On broken wings I'm falling And it won't be long
The skin on me is burning
By the fires of the sun
On skinned knees, I'm bleeding And it won't be long
I've got to find that meaning that I'll search for so long
-Lyrics to 'Broken Wings' performed by Alter Bridge
Crimson Bonds Part 82
The entire world turned red for Nancy.
Gripping onto the armrests of her chair, she gritted through her teeth, "I am not about to sit here and tolerate lies of blackmail and influence over my... over the Senate's vote for the registration amendment. The representatives had spoken based on my opening their eyes to the dangers of not tracking Vampires more closely."
Leon chewed on the inside of his cheek as he continued to stare at the Infected since his declaration. "Treize, you do understand the severity of the accusation that you are making?"
"Yes," Khushrenada nodded firmly without reserve. "And I have the proof to support it, however that evidence is not fully prepared for presentation at the moment."
Barking out a harsh laugh, McAdams exclaimed, "Of course it's not!"
She pointed at her enemy, shouting, "Moderator, this... creature is making a mockery of our legislation by trying to stall what will be his kind's inevitable defeat for a second time!" Glaring at the immortal, she hissed, "Even I had higher regard for you than to ever believe that you would stoop to something like this all because you're a sore loser!"
It was a blow meant to sting, but Treize was careful not to show any reaction in the slightest other than turning to face his adversary.
That same instant, Jackson slammed his fist onto his desk and shouted, "That's enough, Nancy! I will have you removed from my chambers if you do not compose yourself immediately! We may not be in session, but we will conduct ourselves as if we were so long as we are in this room!"
Feeling her face burning, the Senator choked back every word and sound that wanted to come out of her. However, she kept her cold stare on the Infected as her hands squeezed the armrests all the tighter.
With a deep breath to calm himself, the Moderator folded his hands together before his long nose and thought deeply for a moment.
Then, meeting the blue-and-gold eyes watching him, he said quietly, "I have a great deal of respect for you and your Council, Treize. And I do not believe for a second that you would come to me now with this allegation if you could not verify it. However, the timing of this leaves me no choice but to question why you are bringing this up now without a way to back up your claim."
'Finally', Nancy thought to herself. A notch in her favor.
Closing his eyes and bowing his head deeply, Khushrenada replied, "I would think less of you if you did not question this, Leon. And I assure you that the name of the representative responsible for the crimes made in our house Senate was only recently made known to me, or I would have spoken up sooner."
He straightened himself, fixing the aging man with his gaze once more as he declared, "I am not suggesting that the original vote be tossed out. There is too much that has changed between that time and now that must be included in this appeal. However, we must have our dirty associate removed before I would ever feel comfortable presenting my case and leaving it to a second judgment. Once that threat is removed, however the Senate votes will stand without challenge."
In the back of his mind, the Infected sighed to himself, 'Now for the real gamble.'
"Which is why I am presenting an opportunity to Senator McAdams to join me, watch me in every step and everything I do in gathering up the facts in my claim that even she would not be able to argue against it," Treize announced.
That... was the very last thing that Nancy could have ever seen coming. Her mouth falling open, she stared wide-eyed at the Vampire with a stammered, "W-what?"
Jackson's silver eyebrows rose high on his wrinkled brow. "Well, now, that is a plausible compromise to the situation," he commented in a humming, thoughtful tone. Rubbing his chin, he mused aloud, "No better way to prove yourself than to have the one person standing against you looking over your shoulder."
Lowering his hand, he nodded firmly. "I'll allow your stay of the appeal under those terms. When we return to session after the weekend, I expect you to be more than ready to make your case. Once you have validated your accusation, I'll see to it that the son-of-a-bitch tied to the crime is removed from the Senate and tried for their crimes immediately while their replacement is sworn in to hear the appeal."
Nancy wracked her brain to try and formulate some complaint against the notion, but there was none she could make that would hold water. Treize had just opened everything at his disposal to her. He wouldn't be able to so much as blink over the upcoming weekend without her being present to witness it...
...and if there was any reason for her to doubt him, she would wipe the floor with him before all of their peers as soon as session resumed.
