Hunter

Chapter 29

         Boom! We reappeared at the office, in a deafening roar, in the same room we had both disappeared from. I kept my hand firmly clasped around my prisoner's neck. It was out of question to risk him escaping again. The only problem was, how to get the diamond which was still laying in a corner of the room.

"Don't even think about struggling!" I said.

I quickly slid my arm around his neck to replace my hands, and, on my knees I went backwards upto the diamond I grabbed with my free hand. Sadly, it was no use as long as I did not have something to maintain it on the gnome.

Plan B.

I applied pressure on the gnome's throat who soon started to suffocate. As soon as he passed out, I slid the gem in his pocket and ran to the kitchen. I eagerly rummaged through the cupboard in which we put away products for missions or magic. The racket I provoked drew attention of some agents working that morning, including Gaspard.

"Gustave!" He exclaimed both surprised and happy to see me. "You're back! How..."

"No time!"

I barely gave him a look. Finally my eyes found the right vial. I took it and poured a bit of its content in a bowl laying around and quickly mixed it to water before going back to the room where Ronchard slept. Gaspard followed me, harrassing me with questions. When he discovered the gnome, he froze on the doorstep.

"Hell! You even brought the gnome back! Huh... What are you doing?"

I was crouching near the creature and pouring the mixture in his mouth, pinching his nose to force him to swallow.

"I make him drink diamond powder."

Once it was done, I turned towards my colleague and saw Bob had joined him.

"Gustave?!" He asked stunned by my sudden reappearance.

I did not leave him time to ask me anything.

"Find a syringe. We need to inject him with diamond powder cut with water once a day. I'm going home to see my children!"

I started for the exit when Bob grabbed my arm.

"They are not at your house, they are at Sophie's."

I frowned. The fact they had not stayed at home was not a good sign. It sounded scheming. Yet, I prefered them at Sophie's place rather than at anyone else.

"We thought leaving them alone was not a good idea, so Henri suggested we brought them to the agency..."

Bingo. I owed Sophie. I thanked them and left the agency hurriedly for Sophie's house.