Please pre-read the Pilot before reading
Continuation of The Immortal Tv series: The Next Generation
Ratings: NC17 for Sexual content m/m and Bondage themes and strong language
Disclaimer: Don�t own them, nope, not at all. (see the pilot episode for author�s notes)
Part One
The flames were all around them. They were trapped. Elijah held the unconscious form in his arms, making one last attempt to lift the body from the bed and finally managed to get him onto the floor. But Dominic was too heavy to carry and Elijah stumbled onto the ground beside him. The smoke filled the entire hallway and from down the corridor, Elijah could see that the fire was getting closer.
He had to do something and fast. If he didn�t, both he and Dominic were going to die. Time was running out. Leaving Dominic on the ground, Elijah hurried to the nearby staircase and once again tried to open the entrance doorway with his bare hands. But it wouldn�t budge. Choking and gasping for breath from the thick black smoke, Elijah returned to Dominic and seeing he had no other place to go, dragged his body into the bathroom.
He gently laid his burden onto the tiled floor and closed the doors securely doors and stuffed the last of the towels underneath it. It would buy them time but not long. Returning to Dom�s side, Elijah tried again to rouse his old friend, and now enemy, from his unconscious state. But Dominic�s eyes remained closed. Holding Dom tightly in his arms, Elijah looked upwards and sent a silent prayer for help. There was no where to go and no place left to run.
Darkness surrounded him and the smell of smoke started to enter the closed doors. It was in that moment Elijah knew that his time was up.
***
The figure struggled underneath him, his wrists ever twisting against the tied manacles that were in place and joined to the four corners of the bed. Ignoring the cries from his prisoner, Dominic enjoyed himself by plunging his cock deep into his captive�s body.
Hot, tight, so tight!
He was nearing his climax now and quickly picked up his pace. Tightly gripping the body�s hips, he continued the hard thrusting without pause.
Yes, he was so close now. So close. He half listened to his captive�s cries, but whether they were from pain or pleasure, he didn�t know nor did he care. Only his needs were important. Only his will mattered. Every nerve ending seemed to be focused now on his sensitive member and it cried out for release. He would have it. Almost there.
Elijah was his now, forever. With this thought, he felt the waves begin to ripple and allowed the flood gates to open. Yessssss!
�Dominic. Master Dominic!�
Blurrily, Dominic opened his eyes and realized several things. One, the plane had finally stopped moving and two, he was rock hard. Sighing, Dominic looked up to see Vincent Caesar, his father�s body guard and now turned man hunter stare down at him.
�Wake up! We�ve landed. Its time for the chase to begin.�
Vincent walked away then to speak to several of his men. Grumbling a little, Dom got to his feet and entered the lavatory and quickly splashed water on his face.
He stared into the mirror to see a young man in his late teens, well dressed in rather wrinkled clothing and a scruffy week�s old worth of a beard. He pondered a moment whether he should shave or not and decided in the end not to.
Still looking into the mirror, Dominic tried to put things back into perspective as his conscience once again snuck out of its hiding place and tried to fill him with guilt for betraying Elijah Chevalier�s trust.
It was for his own good. Elijah would be unhappy, but only in the beginning. He would eventually realize his imprisonment was not going to be like Alcatraze. His high school friend would have everything he could ever want, and Elijah would have him. What more could a boy ask for?
He could still see those blue eyes staring at him in open pain and fear, whispering those haunting words that still echoed in his mind.
�I trusted you.�
Curling his hands into fists, Dominic shook his head and wiped his face with a towel.
Too late to back out. All he could do was hope that in time, Elijah would come around. As Dominic made his way out the door, his conscience once again whispered words into his head:
*What if Elijah doesn�t come around, ever? What if I not only just lost my chance to have Elijah as a lover and, on top of that, lost his friendship, forever. What if I just made the biggest mistake of my life?*
Dominic closed the door to the lavatory behind him and shrugged his shoulders. It didn�t matter, as long as he had Elijah physically then that was all that mattered, right?
Vincent was waiting for him outside, where two limos were idling. Several of Vincent�s men were getting into one limo. Meeting Vincent next to the other limo, Dom saw that Vincent was already checking his weapon-a gun loaded with sleeping darts. Locking it in place, Vincent returned his gaze at Dominic.
�What�s next?� Dom asked.
Vincent locked the weapon and turned his gaze on the young man. �You�ll come with me. We�re going to pay a visit to the nearest police station. My men will head to the Stature of Liberty. If they see anything, they�ll call us.�
Reluctantly, Dominic got into the limo with Vincent. Once they were underway, Vincent reached out and touched Dominic�s shoulder lightly.
�What?� Dom turned and saw Vincent�s questioning face.
�Are you sure you can handle this, Master Dominic?�
�What are you talking about?�
�You do realize this is not a game? This is for real. This is a real hunt and this hunt is for Elijah Chevalier. Do you understand? I have my orders and you are to obey me.�
Dominic turned away and shook his head. �I understand.�
Yes, it was too late to back out now. Far too late.
***
The ferry boat was underway. Leaning against the railing, Elijah stared out at the bay and where just beyond stood a statue of a beautiful lady. She wore a crown upon her head and with one hand, she held a torch and in the other, a book. She was beautiful and an icon representing freedom and liberty to all who came to her world.
Elijah had read about the gift given to the United States from France but even then, it had really never made much of an impact. He only realized now how much he had taken for granted, living in the United States. This was a symbol of Freedom and Elijah�s freedom was now in jeopardy.
He wondered briefly if this was why his father chose to live his life on the run, because the loss of his own freedom was beyond price?
They were heading back to the landing and he still held the letter and piece of paper in his hand given to him by Jericho. Once again, Elijah tried to piece together the puzzle that his father had left him.
Elijah and Jericho had arrived on Liberty Island just an hour ago and they had taken the traditional tour. It was during their visit to the Museum and library gallery that Jericho had tried to search for clues. Finding the head librarian, Jericho had asked him if he had any information or material about stamps featuring the Statue of Liberty. There had been one book and it was open to the public. Finding the right book, the librarian had allowed Jericho to browse through it. However, when he was called away to answer a phone call, the librarian didn�t see Jericho find a hidden envelope in the back flap of the book. On the front of the envelope was one name. Jean. Pocketing it, Jericho closed the book just in time for the librarian to return and take the book back to its shelf.
Rejoining Elijah and the tour group, who were marveling over the scale models of the island, Jericho had pulled his young companion aside and showed him the envelope. Opening it in haste, Elijah was puzzled by the blank piece of paper that had only three small words printed on it. Emerald Towers Hotel. It was their next intended destination.
�Hot dog?�
Elijah turned and saw that Jericho had returned with soda and mustard hotdogs. Hungry, Elijah took the offered items and bit into the hot food with relish.
Now, leaning against the railing, Jericho stared at Liberty Island and marveled at the lady with the torch slowly getting further and further away.
�She�s amazing, isn�t she?
�Beautiful.� Elijah muttered in between a mouthful of hotdog and roll. He sipped at his Coke and joined Jericho by leaning against the railing as well.
�So many have died for this representation. Wars fought and won. All for freedom.�
�I don�t understand, Jericho. Why can�t we just go to the government and ask for their help?�
Jericho chuckled lightly and stared at Elijah. �You really are an innocent, you know that?�
Slightly hurt by this accusation, Elijah shook his head in denial.
