A/N: Thank you as always for the reviews.
Really? After following my story for 54 chapters, I'm sure that no one actually thought that I would let anything happen to Ana or Christian.
To save everyone the worry, here is the next chapter. Another update will be soon.
Important: I do not own the Fifty Shades Trilogy or the characters. They belong to the very talented E.L. James.
Still Ana POV:
Luke's knuckles are turning white with the force he is using to restrain himself and I'm thinking about what Christian is going through who I just know is on the other end of this call.
Glancing behind us, I see the black SUV that was parked in front of the one we are driving and I feel helpless, hopeless and scared shitless. I will have to trust Christian and Taylor to protect us. I glance at Luke again and I have never, in my entire life, seen anyone as angry as he is at this very moment. The smile on Linc's face tells me that he sees it too.
"Don't worry, Mr. Sawyer. Mia will remain unharmed and you can take her and leave at any time. The choice is completely yours; take your fiancée and run, or stay and try to protect them both. Difficult choice unfortunately, I wouldn't want to be you today. You have to choose between protecting the woman you love or try to protect the woman you have sworn to protect with your own life. Failing any one of them, will cause you to live with regret and that will eat away at you. Eventually you will push Mia away. You will break her heart and in turn, a bonus for me, causing Christian even more pain. The knowledge that he is responsible for his sister's pain, will add fuel to the fire. See, all around, the entire Grey family will be destroyed and Christian Grey will have nothing left… not his wife, his son, his family, his reputation and eventually not even his company. He will lose everything." I truly hate this man with every cell in my body.
"So will you." I whisper, trying to change his mind.
"Anastasia, I lost everything the day I found out about them. They both thought I only saw Elena as a trophy wife, but that was not true. She was my life…my everything… just like you are to Christian. I would have died for that woman. I neglected her in order to provide for her, and do it well, and I'll never be able to make up for it or apologize enough. I didn't want her to work because I wanted her to feel spoiled and cared for, instead she felt trapped. It ripped my heart out when I saw what I did that day. And you know what; I still wouldn't have left her. But later, she told me that she will not give him up. I could keep her, but she was keeping him. I lost it and that's why I beat her into the hospital. Not because she was fucking him, but because she didn't love me like I loved her. She would keep him even if it meant losing me. That day was the day that I lost everything I cared about. And then I waited. I waited for years, hoping he would find you and then he did just as I started to give up hope. His first punishment was to let him live without you. To know what it's like not to have the woman you love next to you. The plan was for eleven months and seventeen days, but you fucked that up." Oh my God, he was behind the kidnapping. My eyes meet Sawyer's and he also realized it. I remember that we noticed a large cash withdraw from his personal account, but could not figure out what he did with it. When suspicion towards Elena and Jack increased, we let it go and focused on them.
"Yes dear, I planned the kidnapping, Elena didn't know it, but I set the wheels in motion the day I saw the look that Jack gave Christian when he came to fetch you at the pub. I watched how you left and then approached Jack. At first he wanted nothing to do with it, but a week before the crash he decided to play along. The fact that Christian had him fired was just the icing on the cake and like they say, the rest is history. Paid the fucker well enough for his part." I'm grabbing Luke's hand with my one hand and the other I put over Teddy, praying for us all once again. Luke is quietly forming a plan, I hope.
We stop and I see the bank next to us. We were driving so slowly that I didn't even realise that we were here. Luke gets told to stay behind and Linc and I enter the bank. While Linc is writing down the banking details, I glance into my pocket to ensure the call is still connected and almost cry in relieve to see that it still is.
When we get back outside after the transfer is done, I see the black SUV parked several cars down, but Linc quickly shoves me back into the car not paying any attention to it.
We started driving again and it felt like ages before we finally stopped at an abandoned warehouse well outside the city. My heart is racing and Luke is quiet, way too quiet, as we are forced out at gun point. I walk in slowly and see the other SUV driving by and I think I caught a glimpse of an Audi's behind it… Christian? I have no idea who is inside, but for some reason I have hope and hope is all we need, with a lot of luck of course.
Christian POV: Earlier the same day.
"Mr. Grey, please can I have minute?" I glance up to see Elizabeth standing at my open office door. I nod and she walks inside, looking nervous as hell.
"What can I do for you?" I ask and the confusion as to her presence in my office can clearly be heard in my voice.
She walks into the office and closes the door behind her before she takes a seat. She is looking down at her hands and I press the button below my desk to call for Taylor as this could be nothing but bad news.
