Trinity Blood Fan Fiction ❯ Blood Sacrifice ❯ Chapter Six ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter Six

 

Abel looked up from his searching with a soft sigh, and brushed his bangs out of his eyes with the back of one gloved hand. It was easing toward mid-morning, and he and León had spent the last quarter hour searching the clearing at the end of the tunnel they'd discovered the night before. He wasn't sure exactly what they were looking for, save that they were trying to find anything out of the ordinary, anything at all that might help shed a little more light onto their investigation. He was about to call out to León to see how the other man was faring, when a glint of light caught his eye, and he looked toward it.

León was several yards away from the priest, the big shouldered man checking out the area around the dirt track that led from the clearing and into the forest in the direction of Valentia. While still a bit overgrown, there were signs that some of the brush and tree branches had been cut back, though it had not been recently. Further investigation of the tunnel had revealed that there had been improvements and small repairs made on the timbers that supported it, the door that led outside into the clearing also being a newer addition.

Their intent had been to follow the track to see where it led, but while they had traversed the tunnel, Abel had decided to make another circuit around the clearing since the light had been fading the night before and they had not been able to make a thorough search of the area. Abel knelt down, reaching out to brush away some soil from the object. "Well now..." he said, mostly to himself. "What's this?"

León meanwhile, had moved down the track a bit, Abel's soft tone not reaching him as he knelt down to take a closer look at what appeared to be tire tracks pressed into the spongy soil. Abel half-expected to discover that the glint was just a bit of broken glass. But as he continued to brush away dirt and bits of grass, he discovered that it wasn't a simple piece of glass at all. It appeared, for all intents and purposes, to be the tip of a sword blade. He lifted it up carefully, cautious about the edge, and tilted the broken end toward him, frowning when he found it to be hollow. "León?" He said, raising his tone a bit so the other man would hear him.

The other man lifted his head at the sound of his companion's voice and looked over in the direction where he had left seen Abel, spying the other man's kneeling form through the branches. Rising up to his feet, he made his way back to the clearing. "Whatcha got?" León asked as he approached the priest.

Abel rose to his feet slowly, cradling the hollowed blade in his hand as he did so. "What do you make of this?"

The dark-haired man frowned a bit as he caught sight of the silvery object in the other man's hand. "What the hell is that?" he asked as he reached and took it from Abel, finding it to be heavier then he expected. Holding the object in both hands, León took a few moments to study it, turning it this way and that.

The silvery object appeared to have broken off from something, its edges slightly jagged and revealing a matte white underneath the silver, the shimmering hue flaking off a bit at places. "It looks like...plaster...”

Tilting the piece up towards the light, León squinted one dark eye closed as he tried to see inside the object. "There's something in here...” he said as he turned the piece in his hand, trying to get a better look.

"Can you tell what it is?"

León shook his dark head, the broad-shouldered man making a slight face as he tried to slip his fingers down inside the object. "Here," Abel said. "Let me try? My hands are a bit smaller than yours."

The other man pulled his fingers out and handed the silvery object over to the priest. Abel took the object back, cradling it in one hand as he slipped slender fingers into the plaster piece, and closed his eyes for a moment before he gasped, jerking his hand out and nearly dropping the plaster piece he was holding, a tiny crackling like static across his fingertips. "What the hell?" León's brown gaze went to the pale-haired man. "Abel?"

"I-I'm all right..." Abel said softly. "It just startled me..."

"Is there something inside? Did something bite you?"

"No...more of a shock," Abel murmured, frowning a bit as he fished into the plaster piece again.

The brunette's frown deepened a bit as he watched the priest, León thinking that maybe trying to get whatever was inside out, wasn't such a good idea after all. Abel frowned, and slipped his fingers back out again. "I can't get a decent grip on it," he said softly. "Perhaps we should send it on just like this...Let the professor poke at this as well."

"Maybe if we shoved a stick or something down inside and tried to pry it loose..”. León offered up.

"That might risk damaging whatever it is," Abel said. "I'd rather not do that...Let me try one last time..."

