had been for nothing. It was only when he had one hand on the gate that he noticed the sudden silence. There was no birdsong and even the trees seemed to have stilled. The snap of a twig was disproportionately loud. He whirled around to get the briefest glimpse of Symeon’s evil smile. He tried to scream, but a gloved hand closed around his mouth, crushing his lips. He tasted the iron of his blood as he bit his tongue. Someone, or something, grabbed hold of his arms, the grip like steel bands around his biceps. A dark hood was pulled over his head, cutting off his sight and stifling his breath. He fought hard, pulling away only to be captured again and pushed against the gate. He tried to wrench his arms free then collapsed to his knees, becoming a dead weight. It did no good. He was dragged along the ground, stones digging into his back and shoulders. A pinpoint of pain pierced his thigh and within seconds the taste of blood and fear was replaced by comforting weightlessness.
Chapter eleven
The low hum of an engine was the first sound to penetrate the fog muddling Dominic’s thoughts. He battled the confusion, trying to work out where he was and why he couldn’t see. It all came back in a rush. Being captured. The hood. He jerked but his body was restrained not just by a seatbelt but by something else. He guessed some kind of strap had been fastened around his chest and the seat, pinning his arms to his sides. It was effective. He could move his head and his legs but not much in between. He forced his rigid muscles to relax. It was pointless struggling when he wanted to be taken to wherever Evrain was being held.
“He’s awake.”
The voice came from behind him. There was someone in the back seat and Dominic knew who it was. He banged his head back against the seat rest in frustration. “You son of a bitch.”
“Keep your mouth shut.” This time it was Symeon’s oily tones he heard. “Then I won’t have to hurt you. For now.”
Dominic clenched his fingers into fists, wishing he could use them to inflict some damage.
“We will reach our destination shortly. Youwillbehave…that is if you want to see your lover again.” Symeon said the word lover as if he had a nasty taste in his mouth. Dominic imagined he had absolutely no understanding of love unless it was of the narcissistic kind. Symeon probably masturbated to his reflection.
Gravity pressed Dominic against his seatbelt, telling him the vehicle was heading downhill. It was moving slowly so he guessed they were heading into an underground parking garage. The grating clank of metal shutter rolling up confirmed it. He didn’t know how long the drug he’d been given had kept him unconscious but several clues told him it hadn’t been long. He wasn’t hungry or thirsty and his bladder wasn’t screaming at him. The vehicle stopped. A metallic grinding signaled the rise of a door before it moved forward again. This time when it stopped, the engine was silenced. Rustling and the heavy clunk of car doors told Dominic that Symeon and his companion had left the vehicle. There was a blast of cool air when the door next to him opened. He tried not to cringe as his seatbelt was unfastened and the strap around his body released. He was manhandled from the car, held upright by someone as his knees buckled. It was hard to balance without his sight.
“Don’t try to run,” Symeon said. “A bullet in the leg tends to offend.”
Dominic didn’t doubt Symeon would use a gun and probably enjoy it. He stayed pliant, allowing himself to be tugged along. He listened, detecting the slide of elevator doors then the stab of a button being pressed. The elevator rose smoothly. It had to be a large building because the ascent took a while. When the doors opened again he was guided out and this time there was plush carpet beneath his feet rather than concrete. He counted thirtypaces in a straight line before he was jerked to a halt. There was a click before he was pushed into another area. A kick buckled his knees and he dropped into a chair.
He found he was breathing fast and attempted to draw in air more slowly. The bag was yanked from his head. He blinked as his eyes burned in the bright light. He assessed his surroundings. He was seated in a leather office chair in front of a console desk upon which sat a state-of-the-art monitor, keyboard and hard drive. The room was small and there was no other furniture. Symeon stood next to him and he was alone. Dominic found it difficult to meet Symeon’s eyes. They glinted red and seemed to contain pure hatred.
“I want you to take a look at some footage I filmed earlier. I think you’ll enjoy it.” Symeon’s smile chilled Dominic’s blood. Facing the monitor was an improvement on having to look at him, but it displayed images that Dominic didn’t want to accept. Evrain hung helplessly in the center of a pure white room. His eyes flickered open and closed, his face deathly pale and drawn. Streaks of blood ran from beneath the bindings around his wrists. Cuts and grazes decorated his bare arms.
“Let him go, Symeon! You can’t do this.”
Symeon just gave him a malevolent glare before zooming the picture in. “He deserves every second of the pain he’s experiencing.”
