Chapter Nineteen
Jack drove for hours, making small stops for gas and food and drink. I still refused to eat anything but Jack forced me to drink water to keep me hydrated. I had been couped up in the back of this van for so long that I wasn't sure what day or what time it was any more, the only thing that kept me going was knowing that Christian was on our trail and I would soon be in his arms.
Christian had tried calling multiple times but Jack now refused to answer the calls, I could sense his paranoia, every time the police drove by he took the closest turning to get away, but he wasn't going to be able to stay hidden for long, soon enough he would be recognised and I couldn't wait for it. I just wish it would come sooner.
"We're almost there" Jack mutters, he looks at me from his rear view mirror a smirk on his face.
I was too weak to care at this point, I was forever dreaming of being in Christian's arms and wishing this nightmare would finally end. Jack stops the van and sits for a few moments before exiting. He opens the back doors and pulls me out of van by holding onto my leg. Once I am on my feet I give him a look and he smirks back at me. Jack pushes me towards an apartment building, it was old, and looked as if it could fall down at any moment. Jack opens the door and pushes me inside, the hall was poorly lit and the walls dirty. We walk up the stairs and Jack then unlocks a door and we are inside a small apartment, one bed, one bath, and a small kitchen area. How in the hell did he manage to secure an apartment? Was this his plan all along?
Jack locks the door behind us, and then sets down his bags. I walk over to the small window in the living area and sit on the window sill, looking out at the city below me. How I wished I was free and away from here. Jack was pacing the room, unable to settle, the paranoia was setting in for him. I try to block out his pacing and muttering and keep my focus on the window, I wanted to be seen, I wanted for someone to look at me and recognise me. I hoped someone would.
"You should eat now" Jack says, in his hand is the same bag of chips I've been rejecting since he began holding me captive.
"I don't want to" I reply
"I said, you should eat now, Anastasia" Jack orders, I look at him, he had an angry look on his face.
"and I said I don't want to" I say.
"I don't care, if I have to force feed you I fucking will" Jack steps closer to me, opening the bag of chips
I rip the bag from his hands and pour the chips over the floor, I was done being obedient, I push Jack away and stamp on the chips until they are all crumbled. Jack races towards me and I instantly begin to run for whichever room I could reach first. I make it to the bathroom, and lock the door behind me. Jack bangs on the door, shouting for me to come out, promising he will be nice.
"Come on Ana, just come out" Jack says, trying to be nice. I didn't believe a word he said.
"I'm not going anywhere" I announce, sitting on the bath tub, I watch as Jack begins to bang on the door once more.
"Damn it Anastasia, I will kick this fucking door down and you'll be sorry" Jack shouts
"Will I? Do it, make those charges already hanging over your head much worse" I retort. I smirk, I felt powerful.
"How many fucking times do I have to tell you? No one is coming for you" Jack says
"Oh, live in the real world Jack. You kidnapped me, your face is all over the news, the police are looking for both of us. It won't be long until Christian comes for me and you'll be done for" I reply
"STOP SAYING HIS NAME, YOU FUCKING BITCH" Jack shouts, yeah that's right Jack get mad. Cause a scene.
"What will you do, Jack? Hurt me? You've done enough why don't you just go and hand yourself in?" I suggest, he bangs on the door once more.
"You love me Ana, you wanted this, you wanted me to take you away" Jack tells me
"If that was the case, why aren't we still in Seattle? Why are we hiding god knows fucking where from the police? Are you really that crazy Jack?" I ask
"I'M NOT CRAZY" Jack kicks the door this time, I could tell I was getting to him. I sure hoped this door wouldn't give way.
"Yes, you are Jack. Admit it, this was all a plan that was only going to go to shit. You have only made everything worse, you're going to go away for a very long time. I promise you" I continue taunting Jack, I should stop, but I couldn't help myself. I had spent too fucking long with this pathetic excuse of a man.
