Chapter 11: Lexa
When I open my eyes, I see Ash sitting by my side, and then I notice that Abby and Blake are also there. Ash then kisses me and starts crying. I'm so confused. I don't know what has happened or why Ash is so upset with me. Abby and Blake leave to give us some time to talk. Ash explains to me about the surgery and my injuries then she kisses me again, but this time it is different. It started off like the other ones she has given me but then progressed to something totally different. It is intense. My heart starts to beat faster, and my breathing becomes heavier, there are butterflies in my stomach; then, I feel her tongue brush against my bottom lip. I part my lip a little, and that is all she needed to slide her tongue in. It feels incredible, it feels intense, and it feels like something I never want to end. Unfortunately, it did, though, and too soon.
When Abby and Blake come back, they have food for Ash. While she eats, Abby explains more about my injuries and tells me that I will need to stay in the hospital for at least a week to make sure the wounds don't get infected. Then I will still need to take it easy and have someone stay with me for at least a month.
I say, "You do realize the only place I have to stay is back at Ahmed's caves, right? I'm not really sure that's what you have in mind, but that's all I got."
Ash speaks up, "Don't worry about that. I will figure something out before then. You will not be going back to Ahmed's! You just need to worry about getting better."
Blake speaks for the first time, "Would someone please tell me what the hell happened and how is it you two know each other?"
I say, "Well, why we are asking questions, how do you and Abby know Ash?"
Blake says that he and Fletch went through boot camp together, and Abby and Fletch knew each other from various tours of duty, and they all live in California.
I decide to tell the story of the last 48 hours while Ash finishes eating. I explain everything from start to finish. How I was sent by Ahmed to help relocate the armory that Blake told me about, and that is where I met Ash. Then I tell the story of the ambush and its aftermath. Then I look at Blake and say, "I thought you said that we had two days before the raid? We were attacked the next night."
Blake replies, "That wasn't us. I don't know who it was, but it wasn't us."
He looked at Ash and said, "I didn't know you were back undercover. I am trying to help Lexa earn some trust with Ahmed so she can give us his location. Commander Jared said that if Lexa could give us Ahmed's location, he would help me get her the proper paperwork to get out of the country. I had no idea you were working out of that armory."
Ash said, "It's fine. No one over here knew I was under. It is a deep cover op that I have been working on for almost three years. Luckily, my cover wasn't blown, but I may have pissed off Ahmed's right-hand man Omar getting her out."
When I heard this, I sat up in the bed. Which probably wasn't a great idea because it hurt like hell, but I needed to see Ash's face when I spoke. I looked at her and said, "So you lied to me. This whole time you were actually just playing me?"
Now it was Ash's time to stutter, "Wh…What? No, that's not…that's not it at all. I just couldn't tell you the whole truth. Everything I told you was true up until the part about the job ad on the dark web. That's the only thing I lied about. Everything else was real. You can ask both of them if you don't believe me. Bellamy and I met during boot camp. I met Griffin or Abby around the same time. She is always working with some organization or another worldwide. So while we are talking about truths, you didn't exactly tell me the truth either, and why did you make that promise anyway if you didn't trust me?"
"I didn't lie to you either. I just left some things out because I don't trust anyone except Blake and Abby. Well, I didn't, but I want to trust you too, but… What I told you is true; I don't know where I'm from or who my parents are. I grew up in an orphanage until about three years ago when the school I attended was bombed by Ahmed's people. He took all the survivors, me included, prisoner and turned us into fighters for his cause. I met Blake as a kid when he would come into town. We would talk while I was on my way to and from working in the fields. I didn't have any friends because I was different from everyone else. He would tell me stories about his sister and teach me about the things happening outside of this country. He would bring me books and magazines to read. He was nice to me. When I was moved to a different orphanage, Blake even helped me become a boy so that I could go back to school and learn. I met Abby by chance when I was trying to pass Ahmed's final test, and for some reason, I instantly trusted her. I guess it helped that Blake was there. That was also dumb luck that he was stationed at the clinic the day I walked in."
Ash asked, "What about that line you gave me about change and being a troublemaker? How were you held captive for three years and still not believe what Ahmed was telling you? Why did you make that promise?"
"For the first year or so of my captivity, I was in solitary because I didn't believe what Ahmed was telling us, and I openly questioned everything he said. What he was saying went against everything I had been taught up to that point in my life by my teachers, by Blake, and the books he gave me. Like I said, I have always been different. I pick up languages easily, and I like to make my choices based on facts and my gut feelings, not by what someone tells me. While I was in solitary, it didn't take Omar long to realize I was a girl. I endured many things that I won't talk about right now, maybe ever in that first year before I realized I needed to play their game. The entire time I just kept telling myself that one day I would be free. I just needed to play the long game. Although I had no idea at the time what the long game was, it kept me sane. It took me longer than it should have, probably because I am so stubborn, to realize that if I just let Ahmed think he had broken me, and I had finally bought into his ideals that it would make things easier for me. Then when the chance encounter at the clinic brought me back to Blake, we came up with a plan to get Ahmed to trust me so that I could give up his location and get the hell out of this godforsaken country. That's how I ended up meeting you. I made that promise to you because, in my gut, I knew you were special, and I needed to keep you safe no matter what."
It was now Abby's turn to speak, "Okay, now that everyone has cleared the air. We now know the story of what happened and how we all know each other it's time for everyone to get out and let Lexa get some rest. Doctor's orders, we can all visit again tomorrow."
Ash said, "Can I just stay until she falls asleep? I don't want to leave her alone. She wouldn't leave me."
Abby said, "Fletch, she is safe here. She needs to rest."
I say, "It's okay Abby, I would prefer her to stay so that I can keep an eye on her. She tends to get herself into trouble." Everyone laughed at this. Abby agreed to let her stay but only for a little while.
