AN: Here's this weekend's update! Hope you like it!
x-x-x-x
No One's POV
Ali woke up and groaned heavily, her head was hurting and there was the light of a thousand suns shining in her face...well just one to be more exact, but when you're hung-over...one, one hundred, one thousand, it was all the same.
She looked around and realized she was back at Emily's place, sleeping on the couch. She looked around and remembered she had helped Em into bed around 9:30 and went driving around town after that to clear her mind.
It was hard to hear that your girlfriend wanted to start over. It was harder to see how much pressure Emily had on her to be the Emily she was, and even harder to agree at just being friends. So after she helped Emily upstairs into her own bed, and the brunette was fast asleep, she snuck out. She couldn't be in the same house as Em right now and pretend she was going to be okay. She didn't know if she would be.
Alison rolled over and sat up, holding her head in her hands and looking around for her keys. The last thing she remembered was going to a bar just outside of town, but how did she get back here? It was blurry, but the only thing she could remember was talking to the bartender and then...that was it.
A slight fear washed over her and she got up slowly, calling as loud as she could despite her rough throat, "Em! Emily!"
She got to her feet and upon the first few steps forwards, a bright yellow card on the kitchen counter caught her attention. It made her nervous and in the pit of her stomach, she dreaded where her mind wandered. Beside the card also sat her keys and wallet.
Alison thought back to the night before and decided she didn't make it home alone. Her throat was dry but she gathered the courage to open the card:
Ali,
It was nice seeing you again sis, but next time, let's go easy on the liquor, it'd be terrifying to see you going home with a stranger. Oh wait, you've already done that haven't you?
I'm afraid she wouldn't remember me, so tell that doll, Emily, I said hello.
See you soon,
Your brother
Alison's blood ran cold and she knew exactly what brother had written this. She knew now that he had also found her and took her home, to Emily's house. Ali had let him in while Emily was here and she was defenseless. Alison wouldn't have even been able to do anything she was so drunk.
Ali's heart pounded loudly in her chest yet it felt like she was holding her breath. She dropped the card and ran to the foot of the stairs, holding the baluster for support. She tried Emily's name but nothing happened, so she took the steps towards Emily's room in record speed.
Finally, when her lungs felt like they were on fire, she reached the second floor and she gasped, finding her breath...and her voice.
"Emily!" She ran to the brunette's door and sighed in relief to see the girl sitting up in her bed, awake and seemingly unharmed.
Ali didn't see the look Em's face or black burner phone in her hand as she ran to embrace her.
She could only make it to the bed when Emily held her hand out and stopped Alison from coming any closer.
"Stop, s-stop right there." Emily's voice waivered and she hoped she wouldn't start stuttering.
Ali stopped, a different chill running through her body.
"Em," Ali started, stopping when she seen the girl had tears on her face, and something small clutched in her hand.
Ali scooted her body further away from the girl and stared over the brunette, she didn't seem harmed, thank god, but that didn't mean Charles left without doing something or worse saying something to Emily, especially since she would've have known who he was...not to mention he could pass for her slightly less evil brother, Jason.
"Em, what's going on? Are you ok?" Ali was scared and she didn't bother masking it in her voice.
"No, n-no, I'm not f-f-fi- I'm not okay!" Emily still didn't meet her eyes and Ali grew worried. What was on that tape?
"Emily what's on that phone?" Ali asked cautiously.
It was the first time Em lifted her head and her gaze and Ali almost wished she hadn't been so eager to look in her eyes. In those usually warm chocolate orbs was a glint of anger and hurt and confusion.
Ali swallowed and made a move to grab the phone from Emily's hands.
"Don't touch me Alison!"
That stung more than she wished and Ali retreated, "Em, please just tell me what's wrong? I don't know what I did wrong."
"You lied to me." Emily glared and got out of her bed, standing opposite to where Ali was still seated.
Em twirled the phone in her hands and laughed, "I thought I could trust you Ali, about everything you said to me, but I guess I can't."
"Em-,"
"Save it."
Emily looked at the small phone in her hand again and tossed it to Ali, "here watch it, even though nothing you see will come as a surprise to you."
Emily walked away from Alison and into her bathroom, slamming the door shut. She sucked in a breath and pressed her back against the floor, sliding down until her knees were in her chest. There she put her head down and sobbed quietly, holding her knees close and wishing for the pain to stop everywhere.
