A/N: Thank-you all for favouriting/following my story and for reviewing - it was really what made me get this chapter up so quickly!
So, will they do the swap? Or will they trick him? What will happen to Jess - to Emily? All will be revealed...
Chapter 3
"Ok, so are we all clear on the plan?" Becker said.
Everyone nodded, and Becker made signals to his men on the directions to go.
Then, followed by Matt (who was holding Emily), Abby and Connor, Becker ran into the abandoned warehouse.
He hurried through the corridors, EMP in hand.
He had to get to Jess. He wouldn't let another member of the ARC team die on his watch, especially not one he cared about as much as he cared about Jess.
He had been trying to hide his feelings, push them down and dismiss them as friendly feelings. But he couldn't deny it any longer. He loved her.
'I guess you really don't know what you have until it's gone.' Thought Becker to himself.
He should have protected her, he should have found a way. But he didn't. He had failed her. And if anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself.
Jess had been tied up in the same position for the past few days, and so when Ethan lifted her up off the ground (no matter how roughly it was) she felt instant and surprising relief. But that couldn't change the fact that she being held for ransom by Ethan.
"Where… Where are we going?" She said quietly, her small figure beginning to be racked with sobs.
"Where going to see your friends, don't worry, if you behave, you won't get hurt." He whispered into her ear, making her cringe as his breath tickled her neck.
He suddenly pushed her through an open door and she stumbled to the floor.
"Jess!"
She looked up meekly at the sound of her name and saw to her surprise and pleaser, Becker standing on the other side of the room.
"Becker? Oh, I told you not come!" she said. She was trying to sound tough, but her voice broke in the middle of her sentence.
She was then racked into another fit of sobs.
"Oh, Jess. I'm so sorry! Did he hurt you?" Becker said, tears welling into his eyes, though he fought them off successfully. He took a step, heading towards Jess when Ethan grabbed her by her ponytail and pulled her off the ground.
The scream that escaped Jess's lips was enough to freeze Becker to the spot.
"Emily." Said Ethan simply, nodding towards Emily who was hiding behind Matt.
A growl came from both Matt and Becker, but for different reasons. Becker for the pain that Ethan was inflicting upon Jess, and Matt for Ethan treating Emily like cattle that he could just trade!
"No, Ethan," Said Matt simply "This is not a negotiation. Just hand us Jess."
Ethan just smirked and replied, "A negotiation is exactly what this is!"
"You're surrounded by gun-wielding soldiers. There's no way you can get out," while Matt said that Becker raised his gun and pointed it at Ethan's head, as in to highlight the point Matt was making.
Ethan saw this and simply grabbed Jess by her hair and pulled her in front of him, her sobs had stopped, but the silent tears, and the look in Jess's innocent wide brown eyes was just as bad.
With a raised eyebrow Ethan said, "What are you going to do solider? Shoot me? You will only hit her."
A growl escaped Becker's lips, but he lowered his gun. There was no way he was going to even risk shooting Jess.
"Just hand her over, Ethan. We're not giving you Emily." Matt whispered in his Irish accent, as he stepped in front of Emily more, a protective look on his face.
Ethan raised his eyebrow again and pulled Jess closer to him.
"No – what are you going to do? If you don't give me Emily – well then, she's mine."
And those last two words that escaped Ethan's house set Becker into raged action.
He reached out so quickly that Ethan couldn't stop and pushed Jess out of Ethan's cold grip.
Then, using his elbow, wacked Ethan in the chin, making him stutter back slightly.
Ethan then realized what was happening and raised his head, a wild smile on his face.
Becker turned his back to Ethan and jogged over to Jess who was lying on the floor, looking up with a look of utter dismay at the scene before her.
When Ethan saw Becker with his back to him, he then reached out towards Becker, preparing to knock the gun out of his hands, when Jess shouted for Becker to look behind him.
As he turned Ethan punched him hard in the face and knocked the gun out of Becker's hands.
Becker, slightly stunned was not prepared for the next punch that Ethan swung at him.
Jess watched as Ethan and Becker broke out into a fistfight right before her eyes.
Abby and Connor where standing near each other, guns in hand, but they didn't shot in case they hit Becker.
Matt was standing in front of Emily; he obviously wasn't going to leave her side.
Jess looked back up at Ethan and Becker. Becker was losing. He obviously hadn't been expecting the first few punches that Ethan had thrown, and it had put him off. Becker was, of course, fighting admirably, but he was already sporting a bloody nose.
Becker was trying as hard as he could to win this fight – to win it for Jess, but he was failing miserably.
Then all of a sudden a gunshot echoed against the walls of the room and Ethan was on the floor, clutching his leg.
Becker turned around, surprise on his face as he saw a wild eyed Jess holding a gun in her shaking hands,
She looked utterly afraid and the gun fell from her hands.
Her normally large eyes where huge as she looked up at Becker,
He saw Ethan move from behind him and Becker turned his attention towards Ethan.
Becker grabbed the gun off the ground and headed towards Ethan, blind fury clouding his vision,
Becker loomed over Ethan, pointing the gun straight at his head. Becker's fingers quivered over the trigger, the gun shaking in his trained hands. Then Becker stepped back, and put the gun in his hoist.
"Deal with him, Matt." Said Becker simply as he turned his attention back towards Jess.
He grabbed her small hand in is large, rough one and helped her off the ground. Worry suddenly flooded him as he grabbed Jess's face gently in his hands and said, "Are you ok?"
Though the words he uttered where simple enough, the meaning behind them was so clouded with complicated feelings that Jess's eyes brimmed with tears again.
"I'm… I'm… I'm…" and then Jess fainted, her petite figure landing in the hands of Becker.
A/N: I hope you all liked it :) The next chapter will probably be the last one, unless I feel inspired, but I can definitely feel the story ending soon. Reviews are always welcomed!
