Chapter 25: Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead! (Christian's POV)
Without a word, Ana slipped her dress back on. I followed her lead and pulled my pants on. I didn't give a shit about my shirt at that point. We both followed Taylor down the hall.
"Taylor, I know you said it's urgent, but is it a matter of life or death? Something that can't wait until tomorrow?" I really didn't want to ruin my evening with Anastasia. So far, everything had been going perfectly.
Taylor answered gravely, "Yes, sir, I'm afraid it is. The most urgent thing right now is that I believe Mr. Horowitz's life may be in danger. The footage is from about two hours ago. We don't have anyone manning it around the clock, just scanning the footage once a day. So I was only made aware of this a few minutes ago."
We had made it to the security room, and Taylor turned to Ana. "Ms. Steele, you may not want to watch this. Parts of it are rather graphic."
"It's Ana, and I can handle it," she answered. The usual humor was missing from her voice as she corrected her name. We both knew that whatever we were about to see was going to be bad. I would have preferred to have left Ana out of it, but I knew better than to suggest that she return to the living room or my bedroom. From the way Taylor made it sound, we didn't have time for an argument.
Taylor tapped a key on the computer and began the video. I recognized the room immediately, and memories came flashing back. I could almost smell the lemon-scented furniture polish mixed with the leather and wood of Elena's dungeon. At first, we could only see Elena herself, cleaning her spanking bench, and then moving to clean the St. Andrew's Cross.
We heard Isaac's voice before we saw him. "I thought I would find you in here."
"Isaac," Elena looked up in surprise. "What are you doing here? I told you not to come back."
"I came to talk to you. I have some questions I want you to answer. Once I'm satisfied with your answers, I'll leave."
"Watch your tone, boy," Elena warned him. "You forget who is in charge here."
Isaac didn't back down. We could see him clearly now, and there was nothing submissive about his behavior. "You ended our contract, so I am no longer your submissive. You are not in charge of me. All I want is a few answers. That's it. Once you answer me, then I'll leave and never return."
She rolled her eyes dramatically. Funny how she could get away with that, but she had always punished me when I'd done it. "Fine," she said arrogantly. "But hurry up. What do you want to know?"
"Why did you tell me I was the only one?" he asked.
"Because you were," she answered.
"Liar," he accused her.
"Watch it, boy. I can still tie you to this cross and beat your ass raw," she warned him.
"I'd like to see you try," he responded without malice. "I am probably twice your weight. I can overpower you easily." He wasn't taunting or threatening her. He was just stating facts, unemotionally.
"What happened to you, Isaac? Did I break you that badly? Just a few days ago, you were so well behaved. I sincerely hope you haven't gone back to drinking and..."
"You're deflecting. I want to know why you lied to me about being the only one, and why you're still lying now."
"Why are you so convinced that I'm lying?" she asked him.
"Because you are," he answered matter-of-factly. "I know for a fact that there have been others. Christian Grey, for one."
I could hear her suck in air, in shock. It took her a moment to compose herself and respond, "Why in God's name would you believe that?"
"Because he told me," he answered her, still without anger.
We could see the shock on her face when she turned to stare at him. "He told you?! Why the hell...? Why would he...? You're lying.
"If I'm lying, then how else would I know? You know I'm telling you the truth. Now answer my question. Why did you lie to me?"
"What did he tell you?" she asked.
"That there are others. You started with him when he was fifteen. I was only fourteen when we first started. Are many other boys have you beaten and fucked? And why make me think I'm special? I was just another boy toy to you. Why don't you admit it?"
"What did you tell him?" She continued to evade his questions and press him for answers of her own.
"I told him everything. And I told his father too."
"Carrick?! Why the hell would you tell Carrick? Why would you tell anyone, for that matter? We have a non-disclosure agreement. I can press charges against you for talking."
Isaac laughed at her. Damn, how was this kid ever a sub? I was actually proud of him for standing up to her like this, even if I did wish he'd kept my name out of it. "Yes, you do that, Elena. Press charges. Right. You do realize that I'm a minor? I was a minor when I signed that stupid NDA, and I'm still a minor now. You can't press charges. But please, be my guest to try. Go to the police right now, and tell them what I've done. I'm sure they'll be very interested in your story." His tone was now taunting.
