The next morning Elle willed herself into the kitchen. She had a vague memory of Athos carrying her upstairs into what he'd designated as "her room". Really, it was his room. He slept in the chair next to the fireplace, keeping a watchful eye on her throughout the night.

The medication was making her head fuzzy and she found it hard to focus. If it wasn't the medicine, it was the pain. She'd never experienced anything like it. Fierce headaches that started as radiating pain in her neck and worked their way up into her skull.

Elle stumbled and caught herself on the counter. She smiled when she realized Athos had already started a pot of coffee for them to share. He had been out with the horses since six. She knew because she heard him getting dressed and dared to peak open her eyes just in time to see him buttoning his shirt.

She glanced at the clock and decided she needed more sleep. As she poured herself a cup of the strong, dark brew she heard the creaking of the wooden floor behind her...The cup fell to the floor, shattering around her bare feet.

Twenty minutes later Athos came inside from the barn. The house was eerily quiet and he assumed Elle was still sleeping. Until he rounded the corner into the kitchen and saw the scene unfolding.

Elle stood facing him, a knife to her throat. Rebecca stood behind her, grasping the knife.

"How did you get in here?" Athos asked breathlessly.

Rebecca laughed as Athos came to stand in front of the pair. His back was turned to the loft.

"Well hello, Athos. It's nice to see you too. Athos, I can't believe you don't remember. Well, actually I can. You were very...scatter-brained. When Elle here had her accident, you gave me the code to let the paramedics in the gate."

Had he? He cursed himself because he honestly couldn't remember. When he saw Elle lying there...he lost all his critical thinking. Clearly.

"Just lucky you hadn't changed it," Rebecca quipped.

"What is this about? What do you want?"

He took a step towards them, and Rebecca brandished the knife.

"No no, Athos. You stay there. You wouldn't want anything else to happen to this girl now would you?" Hatred filled her voice as she spoke. "You know you made my job a thousand times harder," she directed to Elle.

"Athos was supposed to be living here alone, but no, here you are. I tried everything I could to get you to stay away. It was obvious from day one you were in love with him. I thought making you think we had something going would upset you enough to make you run." She sighed, "But, alas. You had to make this hard."

"What do you want?" Athos repeated. He was getting tired of hearing her talk, and the look on Elle's face was chilling him to the core.

"I don't want anything."

Just then Athos heard a voice call from the loft behind him.

"Hello, Athos,"

He didn't immediately recognize the voice, nor the face once he turned.

"Remember me?"

"No," Athos answered simply.

"I thought you'd say that. You abandoned me to a court martial. Testified, falsely against me. Remember?"

Athos studied the face for a moment. Doyle Desmond. Suddenly, and like a bolt of lightning it hit Athos. He turned slowly to glance at Rebecca, who still held the knife to Elle's throat. He turned back around.

"I've never falsely testified against anyone. You are a murderer."

"Actually, it was deemed manslaughter in the end. Still, fifteen years is more than enough time for me to plan this."

"With the help of your sister..." Athos said slowly.

No wonder Rebecca seemed familiar to him. She looked enough like her brother to be his twin.

Doyle shrugged, "She tried her best."

"Tell me, what was the original plan?"

Athos didn't care, but he was stalling. Soon, the others would be here. They were supposed to meet again this morning and continue their search for answers. How ironic.

His captor slicked a hand through his jet black hair, and leaned casually against the railing of the loft. "She would win your trust. Eventually get the security codes, and let me in. I'd handle the rest."

"Well," Athos gestured around, "Looks like it all worked out in the end."

"Yeah," Doyle said, "It did."

As the last words left his mouth he pulled a revolver out of his jacket pocket. He aimed it at Athos.

"Your testimony sealed my fate. Not to mention you were friends with the judge."

"Take it easy. Let Elle go, please. She has nothing to do with this."

"She's not going anywhere." Rebecca snorted.

"You took away fifteen years of my life!"

"You're a murderer. I saw you do it. There's no coming back from something like that, Doyle. Surely you must know that."

"I do. Goodbye Athos."

The sound of the gunshot rang in Elle's ears. It all happened so fast. The screaming of the bullet being discharged, blood exploding through Athos and onto her face, Athos falling, Rebecca dropping the knife and following her brother out the back door.

Elle got her bearings and crawled over to Athos. There was so much blood. Athos's eyes fluttered as Elle willed him to stay awake. There was blood. So much blood. Elle felt her eyes grow heavy as she realized her neck itched. She touched her fingertips to her throat and lost to a wave of dizziness when she realized she too was bleeding.

Her head hit the floor next to Athos as their blood seeped through and stained forever the wooden floor.