Part 2: Confusion Tolerance
"I'm sick of being the guy who eats insects, and gets the funny syphilis. As of this moment, it's over. I'm finished being everybody's butt-monkey." -Xander Harris
"...and met some very strange people..." -Sarah Pezzini
Sarah Pezzini had been focusing on the book that Ian had tried to steal from the college student. She had planned on interrogating Nottingham about the book and why Irons was so desperate to get his hands on it. The young woman had went on her way without pressing charges, a few less pieces of paperwork that they would have to do. Still the question remained, what did the book have to do with the Witchblade?
Sarah fingered the bracelet around her wrist, nothing since the blade had warned her. One option was to go to Gabriel Bowman and see what he could find on the book. Finding that it was twenty till five she took off early and headed for Gabriel’s shop. Finding that there was no sign of him she headed back to her apartment. Looking at the cabinet she saw the familiar face looking up at her. Sitting down at the kitchen table she cast a glance at the Asian man and once partner.
"Danny what the hell is all this about?"
"Life, and to some degree the fate of the world." he hopped off the counter.
Sarah watched as he took a seat across from her. "The cryptic thing is getting old."
"Who said I was being cryptic?" Danny smirked "I’m being straight foreword with you."
"Okay then what’s the book about?" Sarah eyed his ghost.
"Can’t say, just mentions you in the final battle." he tapped on the table top.
"Again with the cryptic act. Your supposed to enlighten me wise Asian master."
"I can only guide you, enlightenment is supposed to be Nottingham’s area. Or at least that what the Powers that Be say."
Sarah closed her eyes for just one moment, opening them she found that Danny was gone. Sighing she tried calling Gabriel once more, but got nothing, trying his shop she got an answer, explaining what happened he asked her to come over.
Sarah sighed as she made her way over to Gabriel’s neighborhood. Her mind coming up with a million questions, and everyone of them had a million answers. Sarah was alone for the moment, soon enough she would find him, or he would find her. It was in a dark alley way that she first felt his presence.
"Nottingham." Sarah acknowledged his presence.
"Sarah." he fell into step with her. "That book is the key to the final battle we need it."
"We?" she raised a brow "Would that be you and me or you and Irons?" she furrowed her brow.
"You and I," he was mere inches away from her face now. "we could be inseparable, all you have to do is ask."
"What is it with you?" Sarah didn’t back down, her heart thrumming in her chest. "You keep offering things that you never explain. Care to explain what Irons’ wants with the book?"
"He wants it to stop you, he’s loosing his grasp on you. It’s a last ditch attempt at controlling you." Ian circled her like a lion circles its prey.
"He’s never controlled me." Sarah stated through gritted teeth. "The only one he controls is you."
"Irons thinks he controls me." Ian said before fading back into the shadows.
Sarah felt him leave, proceeding onto Gabriel’s place she found the younger man anxiously waiting. His PC all ready on and it looked like he had already gotten started on searching for information. He began an explanation that was obviously awkward for him. He told Sarah that he had met a young woman the same day with the same book and that he knew where she might be staying.
"What was her name?" Sarah looked at Gabriel’s computer.
"Kean, Oz-" Gabriel was cut short.
"Owsyn?" Sarah asked. "dark brown hair blue eyes, pale -"
"That’s her," Gabriel nodded. "I think she mentioned the thing with Nottingham and you."
"Directly?" Sarah crossed her arms.
"Not really, just a vague mention of the day had taken a strange turn," he smirked. "Which only caused me to think what did Iron’s want with the book."
"Something I’ve been wondering myself." Sarah took as seat and looked at the flat screen monitor. "Find anything?"