�You are, Elijah people in the United States think they live a life of freedom and to an extent, they do. But the government rules the roost. They are the ones who make the laws and their say is the last say. To them, you are not of the people for the people. *You* are a freak of nature, an evolution, a commodity and one that is beyond value.�
�You make me sound like the Mona Lisa.�
�In a way, you�re even more important than the Mona Lisa.�
�I didn�t ask for this.�
�I know that. No body asks for troubles or pain. But that�s a part of life. Pain, sadness, despair�but there is also happiness, triumph and just as their are evil people, there are good people out there too, although it�s the people with the friendly smiles and the free gifts that you have to watch out for. They lead you into a false sense of security and trust and before you know it, they�ve sold your ass right out from under you.�
Mistaking his words to imply certain individuals, Elijah quickly and defensively spoke out. �Dom isn�t evil!�
Elijah finishing his hotdog, he took a nearby empty seat on the boat, and waited for Jericho to join him. �He is-was my friend. I still can�t believe he would just do this to me. He had to be forced, he had to be made to do this. I won�t believe that everything we did together was a lie. He cares about me, he�s always taken care of me. We spent four years in high school together. Four years, that were the happiest of my life. Now, just like that, it�s gone and that it was all�fake? I won�t believe that. Jericho, this is my life�my mom�Dom, my past is all in a jumble�and I can�t make heads of tails of it all. You start spouting about freedom and commodities. I am not a piece of meat. I�m a human being.� After a long time of silence, Elijah shook his head in desperation. �Surely the government would be on my side.�
�Only long enough to trap you.�
�You can�t know that for sure.�
�Oh, can�t I? They�re the ones who�ve been chasing me.�
Looking at Jericho questioningly, Elijah watched as Jericho looked away and stared into the waters.
�When I was in that Canadian hospital and healed that girl with my hands, it was the US government that took special interest in me. Doctor Paul Raven. He was sent with several men from the government. FBI, I think or CIA, some form of it. They wanted to test me and learn more about my abilities. All I wanted was to know who I was and to remember my past. When I insisted that I wanted to get on with my life, that was when they lowered the net.�
�Did they hurt you?�
�No, not physically. Just locked me up. Tried to keep me secure and safe. Ha! That�s what they called it. I called it jail and false imprisonment. They were taking me somewhere in the United States. Some kind of safe house. I tricked the guard and escaped. I�ve been running ever since. Trying to find out who I am and hopefully, find someone who can help me.�
�Do you remember anything? Anything at all?�
Jericho shrugged. �I have flashes of memory sometimes. I�ve seen a farm in my mind. Horses filling a nearby stable. Then I see a fire and I feel myself running and a hand, a male hand, is on my arm, holding me tightly. He calls a name. I can�t remember-�
Jericho closed his eyes and at once, he could see a red barn and a nearby farm house and it was all on fire. He was running and a hand was holding his and was shouting. The words could not be heard over the sound of the horse�s frantic neighing. For a moment, he thought he heard a woman�s scream. He opened his eyes and shrugged. �-I remember the mine shaft that I was hiding in. At least, I think I was hiding. Someone was following me and they had a gun. They ordered me to stop, and when I didn�t, they fired it. Then the shaft caved in. I don�t know what happened to the other man and I don�t remember anything after that until I woke up in the hospital.�
�Nothing else?�
Jericho shrugged. �One thing. Just one other thing.�
Jericho closed his eyes briefly and once again saw the cemetery. Graves were all around him. The sky was gray and the sound of thunder could be heard. He was standing over one particular grave. It had a small stone marker and there were some words on it. It read, �In Loving Memory�, but couldn�t seem to make out the names on the grave. They were shaded in his mind. He thought he was small and young when this event happened, perhaps eight or ten years old. The same hand that had been on him when he ran from the fire was there, gently settling on his shoulder. He remembered he started to cry and that the large man pulled him into a hug. He could not see his face. No matter how hard Jericho tried, all he could see was the same cloud that had been on the stone. But he remembered the hands. They were hard and gentle, all at the same time. Large and strong. One small scar crossed the knuckles. Jericho opened his eyes and shrugged. �I went back to the mine shaft after I escaped. I hoped to find something that could help me. All I found was a camera.�
Opening his back pack, Jericho pulled out a small camera and held it out to Elijah.
Holding it, Elijah saw it was like any other ordinary camera. A few years old, looking dated and no film. But it did have two golden Initials on it. J R.
�J R?�
Jericho shrugged. �I don�t know if it belonged to me or to someone else. But I used it to make my own name.�
Elijah smiled, putting two and two together. �JR�Jericho?�
�Yeah, cool huh.�
Elijah raised an eye brow and shrugged. �Actually it's rather lame. Why not just call yourself James or John Rogers?�
Jericho laughed and looked away.
�What? Come on tell me?�
Jericho looked at Elijah and gave in. �I liked the name Jericho.�
Elijah sighed. �What-ever. Anything else?�
Jericho nodded and rolling up his sleeve, he showed Elijah a large tattoo on his upper arm. It was a picture of a bird surrounded by flames.
�Cool.� Turning back to the envelope, Elijah pulled out the piece of paper and looked at the printed words once more. Quirking his brow, Elijah shook his head.
�Emerald Towers Hotel? Can my dad make this any more difficult? Why can�t he just leave a phone number like any other normal human being?�
Jericho only laughed and shook his head. �How else do you think he managed to avoid being captured for so many years. Give the guy a break, Elijah. You know how it feels to be hunted and on the run. He�s scared and as much as he loves your mom and wants to see her again, he can�t risk his freedom on top of it.�
Elijah shrugged. �But I want to see him, to tell him about me. Besides, I need his help to rescue my mom!�
Elijah returned to the railing and was leaning against it when he spotted another boat crossing their path, it too was heading for Ellis Island while their boat was heading back to Manhattan. So caught up in his own thoughts, Elijah didn�t immediately notice the two strange men on the other boat, staring at him right away. But when they began to snap photos of him, Elijah backed away realizing that one of them was Vincent�s man who had been at the airport.
�Jericho!�
�I know, I see them. Looks like we got out of there just in time. It will be at least an hour before they can get back across. Don�t worry.�
�But how? How did they know to look for us here? I never told Dom�� Elijah paused and remembered the library incident. How he had found a stamp of the statue and as Elijah had put it away, that Dom caught a glimpse of it. �How could he do this to me! I can�t believe it! That son of a bitch!�
Jericho gently placed his hand on Elijah�s shaking shoulders. �Take it easy. Deep breaths.�
Elijah complied and though he did calm down, the anger was still in his eyes.
***
Emerald Towers Hotel.
She wandered into the lobby holding on to her suitcase tightly. Reaching the clerk, she checked herself in.
�Lana Pullman.�
The dark skinned clerk smiled at the woman. �Have you right here, Madam. Room 2234, that�s on the twenty-second floor.�
Taking the keys from the man, the older woman smiled, allowing a young Asian bell boy to take her luggage.
A few minutes later, she arrived at her room. Tipping the bellboy, she closed the door swiftly behind him. Alone, she moved to the suitcase and with one flick of her hand, she unlocked the case and lifted the lid.
