The Music Box

Part 3

Charlotte had nodded off for most of the plane ride but was suddenly awoken by a comotion coming from the head of the plane. She opened her eyes groggily and noticed that Vincent was gone, probably in the bathroom. She directed her attention to where the noise was coming from and saw a flight attendant arguing with a tall, dark-haired man. Vincent. Charlotte sighed. He really was trouble. She could only make out part of the conversation.

"...I have to see the pilot," Vincent was saying.

"I'm...but...can't go in," replied the flight attendant politely but with demand.

"I must...concern...danger...," he persisted.

The flight attendant bit her lip. The mention of potential danger had clearly caught her attention.

"...please...passenger...danger...," Vincent continued. When he said "passenger" he looked over his shoulder and pointed in Charlotte's direcion.

Her brow furrowed. Confusion was at its greatest.

The flight attendant looked at Charlotte with concern and finally nodded to Vincent. "Okay...little bit."

He grinned magnificently and Charlotte herself felt her heart flutter as he ducked away into the cockpit. She suddenly felt a wave of fear come over her. Perhaps the danger he had been talking about was the threat of the evil Vincent? She didn't know how he could've known about her predicament. Terror over came her. Was Vincent already on the plane? Was he going to attack? Was he flying the plane? Was that why Vincent wanted to see the pilot? Sweat formed on her forehead and under her armpits. She watched the door to the cockpit with hawkeyes.

Finally, Vincent came out, looking a little red in the face, and breathing heavily. The flight attendant looked at him quizzically but he payed her no mind. His stormy eyes were focused on Charlotte's. She held his stare strongly, her expression emitting fear. He sat down in his seat and took her hand. "It's all right. Everything's taken care of."

"How did you know?"

He shrugged.

"What did you do?"

He shrugged.

Charlotte released the air she was holding and leaned back. For some reason, she felt like she could trust this guy.

He put the back of his hand to her forehead and whistled. "You've got a temperature, miss. We better get you taken care of." He rose and brought her with him, still clutching her hand as if he were afraid she'd be attacked or taken at any moment. He led her to the back of the plane where there was a First Aid kit and a unisex bathroom. They entered the restroom and he began fiddling with the nurse kit.

Charlotte felt awkward, but thankfully all thoughts of anxiety had temporaririly left her brain, as she was so preoccupied with Vincent's sudden role as a protector. He took out a thermometer. "Lift your tongue," he said. She did so. After a minute he took it out and looked at it. "One hundred degrees. Here, take these pills." She again obeyed.

There was a moment of silence.

Charlotte broke it finally, "Um, thanks."

He looked at her intently. "You're welcome."

"Why are you doing this?"

He shrugged. "Let me check your temperature one last time, to make sure it's not...too high."

"Why?"

"Just open up."

Puzzled, Charlotte did so.

Vincent placed the thermometer into her mouth, but instead of laying in under her toungue he layed it on her tongue.

"Uh, aren't you supposed-," Charlotte started to say.

Then in one fluid motion Vinvent's palm impacted the end of the thermometer and it was shoved down her throat. It scratched the tissue as it went in and Charlotte cried out in pain. She choked and gagged but before she was able to try to remove it he was shoving her to the ground and on top of her.

She writhed and tried to scream, but couldn't. The thermometer was blocking her air way. Vincent pinned her arms down with his knees and avidly began searching her clothes and body. At first Charlotte was mortified with where his hands were going but then she realized what he was looking for...

The music box.

How could she have been so stupid?! He had fooled her.

As he was looking in her sweater pockets she used the lax of strength on his part to bring her knee up straight into his groin. Vincent doubled over in pain and released his hands from her arms. Charlotte yanked at the thermometer in her throat, tears forming in her eyes at the agony. Finally it came lose and she rolled onto her knees, gasping for air, clutching her neck, and sobbing uncontrollably. She still could not scream, her vocal chords were damaged from the impact of the medical instrument, but she could hear knocking on the other side of the door and yells of, "Everything okay in there?"

"Yes!" Vincent replied before grabbing her ankle and pulling her underneath him again. She clawed at the floor and at the toitlet seat, desperatlely trying to get out from under him, but he had her on her stomach, searching her back and legs. She kicked up into his face but that just made him more angry. He slaped her repeatedly. Then he lay on top of her fully and she could barely breathe from the weight.

"Where is it?" he snarled into her ear.

Charlotte bit a piece of his hair, aiming for his face, and he laughed.

"So much spirit...so much fire."

She stopped wriggling underneath when black spots appeared in her vision. She was gasping for air. His chest was crushing hers and his mouth was right against her ear.

"Where. Is. It?"

She couldn't speak. Tears pooled around her. She no longer had the energy to try to breathe. She closed her eyes with a cry. This was the end.

Suddenly he got off of her and she rolled onto her back, coughing and choking on air. Her vision slowly returned and she attempted to throw herself at Vincent but she had no energy in her muscles and she ended up just flopping into his lap like a pathetic puppy.

He stroked her hair with mock affection. "Awww. Shh...it's all right." He laughed menacingly. Then he gripped a fistful of her hair and yanked. This time she screamed fully and there was banging and pounding on the door. "I'm not going to ask you again," he said, revealing a dagger that he had concealed in his belt, "where is the music box?"

She didn't answer.

He hit her jaw angrily. Blook spewed from her mouth and dripped down her chin.

Although she was sobbing, she looked him straight in the eye. "You are him," she scratched out. "You're the one hunting me." She coughed and more blood flew towards his face.

He wiped it off with disgust. "Vincent isn't a person. It's an organization. I am a part of it and so is the man who killed your boss." He pulled back her head and she wailed. "You are going to tell me where it is or I will kill you."

Charlotte said nothing.

Vincent created a trail of blood on her cheek with the tip of his knife and she whimpered helplessly.

More banging ensued on the door and right as Vincent had his dagger raised and ready to strike, a band of security officers collapsed in on the door and began climbing on top of each other to seize Vincent.

Scowling, he socked one in the jaw and another in the gut. He continued to put up quite a fight but the number of guards was too much even for him.

Charlotte watched the riot from her position on the floor in her own blood. Vincent struggled against the men, clawing at their shoulders. Finally he was knocked hard in the head and fell to the floor, not far from where she lay. The last thing she heard before fading into nothing was the growl of Vincent, "We will find it."

And then everything went black.