PROBLEM - Anthony Lockwood

CHAPTER FIFTY EIGHT

~

lviii

aren't romatic couples so cute

~

"DID SHE TELL you anything?" Julius Winkman asked.

Stephanie Winkman grunted as she dragged Alice's limp body into the room, "Didn't give her the chance. She's a feisty one - a witch. Took me a whole lot of iron and some fire to get this one out cold. She knows where it is."

Lockwood kept his eyes off of Alice's limp body. His head was plastered to his forehead with sweat, his body still shaking from torture.

"You colleague I presume," Winkman inquired, "Never heard of agents working with witches before."

Lockwood shook his head, lying confidently, "Never seen her before in my life."

Winkman stood, "Leopold, go back to bed and stay there."

Before the boy could leave, his mother interrupted. "Let him watch. If he doesn't do as he's told he might as well learn how the world works."

Leopold moved to stand at the side.

Winkman bent down, grabbing a long needle and moving the hair out of Alice's face. "Shall we see where her devil's mark is?"

"Leave her alone," Lockwood demanded, shaking his head. He let out a quivering breath. "She's just a trainee, she doesn't know anything."

Winkman raised an eyebrow, "Oh, so she's more than a colleague then?" He spied the look on Lockwood's face, "Is she a friend? A lover?"

Lockwood shook his head, "She's no one, let her go."

Insanity twinkled in Winkman's eyes, "Oh, a suicide pact it is then." He stood, "It's perfect."

Alice's eyes fluttered open but she instanlty shut them again.

If she could just reach her knife.

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you everything," Lockwood pleaded, "You're right, no one would be surprised if I turned up dead. They've all been waiting for it anyway. So please, put me out of my misery, but please let her go. She's got everything to live for and she won't breathe a word of this please."

Winkman simply picked up different poisons and vials, showing them to his wife in an attempt to decide what they should murder them with.

"Winkman listen to me!" Lockwood yelled, eyes wide with fear and hands curled into fists, "Look, look... I'm serious - I mean it! Do what you want with me, I don't care. No tricks, no lies. Just let her go. Do we have a deal?"

Winkman surveyed him, walking to stand beside his wife, "I'll kill her last, so you don't have to watch."

Stephanie chuckled, "You're getting soft, Julius, my love."

"You could be right," he agreed.

"Leopold move!"

Alice grabbed her dagger, jumping up and grabbing a bottle of gasoline from a table and unscrewing it. She doused the two Winkman's in the liquid, then made a line seperating them and Lockwood.

She slashed the side of her hand with her own knife, blood dripping and mixing with the pools of gasoline on the floor. "Take one step and I'll burn you!"

Julius surged forwards but Stephanie grabbed him, holding him back.

"Do not test me!" Alice screamed, eyes wild with anger and something else, "Don't ever think you're capable of that!"

She used the knife to hack away at Lockwood's bonds, letting him stand up as the Winkman's glared at them.

The two teens backed away.

"I'm coming for you boy," Winkman assured, "I'm gonna gut you, I'm gonna mince you, I'm gonna tear your skin off!" Julius stepped forward as they backed out of the room. "You better run boy! I'm gonna count to ten!"

Alice let her blood drip by the door, forming a magical line they couldn't cross.

Julius screamed.

They were three streets away when Lockwood groaned in pain, clutching his side and slowing to a stop.

Alice turned, dashing over to him, eyes wide with concern. She gently put her hand on his side, her other hand on his arm, "Are you okay?"

Lockwood breathed heavily, eyes bloodshot. He grabbed Alice like a ragdoll, pulling her into his arms.

Alice hugged him back feircly, the thought of losing him still fresh in her veins like a burn. His hands were in her hair when they pulled apart.

Alice clenched her jaw, "What the hell was that?!"

Lockwood gasped slightly, trying to regain his breath, "Flo was right - total psychos."

Alice stepped away from him slightly, looking up at his face for an answer. "Not them. You. You were practically begging for them to kill you."

Lockwood clenched his jaw, "I'd prefer to call it a noble sacrifice."

Alice shook her head, swearing under her breath. "If I hadn't come to you'd be fucking dead."

Lockwood blinked, "That's not true, I had a plan."

She crossed her arms, staring up at him, "Oh really. Let's hear it then."

He looked down at her, something foreign in his gaze. "You know, in the moment I would have had a plan. If it had come down to it. I always do." He reached out, cupping her face in his hands.

His touch comforted and burned her at the same time.

"What's going on with you, Anthony?" Alice whispered, eyes searching his face. She ran her hands along his chest, coming to rest reassuringly on his shoulders. "You know you can talk to me."

He was still breathing shakily, there was a wild, urgent look in his eyes. "Yeah... yeah I know."

"So?" Alice inquired.

He faltered looking down at her with that same urgent stare. His eyes flickered between her eyes and lips. "I just... I need..." Lockwood's other hand came to cup her face as well, entangling in her hair, "Please."

And then he was smashing his lips to hers.

Alice whimpered into the kiss, her entire body turning to stone and her eyes screwing shut. She stood on her tip toes but he bent down to her height, cradling her to his body and kissing her deperately and urgently, almost like a man starved.

"Anthony," Alice gasped, as their lips parted.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, one hand in her hair. He pressed his lips to her temple, "I just... I couldn't bare the thought of..."

He trailed off again, breathing heavily, his eyes closed as he inhaled the smell of her perfume.

Alice's breath hitched. She held him close to her as he shook like a leaf in autumn wind. "The thought of what?"

"Losing you."