Welcome back and thanks for reading!
Just a couple trigger warnings for the whole story: use of substances, explicit violence, explicit sex, threats of sexual violence (no actual rape), graphic depictions of wounds.
Hope you enjoy :)
The video does not come off the internet until the next evening. Not because Liza is intentionally trying to embarrass Jane, but because she was drunk when she posted it, and she does not remember posting it.
Jane goes nearly the full day without realising what's happened. She lazies around in the morning, nursing her hangover and enjoying the temporary feeling of being a normal party going girl nursing a hangover with her #girlgang. She stays in bed, then moves to the couch, makes herself some pancakes... Until she accidentally catches a whiff of herself and decides to get in the shower and get moving.
When she leaves the bungalow at two in the afternoon to buy some milk, Jane crosses path with Oliver, looking lost as always.
"Hey," he says. "Just seen Vaas, he hasn't mentioned that video."
"What video?"
"The one from yesterday? At the club?"
Jane scowls in confusion and Oliver waves a hand.
"It'll be fine, don't think he's seen it and Liza can just delete it."
Jane gets to the shop, buys her milk, and on her way home she looks at her phone. She scrolls through Liza's latest pictures, sees a group selfie from the night before. She looks alright on it, cheeks are a bit red maybe but not that bad. Jane then plays Liza's stories, until she gets to the one Oliver must have been on about.
Oh.
Oh, that is bad.
"It's not that bad," Daisy tries again, but Jane just groans and shakes her head. "He's probably not seen it."
"I'm so sorry," repeats Liza.
"And if he has," Daisy continues, "I'd just be chill about it. It's just funny, don't you think?"
"It's fine," Jane replies, again, but she is a bit annoyed, at Liza, at Daisy, and at herself. This, she thinks, is why you don't go out. You are not cool. You do not hold your drink. You are not chill.
Her phones pings, and the girls see Vaas' name before Jane can hide the screen.
'Have you ever seen a grown man naked?'
"Oh my god, what?!" Shouts Daisy, grabbing the phone and shoving it in Liza's face.
"No, no, it's not like that," Jane says, "he's quoting Airplane, you know, the movie? They're showing it tonight. At movie night."
Because Daisy and Liza are looking at Jane like she's grown an extra head, she takes the phone and messages Vaas back in front of them.
'Do you like movies about gladiators?'
He sends a laughing emoji, then sends: 'you still coming to movie night nena? You wanna grab some food after?'
"Is that in the movie?" Liza asks, voice dripping with sarcasm.
Jane shrugs at them but does respond straight away: 'yes, still coming. Not sure what time.'
'Can't you take a guess?'
She chuckles, recognising another line from the film.
'Not for another two hours.'
'You can't take a guess for another two hours?'
She laughs out loud and shakes her head before catching the other two girls' eyes.
"What? I like that film."
"Well," Daisy says, standing up and going to fetch something from her drawer. "Go, have fun, but take this."
It's pepper spray.
When she gets to movie night, Jane takes a moment to appreciate the surroundings.
The hotel has set up a huge screen (a white sheet pulled tight on some poles) on the beach itself, and so the backdrop of the cinema room is the sea itself and the moonlight rippling over it.
Chairs, sunbeds, and the luxury canopy beds are set up facing the screen. Some people have chosen to sit on the sand.
Jane briefly wonders if Vaas is wanting to sit on a canopy bed, and her thoughts take an uncomfortable turn as she imagines what could happen between them on a bed at night at the beach.
She considers running away, but Vaas' voice booms across the beach.
"Hey, nena! Jane!"
He's sitting not too far away, on a big blanket set over the sand. He's waving at her with one arm, his other hand tapping the space next to him, on the blanket.
"Your Tarzan is over here! You know, like Tarzan and Jane? Big white dude in the jungle?"
For good measure, he suddenly launches into an impressive rendering of the Tarzan cry, which has several people turn around in shock and has Jane stumble in embarassement. It's too late to run, right? Then again, she is laughing.
He's wearing another one of his Hawaiian shirts, this one orange, black and yellow. She stops just in front of him and sits as far from him as possible whilst still being on his blanket. She sees him notice that, but he doesn't say anything.
