Alexis was sitting in the living room, browsing the internet and searching for all the possible details about Kyle's release. Given that the tiral was more or less a secret, she found pretty much nothing. One of the headlines summed the situation well:
Kyle Fletcher released after a mysterious trial
Basically no one knew about the true nature of the trial - considering all facts, the sisters knew the most about the case, more than any other citizen of Gardens. "What the hell am I searching for?" she mumbled to herself. "I already know that the bastard is free... do the details really matter?"
In that moment, Diane bursted in the room, loudly singing:
"If there's something strange in your neighbourhood,
who are you gonna call?"
She pointed at Alexis, waiting for her to finish the line.
"Diane, please," Alexis said. "I'm trying to think."
"Your thinking always ruins all the fun!" Diane groaned. "Come on! Who are you gonna call?"
Alexis rolled her eyes. "Warren sisters!" she said to the tune of the song.
"Oh, finally!" Diane cheered. "I know that Kyle's releasing messed you up. We almost got him. But we should've expect that, right? That sucker is sneaky. I think he'd be able to convince Lord Voldemort to destroy his Horcruxes and kill himself."
Alexis laughed. "You know very well that book references interest me any time, right?"
"That's why I use them." Diane looked at the computer screen. "You know that Google can tell you pretty much nothing about this case, right?" she said. "I have more reliable source." She left the flat and used the elevator to move to the floor where Anna Lightfoot lived. She knocked and Augustus, Anna's brother, opened the door.
"Greetings," he mumbled, giving up any rude remarks about the sisters' frequent visits. Diane stepped in and found Anna in her room, laying in her bed in a blue tank top and black shorts, hair tied into a messy bun, holding a sketchbook and a pencil. She was working on her art.
"Hi, Annie!" Diane greeted her old friend. "Did you find anything more about Kyle's case, as you promised? Lex is all stressed out because of it."
"Nothing much," Anna replied. "Only buttloads of lawyer terminology I don't understand. My contacts say that the trial was pretty messy, though. There were tons of contradictions and indirect evidences. In the end, they had to give him a light sentence because there actually wasn't any evidence that Kyle meant to cause any harm with the summoning."
"And what about the false accusation of Gray Forrestal?" Diane exclaimed. "That's, like, nothing?"
Anna shrugged. "I guess someone had banknotes on their eyes while discussing that matter."
"Is the justice really that easy to buy here?" Diane sighed. "I'm pretty sick of it, even more because I know that Kyle will cause more trouble for sure. Man, I need to look at something nice. What are you working at? Can I take a look?"
"I'd rather not..." Anna blushed and tried to hide her sketchbook.
"Show me!" Diane laughed and pried the paper from the girl's hands. She looked at the picture - it was a beautiful pencil sketch of her sister's face. "But that's... Alexis?"
Anna sighed. "Please don't tell her, for God's sake. I'm trying to learn to draw portraits and her face was the first that came to my mind.
Diane raised her eyebrows. "I'm not questioning it. I'm just a little offended because you have a gorgeous, hot model aviable and you chose my boring sister. I'd be even willing to undress!"
The paralyzed girl blushed even more. "Let's not talk about it any further, okay?"
"I'm sorry," Diane said, "but as soon I see something worth mocking, I mock it." The girls had a good laugh while Alexis, still in the living room, was full of worries. Kyle wasn't the only cloud on her mind.
She was also thinking about the prophecy of Elizabeth Abraham which she received just a week ago. Beware of the book. Alexis loved books. But the blind girl's words mentioned the book in singular. One particular book. Which one? Will she figure it out before it's too late?
When the time comes, losing lives will be inevitable. And your love comes with a high cost.
Time? Time for what? Alexis started to feel more and more depressed. Who will be that inevitable sacrifice? Her? Diane? And what about the verse about her love? She probably knew the meaning, but she refused to admit that. She started to play with the crystal cross in her hand; it calmed her down a little.
Diane returned after several minutes, laughing. She had a good old "roast war" with Anna which involved innocent insulting of each other. "At least someone has a good mood today," Alexis noted. "Did she find anything about Kyle and his trial?"
"Nothing too interesting," Diane replied. "Come on, sis. Cheer up!"
"I'm okay, I just need a little time alone," Alexis said. "My mind is still plagued by Kyle and Elizabeth's second prophecy. I have a bad feeling it won't be a bad guy dying this time."
Diane nodded. "Yeah, that prophecy is creepy for sure... but we shouldn't worry about it until we have the context. Maybe it will be something completely innocent, what can you know? Lex, you live in the future and that causes constant worrying. I know I sound like an energy drink ad, but you should enjoy the moment."
Alexis sighed. "Maybe you're right. I think too much."
"I've been thinking too much, help me!" Diane started to sing and Alexis had no choice but to smile. After a few minutes with Diane, she was feeling better. Until someone knocked at the door. She stood up and opened, expecting another client who'd distract her from her thoughts. But there were three police officers.
"Alexis and Diane Warren?" one of them said. "You're going with us. You're accused of murder."
>><<
"This has to be some really. Terrible. Mistake," Diane said for the seventh time in the police car. It was a strange feeling, riding in the car while handcuffed, under loathing gazes of the police officers.
"If you don't remember," Alexis noted, "we saved lots of people during the Festival of Founding by stopping a dangerous maniac. And now you think we could be capable of commiting a murder?"
The policeman behind the steering wheel, the oldest of the trio, shrugged. "We have some evidence and I was told to bring Alexis and Diane Warren. I'm sorry, girls, but I'm only doing my job. If my opinion mattered, you don't look like criminals to me. But we already had some weird cases."
"You tell me about weird cases," Diane muttered.
"We need to speak to officer Lafayette," Alexis said. "Please. It's our right."
"You have right to shut up," said the officer next to the driver, a young man with a fashionable hairstyle and sunglasses, and laughed like he just told the joke of the century. "Do you think that lesbian chick will be able to help you? Nah, you're going to jail. At least the convicts will have something to play with."
"Shut up, Jack!" the third officer, a redhead woman in her thirties, scolded him. "These girls may be right - even we make mistakes. They may be innocent. And don't insult Alyssa, since she's a better officer than you'll ever be. You should really have some respect, Jack."
"Insulting? Who's insulting? I saw Lafayette making out with her chick once, have to admit it was pretty hot. If that doesn't make her a lesbian, then what is she?"
"In the first place, she's way better at her job than you are and you should learn something from her."
Jack muttered something, but didn't continue the discussion.
"It would be funny, if we weren't screwed this bad," Diane whispered. Alexis nodded in agreement.
They decided to not speak again until they arrived to the police station. They already visited the place once, but only to see Gray Forrestal wrongly accused of murder. Now the tables turned - the sisters are accused of something they didn't do. It seemed like a bad dream to them.
Fortunately, Alyssa was already waiting there. The short, yet elegant woman looked at them like mother after finding out her children got in trouble. "I think someone's playing another dirty game here," she greeted them, "but this time, they play it perfectly."
"Alyssa," Alexis said. "You don't believe we commited a crime, right? After everything we've done."
"I don't," Alyssa said and seated them in her office; the two older officers were still on guards and didn't remove the handcuffs. "As you remember, I didn't believe that Gray Forrestal killed his father, and I was right. I will do whatever I can for you, but now we have to solve some formalities."
She asked the sisters about their personal details, took their fingerprints, mugshots and made them undergo several other procedures which made them feel even more like criminals. "Okay, now let's ask real questions," Diane said once they were done. "Who were we supposed to kill? If you're coming at me with Lucian Ferris, then I have to disappoint you since they already proclaimed his death an accident."
