The Girl in the Middle

Visiting her fiancé

*Tom*

I am on the back of Kattie's motorbike. She insisted that she was driving and the bike is easier to get through the woods than my car. The motorbikes had been Michael's idea when he arrived. Ben had obtained two bikes and Kattie is as least as happy about those bikes as the guys.

The first place we go looking for Toph or Christopher as he goes by now, is at the Noble estate. Kattie stay back as I knock on the big oak door and wait.

A young woman opens, she keep her eyes at her feet the entire time.

"Good afternoon miss. I am looking for Mr Noble". I don't think it wise asking directly for Christopher when it isn't his home.

"The master isn't home". She answer me meekly.

"What about his son-in-law then ?" I don't know if Christopher have gotten himself a last name as well after he moved back to the city. "Do you know where I can find him ?"

"At his office at the Casino". Still the same humble attitude. "Or at his own mansion just down the road from here". She points.

We decide to go to his own mansion first, the young woman who opens there is much less meek and tells us that in fact Christopher is at the casino and she is all alone. "So if the gentleman is thirsty, he would be welcome to come inside for a bit". She bites her lip looking at me through her lashes.

Kattie rolls her eyes and grab my arm pulling me with her. "Oh no, he don't have time for f*****g a cheap skank like you, we have business to attend to".

"Well, well. Someone wouldn't happen to be a tiny bit jealous ?" I say grinning, as I wave at the girl at the door. Not that I had been interested, but I can't deny the thrill Kattie's reacting gives me.

She hisses at me. "I couldn't care less who you f**k, but by damn I am not standing here waiting for you and we have things to do".

————————————————————————————————————

At the Casino we are met by two guards that refuse to let us in. "Go tell Christopher that we want a word with him". Kattie say sounding irritated. Here in the tourist area it isn't as important to be proper and polite. Our clothes gives us away though and we are not really wanted here.

"Tell him it is about Sarah". I tell them.

That makes them wake up and one of them immediately push a button, saying that a man and a young woman wants to see Christopher. I hear Christopher's voice through the speaker, exactly like I remember it from ten years ago, sharp and powerful. "Names ?"

"It's Tom and Kattie". I step forward, talking into the speaker, knowing he can hear me. There is no wavering when he answer. "Send them up".

A secretary greet us and open the door to Christopher's office. He is sitting in a big armchair looking relaxed. Wearing an expensive suit and a real gold watch. He most definitely isn't the man I have once been in a shootout with.

"Sit down". He makes a motion towards two ordinary chairs opposite from him. I immediately notice the gun in front of him on the table. Probably it was placed there in our honour. "So you have information about my Sarah ?"

"Yeah I would say so". Kattie answer. She has crossed her arms on her chest. "But firstly I like to point out that we didn't pay Sunny to take her".

"Really ? Because it seems a bit odd to me that one day two members of The Eagles shows up here, telling me they know who I am and three days later my fiance goes missing". Christopher lean forward, placing his hand on the gun. "You two happen to be the only ones who know what I did".

"We didn't even know you were still in the city". I defend us. Wondering who it was visiting him. "If we wanted revenge, we would have come for you directly. We wouldn't let an innocent girl pay the price for you".

"I am not stupid". Christopher's glare is angry. "You are both older now and much stronger. Don't you think I have been waiting for this day ?"

"Which day ?" Kattie say. "If you have been waiting for your fiance to disappear, shouldn't you have been protecting her better then ?"

"Kattie !" I send her a warning glare. She needs to keep her cool. "Let's pretend you believe us for a moment". I am looking at Christopher. I am no longer the teenager he can scold for using an abandoned building for target practice or for sneaking into the girls sleeping hall. "If I say Amber, you know who I am talking about right ?"

"Amber ? Wasn't that the girl who blew at the sparks between Clay and Zombie and made it a mighty fire before getting herself killed ?" Christopher lean back, keeping the gun in his hand. "What has she to do with my Sarah ?"

"Well as far as we know nothing else that she looks like her.. a lot". I answer him casually. "Same face, same eyes even the same damn beauty mark on her ear. Only difference is that your Sarah has a lot more scars on her body than Amber ever managed to get, which is weird given her upbringing".

"How do you know that ? No wait, I forgot who I was talking to, I rather not know". He say shaking his head and look about to say something more.

I cut in. "I saw her body when I treated her injuries after Ben found her in the woods. Have you ever seen her body naked ?"

"Of course not ! She is a daughter of Farhill's upper class, she can hardly be alone with me before we are married and she is always very demurely dressed". He say.

"So demurely that you have never noticed her neck or wrists ?" Kattie glare at him. "Was she a freaking nun or what ?"

Christopher's face showed that he has seen it. He know very well what we are talking about.

"I have never seen these many scars from torture, violence and r**e on one body before". I tell him angrily. "Not even in the underworld, and we live in a constant state of pending war".

"I didn't know". Christopher moves to the edge of his chair. "I swear that I didn't know. I thought it was just her hands. That he tied her up when she would comply".

"And tried to strangle her with a rope ?" Kattie shot in. "What a nice father you must have thought him to be".

"If I had known, I would have ran away with her". Christopher look at me. "I promise, he will never get a chance to hurt her again".

"Of course he won't, because she isn't coming back home". Kattie answer. "She woke up without any memory of who she is. She don't remember you, her father or the name Sarah. All she knows is that someone hurt her badly".

"What ?" Christopher ask as he let himself fall back in the chair looking shocked. "She doesn't know ...".

"We don't know why. There is no indication she has hit her head, but she don't want to come home. She won't risk coming back to the abuse". I tell him calmly.

"And where is she now ? At least let me see her. Let me tell her who she is and then she can make up her mind". He say.

"She is with Clay". I say studying my nails. They need a trim. "She is an almost exact copy of the woman he loved and who he buried. He wouldn't let anyone tell her something that could make him lose her too sorry".

"And now she run around thinking she is his girlfriend or what ? Is that what you are telling me ?" Christopher get up. "If he has touched her... ".

"Then what ?" I look at him. "What exactly would you do about it ?"

"He hasn't lied to her". Kattie cut in as she stand up too. "He has just given her the same name. She knows very well that she has only just arrived with us".

"I am begging you. Let me see her". Christopher sit down again. Resting his head in his hands. If I didn't knew him, I might have felt sorry for him. "You have no idea what her father is capable of. He will tear the underworld apart to find her".

"Well then you just have to stop him won't you". I look at him challenging. Efter a to long silence I get up. "If you show your face in the underworld I will have to turn you in for what you did".

"On which grounds ? It would be your word against mine and I still has a tattoo that gives me certain rights". Christopher's gaze is challenging me.

"I bear the same tattoo as you". Kattie points out. "And contrary to you I got allies in the underworld".

"Zombie would side with me and as you would be the one turning me in, it would end up being about who they trusted the most. An unstable young woman or me".

Christopher has switched back to being Toph just like that. The second in command who always knew what to say and who still sees me and Kattie as big kids.

"Wonder who they are going to believe". I put my hands on the table, leaning towards him. "The man who ran away living in exile for ten years or us". I hold his gaze for a couple of seconds. "If you had kept yourself updated you would know I took over as leader of the Eagles two years ago. My words outweigh yours by far now".