"Mr. Grey. Something happened last year. At the time, I didn't think anything of it and since I really had no other choice in the matter, I chose to never think about it again… until today." Am I supposed to know what the fuck this woman is talking about? I wait for her to continue as she looks as if she is trying to figure out how to say whatever it is she came here to tell me.
"I suggest you get to the point, and quickly if you don't mind." At that moment, Taylor walks into my office and closes the door behind him again. He takes a seat next to Elizabeth and I gesture for her to continue.
"You see, last year Jack Hyde came to my house with a steel case and a crew to install a safe. I had no choice but to let him do whatever he wanted as he has… videos of me… in compromising situations." She glances up at me with so much shame that I feel sorry for her even though I'm unbelievably annoyed right now. "He had the safe installed in my spare bedroom and the case was placed inside. When he left, I never thought about that case again. I keep that door closed and pretended that it doesn't even exist. Today however, I received a call from him to remind me that I must not let anyone near that safe. It's his new start for when he eventually gets out. I left immediately and arranged for someone to meet me at my house to open the safe, saying that it's mine and since it was in my house, they didn't ask any questions as to what happened with the key. Anyway, the safe was opened and after they left, I opened the case and it contains money… like in a hell of a lot of money. I don't know what to do, but I was thinking that… the money might be the reason why he kidnapped you."
She stopped and I was speechless. I really couldn't put any of the blame on her, but fuck! I take a couple of cleansing breaths and after running my hand through my hair, I look back at the scared woman sitting across my desk. If she had gone to Ana or Taylor last year, I would have been found sooner. The expression on her face tells me that she probably just realized the same thing.
"Mr. Grey, I'm terribly sorry. I know it doesn't change anything, but I really am."
"Thank you for the information, Elizabeth. We will take it from here. Taylor will collect the case this evening and lock it up in the safe here until we know where it came from."
She simply nods and starts to leave, but stops at the door. "Will I be fired?" She's not turning around and I can only imagine what she must be feeling.
"No, please don't worry about that." How can I fire her for keeping a case she was blackmailed into keeping?
The minute she is out, Taylor closes the door again and turns to me.
"It wasn't Elena." He says in a dead tone.
"I was afraid you would say that and this is a problem for me. This is from the third player and we still don't know who it is." More than that, he or she is still out there, waiting to strike again.
"I have my suspicion, but we will need confirmation. If there is $500k in that safe, it's Mr. Lincoln as there was a cash withdraw from his account of $500k the week before the crash. But Hyde might be willing to confirm this for us."
"Good thing we are on our way there anyway. Get Welch to see what he can find out before we get there."
We leave the office after I stop by Ana's first to tell her I'm going to see Hyde. I don't tell her anything more as I don't need her to stress over this. I will take care of this myself. She did so much for me already. We walk into the prison, which is outside of the city limits and a good forty five minute drive. The suspense is killing me and Taylor is quietly driving, probably making a list of suspects in case his suspicion is wrong.
When we get the prison, a very smug Jack Hyde is waiting in the private visitor's area. I get right to the point. No niceties needed between us.
"Hyde, who paid you to kidnap me?" He sits back and simply smiles at me and Taylor for so long that I start to imagine strangling him. My hands will look good tightly wrapped around his neck while he blows out the last breath of his miserable existence.
"Wouldn't you like to know? All this time, living as if you received a second chance at life, thinking that your kidnappers are behind bars and you are safe… just to figure out today, that someone is still out there. I can imagine what you are feeling right now and I have to say that it brings joy to my little black heart to know you are having a bad day today."
"Who was it Hyde?"
He glances at the clock on the wall and wait for five minutes. Five fucking very long minutes. I get up as we are obviously not going to get answers and just as I get to the door, he gets up too. I look back and he starts to laugh.
"Patience is a virtue that I can see you clearly don't have. So I will tell you." He sits back down with his hands on the table. "Linc."
And with just that one name, my blood turns to ice and Taylor apparently feels the same way. This feels like it will be bad and right now, I get the feeling it will be very, very bad indeed. I have to get to Ana, right now. Security already informed us of his presence at Grey House just as we walked in. As I rush to the door, which Taylor already have opened, he laughs again and I use a lot of control to just let it go.
"You're too late. He already has her. Like I said, bad day for you today." I would have stopped to kill him, but my need to get to Ana right now wins and I bolt with Taylor following quickly.
We barely get into the SUV when my phone rings and I look at it to see the last fucking name that I want to see right now.
"Grey." What the fuck does he want?
"Why the hell would Ana be leaving your building with the ex-husband of your convicted kidnapper?" I put the phone on speaker.
"Cross, are you following my wife again?" I don't have time for this shit. I need to get to Ana and when Taylor speeds out of the parking area, I don't even complain.
