CHAPTER ONE:

AC 187

St. Gabriel’s Orphanage:

Sister Margarita, a young nun of eighteen, practically ran down the hallway towards the office, her mind churning with things to say to her superior. How on earth was she to explain that they had lost the boy again? This was becoming a daily occurrence on the field trips that the children at the orphanage were required to attend and only one boy was prone to give her this amount of trouble. Sister Helen was not going to be very happy.

Brushing down her long black dress with nervous hands, she paused for a moment and took a deep breath, willing the Lord to be on her side, before knocking on the brown oak door before her.

The lithe singsong voice answered with a sweet ‘Enter’ and the younger woman walked into the room.

“Ah, Sister Margarita. To what do I owe the pleasure of meeting you at this time?”

The young woman sitting behind the large table had a face that any photographer would have loved to capture on film. Bright blue eyes sparkling with warmth and love upon a face that many children and adults alike had fallen in love with, welcomed the worried one in front of her. A wisp of blonde hair peeked from the covered head giving her an almost childlike quality.

For several minutes, Margarita sought to find the right words to say and trying to stall for time, she walked up to the other woman and placed the customary kiss on the back of her hand.

Helen frowned lightly at the gesture. She knew that something was terribly wrong. “What is it, Sister Margarita? What has happened?”

“Oh, dear Sister Helen!” she finally blurted out in a rush. “I kept him by my side as you suggested. I could have sworn that he was with me the entire time!”

The older woman’s face paled drastically as she rose to her feet. “Oh, please, dear God, do not tell me that Duo has run away again?”

The younger nun was almost in tears as she nodded. “I was with him the whole time!”

“Then how in the world did he manage to disappear?”

“I am so sorry…”

Helen waved her hands to stop the other woman from her apologies, although her mind whirled with turbulent thoughts. They had been lucky the last few times to be able to find the boy easily enough, but recently, it seemed like he had mastered the art quite well and had now gotten to the point where looking for him took several days.

Father Maxwell was going to be veeeery upset.

“Have you told the other sisters on duty?” she finally asked as she picked up the phone to make the routine call to the police station.

“Yes. Sisters Rosalia and Mary are with the other children in the prayer room.”

“Good. I suggest you stay there with them. I will make my way towards the search area myself. Oh, hello, Officer Dawson…yes…you guessed it….I am so sorry for the inconvenience, but he really is a sweet little…a monster?…oh, please…thank you, thank you so much. May God bless you and your family.”

She hung up the phone and reached for her black windbreaker. It was, after all, a chilly autumn evening outside. She walked out of the room, briskly followed by the still-nervous younger woman.

“Sister Helen? What do I tell Father Maxwell, if he arrives?”

Helen stopped for a moment to think before turning back to face her. “I guess we will just have to bear his wrath. Tell him that I have gone to bring Duo back. I am sure he will understand.”

“Yes, Sister Helen. And once again, I apologize.”

A warm smile was sent her way. “That’s okay, Sister Margarita. We all make mistakes.”

Four miserable hours later, the search party comprised of L2’s finest, two priests and Sister Helen sat down amongst the makeshift rest area sipping welcome cups of coffee as the cool chill of dusk began to set in. They had combed the main city streets in the hopes of finding the elusive boy. The search party being used to this kind of thing had been surprised that the search hadn’t produced the desired results yet. Normally, the pesky little terror could be found in either a store shoplifting or in the process of being chased by someone else he had robbed.

Helen stared miserably into her coffee, the words of encouragement from her fellow searchers slipping over her head and into the mist. She clutched the small blue jacket that belonged to Duo within her grasp, the small lump stuck in her throat refusing to budge. Unlike many of the others in the parish or in the orphanage, they had come to see the young boy as nothing but trouble with a big ‘T’ and Helen couldn’t exactly blame them for thinking that. Duo was no ordinary boy. That had been made quite clear from the moment he had been found.