"Nice to see you," he comments.
"You too," Jane replies as casually as she can. He's looking at her a bit too intently and she doesn't want him to tell her she looks pretty.
"How are the fitness sessions going?"
He humours her, chatting away about the elderly and their shenanigans. Jane details his appearance. She's never been this close to him. Hell, she doesn't think she's ever been talking to him in real life, apart from the initial introductions on her first day at Rook. Texting was one thing, this is the real deal. His Mohawk is on point (who still wears Mohawks?), his scar is as gruesome as ever. Is the Mohawk meant to show it off? His stuble is shadowing his square jaws. His arms are very muscly, shoulders thick. His looks are a strange mixture of goofy and frightening.
"...so I said no Gretchen, I wouldn't want to come inbetween you and Al. She still winks at me though, old slut."
Jane lets out a snort, suddenly catching on to what he's been talking about. Emboldened, Vaas adds: "89 year old sex kitten."
Jane laughs, and Vaas just stares at her with a shit eating grin.
Awkward, Jane shifts on her bottom and turns to the screen.
"So, Airplane, huh? Love that film. There's quite a few people here."
"Yeah. Hey I thought we could go for food after?"
"Sure."
Jane busies herself with detailing the other people around, until the film starts. She'd hoped that the comedy would help loosen her up a bit and help her interact with Vaas like a normal person, and thankfully it does just that. They laugh together at the jokes, Vaas unexpectedly loudly, which contributes to Jane's own hilarity.
Afterwards, they make their way towards the Bodega, the little Mexican food place nearby.
"I've never had Mexican before," she confesses.
"What?" He yells, doing a double take.
"Sorry," she laughs.
"Nobody is perfect," he tells her. "Don't worry, I'll choose for you. I will be your spiritual guide. You like spicy food?"
He picks her food for her and they go sit by a corner of the terrace, under fairy lights. It's kind of a romantic setting, and if it wasn't for how unglamourous it is to eat over filled tacos, Jane would have started feeling awkward again.
Vaas is hyper.
He moves and talks constantly, and about 90% of what he says is either outrageous or downright hilarious. He's Jane's exact opposite, and yet she's actually feeling more and more at ease. She cannot remember the last time she's laughed this much.
"So what do you think of the Mexican, then?" He asks her, as she wipes her sauce soaked fingers on a napkin.
"Great," Jane replies. "I'd never had it, but it's delicious."
"You'd have it again?"
"Yep. 100%. Would have it any day of the week."
He nods to himself, then leans in and wriggles his eyebrows at her.
"What about the Mexican food?"
Jane chokes on her soda as the bubbles burn up her nose and she struggles to catch it all before it falls into her plate. She half coughs, half laughs as Vaas throws his head back and howls with laughter.
"I still can't believe you'd never had tacos." Vaas says suddenly, looking deadly serious. "That's fucking ridiculous, nena."
Oh yeah, and he swears a lot. Somehow where it would annoy her in anyone else, she doesn't take offence with Vaas. In fact, there's a lot of offensiveness in Vaas (the hair, the scar, the outfits, the loud laughter, loud swearing,...) which, for some reason, does not offend her. Maybe because part of her gets second hand satisfaction from his saying whatever the hell happens to pass through his head?
"Sorry," she apologises again. "Do you like British food?"
He shrugs, caught off guard.
"Yeah, I like it. I fucking love it. It's my favourite."
"You've had it before?" Jane is surprised. The thought of Vaas ordering an extra Yorkshire pudding with his Sunday roast seems completely ludicrous.
"No." His eyes bear into hers, the light in them suddenly hot and electric. "But I know I'm gonna love it. I know I'm not gonna wanna eat anything else after I've had it. I can tell." His finger goes up and taps his temple. He smiles at her, and her only. "Already dreaming about it."
Holy hell.
Is it... Is this... What's he saying, is this..is this flirting? Is this sexual tension? What the...?
Jane's cheeks start burning up and her mouth goes dry. She cannot hold his gaze any longer and she looks away, tucks her hair behind her ear and clears her throat and just doesn't know what the fuck she is supposed to say or do.