Inside were several sticks of dynamite and many plastic explosives. Smiling, she kicked off her heels and started to get to work.
***
Dominic listened intently as Vincent informed the police captain of there situation. Although Dominic didn�t like it, he watched the conversation as a silent bystander.
�I come on behalf of my employers, Mr. Steel Fletcher and Mr. Nigel Saxon.�
�Yes, yes, I�ve heard of Fletcher and Saxon. Please make this fast, Mr. Caesar, since I do have a great deal of work to do this afternoon.�
�To make it simple, my employer, Mr. Saxon, as you may have heard, is engaged to be married to a Jean Chevalier.�
�Ah, no I was not aware of his engagement.�
�Indeed, it will be announced in a few weeks. At any rate, it seems that the woman�s son, Elijah. Who is eighteen, was not pleased with this news and ran off.�
�Boys run away all the time. He�s of legal age. What do you expect me to do about it?�
Laughing, Vincent took a seat in front of the Captain. �Well, you see the problem is the boy�well he has some issues. He is not well. He suffers from a rare blood disorder that makes him quite unpredictable and confused.� Laughing again, Vincent leaned back in the chair and sighed. �He thinks that his soon-to-be step-father is trying to harm him, and has sent men out to capture him for his�blood.�
The Captain sipped at his coffee and glanced at Dominic suspiciously, then turned back to Vincent. �Go on.�
�It really has to do with his blood disorder, which can be controlled with medication, but with the boy on the run�well, I, like my employer, fears for the boy�s safety. Mr. Saxon cares so deeply for his fianc�e, he has taken it upon himself to try to find the boy. He would surely�owe the New York Police Department a great debt if they, see him and picked him up for safe keeping.�
The Captain shrugged. �Look, Mr. Caesar. I am not some dog catcher nor am I going to put out an APB on some screwed up teenager just to cater to some multi-billionaire who can�t control his step children.�
Vincent leaned forward and dropped an envelope onto the desk. The captain stared at it silently.
�What is this?�
�My employers heard that the governor has just cut your budget and frozen raises for you and your men for the next year. He figures this might help with your burdens.�
Dom stared at the police captain and saw the slight tremor in his hand and eyes.
�A bribe, Mr. Caesar?�
�Hardly that, Captain Jaymond. That would be highly illegal and criminal. Think of this as an early Christmas bonus.�
The bait was set, and Dom watched as the captain seem to wrestle with his conscience. Dom tried to help.
�That could buy your wife a brand new mink coat�or perhaps a new car? Pay some medical bills?�
The captain avoided Dominic�s stare and continued to look at the envelope.
�All I want is for your men to keep an eye out for him and contact me if they see him. My associates and I will do the rest.�
The Captain looked up and smiled at the two of them.
�What did the boy do? Steal some valuables from Mr. Saxon�s collection? Or possibly has something on your employers, some�scandal the press would like to know about?�
Vincent smiled back at him refusing to be goaded. �Does it matter?�
The captain paused for only another moment and then he picked up the envelope and pocketed it.
�I�ll do what I can.�
Vincent pulled out a photo of Elijah and handed it to him. The face it bore was smiling, handsome.
�That�s him --Elijah Chevalier. Thank you captain, I look forward to doing business with you.�
Getting up, Vincent escorted Dom outside to the waiting limo.
As Dom got in the car, he turned to Vincent curiously. �How much did you give him?�
�His price?�
�Yes.�
�All you need to know is that the local Police Captain Jaymond has a very sick wife in the hospital who requires a $200,000 thousand dollar operation that�s not covered by his medical insurance.�
�So you bought him for $200.000?�
�Well, Mr. Saxon added an extra hundred thousand, to ease his guilt.�
�I thought for a moment he wasn�t going to take it.�
�On the contrary, Master Dominic, they always take it. Just remember, anything and anyone can be bought, even the police department.�
�For a price?� asked Dom
�For a price,� replied Vincent. Closing the door behind him, Vincent ordered the driver to take them to the nearest hotel.
***
The Emerald Towers Hotel
Elijah stared up at the twenty two-foot floor building and whistled appreciatively. The doors and the windows all had a green tinge to it. The entire building looked brand new and a very well- dressed doorman appeared at the doorway stationed at the entrance. He was currently talking to a police officer.
Bypassing them and ignoring their looks, Elijah followed Jericho into the stainless steel and marble floors of the lobby and started making there way up to the clerk standing behind a dark cherry desk.
�I better get going, Ed. I�ll talk to you later. Tell Dorothy I said hi and I�ll drop by some-time for lunch.�
�Will do, and next time, I�ll beat you at chess.�
�Yeah, you just keep dreaming!� Saluting to his old friend, the police officer got into his vehicle, still clutching a Dunkin Donuts coffee. Putting it into his cup holder, he was just about to start up his car when a bulletin came in on his screen radio. A picture of a boy was missing, about seventeen or eighteen years old. Average height. Slender build. Brown hair, blue eyes. A runaway or possibly kidnapped, and were to call in if anyone saw him.
It took only a moment for the police officer to remember two young men who had entered the Emerald Towers a few seconds ago. One of them matched the description. Picking up his radio CB, he made the call.
***
��Ah, no, no we don�t have any registration under the name �Jean Chevalier�.�
�How about a Ben Richards?�
The Clerk once again looked it up on the computer terminal and shook his head. �Nope, no Ben Richards.�
Elijah then got an idea. �Try a Benjamin Chevalier.�
The clerk obeyed and a few seconds later, a name popped up.
�Oh, here we go. About a week ago, a man named Benjamin Chevalier checked in. He stayed about three days, and paid everything in cash.�
Elijah swallowed. �Did he leave any messages?�
The clerk turned and began to look over at the in boxes. A few minutes later, he came back shaking his head.
�No, no messages.�
�Is there anyway we can see that room? It�s really important,--we think he may have left something there for me.�
The clerk shook his head. �I�m sorry, but the room he was staying in is currently occupied. Besides, the maids in housekeeping come in as soon as our guests check out.�
Elijah sighed and looked up at Jericho, hoping he�d have an idea.
�Could we check anyway? As long as it�s ok with the person in the room?�
The clerk nodded and picked up the phone and dialed a number 2235.
�Hello, this is the, manager in the lobby. Would you mind if I send some people up to look at your room? Their father has mysteriously vanished and they�re trying to find something they think might have been left there by him. Thank you. That is very kind of you, ma�am.�
Hanging up the phone the man nodded at the two youths. �Miss. Tyler said it would be fine. She is on the twenty-second floor, Room 2235.�
Elijah hurried to the elevators with Jericho close behind him. As they waited for the cars to arrive, Jericho suddenly saw several maids pushing carts by pass them.
�Look, you go check out the room and I�ll go talk to the staff. Maybe the cleaners might have found something. I�ll meet you up there in about, say�twenty minutes?�
Nodding and hearing a loud ting, the doors opened and Elijah stepped inside the newly arrive elevator.
Once the doors closed, Jericho turned and headed towards the housekeeping office.
***
Everything was all ready. Setting the timer for twenty five minutes, the elderly woman stepped out of her room and locked it, heading for the elevators.