Ali stared ahead at the door that was closed; just one of the now many barriers that separated her from Emily.
The blonde slowly reached for the phone, turning it over and preparing to turn it on, she didn't even see how tightly Emily was holding on to it. There was a lot of things Ali didn't notice when she first barged through the door. She didn't notice the dark circles under Emily's eyes, nor the tissues on the floor, she didn't see the tear stained cheeks, and Ali definitely didn't see this coming.
The video played automatically and the video started dark and fuzzy, focusing when a light was turned on:
"Hello Emily, I know you don't know me, you have never even seen me, but I've seen you. Oh yes, and I've watched you and your friends. For years actually, I'm the one that has been making your lives hell. Yes, after I stole the game from that petty girl, you dolls were mine to do as I please, and oh did it please me so, to make you all suffer."
Ali's pace quickened and she shuddered at Charles' voice, it was thick yet smooth, dripping with too much confidence and something quite sinister. She felt cold air run down her back and knew there was no escaping that chill in her spine. The video continued, it was still focused on a dark grayish wall, and Charles' voice cut the silence again:
"It's a shame really you hit your head so hard you lost your memory. That means you've forgotten all the fun I've had with you and your friends. Even Ali. She's my favorite to play with you know, I especially liked finding her and bringing her out of hiding. It was a good thing she loves you so much, or else I might have never found her at all. Thank you, you brought her to me you see? She was running from me, but when I hurt you, or even one of your friends, she comes running. She owes me for what she did, and I'm going to make her pay."
"I should've taken you right now, but what good is that, I'd much rather watch and let you break each other's hearts. I know that's what will happen because you see Emily, Alison has been lying to you this whole time."
Ali looked to the door of the bathroom and wanted to bust it down and explain herself, she should've done it from day one, then Charles wouldn't be the one telling Emily the truth.
"She's been lying about the little accident you had, and even where your friends and parents are. Why? I don't even know the answer to that. Emily, the truth is your friends are with me, and so are your very much ALIVE parents. Shocker I know. The accident you had is from running away from me, where she left you in the woods to die, that's why you have it worse, she ran for help and left you, thank god someone came back just in case there was someone else.
"And she said your friends were out of town? Maybe they are but she doesn't know for sure, because they'll all with me. Alison told you your parents died a long time ago, she even had everyone else lie for her, put Emily, oh sweet Emily, your mom and dad are here too, and they miss you so much.
"Ask her Emily, why would she lie to you? She might say oh, I don't know, let me think."
Charles was silent for a moment, speaking again in his best imitation of his sister's voice:
"Em, I did it to protect you, because I love you. I lied because I don't know what might happen to them, it just seemed best to let you believe this until something was actually final, blah blah blah. It's all crap Emily because that's what Ali does, she lies and she ruins people, just like she ruined me. Besides, if she loved you so much, she wouldn't have had any secrets, you're not fragile Em, if you were, you'd be dead.
"Well, I have to go, but before I do, there are some people hear that would like to say hi."
Ali was crying. How could Charles possibly know what to say to hurt her like this, and Emily. Alison could identify the look on her face earlier as also portraying betrayal and disgust with her.
"Bring them in."
Charles' ordered someone, probably CeCe or Wren or whoever else was sick enough to help him and on the screen one by one, the girls and Emily's parents were thrown on the floor, sitting lined up against wall, with their hands tied with rope or wire ties behind their backs, twice the amount over Wayne's.
Ali gasped and held her hand over her mouth, they looked beat and tired and worn down and Alison felt her insides crumble.
They all had small cuts or gashes on their faces, shirts were dirtied and bloodied; hair was a mess, eyes wide with fear and alertness yet the dark circles indicated the extreme lack of sleep. And across their mouths was a tied bandana to prevent them from speaking.
A slim hooded figure stopped in front of them, leaning down to pull the rags from each of their mouths.
It shocked Ali and scared her to her bones that none of them started screaming for help, none of them were fighting back. Ali couldn't imagine what Emily was thinking as she watched this, Alison couldn't even keep it together, she didn't want to, but she made the connection that whatever they've been going through, whatever Charles has been putting them through was traumatic enough that they knew it was best to keep quiet.
