A/N: Thank you all for your reviews! They feed my muse and it's nice to know others read these fics, too :) . Here's chapter 3. Time to get Jane to safety.
There's one more actual chapter and an epilogue after this one.
Kurt signaled for the team to advance in turns as they approached the armory. They had left the SUVs beyond the trees to minimize the risk of being detected too early. Verifying Patterson's information, they could see Campbell's car along with a few others at the back of the building, next to a loading dock. She told them the building had multiple entry points, but because they had a limited number of people on the assault team and the number of Campbell's men was still unclear, they had decided to make entry from a single door, close to the main assembly hall of the armory and send one agent to the back to keep an eye on the rear and side exits.
As they stacked up on the door, Kurt checked it and not finding any sign of wires, he tried the handle. The door didn't budge, something was anchoring it shut. Not wanting to risk anyone of the assault team by using a battering ram, he spoke to the man immediately behind him.
"Blow it."
The man inched past Kurt to place a small piece of plastic explosive and detonation cord on the door. After a few seconds, Kurt could feel the small splinters hit his cheek as the door blew, even though he was standing behind the corner. Raising his weapon, he entered the hallway, with Reade and Zapata trailing him and Keaton and more agents traveling along the opposite wall in a similar formation. The hallway was empty, a sign that made the hair at the back of Kurt's neck stand up. Something was wrong. As they rounded the corner, they were met with fire behind a barricade only fifteen feet away. Returning fire, Kurt and the team retreated behind the corner, luckily unscathed.
Kurt was just about to return fire and keep advancing, even down the narrow hallway, when suddenly, the firing died down.
"Hold your fire!" Kurt heard someone shout. "Keaton, ya there?"
Kurt glared at Keaton, warning him to watch his words. "I'm here, Campbell. I know you're rash at times, and trying to get into the Agency's good graces, but this isn't the way. Put down your weapons and let Jane go."
"What the hell are ya talking about, Keaton? You've said it yourself, she's a terrorist, a Sandstorm member. I'm doin' ya a favor."
"Campbell,–"
Kurt could feel the anger rise inside him and interrupted. "Where is Jane?" He shouted.
"I'm assumin' you're Kurt?" Came the derisive, goading, reply from behind the barricade. "Oh, I have to say, you're very careless for an FBI Agent. You and Jane were so easy to tail."
"Campbell, where is she?" He shouted again, feeling himself almost shaking with anger. He tried to catch a glimpse of the barricade and see how many people were behind it, but quickly pulled back as a bullet snapped into a wall close to him.
"Your wife? I was just tellin' her that maybe I shoulda had ya brought in too, just so ya can see me havin' my way with 'er. No wonder you fell for her, she does have a great body. But she's mine now. Come and get her if ya can. "
At Campbell's words Kurt only heard the blood rushing in his ears. That bastard had Jane, and God knows what he had done to her. Kill zone or not, he had to get to her, now.
He raised his weapon and rounded the corner again, the shots landing close to him, but he didn't care. The only thing that he focused on was getting to Jane. He hadn't gotten more than a couple of steps when something yanked him back.
"Weller! No!" Reade shouted from behind him and pulled him back by his body armor.
"What the hell, Reade?" He glared at his friend, furious as he shook off the grip, back behind the wall.
"They'll kill you before you can advance five feet. Be reasonable." Reade tried to convince him.
He tried to look behind the corner, but was met with another withering barrage of fire. He sighed, forcibly suppressing the anger and fear he felt for Jane, forcing himself to come up with a plan.
Turning to his friends, he shouted over the gunfire. "Reade, Zapata. You stay here with Agent Baker's team and try to pin them down or take them out."
Looking to the opposite side of the hallway entrance, he glanced at Keaton. "Keaton, you come with me. Let's go around the building, try to find another entry point."
The CIA agent nodded. "Okay, cover me so that I can get back to that side."
The suppressive fire worked and Keaton crossed over to Kurt and the two men retraced their steps back outside, then headed to the other side of the armory.
