The Hermaphrodite's Curse

PART ONE - LONDON

- 5 -

In a second, Gabe was up on his feet and running. He still didn't have clue what he was doing or why, he was acting on pure instinct. He knew that he could not just wait and watch this woman be attacked and do nothing, even if he did think she might be dangerous herself, even if the very situation he now observed suggested she was indeed mixed up in something nasty. Or maybe that was just the reason, maybe a part of him felt that with this assault, these mystery attackers were taking away his best chance of understanding what had happened at the National Gallery a few days earlier.

Whatever the reason, he saw the young woman in the grip of one of the sinister tall men as the other brandished a knife, really more of a ceremonial dagger, towards her. The woman had an expression on her face that mixed defiance with fear but for the moment, the knife had kept her still.

Gabe kept running until he caught up with the three figures. Getting closer, he realised that the two men were even taller than he had previously thought, their bodies slightly contorted and hunchbacked. Their eyes displayed a blank, dark expression completely lacking in any human compassion. Gabe knew that whatever the woman had done, he could not leave her to men such as these.

He still didn't know what to do but he had the advantage of surprise. The two men had all their attention, all their hate, focused on one spot, the young woman before them. Gabe knew he wasn't strong, he wasn't violent, but he was fast. His only hope was to use his surprise advantage and get away before they realised what hit them. All of these calculations flew through his mind in a few seconds until he was literally right on top of the group.

Pure instinct kept a hold over him and he found himself swinging his shoulder bag, in which he carried his heavy laptop, through the air. It connected with the knife wielding man on his temple with a sickening crunch, knocking him to the floor. The second man, shocked at the assailant appearing as if from nowhere, loosened his grip on the woman's shoulders.

She appeared as surprised as they were at Gabe appearing from nowhere, but fortunately was quick to seize her advantage. The man standing over her was a good head taller than she was, which just happened to be the perfect height for her head to swing back and connect hard with his chin, sending him reeling back from her. She swung back towards him and landed a hard kick straight between his legs, sending her biker boots heavily into his groin. He winced but nothing more, as if the pain was just a slight twinge.

With the second man still floored for the moment, Gabe swung his laptop bag again and hit the first on the back of his head causing him to stagger and lose his focus. The young woman grabbed Gabe's arm and pulled him away.

"Run!" she yelled, as the two men picked themselves up and turned, faces black with rage, towards Gabe and his new companion.

Gabe didn't need any more encouragement than that and, in a second, he had turned tail and made a dash for the gates of the park, taking them out onto the street. The purple haired woman had a start on him but soon Gabe had caught her up and their heavy footfalls and panting breaths fell in unison, Gabe's heavy bag bouncing painfully against his side. With each step, their two pursuers, with much greater strides, caught up that little bit further.

They skidded through the gates and out onto the main road, it was mostly deserted, there was no help for them here. Continuing to run as fast as his legs could carry him, Gabe glanced over his shoulder to see the two men turn out of the park gates just a few yards behind them. Very soon, they would be caught once more and Gabe did not want to find out what these knife-wielding maniacs would be like to people who had escaped their clutches once.

They raced towards the next road and, not looking to see if there was any passing traffic, ran straight out across it. Gabe, who was slightly in front, ran straight into the front of a large black car that was just about to pull out, sending him reeling back into the woman's arms. She pushed him forward off her and then grabbed his arm with one hand and opened the car door with the other. Gabe just had time to notice it was a taxi cab and it was empty.

"Get in," said the purple haired woman, in a pronounced, precise, cut glass accent that Gabe had certainly not expected to come from her.

He did not, however, have time to ponder this as they bundled inside the back of the cab and slammed the door behind them, locking it just as their two pursuers reached the road. They glared through the window at Gabe and his companion with ill-disguised hate and anger.

"Drive," said the woman to the cab driver in the commanding tones usually associated with the mistress of the house addressing a servant.

"Where to, love?" he responded.

"Anywhere but here."