Hello again,

So, the action begins.

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Pavs.

Chapter Nineteen: The Sound of Silence

[New Orleans]

''TOOL! Wake the fuck up!'' Yang screamed, and the man tried to open his eyes.

His head was hurting him, but Yang was having none of it. So he tried again and saw something shiny. Gabrielle's bracelet. He felt a rush of adrenaline and got up.

''Where is she!?'' he exclaimed while trying to get up, only to fall on Trench.

''That's what we were going to ask you,'' Yang said with a dark look in his eyes.

They had to find her.

[Gabrielle]

Twenty-fucking-four hours. That's how long they'd been gone when Tool and I had been attacked at the parlor. Everything hurt. My nose was bleeding, my head was spinning, and my wrists were burning because of the friction of the rope. I was fucked, and I was angry at myself.

I should have done better. I felt the tears on my cheeks. I prayed that Tool was ok. I missed my dad. I wanted to go home. And if I had to fight to even try to do that, I would. I missed them. I needed to go home. I was cold. I smelled like piss. My own, probably. I could have been out for days for all I knew, and it scared the shit out of me. I'd been trained, but not enough.

I could feel the panic rising. I was cold, so cold. We were in the month of September, but still. Where in the hell was I? Then again, I only had what was left of my shirt and shorts. At least I still had my sport bra and underwear. I looked at the door seconds before it burst open. A man walked in. He had a tattoo on his neck and a knife in his hand.

''Don't touch me motherfucker,'' I spat at him, and he smiled.

''Mademoiselle, ce n'est pas nécessaire d'utiliser de telles paroles,*'' he mocked me, and I scoffed. ''My name is Vilain, and you must be Gabrielle. You look just like your father.''

I didn't answer this time, but I looked at him straight in the eyes.

''Oh, don't look at me like that, miss. You are going to talk,'' he said.

'' ...connard. **'' I said slowly.

He turned to another man, who turned out to be the one who'd followed me a couple of weeks ago. The man sent me a look that made my blood freeze in my veins. He then took off his belt, and I felt a wave of nausea before he hit me with it.

I screamed and cried as he hit me again and again. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. I could only feel the belt buckle ripping off my skin. I tried to protect myself with my arms, but I could only do so much.

''Enough, Igor. I think she understood the message. Now, girl, tell us about them,'' Vilain said, and I looked at him.

''Fuck you,'' I managed to whisper, and Vilain sighed.

This time there was no belt as Igor punched the shit out of me. I couldn't stop the screams. It hurt so bad. I couldn't see from my right eye, and I knew that at least two of my ribs were fucked.

I was waiting for another hit when another man came in, talking in a language that I didn't know. Vilain sighed and motioned to Igor to put me on my feet. I could barely walk, but that didn't stop them.

We got outside of what turned out to be a cabin in the woods, and I saw more men with another prisoner that looked familiar.

''GABRIELLE, NO! LEAVE HER ALONE!'' Billy screamed, and I tried to escape Igor's grip.

''BILLY!''I yelled back at him.

I was scared. I didn't want him to be hurt. I wanted us to go home.

[Barney]

They'd just got to the meeting point when they saw that they weren't alone.

''Drop your weapons!'' a voice called.

''No way,'' Toll said.

''Ain't happening,'' Gunnar added.

''No?'' Vilain asked, and Barney felt like this was an even shittier situation than it appeared to be.

Then the smog dissipated, and his heart stopped. Gabrielle. Billy.

''Are you sure?'' Vilain asked, and it took everything they had not to shoot him.

They could hurt Gabrielle or Billy.

''I am so sorry, sir. I wasn't able to…'' Billy tried before he got kicked in the stomach.

''You fucking piece of shit!'' Gabrielle screamed before Vilain pulled out his gun.

''I told you to stay quiet,'' Vilain said while Hector pulled out his knife.

