A/N: I only own my OC. And i'm sorry for any errors.
Red Road
Chapter 3
~Dark Paradise~
I never wanted to admit it
But I was hurt and scared.
I just wanted to go home.
I knew I couldn't.
Then he came along.
He gave me hope.
He gave me the will to live.
And in the end…
he was the one to take it away.
Uttering his name fills my mouth with a sour taste. I don't think it will matter if I speak it more often or if I stop completely. His name is like a potent poison and it will always be that to me.
"Damon…" I force myself to speak, wincing as the name falls off my lips.
He looks up from the book in his lap, his eyes meeting mine.
"It hurts." I whispered. It was the truth. The pain searing through my stomach was intense and demanding.
"I know. I'm sorry." His breath hitched in his throat. "But we're only going to be here for a couple more days. Then I'm going to get you out of here. I promise, Kenna."
A nod was all I could manage and when his blue eyes landed on mine, the pain faded.
"I didn't think you'd be coming by today." He tells me as he places the book on the couch cushion next to him.
"And why is that?" I plant my feet a few inches apart and fold my arms over my chest. I refuse the idea of walking into the living room, the same room Damon is lounging in.
"Because Elena's here." Damon stands from the couch. At the same moment he points towards the ceiling. It is a silent gesture telling me that Elena is upstairs.
Now, I do regret coming over.
"She's the one with the problem, not me." I give a small shrug as my accent fills the air.
Elena is the only person in the house… in Damon's group of friends who hasn't taken an instant liking to me. I see the hesitation in her eyes, the caution. I respect her for it, but I also hate her for it.
"She still thinks you're going to try to murder me in my sleep." Damon squares his shoulders as he cocks his head.
I roll my eyes and flash a smile. "Only cowards attack while their enemy is defenseless."
"So, it wouldn't be an option for you?" He pinches his eyebrows together in the middle of his forehead.
I can't help but widen my smile. Devious? Yes. Misleading? Yes. Regrettable? No.
"For most people, it would be. But for you, an old friend, I would give you the courtesy of waiting until you had arms to bear or at least someplace to hide." I answer easily, the sentence flowing together like a river.
Damon's eyes linger on me again. I ignore his blue pearls easily and walk into the living room, making sure to keep a fair amount of space between Damon and I.
"Where's Enzo?"
I avoid his gaze as I make my way to the alcohol set on the table behind the couch. "He's busy today."
"Anything going on between the two of you?" Damon's pause only last a second. "I mean, you two have had seventy years stuck in a cell to develop something."
"Thanks to you." I mutter under my breath as I grab the largest bottle of bourbon they have.
"I always figured you and Enzo would end up together… after I left." He adds quickly as if he didn't hear my quiet remark. I pour myself a drink as he stares at me.
"And why is that?" I keep my own eyes on my cup because I hate looking at Damon. Every time I do, I remember things from our past, moments I would like to forget.
"Because I saw the way he always looked at you."
His response rattles me. The truth is that Enzo and I are just friends. We're closer than most friends but that's all.
I cover my surprise with a small laugh. "Well, you're wrong. Enzo is like my brother. It has always been like that."
Even through my clothes I could feel how cold the floor was. Enzo was on his stomach too, his gaze fixed on me, his lips turned up in a small smile.
"When we get out, I'm going to take you to Italy. You would love it there. The food, the people, the culture, the scenery it's all so captivating." Enzo says in a low voice. I wince when a small laugh escapes my lips.
The doctor had removed three of my ribs less within the hour. Yet, I still managed to laugh and flash a quick smile.
"It sounds perfect."
I force myself to look up at Damon. It's not like I want to see him, I want to see his expression.
It's a smug one. "It used to make me jealous, the way he looked at you. He used to watch you sleep. I didn't think much of it until I realized we would look at you the same exact way. He loved you, Kenna, and I'm sure he still does."
I feel like a weight has just been placed on my chest… a weight that doesn't belong there. I swallow in an attempt to regain my composure. It doesn't work.
I don't know why Damon is telling me that Enzo is in love with me. It isn't the truth. Damon is only good at one thing… deception.
"You're bluffing." I pronounce the word clearly, even with my think accent. "I have been stuck in a cell next to him for over seventy years. If he ever felt more than just sibling love towards me, he would have said something."
"Why? So you could reject him? Then he would have had to gone through those seventy years knowing that he never had a chance with you." Damon has the nerve to smile.
