The Sins of Our Fathers

XV Church Bells Ringing in the Distance

The lights were blinding. Blinking rapidly dark shapes came into view blocking some of the fluorescent light giving them the appearance of angels.

"Come with me."

Blinking again the shapes sharpened coming into focus and the Angel became a demon as the blood red hair and black eyes came into view. Anastasia grabbed me roughy by the arm dragging me along through the hallway.

When we reached the regular house floor again Anastasia dropped my arm motioning for me to follow her. Silently I followed climbing the three sets of stairs to Shlaköv's office.

Putting one foot in front of the other robotically my mind whirred. Cornelius was alive and he had a weapon. A weapon my father knew about. A weapon that Shlaköv knew about too. And now because of me he knew how to find it, or at least a clue to finding it. I only prayed that Shlaköv didn't notice the desperation in my voice when I begged the dead woman to give me answers. If he knew I had the key to whatever he was searching for there was no doubt in my mind that my body would be the next slumped over lifeless in a blood streaked room.

My foot connected with a carpeted step as a jolt shot through me as a single phrase they dying woman had said consumed my mind.

"They don't have to keep torturing him, it's all there."

They. She said the word with familiarity, as if I should know them. As if maybe I was walking into their lair now.

I thought of the endless hall of cells that as far as the rest of the world was concerned didn't exist and the article saying Cornelius had disappeared without a trace. If Shlaköv could kill my father and evade capture from the police in a mansion this big, why couldn't he make a single scientist disappear no matter how important he was?

Cornelius had to be here. All I had to do was find him.

Soon we arrived at the third floor landing leading to what I had begun to think of as the third ring of hell. The eyes in the paintings again followed my every movement making me remember the woman's eyes as she had died. Reaching the door Anastasia smirked and shoved me forward into the door. Catching my footing I skidded to a stop in front of the ceiling high doors.

My fist hovered over the door unwilling to cross the distance to summon its owner.

"What are you waiting for Hell to freeze over?" Anastasia barked banging her hand against the wood.

The door opened and a servant nodded, allowing me entrance. Stepping in I swallowed hard meeting Shlaköv's eyes from across the room. Our stare down was interrupted by a high pitched screech from the door way.

A small foot in blood red high heels was stuck in the door. The servant continued to push on the door making it obvious that no one else was wanted, but the hint was not well received. A low road came from the hall as Anastasia hissed at the doorman to let her in.

"No mam. My orders were to only allow Madam Casimir to enter." The servant stated flatly slamming against the door until he met no resistance and Anastasia was gone.

A low cough brought my attention back to the desk on the far side of the room and the man who sat in it. Raising my chin I walked forward erasing all emotion from my face. Upon reaching the desk I sat down in one of the two cushiony chairs that seemed to try and swallow me.

"I must say Neoma I'm a tad impressed. Actually I'm a bit more than a tad bit impressed, in fact I'm astonished. Never in all my years has a trainee improved so much in so little time. You have surpassed everyone in your class with ease. This last little test however, sealed the deal."

"Oh?" I choked out.

"Yes. In two hours you cracked an operative who had remained unbroken for months. No other member of my group has succeeded, not even Anastasia- though she did get close. Yet you knew exactly how to break her. Try to enlighten me Neoma, why are you different from the rest?"