APOV

I raised my hand to my face, wincing as I touched the bruise that was there. It was a gift from Luke for the time that he had helped me with the self-defence, from a time when I thought he was helping to keep me alive. I apologised for hurting him that day but I know there would be no apology from him now.

He was angry, they all were here and all the blame apparently was on me.

I had no idea where I was or how long I had been knocked out but it had to be days. I wanted to see Christian, I needed to know he was ok because I refuse to believe what Blandino had told me, that he was dead.

Only the thought of him being alive and that he would find me kept me going. It was because of my Old Man that I continued to do what I'm doing now.

The glass doors and windows I had in the room which one day would've opened out onto a balcony, opened now onto the wooden boards that blocked my way. They must be an inch thick, if not more and despite slivers of light coming from between some, the room was mostly shrouding in darkness.

I was fed here and they were even stupid enough to give me a knife and fork, ones they never thought to take back that first day with the food. At present, the knife was making very slow progress on one of the boards.

This was my escape route, the only one I had at the moment unless I can overpower the guards. I felt it was safer for me, as safe as it could be any way to be on the outside of the house than in.

Hearing the key turn in the lock, I moved from my position by the windows, placing the redundant curtains back before I quickly sat on the bed.

Like most days a woman not much older than me appeared and placed a plate onto the chair.

"I'm Ana," I said for what felt like the hundredth time as I say it every time she enters the room. She doesn't speak though, like she's afraid to even tell me her name. As she went to shut the door behind her, I noticed a bruise on her face. She must have received it recently as she didn't have it this morning when she brought breakfast in. "I can help you," I told her, feeling she needed to escape this place too.

She looked startled at my words before she quickly shook her head and then locked the door behind her.

Picking up the plate, I was greeted with bread and cheese. What century are these people living in that they give their prisoner bread and cheese? I suppose it's better than nothing.

It didn't take me long to finish my meal and just as I was about to resume my place by the wood blocking my escape, I heard someone turn the key again.

I knew it wasn't my female visitor so I didn't look up when they entered as I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of trying to make me scared. Intimidation was the main weapon they tried against me, intimidation and fear. When I did finally look at Luke, I cocked my head to the side, asking why he was here.

"You know, this attitude doesn't suit you," he said, stepping closer to me.

I didn't quake in fear as I once would have. I stood from the bed in front of him, classing him as just another bully I had had to put up with in my life. He wouldn't win, he wouldn't break me, no matter how much pain he tries to inflict.

"If you want attitude, I would look in the mirror if I was you. Tell me this though, why did you join the team as even I could see you didn't fit in" I asked him.

"You sure ask a lot of questions."

"Well when I only have the walls to speak to all day, I will take any chance to speak to someone, even if that happens to be you."

"Charlie, he always spoke highly of his friends and when I met them at my brothers funeral, I could see what he meant. They were a tight-knit group, a family and for a small time, I wanted part of that. Morton quickly reminded me that I already had a life, one that wasn't as thrilling as my brothers but bought me a lifestyle I don't think even Charlie could've comprehended. You see you can make a lot of money by turning the other way and if the criminal is not willing to pay you, then you just take what they have, making sure most disappears on the way to the precinct as there is always someone willing to pay for what we had. Working with that team brought on a whole new level of excitement, money that even I hadn't seen."

"How so," I asked, wanting to keep him talking so he would stay the hell away from me.

"The bounty as a cop you come across was minute to the reward I was able to access working with Jason and the team. I mean Hyde's death earned me nothing, despite me being the one who told Blandino about them, but when you're going in to take down an arms dealer it's not too hard to make some of those arms disappear especially when I'm the one Jason tasked to speak to the proper authorities due to my work on the force. I have more money than you could ever comprehend Ana, more money than that little boyfriend of yours would ever see."

"Really, I thought Barney had removed that," I told him, seeing I had hit a nerve so I continued. "You complained about Charlie's death and how much it upset your mother and you but I think it was jealousy that made you join their group. You were jealous that Charlie was out, living his life and making a name for himself when all you were was a bent cop. You couldn't exactly run home to mummy and show her your accomplishments doing that now could you."