There was no bad outcome for her in this. Everyone in the room knew it, so fighting it was useless. Besides, in the end, she still had the hidden silver bullet that would lay waste to the Human-Vampire Treaty.
Upon that conclusion, the Senator told Jackson, "Fine." Waving her hand in the air, she shrugged, "I suppose I can tolerate a few days with the Khushrenadas just to have the privilege of squashing this ridiculous turn of events for good."
The Councilman smirked at that, actually happy that she had taken his invitation. "Oh, don't worry," he chuckled, "We're going to be very close these next few days. Use whatever you find when you make your closing argument."
Rising to his feet along with his guests, the Moderator ordered, "Both of you take the back doors out of here. I don't want the press having any wind of what is happening or why there is about to be a declaration of a stay in the proceeding from me in a few minutes. The less they piece together the better until this is all behind us. We'll meet here again first thing Monday morning to sort out this alleged blackmail business."
An eyebrow lifting, Leon held up a finger and warned the pair, "Play nice." Gesturing to the door, he ended the discussion by urging quietly, "Now get out of here before anyone picks up on wherever you're headed."
Not needing to be told twice, the two opponents rose to their feet and slipped from the room. Without so much as one word or a glance between them, the representatives followed their instructions and descended the tall Capitol building by the back staircase that led straight into the parking lot.
Taking the lead, Khushrenada tilted his head to the exit as he said, "We're not going to be taking a car. We'll be noticed by the press as soon as we pull out of here. And seeing us together, they're likely to come up with all sorts of theories to write about."
Her eyes narrowing, Nancy planted her hands on her hips with a scoffed, "And what other option do we have?"
A smirk curling his lips, Treize shrugged, "Well, I did promise you that we were going to be very close these next few days. So..."
He didn't allow the Senator a chance to fight him in the swift move that he made to scoop her up in his arms the way a groom would lift his bride across the threshold of their honeymoon suite. Only encouraged by McAdams' startled cry, he bolted through the exit in a blur of himself.
Along the way to Khushrenadas' Washington estate, one could hear the dopplered, terrified scream of a woman, only for it to fade away as soon as it appeared.
* * * * * *
Emma had just finished her plate full of pancakes when she gasped at the sight of a man she feared she would never see again. "Broderick!" she cheered excitedly as she jumped from her chair and ran for the Hunter that had entered the room.
Kneeling down to intercept the girl throwing herself at him, Dawson held her tight with a deep sigh of relief. "Hey, kiddo," he chuckled deeply, patting the back of her head with a big hand. "Isabel was just telling me about what a big help you've been since you came to find our family, here."
"Our family?" the child repeated, her head tilting in confusion.
Isabel stepped into view behind her Companion, smiling, "That's right, sweetheart. Turns out Broderick and I are each other's Chosens."
On their own feet at the same time, Charles and John all but shouted, "Holy sh-!" Cutting themselves off when their father appeared with a raised eyebrow and a subtle nod to the young girl, they ducked their heads and grinned back sheepishly.
A hand falling over her still heart, Midi breathed, "Goodness, our Clan has been growing quickly these last few months." Leaning against the sink counter beside her, Trowa chuckled deeply in amusement and rubbed her flat abdomen.
The recently introduced Angela McAdams and Hillary Twain looked on as their Vampires took the time to make acquaintances with the Hunter.
"At this rate, we'll be able to have Mom and Uncle Duo home in a matter of hours," the engineer beamed. Sensing the distance from her sister-in-law-to-be, she turned towards her and frowned, "Is everything ok?"
Her head shaking to return to the present, the lawyer met her fellow Companion's brown eyes and grinned sadly, "Sorry. I've been distracted wondering about that's happening in the World Senate with the appeal."
Gesturing to the Clan that was huddled together in a warm reception of the newest member, she frowned, "I wish that my mother could see moments like this when it comes to her opinion on Vampires."
Twain smiled, "Well, maybe some day she'll come around. She certainly has a good enough reason to reconsider her views since you're tied to John. I wouldn't give up on her coming around." With a shrug, she added, "As for the registration law appeal, it's in good hands with Treize. No point in worrying beyond that."
Snickering, Angela did feel considerably better. "Thanks, sis," she smirked. "You're right."
