I'm evil. Sorry this chapter is so evil of me. Mwahahahaha. I have had this chapter written for a really long time and have been trying to find a way to write a story around it. Now I have so enjoy!
The Rebel Alarm sounded loudly in my room. The first rebel attack since my stay at the palace. Maxon had showed me the safe room entrance and I bolted out of bed and ran to America's room. She had just put on her robe and shoes and was running towards me. I grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the nearest safe room. I let go of her and entered the code to open the door and walked in. I assumed she got in to so I closed the door. "KILLIAN!" she yelled. Rebels grabbed her and the banged a gun over her head, knocking her out. "MER!" The door shut in front of me and I banged at it and pounded the metal door until Queen Amberly walked up to me and said, "Killian. Dear, she will be alright." But I could hear the waiver and insecurity in her voice.
I shook my head and said, "NO SHE WON'T! SHE IS BEING TAKEN AWAY BY REBELS!"
"Son! Do not yell at your Aunt do you hear me boy?" My father said sternly. I nodded and apologized to Aunt Amberly before throwing myself on a cot, trying to think of ways to get to America. I laid with my back on the cot and my arms shielding my face from anything.
"Killian, have you seen America?" Maxon asked me. I unguarded my face and saw him sitting on the cot next to me. There was angst in his voice and then I thought to myself he really did care for America. I don't think he ever did stop caring for her, his anger just got in the way too much. I knew they both still really loved each other, but that wasn't stopping me from being there for America. "You really don't know do you?" I asked. He shook his head and his eyes widened. "She was taken by the rebels. Right in front of me. I was closing the safe room doors thinking she was already in but they must have grabbed her when I was putting the code in."
Maxon's face fell and he whispered, "No." He stood up and covered his mouth with his hand. "You let her get taken. You said you were with her." I shook my head and stood up, "No way Maxon, the blame is not being put on me. I had her and they took her out of my hands, I tried to get to her but the doors closed."
"YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!" Maxon yelled. The entire room looked at us then went back to their own conversations. Thankfully Uncle Clarkson wasn't here to beat the living shit out of Maxon for making such a scene. I placed my hands firmly on his shoulders and said, "Maxon. Do you think I wanted this to happen? Because I don't. I love her. Not like that, as a friend." I lied about the last part, I loved her like I loved Ashley, "I am going to help get her back mate. Once we are let out of this crazy safe box, I will help you find her." He calmed down at my words and nodded his head. I hugged him for a second and then we both sat down on our cots, trying to fine the impossible sleep.
AMERICA'S POV
I woke up with a ringing noise in my ears. I touched the back of my head and felt a large lump from where the gun hit my head. I pulled my fingers back and saw blood on them. Where was I? The cell had a dirt floor and rock walls with the exception of a door on one of them. I couldn't see out of the door but there were little cameras in each corner of the room so they could see me. I sat up from the dirt floor and looked around. There was nothing here but a bucket to which I assumed was for the restroom. I gagged a little at the thought and tried to stand up using the wall. My robe was missing along with my shoes and I was left in my tshirt and shorts that I wore to bed last night. What if it wasn't last night? Was I here for a week, a month?
The door shot open and a large man came into my cell. "Come with me." he grunted. He then grabbed my arm and twisted it before pulling me out of the little cell. I tried not to cry out in pain as he wrenched my arm backwards but a tear managed to escape my eye. Once we reached a new room, he put me in handcuffs that chained me to the wall and my feet barely touched the ground. I tried to fight back as they chained me but with four other men than the first one, it was hard to fight back to that. My hair fell in my face and I shook it back but it never stayed. I waited for a few minutes, alone in the room until a smaller man came in. He smiled maniacally at me and sat in a little desk with a camera on it. He turned it on and spoke while facing the camera to me. I held my head low, not sure how to react to this.
"Hello, Royal Family. I have one of your beloved elite with me here today, so hello America." I didn't respond so he set the camera down on his desk and walked over to me. "Say hello." he repeated. I didn't say anything and he punched my stomach. "Hello." I croaked out.
"Good. Now Royal Family do tell me where the diaries of Gregory Illea are, and I will not hurt your dear America. Okay? But for every day you do not send me the book, she gets... hurt. Got it? When you bring me the book, I will exchange it for your Dear America. Meet me here tomorrow at noon. Exactly." he held a little slip of paper to the camera. "If you don't show up you know what happens! Goodbye." he turned off the little camera and set it down. He unchained me and I fell to the floor. He ended up just locking me in this room instead of taking me back to my old cell. I rubbed my wrists where the cuffs already started to chafe my arms. The door opened and someone set a tray of food down. He slid it across the floor and I scrambled to get to it. I hadn't realized how thirsty and hungry I was until now. On the tray their was a paper cup with water with stale bread roll and some sour grapes. How courteous of them. I dug in to my food and once it was gone I frowned. I wish I had saved a little for later. Oh well, I really needed it. I didn't know what time of day it was but I was really tired so I decided to sleep.