She arrived just in time for the doors to open, and a handsome young man stepped out. Nodding to him in greeting, she bypassed him and entering the car and hit the button for the lobby.
Elijah started up the long hallway, checking each room number as he went.
***
Vincent Caesar hung up the phone, grinning ear to ear. �They found them!� Looking to his driver, He shouted his new orders. �Emerald Towers Hotel. Step on it! If all goes to plan, we�ll be heading back to your father�s estate by nightfall.�
Dominic leaned back against his seat and rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
***
Finding the room number, Elijah knocked softly.
A soft female voice was heard on the other side. �Just a minute.�
A few seconds later, the door opened and Elijah looked up to see a tall, but beautiful, dark-haired woman looking down at him.
�Hello?�
�Miss Tyler?�
�Tyler, that�s my name.�
�Hi, I�m Elijah Chevalier. They called downstairs about me?�
�Oh, yes�You�re the one searching for your father. Please, come on in.� Stepping inside, Elijah was amazed at the swanky d�cor of the room. It was breathtaking. His mom would have felt like a princess in this place.
�I was just about to check out myself. I have to head to L.A to meet my dad at some charity concert he is conducting. I�ll just have enough time to get to the airport. Feel free to look around.� She picked up her nearby luggage and handed Elijah the room keys.
�I�m afraid I didn�t find anything in here, but then again, I haven�t really spent much time in my room.� She smiled at Elijah and showed off her very heavy bag. �Shopping is to die for in New York.�
Eljiah grinned and nodded as she made her way to the door. �Thanks, Miss Tyler?�
�Liv Tyler, You can call me Liv.�
�Thanks Liv.�
Giggling, she paused to look at the young man and shook her head. �You sure are cute.� Then becoming serious, she nodded at the young man sadly. �I hope you find what you�re looking for. Good luck!�
With a final wave, she turned and left.
Alone in the room, Elijah started his search.
***
Ten minutes and counting...
***
�So, you wouldn�t happen to know who�s has been cleaning the rooms on the twenty second floor do you?�
Jericho stared down at the seated woman head of the housekeeping department.
�As a matter of fact� hmmm, let me see.� Looking at her schedule, rooster she nodded. �Yes, yes, Stefania was cleaning that floor about the same date you�re interested in.�
�Is she here today?�
�Stafania, took a few days off. Let me see. Yes, she came in today and in fact, she�s covering for Joan and you can find her on the eleventh floor.�
�Thanks!� Shaking her hand, Jericho headed out the door and was just about to walk past the lobby towards the elevators when he saw three familiar figures enter the hotel.
Diving back behind a corner, Jericho cursed lowly as he watched the three young men talk to the clerk, the same clerk he and Elijah had spoken to minutes ago.
Shaking his head, Jericho saw the nearby door overhung with an exit sign that lead to a staircase. Giving one last glance, Jericho opened the door and hurried up the stairs, two at a time.
***
Vincent pulled Dominic and his henchmen to the side, away from the other patrons.
�We�ll take the elevators. Dominic, you take the stairs. Make sure no one gets past you! I�ve sent men around the back and a few will remain in the front of the hotel, just in case.�
Dominic nodded, touching his chest to make sure the gun was still in place he turned and headed for the nearby stairs.
Vincent and one of his men waited patiently for the elevator doors to arrive. When it did, they allowed a young, dark-haired woman to get out before they entered and hit the button for the 22nd Floor.
***
Elijah sighed, and sat down on the bed in exasperation. He hadn�t found anything yet. The room was sparkling clean. The Maid service obviously did a thorough job. About to give up, Elijah took one long look around the room. Putting himself in his father�s shoes, Elijah tried to think of where Ben would hide a clue to his whereabouts without being too obvious. Somewhere the maids wouldn�t clean. Where no one would think to look for clues.
Elijah opened the drawer in the nearby lamp table and riffled through the phone book. Nothing.
Looking up, he saw that there were several pictures on the wall, they looked to be copies of the impressionists. Going over to the walls, Elijah began to look behind the frames. It was while investigating the third picture, above the bed that something slipped out from behind it and hit the bed.
Picking up the small white envelope. Elijah saw his mother�s name written on it.
Crying out with joy, Elijah didn�t even take the time to open it. Heading for the doors, he was just stepping out of the room when he heard the sound of the elevator doors arriving. Looking up the hallway, Elijah felt the blood drain from his face to see two familiar figures entering the hallway. Thinking fast, and before they could see him, Elijah raced towards the fire exit, not even bothering to lock the room behind himself.
Once he reached the stairs, Elijah ran as fast as his legs could carry him down them.
***
Jericho reached the eleventh floor and hurriedly ran down the hallway. Spotting a young, Middle Eastern looking woman busily cleaning a nearby room, he made his way straight towards her.
***
Reaching the door way, Vincent took one side and his henchman took the other. Taking out their guns, Vincent pushed open the partially opened door and waited. When nothing happened, he gestured to his man, who at once dived into the room with his gun drawn.
When nothing happened, Vincent followed him into the room to find it was empty. They were too late.
Coming out, Vincent pointed to the stair case. �Go. I�ll take the elevator and start checking each floor. Call me if you find him!�
Obeying his boss, the man keeping his gun in hand reached the doors and started for the nearby stairs.
Returning to the elevator doors, Vincent entered the car and hit the button for the next floor down.
***
Passing the eighteenth floor, Elijah was running as fast as his legs could carry him. So intent on fleeing, he didn�t notice the lone figure he bypassed until he was almost several feet away. Stopping dead in his tracks, Elijah swallowed and turned around to see Dominic staring down at him with a wolfish grin on his face and in his hands, he held a gun which was pointed directly at him.
�Hello, Elijah. Going somewhere?�
Stunned, Elijah backed away from his assailant and found himself brought up short when his back connected with the nearby wall. Dominic, however, very slowly and predaciously moved towards him.
�Dom?� Elijah gasped, unable to form any other coherent words. Dominic grinned all the more and stepped closer towards his prey. Face to face, nose to nose, Dominic sized up the situation and knew without a doubt that he had the upper hand.
Elijah tried to swallow again, but his throat had gone dry. Standing so close to Dom brought it home to him that he was a man on the run.
�Dom, don�t do this.�
�Do what?� Moving even closer, Dom lined the gun up to Elijah�s chest and used his other hand to trap him against the wall. Leaning closer, Dom could see the fear in his prey�s eyes.
�Oh you mean this?� He gestured to the gun. �Relax, baby. Its just sleep darts. One little shot and you�ll be asleep for a short time.�
�Dominic, please!�
Dom only smiled wider and licked his lips.
�Please what? If you come quietly, I won�t use this. Promise. Scouts honor�oh wait- I was never a boy scout. How about cross my heart and hope to�no, I don�t like that one either. I guess you�ll just have to take my word for it.�
�Let me go!� Elijah whispered pleadingly.
�I can�t do that.� Dom was just centimeters away from that luscious mouth. Oh, how he wanted to break the barrier and kiss those quivering, pouting lips.
�Why?�
�Because my father and I have a deal. I get you, and he gets your father.�
Elijah shook his head in disbelief. �Please don�t. You were my friend. This is insane!�
�Yes, I suppose with you, I�ve always been a little insane.�
Using his free hand, Dom touched a lock of Elijah�s hair. The dark haired boy trembled at the touch.