"No, it's not about Lucian," Alyssa replied. "It's way worse. The victim is Jonathan Fletcher. Yes, he is related to Kyle; he was his uncle. And since some people already know about your... quarrels with Kyle, they said that you decided to kill Jonathan to send Kyle a warning. Jon wasn't like the rest of Fletcher family. He lived in the Clearwater district, working as the Tranquility Park caretaker, in a humble house which didn't have as big security as the Fletcher mansion in The Centre, making him an easy target."
"And where did they get the proofs it was us?" Alexis asked.
Alyssa frowned. "And that's the problem. We have a really strong evidence against you."
The girls noticed that even though they listened to every word spoken, the other officers decided to just go with the version of their innocence. Alexis and Diane weren't as famous as some celebrities of the city, they actually had pretty good reputation which went even better after they saved the Festival (they even appeared in the local newspaper and the website).
It seemed that nobody wanted to believe the version about their guilt... maybe except that young brat Jack.
"These are the records of the security cameras on Jon's house," Alyssa said as she searched for a file on her tablet computer. "This record may... shock you a little."
>><<
At first, nothing much happened. The recording was showing the black-and-white pictures of front door and a neat garden belonging to a small house. Then, after a few seconds, two figures showed up. Two females dressed in all black with beanies on head. One of them was blonde and pale, the second had dark hair, slightly darker skin and more confident body language.
"What the hell," Diane whispered.
"That's... that's us," Alexis gasped.
The girls on the recording looked around the area, then jumped across the fence and ran through the garden to the main door. The recording shifted; now the video was from the camera right above the front door. The pictures were clear - the two criminals were Alexis and Diane without a doubt. Every single detail was correct; Alexis even noticed a tiny scar near her left ear - an accident while cooking.
"Diane" pulled something out of her handbag; probably a set of picklocks. She began to dig into the keyhole while "Alexis" watched the surroundings. After several minutes, the lock gave up. "Diane" opened the door and the girls stepped in silently. The recording ended here.
"Jon was found dead in the morning," Alyssa explained. "The lock was picked, just like the recording shows. There weren't any fingerprints, just Jonathan's body with a stab wound in his throat. The criminals left no trace and just disappeared."
"But that's... that's completely ridiculous!" Diane exclaimed. "If I went to commit a crime, which I didn't, I'd wear a ski mask or something. Those must be some amateurs, revealing themselves like that! I admit they look like us, but they aren't us."
Alyssa shrugged, sorrow in her face. "But you can't prove it. It's obviously you on the recording, or at least someone identical. If you don't have really solid alibi for today's night, I'm afraid my possibilities are really limited. I'm sorry, girls."
"What will happen now?" Alexis whispered. She tried to stay calm, but it was obvious that the current situation scares her more than the ugliest ghost.
"There'll be a bail hearing tomorrow," Alyssa answered. "The judge will decide whether you'll be released and will wait for the trial at home, or if you'll go to the detention centre and wait there. I hope you understand my honesty - I'm not giving it much chances. Murderers are almost never released, so I'm afraid you'll spent some weeks in isolation unless we find some strong evidence against your guilt."
Alexis began to sob quietly, Diane clenched her lips and tried to hold back anger - she understood that unnecessary scenes won't help them at all. They spent the night at the police station hugging each other, unable to sleep. The situation was so surreal and unbelievable.
"We're going to jail, sis," Alexis muttered. "Both of us. I always thought that if I'd be arrested for murder, I'd go alone since I'd run out of patience and kill you." They both laughed, despite the situation.
"We didn't do it," Diane stated. "We're not killers. How the hell can anyone think we're murderers?"
"I have to admit, the video was pretty convincing," Alexis said. "Every detail was correct. They even had our insignias," she gently touched the feather on her hand. "They have literally no reason to believe us - we're on the video, have no alibi for the night and the victim was a relative of our enemy."
Diane sighed. "When you put it like this..."
Alexis put her hand on her sister's shoulder. "We can make it through, Diane," she said firmly. "I'm certain. We'll find out who used our faces and prove our innocence."
"That'd be much easier if they didn't put us behind the bars," Diane smirked grimly.
"There's still hope, sis."
>><<
The hearing was short and the result didn't really surprise anyone - the evidence against Alexis and Diane was too strong to be completely ignored. The judge decided that they should wait in the detention centre for their trial since they are "potentially dangerous".
Alexis bursted to tears as soon as they heard the verdict. Diane followed her soon after - it was exceptional to see Diane cry. But now, her greatest fear started to come true - the fear of losing freedom. Diane was a free-spirited woman and taking away her basic rights meant the biggest suffering for them.
After the hearing, they had a while to talk to Alyssa, who was also willing to (unsuccessfully) defend them during the event. "I just don't understand it!" the woman looked anxious. "They... they sent you to the Morningstar penitentiary. That's the place for the scum from the slum sectors..."
"Like the situation wasn't already bad enough," Diane muttered.
Alyssa groaned in disgust. "You're the citizens of Serenity Square!" she exclaimed. "You should've been put in the Icaria penitentiary! It's not as good as the VIP jail in The Centre, but it has some higher standards. Morningstar penitentiary is a wilderness. Awful conditions, minimum security. Why the hell did they send you there? You, two young women? Someone had to bribe the judge!"
"I'm starting to suspect who's behind all this," Diane grumbled. "Someone rich enough to play with the strings of justice."
"It can't be Kyle," Alexis objected. "His own uncle died. He wouldn't go this far."
"That's true," Diane admitted.
Alyssa sighed. "You'll have to be strong. Very strong. I swear to God that I'll do whatever it takes to get you out, or at least to relocate you to Icaria. Remember, it's not over yet - there'll be a legit trial in several weeks. I'll gather all evidence possible and try to get you out. Remember, I'm not the chief of the police for nothing."
"Thank you, Alyssa. We owe you a lot."
"I'm still in debt because of Gray Forrestal."
"Now we know what did he go through," Alexis said.
"Not really, since he was held in the snobby jail," Diane noted.
Alyssa, along with a few officers, secured the girls and seated them into the police car. It seemed that they also feel bad for doing that. Even if the girls did commit the crime, they clearly didn't deserve to go into Morningstar. Alyssa didn't want to scare them, but it was a common knowledge that only less than half of the prisoners survived they stay in the penitentiary. And the chances of two young women equal more or less zero.
Diane looked through the window during the whole ride. She took one of the last chances to see the outside world before she disappears between the penitentiary's walls. Alexis was quietly sitting with her eyes closed, probably dived into silent prayers.
They drove through the Haven district and arrived into Morningstar, a disgusting slum district with heavily polluted air consisting mostly of factories and other industrial objects. The local inhabitans looked unfriendly at least, often looking ill, gaunt and dressed in nothing but rags. The statistics say that the average lifespan of a Morningstar ingabitan is about thirty years lower than in The Centre.
The two slum districts, Daybreak and Morningstar, had alarming criminality rates and most of the cases were completely ignored by the police, unless some member of higher society were killed, injured or robbed. The districts were the areas of natural selection - only the strongest or the most cunning could survive.
And those were only regular citizens of the district. What will the penitentiary look like?
Soon after, they arrived to the place. It was a big, dark gray, cube-shaped building enclosed by a high wall with a barbed wire on top. Its front gate opened and heavily armed guards pulled the sisters out. "You are those murderers from Serenity Square?" one of them asked with a surprised expression. "I have some serious doubts that these girlies are capable of murder," he squished Alexis' cheek. The girl groaned in disgust.
"Orders are orders," the other one shrugged.