The dark-haired man nodded his ascent; his gaze watching carefully as the priest once again slipped his slim fingers down inside the silvery object. Abel grit his teeth a little, feeling another tiny jolt across his fingertips, but he ignored it this time, getting a grip on the object and gently prying it from the plaster. What came out in the priest's hand was a wafer-thin piece of opaque plastic that was perhaps the width of three of his fingers. The surface was embedded with tiny wires that gleamed with a copper sheen in the sunlight; as well as other tiny components that had been secured to its surface. "What in the world..." Abel's words trailed off as he looked the item over, making a soft sound as it sent another uncomfortable crackle across his hand. "León, take it," he murmured, holding the item out to the other man.

The brunette gave his partner a slightly confused look as he reached and took the fragile looking piece of plastic between his fingers, León holding it up so that he could get a closer look at it. Abel flexed his fingers once León had taken the tiny device, and slipped them into the bit of plaster one more time, but it seemed to him that he had managed to get everything. "A computer component of some kind..."

"What the hell was it doing in there?" León frowned as he looked from the component to Abel.

"Causing mischief, I'd say," Abel said softly. "I think that may have been what was causing some of my difficulties before..."

"This is what was making you freak out?" The brunette sounded a bit skeptical.

"I think it was a contributing factor..." Abel said, and on a hunch, pulled off his glove, unsurprised to find tiny bruises speckling his fingertips.

León looked down at his companion's slim pale hand. "How the hell...?" His brown eyes looked back at the priest's face.

"I'm not completely sure," Abel said, slipping the glove back on. "But I think we should send that along with the camera, and see what the Professor makes of it."

"No arguments out of me." The other man said with a nod of his head. "I'm guessing it's probably better if I hold on to it until we turn over."

"I would have to agree," Abel said, nodding.

León gave the component one last look before he slipped it within the folds of the sleeveless duster he was wearing over his robes, stowing it away in one of the pockets sewn inside. Abel rubbed his affected fingers absently and sighed. "We should head back. That courier's going to arrive soon and I'd like to make sure that goes off with the rest."

The dark-haired man nodded in agreement. "We can follow the track back. I'd lay money that it leads to Valentia."

"You're probably right. Let's go."

Taking the piece of silver-painted broken plaster with them, the pair started off on the dirt track that led from the clearing, the winding trail indeed leading them back to the city.

 

 

The track had ended about half a mile from the outskirts of what was the primary Methuselah section of Valentia, the majority of the city's population having clustered together in one section for the most part over the years. Unlike the grand Methuselah empire in the east however, there was no particle filter to protect its residents from the harmful UV radiation, which meant that the streets were nearly deserted save for the occasional human passing long the streets. The pair had little time to muse over the reason for the trail and its possible connection to the slaughter in the church before a quick glance at Abel's pocket watch showed them that it was nearly time for them to meet the courier that Sister Kate had dispatched.

The two made it to the rendezvous point with just minutes to spare before they were met by one of Cardinal Catarina's personal staff, Abel and León handing over the component and piece of silver-painted plaster they had found earlier, as well as the camera, which they had been carrying with them. With a bow, the courier had quietly departed to return to the ship that had brought him from Rome. Once that piece of business had been concluded, the pair was undecided as to what their next move should be, the two eventually deciding to make their way back towards their hotel and find a place to have lunch, León having not kept his promise of the night before in regards to breakfast.

As they neared the hotel, Abel almost immediately noticed the man walking toward them. It took a moment before he recognized the man as the detective that he and León had spoken to before. "How very fortunate I found you both," the man said, smiling when he saw the two men. "Especially as it seems I missed you before."

"Is something the matter, Detective?" Abel asked, cocking his head to the side a bit.

"No no, of course not," The detective replied. "I had just wondered if the two of you had made any progress on your investigation. According to my men, you've visited both crime scenes a few times."

"Is there something wrong with that?" León asked the man.

"No, of course not," The detective replied. "Although if you've been making any progress in your investigation, I would very much like to hear about it."

The brunette's eyes flicked to his companion, León silently asking Abel just how much if any information they should share with the man. Abel looked thoughtful. "Well, we can tell you some of it, I think. I have some questions for you, Detective, if you don't mind."

"No, not at all. I want this matter cleared up, Father, and as quickly as possible."

"We all do," Abel said. "So, why don't we find somewhere a bit more appropriate than the middle of the street to discuss this?"