"He knew that I was in love with…" I stop myself a second too late. And by the look on Damon's face, he's already finished the sentence for me. "Enzo and I are nothing more than friends."
"Keep telling yourself that, Kenna." Damon shakes his head as he walks towards me. I step back in response, keeping the same amount of distance between us.
I forget about Enzo's plan and narrow my eyes. "Don't act like you know anything about my life, Damon. You gave up that right the day you abandoned me in a burning house to die."
I catch Damon's smirk falter as my words settle in the air around us. I know it wasn't a good idea to say something so spiteful, but even after all this time, he still knows what to say to bug me.
"I gotta go." I mutter under my breath as I head towards the door. I keep my eyes on the floor in the hopes that Damon will see that I don't want to talk anymore.
"Kenna, wait." His call doesn't stop me. I keep walking until I'm standing in the driveway. Once I'm safely outside of the house, I take a deep breath.
I hate Damon… I really do. Yet I still get that twisting in my stomach every time he looks at me and that only makes me hate him more.
"Hey." I recognize the voice before I can turn around. It's Stefan. When he smiles, I return it easily. "Are you staying or leaving?"
I scoff as my eyes dart back to the house for a split second. I wouldn't go back inside even if someone paid me. "Leaving."
"Something wrong?" Stefan's eyes fill with obvious concern. I can tell he actually cares what my answer might be.
I don't want to take the time to explain what had just happened with Damon, so I lie. "Nope. I just want to go home."
Stefan glances around the driveway. "Do you need a ride?"
I remember that I don't have a car… let alone know how to drive one. Enzo had dropped me off before going to run a revenge errand. I purse my lips into a thin line as I turn back to Stefan.
"That would be great."
I lean my head against the window and my gaze moves to the scenery flashing by outside of the car. I run my fingers through my hair, pushing it behind my ear to get it away from my face.
"Whatever my brother said, I'm sure he didn't mean for it to hurt you." Stefan breaks the silence suddenly.
I don't have the willpower to stop myself from scoffing. I roll my neck and my eyes land on Stefan. "Of course not… because Damon Salvatore never hurts anyone."
Stefan's lips turn up into a small smile when he hears the sarcasm. "He's changed a lot in the last couple years. He's not the same guy."
The same guy that left me to be tortured for fifty additional years? The question passes through my head but I decide not to utter it aloud. I know it wouldn't help my revenge plan.
"I know. That's why I stopped trying to kill him."
"Elena doesn't believe you. She thinks that you're still trying to kill him."
"Go figure." I mutter under my breath and look out the window again.
"Damon values her opinion… a lot."
"I know. And I have a plan to win her over."
"What is it?" Stefan questions as he turns into the driveway.
"You're gonna have to wait to find out." I smile as I open the door and step out. "Thanks for the ride."
"No problem. Just call me if you ever need another one." Stefan tells me before I shut the door.
"Will do." I wave as Stefan pulls out of the driveway. I wait until he's out of sight to head inside.
I unlock the front door and walk into the apartment that Enzo had rented. He had told me that he was going to be gone for most of the day and not to expect him back until after dinner. I didn't know exactly what he was going to do but he did say that it had to do with our revenge plan.
I throw my jacket down on the couch and go to the kitchen. I remind myself to thank Enzo for stocking the fridge with blood bags as I grab one. I tear the cap off and take a much-needed drink.
The sound of footsteps reaches my ears suddenly. I can tell they're coming from the living room right behind me. I spin on my heels to come face to face with none other than Doctor Maxfield.
"Oh. It's just you." I sigh and take another drink from the blood bag. "What's up, Doc?"
He seems to ignore my question completely. "Do you know what I've been doing the past few days?"
I pretend to search for a guess before shrugging. "Were you trying to find a girl who could look past your psychotic ways? Because if you were, you're not going to have much luck."
"I've been looking for you and 12144." The doctor corrects quickly.
"His name is Enzo, in case you haven't already forgotten." I grit my teeth.
"Both of you are murderous monsters. You don't deserve names and you certainly don't deserve the right to just walk around in this society and kill whoever you like."
"How many times did you rehearse that in front of a mirror?"
I hate the fact that after all these years, his opinion of us hasn't budged an inch. He acts like we've taken as many lives as Hitler.
"You need to come back with me now." The Dr. waves for me towards him.
I scoff quietly. "Like hell I do."
