The Midnight Crime

'Hello, Pitt,' Falcon smiled, 'how's your hand?'

Pitt growled, his eyebrows merging as his mouth straightened into a thin line. 'I knew you were trouble.' He grunted, twisting both of Falcon's arms behind him and locking his hands in handcuffs. 'Sir was mad to trust you.'

Pitt gave him a little push forward, while continuing to grumble under his breath. Falcon heard phrases like 'poor Sir' and 'most wanted criminal' as Pitt propelled him forward.

'You two have met before,' Aurelia observed, 'but you didn't get along.'

Didn't get along was quite a polite way to put it, Falcon thought, considering he had broken Pitt's fist and taken a job on his team the first time he had come across this burly lump of a man.

'That's the first time you are right.' Falcon muttered, not keeping his eyes off the platoon of guards surrounding them. Aurelia also had her hands handcuffed behind her, but she was smiling like she was having the time of her life, being caged between men in uniforms and getting pushed forward.

Behind him, Pitt raised a bag over his head, and pushed it down, blocking off the air and his sight. He remained still, but Aurelia complained loudly, 'This bag stinks.' A wave of anger went through him, knowing she was being treated the way he was, though he willed himself to remain silent.

These jerks, he groaned as they were pushed forward like animals, and down a flight of stairs. He knew where they were going, and Aurelia probably did too, from hours and hours of memorizing the mansion's every bit and corner. He could imagine the lone bulb hanging loose, lighting up the narrow hallway with a soft yellow glow as clearly as if he was actually seeing it. He had been down here once when Cyan had hired him, and every detail was imprinted on his mind.

A loud grate indicated the gigantic metal gate being opened, and then they were inside the tiny office.

'Don't even think of escaping.' Pitt had a habit of growling at every word he spoke.

'Oh, you won't be joining us?' Aurelia asked pleasantly, her voice slightly muffled through the bag.

Pitt grunted. 'Wait here.'

Falcon felt a bit sorry for Pitt, if he would have had to deal with Aurelia, he would have gone crazy too.

The door shut behind them just as noisily and then they were alone.

XXX

Falcon had never been caught. Not once, had his hands ever been bound in handcuffs, and he found the limited use of them quite irritating. The guards had had the decency to remove the bag from their heads, and to make use of time Falcon was looking around the room, making note of escape options, even if he had no plan to flee. It felt comforting to know a way out.

Next to him, Aurelia was sleeping peacefully, head resting against the wall. Once again he admired her ability to fall asleep anywhere, at whatever time she wanted to. He could never. Safety was one thing he cherished, but he assumed she had been in similar trouble before to be this unbothered.

He took her oblivion as an opportunity to stare at her, shamelessly and fearlessly, all the while aware that the back of his neck had turned into a furnace. She looked breathtaking, and so at peace. Like she had ceased to exist the moment her eyes closed, slipping into an imaginary bed, warm and cuddly like a mother's embrace.

For a second all Falcon wanted to do was wrap his arms around her slight body and hold her there until all her troubles went away.

They had been in there for half an hour, and he was getting frustrated. He couldn't bear to see minutes of his time just slipping away, while he sat there and did nothing; except maybe stare at the girl with the elflocks.

Remember the plan, don't do anything foolish, Aurelia had warned him, and so he sat in silence.

It was another fifteen minutes before he heard voices right outside the door; loud, hysteric voices and Pitt's throaty grumbling. A key jingled in the lock and then the door slid open. Falcon glanced at Aurelia to see she was awake, sitting straight and alert. She looked like she had never slept. He wondered if there was a sleep switch inside her which she could turn on and off according to her liking.

A scared feminine face peeked from behind the gate. Falcon recognized Cyan's sister, Teal, immediately. She looked wretched, dark circles under her eyes, which were sunken as if she hadn't slept for the past week, making her look like a skeleton. Briefly, he wondered if he looked the same too, sleep deprived and homeless.

Teal wasn't wearing any makeup and looked like a wax statue of the girl on the engagement day. Behind her was Canis, a frown on his face as he studied the prisoners.

Canis shut the door after them and the couple sat opposite them, closely with hands clasped in each other's. Teal looked shaken, but determined.

'Where is my brother?' she said, resentful.

'They don't know, Teal.' Canis said gently.

'How can we believe them?' her eyebrows had come together as lines of anger and frustration crowned her forehead. 'Prove you are trying to help Cyan.'

'Of course,' Aurelia said with an encouraging smile, 'Falcon will show you the messages he received from 453 to kidnap Cyan, and also the threats.'

'I will?' he turned to her, his eyebrows raised.

'That's the only way for them to trust us, Falcon. Remember the ring.'

The device glowed bright and Falcon powered it, the latest message from 453 appearing instantly.

He reluctantly slipped his watch off his wrist and handed it to Teal, who grabbed it and read the text like her life depended on it. Falcon saw her pupils dart across the words and her mouth sagged as she read them. Finally she handed the watch over, her hands falling inside her lap as she hid her face in Canis's chest.

'So, why did you get yourself caught?' Canis addressed them both, his eyebrows raised.

'What do you mean,' Aurelia said, but her deemed innocent expression wouldn't have fooled even the thick-headed Pitt.

'You see, we couldn't have caught you and brought you here if you wouldn't have wanted to. And you just stayed here and waited for me? You wanted to meet me this way? Why?' Canis said.

'Well, you certainly are smarter than you look,' Aurelia said cheerfully, 'we're here to get the real ring from Miss Teal,' she finished with a sweet smile.

'Why the sudden change of plan?' the man sat up, his eyes lined with confusion.

'You see, Canis, we have found out the identity of the spy.'