Hey all readers. I think it's obvious that the names of the Bladebreakers in this story are not mine. However, Sam Coredori and her bitbeast Drazema. Along with the team the Carnivora Catz and their bitbeasts are all mine so please don't take them without my position. Thanks bb4564

Chapter 22 – Found at Last!

Kai skidded round the corner and kept running. He had to find Sam and he had to find her soon. "But where could she be?!" he cried in desperation, causing a man beside him to jump. He knew Voltaire had her, and he now knew what he was capable of. He wasn't going to let that happen to Sam again. He had promised her that. Suddenly Sam's voice returned to him. 'Don't make promises you can't keep Kai.' Kai yelled in frustration. He had no idea where she was and he was running out of time. "Oh God! I can't do this! I need help…"

He froze where he was, closing his eyes and trying to think. He felt people shoving past his immobile body and muttering rude comments beneath their breath, but Kai ignored them. Suddenly a noise reached Kai's ears. It was a cry, but not that belonging to a human. No. It was the cry of a cat…a wild cat. Kai opened his eyes and suddenly he saw a bright light shoot through the sky. A silver light. A very familiar, silver light. ''Sam!"' Kai muttered under his breath. The light came from up ahead and he headed in the general direction of where it had come from.

Without waiting a second he sprinted off towards the light, practically shoving people over if they got in his way. He refused to slow down, not until he found out where Sam was, ignoring the stares of people around him. The light eventually led him into a quiet part of Germany where there were many old factories and run down houses. He made his way through several alleys and then suddenly appeared on his left. Without slowing down, he took a sharp left, skidding on some loose gravel and running into the wall. Glancing up he saw the light shining out of the roof of an old warehouse. Kai stared at the building for a second before running over to it.

It was surrounded by and old fence, the top of which was covered in barbwire. Kai looked around for a way in but could see no other way but to go over the top. Knowing he'd never be able to make it to the top, he decided to make his own entry. Raising his leg he kicked several times against the wall until finally the old wood gave way, creating a small hole. Kai then pulled away the old timber to create a larger hole. Climbing through it, he looked up at the old crumbling building, now still and quiet and prayed that he wasn't too late.

Sam awoke an hour later in an immense amount of pain. She couldn't decipher exactly where the pain was coming from, as it seemed her entire body was broken. After a moment, she felt coldness spreading through her body and realised her arms and legs were bare. Rising into sitting position, she waited for the pain in her head to subside before opening her eyes and looking around. She was all alone in the warehouse. Her attackers had disappeared.

She felt her body for any major injuries. She had cuts and bruises all over her, but as far as she could discern, no broken bone. She felt something on her mouth and wiped it away. Looking down at her hand, she saw blood on her fingers. She touched her lip again and the stain deepened and she knew her lip was bleeding. As she continued to feel her arms and legs she became aware that she was only in a bra and underwear, both of which set dishevelled on her body. Sam knew immediately that she had been raped. Holding back tears, she slowly fixed up her under things, so that they sat properly on her bruised body.

Glancing to her right, she saw her clothes thrown down beside her. With a shaking hand she picked up her shirt and pulled it on. Just as she had suspected, a large slash ran directly down the middle, from one end to the other. Sam couldn't hold back tears any longer and she felt them flow freely down her face as her whole body started to tremble. Reaching down for her pants, she realised they were shredded all the way up each leg so that they were now in two separate halves. Drawing away, her hand suddenly brushed against something in her back pocket.

'Drazema!' Sam cried silently. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her blade and smiled sadly down at it. "Oh Draz," she whispered, rummaging through her pants for her launcher. Pulling it out she pulled her knees up to her chest and loaded her blade before she launched it. "Draz, I need you!" she called softly, feeling the pain in her growing. Immediately, her blade started to glow. "Draz!" she screamed as loudly as she could. A second later, a brilliant silver light exploded from her blade and her bitbeast appeared.

Sam smiled sadly at her old friend, the tears pouring more then ever. Ashamed, Sam lowered her hands in her arms and cried, hard, raking sobs. Drazema looked at her master, worry clearly shown in her eyes as she observed her masters state. Sitting before her, Drazema raised her head to the sky and gave a loud, hurtful cry.

Kai entered the building and looked around. He was in a hallway; the floor was concrete and the walls bare. Walking slowly down the hall, he pulled out his blade and launcher and loaded it just in case. Wandering along, he saw several rooms to either side of him. All the doors were opened however, and Kai could clearly see they were empty. As he neared the end of the hallway though, he came across a closed door. A latch had been placed across it, preventing it from being opened from the inside. Looking down he suddenly noticed a silver light shining under the gap in the door. "Sam!" he whispered.

Pulling back the latch, he pulled the door open and stepped inside the room. It was completely dark, bar the light coming in from the doorway and the silver light coming from the far side of the room. Kai headed towards it and as he neared he saw a blade spinning in one place and coming from it was a bitbeast Kai had never seen before.