"Augustine had three vampires less than a week ago and now, we have none."
"And that's my problem because…"
"It isn't. It's mine. That's why I'm here. I need you to come with me."
"I'm not just going to go back to being your test subject. Those days are over for me." I put down the blood bag and get ready to put up a fight. I know that Dr. Maxfield's not just going to leave without me.
"We'll see." Dr. Maxfield raises the gun out in front of him, the muzzle pointed at my chest. He doesn't hesitate to fire.
I catch the vervain dart an inch before it hits me.
"Sorry, but it's not going to be that easy this time." I throw it onto the kitchen floor and my lips turn up into a smile.
"Do you remember the day we met?" I believe this to be the most random question he's ever asked me.
"Like it was yesterday."
The sound of the door opening caused me to roll onto my stomach and push myself up onto my knees. It took a second for the man to come into view.
"Who are you?" I glance at Enzo as his question settles.
"The better question is, who are you?"
I took a second to glance the stranger over. I recognized that he was handsome and young. His short blonde hair was pushed up and away from his face. His facial features were strong and masculine but, with the right lighting, came off soft. His light blue eyes would make any girl swoon… except me. I knew better than to fall for another handsome blue-eyed man.
"I'm Lorenzo and this is Lady Kenna." Enzo gave the formal introduction as he stood up.
"Enzo." I pointed to him before moving my finger to myself. "Kenna."
"I don't want to know your names. I want to know your experiment numbers." The man's lips turn up into a cruel smile.
I tried to peer through the hole in the wall that separated Enzo and I but he had his attention focused on the stranger.
"12144" Enzo said his number quietly. The man only nodded and took a second to scribble something down on the notepad in his hand.
"And you?" His smile widened when his eyes landed on me.
"Go to hell." I told him so softly that I was almost afraid he didn't catch them.
"That's not the way to talk to the person holding your life in their hands." The man's statement could have only been translated as a threat.
"And who exactly is holding my life in their hands?" I narrowed my eyes and put all my anger behind my gaze.
"Number first." The man dropped his eyes to his notepad and clicked his pen.
"10000" I uttered the number before I can stop myself.
The stranger nearly dropped his pen when he realized what he heard. He looked up at me, his eyes widening.
"You're the first Augustine vampire."
His words surprised me. I grasp that he must have been of some importance if he knew that Augustine didn't start numbering their vampires at 1.
"Now, who are you?" I pronounced my words as clearly as I could manage. I knew that my accent threw people off at times and I didn't want this man to use it as an excuse.
"I'm the new Doctor."
The word doctor had always caused a shiver to run through me. That time was no different.
The only thing that stopped me from analyzing the situation too much was that this new Dr. was then pointing a gun at me. I had missed him draw it from his back pocket.
Enzo understood the situation quicker than I did. "Don't. She's already had a session today. Take me instead."
"What did old Doctor Hessing do to you?" The replacement was quick to ask questions but not to answer them.
"Brain surgery. Quite a messy operation I might add." I took a short breath.
"I can see that." The doctor gestured to my head and I remembered the blood that had dried to my face. "Don't blame him though. He's almost as old as Augustine itself."
"Take me. I don't take so long to recover." Enzo told the doctor quickly
It was a flat out lie. I'm older than Enzo and that also means that I'm stronger and I heal quicker. I knew he never liked to admit it out loud but I also knew that this time he wasn't lying because he was prideful. He was lying to protect me. And as much as I appreciated it, I couldn't let him do it.
"I don't want to do my first experiment on some second class vampire. I want to do it on the first Augustine." The doctor was taking too much pleasure in the fact that he was about to cause me an excruciating amount of pain. If his previous behavior hadn't turned me off, this had done it.
"I find that quite offensive." Enzo tried to sound as if he was making a joke but his voice was serious.
"It's fine, Enzo." I called out loud enough for him to hear my words clearly. I turned my attention back to the new doc with a small smile. "But I do like to know the name of the person who might be removing some vital organs."
"My name is Doctor Wes Maxfield." He returns my smile with a charming one. "And it is an honor to meet you, 10000."
The sound of the gunshot was the next thing to reach my ears. Then the darkness crept into my vision slowly, as if it were a blanket being laid over my face.
I'm brought back to the present at the sound of his laugh spreading into the kitchen.
"Then you should know that I like to play dirty, 10000." The Dr. smirks again and it takes a second to convince myself not to kill him yet.