�You don�t get it, do you, Elijah? I�m doing this for you. It�s for your own good.� He purred almost into Elijah�s ear. �Don�t you know, how long I�ve waited for you, for this�for us?�
He moved in even closer and enjoyed the feeling of power that was in his hands. It felt good.
Elijah shook his head, waiting. �What are you talking about?�
Dom chuckled as his lips quivered in anticipation. �Don�t you?�
Elijah saw the light in Dominic�s eyes and realization struck. �No, you like girls!�
Dom laughed, shaking in mirth at Elijah�s naivety. �I also like boys. One especially caught my eye, four years ago. Never figured it out, did you? You never knew. I�ve waited far too long for this, and I intend to have my cake�.now.�
Close enough for a kiss. Dom tilted his head and moved in for the kill.
***
Jericho hurried to the elevators and was just hitting the button when the elevator doors opened and he faced down a gun pointed right at him.
Vincent stepped out of the elevator.
***
The Timer clicked down the seconds�
4=3=2=1-
The Towers shook at the explosion. The entire 22nd floor burst into flames and shattered window and glass fell all twenty-two levels to the ground. Screams from the pedestrians were heard as they sought cover. All the while, in the hotel, a fire alarm was heard and clanged noisily in the hotel.
Part two
The entire hotel shook and Jericho used Vincent�s bewilderment to bring up his legs and kick him back into the elevator. Diving in after him, Jericho began to wrestle the weapon from Vincent�s hand from him. Vincent, however, recovered from his surprise and holding tightly to his weapon slammed his gun across Jericho�s neck.
Losing his grip and falling back against the wall terminal, and hitting all twenty-two floors of the building, Jericho heard the doors close behind him and bringing up his legs for the second time kicked Vincent as hard as he could. Caught off guard, Vincent fell backwards, connecting hard with the brushed steal wall. Sliding to the ground, with the wind knocked out of him, Jericho finally managed to grab the gun but before he could use it, the entire elevator suddenly shook and started falling.
***
Elijah brought up his leg at the last second and kicked Dominic right in the groin.
Taken by surprise, Dom dropped his weapon and fell back against the steps of the stairs, grimacing in pain, as it radiated in his manhood.
�Oh shit!� Dom cried out, just as Elijah snatched the gun from the floor and aimed it at Dom, staying several paces away from him.
�Goddamnit, Elijah, I think you just killed my chances for fathering children someday.�
�Fuck you!� Elijah spat back. Keeping his distance, Elijah kept the gun leveled while glancing up to see a smoke billowing from somewhere above. The sound of a fire alarm clanged through their heads, accompanied by the cries of people. �You�re telling me that after four years, four years of stealing all the girls who ever paid any attention to me, that you were�you�re gay?!�
�I prefer the term bisexual.� Gritting his teeth, Dom groaned as the pain continued to wrack his body.
�That�s a lie!� cried Elijah. �I would have known�You�re just trying to trick me.� Pointing the gun towards the smoke, he yelled. �What have you done?�
Dom looked up and shrugged. �Beats the hell out of me. But since that�s the fire alarm going off, I suggest we get out of here by heading down towards the lobby.�
�Yeah, down stairs, where Vincent and his men are waiting for me! Fuck you! We�re going back upstairs. Jericho might be there, trapped.�
Getting to his feet slowly, Dominic shook his head. �What are you stupid?�
Hearing a rumble of footsteps, Elijah and Dom moved aside to see a great many people coming down the stairs. They all seemed to be in a panic to get out of the hotel. Several shoved past Elijah and Dominic, pinning them against the wall. Elijah allowed them past, though he kept the gun hidden, and didn�t take his eyes off Dominic.
Seeing more smoke coming down towards them, Elijah headed to the nearest door which read the seventeenth floor. Dom followed him.
Several more people brushed passed them including a woman carrying a crying baby in her arms, once the halls were empty, Elijah took the gun back out and kept it level at Dom while making his way to the elevators.
Watching Elijah punch the �up� arrow, Dom shook his head.
�With the fire up stairs somewhere, the elevators won�t work. They�ve probably already shut them down already. Elijah, forget about this Jericho. Come on, let�s get out of here.�
�I�m not leaving him! Just because you can betray your friends, doesn�t mean I�ll betray mine!�
Turning his back on Dom, Elijah hit the buttons again and that was his mistake. Dom attacked.
***
The fire trucks where surrounding the area. The police brought up barricades and tried to keep the observers back behind the line.
An Elderly woman watching this, smiled and then turned and headed slowly down the street disappearing in the massive crowds of on lookers.
***
The elevator continued to fall and then, finally, somewhere the system kicked in and the free falling came to a dead stop.
Jericho and Vincent both fell hard to the floor. Stunned in the silence and the flickering darkness of the elevator, they waited.
�What the hell is happening?� Jericho asked.
Collecting the gun but putting it aside for now, Vincent pulled out his walkie talkie and called for one of his men.
�Ray! Ray come in. This is Caesar report?�
�Mr. Caesar��
A familiar voice crackled over the service. At least that worked.
�Yes!�
�Ah, well I�m outside in the limo and from what I can tell. It looks like the top floor of the building is on fire. Some are saying it was an explosion, possibly a bomb. A lot of people are coming out and about five fire trucks just arrived and a lot of police officers.�
�Do you know what floor?� Jericho suddenly cut in, reaching for the walkie talkie.
Pulling away, Vincent stared hard at Jericho and then turned back to the communication device.
�Ray, what floor?�
�Hang on�� A few seconds passed and then finally Ray spoke. �The 22nd.�
Jericho gasped in absolute horror. Seeing his face, Vincent cursed.
�He�s up there isn�t he?�
Jericho nodded feeling suddenly very sick.
�What do you want us to do? Mr. Caesar?�
�Hold tight.� Putting the communication on hold and facing Jericho, Vincent shook his head at him.
�I sent Master Dominic after him.�
Jericho let loose some air he was holding and sighed. �Oh Shit.�
Looking at the doors, he tried to open them, but they remained closed. Reaching for the phone, Jericho tried to make a call. No dial tone, it was dead. Vincent looked up and saw a small door cut in the ceiling.
Jericho opened his hands and crossing them, allowed Vincent to put his leg in and gave him a lift up.
***
The helicopter buzzed around the hotel and observed that the entire first top three floors were now engulfed in flames, and was slowly traveling downwards.
***
The fire chief turned to his men, preparing his team to going in.
�All right men, I�ve just received word that the water sprinklers are out from the seventeenth floor on up and that at least the 22nd, 21st and 20th floors are on fire. The elevators are all locked. The mayor has contacted me and is sending several helicopters to try to douse the flames from above. Our job is to get as many people as we can from the lower floors out of there.�
�What about the remaining people from the seventeenth floor and up?� asked one of his men.
The Fire Chief only shook his head. �One thing at a time, boys! Lets just hope that most of them take the stair case and make their way down as quickly as possible. Come on, let�s go!�
***
�Sorry, baby!� Elijah heard Dominic�s apology just as he got clocked with a fist across his face. Flying back against the wall, Elijah tried to bring up his free hand, only to take several more hits. Twice in his stomach and once across the neck. Stumbling to the ground, Elijah groaned, but refusing to give up. He still held tightly onto the gun and brought up his leg and kicked Dom, only for him to block the blow and send another hard punch across Elijah�s jaw.