KILLIAN'S POV
I watched the little screen in horror as America was punched in the gut. She never lifted her head up so I couldn't even see how she was. But I knew it was bad, she had been gone for three days and now this little video was put up on every TV screen in Illea. The rebels broadcasted it somehow to be on everywhere. I had been in my room when the video was played and didn't see anything until America got hurt. Her arms looked thinner, and more hollow. They were most likely starving her. Maxon and I had been trying to get leads to find them but we couldn't get anything because there was no word from America until now. I ran to Maxon's study and barged in. He turned off the TV and said, "I was just coming to get you. What are we going to do Killian?"
We went through millions of ideas, ways to get in without giving them the real books from Gregory Illea. "Wait. Maxon. That's it. They want the diaries. So we have to give it to them."
"We went over this Killian, we can't-"
"I know let me finish. We give them diaries. Fake ones. We could make copies of the diaries and give them to them for America. It could work." I said. He sat up a little and then pointed out, "It would take days to replicate them at minimum. We can't have America under those conditions for that long. She has to come home now."
"I know, that's why we meet up with them tomorrow and tell them we have them in a safe room not in the castle and takes a few days to ship them here. When they arrive, we will send them immediately when the fake copies arrive."
Maxon nodded his head and smiled grimly, "That could work. Lets get to it." We ran downstairs and had most of the staff that was on maid duty drop their work. Everyone worked hard all night, all the staff was paid an extra $200 for their extensive work. The next day Maxon, me, and some guards went to the location to meet up with America and the rebels. We arrived to a little abandoned house and walked in to the front room. America was tied to a chair, had a gag and a blindfold on. Her face looked hollow like the rest of her body. We sat down across from her and the rebels at a little table. They undid her blindfold and her eyes were already shut. She was definitely being starved. When she opened her eyes the usually crystal blue sapphires were dull and weak. When she saw us she began talking inaudibly through the gag and tried to weakly pull away from her restraint. The man stood up from next to her and slapped her across the face and tears streamed out of her eyes and down her gray cheeks. "Don't touch her!" I growled at them. They smiled at me and sat. She looked at me longingly and began to cry even more. I tried to soothe her with my eyes but she just silently cried and moved her mouth to what I made out, help.
"You have the diaries." a man said.
"No, but don't act rashly we intend to give them to you. You see, we keep them in a warehouse far away from the castle so they won't be stolen. It will take a couple days for them to get here but I swear, you will get them. Just don't hurt her. I will give you 100,000 in cash. If you feed her properly and stop abusing her."
The men looked at each other and then the leader said, "I will take that offer. Gladly. But if I don't have the diaries in two days, she will get...raped." he said with an evil grin. Maxon swallowed largely and said, "They will be here. But if America is returned to me, harmed in any way, and she isn't looking better than this, I will not give you the diaries."
America looked up at Maxon with a hurt face and even I glared a little at him, no matter the condition I would have taken her, held her, and protected her. "Can I talk to her?" I asked them. They all looked at me like I was stupid but I repeated, "I just want to make sure she's okay."
The leader squinted his eyes and undid her gag and handcuffs. She ran over to me and cried into my shoulder. "Get me out of here Killian." she whispered while she sobbed. I held her close to me and said, "I will, I promise." I kissed her hair and she hugged Maxon. He stroked her hair and kissed her cheek. Then they took her back. She was put in a car and they drove away after we had gone. We rushed home and began to work hard, making diaries. We made the three replicas with changed information over the next two days. On the second day we met up at the house and America was there, looking a little better than better. Her face looked fuller like she had a proper meal and her eyes looked a little brighter. We handed them the fake diaries and waited. They flipped through a couple pages in each book and looked up at us then shoved America over. She tripped into my arms and I lifted her up off the ground. She grabbed the lapel of my jacket and pulled herself closer to me. We ran to the car and put her in. Maxon held her for a little before she eventually drifted back to me. She didn't say anything to either of us, she just sat there.
"I owe you both a thank you. Thank you for never stopping. I love you guys." she finally whispered. Tears leaked out from her eyes. Maxon said, "You're welcome, my dear. Anything for you." She smiled and hugged his side and rested there. The two started talking, "America I am so sorry. I shouldn't have forced you to stay, its just. I love you so much and I can't imagine a life of you hating me. If you still want to go you can." She didn't respond for a second then looked at me. I nodded my head at her and she said, "I need time to think Maxon." He nodded and she looked at me again. She scooted over to me and hugged my side. "You okay Mer?"
"Other than the fact I was held hostage by psychopathic rebel people for nearly a week, yeah. I'm good." She laughed. "Killian." she whispered. "We need to talk when we get back to the palace. Alone." I nodded and she sat in between us, I think feeling conflicted on which boy who loved her to be with. We finally arrived to the palace and America and Maxon went into her room. I left for mine and waited until I got a note from her.
Killian, we need to talk about some stuff. meet me in 20 minutes, in the gardens? ~Mer