I saw his hand coming but I moved, hitting it out of the way with my own. As he advanced on me further, it was Morton who blocked his way.

"Blandino wants her in one piece, he wants answers," he told Luke. "If we have a chance of finding out what else Hyde had in store and getting the money back, she's our only way."

"Good luck with that one" I spat at them before my arm was gripped by Morton and I was pulled from the room.

Like always, I was led up to the second floor and to an office which must be Blandino's. He sat behind a desk, looking out over the grounds that surrounded this house as I quickly looked too, searching for the best direction to run in should I manage my escape.

"Sit down," he said, addressing me but I stubbornly stood. "I said sit down" he bellowed but my feet stayed still.

Only when I was lifted from my feet and dumped into a chair did I move.

"On the day that Jack Hyde released his first video, his computer at Seattle Independent Publishing was wiped. What was on that computer Miss Steele, what was he hiding" Blandino asked me.

"I have no idea, I rarely went into his office."

"Really, from interviews that were taken after that day, you were reported to be the only one he allowed in there," Morton told me.

"I was his assistant, of course, I would be the only one who had business going in there. The fact remains though that for the six months that I worked for Jack, I rarely did go into his office due to the fact I didn't feel comfortable being close to that man."

I don't think any of them were happy with my answer but it was all they were going to get. Luke got up, leaving the office as I tried to ignore Blandino and Morton, especially when they were speaking about me.

Focusing on the office and what was within it, I noticed they had some of Jack's papers here. I would recognise his untidy scrawl anywhere and some of these I had seen in his office at SIP.

When Luke did renter the room moments later holding a laptop in his hand, he had my attention, especially when he placed it down in front of me.

"Don't you dare deny knowing what this is?" Luke told me as I looked at the screen.

When Barney had been moving money around as well as gifting some to charity, he had used a program to do it, one that was open in front of me, wanting a password that I didn't know.

"Enter it," Blandino told me.

"I think you have the wrong person. You need Barney for this," I told him, shutting the laptop.

"Bitch" Luke said, opening it again, this time out of my reach. "You were speaking to Barney while he was entering the code. He removed the money from the accounts, setting up another in the process where he moved all the money to. I know you know the code."

"I know I don't" I replied. "We were speaking about Tacoma, about the library that was there where I spent a long time. I doubt he was making a code out of my escape."

"Why not, Hyde did."

"Barney wouldn't do that. He's not like that."

I watched as Luke entered word after word after viewing details of the library and the station I once knew. Each of them came back denied which made the level of anger rise in the room.

"ENTER IT NOW" Blandino screamed in my face as if shouting at me is going to make me remember a password I didn't know.

I do remember what we did speak about that day and that was my dad. I told Barney all about him, his name, rank and regiment. I know for a fact that Barney wouldn't have used information so personal to me the way Jack had done, so I looked Blandino in the eye and told him the truth.

"I don't know it."

In his frustration Blandino picked up some of the papers from the desk, throwing them at me. What damage did he intend to inflict, a paper cut? Looking down at the papers that had landed in my lap, I picked them up, placing them onto the desk. One had fallen to the floor and it was this one that I now placed in my lap, that had my attention.

Jack's handwriting was all over the page and there were certain phrases that stood out. His clue to the station for one but another made me want to smack him for taking another thing from me and using it for his own gain.

Latch onto the robbers he had written.

Chelatchie Prairie Railroad was one of my dad's favourite places to visit and a place he had taken me to many times on his day off from work. They also ran train robbers weekends or something to that extent as that was what was advertised on the poster that hung in Jack's office. I remember asking Jack about it and he told me he had grown up near there and visited often. It was one of the very few conversations we had which weren't about work and it seemed that just like last time, he had used our conversation to make another clue.