She needs to pull the blooming brakes on this thing. She needs to think. She doesn't know what to say. Perhaps a movie quote will cut it?
"Well... I enjoy surfing, backgammon and men who aren't afraid to cry." She winces. What the hell are you even saying right now? It's way too obscure a quote for him to pick up on. "Hey um, so, Jason's brothers are coming soon, and they're all on about going skydiving. Do you know anywhere around here? Where they could go skydiving?"
His eyebrows rise up.
"You wanna go skydiving?"
"Not really," she admits. "But Jason and his brothers, and um, Daisy and all that, they all wanna go. Vincent said you know a lot about the islands, and where you can do activities and stuff, so I thought I'd ask."
"Which one is Vincent? The one with the specs?"
"Yes."
Vaas nods, and leans back into his chair, the air around Jane suddenly feeling cooler.
"Yeah I know where you can do skydiving." He says. "I'm your man. You got Vincent's phone number?"
"Yes," Jane pulls her phone out and shares the number with him.
"I'll sort it out with him." Vaas says. "Don't you worry about it." He starts counting on his fingers. "So you want Jason and his brothers, the two American girls, Vincent,..." He points at her with a questioning look in his eye.
"I'll probably skip this one out," Jane laughs nervously.
"Yeah I would," Vaas chuckles darkly. "Americans get into crazy shit."
Later that night, he texts her with the title of the film she'd quoted oh so awkwardly:
"Airplane 2."
Vaas and Jane text each other all day and every day for the next two weeks. They talk about films, and food. They go for drinks. He makes her laugh a lot, with his complete lack of appropriateness, and his energy. He must have taken pity on her though, because he doesn't try to flirt with her again, or at least not as aggressively as the whole British food conundrum.
They meet up for movie night again, and then one more time, two nights before all the others are going skydiving.
Jane has now met Jason's brothers. The older one, Grant, is a soldier. Riley, the youngest, has just obtained his pilot licence. How these two over achievers are related to Jason seems a mystery. Grant and Daisy pretty much disappear off together at every opportunity, and Riley follows Jason around like his shadow. Vincent tries to ask Jane out on a date, and she very awkwardly declines, thanks, she's already going to movie night with Vaas. Vaas, who's been posting a selfie of them two together every time they've been going out.
Movie night comes.
They're playing Life of Brian, which Vaas miraculously hasn't seen. This time, they sit on the sand, with their backs resting against the edge of a canopy bed.
Jane laughs at all the jokes, Vaas just scowling at the screen in confusion.
"This is some British shit, no?" He asks, and she laughs even more.
"Yeah, sorry it's hard to explain why it's so funny."
The wind has picked up that night, and Jane shivers. Without asking permission, and seemingly without noticing the little squeak that escapes Jane, Vaas puts his arm around her shoulders and pulls her flush against his side. After a moment's hesitation, Jane lets her head rest against his shoulder.
He's so hot. As in, literally, there is so much warmth emanating from him.
She's conflicted. On the one hand, this is completely out of her comfort zone. On the other, so is living and working half way across the world, and this is the perfect time and place to try new things and redefine the comfort zone. She does like him. She is attracted to him. So why not?
His thumb is rubbing her arm, and Jane wishes he would just make the first step and lean in for a kiss. How could she get him to do that?
She shifts a bit, so her knees are folded and resting against his legs. His hold on her arm tightens ever so slightly, but he still does not fully take the hint. Jane reaches out and touches his hand, wrapping her own around it and giving it a squeeze. She looks up at him and sees him stare right back at her. She leans in, vaguely surprised to be making the first step.
Her lips barely brush his before someone clears their troat right next to them and she pulls away, startled.
"Hey Jane," says Vincent, looking at them.
"Hi." Jane sits up a bit, drops her hand, but Vaas leaves his arm on her shoulders.
"Vaas."
"Hermano." Vaas stares hard.
"Cool film."
"Bit British, maybe," Jane says, and Vincent chuckles.
