Chapter 2-Oh, boy.
Ana
When the plane takes off, Luke and Taylor ask to speak with me in the office. They both look concerned but they are also trying to be discrete and not draw attention to whatever is happening. I know them both well enough by now to know when something is wrong. I am very nervous that whatever they are going to tell me involves our trip back home. After two months of misery, I just want to try and get back to normal.
I know I have to face Gideon at some point in time and tell him I am pregnant. The thought of that conversation alone gives me enough angst to put this pregnancy in the high risk category. Grace insists that all is well but she warned me against too much stress. After Charlie came a bit earlier than originally expected, I don't want to chance anything going wrong. I have no idea how far along I even am. Gideon and I weren't having frequent sex before the wedding. With the constant argument of what to do with our companies once we were married, it put a damper on our love life. Once I see Dr. Greene tomorrow and she tells me everything is okay, I will feel much better. Well as "better" as I am going to get given the circumstances.
I thought raising Charlie without Christian was going to be tough. I can't even imagine raising another child with a man that wants nothing to do with me. Having a child who may never know their father by choice doesn't seem fair to my other child who will never know her father by circumstance. That line of thinking alone makes me want to snap Gideon's neck myself.
When Taylor closes the office door behind me he takes the seat behind Christian's desk while Luke and I sit opposite him. "How are you feeling today?"
"Fine," I answer. Jason Taylor is a large man with a face that rarely shows any emotion, but I always know when he is nervous to tell me something; he cowers under my glare. "What's wrong?"
Sawyer takes a deep breath and speaks first. "Ana, remember the woman I asked to keep at the Penthouse before we left for Texas? Madeline Carter?"
"Yes."
"Well it turns out that she works for Elizabeth Vidal. The day we left for Texas, Taylor and I found out that she was feeding info about us to Elizabeth. We brought her to Texas with us and interrogated her. It seems that she was planted to keep tabs on Taylor and I."
"Elizabeth? Why would she do that?"
"It is a long story-"
"Well it is a good thing we have a long trip home for you to tell it." I demand. They will not keep me in the dark. I want to know why Elizabeth would do such a thing.
As Taylor and Luke tell me about the plane crash and all of the events leading up to this moment, I am horrified. I don't understand how Gideon's family could be such monsters. How could they kill Christian and Eva in cold blood?
My mind is reeling from the information they have just given me. I place my hand over my stomach and thank god that no one but the people on this plane know I am pregnant. How I am expected to raise a child with the same blood as man who killed my daughters father. How do I explain to Charlie that her sibling's family killed her father? And all because of me. Because I didn't stay in Seattle and let Christian explain himself. NO! Instead I ran off and had a fling with Gideon. Now Christian is gone. Gideon is gone. And I am left with two children who will be forever damaged by their mother's actions.
"You okay, Ana?" Luke asks as he dips his head to catch my eye.
"So Gideon is still looking for you both? To kill you, I mean? Because that part doesn't make sense to me. Why would he decide to leave us and help his mother? He hates his mother?" I state. Up until now they have not mentioned Gideon's role in this mess, other than saying he was hired to kill Luke and Jason.
"Not exactly. Gideon was ordered to kill us because of how we…handled Christopher Vidal. Elizabeth thinks we are to blame for his disappearance." Luke uncomfortably tells me.
"Are you-never mind, don't answer that. I don't want to know. So where is Gideon now?"
Taylor and Luke glance at each other briefly before returning their heads toward me. "Ana. Gideon and Elizabeth will be at Escala tonight. We will make the switch; Madeline for Elizabeth. Gideon knows what is going to happen but Pascale and Elizabeth have no idea he is in on it. You and Charlie will be in the panic room at Escala. Elizabeth thinks she is going there to watch Gideon take care of us. We have to act natural. Elizabeth is not a stupid woman. If she suspects that any of this is not kosher, she will not show and that is not a risk we can take. Her bodyguard Marco has eyes and ears everywhere."
I can't believe this is happening. This is unbelievable. On what planet does stuff like this happen to people like me? Why is it that I could not meet a man, fall in love, and live a normal happy life? Instead I am smack dab in the middle of some BDSM, love triangle, turned Sopranos, Lifetime movie of the week.
I don't know how comfortable I am seeing Gideon. He left us, no questions asked, to help his mother. That part still doesn't make sense to me. How could he do this for a woman, who he claims time and time again, single handedly ruined his life? But he did. He didn't even try to find me. That part hurts more than anything.
"And where is this Madeline woman now?"
"In the cargo area." Luke says as he leans forward and nods his head toward the floor.
"Under the plane?" I ask. Taylor nods. "I want to see her.
"Ana, I don't think that is a good idea."
