Broken - Isadora Quagmire

Chapter Fifty Three - Briny Beach

Quigley gave Count Olaf the letters from Fernald and Fiona. He read Fernald's short not first then tried to run after the Carmelita as it sailed away with the Widdershins, the Baudelaires and the Snow Scouts on it. After his initial annoyance, he read Fiona's letter and smiled before putting it in his pocket. Duncan, Quigley, Valerie and I sat on the sand away from the villains but close enough for them to keep an eye on us.

"Can you remember the cafe Mr Poe took us to?" asked Valerie.

"Yes" Duncan said, he and I exchanged looks.

"Why?" I asked.

"It's not far a walk from here"

"Then you should go" Duncan said.

"We should all go" said Quigley.

"The Baudelaires will come looking for us and the first place they'll go is to Count Olaf. If we aren't with him, they could get captured. We just gave our freedom up for them. They won't kill us but the Baudelaires, they'd be killed almost instantly"

"You're right" said Quigley.

"No" I said. "We let Valerie leave on her own"

"I'm fine on my own, the problem is me leaving you three"

"Isadora. Can I talk to you for a second?"

Duncan and I walked away from Valerie and Quigley.

"What is it Duncan?"

"We have to let Valerie go"

"But what about us? This is a chance to be safe"

"And what of the Baudelaires?"

"They'll find us wherever we are, or we'll find them"

"What will we do when we find the Carmelita and the Widdershins tell us that they left to find us and were captured?"

"The Baudelaires won't get captured"

"Isadora... Yesterday was the happiest I've seen you in a long while. You looked truly happy with Klaus and I feel happy when I am with Violet but if they are captured, Count Olaf and Esme will very much want to kill two Baudelaires. If we are here when they find us..."

"We can make sure they aren't killed"

"Exactly. Plus, once Valerie finds Liam and they contact V.F.D., they will all come and save us"

"How will they know where to find us?"

"I don't know, but they will"

I walked back over to Valerie and Quigley, then sat down beside them.

"Valerie, we can distract Count Olaf and Esme so that you can get out of here"

"Are you sure about staying with Count Olaf, Isadora?"

"Not at all but I trust that you and Liam will do everything you can to help us and the Baudelaires"

"Of course we will"

Quigley and Duncan distracted Olaf, Esme and Carmelita by pretending to run away, they were followed only by the two adults though. Carmelita stayed behind and chased after me and Valerie. I shouted goodbye to Valerie and she ran off, I haven't seen her since. 

"I caught one!" said Carmelita.

"Well done darling"

"'Well done?' you let the other one escape, she was the one that they wanted to see!"

"Don't talk to our daughter like that!"

I walked over to my brothers, beside Count Olaf and Esme.

"Look" said Duncan.

"Look at what?" Quigley asked.

"Look over there"

"I can't see anything"

"There's a mysterious figure emerging from the fog"

Sure enough, in the distance, a tall figure could be seen making its way towards us. It was the size of an adult. But as it got closer, it broke into two. Duncan stood back.

"It's them"

Esme shrieked, Carmelita started fixing her her and Count Olaf made sure we were still there. He looked a bit nervous and frightened as the Man and the Woman drew closer and closer. Though he can't have been more nervous and frightened than me and my brothers.

"It's good to see you again, Ms Squalor, Olaf" said the Woman.

"You have something to show us?" said the Man, he was talking directly to Count Olaf

"Ah, yes, well, we did, we did have something to show you but-"

"But what?"

"The girl got away"

"Are you telling us that the young volunteer  which you noticed was hiding in the Snow Scouts, got away?"

"It was all the cake-sniffers fault!"

"And why is that?"

"They distracted us" said Esme.

"The two boys started running away! We thought they were escaping!"

"Excuses, excuses"

"An orphan would never run away without their siblings"

"Why would Duncan and Quigley Quagmire abandon their sister?"

"I never thought of-" Olaf started.

"No, you didn't"

"Follow us, and make sure you have an eye on your orphans"

It was a 30 second walk until we reached an almost empty parking garage. The van was there.

"Orphans, get in the van" said Count Olaf.

"What? No! I, I can't"

"Orphan boy, you will get in that van" said Esme.

"Duncan?" I said.

"Having trouble controlling your orphans?"

"No. It's fine!" Count Olaf called.

"We can help, Olaf"

"Think of it as one last lesson"

"Until the next time you mess up"

The Man grabbed Duncan and held a knife at his neck.

"I'd get in the van if you want my brother to let your brother live"

"Don't do it!" Duncan croaked. "They can't kill me!"

The Man let Duncan go and he fell to the floor. Quigley and I ran to our brother's side while the Man and the Woman went over to their car, which was also in the parking garage, and opened the trunk.

"Why won't you get in the stupid van" said Quigley.

Duncan looked at me. "You know what happened in that van"

"What happened?"

"That is the van that has my blood all over it" I said.

"We should have left with Valerie while we had the chance" 

"We still have a chance"

"Isadora is right, they're distracted"

We ran. I didn't really know where we were going or what we were going to do when we got there, but my feet just kept on going, trying to ignore all the pain in my leg. 

Before long, a van, the van pulled up in front of us. Count Olaf, Esme and Carmelita in the front.

My brothers and I stood back and Quigely dropped to the ground.

"Quigely!" said Duncan. I turned around, the Man and the Woman were standing there. The Woman covered Duncan's mouth with a rag and he dropped to the ground aswell.

"You're monsters" I said, Esme grabbed me and not long after, everything went dark.