Chapter Eleven
Emily felt like she'd been hit with a ton of bricks. She – for the first time – figured it out. "I know who A is."
"What? Who?"
"XO, A. That was how Ali signed that picture of her on the boat on Cape May."
"Are you sure?"
"I know where Ezra is. He's at that old farm. Where Dr. Sullivan was. Alison visited me there. That has to be it."
"Let's go," Aria demanded, running out the door.
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Ezra pulled up to the run down, old farm house. There was no sign that anyone was there, but that's usually the way A worked. He cautiously stepped away from his car and headed to the entrance. He slid the door open and stepped inside, preparing to find Aria's dead body. He looked up from his feet and was relieved to find no corpses. But he did get worried. Aria was nowhere to be found.
He caught on and thought, Shit. It's a trap. I am gonna get killed. Not her.
Before he could react, the door slid shut and locked. He heard the clack of heels from outside as he tried with all his strength to pull it open.
"You won't be able to open that," a voice called out. Before Ezra could turn to see who it was, despite already recognizing the voice, a bag covered his head.
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Emily sped down the freeway, trying to get back to the barn as fast as possible. The only thing that was slowing her down were the people along for the ride. Aria kept sobbing and saying it was her fault. Spencer griped about her wedding most likely not happening, and Hanna complained about how small her shoes were.
"Would all of you shut up!" Emily screamed. Each girl winced and muttered apologizes. "Sorry, but all of your complaints are really distracting. We need a plan."
Spencer nodded, "Uh, yeah… Emily, you know where the entrance of the barn is right?"
"Right. I was thinking you and Hanna would get to Alison, while me and Aria get Ezra out okay."
"I can't do it. I can't," Aria cried.
Emily rolled her eyes. "You can't do what?"
"Go in!" Aria cried. "What if he's dead when we get inside?"
"He's not dead!" Emily argued.
Aria whimpered, "How do you know!?"
"I just do," Emily explained. "Ali is not gonna kill anyone!"
That's what they were all hoping at least. Yeah, Ezra had lied to each and every one of them, but each girls, sans Aria, knew how much he wanted to protect her from the new A. He got a burner phone, made up code words, and met up with them in a soundproof location just to keep Aria safe. He wasn't the bad guy anymore. They could trust him.
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Ezra's wrists were probably purple from cut off circulation because A had tied his wrists so tightly to the chair he had been placed on. His ankles hurt from how tightly they had been tied down as well. He couldn't see anything, due to the sack still over his head. His breathing was unstable and he groaned from pain.
He heard clacks of heels before him and felt hands left the bag off his head. To Ezra's surprise, it wasn't the person he had heard earlier. It was Melissa Hastings.
She placed a sick twisted smile on her face and said, "I bet you didn't expect me to be here!"
Ezra glanced from side to side, looking for Alison. Melissa, realizing what he was looking for, assured him, "Don't worry, she'll be back."
"Why are you doing this?"
Melissa slapped him hard and Ezra felt the side of his face sting.
"You ruined my life, Ezra. You killed my husband and then named me. You were never supposed to tell anyone who was on the A-Team and certainly not the cops!"
"I had to, okay?" Ezra protested. "It was spiraling out of control and it had to be stopped."
"And you had to tell the cops and have a big, public trial?"
"It wouldn't have stopped without cops involved. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it."
"Shut up!" She slapped him again.
"Calm down, Melissa," Ali demanded. Ezra's head snapped up as Alison approached the two of him.
"I bet you thought you'd seen the last of me," Alison giggled.
"Alison," Ezra whispered. Ali only smirked and turned around. "Mona, untie him please. He's no fun tied up."
Ezra's eyes bulged. Did she just say Mona? And sure enough, Mona appeared with a knife and approached Melissa and Alison. Mona quickly whispered something into Ali's ear and Alison smirked and grabbed the knife.
She went forward and bent over. She whispered into Ezra's ear, "Wonder why I'm doing this?" she dragged the knife along his jaw. Ezra stayed silent. "Aw, come on. You're no fun!" Ezra refused to talk, though.
"Well, I'll tell you anyway," Alison sighed. "You are the reason I hid for so long. You are the reason I have a huge scar on the side of my face. You are why I was buried alive."
Ezra swallowed hard and kept staring forward, ignoring the aching pain in his ankles and wrist and cheeks.
"You really love her, don't you?" Alison asked, standing straight again. "Don't you?"
Ezra did really love Aria, but refused to speak.
"Did you love her more than me?"
Ezra bit hit tongue. Ali let out a chilling chuckle, "Wrong answer." She threw her fist straight in Ezra's face. Ezra winced and was shocked how much Alison DiLaurentis could pack a punch. "Too bad she's never going to see you alive again."
Punch after punch, Ezra felt a metallic taste in his mouth more and more. He could feel the bruises that were sure to appear later on. Why wasn't Alison just killing him?
Alison dropped her fist when she heard the sound of tires crunch gravel. They were here. "Melissa, go get it." Melissa obeyed and scurried to a shelf in the barn. She retrieved an object and handed it over to Alison.
"Here goes nothing," Alison muttered. She wrapped her finger around the trigger and fired straight at Ezra.
(A/N:) So there you have it! It's Alison! Props to bite-me-im-irish to figuring it out! Also, just a reminder, this is au as of 4x18 so that's why Alison isn't as tragic as she is currently in the series! Also, I am SO sorry that I haven't updated this in like a week! I've been really busy and scatterbrained!
Oh and that finale! I can't even… WHEN EZRA GOT SHOT I DIED INSIDE like no joke. I was crying harder than the girls in that scene! And JESSICA noooo! I had just started liking her too! Damn… But jeez, I can't wait until June 10th!
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