Sorry for the later than usual UD, I was distracted by a wonderful series called the Hunger Games and the recent release of Mockingjay (which I happened to win a free, signed copy off :DDDDD)
Really, when faced with re-reading the series and then having the new one given to you? Writing is thrown down the list of things to do that day.
But it was awesome and if you read the series, I hope you understand :D
Anyways, back to the story

Disclaimer: I am not Richelle Mead. Get over it. I did. *cries in corner* Almost there.

We pulled up to a bright, expensive looking mansion. Well, I guess any mansion would be expensive but this looked… amazing. The whole top floor was made of glass so you could see into the expertly designed living room. The main floor had a very modern look to it. Light beige walls and a soft, pretty lawn and garden full of blooming flowers in front. Very un-fugitive madman-y. Who would ever imagine Victor Dashkov, convicted criminal, escapee, to be living in such a nice place? Where had he gotten the money? I knew he was rich but… I had assumed he had been cut off. He probably was but he must had found a way to steal a considerable chunk from it and before anyone noticed, disappeared without a trace… again.

At first, I was confused. Was I seriously going to be murdered in such a pretty house?

Guess looks are deceiving.

The door was opened for me and I stepped out into the bright sunlight of day. It had to be around 9 now. My stomach grumbled. A reeses bar three hours ago did not count as breakfast. "Hey, Victor, you think I can get something to eat first? You know, die in comfort? Maybe get a little shut eye?" I didn't realize how tired I was, what with all the adrenaline that had been rushing through my veins for the whole car ride. And I'd been up since yesterday. Clubbing, drinking, exerting activities and Strigoi staking didn't really help with stay awake thing.

He looked at me, maybe trying to see through any tricks I had planned. When he saw that was really just a tried, hungry Rose he sighed and waved me to the house. Inside, I was taken down many stairs, the lower I got the more medieval they looked, many doors and many expansive hallways. I got confused as where we were going after saw, the second stairway and fifth door and third branching off hallway. His goal to get me totally lost: complete.

Entering my new cheery bedroom of a half finished basement smelling of mildew, I looked at Victor. "So, your whole house to top notch and massive but you can't even give me a real room with a made up bed that doesn't look like someone peed on it fifty years ago?"

"Well, you're a prisoner about to die. I really couldn't care less about your living arrangement."

"But you care if I'm well fed and had a good sleep?"

"I want to videotape your death so yes, I want you looking your best and as awake as possible."

Now that shocked me. "Why do you want to video tape my death?"

"So you can make the confession of killing the Queen, therefore I am off the hook, and I'll have my victory recorded forever. Maybe I can make some money off of it. The great Rosemarie Hathaway, dead at last. And if you're good and nice to me, I might just let you tell the camera who Lissa's sibling is, since you obviously don't trust my whole letter method. And I know you won't cooperate well if you have misgivings about out arrangement."

Well, at least he knew me well enough. "I don't want to die with a murder I didn't commit. That wasn't part of the deal."

"Maybe but can you really back out? If I have to, I'll torture it out of you. We have quite the range of instruments."

Behind him, a man I didn't know rolled in a squeaky trolley laden with every tool that you could think of to haunt your nightmares. Now, I've taken a lot of beating in fights and training but… torture? From which I cannot escape? That sent a shiver of terror down my spine. But I was determined not to show it. "Seriously? That's it?"

Victor smiled. "Oh, we've got plenty more if we need them."

Oh, joy.

Food was brought down but I hardly even noticed it. I ate slow, hoping that I was a bit more sloppy in my escape than I thought I had been so that Dimitri could follow me and rescue me from my obvious mind lapse. Did I really think Victor would just kill me peacefully and fulfill his promise without strings attached? No. Maybe. Yes. I was an idiot. I had no hope. Even if Dimitri followed my trail to the gas station, what would he follow? A long gone car and tracks that blended in with every other vehicle in the world? No, I had only one hope. And that hope lied heavily on wiether or not Dimitri told on me and Adrian felt like making it up to me. And if I even knew where I was. Which I didn't.

Still, the moment I finished my food, I flopped onto my unmade bed where a single blanket awaited my arrival. I pulled it over me, bunching up a corner to use as a pillow and fell into a disgruntled sleep until, amazingly, I found myself by a beach dressed in a nice red sundress that tied around my neck. The sound of waves lapping the shore was soothing. Adrian was sitting on the bench beside me, looking down at me with sadness and anger. "You know that sacrificing yourself was not part of any plan, right?" he asked, his nostrils flaring.

"Neither was you selling us out," I retorted. Pain flickered across his face. Feeling guilty, I said quickly, "It was part of my last minute now-or-never plan that included getting the information that would mean a successful mission. It was the only way."

"There were many other ways. We could have had a tracker on you, video camera, audio, anything that made you safer and easier to pick you up. But no, you go in tired and slightly intoxicated. Obviously, you've lost your brains."

"Sorry if my safety was the last thing on my list. I was, believe it or not, ready to die." In a nice, peaceful way. Not by the evil tools locked behind the door in my 'bedroom'.

"So I've heard. Obviously, you're not dead yet. Why is he keeping you alive?"

I hesitated. I wanted to get rescued but I knew that if I did, I wouldn't get the information in time. And I knew he'd only give it to me after he videotaped me confessing to murdering Tatiana. But if I told him, we might be able to make a plan… right? "Well… um.."

"Rose…"

"He wants to video tape me confessing to murdering Tatiana and then my death afterwards. You know, the execution that I failed to get in the Royal Court," I said in a rush.

His tone was too even, too calm. "And if you don't…?"

"Expect to find me in bloody taters during the video."

His hands angrily clutch his hair. "Damn it! Damn it damn it damn it!" He fixed me with a look of such intensity that I felt myself shrink a bit. "Where are you?" he demanded.

I laughed. "You think I know? All I know is that I spent a good three hours in his car and am in some posh mansion that an escaped criminal shouldn't be able to afford. In a basement that I don't know how to get out of."

He sighed. "We need something to work off of, Rose!" he yelled.

"Yeah, I got that. Here: the top floor is made of glass, the main of beige wood. It's big, it's fancy and doesn't have much around it."

"So, country?"

"It didn't have that country air. Maybe a really big plot of land?"

He sighed again. "We'll see what we can do. For now, don't confess to the murder. It'll be painful but we need you alive. We'll be there soon."

"What about Lissa's sister?"

"You can try to get Victor to tell you so you have it when we rescue you but if not, well, we'll think of that later. Oh, and Abe sends his best wishes."

"So now he decides to make an appearance?"

"Well, his daughter willingly went into the arms of a madman to get killed. He kind of already promised to keep you alive, didn't he?" And he faded away, making me open my eyes to a smiling madman standing over me.

"It's showtime!" he exclaimed, a twinkle of excitement in his eyes. Along with a healthy amount of revenge and hatred.

There, not much but I knew you guys would want something.

And since the chapters have become so irregular in length, I've really got no idea on how many chapters this story is going to be.

So… REVIEW! And make me happy with my Hunger Games withdrawal kicking in.

xoxo Darla