"Cool it, Grey. I was sitting outside Grey House thinking of how to get you to sell your shares in Cross Industries back to me, when I saw them walking out. Ana looks as white as a ghost and her bodyguard is so tense that I think his muscles might snap at any moment. What the fuck is going on?" And suddenly the ball is in his court and he might be my only lifeline in this nightmare.
"Gideon, she is definitely not leaving willingly. Please… don't let him hurt her. I have no idea what Linc's plan is and how he got her to go with him, but it can't be good. He was the one behind the kidnapping and he has been planning this for a long time. Do you have security with you?" The mighty Christian Grey is reduced to pleading and I don't give a fuck.
"Yes. Angus is with me… armed and I can assure you, very dangerous, but Lincoln is not alone. Someone is waiting for them inside the car. They are getting into a white SUV now. What do you want me to do?" I can't think. I fucking can't think. Taylor luckily answers for me.
"Follow, not too closely. They will certainly be armed, but he won't kill them in the city. We don't know what he wants so we will have to wait and see what happens. We are already on route. Please stay on the phone and keep us updated so we can meet you. It will take us about forty minutes to get to you unfortunately."
There is no time to say anything else as there is a call alert on the hands free that synchronizes with Taylor's phone. The display shows 'Ana 911' and there it is… my second life line.
"Gideon, Ana is going to come on speaker, we won't talk again as that will give her away. I'll let you listen in." I say as quickly as possible and turn up the volume before Taylor connects the call. I have no idea what he will hear and will have to deal with the aftermath of this later.
"Linc, you don't need Sawyer. Keep his firearm, but please let him go. He hasnothing to do with this. I will go to the bank and transfer the thirty million you want… like you said… five million for each year that Christian had an affair with Elena... and you will give me the rest of the photos you have of him as well as Mia." He has Mia and photos of me that he probably got from Elena. I glance at my phone and contemplate hanging up on Cross, but I can't… he can save her if I'm too late. But I know where this is going and how he got her to go with him.
"I don't think so. He will come with us. Just to ensure he don't contact that husband of yours. Speaking of which… phone please." Just his voice is making my blood boil and I clench my other fist. Cross stays quiet.
"So what? You get the money and we go our separate ways." That's right, baby, keep him talking.
"Oh no. I think I should return the favour today. Christian fucked my wife, I think it's only fair I do the same. Actually, I'm entitled to it." I can literally feel the blood drain from my face. He's going to rape my wife… he is going to hurt Ana…she's pregnant… oh, please God no. "You see, Ana. I know all about his feeling for you. He was quite open and honest with Elena before he was kidnapped. He told her all about how precious you were to him. The money… well, that he won't really care about… but you. You are an entirely different matter. It will literally drive your husband insane to look at you and know that I've been inside you… while carrying the heir to his empire no less. To know that I left my seed inside you will make him lose his mind, push away his wife, hate looking at his son and in time, hopefully a very long time, he will lose everything. The woman that has only ever been with him… touched by no other. Elena assured me that, apart from killing you, this will be the most effective way to completely destroy him." All three of us gasp loudly at the same time and then hold our breaths. I will fucking kill him with my bare hands. I will send him right to hell to wait for Hyde and Elena. But he's right and he knows it, that will absolute destroy me, but it won't make me love Ana and Teddy any less. It will be a painful reminder that I failed her, but I will never leave her.
Taylor is grabbing onto the steering wheel so tightly that it might break under his grip. I hear heavy breathing and realise it is coming from my phone. Cross… he knows this will destroy me and worse, it will kill Ana… my sweet, innocent Ana. She will never be the same. I feel like I was punched in the gut and want to vomit at the picture I see before my eyes of a broken Ana.
Then I hear a very soft whisper, "I won't let that happen, Christian. He won't get the opportunity to touch her like that." After today, I might just give him the shares back for free. Hope… I have hope… but not much. This is a fucking nightmare and with all of our phones occupied, we can't call for help.
"Don't worry, Mr. Sawyer. Mia will remain unharmed and you can take her and leave at any time. The choice is completely yours; take your fiancée and run, or stay and try to protect them both. Difficult choice unfortunately, I wouldn't want to be you today. You have to choose between protecting the woman you love or try to protect the woman you have sworn to protect with your own life. Failing any one of them, will cause you to live with regret and that will eat away at you. Eventually you will push Mia away. You will break her heart and in turn, a bonus for me, causing Christian even more pain. The knowledge that he is responsible for his sister's pain, will add fuel to the fire. See, all around, the entire Grey family will be destroyed and Christian Grey will have nothing left… not his wife, his son, his family, his reputation and eventually not even his company. He will lose everything."