"I don't really care what you think right now, Taylor. You both should have told me this sooner. I should have known that there was a security issue. You both work for me. We may be family but you are still MY employees. You have watched me for weeks try to figure out what happened and you said nothing. If I knew that there was something else going on, other than my fiancé up and abandoned us, I could have at least made some kind of peace with it."
Taylor and Luke both nod slightly in agreement. "Ana we did what was best with the information we had. We didn't want to upset you in your condition."
"Jesus Christ, Luke. I am pregnant, not dying. I can handle a bit of bad news. How do you think my condition has been, knowing my fiancé up and left? I don't understand why he would help his mother in all this or why he would choose her over us; frankly at this moment I don't care. I want to see this Madeline woman."
"Ana, I think you have it wrong. Gideon didn't-" Taylor starts to speak but I cut him off by holding up my hand. I have no interest in anything but why this woman is targeting my family. I will no longer roll over and let my daughter or myself be pushed around by a woman like Elizabeth Vidal."
"Now." I demand as I swing open the door and walk through the center of the plane where everyone is seated. I smile as I walk by and no one is any the wiser that there is something going on
I walk to the front kitchen, right outside the cockpit. There is a utility door with a small lift that leads to the cargo area. Luke climbs in first and descends to the cargo hold. When the lift comes back up I enter the small enclosure and press the button to go down. I sign deeply and rub the back of my neck to release some of the tension. So far my journey home is not exactly going how I planned.
Gideon
Sitting around waiting , doing nothing, is driving me crazy. I wish Taylor had told me more. I don't know what to expect. And with my family's safety on the line I would rather not be left in the dark.
My mother sent Marco to case Escala. Whatever they are up to they better make sure all of it seems legit. If Marco smells something is wrong, he will go in guns a blazing. Marco seems to have a sweet spot for my mother and he takes orders from her like no man I have ever seen. Yeah, I get it she is attractive and all, but homicidal trumps attractive.
"Gideon, calm down. Have a drink." Pascale hands me over a glass filled with vintage Macallan 52 Year Old Select Reserve 1946. I look up to see he has poured a generous glass for himself. At almost $12, 000 per bottle he better enjoy that.
I throw back half of the mahogany colored liquid and let it burn down my throat as I contemplate how this is all going to go down. As long as the end result being my family back home, I don't care how we get there. If sacrificing my mother to the wolves has to be done, then so be it.
"Gideon. Relax."
"Easier said than done. I want my family to be safe. I want this all to go away, Pascale."
"It will. Once I have my daughter back, your mother will be turned over to Ana's men. It will be up to them to see to it that she is dealt with accordingly, but I will admit I have my reservations regarding how that will go down. Marco will not be pleased once this is over."
"Marco will have to fall in line." I grit through my teeth. "You made the arrangements with the other families, right? None of this blows back on me or my family, right?"
"Yes. They will all have a place. Madeline is set to marry your cousin Anthony. So I have just as much to lose in all this as you do. I should have never allowed Madeline to get mixed up in all this but your mother is a master manipulator and she assured me she would be safe. My daughter has been through a great deal in the past and her safely and well-being is my number one priority. I am sure as a father you can understand that."
I shake my head and down the rest of the whiskey in my glass. The only thing I want in this world is my daughter and her mother safe and sound back home with me. Ana has been through so much. I just hope she can understand this whole mess over time and forgive me. Everything I did was to keep her and Charlie out of harms way. I hope I am not too late to make this all right again.
Taylor
"T. Gideon, Pascale, and Elizabeth are in the service lift. Reynolds is outside with Marco. He is pissed we won't let him up," Sawyer affirms from the office doorway.
"I don't give a fuck how pissed he is. Do White and Reynolds have their orders? I want to make sure nothing goes wrong, Sawyer. Nothing. We can't afford another mishap."
"Yeah, they got it. As soon as I give the go, Marco will be dealt with. I also got word from Gideon about an hour ago. Him and Pascale came to some kind of agreement. Pascale is taking the Casinos and running. Once he has Madeline, Gideon will be out."
I think that over for a moment. Would Pascale really go away just like that? I have my doubts but once our plan takes shape it won't matter. We will have added insurance that Pascale will never come near Ana or her kids again.
"We will deal with Pascale once this is over. For now, let's get in position. Is Ana and Charlie in the panic room?"
"Yes. I gave her written instructions on what to do in case it all goes wrong. The voice-activated door can only open from the inside by her. She is safe. For a few days if need be." Sawyer is very good at his job and I know he would never allow anything to happen to Ana or Charlie so I trust what he says. He has laid his life on the line and proven his loyalty over and over again. Not only when we were serving together, but also the day he killed Christopher Vidal for threatening the people who mean the most to him. He did what was necessary and I know all to well what the ramifications of actions such as those are. We do what we do to protect the people we love and if that means killing, so be it.
