"Troika"
10. Trespass
The rest of the drive had been spent in silence, as Quinn kept an eye both on the road ahead and on Santana in the other car. It wasn't like she thought she'd try and ditch them, but at this point it was kind of impossible to make heads or tails of what she'd end up doing.
But then they had arrived, leaving the cars out of sight but not so far that they couldn't make a quick enough getaway. None of them was willing to say it, but they didn't know in what condition they would find Brittany – if they found her – nor did they know what condition the rest of them would be in when… if… they got out of there.
They went and found a place to stand so they could look upon their target. For Quinn, the moment wasn't without chills. She'd driven past the place countless times over the years, and it still did something to her… a sympathetic ache in her arm. This is no way compared to this feeling here tonight. This time she wasn't just passing in front of it, she was actually planning to go in.
"Quinn?" she snapped out of it, hearing Spencer's voice and feeling his hand on her arm. She looked to him, to Santana. It was time.
"Last time, I went in through there," she pointed to a side door. "Came out there," she pointed to a higher window.
"And ripped your arm open," Santana added.
"Yes, I know," Quinn sighed. "We should find a different way."
"What happens if and when you do find her, and you want to leave?" Spencer asked, leaving the two of them confused as to what he meant. "From what you've told me, they have gone to great lengths, not only to find you after these years, but to make you come to them."
"What's your point?" Santana asked, serious; they kind of knew already.
"My point is this won't just go away. Even if you get Brittany back… They won't just go away. They will come after you again, and maybe that time they won't just take one of them," he was looking to Quinn now. "And if they don't kill one of them, or anyone else they can find in order to make you reveal yourself… They'll find another way." The girls were silent. "So what happens then?"
Quinn couldn't speak. If things weren't bad enough with the knowledge that her past actions had gotten one of her friends kidnapped, now they were talking about something even bigger. What were they supposed to do? Go on the run? Disappear? It was either that or…
"I'll kill them," Santana stated, her voice flat, like she needed it to be.
"Santana…" Quinn's eyes watered… It couldn't get to this…
"They took my wife," she said, again, her mantra in all her actions since that morning. "And he's right, they won't stop, they won't leave us alone. It's not just the three of us anymore. You've got him, and us…" her hand had gone to graze at her stomach and her fingers were shaking. "If they found us, they could find any of them. Rachel and Puck, Hattie and June, Claudia and Lucas, Winger… all our families back home…" Quinn's mind went to her mother, her sister and her family… even her father. They had no idea what she did and this could still get to them. "They've made this personal now."
"Have you ever killed anyone?" Spencer asked her, knowing the answer, but needing to make her think about what it was she was aiming to do.
"No, of course not," she looked down with a sigh, swiping just briefly at her eyes. "Have you?" she turned the question on him, maybe hoping it would grand her power back.
"No," Spencer revealed, and Quinn couldn't pretend some part of her wasn't sighing in relief at that. "But I've come close to it. Even then I know… It stays with you, like a scar no one else sees." Quinn could see in his face there was more to this story, but it was neither the time nor the place to go into it.
"What else are we supposed to do?" Santana asked, looking to him, to Quinn. "Damn it, don't give me those eyes again."
"What are you…" Quinn asked, sniffling.
"Your 'this is all my fault' eyes. You couldn't have known this would happen," she had reached for her. Quinn moved up to hug her.
"I broke my rule, I shouldn't have stayed here," she cried.
"And then what?" We would have lost each other again, you wouldn't have met him," Santana looked to Spencer. "We can get through this," she gave a firm nod through her tears. "Got it? This is what we do, always. We'll get Britt back, and then… we'll find a way. Come on, Aunt Quinn," she hugged her again, and Quinn did the same. "Now no more crying, time to put your game face on," she told her, and they pulled apart, looking back to the building.
"Santana?" Spencer asked her. When she looked over, he nodded to the back of her shirt. "I think you should give me one of those." She stared at him. "You're going to have to decide once and for all whether you trust me." She stepped up to him, reaching back and pulling out one of the two guns and placing it in his hand, all the while keeping eye contact with him.
"Safety's on, fully loaded… Don't make me regret this." He put the gun in his waistband now, while Quinn touched her friend's arm with a silent thank you.
"Let's go this way," she pointed, and the trio took off to find their entry point into the building.
TO BE CONTINUED (TOMORROW)