Vespers Rising

Chapter 5

She didn't know what she expected a Vesper stronghold would look like, maybe an army camp with guns and bombs everywhere, well whatever it was she was way off. She and Dan gapped at the sprawling green grounds with a splattering of colorful flower gardens brightening up the lawn. If they thought the gardens were beautiful, then what laid beyond it was magnificent.

A mansion that was at least twice as large as the Lucian stronghold in Paris, blocked the grassy green hills in the background. It was castle-like with spires and tall slender stained glass windows, and long stone gray columns held the ceilings up. Intricate designs covered the whole mansion, though Amy nor Dan could see what they were.

Margaret pulled the children toward the large navy blue wooden door that was being held open by a thin and craggy man, not unlike Mr.McInyre himself, wearing a butler's uniform - a black suit and pants, both ironed and pressed flat with no wrinkles, an off-white button down underneath the jacket and polished black dress shoes. "Good day, Madam Vesper." He greeted Margaret, not having a second thought about the two kids who were hanging by their shirt collars by the blonde. He acted like it was an everyday occurrence.

"Good day Harold. Would you mind telling the maids to get the guest rooms ready, oh, and call my son down from his room. I need to speak to him." Margaret spoke quickly, walking past Harold, who bowed low to the ground and went off to his duties. Dan noticed the surroundings and almost barfed. He, unlike Amy, hated old stuff. Well old stuff that had nothing to do with ninjas and other cool stuff like that. He didn't like old books, old paintings, and old statues. What he did like were old baseball cards, old tombstones and, although kind of creepy, he liked old bones like when they went into the catacombs in Paris.

Paintings covered the cold gray walls of the mansion, along with tapestries and carvings. Dan had to say he was completely crept out. The paintings were of people who had most likely died already. Both men and women appeared in the paintings, a snobby air about all of them. Dan could feel them looking down on him and his sister as they passed by, making him feel like they were vermin. One had a woman wearing a teal dress, with a diamond necklace at the hollow of her neck. Her black hair pinned up in a tight bun and tons of make-up covered her ruddy cheeks. Her charcoal eyes were narrowed in a no-nonsense sort of manner, and her thin lips were smashed together in a straight line. Dan felt as if her painted eyes followed him as he went by.

Margaret led them into a rectangular room with two red-velvet antique couches that sat across from each other, a multi-wood table laid between them with at least a dozen teacups placed on top of it. Chairs that matched the couches were placed, what looked like, randomly around the room. A stone fireplace was behind one of the couches and above the fireplace was a picture of a woman and man, the man's arms wrapped around the woman lovingly. The woman had long blonde hair and big brown eyes; she was wearing a yellow dress. The man had dark brown hair and ice blue eyes; he was wearing a white suit and a light blue tie. Amy frowned at the picture as she and Dan were once again tossed onto the ground, landing on hardwood. Dan pushed himself up onto the soft couch, pulling Amy up with him. They both turned to face their captor, Dan with rage in his eyes and Amy with fear.

Amy shivered at the evil smile Margaret was giving them, it was worse than Isabel's evil smile. That thought frightened Amy as she remembered what Mr.McInyre said "They make Isabel Kabra look like Mother Teresa". She didn't know how true that statement was. The man and woman lugged Nellie, Fiske and William, all three still unconscious, onto the other antique maroon couch. Both Dan and Amy flinched at the sound of them falling heavily onto the couch.

They peered at Margaret, looking for instructions. "Tie them up," Margaret ordered, her hand flipping nonchalantly. The man and woman pulled out thick cords and wrapped them around Nellie's, Fiske's and William's hands tightly. Then they moved over to the Cahill siblings, each trying to avoid the restraints. The couple finally wrestled the two down and tied them up, each letting out a sigh afterwards.

While the two Vesper agents were doing this, Margaret started pulling at her hairline. Her blonde hair slowly peeled off revealing long silky black curled locks. She threw the wig to the ground, shaking out her hair. She then poked her finger into each of her eyes, taking out her blue-eyed contacts. Margaret's amber eyes roved over the stunned looks of the Cahill children.

"That will be all Sharie, Malcolv." Margaret nodded at each of the couple, who then left through the double wooden doors with an audible click. They locked them in. And with a woman who was most likely crazier than Isabel. That's really crazy. Dan slumped into his seat, his forehead almost in his lap. He pulled at the restraints once more, only to have them tighten. Come on Dan, you've been in this situation before. Think, think.