The Writers Guild Presents: 6/6/2014

Patron Saint of Crime #12 - Cornered Prey

Siwang run down the black stone hall, occasionally slapping away the hands of the grey skinned creatures that haunted the tunnels. Glancing over her shoulder she saw her pursuers, wolf like humanoids with thick blue armour for skin. Shaking her head she dodged left, only to see a dead end chamber before her. Squeezing to the back she sat down and watched as the monsters closed in, before seeing a slab of stone slide down in front of her sealing the predators out.

"Dammit she's in the lift." James swore as he pressed the button. "We have no idea what floor she's going to get off on."

"I'll call maintenance, have them shut the lifts down and keep the doors closed." West sighed as she removed a mobile phone from her belt. "Still she seemed so frightened; I highly doubt that was our cop killer."

"Just get the lifts locked down, and then you'll see." James spat as he watched the lift icon descend. "She can't run for long."

**

Romeo walked up to Siwang's hospital room, only to see 'Kerry' sat outside, the door sealed off with thick yellow crime scene tape.

"You should have been watching her." Helen told him, her voice bitter as she got to her feet. "You were meant to be keeping her safe."

"What happened? And why are the police here?" Romeo asked.

"They got here after she was taken. Recently she's been having nightmares about some man dressed as an owl. Except it wasn't a dream, there were traces of obsidian in the wound. Someone attacked her on your watch twice and now she's missing!!" Helen snarled.

"Then let's find her." Romeo stated as he removed his pistol from his holster.

**

Siwang sat in the cell of black rock and listened as the sound of footsteps echoed down from the roof. Silently she with her knees held between her legs crying only to hear a voice fill the room around her.

"What are you doing?" Siwang looked up to see an oriental girl of thirteen dressed in jeans and a pink T-shirt standing before her. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm scared." Siwang told her.

"Why?" The child asked. "You're a grownup. You don't get afraid."

"There's a man out there, he's coming to kill me." Siwang told her.

"You know that you can fight him." The child told her. "That's what daddy told us the night the owl got into the roof. Made us confront our fears, showed us that they couldn't hurt us. Don't you remember that?"

"I remember but this isn't the same." Siwang gasped as the sound of metal against metal sounded. "He's here." She whispered as a bead of swear ran down her forehead.

"It is you just don’t want to admit it!" The child said angrily as the fully feathered figure of the Priest of Mictlantechutil landed in the lift car and, walked through the hallucination of Siwang's younger self.

"So you choose to die like a rat cornered in a hole." The Owl Priest hissed as he raised a taloned hand to Siwang's cheek. "You have nice eyes, like polished jade; they'll look nice with the others." He snarled before lunging in only to see his target collapse under his blow. Twisting on the floor Siwang shot a swift kick into his shin before rising to her feet and pushing her attacker back. "So the rat bites back." The priest hissed before leaping at Siwang, his talons stabbing through her shoulders.

"I'm not a rat!!" Siwang hissed as she head-butted the priest, the leather of his gas mask rubbing against her face. Blinking she saw his hideous visage fade away to be replaced with a man in janitorial overalls and a gas mask. Angrily Siwang grabbed her attacker by the arm and jerked it upwards, the bladed talons snapping. Grunting in pain the Owl Priest threw a punch at Siwang's face, the stubby broken talons aimed at her eyes. As the blow connected with her face Siwang screamed in pain as she collapsed, her attacker kicking her in the chest and pinning her to the floor.

"You're dead." The priest hissed as his face grew feathers and his features became more avian. "Kudos to you for fighting off the effect of the gas, and for fighting back but it's time for me to take the jade you owe the dead."

"And what of the men you killed." Siwang grunted as she scrapped her cut arm against the ground, a single shard of obsidian falling to the floor.

"I suppose their families will come for me in due time." The priest sighed as he positioned his intact talon over her left eye. He was so intent on the eye he was about to remove that he didn't see Siwang grab the blade on the floor, only becoming aware that she was armed when she plunged the blade into his groin. Recoiling back he screamed an inhuman scream before pulling out a handgun from his belt. "I don't like guns, but for a rat as tenacious as you only a bullet will do. No place to run, not enough..." before he finished a shot ran out and he went collapsing to the floor, a bullet embedded in his leg.

"Just what I was going to say." Romeo snorted as he peered into the lift car. "I think it's time to leave."