They took the girls in; the interior was dirty and smelly. It smelled like death. Alexis and Diane went through the registration; Alyssa was with them all the time, giving them encouragement. She begged them to hold on and endure. The case isn't closed yet.
"Aren't we gonna get these cool orange suits?" Diane jeered.
"Not yet," the guard said. "You'll get one after they find you guilty."
>><<
The bad thing was that sheer majority of the inmates were men - usually unkept, heavily tattooed criminals. When the guards took the girls in, a wave of laughter and shouts of approval sounded through the disgusting hallway filled with smells of sweat and urine.
"I'm going for that brunette one!" one of them shouted.
"Okay, take her," another prisoner said. "The blonde one is probably still a virgin. It's like unpacking a present! Finally, some luck."
Third prisoner laughed. "Okay, everyone pick one so I can write a schedule!"
"You won't let them hurt us, right?" Alexis asked a bit naively.
The guard shrugged. "Well, we can't look after you twenty four seven."
"Isn't that your job?" Diane made a caustic remark.
The other guard spoke: "I'll be completely honest with you. This is a place for low-lifes and dead end people. You seem to not belong here, but that's none of my business. This God forsaken place has a tight budget, so there aren't as many guards as we'd welcome. Sometimes you'll just have to take care of yourself, like everyone here. And here's a little tip: don't struggle and try to enjoy it. It'll make things easier."
"Oh God," Alexis whispered.
The inmates in this block were in the same situation as them - they were accused and waiting for their trial. A few of the prisoners looked pretty much the same as them - scared to death, trying to drag as little attention as possible. At least they knew they're not in this alone.
The good thing was that their cells were right next to each other - the small rooms were furnished with a bed with surprisingly clean blanket, a night stand, a sink and a toilet. At least the toilet was behind some kind of curtain, to compensate the unisex nature of the prison. There actually were a few women, but they looked just as tough and violent as men.
The guards unlocked the cells, put the girls in and then locked them. The beep of the keycard was like a fullstop of their freedom, of their innocent child days.
As soon as the guards left, Diane took the initiative and moved as close to the bars as possible. "Sis, can you hear me?" she whispered. Alexis used the power of her insignia to heighten her senses; she could hear her sister loud and clear. She hoped Diane did the same. "I can," she replied.
"If there was a dictionary definition of 'being screwed', there could be our photo attached, right?" Diane smirked. "I think I probably shouldn't joke about that, but..."
"You're right," Alexis said. "This place is awful. I only pray that Alyssa will be able to get us out here somehow... I'm already sick and tired of being here."
"Take it positive. If they release us, they'll have to pay some money for keeping us here for no reason."
Alexis gave a short laugh. "That's good, I guess."
"If they try something," Diane continued, "I can fight them off. They didn't steal our powers. I think that if I give them a bloody nose several times, they won't consider us an easy target anymore."
Diane couldn't see Alexis' relieved smile. "I forgot about that. You have to prove your dominance right at the beginning, though... if they manage to unite and attack you at once, I'm afraid that not even our powers will help. Also, we have to stay together. I'm harmless. I need you this time, Dee."
"This time? Lex, you always need me."
"Yes, but now I need you more than ever."
"Continue. I like hearing that."
"Diane Warren, my Lord and Savior!" Alexis said and both girls bursted into laughter.
"Hey, you, new bitches!" a croaky voice sounded from the neighbouring cell. "I don't know what are you laughing at, but I hope you'll be laughing tommorow on the courtyard, too! I love when a girl is jolly when making love. I hope I'll be able to get a shot tomorrow!"
"Let's see," Diane uttered.
>><<
A day passed. Both girls were able to fall asleep on the prison bed, even though they were already spoiled by the extra-comfy beds they bought while furnishing their new flat. Before falling asleep, both were thinking about their old lives, about their father, about Anna.
Since they used their opportunity to phone a relarive on Reverend Warren, they didn't have a chance to let Anna know about their fate. They hoped that Warren or Alyssa will let her know.
In the morning, they were served a bland, tasteless breakfast. Several hours of boredom followed. Then, the lunch came, equally bland as breakfast - reheated mystery meat with pasta and some sticky sauce. Then, several guards came. "It's time for a break!" one of them announced. "Get your asses off the cells!"
The cells automatically unlocked and the prisoners slowly began to leave them. The crowd, controlled by the guards, aimed towards a gate which led into the prison courtyard. The girls went at the end of the crowd, but couldn't avoid lewd smiles from their male inmates.
"Do you know the drill when a girl is here?" one of them, short and greasy man in a gray sweater, said. "We draw lots to decide who's having fun. Then some of us who didn't get picked get into a fight or something to distract the guards. Then, the chosen ones take their share quickly. Next day, we repeat the process, but those who were chosen can't participate until all guys get picked. Smart, right?"
The girls tried not to listen. Good thing was that the men probably underestimated them. They didn't know anything about Diane's supernatural strength - and that could cost them a lot.
The courtyard was almost empty except for several old, rusty exercise machines and a basketball field. Some prisoners, usually the most ripped ones, immediately made their way to the machines and started to work on their fitness. Some of them organized two basketball teams, but most of them just chatted with other inmates.
The girls tried to drag as little attention as possible and stay near the guards, but it was only a matter of time before a group of prisoners noticed them. They exchanged sly winks and started to play rock-paper-scissors - the girls already knew that it's not only an innocent game. They were deciding today's rapists.
After several minutes, some of the men walked into the opposite corner of the courtyard. Then they began to shout at each other and wrestle in the sand. The guards grasped their batons and rushed towards the fray.
The girls rushed with them, but they were stopped by four men. "Where are you going?" one of them grinned. "Your shift begins now."
Diane clenched her fists, preparing for the worst. The men were quite tall and well-built; fighting them off will be a problem. The men slowly pushed the girls into the corner and some of them built a living wall so the guards won't notice anything.
"I'll go first!" one of them said; a muscular, good-looking man with tattoos on his arms, dark hair stubble and sly smile. "I'll take the blonde."
Diane shielded Alexis with her body and raised her fists. Her insignia was glowing, but it was barely visible on the afternoon sun. "Go through me first," she said firmly, trying to hide the fear in her voice. The men started to laugh. "I admire your courage," the man noted. "She's your girlfriend?"
"None of your business.
Another wave of laughter.
"I'll let you know that if someone dies here, they'll just drag them away and never speak about it again," the man continued. "You're so young and beautiful. If you just accept it and enjoy it, you have some chance to leave this place alive. We can be nice to those who serve us well," he smiled.
Diane didn't say anything and got ready to fight.
Suddenly, they heard a loud, husky voice. "Stop it." The circle of offenders parted and let in another man. He was hulking, about two meters tall with balloon-sized muscles. The giant was Afroamerican with shaved head dressed in a simple black T-shirt and sweatpants. He seemed twice as big as any other prisoner.
Diane realized it's over. Even her powers won't let her defeat this dark-skinned Goliath.
>><<
"Did you hear me?" the man said. He didn't shout, but his words took immediate effect. Other prisoners took a few steps backwards and made space for the giant. He slowly approached the girls and folded arms over his chest. "I'm really glad to see you," he said.
Diane was conflicted. Should she at least try to fight this rock-looking man?
"Now you're going to give me something only a woman can give me," he continued.
Yes. I will fight, no matter what happens. Not even death can stop me.
"You're going to tell me what happened in the recent episodes of Angel's tears," he said.
Diane gave him a confused look. "Uhm... what?"
"You heard me!" he said. "I'm sure at least one of you watches Angel's tears and I need to know what happened since I got here, that's maybe... three weeks. Tell me, what happened? Did Marianna escape the factory? Did Aidan really kill Darron?"