She stared at him, getting angrier with every word he said. When he finished, it took her a moment to connect the dots, but then her eyes got wide. "What have you done, Isaac?" she asked him incredulously, barely louder than a whisper.
"You should be asking yourself that question, Elena," he answered. "And I still want an answer. How many?"
"There's only one reason you'd tell Carrick Grey. He's going to represent you, isn't he? After all I've done for you, this is how you repay me?"
"After all you've done for me?" he questioned. "Really, Elena? Is that the best you can do? How many?
"How many young men have I pulled out of the gutter? How many have I given the gift of control? How many owe me for their success? I'm sure Christian Grey neglected to tell you that he would not be where he is today if it weren't for me. I taught him how to control his life, and I loaned him the money to start his business."
"He told me," he answered her. "And you're full of shit. If you aren't going to tell me how many, then just answer my other question. Why did you lie about it, that I was the only one?"
"Because I wanted you to feel special. Because you are special to me," she answered him.
"Bullshit," he responded. "Try again."
"It's not bullshit," she insisted.
"So let me get this right," he said. "You wanted me to feel special because then I would be more likely to let you manipulate me. Isn't that right?"
"I wasn't..."
"Bullshit!" he yelled, cutting her off. "You know, I was considering giving you one more chance. I've been thinking all afternoon... about dropping the charges I filed against you. I thought what we did, what we had, was worth something. But I was wrong. You may not have directly answered any of my questions, but you've given me all the answers I need. You can burn in hell!"
"You first," she responded.
I'm not sure when or where she'd gotten the gun while they had been standing there talking, but now she had one pointed at him, and before we even realized what was happening, she pulled the trigger. The bullet hit him in the arm. Leave it to Elena to miss at point blank range, but thank God she did. The impact of the shot pushed Isaac off his feet, but he quickly jumped up and charged her. Before she had a chance to pull the trigger again, he wrestled the gun away from her. In their struggle, the gun discharged again. For a moment, we could not see what had happened, but then Elena's eyes grew large... and frightened. So did Isaac's. He now had control of the gun, and he stepped away from her. We could see the blood on her chest, and the next moment, she fell to the floor.
"Oh, shit! No, no, no!" Isaac cried. "No, don't be dead! I hate you, but I don't want you dead!" He checked her pulse, and it appeared that he couldn't find one. And then, he stood there staring at her in shock for the longest time, until he let out a wail that I'm sure the neighbors must have heard. And he began to cry, hard. We watched the emotions on his face as they turned from shock to anguish to horror to panic. Once he began to panic, a moment later, he was gone. We were left staring at Elena's lifeless body on the floor in a puddle of blood.
Taylor stopped the video, and I was so shocked by what we'd just witnessed that it took me a moment to recover. When I was able to speak, I asked him, "Is she dead?"
"Yes, sir," he answered gravely.
"I'm sorry, Christian," Ana consoled me as she put her arm around me.
"Sorry? Why? I'm glad she'd dead. Now she can't hurt you." When Ana looked shocked, I continued, "She's made my life miserable, Ana. I'm not sad, but I am still worried about what the police will find to link me to her. Or worse, to make me look like a monster. But that's not the pressing issue right now." I turned back to Taylor and asked, "Where is Isaac and what steps have you taken so far?"
Taylor answered, "I sent our man in to investigate. He confirmed that she is dead. We have not yet called the police. I gave him orders to remove the camera. Also, to break into her safe and remove photos, videos, USB drives, anything like that. With any luck we'll get all of the footage she had of you, but we can't be sure. As soon as I had given him these instructions, I came to tell you. While you were watching the video, I heard from him. It is all done."
"So you haven't called the police yet?" I confirmed.
"Not yet, sir," he answered. "My first priority is to protect you."
"And what about Isaac?" I asked him.
"I've had someone watching his house since this afternoon. He returned home about an hour ago."
"Is anyone else there to get him medical care?" Ana asked.