"Good." I stand and walk toward the doorway and Luke turns to leave. I place my hand on his shoulder and he halts mid-step and turns. "You okay with all this."
Luke cocks his head and narrows his eyes. "Of course I am. We are doing what has to be done to assure the people we love are safe. If that means shedding the blood of those less deserving, so be it. Christian made it very clear long ago that above all, the people he loved are to remain protected. Even in his death he made arrangements for his wishes to be carried out. These monsters killed him and they deserve nothing less than death."
Luke turns and heads to the kitchen without another word being said. Although the message is what I wanted to hear, his callousness in delivering it is concerning. I have seen this many times before with my military brothers. Becoming comfortable with killing, like you don't see it as a bad thing, is not good. Taking another persons life can take a lot out of a man. How that man handles himself after is a true test of wills and strength.
I step out of my office and see Sawyer patting down our guests. White already preformed this task but there is no such thing as being too cautious. Especially not in this case.
Gideon
After Sawyer thoroughly pats me down I notice he doesn't once make eye contact with me. This makes me terribly uneasy. I glance over at my mother who is seething. She thinks once we have Madeline, I will take care of Luke and Jayson. I know it won't come to that but the anger she has for the two men who killed her son is palpable.
"Where is my daughter? Where is Madeline?" Pascale demands.
Luke and Jason stand across from Pascale and Elizabeth with me off to the side in the middle. No once speaks for a few seconds as everyone sizes one another up. I take this opportunity to look around Escala. It has been some time since I have been here and the place looks pretty much the same. As my eyes dart around the large room I can't help but wonder where Ana and Charlie are. Are they here? I hope so, but then again if this is going to get messy I would rather them not be anywhere in sight.
Jason speaks into his left wrist and a door opens behind him. Pascal's eyes open wide and I sneak a peek past to see a very familiar girl who is has duct tape over her mouth and wrists. The large man holding her upper arm jerks her forward as I observe her tear streaked face. My eyes widen also as she slowly steps forward; never taking my eyes off her. This can't be. How is it possible that this she is here, and she is Pascale's daughter? This can't be.
"Madaline!" Pascal steps forward only to be halted by Jason. "Let me have my daughter. We had a deal."
"Not so fast. We had a deal but I think you need to take care of a little matter first. There is a gun in the side drawer in the table next to you. It has one round. We said we would trade Madeline for Elizabeth. So we will spare her life in exchange for you killing Elizabeth."
All eyes dart to Luke. His stoic expression indicates he is not fooling around. When Pascale doesn't move Luke cocks his gun and holds it to Madeline's temple. Taylor grabs Elizabeth and quickly zip ties her hands and walks her into the middle of the room where there is plastic covering the floor and furniture. Elizabeth tries to struggle and scream but she is no match for Jason.
"No. No. Please, don't kill my daughter. This was not the deal. I just had to get her here and make the exchange. That was the deal. Not this. I never agreed to this." Pascale pleads with Luke.
"Fucking trader pig. When Marco gets ahold of you he will skin you alive for this." Elizabeth yells over and over again.
I am still trying to fathom how Madeline fits into all this. How can the girl I knew so long ago be part of this mess? When my senses kick in I step forward and against the protest of Sawyer I slowly remove the tape from Madeline's mouth and grip her face for her to look at me.
"Maddy, what are you doing here. What is going on?" I ask, still very confused.
"You remember me?"
"Of course. What is happening? I don't understand." I ask, even more confused than before. She knows me but she still helped my mother.
"Don't tell them anything Madeline!" Elizabeth shouts. Taylor takes a red bandanna out of his back pocket and gags Elizabeth to silence.
Madeline tries to turn her head out of my grip but I pull her face back to mine.
"Don't do it Madeline. It won't be good for anyone to know the truth." Pascale speaks as if she is the only person who could hear him.
"NO! Its time he knows the truth, daddy. No more. He needs to know."
Sawyer
I didn't intend for Gideon and Madeline to have their little reunion talk so soon, but since all the players are present, they may as well get the answers they are looking for. When Ana met Madeline on the plane Madeline broke down immediately. If she was lying, she didn't show it.
Back on the plane
Ana approached the large dog pen that is strapped down in the middle of the room. Although Madeline hasn't shown any sign of wanting to struggle, we are taking no precautions.
"Ana, this is Madeline Carter-"
"Let her out Luke." Ana demands.
Without hesitation I nod to White who opens the cage and assists Madeline to a standing position. Ana warily approached Madeline and sizes her up. Madeline is a bit older than Ana, but they are the same size physically. I see the look of determination in Ana's eyes and I know that she is on a mission. Madeline cowers under her glare and appears to shrink before her..
