Okay, I think that I am going to post this chapter and the next one. I hope you like them and they serve for your entertainment!
Disclaimer: I don't own National Treasure; that includes but is not limited to: Ben, Abigail, and Riley :-(
Chapter 7:
They all rushed to Riley's side. His eyes fluttered open- much to their relief and he looked at them with a small smile.
"Bullet proof vest," he elaborated tiredly.
"Uh!" Cecilia cried, and hit him on the shoulder. "You let me think you were dead!"
"Ouch! Well if it helps, I thought I was too," he said grinning up at her while rubbing his shoulder.
Ben let him go and stood up.
Seduski took his place. "Good job Poole. Many thanks; you've busted a man we've been after for a very long time. Now, the truth can finally come out," he said patting Riley on the shoulder.
"What truth?" Ben asked sharply.
Riley stood weakly, and walked toward him. "It was all a lie, Ben. It was staged, the argument in your office. I had to do it so I could keep you safe. Only, I didn't know that Dylan was in on it or I would never have agreed."
Ben looked at him like he had grown two heads and took a step back. "What are you talking about?"
"They were trying to kill you Ben, I couldn't let that happen!" Riley said vehemently.
"So you lied to me and put yourself in danger? How was that helping us? Why couldn't you just tell me? We could have dealt with this together. Like a family is supposed to. Riley," he paused his speech as though try trying to make Riley comprehend what happened. Like he was trying to comprehend what had happened. "you were shot! Twice! Because of your loyalty to me! You're so lucky you aren't dead right now…"
Abi cut him off, "Just what were you thinking? We thought you were dead…" she broke off into sobs.
Riley moved forward to hug her. And Ben joined them, holding the both of them close to him. God if anything happened to either of them, he would be totally devastated.
"I'm sorry," Riley whispered to them.
Cecilia bit her lip as tears came unbidden to her; she would totally give anything for that kind of love. She took a step back to lean against the wall, finally it was all over.
And thank god for that, because it was taking its toll on her. She remembered something suddenly.
"Agent Seduski," she whispered. "What are you going to do with Knox?"
He looked at her, "Good point, we'd better take him upstairs and get him a ride to the penitentiary."
"I'll help," she said, and they moved to drag him up. Their run of luck- or rather ill luck- continued on. Knox woke up in the middle of dragging him up the stairs. They had a strong grip on him, so they weren't expecting any trouble. At first he was groggy and then he lashed out at them, sending Seduski down the stairs and using Cecilia as a human shield as he grabbed the gun she had commandeered from her.
"Oh crap," she said.
"OH, Gates…" Knox called out in a sing song voice. "Oh, Gates, it's your turn to die,"
Ben, Riley, and Abi were all standing looking up at the man, with shocked looks.
"Let her go," Riley called out. "Please, she has nothing to do with this."
"Nothing?" he asked incredulously, "Then who was it who blew up my car?"
"Hey! That was totally an accident!" Cecilia said, straining against him.
(Just a small event that happened while they were trying to get away from him- its not really important)
"Let her go," Ben shouted, echoing Riley's words.
"Not until I get you Gates,"
"What have I ever done to you?" Ben asked him.
"You were born Gates, you've lived. You have the money, a girl, and best friends. You are respected in the community. Everything that you can ask for is yours. Your friend Ian told me about you. And everything you have should be MINE. So now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have to kill you." Knox solemnly replied.
Ben looked around at his friends and frowned. "Ok! Fine, I'm yours, do what you want with me. But please, let them go. I'll come quietly."
There were a series of protests.
"Ben!"
"No!"
"What the hell Ben?"
"Oh, how very touching," Knox said with a grin. "Gates, if I weren't determined to kill you, we might have been friends."
He raised his gun to shoot Ben,
"Wait!" Riley shouted from behind Ben, his tone very dangerous.
Knox sighed, and put the safety back on the gun. "Yes?" no one spoke to him like that, no one.