"Go ahead people, just like we rehearsed. We have an audience; we don't want to upset her now do we? Look at the camera, c'mon."
No one moved and Ali bit her lip, wincing when the accomplice, the hooded figure, lunged forward and hit Wayne across the head with what Alison would assume was a butt of a gun. Wayne groaned as he tumbled into his wife's lap and Pam started to cry silently, her body shaking.
"Maybe it would help if I told you that your precious friend and daughter Emily will be watching this? I'm going to deliver it...in person. Ah, yes, let's try again."
All five of them got up and straightened themselves, Pam the one to start talking:
"Emily, oh sweetie if you do get this, we-we're okay, it's not as bad as it looks okay, but I hope you're safe, I hope you and Ali are telling the police what they need to know, let them do their jobs and find us, okay?"
Pam was crying and she nudged her knee to help Wayne get up, he managed barely, groaning loudly and coughing, spitting the blood from his mouth, he sounded tired and weak:
"Hey Emmy, how's my girl? We miss you kiddo, but we're gonna be home soon okay? I'm gonna take us on that family vacation we all wanted, don't worry about me okay, these bastards are gonna get what's coming to them soon."
"That's it," Charles interrupted, "take the parents to their rooms." There were protests from Pam and Wayne, shouting to Emily and telling her things will be okay, as they were dragged out of sight, pulled by their shoulders and not daring to fight the person who replaced the cloth back around their mouths.
Charles himself got up and put the ragas back over Spencer and Aria's mouths, "go ahead Hanna; you can speak for all of you I'm sure."
Hanna narrowed her eyes and peered through her lashes at Charles, finding the camera relaxing her face a bit, "Hey Em, and Ali, I assume she's with you. Uh, listen," Hanna took a deep breath and tried to get as much out of her mouth as she could, "Em where somewhere with a lot of trees okay? We got snagged from the airport and CeCe and Wren are here and you have to start at Ra-,"
Hanna was cut off when a hand came at her mouth holding a different rag, and covered it. Hanna's body stopped flailing and her eyes became lidded, falling into a slumber.
Ali swallowed hard and kept telling herself it was chloroform and she ignored the terrified looks and muffled screams from Spencer and Aria.
"Well Em, that's all for now, have a chat with Ali, and I'm sure I'll be seeing you both again."
The video stopped and Ali was faced with a cold sweating palm gripping the small phone in her hand so tight that her knuckles seemed they would stay that white forever. Her pulse was through the roof and she felt dirty and exposed that she was related to such a monster and had let him take her home to Emily's house and deliver this to her.
Ali dropped the phone back on the bed and walked timidly to the bathroom door. She knocked and didn't hear a sound on the other side.
"Em, I know you can hear me, please listen okay? I can explain."
"Yeah I can hear you fine Alison, but I don't want to anymore, I'm done listening to your lies. You've done nothing but lie to me about everything."
Ali could hear the hurt, feel the pain but she wasn't going to let Emily think want Charles had said was true.
"Em, I haven't lied about everything. Not everything, I haven't lied about us."
Ali knew it was a long shot, but she tried it anyway, "Charles is right though, I am going to say I lied to protect you, because I love you and that's exactly the truth okay?"
Emily was still silent and Alison figured she wouldn't say a word; it was Ali's last chance to talk and say things worth listening to, say the truth.
"Em I didn't leave you either, okay? We escaped and you were too hurt to run on your own, I cried to carry you but you wouldn't let me, you wouldn't. So I was going to stay but you didn't want Charles to find us. You made me go, you did. And I ran nonstop until I collapsed in the middle of the highway and the man who stopped for me, he found you too.
"I never left you Em, I was going to get help, I hide you under some light branches behind some bushes and Charles never found you. I watched you die in the ambulance Emily, I felt the life leave your body and all I could hear for the next couple of days was the sound of your heart stopping. I'd thought it would be silent but that long monotone beep was all I could think when I thought of you, I couldn't even remember your voice or your laugh, just that.
"So yes when I found out you were alive I was so happy, I just couldn't wait to hold you, but the doctors also told me you had no memory of your life. How was I supposed to explain to you everything with Charles and us and still expect you to be okay? How was I supposed to know how you'd react? You had nothing to remember and it was up to me to put all of these fucked up things in your head, all of that was supposed to be the first thing you relearn about yourself? No, I couldn't do it."