This torture is the absolute worst, but I have to stay focused, I can't think about anything else than getting to Ana and inside this fucker's head. I don't care about GEH or the money, but I can't lose Ana and my family.
"So will you." My baby whispers so softly that we almost don't hear it.
"Anastasia, I lost everything the day I found out about them. They both thought I only saw Elena as a trophy wife, but that was not true. She was my life. My everything… just like you is to Christian. I would have died for that woman. I neglected her in order to provide for her, and do it well, and I'll never be able to make up for it or apologize enough. I didn't want her to work because I wanted her to feel spoiled and cared for, instead she felt trapped. It ripped my heart out when I saw what I did that day. But you know what, I still wouldn't have left her. But later, she told me that she will not give him up. I could keep her, but she was keeping him. I lost it and that's why I beat her into the hospital. Not because she was fucking him, but because she didn't love me like I loved her. She would keep him even if it meant losing me. That day was the day that I lost everything I cared about. And then I waited. I waited for years, hoping he would find you and then he did just as I started to give up hope. His first punishment was to let him live without you. To know what it's like not to have the woman you love next to you. The plan was for eleven months and seventeen days, but you fucked that up." Oh God, I didn't know. If I could turn back time, I would. No man should lose someone he loves as much as I love Ana and it seems that it was that way for him… with Elena. I would feel sorry for him if he didn't have my wife at gunpoint right now.
"Yes dear, I planned the kidnapping, Elena don't know it, but I set the wheels in motion the day I saw the look that Jack gave Christian when he came to fetch you at the pub. I watched how you left and then approached Jack. At first he wanted nothing to do with it, but a week before the crash he decided to play along. The fact that Christian had him fired was just the icing on the cake and like they say, the rest is history. Paid the fucker well enough for his part."
We hear the car doors opening.
"Cross." I whisper into the phone.
"They are entering the bank. Just the two of them. Do we move?" I look towards Taylor for guidance.
"No, let Angus phone Welch to get back up." Taylor gives him the number and we hear Angus explaining the situation to Welch. Obviously all in hushed tones while hearing the transfer take place. Thirty million is nothing if I can save Ana today, but he won't have time to spent one dollar of that money.
"They're on the move again. We'll follow. What is your ETA?" Cross asks.
"Five minutes to the bank. We will be right behind you." Taylor answers as we start to pick up speed.
After a fifteen minute drive in silence, for all parties involved, we see Cross's car in front of a warehouse, but Taylor slows down and I see a glimpse of Ana being dragged into the warehouse before the doors are closed. When we stop just past the warehouse behind Cross, I almost sprint towards the warehouse, but Taylor grabs my arm, pulling me back.
"Sir, this is a tricky situation. This man has a severe hatred towards you and we have no idea what is waiting inside the warehouse. If we involve the police, this could turn into an ugly hostage situation and by the sound of it, this guy doesn't think he has much to lose. He will kill her without hesitation." Thank you, Captain Fucking Obvious.
"I know." I'm sure everyone can hear the despair in my voice.
My phone rings and I pick up immediately, keeping my eye on the warehouse in the distance.
"Grey."
"Mr. Grey. We are five minutes out to your location. You stopped." Welch ask and I'm glad he was able to react so quickly.
"Yes, he took them into a warehouse and we are trying to figure out the next move." I say and glance at the warehouse where my wife and family are being kept against their will.
"How long do you think we can wait?"
"Not long at all. He wants… he wants… to rape her." I can barely get the words out of my mouth before I fall to my knees.
"Three minutes, Sir. Get ready to enter. I have eight heavily armed men with me and three are FBI agents that are close friends of mine. They are on the job and dressed the part. The FBI has been informed of the high profile kidnapping and they will be with us within fifteen minutes, giving us a window to solve the situation ourselves before this turns into…" I don't let him finish.
"We have to save her." I'm crying… on my knees… over my wife that is being held hostage right in front of my eyes. "I can't lose her Welch… I can't lose her."
Fuck, I can't breathe. I feel Taylor's hand at my neck and don't even flinch as he removes first my tie and then my jacket. Cross is looking at me with so much sympathy and concern that I forget everything that happened weeks ago. I owe him now after all.
I end the call as three cars pull up in front of us. The FBI agents are out first and in front of my kneeling form before I can even get up.