Hours of silence pass by, Jack had given up, I could hear him outside of the door muttering to himself. I had nothing else to say to him. I decided I was now going to wait in this room until someone burst through those doors and found us.
Jack's phone begins to ring, it hadn't rang in a while. Jack answers it. "Hello... No you cannot speak to her... Because I fucking said so... Oh you think so?... I dare you to find us" I hear nothing else after has Jack throws his phone, I hear it hit the floor and smash. Fuck.
"You hear that, Ana? No more speaking to Christian. You've fucked it for yourself. I hope you're happy" Jack says chuckling to himself.
"That's fine. We'll have a lot of talking to do when I see him soon" I reply
"No, you won't. If I can't have you then neither can Christian" I hear Jack as he gets back onto his feet. "If I want to get into this bathroom I will, I'm done playing games with you" Jack begins banging the door again, pushing his weight into the door. It's starting to give way...
"Please" I beg, my eyes widening, I was on my feet now preparing for the worst. If I had to defend myself I would.
The door gives way and Jack is standing there, looking at me with a smirk on his face. I mentally prepare myself for the fight ahead. I won't go down without a fight. Jack moves towards me but I think fast, using my weight to push him out of my way, he was caught off guard, surprised by my new found strength. I run into the living area and towards the small kitchen area, picking up a wooden chopping board. I hold it in my hands, waiting for Jack to come for me.
Jack slowly walks towards me, his face red with anger. I take a deep breath and begin to walk towards Jack, meeting him in the centre of the room. Jack winds me with his fist, my reaction slow enough to hit him with my weapon of choice. I manage to keep a hold of the chopping board, using any strength I had left and hitting Jack in the side of his knee which takes him to the ground. Jack is trying to stand up when I hit him again, forcing him back to the floor. He looks up at me with a pleading face as I hit him one last time knocking him out cold.
I just knocked Jack Hyde the fuck out. I regain my posture, and my breath back.
My first thought is to try to door, but it is locked. I had to find those keys. I hesitantly search Jack's pockets, unable to find the keys. I then rummage through his bag. Inside was a huge wad of cash, and two guns, and some clothes but no key. Fuck. Where the fuck was this key?!
I wasn't sure how long he would be out for, I head for the window. I manage to open it. There was no way I could jump out of the window unless I absolutely had to. There were people walking in the street minding their own business. I open the window wider, leaving the opportunity there if I had to jump out. I hang out of the window, shouting for help. But no one cared. Fuck, fuck FUCK!
"Help me! Someone help me! I'm locked in this apartment with my kidnapper" I shout, someone stops in their tracks and looks up at me. They recognised me.
The person dials a number on his phone and begins walking to the apartment entrance as they talk on the phone. I couldn't quite make out what the person was saying but I hoped they were talking to the police. I watch as the person disappears, I begin shaking. What if the person wasn't going to save me? I hear foot steps in the hall. Was that my possible saviour? I run to the door and begin banging it. Hoping they would hear me.
"Step back Miss, I'm going to kick the door" The voice says, it was a man, he had a southern accent.
I step back and watch as the person finally gets the door open. I instantly run out of the apartment. Wanting to get as far away as possible from Jack Hyde's unconscious body. The person follows me down the stairs and out of the building.
"Miss, the police are on their way. Are you okay? Are you injured?" He asks, I look at him, tears rolling down my face.
"I'm fine, I just want to get back home" I reply "May I borrow your phone?" I ask, I knew Christian's number, I can call him
"Of course, Miss. Here" The man passes me his phone and I instantly dial Christian's number. It barely rings before he answers.