Almost seven years ago to the day, Father Maxwell, the owner of St. Gabriel’s Orphanage and head priest of the adjoining church had woken up that fateful morning to witness the goriest sight he had ever seen. Lying in front of his church was the body of a young woman, apparently dead and the silent bundle that Maxwell had seen contained a bloodstained baby boy. The baby couldn’t have been more than a few months old and for a moment the man had thought that both mother and son were deceased. It wasn’t until he lifted the bundle that those eyes opened to reveal amethyst depths that seared through him.

The police had ruled it as a suicide and since no one else had come forth to claim the little one as his, Father Maxwell had willingly taken the boy in. Helen, then a young seventeen-year-old, had fallen head-over-heels for the child and had made it a personal mission of hers to raise the boy herself. Father Maxwell had given her the permission to name him and she had chosen Duo, for the first child she had cared for had been named Solo.

That was when she had begun to notice the difference between Duo and the others. For one thing, Duo’s hair had the amazing ability to grow at an alarming rate. By the time he was two, the boy’s thick chestnut-colored locks were already at shoulder length. Helen had tried to cut his hair herself several times, but had found to her amazement and disbelief that the hair always grew back to its normal length the next day. Resorting to having to braid the ever-growing locks, which wasn’t met without a fight, it always came undone the next morning.

Another shocking thing she had discovered was that Duo never bled or had a wound for long periods of time. Case in point, he had been caught playing with one of the Sisters’ utility knife, when he had accidentally cut himself on his arm. It had been a deep gash and the blood flow had been too much for even Helen to bear. He had been rushed to the hospital and had a quick surgery done. Naturally, one was to expect the scars on his arm from the operation to be seen, but the next morning, Duo had looked as good as new. It was as if the entire incident the day before had never happened.

And let us not forget the strange occurrences that took place around the orphanage whenever Duo got upset. Windows breaking without reason, people getting hurt without him lifting a finger…Helen sighed. Everyone had begun to notice the ‘strange’ boy, and she, for one, couldn’t blame them either. Duo was an enigma. One moment he could be the most charming boy on the planet, the next moment he was a stark raving lunatic…and a deadly one, too. A boy who stole and cheated and lied and swore like any weathered sailor…

And he was all of seven.

God help us all.

“Sister Helen?”

She snapped out of her reverie to stare blankly at the concerned face before her.

“Oh, hello, Officer Dawson. What can I do for you?”

“You were shivering and we kinda figured that maybe you should go back to the church. We can handle things here on our own. You need some rest.”

She shook her head fervently. “Oh, no. I am quite fine. Thank you very much for caring. I think we ought to move our search elsewhere…”

She gasped as a sudden image flashed through her mind. Perhaps it was due to her close relationship to the boy, but she had gradually developed a sense of premonition and ‘vision’ concerning him. She could usually tell where the boy was at any given point…if the other party was willing to cooperate. And in this vision, she had clearly seen him.

“I know where he is,” she said abruptly, causing the men around her to stare at her in curiosity. Getting to her feet, she made her way towards the small van that had carried them around in their search. “Well, come on!” She urged impatiently. “Hurry up, he’s in some sort of trouble.”

Officer Dawson finally snapped out of his daze to motion to his men. “Alright, you heard the lady, let’s move it!”

Inwardly, he prayed and hoped that the young woman’s intuition was right. He had about had it with searching for the day.

The two men weren’t quite sure about this kid. I mean he looked normal enough, but with all of that hair and his eyes shining like a deranged maniac, hell, the kid looked mental. Priding themselves in being professional criminals, they suddenly felt outclassed and outmatched by the smirking tiny being before them.

Finally, the older one of the two took out the cigarette stub from his mouth and crushed it to the ground with a heavy and almost worn-out black boot. Eyeing the simple blue t-shirt that was one size too large for him and the slightly loose jeans that he wore, the kid looked like an adult stuffed in a kid’s body. A small and pretty damn smart adult.