"Mr. Grey. I'm Special Agent Roberts. I will be taking over the situation, but not formally until the unit arrives. Do I have your permission to do everything I can to save your wife?" I nod and get up slowly. Roberts are a huge beast of a man and when I look into his eyes, I see determination there and I try to find my voice. "I've never lost a hostage, Mr. Grey. As they barely arrived, I strongly suggest to storm from all directions with full force. Back up will be here shortly and if we happen to be outnumbered, which I seriously doubt from what Welch told me, we will win this without casualties." And I trust him. I don't trust quickly, but this man I trust for some strange reason.
"Thank you. I just want her out of there. He wants to…" I can't say it again, I simply can't force those words out of my mouth again. He puts a hand on my shoulder with understanding filling his eyes.
"I know… which is why we don't have much time. He already got the money. That's last on his to do list and he won't waste time. We are already on borrowed time." He turns to look at the warehouse. "It's single story and will definitely not contain much by the looks of it." He calls everyone together and points to each to form teams as he explains.
"We are thirteen armed men, excluding Mr. Grey and Mr…?" He looks towards Cross.
"Gideon Cross." No one misses the surprise in the men surrounding us and Roberts nods.
"With the exclusion of Mr. Grey and Mr. Cross. Three men on the left, three men on the right, three men at the back the rest of us will take the front. Mr. Grey can enter behind us to get Mrs. Grey as I'm sure an army won't keep him out of that warehouse." He looks me straight in the eye and I'm sure he can see that there is no fucking way I will stay out of that warehouse.
"Ryan and Reynolds will need to stay in the SUV. Mr. Grey and Mr. Sawyer will need to get out of here and they will need protection to go to the hospital. I'm sure we will be fine without them, but should the authorities arrive, no one will be able to leave the scene and I cannot risk Mr. Grey and Mr. Cross being without protection." Taylor explains and Ryan and Reynolds get back into the front of our SUV.
"Okay, everyone have their orders, move out. Wait for my signal and then enter with force. You all know what Mr. Lincoln looks like." He looks at me again and his eyes goes hard, "Shoot first, ask questions later. By all means, don't endanger Mrs. Grey or the other two hostages."
With instructions given, no one wastes anymore time and we all storm towards the warehouse while I pray for the safety of my family.
Ana POV:
We are lead into an empty warehouse. The only things in here are a bed in the middle of the vast empty space with a camera pointing in that direction. I gasp and grab onto Luke.
He wants to rape me and record it for Christian… everything else pales in comparison. Christian would have been broken with the release of those photos, but he is going to be crushed with this. I was so unbelievably stupid that I want to laugh. How the hell did I get myself and Luke into this fucking mess so quickly?
We walk slowly, very slowly, to the centre of the warehouse where Mia is cuffed to a chair. She looks drugged and Sawyer will have to carry her out if he wants to. Apart from Linc, there is only two other armed men. One between Mia and Luke and one on the other side of the room.
"On the bed." Linc says and points to the bed.
I stop dead in my tracks and grab Luke's arm even tighter. Probably cutting of his blood circulation. He puts a protective hand on top of mine.
"Now." I hesitate again and a gun is put next to Luke's head.
I let go of his arm instantly, but I'm still frozen in the spot. I must play for time. I just know Christian is close and he will save us. Luke looks torn between wanting to protect me and getting Mia out of here so I give him a reassuring smile. He walks over to Mia without taking his eyes of me. When he lifts her head gently, I see that she has indeed been drugged. She is struggling to focus and her speech is slurred, even though I can't make out what she is saying. The gun is still being pointed at Sawyer and I turn to face Linc with tears streaming down my face.
"Please… please… don't do this." I start to cry hysterically, but carry on since he didn't shut me down. "You got your heart broken… but I know you are not a monster… I'm innocent in all of this… Elena was the instigator and Christian… he was only fifteen when it started. He was a victim of abuse… surely you can see that." I stop briefly before something tells me to carry on… buy more time.
"I know it hurts… I can imagine the pain of your loss… you punished me too by taking Christian… but, please… you have the money… please… don't do this."
I turn to face the three men. Linc standing a few steps away from me. His accomplice is standing behind Luke, with the gun to his head. But what I see most of all, is the top of the head's of men crawling underneath the outside of the window. Distance. I need to get distance from them and think of Teddy. Luke will protect himself and Mia if he thinks I'm safely out of the way.
I turn and walk slowly to towards the bed. Linc not moving yet and the other guy are still pointing the gun in Luke's direction. Still Linc does not move.
I reach the bed at the same time that the one guy reach the camera and turn around to face Linc, but before it can be turned on, all hell breaks loose.
A/N: Please remember to review if you can. I just had to redeem Gideon. Hope you liked it.
Oh, and does anyone know what Linc's name is? I scanned the books again and he is only refered to as Linc or Mr. Lincoln. Not sure if I'm missing something.