"As much as I would love to hear the sound of your neck breaking, I think it's time for you to leave." I gesture to the door as I try to show some compassion.
"Fine. But you will return with me to Augustine one of these days."
When Dr. Maxfield turns towards the door, I'm surprised. I had wanted him to take the out I offered but didn't actually think he would. I smile to myself as I follow him into the living room.
"Good luck with that." I take one step into the living room and realize a little too late that something is off.
The sting I feel in my throat gives me an idea of what I missed before I look around. I remove the vervain dart and chuck it across the room. A stranger steps out of the hallway leading away from the living room, his smile matching Wes'.
"I told you I was bringing you home." Wes' words are slurred by the time they reach my ears but I manage to catch the last two. "Sleep tight."
Someone catches me before I hit the floor.
Enzo's POV…
I prepare for what Kenna might have to say about my late arrival as I walk into the apartment. I know she'll probably be a little angry since it's past midnight but I don't mind it when she gets frustrated.
I decide to start off with an apology. "I'm sorry, Kenna. I didn't think it would take this long."
I wait a couple seconds, expecting a witty remark to echo through the room. When Kenna doesn't respond, I drop everything in my hands onto the counter and go to her room. I give a small knock before opening her door.
I pinch my eyebrows together when I see that her bed is made. It hasn't been touched at all, let alone slept in.
I pull out my phone and dial push in Kenna's number from memory. I swear to myself as I hear her familiar ring tone echo from the next room. I find it in her jacket on the couch.
I dial again, this time a different number. Damon's.
"Hello?" His voice comes over the line clearly and I don't waste time with greetings.
"Do you know where Kenna is?" The question rolls off my tongue quickly. It takes a second for him to answer.
"Uh. No. I mean she came by this morning but left rather suddenly and I haven't seen her since. Why?" The concern in his voice is almost believable. Almost.
"She's not at home and her jacket and phone are here." I explain as I walk into the kitchen. My eyes bounce around the small area and land on something I wasn't expecting to see.
An unfinished blood bag sitting on the counter.
"Do you have any idea where she could be?" Damon asks, reminding me that I'm on the phone with him. I pick up the blood bag with my free hand as I put together everything in my head.
"The only reason she would leave her phone, jacket, and a half empty blood bag on the counter is if she didn't leave by choice." I know that it's a long shot but it's the only reason that comes to mind.
"You think she was kidnapped?" Damon pauses. "Kenna wouldn't let that happen."
"Vervain darts aren't that hard to come by." I put the blood bag back down on the counter and start towards the door. "There is only one person I can think of that would want to kidnap Kens."
"Augustine." Damon breathes quietly. I nod but quickly remember that he cannot see me.
"Not just Augustine. Dr. Maxfield. He's always had a weird fascination with Kenna." I reminisce for a split second as I jump into my car.
"How so?"
"She's the first Augustine vampire. Most of the doctors that worked for Augustine were fascinated with her. But Maxfield seemed to have the desire to find a way to really hurt her." I pull out of the parking lot and start down the street towards town.
"He wants to kill her." Damon guesses but I'm swift to shut it down.
"I don't think so. He knows how to kill a vampire. If that's what he wanted, he would have done it long ago."
"Then what do you think he wants to do?"
"I think he wants to break her. He wants to torture her until she can't repair herself anymore." The idea comes together as I speak. I never spent much time thinking about Dr. Maxfield but now that I had, it made a lot of sense.
"Physically? I don't think that's possible." Damon's skeptical. I know I would be too if I were him.
"No. Not physically… mentally." I finish my sentence in a whisper as if it was a secret I had sworn to keep. Maybe it was because of the fact that I was discussing something of importance with my enemy.
There's a long pause before Damon speaks again. "We have to find her."
The worry in his voice causes a pang of jealousy to run through me. Whether Kenna likes it or not, Damon does care about her. To what degree? I'm not sure.
"I know. Meet me at the doctors office." I make a turn, hoping I'm going in the right direction.
"On campus?" I can hear that Damon is doing something as he talks. Probably grabbing his keys.
"No. The other one in town." I don't really know what I should call it.
"I'll meet you there." Damon mutters and we exchange a short goodbye before hanging up.
I push down harder on the gas pedal, knowing that I don't want Kenna spending any extra time back in hell. I have to rescue her.
Damon's POV…
I don't even make it out of the house before someone spots me. When I see that it's Elena, I know I'm in for a fight.
