A/N: Hey everybody, YAY! I actually got up two chapters this week! Hopefully you all like this and will leave me wonderful reviews!

On a side note, I have gotten a few reviews and messages asking me if I had any favorite Josef stories and I have one author that I really like who has 2 completed and 1 in progress story where Josef is the main character. The authors name is rentemotion so you should all check out her stories, they are wonderful!

That is it, so on with the story!!!!

Disclaimer: I do not own Josef, Mick or anyone else that you may recognize. Riley and all of the others that come out of my head are of course mine. No copy write infringement is intended

Chapter 11

I slid in and out of consciousness for most of the day now. We were going on day five and things were not looking any better. Every time Charlie came into the room at this point was a nightmare. She would come in, set a tray of food down on the table, and then proceed to kick the shit out of me, covering my body in more bruises than should be possible and breaking more and more or my body and spirit. I didn't know how much longer I could hold on. I didn't know how long she planned to keep me alive, but I almost wanted her to kill me at this point so that the pain would stop. She had taken a picture of me the other day after she finished beating me. I hoped that my family would never see that picture; I never wanted them to see me like I had become.

As I sat there and waited, I heard a static grow louder and louder in the corner of the room. Voices slowly started to play from the speaker I assumed was hidden in the shadows. As the voices grew louder, I began to recognize one of them. I choked back a sob as I heard Adian plead with the police dispatcher, trying to find some lead as to where I had gone. I was forced to listen to the same ten minute tape over and over again for close to three hours. After the first half hour I broke down and began to sob openly. After another hour, my body had run dry of all tears and the dry sobs had stopped. I had finally begun to tune out the desperate voice of my younger brother when a new voice echoed through the room. This was not a voice that I recognized, but instead the voice of a reporter. If I had had any tears left to cry, they would have begun to spill once again as I heard the reporter announce that the LAPD had issued a warrant for Josef Konstantin, who was the main suspect in my disappearance.

After almost five hours of listening to the two recordings, I could feel everything within me shutting down. This was the last straw; I knew that I couldn't fight back any longer. Charlie had set out both to destroy Josef's life, but also to destroy me. She just won.

And when I thought this day couldn't get any worse, the door opened and Charlie walked in. She began to drag me out of the room. We made it to the door before I blacked out.

-Josef's POV-

We had been waiting since we had arrived at the hotel. Beth, Mick and I had all read over that god damned letter countless times. I knew that there would probably be one last letter to tell us where we should attempt to save Riley. Charlie would send us the body location with just enough time that if we were extremely lucky, we would get to in order to save Riley just minutes before she would be killed. I had a private jet waiting a small private air port. As soon as the LAPD had announced that I was the only suspect in the disappearing we had decided that we couldn't even take the risk of leaving the room until we had to. We were lucky that we had used Beth's name in making the arrangements to come here.

We sat for close to seven hours. I didn't want to admit it, but I was hungry. I had a fairly good feeling that Mick was also starting to get the munchies. If we didn't get out of here soon and to the jet, we would all be in trouble. Time seemed to tick by as slow as ever. I didn't know what I was going to do if we had to wait this out for another night. I was starting to wonder if we were ever going to get that final clue when Mick stood up.

"Josef, both of us need to eat and the only way we are going to do that is if we get on to that plane. Let's just go now, and we can wait there. It shouldn't be to much longer until we get something and as frightening as it is, Charlie seems to know exactly how to find us." I sighed and thought about it for a minute. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. We both needed food and we all needed to get out of this room. Beth called down to the car that was supposed to be waiting for us. Mick and I quietly made our way out the back entrance of the hotel while Beth went to the desk to check out. She soon joined us in the car and we made our way unknown to the public to the private jet that stood waiting for us.

We took about 20 minutes to settle into the plane and for all of us to take some time to eat. We all gathered back in the main area of the plane to once again wait. We had been on the plane for all of an hour when Beth's phone rang. I ignored the sound and went back to waiting for some sort of letter to be delivered while Beth was on her phone.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when Beth walked back over to where we were sitting. "Josef that was Charlie. She got my cell phone number from Buzz Wire. She told me that we needed to start flying now if we wanted to make it to Miami in time to save Riley." I sat completely stunned. Mick slipped out to tell the pilot to take off immediately. "I asked for proof that she was still alive and all I got was laughter." Mick walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. I was still in shock. Beth broke down in Mick's arms.

The pilot came on over the speaker and told us to buckle up and prepare for take off. We sat down and the plane took off almost instantaneously. We were in a race against the clock. We had to get to Miami and soon. We still didn't know where in Miami to go, but the best starting place would be her apartment. The clock was ticking and I couldn't help but fear that I was once again going to be too late.

We landed in Miami and there was a car waiting to take us to the address that we had. We climbed into the car. I wasn't sure what to expect at this point. I hoped that we would make it in time to save her. This was only the very beginning of the sixth day; we should still have close to 20 hours to find her and keep all of this from happening. Charlie was changing the rules of her game. We were stopped at a light when Beth's phone began to buzz. Mick and I locked eyes and then turned our complete attention to Beth. She flicked open her phone and scanned through the message.

"It's from Charlie. Josef, she wants you to bring the ransom with you. She says that she will kill Riley in front of all of us unless you have the 5 million cash that she requested. In addition to that, she wants a flight to be ready for her, so that she can get out of the country as soon as she has her money."

