Entry Thirty Three: St Alms

Twelve hours earlier...

The cathedral doors of St Alms slammed shut behind her as she dashed out of the foryer in a fit of tears. Distraught, she quickened her steps, needing to put as much space as possible between her and Raphael.

A street lamp flickered then went out, followed by another. In seconds the sidewalk was completely dark.

Fear crashed through her like a tsunami claiming the shore. She froze, listening for footsteps.

Nervously she glanced over her shoulder, thinking maybe Raphael had followed her, hoping it was him instead of the men who had invaded her apartment on Vard.

Seeing nothing, she turned back around to find a man standing before her, his face inches from hers. She gasped and tried to back away.

"It's a lovely night don't you agree Lieutenant Lianne? Perhaps you'd like to take a walk with me." He took her by the arm before she could protest, his fingers digging into her skin. He forced her to walk.

"What do you want from me?" Her tone was slightly hysterical.

"You've already been warned."

"'I've said nothing!"

"Then why are you here of all places?"

"I come here to pray. Nothing more."

"You can pray at the Basilica. You came here to meet Priboj."

She knew it was pointless to lie, no doubt they had eyes on the inside of St Alms. When she had went into the cathedral she saw someone kneeling at the alter and rushed forward, thinking it was Michael. She called out to him, saying his name, though instead it was Raphael who turned around.

"I thought... I was warned not to tell anyone else, they never said I couldn't speak to him again."

"It's for the best. You almost fucked it up tonight, didn't you." He loosened his grip on her arm, though kept hold of her still.

"You were watching me?"

"Naturally. Though I was quite impressed with the way you threw him off."

She couldn't help but blush at the memory. Once she saw it was Raphael, she went to the alter to pray as well. Had knelt down beside him and then suddenly it had dawned on him that she had said Michael's name. He started questioning her and wouldn't drop it. To throw him off, she just out of the blue leaned over and kissed him.

It had worked. He forgot about Michael.

"Am I to have no privacy now? Is everything I do under surveillance?"

"Yes. At the moment you are a liability. But try not to think of us as the enemy."

She scoffed "Not the enemy? You break into my home, you threaten me, drug me, assault me. And then you want me to trust you? I'm supposed to believe anything you say?"

"We had to guarantee your silence. Sometimes bad things have to happen for the greater good."

"I can find nothing good in this situation."

"There are things going on that you do not understand, things bigger than the worries and concerns of a single capusleer."

"Is this ever going to end? Am I ever going to have my life back?"

"It ends when it ends."