Disappear: Into Shadow

- CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR -

After crashing down into the trees below the bridge, the blue mini van had ripped its way through the boughs. Coming to a stop within the branches, it now hung a further thirty feet over a river. The body of the van was mostly intact, but the windows were smashed and its body was a beaten mess of sheared off metal and deep dents.

A blood splattered hand and forearm dangled limp over the side of the passenger side door. When the van tore its way through the foliage, the snapping boughs and branches had ripped apart the vehicle's interior. Neither Tim nor Tom had worn their seat belts. Thrown about the interior during the fall and crash, their bodies were bloodied, broken and still. The back seat of the car was in tatters but had not come loose during the impact. Dagan and Simon, still in their seats, continued to argue.

"We've crashed. That's great! Just add one more shitty thing to the day!" Simon complained.

"Shut up." Dagan said. "It's all about what's happening to you lately. I can't do this, I can't handle this! What can you do, other than piss and moan?" Dagan asked.

"Excuse me for having trouble adjusting!" Simon whined.

"I have no idea why I keep you around." Dagan said.

"Because he's your friend and you need him." Decimus the Centurion said. The Roman's eyes peered over the shattered bodies and interior of the car.

"I need this annoyance like I need to live again." Dagan told Decimus.

The Centurion stood on one of the many splintered and bent branches piled up beneath the wrecked van. He stooped over one mangled hole where a window used to be. Looking inside Decimus said, "This is a pretty picture."

"What're you doing here Decimus?" Dagan asked, "We're not supposed to see you for another week."

"We need to talk." Decimus said.

"Great, let's talk," Simon said. "I want to get out of this van first." Simon looked out the side window at the creek below. Surveying the tangled branches holding the van aloft, he said, "Look at that! I wonder how much it would take for this van to go all the way down?"

"Forty two grams," The Centurion answered. "The weight of two souls."

"Decimus and I need to talk, alone." Dagan told Simon.

"I see, more stuff Simon knows nothing about. What are you into? What just happened? I want to know everything I'm not supposed to ask about!"

Decimus stared at Dagan, the neo waved his hand and said, "Sy, what did we talk about earlier?"

"I'll go see Trish while you do your plotting." Simon said. His voice was taut, clipped.

"You'll do nothing of the kind." Dagan hissed.

"You're gonna destroy me? Won't that raise some questions? Better yet, I know why you don't want me getting involved with Trish! You don't want any attention brought near you. You're worried I'll cause some sort of interference and you'll be investigated." Simon was gaining confidence. "Maybe," Simon continued, "I'll go see Trish, but before I do I'll tell Azrael how I've been roaming around without any supervision. That'd screw things up pretty good."

"Enough," Dagan said. "What do you want?"

"In exchange for my silence, I want Trish. I want one night with her, under your protection."