Chelatchie was a tourist place though, not a main station so I had no clue to where he would hide something there. Seeing the words following it though, I think it might have something more to do with what could be found online about it than the actual place itself.

Barney looked for where the videos were being released from, could it be as simple as that. Hiding something within their website, something that could be accessed from anywhere.

I'm getting ahead of myself because if what I think is true then I couldn't tell anyone but myself. Picking the paper up before putting it back on the table again, I sat quietly while they continued to argue amongst themselves before they turned to me again.

"Hyde kept you around for a reason, why," Luke asked me.

"Haven't we already discussed this?" I asked him, remembering having this conversation with him not so long ago.

I feel a different person than I was back then, stronger despite how weak they wanted me to feel. If it came to it, I would fight them with everything I had despite knowing that unarmed, my chances were slim. I would channel my Old Man because seeing his face again, holding him and telling him that I loved him once more, was worth fighting for.

"You were the closest person to Hyde we know of," Luke said sounding desperate now for me to give them any tiny bit of information that would help. Hell would freeze over first.

"Yet he spiked my drink and tried to rape me. Hyde used me, he took information from the few conversations we had, to make up his stupid clue. I don't know what information you're looking for with that little bit of knowledge and if I did know, I wouldn't tell you."

Blandino shot up from his chair, gripping hold of my hair so I had no choice but to look at his face. I stared at him with unwavering revulsion as he spat at me to tell him. I stayed strong though and it was him who was first to look away.

"What does all this mean. You must have seen some of them before, we got them from his office." He asked then shaking some of the papers in my face.

"I don't know, the ramblings of a mad man. You know as I do Luke, the papers he left at the station were not for me so you're asking the wrong person to what half of this means."

"You figured out the clues though from his message."

"Yes, BECAUSE HE LEFT THE MESSAGE FOR ME" I screamed, sick of going around in circles. "I was supposed to hand it all over to Kate, did you kill her off too?"

Hearing their silence at my question, I know they had some hand in her death, if not physically then they ordered it.

"This is getting us nowhere. Samuel does not take failure well. The money that was taken belongs to him and if we don't get it back then I will be personally handing you over to him" Blandino said, turning to me.

"Crooked Senators are bad enough but dealing with someone like that, you hit a new low there. Is he hiding here as well, all criminals together" I asked.

"Don't be stupid child?" he said angrily and if I'm not mistaken a little worried about his criminal friend. It seems Barney had taken money belonging to Fernandez, not Blandino and these guys were desperate to get it back.

He walked over to the window, looking down on the garden for a few minutes before turning back to me. As he turned though, I did notice his gaze settle on a painting behind his desk. Why that caught his eye I don't know unless it's hiding something. Looking at me one more time, he told them to take me back to my room before walking out.

"No, let's have a talk," Morton said once the door had been slammed shut by Blandino, sitting on the edge of the table before me. "I thought you would be like her, feeble and weak and would do anything for a quick fix."

"Who," I asked.

"Your mother. The one you murdered or was that me" he laughed.

"She is feeble and weak as she doesn't have lover boy around," Luke said, looking me straight in the eye. I didn't look away first as I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of intimidating me.

"Let's see who the weak one is when Elliot gets his hands on you. Jason, Barney and Christian too. If you think it's me who will be living in fear for the rest of my life, I would take a good look around, especially over your shoulder because they will find me, and they will find you too."

"Get out of my face," Luke told me as for a split second I saw fear in his eyes.

He disguised it quickly, his sneer back again but I didn't care because, in the battle of wills, Id won.

Morton pulled me from my chair, his grip on my arm no doubt leaving his mark. So he was the one who had killed her, all to draw me out. They didn't need to kill her in the end because with escaping and going to the first vehicle Christian had, we fell straight into Luke's trap. He might have won that little fight but he would perish in the war, I have no doubt.

"You didn't have to kill her."

"I thought you hated the woman or so we heard after."

"I disliked the way she treated me but you murdered an unarmed woman."