"Where are you going?" Elena questions as she takes a few careful steps towards me.
I decide to skip past the part where I try to lie and she sees right through me.
"Kenna was taken by Dr. Maxfield and I'm going to go rescue her." I explain as quickly as I can. I know I'm already running late and Enzo shouldn't have to face Wes on his own.
"I'm going with you." Elena squares her shoulders.
I have to admit that her statement surprises me. "What?"
"I may not completely believe her about the whole bygones thing but even I don't want her to have to go through another day as an Augustine vampire experiment. I was only there for a day. I can't imagine what it would be like to be in there for over eighty years." Elena shudders as she finishes. I purse my lips into a thin line, not wanting to think about how big of a part I played in this whole thing.
I just want to find a way to make it up to Enzo and Kenna. And I'll do anything to make sure it happens.
"Let's go then. We don't have much time before Wes opens her up again. He might have already gotten a head start." I reach for the doorknob again and Elena starts towards me.
"Where are you two going?" Stefan's voice cuts through the silence like a knife through butter.
"Long story short: Kenna's back in the hands of Augustine. We're going to go get her." I give the shortest account I can manage. Time is off the essence.
Stefan doesn't ask a single question, he doesn't even hesitate. "I'm going too."
"Me too." I already know who the third voice belongs to. Jeremy's standing a few feet behind Stefan in the living room, his arms crossed over his chest. The kid had only met Kenna a couple days prior but they seemed to hit it off. I could tell they were going to be friends.
On any other day, I would have argued for him to stay put. This situation is different though. I swing open the door and wave everyone out. "Come on then."
As I watch everyone pile into my car, I realize that I'm not the only actually worried about Kenna's well being.
At least I know there is no question that we're getting her out of there tonight.
Kenna's POV…
The straps aren't any looser. The lights aren't any darker. The fear hasn't faded.
I had escaped. I had left this place and I thought I was never going to have to come back.
I guess not everyone gets what they want.
"You still with me, 10000?" The question is as useless as it sounds. Dr. Maxfield reenters the room.
"No. I'm off skiing in Switzerland." I don't bother trying to charm my way out. I know it would be useless.
"I heard it's beautiful this time of year." Dr. Maxfield mutters under his breath. I can tell that he's doing something. Probably prepping for the experiment he's been bragging about for most of the day.
"From what I remember, it is." I squirm under my cuffs latched over my arms and legs. The steel seems heavier this time making me believe that Augustine must have upgraded their bindings.
"You've been?" There is no curiosity in his voice. He's too preoccupied with something to care. He's just carrying on the conversation for my sake. I don't need the pity though. I need to break free.
"I've been to every continent at least three times and I've visited at least 90 different countries." I brag proudly. If whatever the Dr. is working on is all that he's made it seem, I might not have another chance to boast about my travels.
"That's… interesting." He pauses and I hear metal clink against each other. Not a good sign. "I'm sure you've killed plenty of foreigners while overseas."
"Actually, I tried to keep my kill number to a minimum."
Dr. Maxfield actually glances over his shoulder. His interest is peaked. "How many do you have so far?"
"That's one of those things that you'd have to torture out of me." I pause as my eyes skim the ceiling. "But I'm guessing that isn't too far off."
Another clink of metal is followed by an elongated silence. "Don't worry. I'm sure after all this time, you've gotten used to the pain."
"I don't know. How about you try it and then tell me how it goes?" I work up the courage to glance at the Dr.
His back is turned to me but I catch his shoulders lift and fall with a small laugh. "I have been dying to figure out how you've managed all these years. I mean, I know that Enzo was leaning on you but who were you leaning on? Who were you trying to survive this for?"
"Do you seriously have nothing better to do?"
No answer.
"I gotta tell you that this is quite troubling, if I'm to be honest. You're a middle-aged man who teaches biology during the day and tortures vampires at night. I don't think those are what girls mean when they say they like guys with cool hobbies." I squirm again under the metal.
"What about you? You've been alive for what… a couple hundred years and when my ancestor found you, you were alone." Dr. Maxfield talks with a confidence that I wish I could slap out of him.
"Alone, yes. But it's not like I haven't fallen in love before." The sentence rolls off my tongue and immediately I wish I could take it back. Or press the mute button on the Dr.
"So, monsters can love." He sighs, no extra emotion creeping into his voice. "Who knew."