The bitbeast looked exactly like a panther. With an entire black body except for two paws (one at the front, one at the back), her ear tips and also her tail, which were all silver in colour. Her eyes were a bright dark blue like sapphires and her claws and teeth were pure white and extremely sharp. Put the most unusual thing, were two silver eagles wings that protruded from each shoulder. Kai stared at it in awe. Upon his arrival, the panther rose to its feet and spread its wings, staring at him with a blue penetrating stare.

After a moment it disappeared and that was when Kai saw the girl sitting behind it. Her legs were pulled up against her body, her head buried in her arms against her knee. Kai couldn't see anything about her face except for the black hair but Kai knew it was Sam. "Sam?" he whispered, anxiety evident in his voice. Upon hearing his voice Sam jumped and glanced up. Immediately Kai could see her swollen red eyes, tear streaked face and bleeding lip. Her face was extremely pale and her lips slightly blue.

Kai ran over to her and knelt beside her. It was then that he noticed her legs were completely bare and he could clearly see the cuts and bruises on them. Glancing around, he noticed the torn remains of her jeans. Closing his eyes tight, he managed to hold back the tears which threatened to fall. He felt Sam tremble as he placed his hand on her knee. "Are you ok Sam?" Even as he asked the question he knew what the answer would be. Sam felt fresh tears roll down her cheeks as she shook her head.

Kai cursed himself under his breath. 'Of course she's not ok!' he thought bitterly to himself, 'and it's all my fault!' Kai looked up at Sam again and gently brushed away the tear with his thumb. Even that gentle touch seemed to cause Sam pain as she winced slightly. Kai removed his hand. "Come on," he said gently, "let's get you out of here." Sam nodded her head slowly as Kai rose to his feet. Reaching down his hand, he felt Sam tentatively place her hand in his. Kai felt it shaking uncontrollably as he closed his hand around it.

As he pulled Sam to her feet, Kai noticed just how badly injured she was. There were cuts all over her body, some a lot deeper then others. He watched her stumble slightly as she got to her feet and automatically put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. Sam gasped in pain and it was then that Kai noticed the bruise under his hand. As he examined her body however, it was hard to find a place where there wasn't a bruise.

Kai suddenly realised she was cold and practically half naked. Suddenly embarrassed, he shrugged off his jacket and placed it over her. Helping her arms into it, he wrapped it around her and saw it covered her considerably well, reaching all the way to her knees. Placing an arm carefully around her waist, he helped her out of the room. "We'd best get you to the hospital," he said quietly but Sam shook her head vigorously. "No!" she cried hoarsely, "don't leave me! Please." She turned and stared into his eyes, her whole body trembling. "They'll only find me and hurt me again. You can't!" Kai could see she was getting hysterical.

Placing an arm on her shoulder very gently, so as not to hurt her bruised skin, he nodded his head. "I won't leave you Sam. I'll stay with you until they've treated your cuts, then we'll go." Sam stared into his eyes. "I don't want anyone to know what happened." She whispered.

"But Sam…" Kai began. Sam didn't let him finish. "No Kai!" she said determinedly, "I managed without doctors before, I shall manage now!" Kai tried to reason with her.

"But what about your cuts?"

"They'll heal." She snapped, glaring at him. Kai realised she wouldn't see reason and nodded his head. "Ok Sam. You win. No doctors."

"Promise?" Kai was a little surprised she was still wiling to accept his promises but he nodded again. "I promise." Sam sighed with relief and turned back towards the door.

With difficulty Kai helped her outside and hailed a taxi. He wanted to tell the taxi driver to take them straight to the hospital but instead told him to head to the hotel and a few minutes later, they were there. Kai paid the taxi driver and helped Sam into the room and ran a bath for her. He then left the room to tell the boys that Sam was back safely while she bathed.

The boys asked many questions as to what had happened but Kai refused to say anything. He only told them she was unwell and would need to take it easy. He cautioned them not to say anything to her about today and left the room. Returning to his room he found the bathroom now empty. Slightly anxious, he went to Sam's room and knocked on the closed door. There was no answer. He knocked again. Still no answer. Unsure of what to do, worry for her safety soon overcame the worry of embarrassment and he slowly opened the door. Peering in, he was relieved to see Sam, fully dressed, collapsed on the bed at an odd angle, already fast asleep.

Walking over to her, he chuckled to himself as he carefully lifted her up and placed her properly on the bed. Sam rolled over onto her stomach and sighed in her sleep. Kai was about to pull the blanket up over her, when he noticed the tattoo on her back. The words were cut of by her pyjama bases, but the shirt was pulled up slightly revealing the rest of the tattoo. Kai studied it for a moment and suddenly realised what it was. It was an abstract picture of a phoenix! Kai stared at it for a moment then was over come by curiosity as to what the words beneath it said.

He was about to pull the hem of her pants down when Sam suddenly turned over again. Kai sighed, smiling slightly to himself. Pulling the blanket up over her, he smoothed the hair out of her eyes and without thinking, placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Sam sighed gently and stirred in her sleep. Kai quickly pulled away and left the room, unable to explain what had possessed him to kiss her just then.