Taylor didn't answer immediately. I knew he hated to admit it when he didn't know something. Finally he replied, "His mother works a night shift, and his father lives elsewhere. To my knowledge, he doesn't have any siblings."
"Shit!" Ana exclaimed. "He has an untreated gun shot. He could be bleeding to death!"
"Can you get the guy watching him to check on him?" I asked Taylor.
"He isn't opening the door, sir," Taylor responded.
"Call him, Christian. You have his cell number, don't you?" Ana said.
I took my phone from my pocket, thankful that I'd taken the time to put my pants back on. I called Isaac's number, but he didn't answer. I left him a message. "Isaac, I am very worried about you. Please call me back when you get this message. I know what happened tonight, and you don't need to worry about it. Let me help you."
After I ended the call, Ana said. "Taylor was right to have anything that could point back to you removed before calling the police. If they'd gotten any of those videos she was blackmailing you with, it could be just as bad as Hyde having them. Even the one we just watched could be damaging to you."
"Yes," I agreed, "but that video might be the only thing that saves Isaac. It proves that it was an accident. Or self defense at the very least. I'll get Barney to edit out the part about me before turning it over to the police."
"How are you going to explain how and why you have it to the police?" Ana asked.
"I don't know yet. But if Isaac is accused, I will have to give it to them. I'm sorry, Ana. At some point, I stopped caring as much about my reputation as I care about these kids... these other kids that she molested. God damn it, just a week ago, I wouldn't have even called it that, but things changed when I found out about them. I want justice for them. Hell, I want justice for myself. I'm not sure I even realized it until I talked to Isaac. But I'm sorry, because I should have told you all of that before we announced our relationship to the world. I certainly don't want you to get caught in a shit storm with me. I know how much your reputation..."
Ana cut off my words by pressing her lips against mine. She kissed me soundly, and before I could respond, she ended the kiss, looked me in the eyes, and said, "I am with you, Christian Grey. Let's do our best to keep you out of a shit storm. But if you end up in one, I will be right there with you." With that, she kissed me again, and this time, I kissed her back.
"You need to call your dad. We need to talk with him before we involve the police." Ana said when we ended the kiss.
"Sir, your father is already on his way here. I took the liberty to text him while we were watching the footage just now. He responded that he was already in Seattle, so he should be here any minute."
"Thank God we don't have to drive out to Bellevue tonight," I responded.
Ana put her hand on my shoulder and asked, "Christian, are you OK, really? I know she meant a lot to you at one point in your life."
I answered her without hesitation, "Yes, I'm fine. It's surreal though. She's really dead, isn't she? Ding, dong, the witch is dead! I don't feel sad about it, but relieved. I don't have to worry about her hurting you now. But I am still worried. Once the police get involved, I'm worried that she's got more copies of those damn videos somewhere that the police will find."
"We are trying to prevent that, sir," Taylor said.
The ding of the elevator told us that my dad had arrived. Ana and I headed out to meet him. It turned out that both of my parents were here. When I saw them, I nearly lost it. They hadn't seen me cry since I was a child, and I feared that if I cried now, they would all think that I felt sad that Elena was dead. That wasn't it at all. But I felt such overpowering relief that everything that she had put me through was coming to an end, and it was hard not to be emotional about it.
My mother noticed my distress right away. "Christian! What's wrong?" she asked.
I responded by putting my arms around her and hugging her. When I didn't move away right away, she carefully put her arms around me and returned the hug. When I finally moved back, there were tears in her eyes, as well as shock. It was the first time that I had ever let her hug me like that.
"What's going on, son?" Dad asked. "Taylor asked us to come by. He said something urgent has happened and that you need my legal advice."
"It's Elena Lincoln," I answered.
"What has that bitch done now," Mom asked spitefully.
"She's dead," I answered.
Both of them looked shocked. And then I saw panic in Mom's eyes. "Christian... you didn't...?"
"No!" I stopped her. "Mom, I didn't. I'm not sad she's dead, but I didn't have anything to do with it. Well, not directly anyway. I may have set things into motion that led to it though."
"What do you mean, son?" Dad asked.