Kurt gave a hand signal to the agent who was surveilling the side and she indicated the side was clear.
Reaching the side door, Kurt cursed. The door was rigged with an explosive charge. Disarming it took a couple of minutes, but even that was minutes too much when it came to finding Jane.
After disarming the explosive Kurt and Keaton entered the building again. This hallway was empty, it had a few doors leading to storages. They could hear the exchange of fire still continuing elsewhere in the building. Advancing slowly, they cleared each room one by one. Luckily enough, all the doors were open so they could be sure no one would sneak up on them.
Coming to an intersection of another service hallway, Kurt stopped. He glanced behind his back, signaling to Keaton that he had one man in sight. It looked like he was standing watch by the doorway. Counting silently to three, Kurt turned the corner and took the man down with a single, well-placed shot.
As Kurt stepped towards the dead man and removed his weapon, he could hear loud music inside the room. He tried the doorknob, but the door was locked. He knelt next to the body again, searching his pockets. He spoke a quiet "got it" in his mind, as he found the key to the lock.
Kurt opened the door to the room, and what he saw made him freeze in his tracks. In the room, with her back to him and blindfolded, was his wife. Seeing Jane again, alive, made his breath hitch. It was clear she was injured, but she was alive. His mind was flooded with a variety of emotions and he didn't know which would gain the upper hand. He felt relief and elation to have finally found Jane, but at the same time it felt like he had to swallow the lump in his throat as he saw the blood on her and imagined what Campbell had done to her during these few days. The worry and concern were almost suffocating. And finally, he felt anger. Anger at Campbell for having taken Jane, at Keaton for his attitude, and at himself, for failing Jane.
He looked at Keaton, motioning at him to go and find the control panel for the deafening sound system blaring in the room where Jane was held. As Keaton disappeared around the corner again, he drew in a steadying breath and entered the room. Reade and the others would handle Campbell and his men. The only thing that mattered to Kurt right now, was Jane.
Jane noticed the noise had stopped. Her shoulder felt like it was on fire and her entire body ached, but she knew what the silence meant: only more pain. She tried to steel herself, but she was so tired. She yearned for sleep, and an end to the pain.
She couldn't see from under the blindfold, but she the heard footsteps.
Then she heard it, almost a choked whisper.
"Jane…"
She thought she must be hallucinating. It couldn't be Kurt. But then, as he carefully removed the blindfold, she saw him standing in front of her.
His touch was feather-light as he traced her cheek gingerly. Jane could see the pain in his eyes as he looked at her while he dug the handcuff key from his pocket and opened her handcuffs. She felt his hands tremble as he fumbled with the key and carefully released her arms. She couldn't help a cry of pain as the movement jostled her dislocated shoulder. With her arms free, she brought her injured arm to her chest and took a step back, trying to make sense of things in her exhausted state.
She looked at Kurt, fear filling her mind. "No, this can't be…they got him, too." She shook her head, and retreated away from him, the desperation nearly overwhelming. "No, no. Not you, too."
Kurt's look was tender, his tone soft as he spoke. "Jane, it's over. You're safe."
His familiar voice was like balm to her wounds, but she was still afraid this wasn't real. She hadn't slept in ages and she knew that if you were tired enough, you could start seeing things. It had happened to her many times during her military training. Rocks moving, trees having entire conversations with her.
And now, if Campbell had managed to get Kurt, Jane knew what awaited him, awaited them. She couldn't go through with it, watch him suffer. She sidestepped the metal cot and backed further away, almost into a corner.
"No, please. Don't…", she whispered desperately at him, willing to stop her body from shivering as the movement only made her shoulder hurt more.
Still, Kurt slowly eased closer to her, holding out his hand for her to take. She heard the slight quiver in his voice as he approached. "It's just me. It's okay. Let me help."
"It's Kurt. You can trust him," one part of her mind assured her. "I know. But I can't take it if he's hurt because of me. I can't," the more desperate part shook her head anxiously, tears brimming her eyes and her voice small. "No. You have to get out of here."
