Chapter Twenty-Seven
September 2013
Four days away from my birthday, and here's what the highlights for my twenty-eighth birthday was- my baby brother had been taken by supernatural sons of bitches, the queen of the demon horde was on my ass and some doctor wanted to kill me.
So here I was, sitting in a bar with my fourth shot glass on the edges of my fingertips.
You can't say I'm not productive.
'What's a girl like you doing in a Hell hole like this?'
I looked over to the guy that had moved beside me, and resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I HATED that line.
'What, am I not good enough to be here?' I snapped.
To tell the truth, I should've been off my face and I think he thought that, seeing the three other shot glasses next to the one I had. But there was something weird that went on when I drunk alcohol- I could drink much more than most men, and it had barely any effect, unless I tried to walk straight. Other than that, I was pretty fine.
'I- I didn't say that.' He stammered, obviously having thought I'd be so out of it I wouldn't be able to talk coherently.
'Then what were you saying?' I snapped.
'I...nothing.' He turned and left, and I heard someone else laughing. Clenching my jaw, I turned, another insult resting on my tongue, but it fell back down my throat and I choked on it when I saw who was laughing at me.
'Dad?' I choked out.
'Hey Trixie. How you been, darling?' He smiled, but still I was choked and caught like a deer in the headlights.
'How...how long have you been here? Dexter...we've been looking for you!' I cried, standing too fast and almost falling back. He came to my aid, helping me stand.
'Where is Dexter, anyway? This doesn't really seem like his scene...' He led me back to a booth, and I collapsed.
'Dexter...he came with me, trying to help me out of my little...tiff with the Crossroads Demon.' I said, trying to choose my words carefully but unable to.
My dad's face immediately went hard and disapproving.
'I did it for you guys!' I cried loudly. 'Please don't be mad! I really only did it with all of you in mind!'
'I'm not mad.' He said eventually. 'I know you only really did it for Dexter, but... there could've been a better way.'
'Not that I can see. But we've got to go help him- we were at a hotel, and someone came looking for me but got him instead. I'm sorry- if I had been with him at the time, I never would've let it happen.' I felt close to tears.
No matter what I did, whenever Dad came back I always managed to screw everything up.
'But they can't hurt him- not until I die, anyway. Apparently I didn't specify that with the bastard that made the deal with me.' The anger bubbled up in me again, but I was still too unco to do anything about it.
'When do you...go, Bellatrix?' He asked with deadly quiet.
'December.' I clenched my jaw. 'But that's still far away. We've got to go help Dexter, then we can both fill you in.'
Don't ask me how I know, but somehow Dad knew where Dexter would be taken- he had been working on his own job that had fallen into place with my own.
He drove the car- it was his, after all. We sped through the town, going down side alleys I didn't even know existed at speeds I didn't think were possible.
Eventually the buildings thinned out, until only bits and pieces of crumbling buildings remained.
He skidded to a stop in front of a closed down, condemned Insane Asylum, and I had a niggling suspicion that it'd be safer for everyone if I WASN'T here.
That, and I've never like hospitals either.
But no time for a flashback.
'What is this place?' I asked, shutting the car door behind me and walking back to the boot and opening the false boot, revealing the weaponry and protection within.
'I see you've restocked.' Dad said approvingly, lifting various salt guns, normal guns and daggers.
'I tried.' I shrugged modestly. 'Now where are we? What's going on?'
'This is the condemned Insane Asylum for Criminally Insane Patients.' Dad explained. 'I've heard rumours on more than one occasion that the Medicus could be working here, and if he is, then he would've brought your brother here.'
'But he can't hurt Dexter. Why would he kidnap or adultnap or whatever him and bring him here if he can't do anything to him?' I asked.
'Because maybe he isn't the one the Medicus wants. Maybe Dexter's the bait.'
I clenched my jaw. 'So why do they want me there?'
'I'm going to go find out.' He slammed both boots shut and moved off.
'Hey, wait!' I ran in front of him. 'What do you mean, 'I'm' going to find out. Aren't I coming with you?'
'No.' He shot me a stare I had tried to hone over the years, but never really been able to have the level of fear-inducing coldness his stare held. 'Because if whatever's in there DOES want you, we're sure as Hell not going to give it to them.'
'But I can't let you go help Dexter on your own. I've already lost him once; I have to be there to make sure he's OK, see for myself. That, and...' I didn't finish.
'That and what?' He prompted.
'That, and...' I clenched my jaw. 'I...I can't lose you again. Not so soon. Please, I have to-'
'No.'
'But-'
'No, Bellatrix.' He said, voice ringing with finality.
'Fine.' I snapped, turned and planted myself in the car. 'Have fun dying.'
'Love you too sweetheart.' He smiled once before walking off.