For a split second, it looks as if Vincent is about to sit with them, but then he says "well, see you later" and walks away.
"He'd asked me to watch the film together," Jane explains to Vaas.
"Oh yeah? What did you tell him?"
"Uh.. That I was already going with you. I just hope he doesn't mind."
Vaas says nothing, but when Jane risks a look at him he leans in straight away and presses his lips to hers.
An arm around her shoulders, pulling her close, Vaas lifts his other hand and places it on the side of Jane's throat, thumb rubbing softly, holding but not squeezing. One of her hands goes to wrap around his wrist. His large hand, placed like this, against her pulse, would have scared Jane, but at the moment she is too lost in the kiss to remember the comfort zone. He tastes of the tequila flavoured beer they've just had. She opens her mouth a little, licks his bottom lip. His tongue searches hers as he depends the kiss, and Jane just follows his lead, vaguely aware of the little moans that keep humming at the back of her throat.
Her other hand travels up his chest and to his face, touching the rough stuble there.
This is Jane's first kiss. Jane is a virgin (yes, like in the show, everyone's already called her that all through school). And it's so good, she's getting carried away.
It's electrifying. His touch, his breath, his warmth, it's all so new and raw, and also very, very exciting.
She's not sure how, but soon she's half sitting on his knees, her arms around his neck, fingers in his Mohawk, and his hands are roaming her back and squeezing her leg and then one gets under her shirt. It brushes against her breast, through the fabric of her bra, just as his teeth nip at her bottom lip and Jane's breath catches a bit too loudly for comfort. She leans back a bit, trying to master herself, hoping he doesn't think she's some sex craved virgin. Which she kind of is, it turns out. Bloody hell.
"Fuck, I love those lips." He says, hotly, a thumb over the lip he's just bitten. Jane smiles and giggles like a fool. Her full lips had used to be another source of unwanted attention when she was a plump teenager. Now, she feels like she's proud of them. "I want them everywhere. And I can't fucking wait to take a closer look at those double Ds, I swear, nena." Jane laughs out loud. He's so insanely inappropriate. "Seriously, baby," he makes her lean back a bit and looks at her chest. "These are fucking wonders, ay, ay..!"
She laughs, embarrassed, outraged, entertained, and someone shushes them angrily.
Vaas shushes back, making Jane stifle her laughter with her hand, blushing furiously at the awkwardness of it all. The film is ending, and she slides off of his knees.
She gathers her things, refusing to look at the couple who walk past them throwing them a disapproving look.
"Don't be jealous, hermano," Vaas says. "Makes you age quicker."
He insists on walking her home, chatting happily the whole way, seemingly even more hyper than usual. When they get to hers, she climbs up a step to her bungalow and he pulls her down to him and kisses her again, which she welcomes, holding on to him. Once again she gets lost in it, moaning quietly, knowing she's probably going to regret being this 'easy' but not finding it in herself to push him away.
They all think she's a prude, back at home. They all urged her to let loose and be a bit adventurous, when she left, no one said "be careful", because Jane is always careful, too much so. What would they think now? Vaas is the opposite of what anyone would expect from her.
What if he asks to spend the night?
Thankfully, Jane is spared the need to find an answer to that, because someone yet again interrupts them. And it's not Vincent.
"Vaas."
The voice is rough.
Vaas pulls away but remains in Jane' s space, arms around her. He looks at the tall, muscly man who's appeared out of nowhere, in the dark.
"I'm busy, hermano." Vaas turns back to Jane and tries kissing her again, but for her the mood is broken. Who the hell is that guy?
"We need to get the shit ready."
"I'm fucking BUSY, hermano!" The outburst is so sudden, it makes Jane jump hard. She drops her arms from his neck. She's never heard him shout like that. "Fuck, you see this, hermano? You ruined the mood. You scared her, YOU FUCK!"
Jesus Christ, what even is this? Who is this?
Vaas lets out an exaggerated sigh, and steps away from Jane.
"You know what, Carlos? You're right." He opens his arms towards Jane. "Sorry, nena, I gotta go. Got a few things to sort for that skydiving trip. You're still not going, right?"
"Um, no, I'm not."