“How old did ya say you were agin, kid?”

“What’s it to ya?” came the snide reply.

“Hey, don’t get all fresh on me, kid. I gats me a rep to protect. I don’t want no stinkin’ kid comin’ up here to disrupt this here job. You gats me?”

Duo smiled knowingly and nodded. “I gotcha. So, are we ever gonna go in or what?”

The men exchanged a glance at each other before they all turned around to stare at the house they were about to invade. Not exactly the largest house in the city, but it was what was inside that counted. The house belonged to a local diamond dealer and they had plans to rob him blind. Only problem they had was that the window connected to the room, was so small that they needed someone to help with that particular problem.

That was where the strange kid had come in. Strange because, both men, Sikes and Fagin, had been hunched in the corner of a dingy bar located on the outskirts of the main town discussing this particular dilemma, when the young child had walked up to them. Their first thoughts had been that the boy was probably crazy for being there at all, but when Duo had opened up his mouth to speak, they had been rendered speechless by the maturity and brevity of his words. The boy had cut straight to the point and had volunteered his services.

They hadn’t sent for him. They hadn’t even told anyone that they had been planning to rob that house, but somehow the boy had known and that in itself was scary enough. Sikes, not being one to pass up a good opportunity had willingly accepted Duo’s help, much to Fagin’s chagrin. And now an hour later, they were about ready to do the deed.

“Remember the plan?” Sikes asked watching as Duo’s cherub face contorted into a frown of irritation. Sikes swallowed. He got the feeling that he wouldn’t want to make the little kid upset under any circumstances.

“I’m not stupid,” Duo spat out coldly. “I might be young, but I am much smarter than you. Do I make myself clear?” And not waiting for their reply, he snapped curtly, “Let’s go!”

Sikes was just about to follow the boy, when a rough tug on his arm caused him to face his partner. “What is it?” he hissed angrily. “You heard ‘im. Let’s get a move on.”

Fagin shook his head and whispered back hoarsely. “I ain’t doing it, Sikes. I ain’t doing it with him.”

Sikes made a sound of exasperation. “I don’t bloody believe ya. We finally ‘ave a chance to get to this house we’ve been trying to rob for weeks and now ya want to…”

“Are you both coming or not?”

Both men jumped at the angry growl and nodded. “Be right there. We just need to…uuum… check out some of our stuff.”

Purple orbs narrowed in suspicion before hopping over the low fence. “Hmph…whatever you say. I will be inside the house waiting for you two. If I don’t see you in there in the next five minutes, I am taking all the stuff for myself.”

Sikes was about to lunge after Duo again, when Fagin pulled him back with even more desperation. “Let’s forget this whole thing, Sikes. I mean, we don’t have to have the thing now. We can always come back some other time or go rob someplace else…we don’t need him.”

Sikes pulled his arm out of Fagin’s grasp in anger. “You listen here, I don’t give a fuck whether or not youse coming! I’m going to get what’s mine, ya hear me?! Why don’t ya just stay out here and watch the road or sumthin?”

And shoving his partner roughly to the ground, he spun around and followed the boy into the growing shadows. That would be the last time he would ever see his partner alive.

Sikes was impressed.

And it took a whole lot to get him in that state of mind. Watching with awe as Duo made his way noiselessly through the small window (which Sikes could have sworn had been latched pretty tightly when he had come in earlier in the day to check) and into the darkened house, he couldn’t help but admire the ease and agility that came from being so young.

He snorted lightly and leaned against the wall, lighting up another cigarette as he waited for the boy to open up the front door.

To Sikes, as long as the job was done, he was just fine.

Duo landed lithely onto the tiled kitchen floor, his bare feet barely making a sound as he walked with relative ease through the pitch darkness of the room. Pushing the kitchen door open noiselessly, he stepped into the dining room and walked towards the front door. He had never been in the house before, but he could navigate his way through the rooms with a familiarity that would have shocked anyone else. Getting to the door, he paused for a minute. He could clearly see the shadow of Sikes waiting out there for him to open it up.