"Christian, where are you?" I ask
"Anastasia? Is that really you?" Christian replies
"Yes Christian, it's me, I got away. I don't know where I am" I tell him
"I am on my way" I can hear chatter in the back ground, "I won't be long, I promise. I am on my way"
"Ok, but how do you know where I am?" I ask
"Because Barney has been on your tail, Sawyer and some of the team are close, I won't be long. Baby, stay safe, when Sawyer arrives stay with him" Christian says
"Of course, I love you" I reply,
"I love you too"
The call ends, I hand the man his phone back "Thank you, I really appreciate it" I say
I stand, the man standing beside me. Waiting for someone, anyone I knew to show up. I couldn't wait to have the warmth of Christian by my side. I wipe tears from my face, unable to stop the tears flowing. It was hitting me just now how severe the situation I was in could have turned out. This could have been much worse, I was glad that I had managed to break free, and escape Jack Hyde once and for all. After this, I had no worries. Jack would never get to me again.
As the police sirens sound, I am knocked to the floor. The sudden feeling of pain in my head as I try to cushion my fall, the last thing I see and hear is Sawyer. Standing over me and calling my name.
"Ana? Ana?" I hear as my eyes flutter, the lights were so bright, my head hurt, everything hurt.
"Christian?" I whisper, I open my eyes a little more and see a blurry image of his beautiful face.
"Baby, you're awake" Christian says
"Yes, I'm awake. Is he gone? Is he in jail?" I ask
"Yes, baby he is. He's gone for good" Christian replies
"Can I go home? I want to go home" I say sitting up slightly
"The doctors have to clear you first, Anastasia. I'll have Taylor let them know you're awake" Christian says before stepping outside for a short moment. I use that time to adjust my eyes properly before he returns.
I could see better now, I look down and see I had an IV in my arm, and I was dressing in a hospital gown. Christian looks at me, he looked a mess, like he hadn't slept or eaten in days. He smiles at me, taking my hand in his. he squeezes it slightly and then kisses the top of my head which hurt so much.
"You're sore, Anastasia. Jack hit you over the head with a chopping board of all things. The police want to talk to you too, but you can do it when you're ready" Christian tells me
"That Bastard, I used that chopping board to knock him out" I reply, Christian chuckles
"I'm sorry he took you, Ana, if I had any idea, I would have stopped it" Christian says
"I know, Christian. He broke into Escala" I reply
"Yes, he got in with the repair man. We found the repair man unconscious after we realised you were missing" Christian says looking at me
The doctor enters the room, a smile on her face as she looks at me. "Hello Miss Steele, I'm Doctor Carter. I'll be overseeing your recovery whilst you're here. Physically you're great, just some bruising around your rib area, you do have a slight head injury which has been patched up by one of our nurses, the injury will heal and your head will be sore for a while as will your ribs but once you are hydrated and fed I am more than happy to allow you to head to a hospital closer to home just for a check up" Doctor Carter says, she seemed very enthusiastic.
"I will prescribe you some pain medication for your head and ribs, you'll only need them for a couple of days as the pain will quickly subside. You were very dehydrated when you were admitted so we do have an IV in just to speed up the process, before we discharge you I'd like to make sure you're eating and drinking fine. Once the bag is done we can check your obs again and see if we need to hydrate further or not. I have ordered you some food to be brought up here also" She continues, I nod.
"Thank you Doctor, so when will I be able to go home?" I ask
"I suspect you'll be allowed home in the morning, Anastasia. It's quite late now, so when I do my morning rounds we'll discuss it then" She smiles and asks if we have any further questions before leaving.
"You were out for a while, your body needed to recharge, and will need to further recharge once we are back in Seattle" Christian tells me
"I've barely slept, I only drank a few sips of water, I didn't eat anything. I just couldn't, all I wanted was to be with you" I reply
"Do you want to talk about what happened now?" Christian asks me, I nod, I wanted Christian to know.
"Since the pool was out of service I decided I would just spend some time watching the view. I was sitting on the couch in Escala and he got me from behind. I tried to struggle Christian but he was too strong for me. He practically dragged me to his van, and then he took me to an empty industrial building. It looked like he had been living there, Christian" I pause for a moment
"Yes, police found it, well we found it first. But the police found an interesting shrine on a wall in one of the rooms, he had been planning this for a while" Christian tells me
"Well we didn't stay there very long, he soon had me back in his van and he drove for hours. I think we were in Oregon, he took me to a motel and by the morning we were back in the van, travelling to that apartment. He hit me a couple times, got mad whenever I said your name, he paced a lot. He seemed... unhinged. He believed his own words, he told me that I wanted to be with him that I made him do this" I say, Christian takes me into his arms, I begin to cry again.