"Why?" Is all Ana says as her eyes scan the woman in front of her.
"Why what-" Ana slapping Madeline across the face echoes off the cargo hold walls. White pulls Madeline back a step but Ana meets her again face to face.
"Don't play with me. These men may be afraid to hit a woman but I am not. So if I ask you a question I expect an answer. Now, lets try this again. Why? As in why are you helping Elizabeth Vidal hurt my family?"
Madeline holds the side of her face where Ana slapped her. Her eyes shoot open when Ana grips her hair, forcing Madeline to look up at her.
"Truth?"
"That would be nice for a change."
"I did it for David."
"Who is, David?" Ana asks.
"David, is my son. Gideon's son."
Ana falters a step back and I hold her steady in place. There was nothing in her background check that indicated she had a child, let alone Gideon's child. But then again, we know Madeline Carter is not her real name. The truth is we don't know who she really is. We were hoping to fit those pieces together once we got to Escala but it seems as though we have an entirely different matter to attend to.
"You're lying. Gideon doesn't have a child." When the words spring free from her mouth, Ana places her hand on her stomach. It is then that Madeline glances down and gasps when she sees Ana's pregnant stomach.
This is bad. This is very, very bad.
Gideon
As I stare at this ghost from my past I am frightened by what she is saying. A child. A son. How can I have a son? I don't remember having ever slept with her. She was my friend. That's all.
"This can't be. This is wrong."
"It's not Gideon. Do you remember the night we graduated from high school? We both got drunk under the bleachers at the football field. That is the night we conceived David. The next day you acted like nothing happened so I never said anything. Then you left…I was alone were my friend Gideon, you have to believe me. I had no idea that us being together was the plan all along."
"What do you mean?" I look at Madeline, who glances past me at her father. When I turn to Pascale, his eyes look at the floor as if he is ashamed. "What does she mean, Pascale?"
"Gideon, I'm sorry. If I could go back and undo it I would. Your mother is the one that set up the arrangement; for you two to be married. At the time it was a good idea to make the family stronger. It wasn't until after Madeline got pregnant and you moved away for college, Elizabeth said the deal was off. We kept David a secret from everyone. The only people who know are your cousin Anthony and me. Anthony stepped up as his father when he was two years old. He is the only father David knows." Pascale's voice trails off at the end.
My mother stares at me, not so much as blinking the entire time. I look between her and Pascale. "You knew about David, didn't you mother?"
"No. Of course not." She says in a tone that is less than genuine.
"She is lying." Madeline pulls away from the guard and I hold my hand up for her to be let go. "Elizabeth came to me a week before my father did. She told me that if I helped her she would assure me that you would do the right thing by me and David. So I did. It wasn't until we were in Texas that I found out about Ana. And now that she-"
"ENOUGH!" Taylor shouts, shooting a menacing look to Madeline.
"Elizabeth knew?" Pascale tests the phrase over and over again, several times. "You knew you cold hearted bitch. You could have gotten my daughter killed. You knew Gideon had a family and there was no way he would ever leave Ana for Madeline yet you filled her head with false promises so you could, what? Kill her and have David to yourself? That would never happen. I would never let you get your filthy hands on my grandson."
"Don't be silly, Pascale. I did no such thing. I would have never harmed the poor girl"
"You are a lying bitch. This is not a game, Elizabeth, there are lives at stake here!" Pascale reaches down to the side table and pulls out the Smith and Wesson 38. Without further hesitation he points the barrel of the gun between her eyes and pulls the trigger. A loud ringing sound loops around the room followed by the thump of my mother's lifeless body falling to the floor.
Ana
Sitting on a wooden chair, watching my daughter nap on the large futon in the corner of the 12x12 space I am lost in thought, thinking about all the things Madeline told me today. Gideon has a son. A nine-year old son. I don't know what our future looks like or what obstacles we may need to overcome but this will be a hard one.
I don't know where I fall into this whole thing. I mean, if Gideon knows he has a child will may want to be with Madeline instead of us. One the other hand I am having his child, also. I would never make him choose one over the other. That would not be fair. Gideon and I have a lot of talking to do-
BANG
The tell tale sign of a gunshot startles me from my thoughts and wakes, Charlie, with a start. I sit on the edge of the bed and hold Charlie in my lap as she cries. I can't see anything in the CCTVs that are along the opposite wall of the room. I can only rock and soothe my little girl in my lap as I try my best to make her feel safe. I have no idea what to tell her, since I don't know what is happening, myself.
I hear a click of the panic room door and a "whooshing" sound, as the thick metal door is forced open; but no one steps through immediately. I have no idea what is about to happen but my stomach is doing flip flops with each second that goes by. I grip Charlie harder but she wiggles her head around to the open door.
"DADDY!"