Abe Sapien and the Witch

Chapter 35

Johanns questionable website proved true to its word. The agents that were posted around the mansion exits with discretion were reporting back more and more movement in and out of the compound.

"This is it, I can feel it!" Abe said, adjusting his breathing apparatus around his neck, "tonight is All Hallows eve. It's the night they are most likely to return here."

"Happy Halloween to us," Red muttered, checking that the Samaritan was loaded for the fifth time since he had first loaded it back at the BP headquarters.

They were crouching behind some thick hedges just inside the back wall of the compound, waiting for complete darkness so that they could move forward undetected, as the odd witch made a round of the grounds. "I don't think they'll be filling our pockets with sweets..." Liz chimed, her hand resting on Reds shoulder while she leaned over to fiddle with her boot strap.

"Trick or treat!" Johann added, his mood cheerful despite the situation, "und I sink it vill be more ov a trick for zeze vitches, yes?" Abe smiled at the attempted humour and nodded, "Yes, I think they are about to get a surprise or two."

"I ain't knocking at no doors though." Red added, helping Liz to steady herself.

"I sink now is a good time to move closer," Johann said, and the rest followed him nearer to the building towards a back door, which to their convenience stood wide open.

*****

Almost all of the witches were in the prayer room in the basement, kneeling in a semi-circular pattern before the altar, where Laufey stood draped in ankle-length red robes. He was rattling off a speech about how the dark one would reward them for their continued prayer, and deeds.

She knelt to the side of the altar, a purple robe swathed over her as her head was bowed in thought. She had attempted to rebel against taking part in the dark mass, and now sported a split lip for her efforts, as well as a head of hair that had been hacked up to just under her ear's length with Laufeys sacrificial knife.

"Fuel for the dark ones respect tokens, my darling." he had said with a smirk, though she knew full well that he had cut her hair short in an attempt to embarrass her in front of his mocking minions- not that she really cared what length her hair was, it didn't matter to her in the slightest.

The rumbling of the groups chanting was irritating, and she found it hard to think straight. Out of the corner of her eye, a movement distracted her from her thoughts. There...she bowed her head low again in a quick motion, not wanting anyone to see where her line of sight had wandered.

She was full sure she had caught a glimpse of Red in the shadows, making his way around the room behind the furniture. Yes, there was Johann coming around on the other side- they must be planning some sort of an attack. Her heart soared in her chest at the thought of rescue, then flopped just as fast at the thought of what that meant. How could she stand in front of Abe and face him, after all of this had happened?