If I hadn't known better, I would have thought that Wes had just found out about vampires. He was acting like a new believer and it was starting to annoy the hell out of me. But what could I do about it?
"I was engaged to a prince once upon a time."
"It's hard to believe that a prince would want to marry a blood sucking monster."
"You sure know how to make a girl feel special." I like to believe that his mother raised him better than this but when I try to picture it, all I see is him being raised by the devil himself.
"What country was this prince going to inherit exactly?"
"The Netherlands." I answer with ease. It isn't a lie.
"And how come you never became queen?" The question is another unemotional dig.
"An old friend popped back into my life."
I hate it. I don't know why I keep sharing my life with this first class scumbag. Maybe it's the fact that besides Damon and Enzo, I haven't really shared my life with anyone. That is something I do regret now. I never spent too much time trying to build relationships with people. I always thought it wouldn't be worth it in the end because everyone would die except me. Now, I wish more people had at least heard about my feats and adventures. That way someone could carry them on. And after living for more than 7 centuries, I had a lot of interesting things to say.
I just keep telling myself that I might as well try to impress one last person before I kick the bucket. Even if its only the psychotic Dr. Maxfield.
"An old friend? That's interesting." By the sound of it, watching grass grow could be more interesting than my story.
"He was a really old friend. Like really, really old." I try to lead on to the truth without actually saying it aloud.
"A vampire. That's… predictable." Clink of metal. Silence.
"He wasn't just a friend." I mutter under my breath.
"Yeah. I got that."
His tone is the thing that brings out my next comment. "You suck at getting a girlfriend. You suck at keeping vampires locked up. Is there anything you're good at?"
"Torturing vampires."
I can hear the smile from where I'm laying on my gurney. He's enjoying himself and I'm not. All I can ask myself is how I can change that.
"You know that eventually my friends are going to come for me. They're going to rescue me and probably kill you."
"I'd like to see them try after getting hit with this." Dr. Maxfield turns around finally. My eyes land on the small item in his hand.
"Vervain?" I pinch my eyebrows together.
"Werewolf venom." Dr. Whitmore corrects quickly. His eyes drop to the vial and a smile spreads across his face. "It pays to have allies of every specie."
I scoff aloud, not afraid if he heard me. "You know a werewolf? And he's your ally? That's hard to believe."
"She's actually an old friend from college. I've been holding her little secret for years. She owes me and she knows it." The Dr. spins back around to his little table.
"What are you going to do with that?" I pull at the cuffs around my arms as I try to get a better look at what he's been working on.
"Well, I only have one little vial so I'm going to have to use it wisely." Dr. Maxfield waves it in the air for me to see before placing it out of sight.
Now, I don't want anyone to come looking for me. Werewolf venom is deadly and last time I checked, there were no Original vampires in the area.
Stefan's POV…
We got to Elena's family building rather quickly but when I see Enzo leaning against his car, arms crossed over his chest, his gaze fixed into a scowl, I know we're late.
"What took you so long and what is with the posse of kids?" Enzo questions as Damon steps out of the car and everyone else unloads.
"They're here to help and I know that we could use all the help we can get since we don't know what we're going up against this time." Damon tries to point out the reason in his plan. "He might have a little army of vampire fighting body guards down there."
"Or it could be one cocky doctor who thinks he can take on the world with his bare hands." Enzo finishes the thought for himself.
"What's the plan exactly? To rescue Kenna, I mean." Elena joins us with Jeremy walking beside her.
"We're going to barge through that door, subdue the doctor, and free Kenna. Easy as 1, 2, 3." Enzo answers quickly. I realize that he must have thought of the plan a while ago. It was so rehearsed.
"And what if there are a bunch of body guards?" Jeremy's the one to ask the question this time.
"We kill them. I'm not going to let Kenna spend one more night in this place." Enzo says as he glances over his shoulder at the building behind him.
"That's something we can all agree on, I think." I finally speak up after finding the right words.
"Then lets go." Jeremy seems excited for this rescue mission. I'm not sure if it's because of Kenna or the fact that he'll be able to use his hunter skills again.
I for one, just want to get Kenna out of there. Spending eighty years being tortured must have been more than enough.
Damon's POV…
"Did you guys bring any weapons?" The question comes from the back of the group. Jeremy.
"Why would we need weapons when we have fangs?" Enzo doesn't bother turning away from the building. I nod subtly, agreeing with him completely. We don't need weapons because we are one.