Jane could see the pain and hurt in his look, a strangled breath escaping him at her utterance. "Oh, Jane…."
She couldn't help the involuntary flinch as Kurt lay a gentle hand on the arm cradling her injured one.
"It's okay," he kept reassuring her.
Kurt was now standing right in front of her. Jane's fear eased slightly as she looked into his eyes, seeing the love mixed with his concern. "You're hurt."
Her body tensed reflexively as Kurt ran his hand lightly over her shoulder and he let his eyes travel over her, cataloguing the various wounds and bruises among her tattoos. He hushed her gently, seeing her distress. He brought his hand to her cheek slowly, his look growing even more worried as he moved it to her forehead. "You're burning up."
"I'm cold," she admitted quietly.
Almost before the words had left her mouth, Kurt had already shrugged out of his body armor and jacket, and Jane soon found herself engulfed in the jacket's warmth as he gingerly draped it around her shoulders. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking in Kurt's scent and his soothing presence beside her. She could feel her body starting to tremble with the exertion and pain of the events, to give in.
She looked at Kurt wearily, and was about to speak when a noise near the door caught her attention.
She glanced towards the sound and a feeling of dread filled her. "Keaton." She couldn't help a whimper escaping her mouth as memories of the black site and the past few days flooded her mind. She was able to call up her final reserves of adrenaline from somewhere, and drew in another painful breath, determined to face her old tormentor.
"You!" Jane's agitated tone caused Kurt to turn around and Keaton to freeze where he was. She walked past Kurt, so that she was standing in the middle of the large room; between the men who both had had an impact on her life as she knew it. One, the man she loved, her husband and partner in all senses of the word, and the other her torturer, the man she had been forced to work with, and who was also responsible for her pain now.
"Have you come here to finish the job?" Jane yelled at him angrily, the effort triggering a coughing fit. She leaned forward, feeling like she might cough her lungs out as the motion hacked against her ribs. She drew in another shuddering breath. "Didn't you torture me enough during those three months?! I WOULDN'T BE HERE IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU!", she screamed at Keaton, tears now running down her cheeks, her voice wavering with fear and anger. The little voice in the back of her head kept telling her "He gave the okay to Campbell, and he wants to finish what he started."
"Jane, come here. Please," she heard Kurt's soft voice from behind her.
Jane shook her head slightly, whispering a determined "No" under her breath. She could feel her body tremble as she took another step closer to Keaton, angry at herself that she couldn't jump him and beat him to a pulp like she wanted to.
He seemed frozen in place, looking past her, somewhat dumbfounded.
"Can you imagine, how hard it has been for me, seeing you, working with you after all the things you did to me? Am I –" Again, a coughing fit interrupted her. "Am I just supposed to forgive and forget the pain and torture you put me through?!"
She heard the emotion in Kurt's voice as he spoke to her again. "Jane, please. You're hurt."
Ignoring her husband's pleas, she continued staring down her old tormentor, her body protesting more and more every second, every word.
"Do you have any idea how hard it was to see you in my home in Colorado!"
This time Keaton made eye contact with her and responded, his tone as smug as she remembered it. "I saved your life that night."
"Keaton!" Jane heard Kurt's edgy rebuke from somewhere behind her, now closer than before.
"I barely had a life to save once you were done with me, you son of a bitch!"
"I was–"
"Back away, Keaton!" Jane could hear the warning tone and anger in Kurt's voice as he interrupted the CIA man. "Leave, now!" He practically growled.
Keaton let out a frustrated breath and shrugged before turning on his heels and leaving Jane alone in the room with Kurt again.
Momentarily stunned, Jane stared at the doorway after Keaton had disappeared. "Keaton, will he –". Her train of thought was interrupted by the feeling of Kurt's fingers brushing against hers lightly. She turned around slowly as he called out her name. He was there, he was real and he wasn't a captive. Her breath hitched with emotion and pain as she admitted: "I can't…."
