Midnight

Chapter 4

In the Depths of the Black Dragon Facility...     

     Deep inside the Black Dragon's facility, the same facility that had kept Desmond and Olivia hostage, a lone soldier hurriedly scurried through a hallway. He stopped before a large iron door with two guards on either side.

     "I am here with the status report," the heavy-breathing soldier gasped in English.

     The two soldiers nodded their heads and unhinged the iron door. It swung inwards with a groan and revealed a pitch-black interior lit only by candles. The soldier walked in, his heart beating fast in the presence of his master. Behind him the door closed, sending an echo through the candle-lit chamber.

     The soldier knelt and murmured, "My master, whom I pledge allegiance to, I have come with the prisoner status report."

     In the shadows, there sat a man with his back to the soldier. The master was dressed in a pitch-black robe and all that was visible to the soldier was his combed-back black hair. He breathed deeply, not turning to face his follower.

     "The prisoners..." the soldier paused, sweat dripping down his forehead, "escaped."

     The master breathed deeply, not responding to his soldier.

     "How do you wish us to proceed?" the soldier asked nervously.

     The master shifted as he stood up, and then he walked to the far corner of the room. Nervously, and still while kneeling, the soldier craned his neck to see what the master was retrieving.

     "My disciple..." the master finally spoke in a deep, unwavering tone that sent shivers through the soldier, "...when you pledged your allegiance to the Black Dragon, you swore to devote your life to it correct?"

     "Yes my master," the soldier answered.

     "You swore never to fail the Black Dragon, correct?" the master continued.

     "Yes...my master," the soldier immediately replied.

     "But," the master said in a pitying tone, "you swore, most of all, to never fail me. Is this correct?"

     "Yes my master," the soldier said.

     "Today," the master said as he turned, his features obscured by the shadows, "you have failed me."

     He held up a silver gun and fired it at the soldier's head, killing him instantly. The master took in a deep breath, feeling a wave of sorrow for his disciple.

     "It is a pity," the master murmured, watching the guards come in to take the body away. "It always pains me to lose a devoted follower; one who has sworn his life to the immortal Black Dragon. Soldier?"

     One of the soldiers carrying away the dead man stopped and stood erect, "Yes, my lord."

     "Send out the enforcements," the master replied, setting the gun on the nearby table and sitting back down. "I want these escaped prisoners to be killed. Bring their heads to me."

     "Yes, master," the soldier replied.

     The master closed his eyes and continued to meditate as if nothing had ever happened.

**

Desmond & Olivia

     "It's so cold," Olivia muttered, leaning against a pine tree. "I don't know if I can make it."

     "Olivia," Desmond answered, "for the two hours that I've known you, you seem to me like somebody who doesn't give up easily."

     The two had escaped the Black Dragon's facility and were wandering through a forest of pine trees caked in snow. Around them the scenery was beautiful; it was like it was ripped right out of an expensive painting. Desmond's breath was taken away by the beauty of nature, almost distracting him from his situation. They had descended in altitude, making it slightly warmer and a little easier to breathe, but nevertheless they still struggled onward.