The trio made their way to an outdoor café nearby that the detective was familiar with, the men arranging themselves around a small table, the policeman ordering a round of coffee for them. Abel had forgone the coffee, choosing instead a tea that he sweetened heavily, giving an almost sheepish look to the detective when the man gave him an odd look. The three sat in silence for a time, before the Detective looked at Abel. "You said you had a question for me?"

Abel nodded. "Yes. During one of our trips into the first church, my partner and I found a tunnel. Do you know anything about it?"

The man considered that for a few moments. "Yes, I seem to recall hearing something about that. It isn't terribly uncommon for the older churches in the area."

"Some kind of fire escape?" León asked the man.

"Not exactly." The detective took a sip of his coffee. "There are stories I've heard, dating back to before the peace between the Methuselah and the humans here that mention secret meetings between the two groups in the churches, using the sacred ground as kind of a neutral meeting place. The tunnels, if those stories are to be believed, were set up so the Methuselah could come and go from the churches unseen."

"That kinda makes sense." León said after a few moments. "Was there one at the other church too, do you know?"

"I believe so, though I couldn't tell you where it was."

Abel took a sip of his tea, and frowned a bit. "It wasn't mentioned in either of the reports...that seems strange for something you're saying is common, if dated, knowledge."

"Most of us assumed the tunnels either collapsed over time, or where blocked after peace was established between the two races."

"The one at the church where the first massacre happened has been repaired," León said as he looked at the detective, "and recently."

"I wasn't aware of that," The detective said, frowning.

"Do you know if the other one was sealed?"

"I thought so, but with this revelation, I can't really say for sure."

Abel closed his eyes for a moment. "Are there any other churches like that around here that may have tunnels that are untouched?"

"I don't know, but I can make a few inquiries and find out." León and Abel both nodded. "You're thinking that these tunnels might be how the perpetrators were able to get in and out of the churches without being seen." The detective said.

Abel nodded. "Yes, I believe it's definitely a possibility."

The other man nodded. "I'll get right on it as soon as I return to the station."

"Thank you very much," Abel said, smiling a bit, before leaning back in his chair a bit, thoughtful again.

"Have your people come up with anything else?" León asked the detective.

The three settled into conversation over their meals after that, the detective debriefing the two AX agents on what little information he had. There wasn't much. Just that most of the corpses that had been intact enough had been identified, and that a mass memorial service was going to be held once the whole situation was over with, to remember all of the victims of these strange massacres. The trio eventually parted company after about a half an hour or so later, the detective promising to get in touch with Abel and León as soon as he had some more information for them. The three shook hands, the policeman picking up the bill before he took his leave of the two AX agents. "Well...I'd say that went fairly well," Abel said as he and León headed back toward their hotel.

León nodded. "You didn't say anything about the camera or that electronics piece we found this morning."

"No, I didn't," Abel agreed, nodding. "I'd rather keep that to ourselves, at least until after the Professor has had a chance to look them over."

"So what now?"

Abel sighed softly. "Now, we hurry up and wait. I should probably make the rounds I typically would if I were here simply as a priest, and pray nothing else happens before the Professor is able to get a hold of us." He paused a moment, thoughtful. "Although it may be worth checking into the records and seeing just how many churches have those access tunnels. I know the good detective said he'd help us with that, but there may be some they've simply forgotten over time."

"If there is a record at all." León mused. "If they were supposed to be secret entrances, then they might never have been reported, even if it was supposed to be a common practice."

"It depends on what they were reported as," Abel replied. "If they were tagged as some kind of service corridor or the like, then perhaps. I admit, though, it would be quite the long shot."

"Yeah...” the brunette sighed a bit.

Abel looked over at the other man. "Are you all right?"

"Just thinking about digging through a pile of musty old records for a needle in a haystack."

The priest chuckled. "Well, I suppose I could look myself. It might give you some time to relax. I know you don't get much of that."

"I thought I could maybe do a little detective work of my own." León said. "Do a little poking around...check out what the locals have to say...”

Abel considered that and nodded. "A good idea," He said, smiling.

"That settles it then."

"Shall we get to it, then? And perhaps meet somewhere for dinner to discuss what we've found? We have the radios, if anything unexpected comes up."

León nodded. "Sounds good."