"Ok. I'll see you soon, then, nena. I'm gonna be busy for a couple days, but I'll see you soon." He gives her a smile and a wink. "Dream about me."
He walks away, following that strange, scary looking man into the night.
Jane stands there a while, completely stunned, and effectively turned off.
What on earth has she just seen?
"Embarrassed" does not even begin to cover how Jane feels about the night before. Or the whole two weeks or so that preceded it.
How could she have been so stupid?
She'd kind of prided herself in her ability to see through men and boys, perhaps a bit too well, hence her still being a virgin when all her friends of a similar age were...not.
And yet, despite all the warning signs, she'd compromised herself and just fallen right into some psycho's arms. Because there had been warning signs, obvious ones. The scar. His age. His sudden attention for her. Hell, the first time they'd even been out together he'd referred to wanting to have sex with her. The possessive kiss right after she mentioned another guy asking her out. His hand on her throat as they kissed... Vaas was so loud in his positive moods, so it made sense he'd be loud in his anger too, right?
His outburst the night before keeps playing again and again in Jane's mind, making her feel scared, and so bloody embarrassed. She's not going out with him again. Ever.
Oh, how she wishes she'd gone for Vincent instead. She likes Vincent, too. He's normal. He's kind. He's open minded and soft spoken.
A part of her tries to offer some peace, saying that perhaps he just got annoyed, and yes, he can be loudly angry, but he's not actually violent, and he'd never hurt anyone, or yes maybe he'd hurt a man, an annoying man, but he'd not hurt her, not a woman, and hey wouldn't it be nice to feel safe, to have a boyfriend who'd know how to protect you... Her parents would scoff at her and her casually sexist ideas. What was the point of all those Krav Maga lessons they'd signed her up for, if she was going to dismiss her own abilities for a pair of big arms?
Is she making a mountain out of a molehill?
No, no, if this was Liza or Daisy coming to her telling her about a guy like that, she'd say run, don't even try again, he's clearly not right in the head.
Oh god, she's so embarrassed.
At breakfast, Jane is terrified someone is going to mention hearing Vaas shouting, and so will ask about it. No one says anything, until Liza leaves for a shower and Jane remains with Grant and Daisy.
"Jane," Daisy starts, cautiously, and Jane knows immediately what's coming. "You went to movie night last night, right? With Vaas?"
"Yes."
"How did it go?"
"Fine," damn, her voice is too high.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Just...fine."
"Grant and I heard voices. We heard Vaas shouting."
Jane nods, feeling her cheeks redden with shame.
"I saw that he was shouting at some guy," Grant cuts in. "You alright?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."
"What happened?" Daisy asks, oh so kindly.
Have they seen her kiss him? Surely they wouldn't have been looking out the window before the screams, right? "I met Vaas at movie night again, and he insisted on walking me back. We were just...chatting, and this guy arrived, and asked Vaas to come and help him with the skydiving set up or something, and Vaas just started shouting. I'd never seen him angry before," she adds quickly, justifying herself. "I don't think I'll be going out with him again. Didn't know there was this side to him. Can't say I'm impressed." She forces a little chuckle out.
"Are you sure that's all?"
"Yeah," Jane looks at Daisy in the eyes. After a moment, Daisy nods, and smiles.
"If he bothers you," Grant offers, "or doesn't let you..not go out with him again, you let me know. Ok?"
"Yeah. Thank you. I'm sure it will be fine." Even she can hear her voice shake.
Her phone vibrates in her pocket, and it's a kissing emoji from Vaas. She ignores it.
Jane reluctantly decides to go wave everyone off on their skydiving trip, despite the fact that Vaas will probably be there.
They're all packing and taking selfies, and Liza complains that she forgot to get herself some fresh orange juice so Jane offers to go get her some. She goes to the shop, just as Vaas arrives at the meeting point with another man and starts counting heads.
Jane picks some organic pure orange juice for Liza and queues up, throwing nervous glances behind her.
"Hey," Jane jumps as Vincent appears next to her. "Oh shit, sorry, didn't mean to make you jump. You alright?"
"Fine yeah, sorry."