Ali placed her hands on the door and dropped to her knees, resting her head against the door, and this time she just let it all out, everything she was thinking and feeling and she talked to the door, she talked to Emily who was curled in the same position as before and she hoped that Emily would forgive her and realize Ali was never trying to hurt her.
"Emily I couldn't look you in the eyes and give you more pain than I've already caused and more than what you were already feeling. It was my chance to shield you from it and maybe if I got rid of –A we could start over. But I also found out that the plane our friends and your parents on crashed, they didn't find any survivors and even if there was a chance they were alive, I couldn't let you hold on to hope and be there to watch that hope be shattered.
"So yes I lied, I told you your parents died a long time ago, so I could spare you the heartache of losing them. I said our friends were on vacation because I just didn't know how to tell you all of this. I may be a terrible person but it was the only thing I could think of to protect you, not because I thought you were weak, but because I know I am.
"I don't think I could've looked you in the eye and expect anything but hate to be seen from you. I know it's not the person you are, but you didn't know me and you didn't know you. I lied to you because I thought I was going to protect you and figure it out on my own, but I also lied for me, because you are the only thing I have left and I just-I can't lose you."
Ali was in tears and she let the emotion be heard, "I wouldn't have lied because I love you so much, no, it's only because I love you so much that I couldn't break your heart over and over again. Even when I did find out they were all alive, what would you have me do then, let you believe that I could save them and bring them back? I don't think I can.
"But I'm not going to stop trying, because that's what you would do and that's what you all did when I was gone. I just – I want things to go back to the way they were Em. I miss you and I cant just be your friend, I don't want to start over, I will for you but that's not what I want. I don't want to scare you away but I can't stand to have you this close to me all the time and not be able to kiss and hold you and tell you I love you, do you understand how tortured I've been too?
"I was a bad person, but I want to stop paying for it already, I thought that my payback came the day I looked at you and you didn't recognize me. I paid it back when I thought you were dead. I'm doing being the bad guy okay? So I'm not going to stop until I find them all and stop Charles, even if that means I kill him myself.
"I love you Em, but I see that me being around you is only ever a bad thing. So I'm going to go, I'll be in town but I'm going to keep my distance, I'll ask Toby and Ezra to keep a look-out on you."
Ali wiped her tears and pushed off the door to stand, straightening her clothes and grabbing the phone from the bed and slipping into her pocket of last night's jeans.
She paused by the door of the bathroom, not hearing a sound, and sighed, "I only ever wanted the best for you Em, and now, I see that this is it."
Ali stared at the handle, hoping to see it move and when she didn't she walked towards the door, stopping on her way out to look back into Emily's room.
There were more things she didn't notice: Emily's old photo books were all out and some were open to random pages, random moments in Emily's life. The snow globe Ali gave her wasn't on its usual shelf; it was now by the bed. There were papers and notes all over Emily's desk from who knows when and it broke Ali's heart to think that Emily had been up since early this morning trying to figure out who she was.
On the other side of the door, Emily was holding in her tears for as long as she could, ready to break down as soon as she heard Ali leave for good. Alison had secrets kept from her and maybe Emily was harboring a secret of her own.
Alison finally took the unresponsiveness of Emily as a final push to leave and do her 'work' from a distance.
x-x-x-x
Ali took the burner phone and called Caleb from her cell, "hey, get Mona and meet me on Third and Crosby, we're going to Radley." Ali didn't give Caleb a chance to ask, but she knew he would do it anyways.
That was what Hanna was trying to say before they shut her up, she knew it. And if she wanted to get there before either one of Charles or his accomplices got there, she would have to go now.
Ali also picked up her phone and dialed Toby's cell, when she didn't get an answer she called the station, "Rosewood PD, Officer Jameson speaking, how can I help you?"
"Hello Officer Jameson, I'm looking for Officer Cavanaugh, is he in right now, it's urgent."
"Yes mam, he's just in the back office."
"Great would you mind getting him on the line for me please?"
"Sure thing, your name?"
"Um, tell him it's Emily Fields."
"Alright Miss Fields, just give me a moment."
Ali bounced her left leg and when she finally reached the cross-section of Third and Crosby, she pulled over and waited for Mona and Caleb to show up.
"E-Emily?"
"Toby thank God, no it's Alison."
