Disclaimer: See the first chapter.
Alana and the Ransom:
I knew Rachel was worried about me after we left my old home, from the looks she kept casting my way, to the way she stood, was a dead giveaway.
She knew Alana's death had nearly sent me into a dark abyss that I wouldn't be able to climb out of. She wouldn't let me go through it alone, most likely not wanting me to have to do what she did. One of the many reasons why I knew I could count of her for anything. One of the many reasons I considered her my closest friend.
We were in another abandoned apartment complex. We hadn't seen or heard anything from the undergrounds since we left the last place. I knew not to keep my hopes up, they were still out there, they may not be here now, but they wouldn't stop searching for us in Greenock. We would have to get out of here sooner or later. I preferred sooner rather than later. Sooner would end up getting us killed.
I let Rachel get some sleep. I wouldn't get any sleep, not with my thoughts running about Alana. If I went to sleep my dreams would be plagued with nightmares, each about her death, each ending with me not being able to save her and watching her die in front of me.
I pulled the pictures I had taken from our old house and looked at them. They were all I had left of the woman I loved.
I got up and made my way to the window that was boarded up. My hands clenched the window sill as I looked through the cracks out at the town of Greenock. This was her home, this had been our home, and this wasn't my home anymore.
. . .
I woke up and found Rachel sitting at the table cleaning her guns. "Most guys would find that a turn-on" I joked. She raised her eyebrow, not looking up from her work. "What about you?" she asked.
"I find that I can trust the woman who's cleaning them" I responded.
"Good answer" she responded.
I looked at her closely. Her red hair made her look like a completely different person, it made her look like Rebecca Manning, one of her many aliases. The only thing that made her look like her old self was the reserved look in her eyes and the bags under her eyes.
"We should go get something to eat" I said standing up.
She got up and then pushed me back down on the couch. "Your legs going to get infected if you don't take it east Dustin, you're not going anywhere" she said sternly.
"When have I ever listened to you gara?" I asked standing back up. Her mouth clamped shut and I saw I had won. She wouldn't like it, but she wouldn't stop me either. She knew we would end up dead if we slowed down any.
"Shall we?" I said opening the door after stuffing a gun in its holster.
"Not like we have much of a choice" she muttered as she walked out ahead of me, gun at the ready. I smiled and then held my other gun ready to fire I was walked down the hall towards the stairs.
We sat at a coffee shop eating and drinking coffee. Everything about Scotland was coming back to me, it was all becoming familiar again, and that was something I didn't want. I would never come back here. All the memories from Scotland were filled with the woman I loved.
Suddenly a man came up and tapped me on the shoulder. I saw Rachel's hand move towards a gun.
"Excuse me sir, you have a phone call" he said in Scottish holding out a phone.
"Thank you" I said taking the phone. I raised my eyebrow and looked at Rachel. She nodded and moved closer to me.
"Hello?" I said.
"Dustin…it's good to hear your voice again. I do believe I have something of yours" said a voice I didn't recognize.
"No! Dustin don't listen to anything he says!" screamed a voice in the background before it became muffled and there was a slap, then a cry of pain. I recognized the voice immediately, but it was impossible, the person who belonged to that voice was supposed to be dead.
"Who are you?" I whispered my voice low and deadly.
"No one of importance Dustin. Do you want to hear what I have to say or would you rather let the woman you love really die, a very painful death?" asked the voice.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"Why you Dustin. A trade. Your life for hers" said the voice.
"Where?" I asked getting up to look out the window. Rachel turned to protest, her eyes flashing with warning.
"The old militia compound. Three hours or she dies" said the voice before the line went dead.
"Don't even think about it Dustin. You're not going there alone, this could be a trap" she said. I turned to look at her. Rachel didn't mention the fact that Alana was dead.
Realization dawned on me. "You knew" I snarled throwing her against a wall and holding her there. She didn't flinch she just stared at me. The truth had finally come out, and I could see it clearly in her eyes.
"Your attracting unwanted attention Dustin" she said calmly. I let her go and stalked out knowing she would follow.
I walked into an alleyway and then slammed her against the brick wall.
"Why?" I snarled.
"She wanted it this way, said you were safer not knowing" she said looking at me sadly.
"You knew what happened to me, did it ever occur to you to tell me she was alive? That I wouldn't be in so much pain if you would have just told me two simple words?" I asked, I knew my words held a touch of pain in them. She could see it too.
"Telling you would have hurt you more. You wouldn't have been able to see her. Letting you believe she was dead was better than knowing she was alive and you couldn't have her Dustin" she said. I knew the truth was in her words, but I was still angry, and I had to take it out on someone.
"If I knew she was alive she wouldn't be being held hostage!" I yelled.
"You know that's not true" she said.
I fell to the ground and felt her arms go around me. Even after being an asshole she was still there to help me.
"You're not mad at me for yelling?" I asked.
"I could never stay mad at you Dust, besides, you had to take it out on someone, I wish I could see Skylar again, but I know that won't happen, I watched her die in front of me" she said softly. I wrapped an arm around her.
"We make quiet a sorry pair huh?" I said with a weak smile.
"We always have" she said with a grin.
"You know I have to go" I said quietly. She laid her head on my shoulder.
"I know. I never said you couldn't go Dustin. I said you couldn't go alone" she said, her blue eyes looking into mine. Her decision was already made, and I knew Rachel better than anyone including her stubbornness.
"You sure? You can leave, go back home to the man you love, let me rescue her alone" I said.
She laughed. "I never leave a man behind that includes the woman he loves" she said.
I love how close Dustin and Rachel are. That's true friendship right there. Anyway, next chapter is going to be Rachel's when they rescue her. Don't worry. I promise Callen is coming back. Just not at the moment. Hit the little review button and let me know what you think. Hope you all had happy holiday!
-Haleybug