"No no don't apologise. I'm sorry."
"Yeah, sorry." Jane winces. "I mean, it's fine. You alright?"
"I'm just buying this," Vincent lifts the pack of cereal bars he's holding.
"I'm just buying this- this orange juice for Liza."
"Yeah I know, that's nice of you." Vincent scratches the top of his nose, pushes his glasses back then says:"hey, um, I heard things didn't go so great with Vaas. I think you're right to keep your distance, I just think whatever people do to others they can do to you, you know what I mean?"
"Yeah, well... Guess I've been a bit dumb." Jane knows she is blushing. So, everyone has heard. Great. "So, uh, skydiving huh? How do you feel about that?"
"Sick to my stomach."
"Really?" Jane's eyebrows shoot up. "You seem really calm to me."
"I like to bottle up the hell out of things," he says. "Much healthier. Right now, I'm screaming inside."
They exchange a little laugh.
"Well, I wish I could hold it in as well. I'm not even going, today."
"Smart move. I'd have said no, but Keith called me a chicken."
Keith is the one who takes daily gym selfies, Jane remembers. She's once caught him throwing a look at her breasts before noticing her glasses and looking away. She's not impressed. Jane half wants to ask Vincent if he'd like to stay too, but her debacle with Vaas has successfully vaccinated her from dating for a good year, at least.
She pays for the juice and waits for him to pay for his snacks. As they walk out of the shop, chatting timidly about what other nightmare activities Vincent has had to do for the sake of peer pressure and Keith's fragile masculinity, Vaas appears out of nowhere.
"Amigo," he greets Vincent, a bit too joyfully. "Nena." He adds, in a deliberately intimate tone of voice. "You coming jumping too? We can share a parachute."
"I'm just seeing everyone off," Jane can sense rather than see Vaas intending to reach and pull her to him. "Is the weather ok for it?" She babbles on, panicking, eyes up to the sky and shifting so it would be awkward for Vaas to grab her now.
"Is fine," Vaas says, not looking away from Jane. Then, his smile grows a bit stiff as his eyes start darting from Jane to Vincent. "You better hurry, amigo, don't want them to jump without you no?" Vaas extends his arm, gesturing for Vincent to leave.
"They haven't set off yet," replies Vincent, staying put.
Vaas stares at him in the eyes, hard, still smiling but in a frightening way.
"Just go, hermano. I need to speak to my girl."
"Is she your girl? Not sure she's agreed to that, man." Vincent lets out a little chuckle, and Jane cannot help but be admirative of his courage. Vincent is taller than Vaas, yes, but he's not muscly like him, and he's not got the same 'hard' look that characterises him.
"Come here, nena," Vaas makes to take Jane's arm and Vincent steps in front of her, hands up in the air.
"Hey don't do that, man, let's just stay chill."
Vaas laughs. In a completely humourless, unhinged, bloodthirsty manner. He takes one step towards Vincent.
"All ok there?"
Grant has arrived.
Jane releases a breath she's been holding for a bit too long.
"Yeah, tough guy, we just peachy here," Vaas turns his attention to Grant, stepping into the soldier's personal space, looking into his eyes, smiling at him. Provoking him.
Grant stares right back, looking like he might rise to the challenge. Jane steps inbetween them.
"Vaas," she says, her hands on his arms, pushing him slightly. "Can I talk to you? Please?"
His focus shifts to her instantly and he lets himself be guided away, smiling softly at her. Once they are at a safe distance, Jane takes a step back, crosses her arms.
"How are you today?" He asks, oblivious to her tension. "I thought about you all night."
"Listen, I... I think it might be best if we just stay friends. For now. I mean, I know we kissed, but really we don't know each other very well and I think we might be quite different, and I like hanging out with you but like...like I don't know if this is right. Yeah?"
It's so cringe worthy. Her thumb goes to her teeth and she watches him from under her lashes, waiting for an outburst, an insult, a scoff, mockery, anything, anything but the even wider smile that splits his face.
"I get it." He nods, softens his voice and leans in to speak to her. "You're scared."
Jane's eyes widen slightly. Does he really get it?