"Ali? Why did you say it was Emily then? Is she alright?"
"Because I know what my name sounds like to all of you over there, like a joke, and the reason I'm calling is for Emily. Don't worry she's fine...well, she will be, it's just that Charles left her a little gift his morning and she shaken up, she can't afford to be around me and I think I should stay away for a while, do you think you can watch her and the house for a while?"
Toby was thinking and trying to process everything, "um yeah, I can switch shifts and put in a request, while I'm on duty but I need proof that she's in danger or something."
"Toby she is, Charles just told us, he'll see us soon, he was in her house dammit, Toby I need this, Emily needs this."
"What gift did he leave her exactly Ali?"
Ali didn't want to lie, but she didn't want to tell the truth either, "he left us a burner phone and there was a video on it, of her parents, he told her I was lying and I just can't face her right now, and I don't think she wants to see me either, please just make sure she's okay? Mona, Caleb and I are going to Radley, maybe we can find something on Charles or CeCe."
Toby didn't have time really to think about this, he sensed the rushed tone and urgency in Ali's voice, "okay, fine, I'll send my old partner over right now, he owes me a favor anyways and when I'm done here I'll bring her some food and take a night shift."
"Thank you so much Toby," Ali was about to hang up when he asked, "this video-,"
"I'm going to have Caleb and Mona pick at it and see if they can backwards map the signal and find a location."
"Okay, but Ali did it, was-,"
"Spencer was in it, she was fine Toby, she looked a little tired, but she was fine." There, Ali had told the truth, not bothering to spare Toby's feelings.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For telling me."
"Toby I-,"
"Talk to you later."
Ali hung up her end and rested her head back against the seat.
Her momentary rest was interrupted when Caleb knocked on her passenger window, "holy shit, Caleb, you scared the crap out of me."
"Where's Mona?"
Caleb opened the door and slid his body in the passenger seat, "sorry I didn't mean to scare you. Mona said don't go straight to Radley, go to the old warehouse on Park and drive behind it, she said they keep all the records older than 10 years over there. She's gonna go hack the system so when we get there, we can get in without hassling about outside, I assume she'll take down the security cameras too."
Ali nodded, "okay, let's go then."
Caleb buckled himself in and Ali took off towards the old building.
"So how was yesterday?" Caleb asked innocently and Ali tensed.
"I don't want to talk about it, but I think you should see this." Ali carefully reached behind her, to her purse and handed Caleb the phone, "press play."
Caleb turned the device over in his hand and laughed, "where'd you get this?"
"It was a gift from Charles, just press play."
Caleb was hesitant, but he opened the phone anyways, "Ali, there's nothing here."
"What?" Ali kept driving but she whipped her head to look at Caleb.
"There's nothing to watch."
Alison gripped the steering wheel harder and thought quickly, "but how, it's like a burner phone right, there's not like a real network or whatever to hack into it from and delete it right?"
"I don't, I don't know, this isn't like the ones I used to buy, maybe Charles had it so the video was a temp file and expired after a certain time."
"How is that even- you know what nevermind, can you trace it?"
"I'm not sure, I'd have to wait until I had all the equipment, or at least until we get to where we're going, Mona brought her laptop, if I can reverse the trans-,"
"English Caleb, was that a yes or a no."
"It's a maybe."
"Fuck it, it'll have to do."
"What did he say, Charles, what did he say in the video?"
Ali shrunk into the seat and put the car in park across the street, "it was meant to hurt me and Emily and it did."
Caleb didn't get to ask anything because Ali unlocked her door, and quickly got out walked across the street and over to the left side of the warehouse.
Caleb was soon by her side and he pulled his phone out, "Mona said use the west entrance."
They walked around back, found the proper door and pulled it open with ease, "thank god you made it."
Ali rolled her eyes, "I'm the one who said to come."
"Yeah, I know but I was getting nervous."
Ali shrugged it off and held her hand out to Caleb. He was confused at first but remembered what he was holding and handed it over.
"Charles left this for me and Emily, can you leave your laptop here so he can see if he can do whatever he does and trace the signal?"
Mona looked curiously over at the phone and shook her head, "it's not going to work. Those phones were used in the military years ago. It was for short-ish range in the field type situations. They were used by troops sending info back to whatever teams were following behind, like their back up, scouts used them basically, to see if it was okay to go ahead but if soldiers were captured or enemies got a hold of them, it wouldn't be useful to have them."