"Just be ready to put up a real fight." Stefan adds as Enzo wraps his hand around the doorknob.
"Jer, maybe you should stay out here." Elena suggests quietly. I know she's just trying to protect her brother, but he might actually be of some use.
"No. We're all going down there. We might need all the help we can get." Enzo shakes his head. It's as if he read my mind.
"Okay. Everybody ready?" I ask as Enzo opens the door slowly. No one responds so I take that as a silent yes.
Enzo leads the way to the basement.
Kenna's POV…
"So, are you going to kill me? Cause if so, I think I should at least be able to make one last phone call." I keep my eyes on the ceiling as I speak. I can't stand to look at Dr. Maxfield's smirking face.
There's a clink of metal then a short pause.
"Possibly… possibly not. I wont really know until the day after next."
"Two days?" The question rolls off my tongue a second after he speaks. "I think I have a right to know what kind of operation or experiment you're planning." I turn my head so my cheek is resting against the leather of the gurney.
"I think I've already told you what I think you deserve. Not a thing." The doctor hums loudly as if he's boasting.
"Well, I sure as hell don't deserve to be locked up like a dog." I wiggle my hands for a second under the tight bindings.
"You're a monster and you deser…" He starts, his back still turned to me.
"…Deserve to die. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've heard it about a million times." I purse my lips into a thin line.
A loud sigh echoes through the room and I have no doubt it came from Dr. Maxfield.
"Finally. Now, you can stop your incessant chatter." He spins on his heels, the evil smirk returning to his lips. "This will put you right to sleep."
My eyes flicker to the vial in his hand. The clear liquid within could only be one thing. Vervain.
"Come on. I thought you liked my incessant chatter." I pout innocently.
"You thought wrong." Dr. Wes takes two long steps to gurney and taps the vial twice. "Don't worry, this will feel like nothing compared to what I have planned."
"This is a great pep talk and everything but I think you should try a different profession. Like maybe botany. That way you can still have the chance to kill things." The suggestion sounded better in my head but at this point I know that the only thing I can do is stall and hope for a miracle.
"If there was going to be one thing I missed about you, it would be your sly remarks." The doctor admits quietly. Maybe he was hoping I wouldn't hear him.
I sigh and force a small smile. "Flattery does get you everywhere in life."
"Enough talking. It's time for you to take a nap." His lips turn up into another smile and I can't help but cringe.
"I'm just letting you know that usually kids take naps at twelve in afternoon… not midnight."
"Well, tell me how it works out for you." The doctor mutters as he raises the shot again. He places a hand over my arm, probably to keep me from moving while he injects me.
"You really can't take a hint, can you?" I give a short laugh but he doesn't return it.
"Good night, 10000."
I watch as he lowers the needle to my arm and I pray for a miracle.
Enzo's POV…
The stairs creak as I take the first step slowly. It isn't a loud noise, but it is audible.
"Quiet." Someone whispers. There isn't much I can do to accommodate that command so I take another step.
The creak is louder this time causing me to swear silently. I bite my lip as I stare at the third step. I can tell it's going to be a repetitive thing, the creak.
I sigh quietly before turning around to face Damon. I tell him, through hand motions that I'm going to speed down into the basement. He nods, signaling his concurrence.
I go first, pushing off my step. A second later, I'm in the basement.
I'm also face to face with ten large men.
Damon, Stefan, and Elena enter right behind me and by the looks on their faces, they weren't expecting gaurds either. The last rescuer, Jeffery or whatever his name is, runs down the steps at human speed.
"Let me guess. You are here to see the pretty little vampire that's about to be made into minced meat." The tallest guard laughs lightly.
"You guessed it." I shrug, a small smile on my lips.
I don't care who these guys think they are. All that matters is that they're trying to stop me from getting Kenna out of here.
But they wont be for much longer.
I jump at the biggest guard without much thought, my fist making contact with his nose.
Let the battle begin.
Kenna's POV…
The loud thud that vibrates the room is hard to ignore. Wes draws his attention away from my arm and looks at the door behind him. There's another loud noise. I think it was supposed to be a scream.
"Wait here." Dr. Maxfield glances at me before walking towards the door. He places the syringe on his operating table, causing me to sigh from relief.
"Yeah. I'm not really going anywhere anytime soon." I somehow manage to shrug.
I watch as Wes opens the door a bit. He hesitates but peeks his head through the crack.