"Oh, she was armed all right," he told me as he led me down the stairs to the floor below. "She ran into what must have been your room, trying to lock the door behind her. She was begging for me to leave her alone but showing her mercy and leaving her alive was not in the plan so I took the knife she tried to hurt me with and made use of that. Do you know, your name was the last word that left her mouth, Ana" he laughed.

His words had hurt me more than any other he had said, although I didn't show it. Maybe in her final moments on this earth, she remembered she had a daughter, maybe she did care after all. I will never know. As he shut the door behind him, it was me who had the last word today.

"Mistress Elena is looking forward to seeing you again and has a paddle waiting."

I heard his fist hit the door, an acknowledgement that he had heard me loud and clear. He had to have heard my laughter too that was just for him, as I felt no humour in my words, I just felt numb.

….

I lay on the bed, looking at the ceiling, so tired but afraid to go to sleep. Sleeping, I let my guard down and at the moment I felt like I was back in Tacoma, feeling the need to defend myself at all times like I once had. I had a knife, one that was getting blunter by the day and although I was making progress on the boards, my effort might just be in vain as I now had a guard stationed on the terrace outside. Chelatchie and that painting upstairs kept running through my mind, did they both hold secrets or was my mind coming up with false trails. Hopefully, I will have the chance to find out in time.

I was fighting to keep my eyes open when the first explosion happened. I heard the boards shake and I had a feeling that had they not been there, the glass in the windows and door to the balcony would've gone. I shot up in bed, expecting to see Christian rushing through the door but no one came.

Getting off the bed, I went over to the window, seeing through the gap between the boards a fire at the end of the long drive. There was a lot of activity out there now, men running in all different directions. When the gunfire started I could hear the panic in some of the voices nearby which made me smile.

Christian was here, I knew he was because my heart felt he was close. I had to believe that because there was no other option for me.

Hearing the key turn in the lock, I gripped the knife in my hand. I had no idea how much damage I could do with it but at present, it was all I had. Seeing the door open, it was the young woman who appeared. She looked terrified and seeing her shaking hand gesture for me to move, I did just that. She was small and if she was all I was up against she would be easily overcome. Stopping beside her though, she held her hand out to me which contained a gun.

"I'm Olivia" she mumbled. "My father, I don't know who that man is but I know whatever he's blaming you for, you didn't do or deserve this."

"Come with me," I asked her but she shook her head.

"No, I will go to my room, I should be safe there. Go down the staircase to the bottom and then turn away from the front door. It will lead you to the kitchen and then out back. I don't know where anyone else is so I don't know if you will run into anyone on the way."

"It doesn't matter," I told her, checking that the chambers on the old revolver she had given me were full. "You've given me a chance, thank you. When this is all over, I will tell them that you had no part to play in all this."

"Thank you, now go," she said as we heard hurried footsteps on the staircase as someone approached us.

It was Morton who rounded the corner and seeing us together, he had the cheek to call her a traitor. As he reached for his gun, I used the one I had, taking only one shot.

I had never killed anyone before and for a split second, as I watched him fall down, I think I was in shock. It quickly passed as I picked the gun up he had dropped, giving Olivia, Morton's gun for protection before she quickly ran up the stairs.

I could've kept his but knowing it had probably once terrorised my mother, didn't sit right in my mind. Rushing down the stairs, I tried to stay away from windows, most of which were like at Escala, blown out.

I reached the bottom, ignoring the front door and went back on myself as Olivia had instructed towards the back of the house. Rushing through the dining room towards the kitchen beyond, I had just reached the door when I ran into someone.

This was not the same someone who I had ran into in Tacoma, melting into that person's arms. No this was Blandino, a sneer similar to Luke's on his face.

"Going somewhere," he asked, gripping my arms tightly, as the gun I had held was knocked from my hand, clattering to the floor.

I know it's not the best place to leave it but I wanted what happens next from Christian's pov. The next chapter is written and I'm halfway through editing it, so I'm hoping to have it up sometime today.

Take care.

Caroline.