"Josef, there is only one way that you can really do this and Charlie knows it." I looked to Mick as he spoke the words that we both were dreading. "The only way for us to get all of this arranged and set would let Riley die. When we save Riley, Charlie will almost certainly be able to escape."

I let the words sink in. I didn't have a single idea as to what I should do from here. I knew that I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let Riley die. I knew that no matter the cost I would save her. I also knew that in order to do that, I would have to let Charlie leave. I would have to swallow every last bit of personal pride and just let her walk onto an aircraft and let her fly away after what she did to me, after what she continues to do to Riley. The need for revenge was deep, but I knew that this once, I might just have to let it go.

10 Hours Later

The car that we had rented picked us up at the airport for the second time today. Mick and I had just finished making the arrangements for the plane that was to take Charlie out of the country. Beth had spent the afternoon in the hotel and we were now all together, riding to Riley's fate. I had the ransom in three different cases that were all sitting next to me in the car. It had taken almost 4 hours to pull everything together on that end. Taking out that much money in such small bills had not been easy. I only prayed that Riley would still be safe when we got to the house.

The driver pulled the car to a stop and then told us that we had arrived at the address he had been given. The sun had just started to set as we stepped out of the car. Mick and I both got out and then Beth climbed out behind both of us. I could feel the fear and nervousness pouring off of both Beth and Mick, Beth afraid of what we would find and Mick afraid for Beth's life.

There was probably a time frame of 15 minutes until Riley would be dead; we had to start moving quickly. All three of us walked up to the magnificent house. Mick picked the lock and we let ourselves in. We had no sooner made it to the front parlor than we were greeted by the owner of the house.

"I am glad that you were able to find me alright, Josef." Sickened humor dripped from Charlie's every word as she addressed me. "Your girl is still alive, for the moment. Do you have the money and the jet waiting for me?"

"We had a deal, did we not? Your money is in the car outside. That same car will drive you to the airport, where there is a private jet waiting to take you where ever it is you choose to run to this time. Where is Riley?" Charlie smiled once again at us and snapped her fingers. Two men walked out to the car to find the money.

"I will show you to her in just a moment." Her henchmen walked in and assured her that all of the money was there. "Very well, Josef, she is down the hall last door on the right." She smirked at us as she walked out of the house and slid into the car.

"Mick, Beth, the two of you should wait outside. Call a car to come and get us and take us back to the airport. We have to get her back to LA as soon as possible." Beth slipped outside and was already on her phone. Mick stayed behind and watched me. I knew he wanted to help me through this, but there was nothing any one could do. "Mick, this is something that I have to do by myself. Please, just wait outside with Beth for us to come out." Finally, Mick nodded and walked out of the house. I practically ran back to the door at the end of the hall. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

As soon as the door was pushed open I heard multiple explosions from all around the house. I took a quick look around and soon saw that the house was on fire. I moved into the room and shut the door. One look at Riley and I could feel my heart, one that so many assumed was made of nothing but ice, melt. Riley was slumped into the corner of the room. I could tell that she had multiple breaks and that she was bleeding internally. I walked over to her and carefully touched her bruised and bloodied face. She pulled away from the touch instinctively.

I could hear Mick and Beth yelling outside. I could smell the fire and feel the heat closing in around me. I had come this far, only to die when I finally saved her. I picked her up in my arms and walked over to the door. I opened it and looked out into the inferno that the house had become. I saw one possible escape. There was a small section of house that had not been touched by the flames as of yet and I knew that that was my only chance of getting both her and myself out of here alive. I took a deep breath and ran at the window.

As my body impacted with the glass, I sheltered Riley as best I could, trying to keep her from any more physical harm. I felt some of the glass slice into my back and arms. I would have to have Mick take care of those. I slowed to a walk as soon as we had made it through the door. I moved away from the flames of the house and lay Riley down across the street in the neighbor's yard. My full attention was on Riley at this moment. I heard Mick and Beth walk up behind me. I felt Mick pull the shards of glass out of my skin. I heard my phone ring and heard Mick answer is. I stayed like this, solely focused on Riley until I heard the paramedics pull up behind us.

I took a step back and let the men take care of Riley as best they could. Mick gave them a statement for all of us and told them that we would be at the hospital soon to give the police our full accounts of what had happened. I turned to Mick and smiled, grateful that he was taking care of everything. Beth walked over to me and put her hand on my arm and smiled. I turned toward her and pulled her into a light hug. We had made it out alive but Charlie was still gone. I swear it was like Mick could read my thoughts.

"Josef that was the pilot on the phone. He said that Charlie had told him to fly to Germany. Do you want me to make the call?" I smiled at him. The plan had actually worked.

"No, this is one call that I have to make." I smiled at Mick and dilled a number into my phone. It rang and I waited for someone to pick up. "Cohen, she is on her way to Germany. I expect that you will deal with her when she gets off of her flight. Good." With that I hung up. I looked over to Mick and gave him another smile. Riley would be safe and Charlie would be dealt with. Now I just had to feed and get the warrant for my arrest to disappear before I could go and see how she was doing. For the first time in six days, I was able to relax.

A/N: Well I hope you all liked this!!!! Leave a review and let me know what you think! I will try to have the next chapter up sometime next week.