Even though the men had to hear the hulking Afroamerican talking about a cheesy soap opera for older women, nobody laughed. Nobody had the courage to do so. It seemed that the man managed to get authority in this place - with his body, it probably wasn't that hard. Alexis didn't watch the show, but Diane started to keenly describe the events of the show.
The men retreated as the two began to discuss their favorite characters and romantic subplots. Alexis just stared - seeing a man so giant talking passionately about true love between Marianna and Aidan was just too surreal. Is that some kind of trick?
When they were done talking, the man stood up. "Listen up, suckers!" he shouted; his voice was so powerful that everyone, including the guards, turned to him. "These two are under my protection now. Don't even think about touching them or hurting them in any way. Is that clear?"
The men started to relucantly nod.
"IS THAT CLEAR?" the man thundered.
"Yes," multiple voices sounded.
"Now leave us alone."
Prisoners obeyed and girls were left alone with the man. He offered them a hand; the girls accepted. His grasp was firm, but surprisingly gentle. "My name is Leonardo," he said. "But you can just call me Lenny."
"I'm Alexis and this is my twin sister, Diane," Alexis introduced them. "Look... we're really grateful for what you did. If you didn't interfere, God knows what would happen. Thank you."
"It was nothing," Lenny said. "They think that I can single-handedly fight them off with a body like this... well, it's probably true, but I've never hurt another living being so far. But it's more convenient for me to make them think I did."
"Why are you here, then?" Diane asked.
Lenny shrugged. "False accusation. Someone killed a man in Morningstar and a tough-looking black guy is always a viable scapegoat. What did you do?"
"Pretty much the same," Alexis replied. "Just one question... why did you save us?"
"I can't stand seeing someone being hurt, especially young girls. I've grown up in Morningstar and when I was at school, I got bullied constantly." He began to tell a tale about his life and the girls let him; it seemed like Lenny wants to vent it to someone. "I was a wimp, and also black. I got beaten up countless times. Then, when I was fifteen, my family was murdered and I had to learn how to live by myself.
I realized that if you want to survive in a tough world, you have to be tough. But I couldn't. So I decided to at least look tough and started working on myself until I was what you see right now. Still, I wasn't able to hurt anyone, but with this image, it wasn't even necessary. Everyone decided to stay away."
"It really does work," Diane jeered. "You scared us at first. You really did."
"I'm sorry for that," Lenny replied. "I just give this first impression, that's all."
>><<
They contunied to talk for a while and realized that they found an ally. Lenny looked scary and violent, but as he said, it was only a gimmick. Some things gave it away, for example the fact that his skin was clear, without a single tattoo, and his dark eyes surprisingly meek.
"Out of everything, I miss Mr. Woofer the most," he confessed.
"Mr. Woofer? Is that a dog?" Diane asked and tried to hold back laughter; the image of the man cuddling with a dog and calling him "Mr. Woofer" was touching, bizarre and funny at the same time.
Lenny nodded. "He's with Noah now - that guy is my only friend in Morningstar and he's pretty crazy about stray animals. He has something like a shelter at home. Mr. Woofer is in the best hands possible, but... he probably won't see me again. When I'm done waiting here, I'll be probably executed, like any other Morningstar scum accused of murder. I wonder if he's still waiting for me. If he's expecting me to return." Tears started to roll down his face. The girls covered him so other inmates couldn't see it.
If they found out about Lenny's sensitive nature, all three would be in big trouble.
"We'll make sure you'll get away from here and meet Mr. Woofer again," Alexis said.
Lenny smiled grimly. "I'm afraid it won't be possible. I'm already condemned and the trial will be only a formality. You should save yourself. And I'll make sure you'll survive until it happens. My stainless steel ride will be a lot more pleasant, knowing I managed to save two lives."
"We'll leave this. All three," Diane said. "We know a woman who's certain about our innocence. We'll ask her to investigate your case more, too."
"You'd be able to do that?"
"That's what friends are for," Alexis said.
Lenny whispered only one word: "Friends..."
The guards then ordered them to return to their cells. A few days passed - the girls always stayed with Lenny during their time outside. The man gave them protection while the sisters, in return, gave him something he has been missing his entire life - friendship.
The symbiose worked really well. Then, one day, they were called into the interrogation room. At first, the girls were anxious, but it stopped as soon as they saw who expects them. It was Alyssa.
"So? Do you have something?" Diane barked as soon as she sat down across the woman.
"Not yet," Alyssa frowned. "Most of all, I wanted to see how are you doing. You look better than I expected. Tell me: how are you? What happened?"
The girls told her about Lenny and his protection. Alyssa nodded. "Leonardo Sorenson, you say," she noted. "I'll make sure to check his case and try my best to help him. Girls... you're giving me lots of sleepless nights. But don't apologize. It's worth it."
"I... actually..." Diane started, then looked around. "Can anyone see us?"
"No. I insisted to make this chat private. I also have my contact, you know?"
"Okay. So I was thinking about an escape plan. But we'll need your help."
"Wait... what? Escape plan?" Alexis exclaimed. "You have to be crazy, Diane."
"No, it may actually work. You forgot about our powers," Diane smiled. "Alyssa, we only need you to cause something which will get us outside, to the courtyard, at night. A fire drill or something. Me, Lex and Lenny will do the rest and while outside, we can find out who wanted us behind the bars."
"I have to be crazy," Alyssa sighed, "but I'll do that. But you'll have to wait - someone might get suspicious that it happened right after I visited you."
"Don't let that be too long," Alexis pleaded. "Lenny is already there for three weeks and his trial may come at any given moment. How about... two weeks?"
"It will be risky, but two weeks seem doable," Alyssa admitted. "Until then, hold on."
Alexis nodded. "Thank you, Alyssa."
>><<
Five days passed. As usually, the girls spent the time outside with Lenny, who was eternally grateful for their intercession. He didn't know about the escape plan yet, though. "Maybe... I found something which can help you," he said. "I was thinking about your case... the two criminals probably disguised as you... and found someone who may know a thing or two about it."
"That's great!" Diane cheered. "Care to introduce us?"
Lenny went to the centre of the courtyard and nodded at a man standing off the main crowd - he was tall, slim and muscular, with sharp face, shaggy black hair and a bustle. "Lenny, it's you," he said and grinned. "It seems you devoted your life to these two, right?"
"It can be said like this," Lenny shrugged.
"My name is Daniel," the man said. "During the shower time, Lenny told me about your... problem. I think I know who's behind this. Let's go somewhere safe."
The trio led Daniel to the corner usually reserved for Lenny and the girls. Daniel sat on the ground, the trio sat around him in a circle. "Well," Daniel started, "do you know something about Crosshair?"
Nobody did.
"It's the most famous gang of assassins in Gardens," Daniel explained. "They receive an order, they complete it. They always choose the person who's the most viable for the task and send them. Then they divide the received money. Their plans are always elaborate to the tiniest detail. You have no idea that you're their planned victim until you have a bullet in your head or a knife in throat."
"And how are they connected with our case?" Alexis asked.
"First, I have to confess I was involved with them." Daniel started to rub his forearm until a simple, yet expressive symbol appeared on it:
"It's a special tattoo which appears only when you rub your skin," Daniel explained. "Crosshair uses it for recognizing its members."
"You aren't with them anymore?" Diane wondered.
"I don't want to see any of them ever again," Daniel muttered. "During my last action, the things got a bit... messy. But their policy is that every order must be complete, no matter the cost. So they just sacrificed me to the police and continued to do their job. They got me here. However, the police said that I can save my balls if I tell them something interesting about Crosshair. And you bet that I will."
"Sounds like a nice group of sick bastards," Diane noted. "Now our case, remember?"