 

 

It was late into the evening when Abel and León caught up with one another, the pair arranging to rendezvous at a restaurant a few blocks from their hotel, León having contacted Abel to let him know that he would be later then he had originally thought. Abel was already waiting, lingering just outside the restaurant when the big brunette finally appeared, the priest doing a slight double-take. After the two had parted ways earlier, León had returned to their hotel room and changed his clothes, trading in his priest's robes for more civilian attire, the brown-eyed man dressed in clothing of the local style.

He had waved off Abel's questions until after the two had been seated, the shaggy-haired man then explaining that he had spent the day talking to some of the local merchants and tavern patrons, gleaning what information he could from the different rumors that had been circulating regarding the massacres. The overall feeling seemed to be that vampires had been responsible, though for the moment most believed that it was the work of rogue vampires from outside of the city and not those who were residing there. The citizens were fearful of another attack, many of those who attended churches that also served Methuselah, actively talking about attending other churches or forgoing attendance at all until the perpetrators had been found and apprehended.

Once León had finished his report, Abel told his companion of his own findings, the priest having spent his afternoon at the main Basilica, gleaning through construction records. Of the handful of churches that had recorded tunnels, from what he had found, only three others aside from the two churches that they already knew about, had what had been labeled as "service entrances" according to the records. While that looked to be encouraging as far as their search was considered, the records had been well over fifty years old which meant that it was possible that they were no long in existence or usable.

By the time they had finished dinner, the two had already made plans to check out the three churches that Abel had come up with and then go from there based on what they either did or didn't find. That search took them most of the rest of the day, and the results were encouraging, but not conclusive. One of the corridors mentioned had collapsed a few years before during a storm, and no efforts had been made to try and repair it. The other two were still intact, however, which made them likely targets. Using Abel's charm and disarming manner, the pair gained access to first one church and then the other, the two men combing over the interior of the chapels looking for anything suspicion. They came up empty-handed on both accounts, neither one of them having a statue of the archangel Michael nor one of the heavy crosses that Abel had seen at the first two churches.

Once they were finished with both churches, they headed back to the hotel, and it was as Abel was filling out his report for the day that he finally spoke, having fallen into a thoughtful silence on the trip back. "It's going to be one of those churches next..." He said softly, laying down his pen and pulling off his glasses. "I know it will...either one would be a larger target than the last..."

"Yeah." León agreed, the brunette lying on the bed, the pillows piled behind his dark head as he looked at the other man. "But when and which one? That's the question."

"I'm not sure..." Abel pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "The only good way to know would be to keep watch on both of them."

"A stakeout?"

"Yes, I think so. Unpleasant, but I think necessary." León let out a frustrated sound, not finding the idea to be very appealing. "I know," Abel said, looking over at León, in spite of the fact that without his glasses, he couldn't really see the man clearly.

"When do you want to start?"

"My instinct says tonight...once I've finished with this," he said, indicating the paperwork. "Barring that, probably tomorrow."

León pushed himself up and swung his long legs over the side of the bed to the floor before rising to his bare feet. Abel blinked and reached for his glasses, slipping them back on so he could regard the other man. The brunette easily closed the small distance between the two of them. "I vote for tomorrow." He said.

The priest smiled. "That doesn't really surprise me," He said.

León reached out, his fingers tangling in the tail of ivory hair tied at the back of Abel's head, winding the silky locks around his hand as he pulled the man's head back a bit. Abel's smile grew considerably at that as his gaze was directed up to León by the gesture. "I tell you what," he whispered softly. "We'll stay here tonight...I can make my rounds as a traveling priest tomorrow...I'll check the churches again while I'm at it. We can start the stake-out tomorrow night, so that we're both rested and sharp...it'll also give the Professor some time to get back to us."

"I thought you might see things my way." The dark-eyed man said as he leaned down towards Abel.

Abel chuckled as he leaned up a bit. "You drive a hard bargain."

León tilted his head a bit as their lips met, the brunette smiling. Abel smiled into the kiss himself, breaking it after a few moments. "Now go get comfortable and let me finish this report so I can come lay down, hm?"

The brunette made another frustrated sound. "Yeah, yeah...

Abel chuckled, and leaned up to brush another light kiss across León's lips. "I won't be long," He promised. León gave the priest's hair a playful little tug before he released him. Chuckling again at that, Abel turned his attention back to his reports.