Dancing with the Devil (part one)

Chapter 5: Narnia

Ten minutes later the car entered a large drive. When they arrived outside the abnormally large house, two men, like in the posh restaurant they visited several weeks before, came to each side of the car and politely opened the doors for the guests to climb out. Astrid stepped as gracefully as she could out of the car, breathing in the smell of fresh grass and petrol. Jim stood at her side and began to escort her into the building. They strode into the large room, surrounded women in fancy dresses and men in smart tuxedos. The pair were well aware of the many eyes following them around the room to where they temporarily stood at the bar in the back of the room.

"So, are all these people like you?" Astrid smiled slightly, averting her eyes from the Irishman, "is everyone here a criminal?"

"No. But don't get too comfortable Miss Holton. We are probably in one of the most dangerous places in the world right now." He smirked as Astrid shifted uncomfortably, her eyes falling on a group of men talking an a large huddle on the opposite side of the room. "I can't believe that it's been over a month since we met, and I hardly know anything about you."

"Well I'm not very interesting." Astrid said flatly. That was a lie of course, she would be surprised if anyone had a more complicated story than hers.

"Everyone's got a story," he said as the barman placed two champagne glasses in front of them, "what about your mum and dad"

"Urm," she nervously scratched the back of her neck, she'd never spoken about this with other people, not even with Ana. It took her a while for her to even remember.

"I get it," Jim leant back on the counter and gave her a questioning look, "touchy subject?"

"Just a little." Astrid gave a small smile and took the glass from the counter," My mum died when I was a teenager, and my dad is..."

Her voice faded away, she didn't know what her dad was. She would say her dad is a criminal, but Jim was a criminal and she didn't hate him. She couldn't hate anyone more than she hated her dad, he wasn't just a criminal, he was evil, completely evil. He thought of the human race as vermin. He didn't get bored, like Jim. Jim liked to mess with peoples minds, he would kill someone every now and then, but he would use guns, or knives.

He wouldn't be afraid of getting caught.

Jim's mind was what drew her to him.

Her father, however, was evil. There was nothing in his mind that drew her to him. Not since she had to change her identity to stay away from him. She had to forget the girl she was for 15 years of her life.

It had been years since she'd spoken to anyone about it.

"My dad disappeared when I was a kid..." her voice faded away again and she dipped her head and looked down into her glass

Moriarty leant forward and put a finger gently under her chin, he lifted her head up to see a tear fall down her face, he gently wiped it from her cheek and she shrunk away from his touch.

"He came back and he, urm-" Astrid paused, mustering up the strength to continue, "he killed my mother. I didn't even see him. I don't even know his name."

"I'm sorry to hear that," the dark haired man said. Astrid was sure that he didn't mean it, he was supposedly the greatest criminal mind in the world, he didn't care for little bar tenders and their depressing life stories.

After a few moments of silence and several small sips of champagne, the two made there way into a room with even more people sat at tables. They were escorted to a small table in the corner.

"What business do you have here?"

"I'm starting a game, with a man, and I'm here to get some equipment from an old friend."