"Yes, of course. There were two women in Crosshair - I don't know their real names since we were allowed to use only codenames; I was known as Painkiller. Those two, Lilith and Salome, were mistresses of disguise. They could make themselves look like exact copies of the target's relatives to the point not even the target could tell them apart. They used the disguise to get close, and then... you know the business."
Alexis raised her eyebrows. "So you think that those two women disguised as us and commited the crime?"
"Exactly. But someone had to hire them. They don't kill just for fun."
"At least we have some new info. Thanks, Daniel. But even though... it's hard to believe that someone could replicate us so well. They got every tiny deatil right."
Daniel shrugged. "Well, that's what they do. To be honest, I had a short affair with Lilith. It was like dating five women at once. She was like a shapeshifter and that's what made her so exciting. Now I regret it. Lilith was one of the people who left me behind.
I should've expected that, I got familiar with the rules when I applied, but I still take it personally. It's clear that the Crosshair will kill me as soon as I leave the jail once they find out what did I say, but I don't care anymore. I want to cause their fall and I'll help you to catch Lilith and Salome. Once you know how they roll, it shouldn't be that hard."
Daniel proceeded to tell them everything about Crosshair including the most spinechilling details: how can the customer contact them, how to talk with them, how can the customer negotiate the details. The former assassin talked with a stoic calmness, like he was talking about apple delivery instead of killing people.
"You have to be careful, though," he ended his speech. "Crosshair members are highly adaptive and can react to any twist in the situation. Don't say I didn't warn you."
>><<
The sisters now had even more determination to escape since they already knew who was responsible for their imprisonment. Well, Crosshair wasn't technically responsible for it - as Daniel said, someone had to hire them. But at least they could start somewhere.
It was two weeks after Alyssa's visit. The day went as usual. Endless boredom in the cells, bland food, the atmosphere of dismal. Nothing indicated that today should be different. But it was about time to tell Lenny about their plan. They did it as soon as they reached the courtyard.
"Escape?" Lenny frowned. "Girls... but that's crazy. And impossible."
Diane smiled. "We were already into crazier and more impossible things. Just trust us. If Alyssa keeps her promise, something will happen tonight. Be prepared and find us as soon as it happens."
"Do you really trust that policewoman?" Lenny asked.
"Fully," Alexis replied. "She's our last chance. If we escape and prove that the killers were actually Crosshair members, they'll have no choice but to set us free."
Lenny sighed. "I wish you'd succeed. I really do."
"And we will," Diane added.
At night, the girls desperately tried to stay awake even though they were tired and sleepy - the local atmosphere seemed to drain the energy out of them so they were usually tired after a whole day of doing nothing. It was already late at night and the girls started to lose hope that anything will happen.
Not even Alyssa is almighty, Alexis thought.
She closed her eyes and started to slowly fade into sleep. Just a few moments later, the block of cells filled with a loud ringing of the alarm. Alexis was awake again in a matter of seconds, ready for anything that the following minutes can bring. At least they hoped so.
Their cells unlocked and the girls had to make way through smelly, sweaty bodies of the inmates. Fortunately, the crowd was controlled by the guards and nobody was trampled to death. The sisters reunited immediately since their cells were next to each other, but what about Lenny?
They met their ally at the courtyard gate. He smiled in relief and joined them. "We should do it quickly," he said - his voice was barely audible because of the sound of the alarm. "When they find out it's just a false alarm, they'll bring us back into our cells immediately."
The girls nodded and came as close as possible to the wall isolating the courtyard from the outside world. "Do you remember Noah's address?" Lenny asked once again.
Alexis nodded. After the runaway, they were supposed to hide at Noah's place. It seemed that Lenny's friend is willing to shelter not only stray animals, but also runaway convicts. "Let's do it," the girl said. She grabbed Lenny's wrist in her left hand and Diane's in her other hand. Her insignia started to glow as she started to drain the giant man's enormous strength. She quickly transferred the power to Diane.
Give and take.
After a few seconds, Lenny seemed to be dizzy and weak, but he didn't flinch and let the girl take his power. Energy absorbtion was one of Alexis' powers. Using it efficently was Diane's task.
"Man, I feel like a superhero," Diane said. "So much power..."
"Enough," Lenny said. "Diane... try it."
The girl closed her eyes and concentrated the newly gained power, borrowed from Lenny, into her right hand. The insignia started to glow; a few inmates already turned, wondering what's happening. Diane clenched her fist and drove it into the concrete wall behind her.
The courtyard resonated with the loud explosion and guards immediately took action. When the dust settled a little, the sisters and Lenny noticed a hole in the wall - it was about two meters high and a meter wide, but it was enough for them to escape. The girls took the chance.
"Lenny! Go!" Alexis shouted.
The man smiled and instead of going with them, he plugged the hole with his own body. "Good luck," he said before he had to face the incoming guards and prisoners longing for freedom.
>><<
Even though they were shocked by Lenny's decision, the girls escaped into the deepest pits of the Morningstar district. The guards came after them soon after, but the girls were already gone - the detention centre's security wasn't as good as it probably should be, but Alexis and Diane didn't mind.
"I'm a runaway criminal!" Diane cheered.
"Calm down," Alexis hissed. "We must stay silent until we reach Noah. What about you hand?"
Diane checked her right hand - her knuckles were skinned and bleeding. "It's nothing," she said. "Did you see me? I just punched a hole through that goddamn wall! I didn't think I was capable of such awesomeness. Now I am become Death, the Destroyer of Walls, Donald Trump's biggest fear."
"Technically, you didn't destroy the wall," Alexis noted. "Lenny did. You only channeled his power, multiplied it using your insignia and used efficently."
Diane shrugged. "Still counts."
The girls had to navigate through Morningstar which was hard since all the houses looked almost the same. They had to avoid several drunks and junkies on their night trips, but fortunately didn't encounter any gang or actually dangerous person.
Living in Haven had its problems, but the girls could be grateful they didn't have to live in one of the slum districts, or the disgusting, smelly assholes of Gabriel's Gardens, as Diane dubbed them. Fortunately, they managed to find Noah's house soon.
They knocked on the door. Soon after, a tall, wiry man with pale skin, messy hair in undefined dark color and glasses on his nose opened. He frowned; the man, slightly older than the girls, probably didn't expect a visit, the less from two girls which didn't seem to belong here. "Are you Noah?" Alexis asked.
"Yeah... yes, I am," he replied with a slightly nasal voice. "And who are you, if I can ask?"
"We're Lenny's friends," Diane replied. "We met him in the jail. He helped us escape."
Noah frowned again. "Why didn't he escape with you?"
"It was his own decision," Alexis said, feeling ashamed. "He... refused to run with us to provide us safety for a while. Besides that, we promised that we'll get him out of jail in a... more legal way."
The man's frown turned into smile. "Oh, yeah. That sounds so like Lenny. Come in."
As soon as the girls stepped in, something big emerged from the shadows and assaulted them. It was a trap all along, Alexis thought. Did Lenny plan it? Or is it Noah's job...?
It wasn't trap at all. It was only a big friendly labrador coming to greet the newcomers with its wet tongue. Both girls laughed. "This is Serena," Noah introduced the dog. "Please excuse her, she tends to be overly friendly sometimes."
"A dog can never be overly friendly," Diane said and scratched Serena behind the ears. The dog emmited a satisfied yowl. "Man, I love dogs. I'd rather have a dog than a boyfriend. Dogs won't cheat on you."
Alexis looked around. Noah's living was humble, with equipment only necessary to survive. ON the other hand, there were several big bags of dog food in the corner of the room. Noah also probably preferred to keep his home clean. The room was neat, different from the usual slum district houses which usually looked terrible and smelled even worse.