"What I mean is that Isaac went to confront her earlier tonight, and they struggled over a gun. She tried to kill him first. The gun went off and killed her."
"And you know this... how?" Dad asked.
"I had her place bugged, Dad. Remember that detail that you didn't know about? We thought we'd get footage of her molesting a boy, not of her being shot by one."
"Do you have the video here, now?" Dad asked. When I nodded, he asked, "Can I see it?"
"Sure, Dad," I answered. "We just watched it in the security office. I'm sure it's still up on the computer in there."
"Grace, stay here," Dad told Mom. "I don't think this is something you need to see."
I turned to Ana. "Princess, would you mind staying here and filling Mom in on everything that happened while I bring Dad in to watch the video? I agree with Dad that Mom doesn't need to see it."
Ana and Mom went into the Living Room, and I saw Ana headed towards the wet bar as Dad and I turned back towards the security office.
After watching the video, Dad's first concern was Isaac. He suggested that Taylor or one of my other security staff make an anonymous call to the police to report a disturbance at Lincoln's house. We would need to talk to the police, but it could wait until after they had found her body and searched the crime scene. For now, Dad wanted to head straight to Isaac's house.
I was inclined to ask Mom and Ana to stay at my penthouse while Dad and I went to find Isaac, but they both put up a fight.
"Christian, he obviously needs medical attention," Mom argued. "Which one of you is qualified to provide that?"
I sighed. "OK, Mom, you're right. We need you."
"I'm going too," Ana insisted.
"You don't need..." I tried to argue.
"Don't tell me what I need," she cut me off. "I'm going."
Five minutes later, we all got into one of my SUVs, with Taylor driving and Dad riding shotgun. Reynolds followed in my other SUV with Sawyer. I sat in the backseat next to Ana, who held my hand, stroking it softly, which calmed my nerves. I was so glad that she'd insisted on coming. She talked quietly with Mom, but I wasn't focused on their conversation. Just the sounds of their voices made me feel happy. I realized that with Elena gone, I was truly free.
On the way, I tried calling Isaac again. Still there was no answer. I decided to text him instead. I am on my way to your house. Please open the door when I get there.
Still no response.
It took us about twenty minutes to drive to the apartment complex where Isaac lived with his mother. When he didn't answer the door, I ordered my security detail to break in. Instead, Taylor tried the door, and we found that it was unlocked. That seemed to put all the security officers on alert, as they all got out their guns at the same time. Within no time, they had searched the apartment, found Isaac in his room, and found no one else there. They put their guns away and cleared the way for us to enter Isaac's room. All four of us entered, one after the other, and the security stayed just outside the door.
He was lying on his bed, curled up on his uninjured side, shivering and crying. He seemed to still be in shock. His arm was still bleeding where he'd been shot, and his bed was a bloody mess.
"Isaac!" I called out.
I apparently scared the shit out of him because he screamed out when he heard me. But then he seemed to focus on me. "Christian?"
"It's going to be OK, Isaac," I told him. "I promise, it's going to be OK."
A horrified look came over his face when he realized what I was referring to, that I knew. "I killed her!" he shouted. "Oh my God, I killed her! She's dead! I'm a murderer!"
"Shh!" Ana said. She touched his arm lightly, carefully. "You are not a murderer. It was an accident."
Isaac focused on Ana, looking confused. "Who are you, and how do you know?"
She answered calmly, "I am Anastasia Steele, Christian's girlfriend. And I know because I watched what happened."
"I had video surveillance of Elena's dungeon," I explained. "I was trying to entrap her. I had no idea that you were going to go confront her."
"Yes, I know that was really stupid," he said. He turned to Dad and said, "I'm sorry I went against your counsel. You told me plainly to stay away from her. I just had to see her face one last time to let her know that I know what she is. I wanted her to be remorseful. I didn't mean to... She shot me! I had to get the gun away from her or she would have killed me!"
"I know," Dad said calmly. "I saw what happened too."
Mom stepped forward. She had her medical bag in her hand. "Isaac, I am Grace Trevelyan-Grey. I'm Christian's mom and Carrick's wife. And I'm a doctor. You need medical attention. That gunshot looks pretty bad." She stepped closer so she could get a better look at it.
