Sunset in Rome `Open

[Clair Hayes]

Clair looked out the window for a second longer before sighing and moving away again. She took one last glance around the room, wishing not for the first time that she could just return to her own room in New York, before heading toward the bed. She pushed back the thin see-through white canvas that curtained the bed and climbed in. The sheets were soft the bed comfortable, she really couldn’t ask for anything more at that point. Just before she drifted off to sleep she wondered if Ed would stick around until morning, or maybe all week even. If he wanted to get moving again she would understand, she just wanted a chance to say goodbye at least.

Her eyes flashed open and suddenly she was sitting bolt upright, her eyes wide and her small hands clutching at the sheets. She had been visited by a horrible nightmare of a dream and now every shadow in the room seemed to be moving and growing closer. Clair bit her lip and told herself it was just a dream, she had often had nightmares such as the one she had just had ever since she began running. But unlike before she couldn’t shake her uneasy feeling, like an unnerving presence on her chest. ‘Maybe it’s because of the Division men yesterday, they probably just set me off nerves.’ Clair thought hopefully, but not really believing it herself. All the same she forced herself to lay back down and try to slow the beating of her heart. She couldn’t bring herself to close her eyes for over ten minutes, but soon her own fatigued got the better of her and she managed to close her eyes once again.

[Edigido Kran]

He slept peacefully on the roof, the noise of the night lulling him to sleep. This was how he was used to being. Sleeping somewhere in the forest, high up in a tree where no-one could hurt him. Laying on the roof, his arm acting as his pillow, he drifted to sleep; continually listening to the sounds that occurred. He woke with a start, and instantly pulled his black blade from it's case; causing a metallic sound to resonate through the night. There was no noise; no crickets chirping, no owls hooting, even the frogs were silent. It worried him, nature wasn't quite for nothing. His eyes searched all around the house, but he didn't see anything; there weren't any shadows on the lawn, the grass wasn't moving, and still no noise came from the night.

He heard Clair stir downstairs, nearly falling from her bed. He figured that she sensed it, or heard the lack of noise. He touched off of the roof gently, making as little noise as possible, and looked into her window; making sure that there wasn't anything that wasn't supposed to be there. He scanned the room as she re-situated herself on her bed; falling back asleep. He noticed how she fidgeted, and saw the gleam of sweat on her brow. He nodded, and flew up higher, knowing that something must be wrong. Nature wasn't this quite for no reason...

Flying as fast as he could around the island, he saw nothing moving. There were a few shadows in houses, people stirring in the night; getting snacks and water at their leisure. He landed back on the roof above Clair's room, keeping watch to the best of his ability. He didn't lay back down, but crouched like a Gargoyle, the black blade hanging over the side of the roof, waiting for something to happen.

[Clair Hayes]

Clair slept on but her dreams were disturbing and she turned restlessly in her sleep. Even in an unconscious state her body knew there was danger close, although her resting mind knew and did nothing about it. She was so tired from the long night they had experienced that she couldn’t pull out of sleep and away from her nightmare no matter how hard she tried. But she could sense danger close, she knew it was there, or maybe it was just part of her dream?

Outside a grand total of seven black Sedans pulled up the long seashell driveway, their black tires crunching softly as they rolled over the coral. The windows were tinted so no light came in and as they approached the dark house they fanned out and men in black that matched the shade of the cars climbed out and circled the house. One emerged last, a tall important looking man in a black suit flanked by two strong looking men. This one headed straight for the front door, ringing the doorbell and sending the chimes throughout the whole house. It all happened in less then a minute, everything timed and precise like true professionals.

The young American awoke once again with a start at the sound of the doorbell. Confusion and drowsiness clouding her thoughts and she rubbed her eyes with her knuckles, looking around in slight puzzlement as she wondered where she was for a second. Then she remembered and her eyes widened. She swung her legs out of bed and ran over to the closet, pulling on her clothes with practiced speed before tugging on her sneakers. ‘Why did the doorbell ring? Is it Division? If it is how are they finding us?’ Questions spun in her head as her fight or flight instincts activated in her. But maybe she was just over-reacting, maybe it was Ria’s parents or a pizza guy or something. Either way she had to find out.

She pushed open the door to her room and ran to the top of the staircase just in time to see the butler answer the door. As the door swung aside Clair saw of a man in a suit and two bigger men behind him before the man in the suit looked right at the butler and suddenly the butler ran headfirst into a glass statue, blood coating the wall and carpet. Clair couldn’t stop herself, she screamed in surprise and fear and froze up, unable to move. She had given herself away and now the men were coming toward her. ‘Come on, move!’ The young girl screamed in her head. But so couldn’t stop looking at the dead man on the floor or the blood that was now slowly soaking into the off white carpet. Her eyes where wide and she didn’t even notice the tears falling down her cheeks, she had just watched a man kill another man without even touching him.

[Edigido Kran]

Ed had seen the cars pull up to the house, all of them. He didn't move yet, but he heard Clair stir in the room beneath him. He could tell in the night that they were Division. They all started to surround the house at the exact instant the man knocked on the door. Edigido threw himself off the house, hoping that Clair would be able to take care of herself for a little bit. He wasn't wearing much, just a pair of jeans and one of his swords. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he jumped as hard as he could toward the first division agent near him. Flying as fast as he could in an instant, his sword cut clean through the first man; not a noise emitting from his now lifeless corpse. His feet touched the ground quickly, gaining a little more speed. When he was about five feet from the next division agent, he noticed Ed...and his eyes grew wide. He knew he couldn't turn fast enough to stop his own demise. He saw the blade rushing at his waist, and uttered a slight scream before dying.

He cursed, not moving fast enough. The other division agents on the same wall of the house looked toward the scream, and saw the speeding blur, firing at it as fast as they were able. They hadn't brought pistols, but instead sub-machine guns; firing entire clips into the darkness. They didn't seem very accurate, but his arm was grazed more times then once. He flew closer to the ground, bouncing from left to right as fast as he could, killing the next guard.

He was worried, and killed two more guards who did nothing but stare at him as he flew at them, the black blade shining in the night. He skipped a few of the other agents, instantly bounding up to his room. He threw on his jacket, and made sure he had his other Katana bursting through the door. He had heard the man Push the butler into the glass a few seconds earlier, and winced. There was too much death this night...he just hoped that himself and Clair wouldn't be among the two to die tonight.

The instant the door was open, he nearly tackled Clair through the air. "BREATHE!" He screamed at her. He wanted to get her out of the way...somewhere at least a little safe for the time. He couldn't run...not this time. He had to protect the little girl over his shoulder. He quickly inverted himself, placing his feet hard against the window, shattering it. His arm holding the little girl on his shoulder, making sure not to cut her. He burst to the ground, landing on the beach away from the house. He looked at her, his shoulder bleeding "Are you okay!?" He wasn't screaming, but serious, concerned.