Noah opened the door to the second room of the single-floor house. He was greeted by a shockwave of barking and yowling as probably eight more dogs of various ages and breeds emerged from the room. "Oh yes, we'll have something to eat!" Noah said. "We have guests over, see? Say hello to them!"
Both girls agreed that someone who treats animals so well can't be bad at heart.
>><<
They spent three more days with Noah until the fuss about their runaway ceased a little. The man owned a cheap, old and slow laptop, thus was able to watch the news. The case's investigators presumed that the girls had to smuggle some explosives into the prison.
Noah initially didn't believe that the girls have special powers, but after Alexis managed to mend one of the dogs who was injured using her healing powers, he lost his doubts. "That's typical for Lenny," he laughed. "He befriends the weirdest people who always turn out to be goody-two-shoes just like him."
After Noah got rid of his initial distrust, he became a good friend and even shared his food with them even though he lived on the edge of poverty. The girls also fell in love with his dogs starting with Alfred, a huge mastiff who loves to cuddle, and ending with Napoleon, an unidentified terrier pup. Mr. Woofer was also here; he was a tiny corgi, probably the loudest of the pack. The girls wondered how did Lenny manage to manipulate a dog so small without accidentaly crushing him.
Noah also confessed that he doesn't use his real name which was Timothy Berkley. "Noah" is just a nickname which originated from his love and care for animals. "Lenny called my house a 'Noah's Ark' when we first met, so I started to use that name," he explained.
The fourth day, they realized that they have to clean their names while they have an opportunity to do so. Even though Noah and his dogs were pleasant companions, they couldn't just live here forever as the prison runaways. They had clues now. And they needed Anna's help.
But first, they needed to disguise themselves - they couldn't just roam around Gardens as themselves. Fortunately, Noah had some old clothes and also managed to get some wigs and make-up to disguise them even better. At the end of the procedure, the girls looked completely different.
"My dazzling beauty is gone," Diane moaned after seeing herself in oversized rags, hood and a red wig. Alexis looked similar, also she had to give up her glasses and wear a black wig. Maybe they'll drag some attention in Serenity Square, but nobody could recognize the two runaways in them.
They also agreed to travel separately. Alexis would leave for Serenity Square first, Diane several hours after her. "At least I have some more time for Nappy," Diane said and picked up the terrier pup, which seemed genuinely annoyed, again. "To be a good boy or not to be a good boy? That's the question!"
Alexis was sure that if Napoleon could roll his eyes, he would do it.
She left. Even though her disguise was perfect, she was still nervous when she approached the TEx station and stepped into the train. Nobody seemed to care about her.
She noticed several people reading newspaper - their faces were still there, but only as the unimportant article on the very last page. She still tried to hide her face as well as possible.
Finally, the train arrived to Serenity Square. Five minutes later, she was standing in front of the Lightfoot family's front door. She knocked and a minute later, Augustus opened. Anna's older brother examined her closely. "Who are you?" he uttered.
Alexis raised her wig a little to reveal her real, fair hair and smiled at him. "It's me," she whispered. "But don't tell Anna yet. I'll surprise her."
Gus looked shocked for a moment, then he smiled at her. "I'm glad you're here," he noted. "Especially because of Annie. She was crying the whole time you were gone."
Alexis raised her eyebrows. "Was she?"
The man nodded and let her in. Alexis stepped into Anna's room. The paralyzed girl was there, sitting on her wheelchair by the computer. She turned to the newcomer - her eyes were really bloodshot and her expression blank. "Who are you?" she asked.
Alexis used as low-pitched voice as possible. "I have some news about your friend... Alexis Warren."
Anna twitched anxiously. "Good news...? Bad news...?"
"She's right here," Alexis announced mysteriously.
"I don't understand..."
Alexis put on the glasses hiding in her pocket and removed the wig, then grinned widely. "You really didn't recognize me, Annie? Did you forget me completely?"
Anna opened her mouth in shock, then squealed in joy. "Oh god, Alexis!" she exclaimed. "I am... I am... just take off these disgusting rags and give me a goddamn hug!"
>><<
After a warm welcome, Anna let Alexis use her bathroom and borrowed her clean clothes. Half an hour later, Alexis was sitting in Anna's room - she almost forgot how it's like to smell good. She was wearing Anna's black T-shirt and knee-long jeans; fortunately, both girls were roughly the same size.
Warren girl told the story and Anna just listened in awe.
"Do I understand it right?" she asked. "Your clones commited murder. You were sent to jail. You were saved from rape by a giant guy who watches Angel's tears. Then Diane punched a hole through the prison wall and you were hiding for several days in a dog man's house. You'll never stop amazing me."
Alexis smiled. "Are you ready to help the runaway criminals?"
Anna smirked back. "I've always been a bad girl at heart."
"I really doubt that," Alexis laughed. "We'll wait for Diane. Then we'll tell you what we need."
Diane arrived after roughly three hours. In the meantime, Alexis cooked a meal diametrically different from the reheated something they were eating in jail. Diane also appreciated it - she ate the whole thing immediately after leaving the bathroom, wearing only a towel.
"What about some dining etiquette?" Alexis scolded her.
Diane shrugged. "Sorry, sis. Hunger took control over me."
She also borrowed Anna's clothes and all three girls sat in Anna's room. "I'm already familiar with the situation," Anna said. "What do you need me to do?"
"We need to access the dark internet of Gabriel's Gardens," Alexis said.
Anna's face went pale. "That place? You know what it is, do you?"
"Of course we do. It's the place for illegal business including drugs, weapons, sex slaves and - the most important - assassins. It'll be only this once. We need to lure out the Crosshair members, those two women, and force them to confess that they're responsible for the murder."
"Well... I can try it," Anna said. She looked really anxious - without good anonymization, browsing the dark internet could result in imprisonment. Fortunately, Anna seemed to know what is she doing. She enabled lots of anonymizers and proxy servers - the sisters soon got lost. Then Anna typed a few commands in a special browser and summoned a completely black page with only three links:
Demand ● Offer ● Search
Alexis grabbed the mouse and clicked on the "Search" link. She typed: Crosshair.
She didn't expect much, but, to her surprise, several links showed up. None of them had anything to do with them, they only shocked the girls with their gruesomeness. Alexis decided that she won't stay on the illegal website any longer that necessary.
She finally found one link which seemed to be right:
Crosshair
Elite assassination group. No advance payment. Price negotiable. 100% guarantee of success.
"Someone clicked the same link to order Jonathan Fletcher's murder," Diane noted. "It's like a normal e-shop. You only pay the dinero and receive your service, like no human lives were involved. It's sickening."
"We aren't gonna order a real murder," Alexis said. "We only need to lure out those women, Lilith and Salome. We have to figure out a plan - I'd be glad if Alyssa was present." She used Anna's phone to call the woman's private number. Alyssa answered almost immediately.
"You managed to do it," she said with relief in her voice. "I'm so glad... I also had to risk a lot to cause that havoc. On the other hand, I have good news. I've investigated the case of Leonardo Sorenson and found evidence that he's innocent. It was so easy - if my coworkers really cared about the case, Lenny wouldn't have to be imprisoned at all. He'll be released soon."
"That's great!" Alexis cheered. "We also have some clues regarding our case. I suppose you're familiar with the Crosshair assassin group."
"Of course I am," Alyssa answered grimly. "They're the most infamous criminal gang in the city. I'm not pleased that I'll have to deal with them, but I will help you. Give me ten minutes."
