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

Chapter Twelve

The boat slowly drew up to the dock. Abigail, Ben, and Riley jumped off onto it while the boat quickly zoomed away, leaving an ominous silence in its wake. They glanced nervously at each other.

"What now?" Riley mumbled softly.
"Welcome."

Lights blared on, momentarily blinding them. Suddenly, they were roughly seized; their arms were tied behind their backs and bags were thrown over their heads. They fought off the sudden attack until someone snarled, "If you don't cease this foolishness, the girl will die."

Well that certainly got their attention and they quieted their struggles. Grim determination filled Abigail to find her sister. Ben felt a mantle of duty fall around his shoulders to protect his friends and loved ones. Riley readied himself for the fight of his life. He would not fail Elizabeth again.

___

Elizabeth pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin atop with her back to the door. She felt numb, not knowing what she should do next. The waiting was simply killing her and the enclosed space was making her short of breath. Distantly she heard footsteps, softly at first but then louder. She scrambled to press her ear against the door and listen but all she could hear was the tromping of footsteps. Peering through a crack in the door, she watched as three prisoners were led down the hall to the main door, where Ian was.

They passed through and the door was locked shut with a horrible 'click!' She stood up and looked around.

"The air vent!" she thought, her face brightening.

She pushed a chair over to the air vent in the top of the wall and used her beloved hairpin to unscrew the metal screen covering the vent. She gently placed it on the floor and scrambled, as quietly as she could, into it. Elizabeth wiggled forward until the space opened up a little more and she was able to army crawl much easier. Continuing forward, she paused as she saw an opening in the bottom of the vent.

Inching closer, she was able to see down into the room. She watched as the prisoners were sat down in chairs and the bags were lifted off their heads.

"My sister..." she thought with wonder.

They did look a lot alike: the young woman below her was almost an exact image except she seemed more mature and older than Elizabeth. The man next to her reminded her of Patrick, so she concluded that this was his son. She couldn't see the other man's face and so she was left in the dark as to what he looked like.

"Welcome to my home. It's been far too long, Abigail, Benjamin, and Riley," Ian said kindly, malice hidden under the surface.

Elizabeth couldn't see his face and was thankful for that.

"Where's Elizabeth? What did you do to her?!" the man she couldn't see shouted.
"Temper temper... she's safe with me. You really shouldn't worry about her, you should worry about yourselves."

She heard something slide from a metal surface.

"Who should be the first to taste my revenge? Riley...? No, you can be last: it might just teach you some patience."
"Shove it Howe."
"Ever the educated one... Ah my dear friend Benjamin Gates."

Elizabeth leaned forward, trying to get a better look.

"We've had some good times, a pity it ends this way."
"A pity it's not the other way around."
"Quite."

"Miss Abigail Chase, a pleasure."
"If by pleasure you mean that I just threw up a little in my mouth, then yes, the pleasure is all mine."
"Let's go with the old saying, 'ladies first'."

There was a pause and then a soft 'click!'
"NO!" Ben and Riley shouted, straining against their bonds.

From Elizabeth's vantage point, she could see her sister pale. She squinted her eyes: it was a gun. Ian was pointing a gun at her sister. She pressed her wait down on the metal grate, about to yell when it suddenly gave way.

Elizabeth let loose a shriek as she fell through the hole in the vent and went crashing to the floor.

"Oh no..."
"Elizabeth!!" four people yelled.

She had landed on her right wrist funny. It throbbed like there was no tomorrow and she was certain she had broken it, especially when someone grabbed it and yanked her to her feet.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were in your room!" Ian said frantically, trying to drag her away from the three prisoners.
"You were going to shoot my sister!" she yelled, and yanked her wrist free, nursing it to her chest.

Ian froze. She backed away from him towards her sister and the others.

"You're going to kill them all! Why? Why would you do that?! I-I trusted you!"
"Elizabeth, you don't understand-"
"What's not to understand, you're going to shoot my sister! An-And Ben, Patrick's son-"
"How do you-"
"You should have spared some guards to watch us instead of getting cocky!"
"Wait-" Ben tried to say something, but Ian and Elizabeth paid no heed.
"You haven't been telling me the truth! Things aren't adding up and if you won't tell me the truth then I'll go find someone who will!"
"Oh no you won't!"

Ian leveled his gun at Elizabeth. Everyone froze.

"You will stay with me until your dying day."

It seemed like a standoff. She looked at her sister, who was crying silently, staring intently at her. Ben was staring as well, anger blazing at Ian for putting them al in such a situation. She timidly looked at Riley: he gave her such an anguished look that touched her to her very core. Her head began to hurt a little. She tore her gaze from him and looked back at Ian. His face was twisted into a maniacal mask of hatred and love. She shuddered but held her ground.

"Over. My. Dead. Body," she hissed slowly, hatred pouring into her every word.

He flinched as if she had physically hit him.

"Then they die," he turned the gun on Riley.
"Wait, no!" Ian paused and looked at her, "Please don't hurt them, please, I-I'll stay with you, j-just don't hurt them... Don't hurt him," she whispered, close to tears.
"I'm glad you've finally come to your senses," he turned the gun away from Riley.
Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief.
"Elizabeth, don't sell yourself for me, I'll be fine, please," Riley murmured.
"It's okay, I know what I'm doing."

She slowly began to walk towards Ian, in hopes of getting the gun out of his hands. When she was a foot away, he grinned suddenly and pointed the gun back at Riley. With a strangled cry of 'No!' she launched herself in front of him as Ian pulled the trigger. She crumpled to the floor hard as blood oozed from her wound.

"Elizabeth!"

There were yells and chaos seemed to erupt as the second part of her plan came into action. Patrick had arrived with the newly freed FBI agents.

Too many things were happening at once and her brain began to shut down. Her eyes slide closed as black specks ate away at her vision. Warm arms wrapped around her suddenly, shifting her aching body. Her head began to pound, as if something were trying to get out.

"Elizabeth, please..."

She smiled as she began to lose consciousness; she was finally safe.

Yay! This is pretty much one of my favorite chapters! Enjoy!

Aly