Disclaimer: I do not own National Treasure, just Elizabeth and this particular plot idea.

Chapter Four

For the first time since Elizabeth had arrived in her room, she could sit up and not feel pain. She had healed nicely and was trying desperately to devise a way to escape. So far, captors, one, Elizabeth, zero. She sighed wistfully and glared at the chains around her wrists, which were attached to the bed with a long chain. Seriously, who owned chains and used them?! She certainly didn't think they were necessary. All she had done was wait until some poor guard came in with food before making a break for it. So what if she had kneed some guy where it counted? And yes, maybe she had gotten a little savage when she bit that other guy... But they were so asking for it.

She nodded her head and grinned: they so deserved it. She tried to slip her wrists out, merely resulting in slicing open the fragile skin. She bit her lip and continued, until someone kicked open the door.

She yelped in surprise as the man glared at her. "I suggest you stop otherwise I'll have to notify Mr. Howe. I'm sure you don't want that."
He moved to shut the door, but Elizabeth called out, "How's it feel down south?"
All she received in reply was the door slamming. She giggled to herself but then sighed and studied the room again.

It was a simple cell. The only furniture was the bed she was sitting on. There was a vent on the wall opposite her, the door on the adjacent wall. There were no windows. She watched the small video camera as it stared back. It was right above the vent... She frowned in thought for a minute. She just might be able to fit inside the vent. It was a long shot, but she was willing to try anything at this point.

She sighed again and squeezed her eyes shut as she thought of her sister, Ben, and Riley. Were they okay? She wondered what they thought happened to her. She grimaced at that thought and quickly changed track. She had to escape, she just had too!

'God, if you're listening... can you give me some help here? I'm... scared and I miss Riley so much.'

She ran a hand through her hair absentmindedly but paused when she felt a bobby pin she had thrown haphazardly in what seemed like years ago.

'You sure are speedy God.' she thought with a grin.

Ian glanced at the clock on the wall, grinned, and stood up.

"I'm sorry to cut this meeting short, but I have a prior engagement. I want to know when I come back, where they all are and what the FBI is up to." he said breezily and walked out of the room.

He meandered through the halls of the mansion with a swagger that could only be his. He had bought this place as a safe house for the treasure. Having failed at that, it succeeded in hiding him from the world as he plotted his revenge. His plans before had merely been to become stinking rich by selling the treasure to the wealthy. Now his plans had changed. After they were dead, he would dabble in supplying the most eager nation with arms and maybe a secret or two about America's key defenses. Anything to keep the money flow coming and the excitement levels high.

He walked through the complexity of hallways and staircases until he stopped in front of a stainless steel doorway.

"Sir? I was just bringing the woman her dinner. Is something wrong?" a guard asked him.
"No, everything's fine, I just would like to give the food to her myself if you don't mind." he murmured.
"Yes sir." the man replied smartly and handed the tray of food over to Ian.

Ian took the tray and the guard unlocked the door.
Elizabeth looked up in alarm and glared immediately.
"Hello Elizabeth, I'm sorry I couldn't visit sooner but I've been so busy with planning for our future." he said smiling.
"...Ou-Our future?!" she sputtered.
"Why yes." he set down the tray next to her. She cringed away from him. "With everyone out of the way, it's just you and I. And this is a big house: I need someone to share it with... Eat, please."
He sat down next to her on the bed. She slowly inched away from him but picked up the tray and ravenously dug in. He chuckled and leaned back against the wall, watching her try to navigate around her chained wrists.
"You know, I could take those off, if you behave." he said casually.
She set her fork down and stared at him. "Why?" she asked suspiciously.
He grinned, "Because Elizabeth, I don't want to be like Mr. Rochester and lock up my wife, although you certainly aren't crazy."
She stared at him in horror. She knew the story of Jane Eyre well and referring to himself as Mr. Rochester was disgusting.

"There's no way in hell that I'll be your wife, Bertha or Jane, there's no chance. I'd rather eat a doorknob! You're a sick freak! The FBI will find you and lock you forever! Just you wait." she snarled.
He smiled softly, "I highly doubt the FBI will find me. Do you even know what country you're in? What continent?" he chuckled. "Of course you don't. And they're not too worried about you. After all, you are dead."
She blinked and giggled, "Are you daft? I'm not dead-"
"But they don't know that. I'll clue you in: after you fainted from loss of blood at the church, you were rushed to a hospital where you contracted a fever. Several days later, you began to get better when you suddenly from shock. But you didn't really die. We seized you and replaced you with a double that was laid to rest in your stead. You aren't even in their thoughts now. And you won't be since I'm going to kill them all: Abigail, Ben, and Mr. Poole... I should say we already got to Mr. Gates." Ian said nonchalantly, as if discussing the weather.

Elizabeth felt all the blood drain from her face. She bit her lip, bowed her head, and tried not to sob in front of her captor. She gripped the sides of the tray until her knuckles turned white. Ian laid a hand gently on her shoulder as if to console her. White, hot fury flew through Elizabeth. She stood up quickly, scattering the contents of the food tray everywhere. She tried to punch him but he grabbed her wrists and yanked her close to him. Her eyes were like liquid fury as she tried to get free. She snarled at him and tried to knee him. He slammed her into a wall and glared at her.

"I suggest you behave yourself. Until you can, you will stay here." he pushed off the wall and put some space between them. She glared at him, as a guard came in quickly and swept up the contents of her tray.
"Get used to your new life you're going to be here for the rest of your time here on earth." he said and stalked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

She leaned against the wall, tears escaping her clenched-shut eyes. She was so angry. This man had completely ruined her life. Her sister was going to die. The man she loved thought she was dead and would die too. Why? Why?!

"FUCK!" she screamed, kicked the bed as hard as she could and began to punch her pillow.

'I don't care what you say, I'm leaving this hellhole and I won't let you hurt them. Over my dead body.' She grabbed the bobby pin out of her hair and began to pick her lock inconspicuously.

"Ben, what are we going to do?" Abigail asked softly.
"I'm not sure..." he murmured.
They were sitting silently on the couch. A swarm of FBI were guarding them until a new plan was reached.
"I'm not going to sit here while there's even a chance that Elizabeth is alive." Riley muttered, holding his face in his hands.
"We have to, at least for now. Agent Sadusky is having her grave exhumed so we should find out soon enough." Ben said.
Riley sighed and settled for a long day of waiting and hoping.