"You need to be in the hospital," Ana told him. "You should have gone to the ER."
"But then I would have had to tell them what happened. That I killed her. I was scared. I don't want to go to jail. That would kill my mom. Oh my God, you're going to tell her, aren't you?"
Grace began to examine his wound. "Let's not worry about that right now," she said. "Let's focus on making sure you stay alive long enough to see her again." With that said, she began to put pressure on his wound.
"What!?" he shouted. "I might die?"
"You almost did," I reminded him. "If her aim had been just a little bit better, you would be the one lying on that dungeon floor."
"And if we don't stop your bleeding, you still might. This needs attention, and right now." Mom turned to me and said, "Christian, call 911, and then look for bandages. Anything clean that I can use to stop the bleeding. Maybe a sheet that we can cut into strips. You can ask Taylor to help you."
"You call 911, and I'll look for bandages," Ana offered, and she went out the door as Mom thanked her.
Mom told Isaac, "I don't see an exit wound, which means the bullet is still inside you. You're going to need surgery, the sooner the better."
Isaac began to cry again. "I have to tell my mom," he said through his sobs.
"Let me call her," I offered. When Isaac nodded, but then said that he couldn't remember her number off the top of his head, but that it was stored in his phone, I asked him for his phone.
"I think it's still in my jacket pocket," he said. I found a bloody jacket on the floor and searched the pockets. His phone was there, and I saw that he had a missed call from me, along with the text. That was all. I guessed that he was as much a loner as I had been.
Being the naive, trusting kid that he is, Isaac told me his code to unlock his phone, and I found his mother's number. I called her directly from Isaac's phone. "What is your mother's name?" I asked him as the phone began to ring.
"Brenda McDonald," he answered.
"Isaac, what's wrong?" she asked tiredly as she answered the phone. I guess he never called her at work unless something was wrong.
"Ms. McDonald, my name is Christian Grey. I am calling you from Isaac's phone, and he is here with me now. He is awake but is receiving medical care and can't talk on the phone at the moment. He asked me to call you to explain what is going on."
"Medical care? Is he injured?" She sounded panicked.
"Yes," I answered. "He was shot earlier tonight. The gunshot is in his arm, and it doesn't appear to be life threatening as long as he gets the treatment he needs. We are in your home at the moment, but we have called 911, so the paramedics are on the way. My mother, who is a doctor, is currently treating him, but she believes he needs surgery. We will ask the ambulance to take him to the University of Washington Medical Center, which isn't that far from here."
"Yes, I will meet you there," she answered. I heard a door close and her voice telling someone that she had to leave. The other person yelled something, but she explained calmly that it was a medical emergency. I heard a door slam, and then it sounded like she was running down stairs.
Ten minutes later, when the ambulance arrived, Isaac's arm was wrapped in strips that Ana had cut from a white sheet she found, and Mom was working hard to keep pressure on the wound. All that time, I'd kept Isaac's mother on the line, explaining with as few details as possible what had happened to him, letting her know what Mom was doing, talking her through each step. I told her when the paramedics arrived, and when they were moving him to the gurney. When Isaac cried out in pain, his mother gasped. "Is he OK?"
"He is in pain, but I think he will be OK once we get him to the hospital and he gets medicated," I answered. They are loading him in the ambulance now, and my mom will be with him the whole time.
"Yes, thank you," She answered.
"Do you need to go now so you can drive?" I asked her.
"I don't have a car," she answered. "I work near the hospital. I'm on foot, but I've been running towards the hospital since you told me. I hope I get there at the same time you do."
By now, Ana, Dad, and I were back in my car with Taylor driving us towards the hospital. "Where are you, Ms. McDonald?" I asked her. "We can pick you up on the way."
"I'm almost to Ravenna Park," she answered. "It's only a few blocks from the hospital.
"Taylor, take 15th Avenue through Ravenna Park," I directed him, and then I asked Ms. McDonald, "Which direction are you coming from?"
"From the Northeast. I'm on 25th Avenue running south."
"Taylor, go on to 25th. We'll pick her up on the way."