"For you but not for me." Siwang answered. ''The police saw me come in here. Drop me your gun and get out of here. Maybe I can convince them I shot this guy in self-defence."

"I think they'll buy it." Romeo answered as he tossed the gun down. Catching the weapon Siwang wrapped the Owl Man's hands around it before pushing it to the side of the lift. "Good luck whatever the outcome." He added before climbing out of sight just as the police began to lever the doors open

**

"And you say you shot him self defence?" Detective Gillian West asked the hysterical Asian woman as a doctor cleaned the wounds to her arm and face.

"I was so frightened." Siwang cried as James walked past. "I thought I was going to jail."

"You still may be." James grumbled as he watched a pair of officers carry the unconscious Owl Priest away on a stretcher.

"You were very brave." Helen told her. "Can I take her home?"

"Of course." Gillian stated as an Asian business man bumped into Grady. Glowering as Helen helped Siwang out of the hospital before pulling the note he had been not so covertly passed. Looking over to the man he nodded before screwing up the piece of paper and throwing it away. "Two weeks. I understand." He growled as he walked out to the Owl Priest being loaded into a van. "And I know just who to call."

Chapter 5

In Search of the Enemy

Jessica can't stop her hands from sweating. Never in her entire life has she felt this nervous and she can't figure out why.

"We're just going to get Brian and then come home," she mumbles to herself, looking over the interior of the plane's cabin. But why do I need to be here?

Two days ago, Agent Hite had come back to Jessica's home, explaining to her that they'll need her knowledge on Brian to help them find him. Of course, still being mad at Brian, Jessica had said yes immediately, but now she was having second thoughts. Easily, she realized, Agent Hite could have used the maps and notes that he got from Jessica to figure out where Brian might have gone; she had figured that out after Agent Hite had left her house the first time he came to visit. So what other use did Jessica serve to Hite and…what agency does he work for?

Jessica realizes that she never even asked the agent who was looking for her fiancé. When Hite had first showed her his badge it was so quick that she couldn't register anything but a gold shield.

"Agent Hite?"

"Hmm?"

The agent opens his eyes from his nap. Neither he nor Jessica had said a word since they had boarded their plane. He said that he wasn't going to tell her the details of the 'mission' until they touched down.

"Um," Jessica mumbles, a little embarrassed, "what agency do you work for again?"

"Homeland Security," Hite says plainly.

"Don't you guys go after terrorists though?"

"That's right."

And with that, Agent Hite leans back in his chair again and almost instantly goes back to sleep.

Brian's not a terrorist...is he?

Two Hours Later

The plane landed without a hitch and in no time at all Jessica and Agent Hite were on their way through the streets of Jerusalem.

"This place is so beautiful," Jessica marvels, staring out through the window of the car. Agent Hite didn't say a word; he just nodded and kept his eyes focused on the road. He was nervous, Jessica could tell. To be honest she was too, but probably for different reasons.

Outside, the streets were filled with people as they moved their way through the streets, going to the shops and restaurants that lined every corner and road. While they moved freely, however, the cars in front of Agent Hite and Jessica were moving at a snail's pace.

"It'll take us forever to get to the place," Hite mumbles under his breath.

"Where are we going though, Agent Hite?" Jessica asks.

"Right now we're going to your hotel, Miss Turner," Hite answers. "I'm going to drop you off, make sure you're settled, and then I'm going to meet my contact. Your fiancé should be in this city somewhere."

The mention of Brian suddenly brings something on in Jessica. All of the questions that she's been forced to keep to herself suddenly come up like a tidal wave and before she knows it Jessica's mouth is moving at lightning speed.

"But why are we here to find Brian? Why would he come to Jerusalem? Why's Homeland Security looking for him? Is he a terrorist? If he is who is he working for? Why won't you tell me any-"

"MISS TURNER!"

Jessica realizes that she's holding on to Agent Hite's arm. He looks at her with concern and calmly sits her back down in her seat.

"I understand that you have a lot of questions," Hite says reassuringly. "But right now I can only tell you that we believe that during one of your fiancés expeditions he may have come into contact with a terrorist cell. His coming back here may mean that our suspicions are right and he may be a threat."

"But who's he working for?" Jessica pleads, at least wanting one more question answered.

Agent Hite looks at her uncertainly, like he wants to tell her but doesn't think he should. Finally though, he says, "Do you read the Bible, Miss Turner?"

"Yes," Jessica answers, not sure where the conversation is going.

"Are you familiar with Cain?"

To be continued