>><<
Alyssa arrived as promised. She smiled at the girls. "If someone saw me helping runaway criminals, I'd be fired in a matter of minutes," she said. "But that doesn't matter now. Tell me your story. Whole."
The girls described their escape, three days with Noah and the link found in the dark web. "I already have a plan... sort of," she said. "Alexis, you're getting married."
The girl blushed. "I am what?" she gasped.
"That's right, you're getting married and me with Diane will be the bridesmaids."
Alyssa smiled. "I think I know where is this going."
"Calm down, Lex, it will be only a fake marriage," Anna laughed. "We're gonna arrange a ceremony and hire the Crosshair members to assassinate someone attending it. All the visitors will be people we know and who'll be familiar with the plan. As soon as anyone unfamiliar shows, we'll know it's the assassin and we'll be able to disarm them quickly."
"Miss Lightfoot, you are a genius," Alyssa said with genuine admiration. "I know a few people who can help us out. They won't be from the police, though, since that event will be a bit... unacceptable by official authorities. But that'll be no problem. Trust me."
"I like this," Diane smiled. "Now, we should hire the killers."
Anna clicked on Crosshair's profile and activated a chat window. She typed:
Greetings. We want to hire two females with good acting skills. Can you provide us any?
The Crosshair replied within a few minutes. I think we have exactly what are you looking for. Tell us more about the target.
All women smiled - the fish probably took the bait.
There will be a wedding this Saturday in the Iridescent Park in Serenity Square district, at 11 AM. There will be a man wearing a red suit. We need him dead. Can you do it?
Crosshair typed: Of course we can. We'll contact you later, after the job is done, and we'll negotiate the price. For your own good, don't try to back off. We've already eliminated more clients than we'd like.
"Is that really possible?" Diane asked.
Alyssa shrugged. "Everything's possible, but this time, I'd say it's a bluff. Crosshair is a famous organization and the people will rather pay than have a quarrel with them. Anyway, Crosshair shouldn't be a threat in a few weeks since one of the prisoners provided us useful intel. It was the same man who told you about the female assassins. But because you don't have so much time, we'll have to catch these two earlier."
"About that guy in red suit," Diane said. "Will there be really one, or will we just let them wander around the ceremony searching for him?"
"I'm afraid he'll have to be there," Alyssa said. "Professional assassins usually scan the area with a binocular before going into action. If they won't find him among the guests, they may retreat."
"What if they use a sniper rifle?" Anna worried.
"Don't worry," Alexis said. "Daniel told us that Lilith and Salome aren't good with this kind of stuff. They always use either a sidearm or a knife. Both would require them to attend the ceremony."
"In that case, it's good," Anna nodded. "But still, there's a chance that someone will get hurt. Please, Alyssa, make sure that the security will be flawless."
"That will be my number one priority," Alyssa replied.
"Good!" Anna smiled. "Let's start with wedding preparations, then!"
>><<
Even though Alexis knew that the wedding is only faked, she felt a strange shivering in her stomach after seeing herself in a simple, yet beautiful white dress with long lace sleeves and a silver tiara on her head.
The Iridescent Park, which got its name from the colorful flower beds which grew there, was closed to public that day. In fact, the beautiful park was probably the most common place for a wedding in Gabriel's Gardens. It had everything needed, including a white gazebo and several wooden benches with chairs.
She looked around. It really looked like a wedding - the decorations, flowers everywhere the food, everyone in a fancy clothing. Diane, Anna and Alyssa stood nearby- Diane in a glamorous sleeveless black dress (seeing Diane in a dress was an exceptional sight, even though she looked amazing in it), Anna in a humble blue model and Alyssa in a black and white skirt suit.
There was also a man in a bright red suit. The girls were surprised when they recognized him before the ceremony - it was Grayson Forrestal junior. "It was you who saved me from the jail," he shrugged. "It's my time to repay the debt, I guess."
"You sent us three hundred thousand dollars," Diane objected.
Gray smiled. "Money are unimportant."
Alexis looked at her "husband" - it was Noah. He looked completely different in a suit with well-groomed hair. He agreed to help the girls once more after he was told that Lenny will be released thanks to them. "How do you feel, my lady?" he jested and winked at Alexis.
The girl smiled. "I admit I'm a bit nervous," she admitted. "Not everyone invites assassins to their wedding, you know. There are countless things that can go wrong."
"Don't worry. We have a trumph card," he looked at Serena wandering around the park, waiting for the people to pet her. "She's well-trained."
There were about thirty people - not too little, but not too much so the people could watch their surroundings and report any sight of unwelcome guests. Reverend Warren took the role of the wedding registrar - he had to give up his clerical collar since church weddings were forbidden in Gardens. He smiled at Alexis. "My child, I hope I'll see this once again, this time for real."
Alexis blushed. "Eh... that's not so easy. Maybe one day."
The ceremony began and the people started to act like they were on an actual wedding. They talked, had fun, ate the food, congratulated the newly-weds. Then they stepped into the gazebo where Reverend Warren began to chant the wedding promises.
The assassins didn't show up soon enough, so Alexis and Noah had to say their "I do." They both hoped that the wedding really isn't official; not that they didn't like each other, but they didn't fall in love. They managed to act like a couple pretty well, though.
Right before the ceremony ended, Diane noticed an unknown woman in a teal-colored dress with dark hair tied into a bun. Her sharp eyes highlighted by a heavy eyeliner scanned the surroundings, looking for the target. It was one of the assassins. Diane was certain.
"What a wonderful weather we're having!" she said casually. This shallow phrase was actually a signal that the "guests" had to say if they saw the assassin. The girl and the woman made an eye contact. It was the steady, cold gaze only murderers can have. Diane rushed forward without a warning.
The woman dodged and mixed into the crowd. The people, though, didn't panic and kept moving so the woman would always be separated from the crowd. Some people (there were even elite-trained soldiers and martial art masters among the fake guests) tried to stop her, but she was too sneaky. She showed no sign of surprise, except for clenched lips.
There was also a second problem - nobody knew where the second assassin was.
Alexis noticed her soon after - it was a short woman in a white lacy dress with neck-long platinum blonde hair and merciless green eyes. She charged at Alexis, holding a knife. Noah tried to get into her way, but the woman just shoved him aside while diving the knife into his stomach.
"No...!" Alexis gasped before the assassin tackled her to the ground.
At the same time, the second assassin rolled up her skirt and revealed a gun attached to her garter. She quicky drew it and took a few quick shots at Grayson.
>><<
Alexis wrestled with the assassin and was hardly able to keep the knife away from her throat. It was futile. The woman was elite trained and her muscular arms were too strong compared to Alexis'.
This is how I die, she thought. The last prophecy of Elizabeth Abraham started to make sense. Your love will come with a high price. It was a metaphor - Noah, her "love" for today, probably died because of her. When the time comes, losing lives will be inevitable. Yes. Noah has been stabbed and she'll probably die at any given moment. Only one part of the prophecy was still unclear - beware of the book.
Her resistance soon began to fade. The assassin smiled sadistically.
The next second, Alexis' vision became blurred by a red screen.
For a second, she had no idea what happened. Then she realized something probably got stuck on her glasses - she took them off and screamed. The killer was lying on her with a big bloody hole in her forehead, her lifeless eyes staring right at Alexis. The girl's face and dress were sprinkled with the woman's blood.
Then Alexis looked up and saw Alyssa, standing with her legs apart, holding a revolver with her both hands. She lowered the weapon and exhaled. "Are you okay, Alexis?" she asked.
"I am, but... Noah?" she looked at the man. He was still alive, yet his suit was soaked in blood and his skin turned pale. "Call a doctor!" Alexis exclaimed.