"I get you," Vaas insists. "You're scared of this." He's gesturing at the space between them. "You're scared of how intense this is. I was scared too, at first, but I know it's worth it. Don't worry, nena. You can follow me. I'll lead the way." He kisses his finger and presses it to her lips before she's even registered him move. "See you soon, baby."
They're due back at 9 that evening. Except they don't come back.
No one picks up the phone, no one rings or texts her.
It's the morning after now and still nothing.
Desperate, Jane texts Vaas: 'hey, do you know when everyone is due back? Thought they were coming back last night but no one is here and they haven't texted'
He replies instantly: 'don't worry about it. Can't stop thinking about you. See you soon' followed by another kissing emoji.
The next day, they all miss work. Jane goes to the police.
They don't really take her seriously, instead suggesting her friends probably ended up partying all weekend and haven't charged their phone, or they've got no signal. She tries to tell them about Vaas, that maybe he's linked to it all, since he organised the trip, but the officer taking her statement laughs it off. Vaas, the guy who does the senior fitness sessions? He's a goofball.
They log her complaint, offer her a tissue when she bursts into tears. That's it.
That evening, Jane returns home, alone, and looks into Daisy and Liza's rooms. They've left most of their stuff. Liza hasn't posted anything online since the trip. Something must be wrong. The last thing on social media is Jason filming himself as he jumps out of the plane.
Still no news from Vaas, either. He's alive, that much is sure.
She rings him.
He picks up after two tones.
"Hey," he purrs down the phone. "Nena. How are you?"
"Hi," keep it straight to the point. Cold treatment. You're not encouraging this. "Vaas, um, look I'm really worried. Daisy, Liza and the others still haven't come back. Did you - did you see them land?"
"Don't worry about it, baby, I told you it's fine. I miss you, nena, do you miss me?"
"I'm serious!"
Oh no, this is not good. Jane can feel her voice break, and the tears coming up. He must be able to hear it.
"I'm really worried! Where are they? Can you help me find them? I spoke to the police, but they haven't given me anything, they just logged it!"
"The police?"
The shift in his tone of voice is palpable. Jane gets scared. She freezes.
"You went to the cops?"
"...Yeah." She's sure she can feel his tension down the line, but Jane is so, so scared, and she has to know. "Did you- did something happen to them?" No answer. "Vaas?" Nothing. He is breathing down the line. "Vaas?"
"I'm here, baby. You stay where you are. I'll come help you find them. The police is no good, don't you know that nena?"
"Wh-what?"
"I'll help you find them. I'll call my guy at the skydiving thing, I'll find your friends. Don't worry baby. You just hang tight and think about me. I know I've been thinking about your lips, and them double Ds. I'll see you soon."
He hangs up.
Jane stands there, feeling the hot, moist air of the tropical night sticking to her skin. She remembers the first time she breathed it in, how it had felt like inhaling water. The air in the Lake District was always so cool and crisp.
She dials the police's number, is put on hold. Stays on hold for about ten minutes. In a split second, she goes from freeze to flight, hangs up, and she runs to her room to grab a few things, phone charger, pepper spray, jacket, her bag, and rushes to find her trainers.
She's at the door, about to go, when she looks up in the dark to see a tall, strong figure walking towards her. The noise in the trees around is deafening. Has it always been this noisy? The air is so humid. She's inhaling water.
Jane turns around, hoping to make it to the back door, but another dark silhouette is blocking her escape. This one has a Mohawk.
"Don't run," says Vaas, all traces of goofiness gone, like they never even were there in the first place.
Jane runs.
She gets to the living room and climbs out of the window, and sets off in the dark, running towards the lights on the beach. She does not think to scream. Vaas is chasing her, she can hear him closing in on her. She hits something hard and falls to the ground. It's that big guy, the one Vaas was shouting at the other night. He grabs her arm and pulls her to her feet, and Jane hits him as hard as she can - which does strictly nothing - before Vaas' arm encloses around her, and his other hand shoves a strong smelling tissue on her face.
"Shh, shh, esta bien, nena," he whispers in her ear, as Jane passes out.