[Gunnar]

He wanted to kill them all. Every single one of them. He looked at Gabrielle and tried not to focus too much on the bruises and the blood or else he'd lose his shit, and now was not the time.

Then, she looked at him straight in the eyes. He could see the pain, the fear. He wanted to hold her, to get her as far away as possible from there. But he couldn't, and it was driving him mad.

[Team]

''He's a strong soldier,'' Vilain said. ''Not as feisty as this one here, but still. Let's see how strong she is.''

''You'll have to fucking kill me first!'' Billy exclaimed while trying to get out of Hector's grip.

''Oh well in that case,'' Vilain said before he nodded to Hector.

The man smiled before he stabbed Billy in the heart, and Gabrielle screamed.

''ESPÈCE DE BÂTARD!''*** she shrieked before she managed to kick Igor hard enough so she could escape.

She went straight for Vilain and was only stopped by him pointing his gun at her head. Both Igor and Hector put her on her knees. Vilain moved so he was behind her, facing the guys with a sadistic smile.

''Not so fast here, love. The only reason you're not dead like this boy is because you're still of use to me. You could go a long way with a bit of respect. I believe you would appreciate it if I didn't go back to finish off Tool, now would you?'' Vilain asked, and Gabrielle went still. ''Oh, did I choose a sensible subject?''

When she didn't answer, Vilain kneeled behind her and smelled her skin. Toll almost made a move, but Hale held him. They couldn't do shit as long as they were in this position. It made them all sick.

''You are passionate, aren't you?'' Vilain asked while he caressed her cheek with his nose. ''We will sell you for a good price if we end up killing them. Or maybe Igor will want you for himself.''

''Don't you fucking dare,'' Barney threatened with such power in his words that even Vilain seemed to hesitate.

''Drop your weapons, give me back what's mine, and I'll reconsider,'' Vilain bargained.

''I'll kill him,'' Barney muttered.

''But he'll kill her,'' Lee said, fear piercing through his voice.

''Drop 'em!'' Barney said before they all let go of their weapons.

[Lee]

He was fed up with that guy's bullshit speech. They needed to get her out. Fuck, they needed to kill those guys for what they'd done to her and Billy. That poor kid. He deserved so much better.

And her too. Her lips were getting blue, she was covered in bruises, scratches, cuts, dirt and blood. He could see the lines were the ropes had burnt the skin around her wrists and ankles. She needed a doctor. She needed to be safe.

Lee took the package from Maggie and went to give it to Hector. He dropped it at the man's feet. His eyes met Gabrielle's, and he tried to give her a reassuring smile.

''Hey!'' Hector called.

''You talking to me?'' Lee asked with an arrogant smile.

He'd kill that fucker himself.

''Pick it up,'' Hector ordered. ''Hand it to me.''

''Go get it yourself,'' Lee retorted.

''What was that?'' Hector asked.

''You heard,'' Lee replied before Gabrielle sent him a pleading look.

Hector saw and smiled.

''You really want to talk to me like that?'' he said while caressing Gabrielle's chest with his blade.

The same blade that was already tainted with Billy's blood.

''Do it, Lee,'' Barney said, and Lee did as he was told.

But he would kill that fucker.

[Barney]

They had their faces in the dirt, but Barney was listening to every sound.

''What do we do with the girl?'' Hector asked as the helicopter got closer.

''Prove our point,'' Vilain replied.

''DAD!'' Gabrielle screamed, and they all looked up.

''GABRIELLE!'' Barney screamed back while the others were running to get their weapons.

He was the only one that simply ran to her. He could feel the tip of her fingers touching his as she tried to get off the helicopter.

''Help!'' she begged him with tears in her eyes.

But they pulled her back and took off.

He screamed before turning around to see the guys looking at her. He saw Gunnar drop to his knees, hitting the ground with his fists. He then looked at the kid and felt tears of rage rolling down his cheeks.

They would get her back, then they would get their revenge.

*You don't have to use such a strong language, miss.

**Arsehole.

***You fucking bastard!