This is the final chapter and there are a few surprises but I don't want to spoil anything.
Stella was sitting in her office sickened with worriedness. It was now 36 hours after Kosta had called her and told that Athina had gone missing. Over the night her co-workers grew slightly suspicious because she had neglected her work and had spent almost all her time at the phone.
On this Thursday morning when she reached everything that was in her power she finally decided it was time to confess Mac everything what she'd done in the last couple of months. The first traces of morning sunlight touched her desk and painted small dots on the wall. This wakened her up and made her leave her office. Mac had also stayed overnight and he was busy working on his office. Stella gently knocked on his door and entered.
"Do you have a few minutes?" He looked up and waved her in.
"Will you explain me now why you haven't slept the last two days?" She sat down on his sofa and he also got up and sat across from her. She told him everything starting with her provocation towards the Greek embassy over the threats she had received from them to the fact that she'd sent Athina went missing his brows furrowed even more and his face showed great disbelieve.
"Do you know who kidnapped her?"
"I can only guess, but the only possible option is that George Kolovos did it. He was working with the man who attacked and threatened me." Mac picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"I'm assembling the team. We will find her, Stella." She got up and headed back to her office. The sun had risen a bit further so it shone also on her desktop. Although she'd called Kosta at least five times she called him one more time. He was as devastated as she was because he couldn't protect her. After the call she opened her e-mail program. There was a new mail with a video attached to it. The video showed Kolovos threatening her, but when he mentioned Athina her face went pale. The image she saw when he stepped aside was even more terrifying. There was her niece hanging down from the ceiling on a metal chain, barely recognizable. Her hair was oily and her skin was covered with bruises. Over her mouth she had a piece of cloth that was stuck between her teeth. Stella's eyes filled with tears. It was extremely painful to imagine what this cruel man had done to her. Obviously he was open for a deal, because he revealed where he kept her. In the end she was glad that she had talked to Mac. It would be way too difficult to get Athina out of there alone.
Half an hour later most of the team was present. Only Lindsay was still staying with her parents in Montana. With the first glance one took of Stella, they knew that something was wrong.
"There is a new development in our case." Stella said in the conference room and showed the video to her co-workers. Since it was in Greek none of them could understand it, but the horribly transfigured body of Athina was clear to everyone.
"Stella, what does this mean?" She swallowed hard and also told them everything.
"He says that I have to hand him all my information about him and then he won't kill Athina."
"We should go in there and get her then." Danny suggested. "Where exactly is it?" Mac showed a map of Long Island and marked the position of the warehouse.
"It's a bit tricky to reach," he said and Stella's face went paler.
"But we have to try it." She was definitely desperate. Mac started discussing about ways to enter until someone, either Hawks or Adam, raised the question if Kolovos was still in the warehouse. Stella was close to turning mad. And finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Mac dismissed them and especially told Adam to analyze the video. She was sure that she wouldn't sit around in the lab waiting for Adam to finish his work. Therefore, she took advantage of the situation that everyone was busy working and sneaked away. Her car wasn't parked in the street so she had to sign out. As fast as possible she drove to Long Island and ignored every speed limit on the way. When she finally arrived Mac had already called her a number of times but she had ignored all of them. Instead she parked the car next to a descended warehouse which was very hard to reach indeed. Around the corner there was another car parking. Inside she could see the badge of a car rental. Suddenly there was a noise coming out of the warehouse. Stella got her gun out of the holster and pressed her body to the wall. A small door near the corner opened and a man left it. He was not Kolovos but certainly of Greek origin. She quickly stepped up to him and pulled the handle of her gun over his head. He collapsed on the floor instantly. Luckily the noise she'd made was covered by the honk of a cargo ship. The door to the warehouse was still open and she took a look inside. It was pitch black so her eyes had to get used to the dimness. After a while she dared to enter. From the middle of the hall came a little moan.
"Athina!" Stella whispered into the darkness. The moan tuned into a cry and Stella lost all caution. She rushed towards the source of the sound, but she had to stop in shock when she saw her niece. Athina looked even more transfigured than in the video. She was lying on the floor and even though she wasn't tied up it was obvious that she couldn't move. Her clothes were covered in blood and her eyes were half closed unable to see. Stella couldn't hold back her tears and took to remaining steps towards Athina where she knelt down to touch her niece's face.