Breathing heavily and crying out in pain, Elijah dropped the gun and backed away and watched helplessly as Dominic retrieved his weapon and pointed it at him. Hurting and with tears in his eyes, Elijah glared back at Dom. Seeing the blood on Elijah�s lips, Dom pulled out a handkerchief and threw it towards him. Angry, but in control Dom shook his head at the younger man.
�I�m sorry Elijah. I never, never wanted to hurt you. Not ever! I have only wanted to take care of you. To protect you! Because I love you. There, I said it. Something I have wanted to tell you for years. I love you-�
Elijah wiped his bloody lips, scowling fiercely, and returned his angry glare with one of his own. �Bull shit! You don�t love anyone. You don�t even know what love is! You just want to control me like you always have. I see it now. You always named the time and the place. Oh, don�t worry, Elijah, I�ll pay for you. Yeah, you always had to be the one in control. I can�t believe I was so fucking blind! But I�m not anymore. You�ll never know just how much you fucked up everything!� Getting to his feet, Elijah threw the bloody hanky onto the ground. �I�ll die first before I allow you to put me in a cage!�
�You have it all wrong! Elijah, it won�t be like that!�
�No, for the first time I have it exactly right. If you think, I�m going to give up my freedom and allow you and your father and Saxon to kidnap me and my father and use us as guinea pigs, you can think again!�
Dom sighed. �Elijah, try and understand.�
�I understand. I understand all too well.�
Knowing he wasn�t going to get through to him, Dom gave up for the time being.
�Look, we can discuss this later. First, we�re leaving. Come on, back to the stairs�come on!�
Elijah only shook his head.
Dom pointed the gun at dead center of Elijah�s chest. �I�m not going to ask again. MOVE!�
Elijah remained where he was.
�Don�t make me use this, Elijah! If I have to, I will carry you!�
Elijah didn�t even blink.
Dom cursed under his breath.
That was when he noticed the smoke pouring out from down the hallway. Then suddenly, the floor lights went out, tripping the emergency lights, and a loud rumbling sound was heard. Seconds later, the hotel began to shake, once more followed by another loud explosion coming from above them.
***
Vincent helped Jericho up on top of the elevator. Above connected to the elevator were two cables dangling. Looking at the outer walls, Vincent shook his head.
�We must be somewhere on fourteenth floor.�
�So, what do we do now?�
�We start climbing, and see if we can get to the next floor. From there, we should be able to take the stairs and reach the 22nd floor without too much problem.�
Giving Vincent one long look, Jericho was just about to reach for the nearby cable when the building suddenly rumbled, followed by an explosion. The elevator shifted and the sound of grinding metal was heard followed by loud snapping. The elevator gave way and started to descend. Reacting, Jericho grabbed for one of the wire cables just in time, with Vincent grabbing the other. Looking down, they watched the elevator fall the remaining floors, hitting the ground with a bang.
Taking a deep breath, Jericho gave Vincent another long look and then started to climb upwards. Vincent followed close behind him.
***
Losing his patience, Dominic grabbed Elijah by the shirt and dragged him towards the stairs. Elijah struggled, trying to get away, when a large figure banged open the fire door and joined the fray. Seeing the boy fighting his boss�s son, he reached in and slammed his fist hard across Elijah�s face. Elijah fell backwards, landing hard on his back.
�No!� Dominic shouted as Elijah crashed to the ground. The large form only continued the assault, grabbing Elijah by the hair and using his other hand to slam him up against the wall. As if not yet satisfied, the henchman pulled back his arm and slammed it hard against Elijah�s shoulder blades.
�ARGCH!�
The pain slammed into him and Elijah cried out in agony. Unable to defend himself, he froze all movement, but the figure only continued to strike Elijah�s back and neck.
�Stop it! Stop it, you bastard! You�ll kill him!�
Dominic reacted and brought his leg up, kicking the assailant�s legs in the hopes of bringing him down. Succeeding, Dominic dropped his gun onto the floor and pulled the figure away, watching in horror as Elijah fell lifelessly onto the ground.
�Elijah!� Leaving Vincent�s man to collect himself, Dom flew to Elijah�s side and pulling him gently into his arms, he checked his pulse. It was beating. *Thank God!*
Glaring up at his father�s henchman, Dom shouted at him in furiously. �You idiot! Matt, he was not to be harmed!�
�I have my orders, Master Fletcher. He�ll live!� Getting to his feet, he reached over and picking up Elijah�s unconscious form and slung him over his shoulders. �Let�s get out of here.�
Still furious, but knowing that now was not the time to argue, Dom picked up his gun and followed Matt to the stairs once again. Only to find that the door wouldn�t open. Looking in through the glass window, Dom could see only darkness. Smoke was coming under the doors. Backing away, Dom stared at the henchman.
�Now what?�
Putting Elijah down on the ground, Matt returned to the elevators and tried the buttons.
�They�re not working!� Dom yelped frantically.
Matt grabbed the elevator doors and tried to pry them open but even his brute force couldn�t budge them. Turning to a nearby room, Matt kicked in the door. Inside, Matt went to a wooden chair by the window. Smashing its legs on the floor, he hurried back to the elevator and tried again to pry the doors open.
Seeing all this, Dom returned to Elijah and gathered him tenderly into his arms. Elijah remained lifeless, with his head slung back. Feeling angry tears threatening to flow, he closed them tightly and pushed them back. Coughing slightly from the smoke that was now coming into the corridor, Dom quickly picked up Elijah into his arms and carried him into the now open room. Allowing Matt to continue to fight the elevator doors, Dom gently placed Elijah on the bed.
�I think I got it!� shouted Matt. He gave the wooden peg one more shove and the doors opened to reveal a waiting elevator. He tried the phone and the buttons but nothing worked.
Swearing, he took out his walkie talkie and tried to make a call to Vincent. But the device wasn�t working. He double checked the batteries and could see nothing wrong with it.
�Damn it!�
Returning to the bedroom, Matt stared at Dom and glanced at the unconscious form on the bed. �We�ve got to get out of here?�
�I�m open to suggestions.� replied Dominic, too busy to look at Matt while he tended to Elijah�s wounds.
***
Somewhere on the fifteenth floor, firemen with extinguishers tried to dose the flames near the stairs. One of the fire fighters turned and headed down a hallway to meet up with the fire chief.
�What is it, Joe?�
�It�s the fifteenth floor. There was a cave in and we can�t get above it.�
�Alright. I got the call, the lower floors have been successfully evacuated. I got the call and we have our orders to get out of here. We�ll let the helicopters and sprinklers do the rest. Come on!�
�What about the other people on the floors above.�
�There�s nothing we can do for them. Let�s go!�
***
�I think this is it. The fifteenth floor.� Jericho braced himself on the wires as best he could and swung towards the closed doors. Finding a small ledge he placed one foot on it while keeping the other wrapped around the cable. Vincent joined him, copying his movements. Both of them took a deep breath and then tried to open the doors. But they didn�t budge.
Concentrating harder, they pulled again and this time met with some success. Getting a better grip, they used all the strength they could and pried the doors opened.