"I'm crossing 65th right now," she said.
"OK, stop where you are," I instructed. "Look for a bus stop or something that feels safe."
"It's the middle of the night in Seattle. Nothing feels safe. But I'm waiting for you near 25th and 65th. Are you far away?"
"Five minutes at the most," I answered.
"Just get here safely and take me to my son," she replied. When she sniffled, I knew she was crying.
"Holy fuck," I muttered to myself, hoping she didn't hear me. I was thinking what I would do if this were my mother, out in the middle of the night, running through the streets of Seattle because I had been shot by Elena Lincoln. Thanks to this kid, Elena Lincoln was no longer a problem. And thanks to my position in life, one I had been adopted into, my mother would have never been in the position that this one was. Why the hell didn't she have a car, and why the hell did she work at night when her son needed her at home?
"We're at 65th now," I told her. "A black Audi SUV. I think we have to cross the intersection to get to you."
A minute later, we were through the intersection, and Taylor pulled over to the curb. I stepped out and greeted the woman who had stood up as soon as she saw my black SUV.
"Ms. McDonald?" I asked.
She wiped her eyes on her sleeve before she answered, "Please, it's Brenda. You must be Christian Grey. Oh my God, you're Christian Grey!" When she realized who I was, she looked nervous, and tried to fix her hair. "I'm sorry, Mr. Grey. I applied for a job at GEH a few weeks ago... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Can we get to the hospital, please?"
As I opened the car door for her, I said, "Please, call me Christian. And this is my girlfriend, Ana." Ana smiled at her reassuringly as she got in the car. I walked around the car and got in on Ana's other side.
"I'm so sorry I'm so sweaty and dirty," Brenda apologized again. "I'm sure I stink like beer. I had a customer spill his on me tonight."
"Oh wow, that sounds terrible," Ana said consolingly.
"So you work in a bar?" I asked her.
"Only at night. I have a day job too, but it doesn't pay enough for Isaac's school fees. I know some people might consider it frivolous to pay for private school, but Isaac is so bright, I wanted him to have a better chance of getting into an Ivy League. I knew he'd be more likely to qualify for scholarships if he had the right education.
"That's not frivolous at all," Dad said from the front seat. "I sent all my kids to private schools. I'm Carrick Grey, Christian's father. Please, call me Carrick. I've met your son, and you're right, he is very bright."
"Brenda, has Isaac mentioned anything to you about his meeting with me or Dad?" I asked her.
She looked surprised. "Isaac met with you?"
"Do you know the name Elena Lincoln?" Dad asked her.
"Elena Lincoln?" she repeated, thinking about it. "Isaac used to work for a Mrs. Lincoln. He did household chores for her after school, that kind of thing. I never knew her first name, and I never met her. But he told me last week that he quit, but he wouldn't explain why. Why are you asking?"
We had arrived at the ER entrance, and Taylor stopped so we could get out. "We will explain everything later," I assured Brenda.
When we got inside, we only had to wait a couple of minutes before Mom came out and found us. "How is he?" I asked.
"Wait," Dad interrupted. "First, Grace, this is Isaac's mother, Brenda McDonald. Ms. McDonald, my wife, Grace has been caring for Isaac since we found him at your house."
"He's alive," Grace said. "But he went into hypovolemic shock before we arrived at the hospital, and he lost consciousness as a result. He's lost a lot of blood, and he still needs to have surgery to remove the bullet. He still has a long night ahead of him."
Before any of us knew what was happening, Brenda was falling. She appeared to be fainting, probably from shock, or exhaustion, or both. It was reflex for me to catch her before she hit the floor. I held her in my arms and stared wide-eyed at Ana, the only one whose touch I'd ever been able to tolerate until I hugged Mom earlier tonight. It still felt very painful to let a stranger touch me, even if she was unconscious. It burned like hell, just like it always had. Ana saw it in my eyes, and she immediately went into action, steering me to a nearby chair where I could lower Brenda and let go of her without risking her falling. Once she was safe, and Mom and Dad were both checking on her, I turned to Ana and just held her in my arms. I never wanted to let her go.