"Athina! Say something, please" Stella begged. The girl's mouth moved but no words were coming out. And then Stella heard something that made her stomach turn and her heart drop. It was the sound of the hammer of a gun being pulled down. A moment later she felt the muzzle against the back of her head.
"Hello Mrs. Bonaserra. Now drop your weapon and put your hands behind your head." The voice of Kolovos said calmly. She let go of her gun and the metal fell on the floor.
"Well done, get up!" She did so and when she was standing she felt his hand at her belt. He took her handcuffs out of its pocket and tied her hands together.
"You already know how this works, don't you? Now you're on the other side." He laughed and in this huge space it sounded very terrifying.
"Have you brought the information how I asked you to?"
"Yes, I have, please let us go. Athina is sick. She needs treatment."
"Patience, my dear, patience. Let me check on your information first." He dragged her to a computer desk with a laptop and pointed to a chair.
"Sit down there and if you get up I gonna shoot you." She sat down without hesitating. Throughout the whole time he kept the gun pointed to her face but he was distracted by the computer. The stick with the information had been in the pocket of her jacket, so very easy to find.
"Very good," he said after he had quickly browsed through the documents, "You have been hard-working." Stella was disgusted and scared and desperate. Therefore, she did something very brave and stupid and kicked the gun out of his hand. Unfortunately he reacted quicker than she expected and got the gun out of her range. Without saying a word ho got up pointed the gun to her knee and pulled the trigger. The bang shook the walls together with her scream.
"You're exactly like your niece. You wouldn't listen to me!" She wasn't even listening because the pain in her leg drove her mad.
"Well, this is quite complete information." He put the stick in an ashtray covered it with alcohol and set it on fire. Over the sound of flames there was something else audible. Outside there was the sound of several cars pulling into the driveway of the warehouse.
"Oh, you have brought your bodyguards?"
"I swear I came alone. You got everything you wanted. Why do you do this to us?" He didn't answer at first but instead he pulled the chair he was sitting on to the middle where Athina was lying. She was still fighting to stay conscious. Kolovos grabbed Stella's hair and dragged her to a spot near the entrance of the warehouse and tied her hands to a solid metal pole. After that he sat down at the chair next to Athina and pointed the gun at her.
"Let the show begin." From outside Stella could hear her co-workers trying to break in the door. The first one to enter was Mac and when he saw her his face showed a mixure of anger and horror because of her shoot wound.
"Don't shoot. He has Athina!" Stella screamed from her spot. The rest of the people who entered gathered in a half circle around Kolovos and Athina.
"Drop the gun and put your hands above your head." Mac shouted.
"No, I don't think so. Before you shoot me, and you will shoot me for certain, I have to make a statement. No-one, and I say no-one, messes up with my organization and therefore, hereby statute an example. I suppose you need your CSI Bonaserra." He pulled the trigger and Stella's world collapsed.
"ATHINA!" She screamed and tried to break free but she failed. Only split seconds after Kolovos shooting Athina all hell broke loose and everyone who was armed started to fire at once. The body of Kolovos fell from the chair covered in bullet holes. Mac's face was now an expression of disgust and when he stepped up to Stella and untied her she could see that he had to struggle with the tears. She had already lost the fight because her whole face was now covered with it.
"Athina, I need to get to her!" He said nothing and so did the rest of the police force. Instead he helped her up and supported her so she didn't have to put pressure on her injured leg. Stella screamed when she finally saw her niece properly. Athina was lying on her back and her eyes were closed. She almost looked like she was sleeping but there was a single gunshot wound on her forehead which ruined the peaceful picture. Stella broke free from Mac's hands and fell next to her niece on the ground. The touch of the cold skin ripped her heart apart and the first tears were falling onto the dirty blouse of the girl. After a few minutes she was pulled up by the gentle hands of Hawkes who hugged her tightly so she could stand.
"We need to take care of your leg." He was crying, too.
That was the final chapter. I hope you enjoyed my story and I'd be very happy if you left a review. =)