Vincent leaped onto the ground and turned just as Jericho slipped and started to fall. Reaching out, he grabbed at Jericho catching the arm of his jacket just in time. Heaving, he pulled and managed to yank Jericho to safety. Both collapsing onto the floor, Jericho edged a little closer to the shaft and looked down to see nothing but darkness.
***
Matt tried to open the door-sized window in the hotel room, only to find that it was sealed shut. Cursing, he picked up the remains of the chair and tried to smash the window. Dom tried to shout for him to stop but it was too late. Shattered glass flew everywhere as the high winds threw the glass shards inwards.
�Agh!� Matt cried out as he got the brunt of the glass in his face. Screaming in pain and agony, he panicked and began to circle the room wildly, blind.
Dom had shielded Elijah with his own body just in time and managed to only receive a few cuts on his back and legs. Removing one large piece of glass imbedded in his leg, he heard Matt�s scream and turned to see that he was far to close to the window.
�Matt, Stop! Don�t move!� But it was too late. Matt had turned and his leg caught on the broken chair and he stumbled backwards out the window. �NO!�
Dom hid his face and after a few moments, he looked up, wincing painfully. He saw his leg was badly bleeding. If he didn�t do something, he could bleed to death, that is, if the smoke and flames didn�t kill him first. He returned his attention to the bed to see that Elijah was regaining consciousness. �Elijah! Elijah. Are you all right?�
The eyelids opened and blue eyes peered back at him just before darkness over took Dom and he fainted.
***
Reaching the staircase, Vincent led the way up one pair of stairs only to come to a complete stop. Ignoring the black smoke, Jericho bumped into Vincent in his haste. Pausing, Jericho followed Vincent�s eyes to see that the stairs above them were blocked. The ceiling must have collapsed.
Coughing and choking, Jericho was about to attempt climbing the blockage only to have Vincent pull him back down the stairs and onto the fifteenth floor.
�We�ve got to get to the next floors!�
Vincent pulled out his walkie talkie and tried to make contact with Ray once again. This time, however, his calls did not go through.
�What�s the matter? Dead batteries?�
Vincent shook his head. �No, must be all the interference.�
�All right. We go back and climb again, to the next floor.�
Returning to the elevator shaft, Vincent nodded. �I�ll go. You stay here and wait for me. If I�m not back in fifteen minutes, you get out of here.�
Jericho shook his head and was about to leap for the cables when Vincent yanked him back again. Jericho grabbed Vincent by his shoulders and slammed him up against the wall. Vincent, however, was much stronger and knocking Jericho off his balance, swung him around slamming him against the wall.
�I don�t have time to argue with you. This whole place could go up in flames. You�re too important to be put in danger.�
Shocked by this, Jericho looked at him, hesitating before speaking. �You know.�
�I know.�
�I sent Elijah up there. I�m not leaving here without him! Damn you, I�m responsible for him!�
�No! We�re responsible for him, now, Master Jericho. Let�s not argue. Fifteen minutes.�
Releasing his hold on the younger man, Vincent turned and leaped for the cables. Snatching onto the wire, he twisted his leg around it and started climbing.
***
�Dom! Dom!� Choking on the smoke that was now slowly entering the room, Elijah got up from the bed to see Dom now lying unconscious before him. Looking him over, Elijah was horrified to find that he was bleeding in several places. One large gash on his back and one on his leg. Looking up, Elijah felt a breeze and saw that the window had been smashed open.
*What the hell?* Not seeing the man who had attacked him, Elijah quickly went to the bathroom. Grabbing towels, he ripped Dom�s pant leg and bound the wound as best as he could. Removing Dom�s jacket, Elijah spotted the second wound. Several pieces of glass were in his back. Gasping in horror, Elijah narrowed his eyes and with great care, he pulled the pieces out.
The blood was pouring out of him. Frightened at the amount of blood, Elijah pulled away and circled the room in fear. *What am I gonna do?*
Hurrying outside the corridor, he tried the elevator but still nothing functioned. Out in the hall, Elijah ran to the fire stairs and tried the doors. They wouldn�t budge. Something was blocking them from the other side.
Coughing from the smoke, Elijah ran back to the room and seeing a phone tried to call the lobby. Nothing. It was dead.
Shaking, Elijah grabbed Dom and found he was far to heavy to lift. About to head back out into the hall, Elijah heard another rumble. Looking down the hall, he saw that a part of the ceiling had caved in and flames were slowly starting to spread towards them. �Oh no!�
The flames were all around them. They were trapped. Elijah held the unconscious form in his arms, making one last attempt to lift the body from the bed and finally managed to get him onto the floor. But Dominic was too heavy to carry and Elijah stumbled onto the ground beside him. The smoke filled the entire hallway and from down the corridor, Elijah could see that the fire was getting closer.
He had to do something and fast. If he didn�t, both he and Dominic were going to die. Time was running out. Leaving Dominic on the ground, Elijah hurried to the nearby staircase and once again tried to open the entrance doorway with his bare hands. But it wouldn�t budge. Choking and gasping for breath from the thick black smoke, Elijah returned to Dominic and seeing he had no other place to go, dragged his body into the bathroom.
He gently laid his burden onto the tiled floor, he closed the doors and stuffed the last of the towels underneath it. It would buy them time but not long. Returning to Dom�s side, Elijah tried again to rouse his old friend, and now enemy, from his unconscious state. But Dominic�s eyes remained closed. Holding Dom tightly in his arms, Elijah looked upwards and sent a silent prayer for help. There was no where to go and no place left to run.
Darkness surrounded him and the smell of smoke started to enter the closed doors. It was in that moment Elijah knew that his time was up.
***
Vincent couldn�t believe this. Just above him was a second elevator. Sighing, he slid down slowly from the cable, knowing full well that there was no way he could get past it. Reaching the next floor, he reached the ledge and bracing himself, tried to pry open the doors. Already exhausted from the climb, he could feel the tension and pain ripple as his muscles protested. Ignoring the pain, however, he continued to work on the doors.
A short time later, he finally managed to get them open. Stepping onto the ground floor, Vincent looked up and down the hall to see that some smoke was rippling around his feet. Moving quickly to the stair case, he touched it gingerly but feeling no heat he pushed open the door. Reaching the stairs, he could barely see as black smoke filtered down from above him.
Taking off his jacket, he pulled it tightly around his mouth and hurried up the stairs. He was half way up when he realized he had to stop. Huge pieces of debris were in front of him, blocking the next floor�s doorway. Taking deep breaths he pondered over the predicament. Finally finding a small section he could climb over, he made his way over the pile and found more debris blocking the doorway to the seventeenth floor. Coughing and with his eyes stinging, Vincent slowly began to remove the debris. It was minutes later that he finally managed to get the door free and open it.
Entering the hall already filling with smoke, he hurried down the hall, checking each room as he went. He came to a complete stop, when he saw a familiar gun laying next to an elevator and that one of the door�s to a room were ajar. Looking in, he felt a breeze hit him. A window had been shattered and glass was all over the floor. There were also blood stains. Lots of blood. It formed a trail towards the bathroom. Dreading what he might find, he hesitated and then grabbed the knob and opened the door.
Elijah looked up as the door opened and swallowed. Without even saying a word, Vincent bent down and checked Dominic over.