He tugged at her fingers gently, inviting her to step closer. "Come here."
Jane managed a single step, before her tired body gave out.
Kurt managed to catch her against him before she collapsed onto the ground. She nearly passed out from the pain as her injured arm moved again.
Holding her to him, he carefully eased them to the ground. "I've got you. It's okay."
She whimpered softly, her voice pleading as he leaned in and went to unzip the jacket wrapped around her in order to look at her shoulder and other injuries. "It hurts..no, please Kurt. Don't... "
He released a pained breath, his eyes reflecting his internal struggle, wanting to spare her from any more pain. His voice was apologetic but loving. "I know, my love. I know. I'm sorry. I'll be as careful as I can."
Despite his gentle manner, Jane was unable to bite back a wail of pain as he touched her swollen shoulder.
"Sorry, sorry," Kurt whispered his apologies as he pulled his hand away and continued assessing her injuries
She heard the thickness in his voice as the visible marks of the past few days were revealed to him in all the horrifying detail as he saw the burns and slashes covering her body. "Oh, Jane…"
As he lay his hand on her cheek, she leaned into his touch, seeking the contact. Always good at reading her, he sensed her distress and carefully pulled her into his warm embrace. She felt so cold.
"Kurt, I–"
"Shh, I'm here," he soothed her. "Just lie still."
Kurt simply sat there, murmuring sweet nothings to her as he gently cradled her to his chest. "Let's get you to the hospital, hmm?"
Jane shook her head silently against him. Kurt brushed his fingers against her cheek, his touch urging her to look at him. As she did, she saw the tenderness and pain in his gaze. She heard the pleading, almost desperate, tone in his voice as he tried to reason with her. "Jane.. you're hurt."
The events of the days all seemed to hit her at once: the physical and the emotional torture, the pain, the desperation. Despite the fiery agony, what she needed right at that moment, more than anything else, was him. She shook her head again, closing her fingers around the fabric of his shirt, not letting go.
"Please." She heard the desperate quiver in her own voice as she fought to control her breathing amid the coughing spells that triggered even more pain, and rein in the fear still lurking on the edges of her mind. "You have to keep it together. You can't give Keaton the satisfaction."
"Okay." he whispered, brushing his lips against her hair. "I've got you."
Her head pillowed against him, Jane closed her eyes as the warmth of his body slowly seeped into hers. Still, she couldn't shake the fear, knowing Keaton and Campbell were somewhere outside the room. Her voice trembled as she spoke, not even able to voice it coherently through the pain. "Keaton…he let Campbell do this. What happened."
Kurt tensed momentarily, before he tightened his arms around her, and stroked her hair. "I won't let him hurt you again. You're safe."
As Kurt held her, she slowly released the death grip on his shirt. The final traces of the adrenaline had worn off, leaving Jane exhausted both physically and mentally. Everything seemed blurry but the agony was still there. She nearly blacked out again and another moan slipped out as she made the mistake of moving.
She heard Kurt wince in sympathy, and felt his fingers lightly caressing her cheek again. "Hey, open your eyes for me."
He smiled at her gently, his voice soft and reassuring. "Let me take you to the medics, please? We have to get you to a hospital."
Jane nodded almost imperceptively and closed her eyes again. Now in the safety of her husband's arms, she just wanted for the pain to stop. He got up carefully, holding her close to him. The next thing she was conscious of was Kurt gingerly laying her down somewhere. The fear reared its ugly head again and her eyes darted around anxiously, looking for any sign of Campbell or Keaton. Her pulse spiked, seeing only unfamiliar people, besides Kurt, who was right next to her. He leaned in close, his look a mixture of love and worry. His voice was low, so that only she could hear him.
"It's okay." He trailed his fingers over the bird tattoo on her neck as his thumb brushed her cheek to soothe her. "You're safe here. The EMTs will take you to the hospital. I'll follow you there." She felt his breath warm her cheek right before he kissed her softly. "I love you, Jane."