Hey everyone! So I know, I broke my promise. I wasn't able to finish my story before school started... but this is the second to last chapter! The last chapter will be the epilogue and you should be excited! I know I am.

Please forgive me for not writing so long... first it was summer homework and youth orchestra auditions.. and now it's just school homework in general! (Note: AP US History notes are a pain in the a**)

Thanks for all the reviews you've given me and for keeping up with me so long!

The journey's almost over! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Gallagher Girls series

CAMMIE

They tied her up and drugged her. Waking up in a small dark and gloomy cell, Cammie felt helpless in her disoriented state.

It had been 15 years ago since she last felt this vulnerable.

They interrogated her for hours on end.

"So Cammie, you want to join the Ring of Ashton and bring back the Circle?"

Silence.

"How about give us some information about the Gallagher Alumni Disk?"

Silence.

"Weaknesses in security? Secret passageways? We know you know a lot about those."

More silence. Cammie's unknown interrogator sighs.

"You know if you don't prove yourself to be more useful, we're going to have to sell you. You've made a whole lot of enemies in your career Cammie, and many of them would pay big bucks to be the people who get to torture you to death."

"That's enough Isaac."

So his name is Isaac, Cammie mused to herself. He just kept talking and talking and talking. It was getting on her nerves. The man named Isaac just nodded to the newcomer and left the room.

"He's right you know Cammie, if you don't join, we might as well make some money. The main reason you're here is to just get on Goode's nerves, nothing more."

Cammie looked at him straight in the eye.

"I guess you just switch whenever you feel like it don't you?"

He grinned at her, "I guess I do. I'm not on either side and I just do whatever fits my own needs best."

Cammie gave him an amused smile.

"Rest assured, my last act will have to be to kill you Elliot Greene."

ZACH

Small arms reached to comfort Zach despite his protests. He allowed them to stay there, only because he knew it was really to comfort herself. Lina was in a state of devastation.

It wasn't until he took off his jacket when he realized something was in his pocket. Looking inside, he found a small box that hadn't been there before. Carefully opening it, his eyes widened in surprise.

Inside was a delicate necklace with a heart pendant. The heart was glowing brightly and rest on a silver chain. Accompanying it, was a letter with handwriting he could recognize anywhere. It was Cammie's.

Dear my beloved Zachary,

If I gave this to you, it must mean that I have been taken. As I'm writing this, it's 3 hours before we go meet the kidnappers. Please don't be mad at me. I love you with all my heart, but you must know that I will do anything my children. Yes, children, not child. I consider Andrew as my own child as well.

Don't worry too much about me. We both know that I am strong and they won't be able to break me easily. Since I know that you'll still worry, take a look at the heart on the necklace. Is it glowing? Then I am still alive. I connected it to my pulse so as long as my heart beats, it will glow. Take comfort in it.

I'm so sorry that we have to be parted as soon as something seems to go right for us. Remember that I will always be yours from now until forever no matter what happens. Your main concern now should be to keep the children safe.

Your Gallagher Girl forever,

Cameron Anne Morgan

Zach wasn't sure whether to be angry at her or to cry. She had been planning to sacrifice herself all along. It wasn't fair. The only comfort Zach took was that the necklace was indeed, still glowing.

Lina peered over his shoulder, her eyes still glistening with tears.

"Is that from Mom?" her voice quivered.

Zach just nodded, not knowing what to say.

Lina stared at the necklace long and hard before gently laying it back in the box.

"You think she's okay?" Lina whispered.

"Your mother is strong. She's been in this position before." Zach choked out.

"That makes it so much worse."

"I know."

CAMMIE

"Oh Cammie.." Elliot sung, "We've got quite a bidding war going on over you. Currently the price is around 5.8 million. Who knew you were so valuable?" he mocked her.

Cammie gave him a wry smile. "What? I could have thought I'd be worth at least 10 million with all that I've done."

Elliot stopped smiling and glared at her. "We'll see who's laughing at the end once you're dead."

He felt the need to kick her in the stomach one last time before leaving the cell laughing maniacally.

Cammie sat in her cell for another 3 weeks 1 day and 3 hours. Her internal clock had been messed up a smidgen, but it was still mostly accurate.

A guard brought in her food every day some time around noon, and on this particular day he did the same. The difference on this particular day, was that the guard slipped her a small gun in which she slipped casually into her shoe.

Phase 1 complete.

ZACH

Zach tried to go on with his daily life; he really did. But how was he supposed to concentrate on the education of young Blackthorne students when all he really wanted to do was stare at the necklace all day or do something to help find Cammie.

With only a single look even the average person could tell Zach was falling apart. There were huge bags under his eyes, his skin didn't glow and he radiated despair. He constantly fidgeted and peered at Cammie's last gift.

It was at exactly 10:03 in the morning on January 17th that propelled Zach into the next most nerve-wracking 48 hours of his life, and it all started with a call.

"Hello?"

"Zach? It's Liz. I've got news on Cammie. The necklace you have? It's connected to a device that Cammie put next to her heart and monitors her pulse and lets you know whether she still has one or not. Well I managed to make the signal stronger and traceable. We're leaving in exactly 5 hours."

"I'm coming"

CAMMIE

Cammie was marched out of her cell, down a hallway and into a huge room full of notorious criminals who booed and sneered at her as she was brought up to the front of the room in chains.

Many of the faces she sees are from people whom she had saved innocent lives from back in her glory days right out of high school and before the incident.

Elliot steps up to what looked like a podium and addressed the crowed. Today they were doing the final auction to the rights to kill Cameron Ann Morgan.

Bidding started at 8 million. It rose to 9 million, 10, 13, 17, and then 20 million. Finally from a corner in the back of the room, a lone voice shouted out 100 million.

The room fell silent. Cammie was slightly curious. Who was it that wanted her dead so much and was rich enough to pay 100 million to torture her to death?

But as she felt the chains on her wrists loosen, she knew that she would probably never find out. There was no time for hesitation. She ripped off the now broken cuffs off her wrists and ankles and took out the hidden gun from out of her shoe.

Before any of the people in the room could react, her gun aimed at its target and she smirked at Elliot. With a shot much more powerful than anticipated coming from such a tiny gun, the gun went out with a loud

-BANG-!

ZACH

A whole team of CIA operatives were on the move including Liz, Bex, Macey, Grant, Jonas, and himself. All of them were jumpy to see what state they would find Cammie in and how they would get her out.

The extraction team was skilled and all had experience working with the Circle and its many allies, but that only made them even more wary when performing these missions.

The base was disguised as a corporate building for an obscure business that sold binder clips. Anything related to the Ring of Ashton would be hidden in secret passageways within the building.

They parked around 100 feet away from the building and surveyed the area for cameras and other security measure while coming up with a plan to rescue Cammie.

The final preparations were finally finished when the operatives packed the needed supplies and stepped out of the van ready to begin. It was then when the building exploded and forced the operatives to duck and cover.

Zach looked at the necklace in panic and felt his heart sink as he watched the glow in the heart of the necklace slowly fade away.

It was too late.

So erm... this section was split up into a whole bunch of mini POVs? I hoped it flowed well enough... I wrote a lot of this in a rush when I finally figured out how I wanted this to all work out.

Please don't hate me for how I ended this... if you recall from my other story "My Not So Grand Entrance", in the author's note I told you I didn't want to have another "perfect ending" story. I'm all for the tragic love story. Sorry!

But tell me how you think I did on the chapter! Love reviews (especially ones with constructive criticism)!

I have an idea for another story that I think I'll start working on after I finish the epilogue for this one... but it won't be up for a while.

Love you all! :)