�He�s hurt.� Elijah watched as he noticed the leg wound and the gashes on Dominic�s back. �How did you get up here.�
�No time, come!� Picking up Dominic�s unconscious form and slinging him over his shoulders, he hurried out of the room. �Cover your mouth with something and stay close!�
For once Elijah didn�t argue, coughing as the smoke hit his nostrils and burned his throat. Elijah covered his mouth with a nearby towel and followed after Vincent, staying right at his side.
Reaching the stair case, Vincent carried Dom and led Elijah down a flight. Seeing another blockage below filled with burning debris, Vincent turned and reentered back the sixteenth floor. Hurrying down the corridor, Vincent paused at the elevator shaft and put Dominic gently down against the wall.
�Now what?� choked Elijah.
�Now, you climb down.�
Elijah looked at Vincent then at the cable and the shaft then back at him. �Are you crazy?�
�It�s the only way. If we can get to the fifteenth floor, we can use the stair case from there to get through. Don�t argue with me, we don�t have much time.�
�Not without Dom! I won�t leave him here!�
�I�ll climb down after you with him over my shoulders. Now go.�
Elijah paused and looked down the shaft again and shook his head. �I can�t.� Pulling away, Elijah moved to the other side of the wall. Vincent shook his head as he saw the fear in the teenagers eyes.
�You must.�
�I�m afraid of heights.�
�Then don�t look down.�
Taking off his belt, Vincent began to make a loop and then moving to Dominic, he threw him back over his shoulder and secured him to his body. �Just take it slow. One hand at a time. I�ll be right behind you.�
Vincent moved towards Elijah and taking him by the arm, he pushed him towards the shaft.
�Now!�
Shaking with fear, Elijah glanced back at Vincent and one took long look at Dominic before leaping and grabbed on tight to the cables. With a whimper he started to slide down slowly. One hand at a time.
Once Elijah had gotten some distance, Vincent made his leap. The cable felt like spikes in his hand. Ignoring the extra weight on his shoulders, Vincent pushed all feelings and pain aside and slowly followed Elijah downwards.
***
Fifteen minutes had passed, but still Jericho found he could not leave. Preparing to go after Vincent, Jericho was just about to make a grab for the cables when he saw the wire move suddenly. Looking up, he saw a small form making its way down towards him. Holding his breath, he was more then relieved to see Elijah staring down at him.
�Jericho.�
�I�m here, kid. Hang on, you�re almost here. Come on!�
In his joy at seeing Jericho he broke his concentration and suddenly, Elijah slipped and then, he was falling.
�AH!�
Forgetting the danger Jericho reached out and made a grab for the falling boy and fortunately managed to catch his flailing hand. Holding tightly, he almost toppled with Elijah into the shaft but something came from behind him and got a hold of him. Glancing back, he was shocked to see a fire fighter.
�Jericho!� Elijah screamed as his legs dangled in open air. �Don�t let go!�
�I got you!� With the added help of the fireman, Jericho managed to pull Elijah up and into the safety of his arms.
�I got you!� Jericho repeated as he hugged Elijah tightly to him. �You�re safe, I have you!�
Recovering, Elijah opened his eyes and pointed to the shaft. �Dom and Mr. Caesar. You have to help them!�
The fireman turned, and seeing two more of this own men coming from the stair case with masks, nodded to the survivors.
�We�ll take care of them. You two get out of here. Now!�
�No, I want to stay! Dom!� Elijah cried, trying now to get to his own feet and found instead that they weren�t working quite right.
Nodding at the fireman, Jericho dragged Elijah to his feet and half carried and half dragged him passed the fire men.
�Jericho?�
�He�ll be all right. Move!�
The last thing Elijah remembered was feeling another rumble and then darkness claimed him once more.
***
The EMTS maneuvered the young man into the ambulance. Holding the cellephone in one hand, Vincent got into the ambulance just before they closed the door. Taking a seat beside Dominic, he finished dialing the number and waited to be patched through.
A pair of blue gray eyes looked up at him, waiting.
�Mr. Fletcher. Yes, Sir. Yes, I am aware of the fire in the news. No, sir. I�m afraid they got away. Yes, I�ll give you a full report as soon as possible. Sir�your son was hurt�ah..yes�very well.� Closing the line, Vincent looked down at Dom almost apologetically.
�Let me guess, --he asked if I was going to live.�
�Yes, he did and I told him you would.�
�And then he hung up on you.�
�Right after he said, �find Mr. Chevalier or else I can start looking for another job�.�
�My father is such a dickhead.�
Vincent shook his head and glanced at the EMT silently staring at him questioningly. The EMT nodded and gave him a thumbs up. Reassured, he turned back to Dominic.
�If it helps any, the boy didn�t want to leave you.�
Dom frowned and shrugged.
�We�ll find him. We will.�
Dom only closed his eyes and allowed his mind to drift off into a light sleep.
***
�We should really have you checked at a hospital, Elijah.�
�Just some fresh air and I�ll be ok. Honest, Jericho.�
Jericho climbed on the motorcycle and shook his head as Elijah joined him. �Those bruises on your body and bloody lip tell me otherwise.�
�The bloody lip was courtesy of Dom, but not the bruises. I�m OK.�
�You sure you don�t want to talk about your run in with Dominic Fletcher?�
Elijah turned away and closed his eyes, his thoughts returning to Dom�s revelations, being bisexual and in love with him. Love? More like lust or obsession. Not ready to deal with this bit of information just now, Elijah opened his eyes and looked back at Jericho.
�No, not now.�
�The bastards. All this and we came up with nothing! I spoke to the maid who cleaned that room and she said she didn�t see anything in there. I don�t know what to do now. Any ideas?�
Taking out the small envelope from his pocket, Elijah waved it in front of him. �I found this in the room, behind a painting. It�s addressed to my mom.�
Opening it, Elijah read it and found their next clue. Inside was a piece of paper with an address on it.
�Summerset county, Ohio. Amos D Fitzgerald Orphanage.�**
Pocketing the envelope, Elijah watched as Jericho put on his helmet and then did the same. Glancing at Elijah, whose face was slightly bruised from his confrontation, Jericho couldn�t resist a small jibe.
�Good grief Charlie Brown, it�s the Great Pumpkin.�
Ignoring Elijah giving him the raspberry, Jericho headed out of New York City and straight for the highway.
***
Dominic, sat quietly in the hospital room. He stared at the paper in his hands, re-reading the news of the fire. Ten people were killed and from what the police could piece together it had been set by some disgruntled employee who had been fired a few weeks before. She had been picked up by the police and was set to appear in court next week. The Emerald Towers hotel was closed but would reopen within the next month for business.
Closing the paper and setting it down on his tray, Dominic leaned back against his pillows with a sigh. Twenty five stitches in his back and thirty on his leg later and he could leave the hospital tomorrow. Twenty four hours and then the chase would start all over again.
Closing his eyes, Dominic envisioned Elijah in his room, sitting next to him. Leaning towards him and pressing his lips against his own.
*Damn you, Elijah. Make no mistake. You will be mine!*
And The Journey continues!
**(Ben Richards and his brother, Jason, were sent after their parents death, in The Original TV Immortal Series, Episode: Brother�s Keeper)