"Why not?"
"Whoever had the second phone could terminate the connection whenever they wanted and erase all files and any history of communication."
"So what we have is some outdated version of military gear?"
"Basically, but they're not burner phones."
Ali tried to wrap her head around everything and instead pulled at the base of her neck with her hands in a sorry excuse to ease her muscles.
"How can you even get one of these?"
"They're not used anymore, I don't know. If Charles or CeCe or even Wren knew someone in the military maybe they'd have access but I'm not sure."
"Wayne is in the army."
Mona stopped to think, "I don't know Ali."
"Can the signal be reactivated, if we have the scouter phone, cant Charles turn it on if he wants to send something again?"
"I'm not sure it works that way Caleb."
"Well this is –A who's known our every move even before we've made them."
Mona sighed, "look let me take it home and take it apart and see if I can find anything."
Ali just about handed it over but drew her hand back suddenly, "wait, how do you know so much about this?"
Mona rolled her eyes and snatched the phone anyways, "AP US History, we talked about wars and we had an assignment to find some technological advantage or disadvantage that any power or country in the world had. I choose our communications but I found some things about phones and walkies like this, that's how." She stated matter of factly and Ali scoffed.
"Fine, so where do they keep all the files?"
Mona walked confidently down the hall and motioned for the others to follow.
"I still don't like her," Ali muttered.
Caleb shrugged and nudged her shoulder, "until we save Spencer and the others, we need her brain."
"Whatever I guess I have to agree on that, I just don't like that she knows so much."
"Aw see, you sound like Spence already."
"Shutup."
They walked to a room at the end of the hall and Ali wasn't too surprised to find Mona already filing through the cabinets and stacks of papers.
"Ali, since Charles and Jason are twins, I'm assuming that Charles records would be here somewhere, this room has anything Radley related starting from 1990 to 2000."
"Okay but how is this time relevant."
Mona put the file she was filtering through down and looked at Ali, "well wouldn't Jason and Charles both be about 7 years older than you by the time you were born? If Jason and of course you, don't remember him, I'm assuming he was locked away here somewhere around that time, but mostly when you were a newborn to the time you were maybe 2, after that, Jason would be too old to have himself brainwashed like that."
Ali silently agreed with Mona's reasoning and headed towards a cabinet, yanking open the first rusted and dusty drawer and extracting as many files under 'D' as she could."
"Wait," Caleb stopped, "wouldn't Charles have come here first to get rid of any evidence?"
Mona stopped to think and looked around, "good point but I don't see why he would, unless he has a reason, Charles is too confident."
"But he erased the video."
"Look, I doubt anyone knows about this place. There a basement at Radley that still keeps records down there, if he wants to look he might start there."
"Yeah, start."
"Just look fast okay," Ali coaxed.
"You know Ali, your mom was on the board, is it possible that she always had Charles' record with her?"
"Why would she want to do that?"
"Well it seems like neither one of your parents wanted you, their own kids to know about him, so I doubt he was mentioned to anyone else. Your parents might have been...I don't know? Embarrassed?"
Ali took a second to think and shook her head, "then my mom wouldn't keep it at the house where her two snooping kids could possibly find it."
"Then we have to find something here."
Caleb walked over with another stack of files, "what about CeCe?"
"What about her?"
"She had to know Charles before she met you, so where else could they have met?"
Mona agreed, "yeah Ali, I thought I seen you in Radley remember? I had to have been her, she's the one I told everything too then, not Charles."
"Mona you said it was Charles."
"Well it wasn't, I think I know my girls from my boys."
"Ugh, I fucking hate this, but fine, look for Drake and DiLaurentis, something has got to be here."
They continued their search until Caleb shouted, "here, I've got it! I found CeCe's file. Her real name is Charlotte Drake. She was emitted to Radley Sanitarium in 1999 when she was just 11 years old and was released when she turned 21."
"What else does it say?"
Caleb walked over and the two girls flanked him, "says here her foster mother called 911 when she found CeCe in another room, threatening her biological son with a fake knife. Doctors brought her in and diagnosed her with personality disorder."
"Caleb, who was her doctor?"