"Oh Ana, it's okay, you're okay. He will never get to you, or me ever again" Christian says, I nod. Finally it was over.
"We have nothing to worry about any more, Christian... Elena, Jack, they're both in jail" I tell him
"Yes, maybe now we can plan this damn wedding without any worries" Christian says, I grin.
Some time passes, I am fed, and medicated and my IV is about to be taken out. I wanted to sleep, but I also wanted to spend time with Christian, I didn't want him out of my sight ever again. Christian is laying on the small bed with me and we have been talking for a little while. I felt bad keeping him awake even longer, he admitted he had only slept a couple of hours.
I finally give in, only sleeping once Christian is settled and has his eyes closed. I finally manage to relax, closing my eyes and allowing the slumber to take over me.
"Well Miss Steele, I am happy to discharge you. I hope your recovery is speedy" Doctor Carter says as she hands me my prescription of medication. Christian was by my side as I stood in the same clothes I had been taken in.
"Thank you Doctor" I reply
Christian and I leave the hospital, I felt a little fragile but this was nothing compared to my last injuries. Taylor and Sawyer are walking behind us, keeping a safe distance. We enter the SUV and begin the drive home. The drive was going to take 5 hours, which would allow both Christian and I to sleep. Christian had flown Charlie Tango down, a stupid idea on such little sleep, I didn't want him to fly it back so he agreed that we would drive instead. Taylor and Sawyer were both taking shifts driving, splitting the journey in half.
I couldn't wait to be home.
Finally we're back in Seattle. Christian and I had slept the entire way back, waking up once we reached the city. We finally arrive at the apartment where we would now be staying long term. All bets were off for Escala, Jack Hyde kidnapping me from there was the final nail in the coffin. I could never step foot in there again, at least for a long time anyway.
Gail is waiting for us in the hall, a smile on her face when she sees us both. She instantly pulls me into a hug and rubs my back, I felt so happy to be back home, and safe with the people who made me feel safe. Gail finally lets me go and then hugs Christian who pulls away looking a little confused.
"I'm so glad you're both back home. I have brought both of your belongings here, I have also prepared you both a good home cooked meal, I think you both need it" Gail says smiling at us both
"Thank you Gail, I, we really appreciate it" I reply, she rubs my arm for a short moment before we all make our way into the kitchen. I immediately take a seat at the table, Gail places a cup of tea in front of me and I instantly feel so grateful.
Christian sits across from me, he has a cup of tea also. Gail places two plates in front of us, she has prepared us both a hearty chicken casserole. Christian and I both wolf down our food, savouring the very last bite. I mop up the juices with Gail's home made bread. Once we're both finished we leave the kitchen, thanking Gail before we do so and head for the bedroom. I needed to shower, shower all of this trauma and pain off of me. I strip off my clothes, never wanting to see them again and head for the en-suite.
I step under the hot water and scrub my body, scrubbing away until my skin is almost raw. Christian enters the shower and stops me, pulling me into his arms. I sob, and sob until I couldn't any more. Christian turns off the water, and wraps a towel around me. He leads me out of the shower and back into the bedroom, drying my body gently so that my skin is not irritated any more.
Once I am dry, Christian hands me a pair of warm pyjama's and helps me dress. Finally, he helps me into bed and slides in beside me. He pulls me close and I close my eyes, finally back in my safe place.
I fall asleep, a small smile on my face as I was finally back where I belonged, in Christian's arms.
So... How did you like this chapter? I didn't name it as I didn't want to give anything away that was going to happen in this and all the names I had in mind would have given something away. Chapter Twenty will be up soon, hopefully in the next couple of days.
XxX