Conquest of the Victorian Era ( The Open Novella Contest)

Chapter Twenty Three - No Tricks

After picking up Layton's pistol and shoving it into his own belt, Levent followed me around some buildings, before I lead him through the rows of docks where a bunch of boats were tied up.

I wanted to look back at Jimmy, but knew if I gave a single glance it might give away that I was leading Levent in the absolute wrong direction.

All I needed was to get close to him, but he was keeping his distance from me. I thought if I could get him into a small enough boat then I might be able to disarm him quickly without Jimmy getting hurt.

"No tricks, Ivy, you know what's at stake..."

"I know," I silenced him. His words were true, but I knew he would kill Jimmy know matter what. As far as I was aware, Jimmy had never met Levent. And I didn't need him knowing that Levent had no plans of letting him leave.

Levent chuckled, "You haven't changed since have you Ivy? After everything, I'd have expected you to learn by now that defiance only ends in tragedy..."

He kept provoking me. Everything he said came back to that day and those five words. Everything I was now was because of him, not the Sentaurius devices, not Thadeus, just him. I was sure Thadeus was as bad as Levent, but I had never met him. Levent had haunted my nightmares. He was the one that broke me. He was the one that had me coming back. He was the one that made me mad. Because he wasn't just a murderer. He played with your mind until you had nothing left. He ruined you until you couldn't bare it and asked for death, and once he was finished he moved onto someone else, leaving you alive to suffer the pain he had bought upon you.

I could still hear gunfire behind me, and every so often I saw Levent turn slightly towards it from the corner of my eye.

"How much further? I haven't got all night..." he sounded irritable.

I stopped at a small fishing boat. Then turned around to face Levent.

Levent glanced at the boat, "Where is he, Ivy?" He growled.

"Across the bay." I stated plainly.

He glared at me in question, "You expect me to believe that you had someone waiting here for him?"

"The boat was for those who got injured. We didn't expect to find him."

Levent pause, "And where do they take the injured to?"

I didn't say anything. I wouldn't mention the fake bar, or Clove, or that she had Layton's restorative laser.

Levent gripped Jimmy's arm until he cried out in pain.

I took a step forward, but again Levent stopped me, "Where is he, Ivy? Where do they go?"

"—to the hospital." I quickly said so he would stop hurting Jimmy. I looked down at Jimmy and he looked at me with determination. Something that wasn't in his eyes before.

"And what are you telling the officers when they get there and start asking questions..." Levent spoke again.

I looked back up into his cold eyes. He was asking too many questions.

"I'll take you across," I tried to reason, "but you need to let Jimmy go now."

"You are in no position to bargain with me. Tell me right now where he is..."

"Why do you need him?" I threw a question back at him to stall for time.

"Evander is my property," he grinned, and then his smile faltered, "Now tell me... where... is... he."