In the meantime, the second assassin seemingly finished her task - Grayson was laying on the floor face-down. The woman tried to escape - she was fast, really fast. Probably trained at escaping the scene quickly. Nobody tried to stop her, afraid they might hurt someone in the chaos. Except for one.
A yellow shadow rushed through the park, jumped at the woman and buried its teeth into the woman's shin. She screamed in pain and fell on the ground, Serena firmly keeping her leg immobile. Her escape plan was in ruins. But she had her instructions about what to do in such cases.
She raised her hand with the gun and pointed the muzzle at her forehead. She closed her eyes and sighed, wondering if everything was really worth it.
The next second, something pinned her arm to the ground and the woman screamed again; a loud crack indicated that Diane's boot stomped on her forearm powerfully enough to break her bones. The girl smiled. "You aren't escaping so easily," she noted.
The assassin silently gazed at her with hatred in her eyes.
The sirens of the ambulance became audible in the distance. Alyssa approached the woman and put the cuffs on both her wrists and ankles. She also searched her mouth for possible suicide pills. Then the officer smiled at Serena and scratched her head. "You did a good job," she said.
Serena barked in agreement.
"One more thing," Diane said and grabbed the woman's injured arm, not minding her painful hisses. She rubbed the skin on her forearm until a black Crosshair symbol appeared. "Gotcha," Diane said. "But... there are still bigger problems," she looked at Gray, still laying on the ground. "This bitch shot Gray..."
"I think it's alright," Alyssa smiled.
"What? He's dead!" Diane shouted.
Suddenly, Gray stood up. He grinned and unbuttoned his shirt - instead of his skin, a black material showed up. "I look great for a corpse, right?" he said, then explained: "Alyssa gave me a bulletproof vest. After all, I took the role of a bait and it would be irresponsible if I wasn't protected at all."
"Thank God!" Diane laughed.
The only one really injured, besides the assassins, was Noah. Fortunately, the doctors managed to stabilize the wound right at the place and then they took him into a hospital. Before he disappeared in the ambulance, he said: "Please... just take care of the doggies, okay?"
"I promise," Alexis said, following him until the doctors decided she can't go any further.
Anna appeared on the scene. "Lex, you look like one of those ghosts you're hunting... a bloody bride," she laughed and the girls did the same. "But actually... you look splendid in that dress. You really do."
"Thanks," Alexis smiled. "But I guess I'm done with weddings for a really long time."
>><<
The captured assassin was reluctant to cooperate, but Alyssa and her team were able to make her confess that she and her late accomplice were responsible for Jonathan Fletcher's death. She couldn't tell who hired them, though; Crosshair had a strict "no names" policy, so she wasn't able to tell more details about the customer even if she wanted to. Both assassins and the customers knew each other only by nicknames.
The main thing was, however, that the sisters' names were clean once again and they even received a financial compensation for their involuntary stay in the detention centre from the mayor. Nobody made any fuss about their runaway, fortunately.
"So I guess that everything ended well," Diane said, sat on the couch, stretched and took a bite from a Snickers bar. "I guess Linkin Park were right... you don't know what you've got until it's gone." It was one week after their official release, but the girls still weren't completely used to their normal lives. Stay in the jail was, despite Lenny's protection, a traumatic, unpleasant experience. "We'll have to find out who hired the assassins, but that's a story for another day."
"It was so empty here without you," Anna said; the girl spent most of her free time in Alexis and Diane's flat after the girls returned. Alexis decided to not mention Augustus' remark about her crying all the time; it may result in a situation awkward for both Anna and the sisters.
"That experience made me give up any forms of crime for good," Diane noted and took another bite of the chocolate. "Maybe if everyone had to spend one week in jail by law, the crime rate would rapidly decrease."
Suddenly, someone knocked at the door.
"I'll open!" Anna announced and navigated her wheelchair to the front door. After a minute, she returned, pale in the face. "There is one really huge and scary guy," she whispered. "He wants to talk to you. I can try to make him leave... I hope he wouldn't beat up a cripple."
The sisters exchanged a quick look and smiled. "If it's our huge scary guy," Alexis said, "he won't be able to beat up anyone. Let him in."
A few seconds later, Lenny stepped into the hallway; the hall was almost too narrow for him. The man smiled widely and he was carrying a cardboard box.
"Lenny!" Diane cheered. "I'm so glad to see you again."
"Me too, girls," Lenny said, then offered Anna his massive hand. "My name is Leonardo. A friend of Alexis and Diane is my friend, too." Anna accepted the handshake; Lenny bent down and gently kissed her hand instead. The girl blushed and giggled. "Nice to meet you," she said.
"Now the main reason why I'm here," Lenny announced. "Look... words can't express my gratitude and just everything. Thanks to you, they released me and even gave me some money to make my life a lil' better. If there weren't you, I'd be probably hearing my death sentence by now."
"You stopped those guys from turning us into sex dolls, remember?" Diane noted.
"Yeah, yeah, but I still feel somehow indebted. And since the words can't express my gratitude, I hope this little gift can. Well... it's a gift from both me and Noah." He put the box on the table and removed the lid. The content of the box started to curiously look around the room.
"Oh... my... GOD!" all three girls squealied in unison.
There was a tiny puppy, something that looked like a mix of labrador and husky with white and gray fur with darker circles around its eyes; one eye was icy blue, the second was dark, almost black. After seeing the girls, it stuck out its tongue and started to rapidly wiggle its tail.
"He's adorable," Alexis melted while petting the pup. It seemed to really enjoy it. "Wait, is it a he or she?"
"He's a strong, powerful man," Lenny replied while maintaining a silly smile on his face. "He's Serena's pup. Noah insisted that we'll give the cutest one to you. I didn't disagree."
"Stop it! Now it's my turn," Diane shoved Alexis away and put her fingers into the puppy's soft fur. The dog yowled peacefully. He really enjoyed the attention he was getting.
"How are you gonna call him?" Lenny asked.
The girls looked at each other - they didn't know. "I'd gladly name him Floofy," Anna said, "but he'll eventually grow up and it may hurt his dignity. So it seems we need other ideas."
"I may have one, but it may be a bit stupid," Diane said. "We're basically demon hunters, right? I think we should name him after some famous demon hunter. I suggest Helsing, Dante or something like this."
"Dante after the Divine Comedy author?" Lenny wondered.
Diane smiled. "No, Dante like that badass dude from Devil may Cry."
Anna grabbed the puppy and put it on her lap; the dog looked at her with his devoted, faithful eyes. "He looks a bit like Dante," she admitted and touched a strand of white fur between the dog's eyes. "If this doesn't look like his iconic fringe!"
The puppy attempted to bark, but it sounded more like a squeak. Alexis laughed. "He seems to like it," she said and grabbed the puppy. "In that case, welcome to the family, Dante!"
"Hey, what are you doing?" Anna shouted. "I wasn't done cuddling yet!"
Alexis sighed. "Looks like we'll have to do some cuddling schedule."
Lenny laughed. "I hope Dante likes petting, because it seems that he'll geting a lot of it! But that's alright. At least I'm sure we gave him to the right hands. So... I said what I wanted and gave you the gift, so I should leave. But please... can I visit Dante from time to time?"
"You're always welcome here, Lenny," Alexis replied.
"How about staying for a while?" Diane offered. "We'll give you some coffee and snacks... and Angel's tears start in a few minutes, we can watch it together!"
The man smiled. "If you don't mind, I'd love to." He sat on a couch and gently grabbed Dante; the pup was much smaller than his hand. He began to stroke Dante's head with his finger. "See, little one?" he said. "This is what it feels like. Having friends."