When he brings his head back into the room and shuts the door quickly, I can tell that this is good news for me.
"What's up, Doc?" I smile when he doesn't respond right away. "Cat got your tongue?"
"You're friends are here." He doesn't look at me as he goes to his table of torture tools. He rearranges a few things before returning to the door. I can see that he's holding something to his chest; I just can't see what it is.
"Told you they'd come."
He leaves before I can say anything else.
I have to really focus on the noises coming from the next room. I already know they're fighting someone or several someones. What I don't know is whether or not they are winning.
It takes at least two minutes for the door to open again. When Jeremy comes stumbling into the room, I'm happy but also a little defeated. I know that he wont be able to free me from the gurney without a little supernatural help.
"Hey." He smiles as he staggers over to me. I realize he must be hurt when I see that he has a hand is wrapped over his stomach.
"What happened?" I gesture to his stomach and he straightens his back immediately.
"Nothing. I'm fine."
I can tell he's not really fine but I don't have the time to argue with him. It also seems like he's a little busy as well, trying to figure out how he's going to break me out.
"It's enforced steel. I don't think that you're going to be able to…" I start to tell baby Gilbert. He ignores me completely though.
He grabs onto the steel cuffs and yanks them up with a quick jerk.
I do a double take when they break.
"What the…?" I pinch my eyebrows together.
"It's a long story. But right now, you need to get out of here." Jeremy gestures to the door behind him. I nod as I slip off the gurney. My bare feet land on the concrete floor and I start out of the room.
I glance over my shoulder when I realize that Jeremy isn't following.
I rush to his side once I spot him lying on the floor. He's in a half sitting position, leaning on his elbows for support.
"Here." I raise my wrist to my lips and bite into it quickly before pushing my wound to his mouth. He drinks from me reluctantly for only a second before knocking my hand away.
"Go. They need help." Jeremy mutters as the excess blood runs down his chin. I hesitate but the look in his eye tells me that I shouldn't waste any more time.
I run into the attached room, preparing for the worst.
And that's exactly what I get.
Enzo's POV…
I kick the door open lightly and walk into the apartment. I go straight to the couch and place Kenna down slowly.
She groans as I pull a pillow under her head.
"How are you feeling?" The question seems useless now. I know how she's feeling. Sick.
"Fine." Kenna answers with a small smile. But a second later, she flinches noticeably.
"Let me see it." I gesture to her stomach and reach to pull up her shirt.
She knocks my hand away with a short scoff. "I said I was fine."
"You got hit with a werewolf venom dart. You're not okay. You're…" I don't want to say it but I have to. We both have to come to the realization of what is happening. "You're dying... because you jumped in front of me to protect me."
"Enzo…" The whisper barely reaches my ears.
"Let me see it." I repeat it but with force behind it.
She sighs quietly before lifting her shirt up to just above the wound.
I hold in a gasp as I see the effect of werewolf venom for the first time.
"I'm fine." Kenna assures me again.
"For now. But the venom is going to spread pretty quick." I pause as I pull down her shirt. I can't look at the rotting skin for too long. "We don't have too much time."
"That's why we have to act quicker then."
"You said that the only way to cure a…" I start quickly, hoping that maybe she had a plan b.
"I'm not talking about that." Kenna groans as she pushes herself up onto her elbows. "I'm talking about Damon."
"What about Damon?" I narrow my eyes, hoping for the opposite of what I think she's going to say.
"I'm dying and I have to make sure he dies before I do." Kenna shrugs as if it's no big deal.
I can't believe that as she is lying on her death bed, she's still sticking to her guns.
"Kenna, you're dying." I tell her slowly. "You're not going to be able to kill Damon, a perfectly healthy vampire."
"Yes I am. Because you're going to help me." She looks convinced that what she's saying is true.
"No." I shake my head and stand from the couch.
"Don't you want to get revenge? Don't you want him to pay for what he did?"
"Of course but not now. I want you to enjoy your…"
"I have werewolf venom pulsing through me as we speak. My death is going to be gruesomely painful, Enzo. There's no changing that. I just want Damon to suffer before I kick the bucket."
"And when exactly do you want to do this?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Today."
There it is. There is only one chapter left. And I can assure everyone that there will be twists and turns to come. It helps to know what everyone's opinion is of the story and don't be afraid to give an idea or suggestion. I love hearing them. So please favorite/follow/review.
Thank you so much for reading!