Their Guardian

Chapter 21

 -Val D'argent France- 

*Third-Person's POV*

It was many hours before Andy, Booker and Nile pulled into their new hiding spot.

"What is this place?" Nile looked around curiously. 

"An abandoned mine." Andy leaned down to light a lantern. "We stumbled upon during the Baussenque Wars, 1150's maybe? I used to keep my stuff here."

Nile grabbed a lantern and moved deeper into the piles, peering around at all the history in the area.

"Is this a Rodin?" Nile was in disbelief. 

"Yeah." Andy barely acknowledged it. 

Nile kept going. "This is an honest-to-God Rodin." She looked at Andy. "Wait. Did you know him?"

"Probably biblically." Booker chuckled, causing Andy to punch him in the shoulder, smiling broadly at him. 

In that moment it was like she remembered why she was in that cave, and she sobered up quickly. 

"Get to work finding Copley. He's got Nicky, Joe and Noella." She looked down. "Sunshine didn't need this, not this soon."

Booker stood up and walked to get his gear, steps slower than usual.

Andy reached into the bag and pulled out Noella's leather bound journal. She flipped it in her hands before shakily opening it to the most recent page. A picture fell out. 

Nile watched quietly, observing the raw emotion present on Andy's face.

Andy clutched the memory she had forgotten, thinking of all the ways she was going to get them home.

-London-

*Noella's POV*

I looked up through our small window and saw Merrick written on a large building. Copley regarded me curiously and the boys watched territorially. 

"I've heard about him. How does he manage to cram his ego into a building of that size?" I looked at Copley and his accomplice. "Tight fit?"

"I'm impressed, I had heard you were good." He had approval in his eyes. 

I looked at him studiously. Who had he heard it from? The boys picked up on my discomfort and moved slightly closer to me. 

We had to take the elevator separately, and when Copley, a few guards and I arrived on the floor I saw relief in their eyes. The worst thing that could happen to us right now, is being separated. 

The boys were walked in the front, and I brought up the back, Copley staying relatively near me. 

I saw a man on the balcony, he screamed money and privilege. When he saw us, he ended his call and walked inside to meet us. 

"Here we go." I muttered in Italian, gaining a shove from the man behind me. I looked at him dangerously, and wisely he scooted back a little. 

"Ah! Gentlemen, welcome." He noticed me behind them. "And lovely lady." He tipped his head at me. 

I looked at him unimpressed before looking at Joe and Nicky, this is they guy who paid for our set up and Copley's betrayal? I could snap him in half with my pinky. 

"I'm truly honored to meet you. Together we shall do such things. What they are yet, I know not, but they shall be the terrors of the Earth." Shakespeare? I already hate this guy. "Or um, rather the saviors."

All of us looked at him unimpressed, Copley sharing the sentiment. 

"Lear... Shakespeare." Joe and Nicky looked at each other blankly. "Um, can we take the cuffs off?"