Hn…

His hand, which was about to turn the handle, withdrew from its actions as a devilish smirk lit up his features. Let the other man wait, he had some work to do. He spun on his heels and continued to make his way towards the master bedroom. Humming some obscure children’s song beneath his breath, he tapped his fingers against the wall, finally reaching his destination with a soft ‘ah ha.’ Deciding that his mind needed to be exercised, he pushed open the door without lifting a finger and stepped into the dimly lit room. He walked up to the large bed and snickered at the sight of the man and his male companion locked together in an embrace that was nothing short of illicit.

Don’t mind me, sir. I will just take what’s mine and leave.

Sharp violet eyes roaming around the room noticed that the keys to the safe were in the top drawer of the large dresser. Pushing with his mind again, he willed the key into his waiting hand and turned like an automaton towards the large picture of a naked woman bathing. Again, he pushed the picture to the side and eyed the small square-shaped hole with the combination. His mind was getting a bit tired with all the extra work it had been forced to do today, but Duo couldn’t afford to waste any more time. He had to open up the safe, but the sounds of the keys jangling was sure to wake the couple up. His face contorted in concentration, he pushed with all his might, beads of sweat breaking out upon his brow as he watched the lock slowly turn with each try. He could feel his legs weakening, his breath becoming harsh with the effort, he wasn’t sure he could continue any longer. The simple task of willing his mind to work for him was now a lesson in pain.

With a soft cry of defeat, he fell to the ground in exhaustion, unable to complete the task as his body suddenly convulsed once, twice before going completely still.

Duo’s doppelganger stood above the lying figure with a snort of derision and walked towards the safe. With determination, he worked the safe open and grinned at the sight of the sparkling jewels right before his eyes.

“Well, looks like I have to be the one doing all the work for you.” He walked back to his body and stared with disdain at it. “I can’t believe I actually invaded you. You are too weak for me and I think it’s time to sharpen you up again.”

He stopped abruptly as he noticed the couple stirring on the bed. Panicking slightly, he tried to get back into his body, but found out that with Duo being in his cataleptic state it was quite impossible. Shaking the limp body furiously, violet eyes darkened with reddish anger. “Damn it! Let me back in!!”

Sister…Sister…Helen…

The demon roared with fury, causing the men to wake up with a start and to cringe in terror at the sight of a red-eyed boy snarling at them with canines bared in primal rage. In a guttural voice that was nothing like the light soprano of a seven-year-old, the demon lashed out sharply. “Let me be and I will spare your life!”

The men nodded numbly as they watched the boy suddenly fly through the window and out into the darkness. The deadly silence was suddenly disturbed with a loud cry of horror before the sound of glass breaking and metal crunching followed in its wake. Both men scrambled off the bed and ran to the broken window, staring in disbelief at the now mangled body of an unidentifiable man that lay upon the dealer’s new convertible.

Stuffing a hand into his mouth to stop himself from dry heaving in disgust, the dealer was nudged softly by his partner as they both spun around to stare at the visitor that was still left in their room. They glanced at each other and walked slowly towards the young boy even as the sounds of police sirens were now being heard in the distance.

“Is…Is…he dead?” the younger man asked in a tremulous voice.

The dealer shook his head and bent down to press his ear against the small chest. He could feel no heartbeat and he swallowed tightly in worry. “I think…I think he just might be…dear God…call an ambulance or something!!”

He lifted the limp body into his arms and carried him onto the bed, his hand brushing against the sweaty forehead. “Don’t worry, kid. We’ll save you…just hang on a little bit more…”

No! No!!

Was the plaintive cry of inner despair.

Don’t save me! Let me die! Please! Sister Helen…help me, please…