* * * * * *
Nancy had never been more agitated than she had been while having to spend the last five hours sitting across from none other than Treize Khushrenada in his Clan's Washington residence.
Arms folded across her chest and legs crossed at her ankles, the Senator was losing her patience waiting for the rest of the Vampire's so-called 'family' to return from the Senate.
For the long stretch of time, the two foes sat in the living room in complete silence aside from the occasional offer of food or drink from the host. At no surprise, every attempt he made to make his guest comfortable was shot down.
So, they just sat and waited. And waited... And waited.
At last, the stillness finally became too much for the fuming mortal. Throwing her arms up in the air, McAdams shouted, "What in the hell is taking them so long to get back?! It's been hours since we were dismissed!"
Never wavering in his calm demeanor, Treize shrugged in his recliner. "They're most likely shaking off anyone that may have followed them on the way from the Capitol building. It's not every day that a high-profiled appeal is postponed without explanation."
Her eyes blinking, Nancy cleared her throat and lifted her nose in the air as she mumbled, "Well, I suppose that's a good enough deduction to why it's still only the two of us."
The floodgates opened even wider now that she had opted to speak up until she could no longer hold back her anger.
A sneer warped the Senator's lips as she gritted out, "You have a lot of nerve making this move, Treize. I'm going to open up the entire Human-Vampire Treaty and have the whole notion of our kinds living together thrown out entirely when all of this is over. To suggest that there is a representative who slanted the tide in my favor is about the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard."
Giving into his own frustrations, Khushrenada's gold-and-blue eyes narrowed as he snapped back, "About as ridiculous as the thought of a Vampire agency called the Preventers that just happened to be brought to your attention? Let me guess. You have no idea who your source to that little gem of information came from, do you?"
Skin paling, the stricken living stiffened in her cushioned seat. "So it's true, then?" she breathed. "You have to police your own from killing mortals." Matching the glare that remained set on her, she shouted, "I am going to see all of you wiped from the face of this planet for your crimes!"
Treize's composure shattered at that. All but jumping to his feet, his hands were balled into fists at his sides as he cried, "Damn it, Nancy, get your head out of your fucking ass and listen to something other than your own closed-minded prattle for just once!"
Gasping, the slack-jawed woman sank into her chair as her enraged eyes stared up at the Infected in disbelief.
Khushrenada growled as he roughly adjusted the cuffs of his grey sweater's long sleeves to bring himself to some state of respect. "I just confirmed that we have someone in the Senate who is undermining the system and that's all you're concerned with," he huffed. "Honestly, I had expected better of you."
His company had not regained her senses before the Vampire hissed, "Yes, there is a unit of agents that Lady Une and I have enlisted over the centuries to end any threats to life from our own kind. In bringing you here, I am granting you have the chance to see firsthand how we defuse a danger that cannot go on existing in the world."
To the surprise that washed over McAdams, he snarled, "However, this time around you'll be witness to what horrors your fellow man is capable of bringing down upon others. It's only right that you experience a taste of some of the worst in humanity out there. And believe me when I say that there are things you'll be learning that you wish you had remained blissfully ignorant of."
At that, Nancy instantly recovered from her shock and argued in a growled, "I refuse to believe there are livings any more dangerous or vicious than any Vampire."
The corner of his lips curling, Treize replied, "Oh, I personally know otherwise."
Slowly, he pivoted on his heels and moved to the bookcase in the opposite end of the living room. Removing a black binder folder that had been cleverly hidden amongst hard-backed titles like 'War and Peace' and 'A Tale of Two Cities,' he opened it to reveal a large stack of papers and images.
"Once the rest of my family returns, we'll be moving fast. So, you're going to have to be briefed on the mission that we are currently working on so that you can appreciate what we are up against," Khushrenada informed.
Approaching the Senator, he held out the report and stated, "These are documents obtained from Instructor Hemingway Millers. He is the great, great, great Uncle of the man at the center of our current case."
McAdams' hazel eyes roamed over the first pages of the report that was handed over to her. Returning to his chair, Treize took a deep breath and frowned, "Once you're caught up on some of this story's background, I'll fill you in on the prisoners that we have spent more than half a year searching for... namely Anna Chang and Duo Yuy-Maxwell."