His eyes scanned the yellowed papers and flipped through them rapidly, "um here, it says her presiding doctor was Dr. Lor and then later she was transferred to- Dr. Kingston, Wren Kingston."
"That son of a bitch."
Alison snatched the papers and looked through them herself, not knowing what she was hoping to find. "Maybe this was how CeCe and Charles got out, and maybe it was how they met."
Mona nodded, stopping her search to make the connections, "you know Ali, I wouldn't be surprised if Wren was hired specifically by your mom to keep an eye out on Charles, how he got connected to CeCe, I'm not sure, but if Charles and her became friends, I'm sure mommy dearest would make some arrangements to keep him happy."
"Okay good theory Mona, but Charles killed my mom, he killed his own mom, how do you explain that?"
"Think Ali, maybe Charles wanted out for good, wanted to join the family again, but mommy said no, so what to you do, kill her."
"He wouldn't just do that."
"Why are you defending him? How would you know what he would do or not do, he's a psychopathic killer Alison, think about what he did to all of us, think about Emily!"
Ali wanted to shout back but the sound of glass breaking could be heard and then the slamming of doors, including theirs, before a roar erupted.
"What the hell?" Ali rushed to open it and soon started slamming her shoulder into the side, "it's locked."
"Do you guys smell that?"
Caleb looked around and froze when he realized it was smoke.
"Cover your mouths with your shirt!" Mona yelled and couched low to the floor, smoke was billowing up from under the door and the room soon became cloudy, the air hot and heavy.
She followed the smoke and a quick gust of air that sucked the smoke from where it was floating caught her eye.
"Ali, Caleb, over there!"
Mona pointed to the top right corner of the room where a window was boarded up."
Coughing, Caleb pushed the small table to the wall and jumped on top of it.
"Caleb hurry."
"I'm trying, it won't budge." It was even harder for him to breathe, his mouth was uncovered and since heat rises, the smoke was the densest towards the ceiling.
He stood down and covered his mouth, peering through the gray fumes at the two girls, Ali tried the door again and retreated when her skin got slightly burned. She cursed herself for being so stupid and held her hand between her thighs. Yelling she asked, "what are we gonna do?"
The smoke was piling up and all three of them coughed, their lungs burning.
Mona looked around and finally an idea her. She ran to the nearest file and yanked the drawer open, trying to pull it all the way out. Caleb came to help and they successfully removed the drawer and dumped its contents. Mona threw the drawer down and crouched beside it, working on the sliding mechanism on the side of the drawer, it was the piece that fit them into the cabinet and held them in place. If she could somehow detach it, she could use it as a crow bar to get the board off from the window.
Caleb recognized what she was doing and yanked another drawer open, using all of his body weight while it was still attached to snap the piece off. The metal groaned before finally, he fell to the ground in a fit of coughs and ran to the window.
Mona was close behind, covering her mouth as best she could. Ali hoped on the table and started to help Caleb squeeze the bar under the board between the window.
What was becoming a dark room, lit up again when the flames burst from under the door in a loud hiss and immediately caught fire to all the dry paper and files they had just thrown on the floor.
"Hurry!" Mona panicked and Caleb and Ali used all they had to pry the board off. It groaned and flexed until the nails came free and it cracked loudly.
Caleb tried the window but it wouldn't budge. Mona stepped on the table beside them as the fire closed in on them.
"Move," Ali shouted. She took off her shirt and wrapped it around her fist, leaving her in a brown tank top. With her clothed hand cocked back she forced all her strength forward into breaking that glass. The heat helping it shatter but also flying towards their eyes.
The smoke rushed towards them and out of the window and their eyes watered from all of it. But the small window was open and they had to get out. Caleb kept his balance and squatted on the small table, cupping his hands as a step for Ali to use to hoist herself out.
Ali squeezed her body through the frame, sucking in fresh air at a rate that set her lungs on fire. The building was behind the warehouse on a slope so instead of falling to the ground, she was met with gravel and dead grass at the same level as the window.
Ali slowly got up and looked at the window. It was near impossible to see anything through the dark clouds of grey, nonetheless, Mona's head came into view and Ali stood to help pull her out. No sooner was Mona completely out of the window did Ali hear a shout come from Caleb and the crash of the small table falling to the floor.
"CALEB!"
x-x-x-x
AN: can you wait 7 whole days? Dun dun duuuuuun