41 Bird's Prey

Somewhere in Washington, DC

"Where are we going?" Charlie asked in the front passenger seat of the Harper's Chevy impala, His voice laced with fear.

They have been driving for more than 15 hours, only stopping for bathroom breaks and for food. Harper is always on his guard, on the look out of potential threats, which is not helping Charlie at all. Charlie tried keeping his mouth shut for at least 1 hour after they left the studio in LA, but after that all the questions broke like a dam. Harper tried answering them as best as possible, but when they entered a forest somewhere in Washington, both became silent.

"To a safe place" Harper answered, keeping his voice calm. "I have a cabin, where we can rest for a while we wait for help"

Harper contacted Maria on their last stop, informing her that he is safe at the moment and asking for Charlie to be brought to the Castle. They agreed that the safest place for the extraction is at Harper's cabin in Washington.

"Don't worry, you'll be safe" Harper said in reassurance, when he saw Charlie's anxious face in the edge of his vision.

"But what about you?" Charlie asked, clutching on his duffle bag "You said you won't be coming with me"

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me" Harper said "What's important is to get you to safety"

They continue the drive in silence with Charlie looking out the window. Then suddenly Harper Hit the breaks so hard making Charlie turn to him in surprise and panic.

"What happened?! Why did we stop?!"

Harper nodded at the road. Charlie turned his head and saw a huge tree blocking the road and a man in black trench coat sitting on it's trunk.

"Stay in the car" Harper instructed, Not taking his eyes off of the man "And if something happens run as fast as you can in that direction, It will take you to the cabin" Subtly nodding his head to the direction in the woods.

"But-" Charlie was about to say but Harper is already getting out of the car.

"Guro!" The Man said with an exaggerated bow.

"Who are you?" Harper asked, keeping his voice calm.

"Oh, I am but a humble hunter of the Queen" The Man said, with a grand gesture. "But people call me 'The Raven'"

Harper could only describe the man as flamboyant and vivacious when he moves and speaks, but wrong in all kinds of ways, which only kept his guard up.

"What do you want?" Harper asked, even though he already knew.

"I was asked to bring you to her royal highness" The Man said "She's been excited to see you"

"That is very flattering but I have somewhere else to be" Harper said, trying to buy them more time. Hoping that the extraction team will find them.

"I'm afraid that will not do, as the Queen requests for you immediate arrival" The Man said very dramatically

"What if I don't want to go?" Already knowing the answer, Harper braced himself for a battle.

"Oh, I can be really persuasive" The Man said with a confident menacing smile, as his gaze landed on the other side of the car.

Harper's eyes widen as he realized that The Man is talking about Charlie, who is now out of the car and his eyes big and filled with fear.

"Charlie, I told you not to get out of the car!" Harper said, But Charlie didn't respond.

Then Charlie dropped to his knees, both hands gripping his hair while he says "Please, stop" Over and over again. His voice cracking, full of fear.

"What did you do to him!" Harper demanded

"Oh, I was just showing him the thing he fears the most" The man said "And that expression, that face, that agony... Magnifique!" his body trembles with delight, finding it very pleasurable.

"How Dare-!" Harper charged for the man

"Ah-Ah-Ah" The man held up a finger, "He will die" He simply said making Harper halt.

"That got your attention didn't it?" The man said with glee, Enjoying the anger in Harper's face. "Imagine..... Dying an agonizing death, seeing the thing the terrifies you the most" Moaning like a maniac "It just gives me shivers!"

"You sick-!" Harper took a step to only be stopped again.

"If you kill me, he will never be released from the curse and will die a slow and painful death" The man said, with a smug smile "On the other hand, You can just come with me and I'll remove the curse, simple. Nobody dies, everyone happy"

Harper wanted nothing more than to wipe the smug smile off of that man's face, but he can't leave Charlie to die as well.

Charlie let out a painful wail, making Harper clench his jaw so hard that it might lock, all the while glaring at the man who is very much enjoying Charlie's wails.

"Do we have a deal?" the man said, with a victorious smile "You can put him out of his misery, Just quietly come with me"

Harper tried thinking rationally, but his soft heart always gets the best of him every time someone he cares for is in danger. That was his fatal weakness, but it was also his greatest strength.

"Fine" Harper said, "I'll come with you, just let him go"

"Excellent, The Queen will be delighted!" The man said, clapping delightedly, with sparkling eyes.

The man snap his fingers and a portal opened.

"After you" The man gestured towards the portal.

"How can I know that you will keep your word?" Harper said, getting a read on the man. Reading people is very essential if you lived as long as Harper, he needs to always know whose he deals with and what is their intentions, given people wants him dead.

"Worry not. I am a man of my word and rest assured that he will be free from the curse once I'm far enough from him" The man said, smiling.

When Harper made sure that The man was not lying. He nodded and took one last look at Charlie "Be safe, Charlie" Then step into the portal.

The Man followed, then the portal closed. The extraction team, later found Charlie on the ground in a catatonic state. Tears kept flowing from his dead eyes, starring into oblivion.