* * * * * *
Duo was feeling more unsettled than he ever had since finding himself in Septum's captivity. It was days since he'd heard any word on Anna and his babies.
The lid on the box that he had imagined to seal up his rage was shifting ever so slightly by the 'hand' that was trying to lift it from within.
Every minute that his sister was away, the more bleak her outcome appeared. And if anything happened to her or the little ones that she had selflessly protected at her own expense... Maxwell was going to make sure that every last person standing was going to suffer.
Shinigami wasn't going to have a say. He was a mere figment of his creation all along, just as his brother had insisted. It took a lot of deep searching for Duo to come to that conclusion... but he welcomed that in the end.
In fact, he liked it. And he looked forward to finding out what else he was capable of.
Looking on intently from his own cell, Solo studied his counterpart with growing concern. Maxwell's wheels were turning, the blonde Hybrid could tell. There was a rising tension in the air that was unmistakable.
But then, there was the clear acceptance that Duo resonated.
That was the most terrifying thing of all.
For a lot of people, this was going to end very badly. "Come on, Heero and Wufei," Solo murmured to himself. "Get us the hell out of here before Duo destroys this place and everyone in it."
* * * * * *
Septum groaned as he came to. Rubbing his eyes, he had a momentary flash of panic when he found himself surrounded by a darkness so thick that he wondered if his eyelids were even opened.
That was when the researcher remembered stumbling into his living quarters, turning out every light on the way to his bedroom and collapsing into what must have been a deep sleep.
After going nonstop for the last few days and nights following the failed escape of his prisoners, he supposed that it was only a matter of time before his body got the rest that it had been demanding for some time.
Fumbling around in the dimness, Millers felt his right hand fall on the nightstand beside his head and wrap around his digital watch. By memory, he found the display button and read the time on the illuminated face.
3:46 AM
Mentally calculating the last memory of knowing what the hour was before he retired for the evening, Septum realized that he had been out for better than half a day.
And there was still so much work that needed to be done before the auction was opened.
Hurrying out of his bed, Millers threw the light on and changed into a fresh, white shirt and clean khaki shorts, socks and shoved his feet into a pair of sneakers. His pace brisk, he entered his kitchen and turned on the coffee machine for some liquid motivation and was about to make some calls when the realization of what day it was struck him.
Anxiously grabbing his filled mug, the researcher stepped into his den and sat at his desk to bring his laptop to life. Typing in the site for regular worldly news feeds, he sat back as the female reporter on staff at the moment announced excitedly, "This is an unprecedented development here in Washington."
Raising an eyebrow, Septum leaned forward as he sipped his coffee. So there was already a vote to Khushrenada's last stand. That all happened a lot faster than the scientist had expected. When Dobson promised he had the situation handled, he must have known what he was doing after all.
The lovely blonde on the screen continued, "Though we do not know the reason behind the delay of the Vampire Council's appeal to the registration laws, we did receive confirmation that the appeal will still be presented to the Senate for a vote when they return to session after the weekend."
His dark eyes widening, Millers lost all feeling as his arms fell to his sides. In his slack hand, his coffee spilled out of his cup to pool into the carpet at his feet. Dropping the mug all together when he gathered his senses, he frantically dug into his pocket for the cell phone that he had turned off prior to his long recess and checked for any messages.
8 missed calls. All of them from Senator Eric Dobson.
Not one from Lucie Aisley or Damien.
The noose was tightening around Septum's neck. Just when he was so sure that he was in the clear and on his way to a carefree remainder of his days.
He had no other option. He had to pull the plug on his operation... get as far away as he could while he had the opportunity. All he needed was the Hybrids and he could have them taken wherever he pleased so that he could complete the auction and disappear forever.
But then there was that one last element to sweeten the pot. One less thorn in his side that he would permanently remove in the process of wetting his buyers' appetites all the more.
Dialing one of his speed connections, Millers pressed his cell phone receiver to his ear. "Berg," he greeted. "Get Doctor Adodera up. Tell her she's to be prepared for surgery within the hour."
TBC...
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