"It maybe something," he shook his head, "seems as though there’s another copy of the book, Somaris, the monk that wrote the original wrote three of them." Gabriel looked over at Sarah. "Seems as though he was gifted with ESP and killer migraines. He had predicted that the 'Three shall rise from the ashes of their great fights and face the one feared and dreaded. One shall be the Slayer, she alone has the strength and the will to hunt them. Second shall be the bearer of the Digitablum Magi, she who sees into the fringes. Third shall be the Justicarus one so feared and dreaded even the he will tremble in her wake. She shall be familiar to the other two that she will be trusted without questions. They will be the three and so that shall fight the darkness with their trusted at their sides.' I don't know about you, but I'm fully not buying into prophecies."
"Why write three of the same thing?" Sarah thought out loud.
"To be sure that one copy survived." Gabriel sat down across from her. "Books had a rough life back in those days. Any book that wasn't in great popular demand was recycled and put into other books. Anyway, Somaris wrote about a prophecy that involves not only the Witchblade, but a Slayer and something called a Justicar." he looked at her again pulling up a web browser. "I found something out about the Slayer. Seems as though the girl is chosen, she fights and kills vampires, demons and other things that go bump in the night." he scrolled down and highlighted a section of the web page.
"What about the Justice thing or person?" Sarah asked.
"I found even less on her." he pulled up another window. "Three words." he highlighted the words "judge, jury and executioner"
"Any chances that there’s another copy that we could get our hands on?" Sarah eyed the young man hopefully.
"No," he sighed. "Kean took the only copy we could have accessed. There’s one in London and the other is in Paris, or just outside of it. Both in private collections."
"Kean, she didn’t mention where she was staying at?"
"Nope, some where around Central Park." he eyed Sarah. "That’s all I know."
"If she was here for her boss, and he’s a writer there’s a good chance that he put her up somewhere nice." Sarah mulled over the choices. "The Plaza or Carlton?"
"Got me you’re the cop, Pez." Gabriel smiled. "I’ll see what else I can find, don’t expect too much more."
"Thanks." she smiled and left, heading back to her apartment.
Again Sarah was alone for the first half hour as she walked, but that cold and chilling presence returned. She smirked, turning she found that there was nothing, turning back to walk on she found herself nose to nose with him.
"Kean’s gone." Ian's raspy voice spoke.
"Really?" Sarah folded her arms. "How do you know?"
"Saw her at the airport an hour ago, boarding a plane." he noticed her hands were ungloved.
"Where to?" Sarah eyed him as his gloved hand turned her hand over.
"Seacover." he smiled stealth fully dropping Owsyn’s identification card in Sarah’s hand.
Before she could thank him he was off and running, most likely back to Iron’s estate, knowing Ian he had followed her since he tried to take the book. Now he would go back to Iron’s and receive punishment or he would be sent to watch her. She had hoped that he would be sent to watch her, both of them had tried to break away from Iron’s grasp and it had almost cost them the last time. Ian had been less cryptic and more helpful in giving her the information that she often desperately needed. She slipped the card in her jacket pocket and continued on her way home.
Sarah had made several calls to some of the high class hotels that were around he Central Park area. None had had a Kean by the name of Owsyn, Sarah was running out of upper end places, when she noticed the name of a small high class hotel about two blocks from the park. Sarah chuckled noting the name of the hotel, "Hemingway". The young woman had some resourcefulness not to give much more than her name. Dialing the number she spoke with a young man who had mentioned that they had a guest that fit the description, but the name that she was registered under was a Shea Venchennzi. Sarah thanked the young man and wrote down the information. Calling the air lines would take forever, looking at the phone again she had four options.
One was to call directory assistance and ask to be transferred to Seacover directory assistance and inquire about both names see if their was any numbers listed. Good chance if this Shea Venchennzi was a writer that the number would be unlisted, and most likely so would Owsyn’s number.
Two she could call every major Cell phone company in the country and see if any of them had a phone or number registered for either Shea or Owsyn. Remembering that the young woman counted her cell phone as one of the things not missing from her bag.
The third option was most likely the one that she would take, taking some personal time off and going to Seacover seeing if she could find either Owsyn or Venchennzi. Not likely the idea too much, she called Jake, asking him to check up on the first three options she told him that she was taking some time off to go to Seacover and find out more about Owsyn.