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The Getaway

McIan

Journeyman
Anastasia mulled over her recent attachment to Toby Gillens, the prisoner she met. It made no sense at all. He was not particularly handsome; he was far from the best lover she had known; he was dirty most of the time; his hair stayed greasy and matted, and he smelled bad. As she paced down the dirt paths that comprised Papua’s thoroughfares, she considered turning around and going back, skipping the afternoon visit to him at the Just Inn. Yet she didn’t. She kept going until she arrived at the rattan door to his room.

“Come in, Anastasia,” came his voice from the other side.

She entered and closed the door after noting that the guard appointed to watch him sat eating at a nearby table. When she turned around she was taken aback.

Toby had someone with him in the room… a woman, dressed in red wearing a tribal mask, but that is not what caught her eyes. Toby was clean, well shaven, neatly dressed, and his hair washed. He was not wearing his black shirt, breeches, and shoes. He smiled at her and beckoned her forward.

“Who is she? What is she doing here?” she inquired.

He stepped forward to meet her, putting his index finger to his lips. “She’s a friend. She is here to help me get away from here,” he explained. “I have to leave and you can help me.”

Anastasia placed her hands on her hips, scowling. “You are being watched; you cannot get away from here!” She had never seen him so clean and elegantly scented. She looked past him, still scowling. “Who is she?!”

Toby grinned, “Are you jealous?” Her answer was a loud, hard, slap to his face.

“Hardly! I don’t know why I even came here,” she complained.

“You were well paid, milady,” he gently replied, rubbing his reddened cheek.

“Hah!” she chortled. “Underpaid is more like it! I almost did not come here today. You are, without doubt, one of the most disgusting men I’ve ever known!”

Toby scowled. “With so many, I’m surprised you can even remember!”

She reared back to slap him again but he grabbed her arm and brought it down to her side. “Look, just help me get out of here and I will give you more gold than you can imagine. Your part is easy.”

She sighed and stopped resisting. “What do I do?”

Toby released his grip on her. “Wait a while then leave and strike up a conversation with the guard. I need a good head start before they begin tracking me. They have put wards on this area so no one can cast spells. I have to escape the old-fashioned way.”

The woman tossed her a bag full of gold coins. “Just a down payment. He gets away and I shall meet you again to pay the rest.”

Nodding, Anastasia took the money and sat down on the bed. She watched as the woman in red made a hand motion toward the jungle foliage some distance away and below. They all heard an ominous growl from the site. The guard by the window readied his sword and moved cautiously toward the sound to investigate. When he had moved far enough away, his back being turned to them, she and Toby quickly climbed out the window, disappearing from sight.

She was relieved. In fact, the instant he left she felt a burden lift; the compulsion to obey him, comfort him and the rest. Feeling abused, ashamed, and cheapened, she got up and went to the door, opening it and calling out to the guard to inform him of the escape.
 

McIan

Journeyman
Scar and the Archon of Papua sat next to each other in his office facing a young, Papuan, lady whose trembling hands lay in her lap. They had summoned Anastasia for questioning about a recent worker/prisoner whom she had been the last to see – Toby Gillens. Scar’s face mirrored his mood: he was pensive and agitated, not so much at her, but for his prisoner’s successful escape.

The Archon spoke first. “Anastasia, we are not here to condemn you. We know this man had some persuasive skills and possibly powers he used on you. All we need to know is the details of what happened… anything you can tell us.”

This was the first time it occurred to her that his influence was more than something natural. She was prepared to accept that. Witchcraft and sorcery were not uncommon things to her or the region. “He cast no spell on me, sir,” she replied, “if that is what you mean?”

Scar shook his head. “No spells. We know that. He is a thrall of a vampire, and as such he may have had a mesmerizing skill unknown to you,” he explained.

She nodded. “It certainly was not his looks or his amorous skills, let me be clear.”

Scar grinned. “I am sure of the former, but the latter is news. He seemed to have a lot of time to spend with the ladies, you in particular.”

Anastasia shook her head. “He always had money. They only came for the money. Some of the others of them I know. I saw them bathing in the river after meeting with him. It is cleaner than he was.”

“Tell us again exactly what happened the day of the escape,” the Archon redirected.

“I went to his room. The guard outside was eating but watching. I went in. There was a female there, dressed in a crimson cloak. She may have been wearing a tribal mask, but I could not tell for the hood covered her face in shadow. He was dressed and overly perfumed… maybe her too, I don’t know. I thought that odd because he never used it. He gave me money to distract the guard in the dining room. She was standing by the open window and motioned with her hand. I heard a growl from beyond the window, in the bushes. The guard outside the window went to investigate it. They jumped out of it. I felt ashamed and guilty so I went and told the guard right away. That is all I know.”

Scar stroked his goatee slowly. “This woman… what did she say?”

“She promised to come and give me more gold, but she didn’t. I did not believe her anyway.”

“I want you to be careful, Anastasia. You are the only one who can identify her to us. She knows this. If she comes to you, yell for help; she will not be there to pay you,” Scar warned.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean she may return to dispose of a single witness… you. I will have you guarded at all times.”

Anastasia gulped. “Thank you sir.”

“Now, Anastasia, we will press no charges against you; you were ensorcelled somehow. We do want you to not go out at night and stay close to your home so we can watch you. If she comes back, we will get her, do not worry,” the Archon stated, smiling.

“If you see her at any time, get word to me,” Scar added. “There are many newcomers still in town and she may be among them. Leave finding Toby to me. Perfume or no, I know his smell well. I only hope that some day I can get his stink out of my nose forever. I hope he will resist arrest, frankly, so I can skewer him to a wall permanently.”

Anastasia smiled. “Give him a present from me and the other girls too, if you would?”

Scar raised an eyebrow, but grinned and nodded.
 
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