Another big thanks to Flaming Mushrooms for helping me edit the chapter—You are such a wonderful help and you don't even realize it. Stupid typos. Thanks again.

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Chapter 7.

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Zhen's POV.

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It was painful to see.

Even still, I couldn't pull my eyes away from the computer screen as Blake, Luther and I simply watched Declan suck the lips off this woman. I was now regretting that stupid little camera I had placed in his earphone. It infuriated me as to how easy it was for Declan to do this job, how smooth he was.

It was even more painful to see that this woman wasn't exactly the "wicked, ugly stepsister" either. From the mission briefing, it was obvious to anyone that she was something to look at. Even I had to admit, if I were a guy, I'd want a piece of her too.

I told myself not to let it bother me… I told myself not to concentrate on the pictures on the computer screen…

But I wouldn't listen.

I noticed Blake was staring at me from the other side of the van. I had nothing against the woman when we started this mission-- I still didn't-- but judging by the look on her face, she was bearing a lifetime of hatred pointed in my direction.

"What?" I hissed at Blake when Luther seemed busy with his computer. She didn't answer; she just stuck her nose in the air and looked away haughtily.

"You think you're so wonderful," Blake said to the wall, not even having the gall to look me in the face. "But news flash, you're not. You have about as much skill as a chimpanzee."

I was amazed at her insolence, and Luther and I exchanged glances.

"You know," I said, folding my arms. "I used to think you were an okay gal, but now I'm thinking there are words for your kind of woman that a real lady shouldn't say."

"Yeah, bitter much?" Luther said sarcastically.

"Are you trying to call me jealous?" she said with a chuckle. "Of that?"

She nodded toward the computer where Declan's impassioned images filled the screen.

"She can have him," Blake went on. "He's just going to do to her what he did to me."

"And what makes you think I'm going to let him 'do' anything?" I snapped, insulted by the fact that people were starting to notice what might be going on between Declan and me.

"Call it an educated guess," she replied with a snotty smile. "And if I find out you've done so much as look at him in a way I think is questionable, I'm turning you both in."

"You do that, and I do the same to--" Luther began, but I shushed him immediately, with my eyes locked on the computer screen and Declan's intense expression.

"Fine," Lucas said over Declan's wire feed. "I'll tell you."

Then the sound of her voice broke into static resembling the crash of an angry waterfall.

"What?" I exclaimed, bolting up in surprise. "What happened? What just happened?"

"Declan, what happened?" Luther yelled as he frantically sifting through computer wires to check for anything he might have accidentally unplugged. "I lost feed on your wire. Declan? Declan!"

Then we lost the feed on his earphone, and the screen fell to snow. The last image I saw was that of Lucas extremely close to Declan and reaching for his ear with a devilish look in her eyes. The woman had this planned for sure… and now she had Declan.

"Do something, Luther!" I commanded.

"What does it look like I'm doing, woman? Shut up!"

"We need to get back in there, Luther!" Blake insisted.

"No!" Luther contradicted. "What we need to do is abort. You hear me, Smartie! Abort mission!"

"Yeah," he said over the computer. "I hear ya, but by the way… the name, it's Mart--"

"MARTIN, GET YOUR SORRY ASS OUTTA THERE!" Luther shouted in his receiver so loudly that it squealed some feedback in his speaker.

"Luther!" I shouted, horrified. "We can't just leave Declan there with that woman! They'll take him in for questioning, drugging, experimentation, torture— they'll make him insane, and then they'll kill him, Luther!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Luther argued back. "But it ain't like we got a hell of a lot of choice here, Zhen. For the good of the team, I'd rather save all our butts than to get us all sold down the--"

"--Then open the door," I interrupted.

"What?"

"I didn't stutter, Luther; open the damn door. I'm going after him."

"When a building's on fire, Zhen, you should be happy to get out alive. You don't throw a towel over your head and run right back into the flames!"

"You do when there are lives to be saved. I'm not letting Declan get sent back to us piece by piece."

"How romantic," Blake scoffed cynically.

"Shut up!" I snapped at her. I looked at her for a moment, and in my rage I grabbed her by the collar roughly and brought her up to my eye level. "You did this! You sent Declan up the river for what he did to you!"

"Hey, Psycho, I've been here the entire time! Why don't you check your facts before you start throwing accusations--?"

But I was done listening to her and had already focused my attention back on Luther.

"If you all choose to leave, that's fine by me, but I am not leaving those men behind. If not Declan, then at least I can get Martin safely out of there."

I had a staring contest with Luther. He blinked first.

"Fine," he agreed at length, scooting aside to let me out of the van. "But I ain't stickin' around for your lovestruck butt."

"Understood," I said with a nod. "Give me forty-eight hours. Grab a hotel room nearby. I'll contact you if I succeed. If I don't… well, you'll know what to do."

I jumped out of the car and realized that Blake had also.

"What are you doing?"

"You're going to need my help, China Doll," she replied. "Or are you really stupid enough to think you can do this all by your incapable self?"

I glared at her and she glared right back. I was only mad because I knew she was absolutely right.

"Fine," I agreed reluctantly. "But we do this right and with no more bickering."

"Just do this my way, and we'll be just peachy."

I snickered at her nerve and went around the back of the van to stock up.

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Signed,
--RedRogue