Chapter 17

Hyde PoV

I gathered all my materials from the bed of my truck and made my way into the building. Grabbing the first unsuspecting person I could, I pulled her into the nearby restroom and fitted her with a vest. "Shut up," I said when she began calling for help. I pressed my gun hard to her temple. "Shut up and you just might live. One more peep and this gun will get shoved so far up your pussy you'll be begging me to pull the trigger. Got it, bitch?" She nodded quietly, tears streaming down her face. I loved it when they cried. I leaned forward and licked the tear off her cheek.

"Mm, you taste good, doll," I whispered. "Maybe I should have a taste of you somewhere else, too, eh?" I slide my hand down her chest, squeezing her nipple. I moved lower and cupped her pussy in my hand. Mmm. I bet she was real good. She was shaking her head, begging me silently not to do it. I didn't give a shit what she wanted. I'd have her if I wanted her, and if she didn't give it up, she'd die.

But, I had more pressing needs to deal with. I'd fuck this little kitten later. Maybe I could alternate between her and Annie. Yeah. That would be a fun time. Tie them both up, gag them. Fuck one for a minute, then the other. Make them play eenie-meenie-miney-moe for who gets to take my load.

Yep, I had lots of plans for this blonde little piece and her beloved CEO. Back in the lobby, I pulled her along pushing the gun to the back of her head. "Everyone listen!" I yelled. There were the expected screams, shrieks and gasps that went along with any hold up. "Shut up!" I yelled.

"You!" I said, to the man behind the desk, pointing another gun at his head. I knew he'd already set off the silent alarm, his job description gave that one away. "Call up Anastasia Steele. Get her and her boyfriend down here now."

"Y-yes sir, right away," he said, his hand shaking as he picked up the phone.

All I had to do then was wait. She'd come. I knew she would. And then I'd come. Over and over in her sweet little pussy. And then she'd die.

Ana PoV

"Have the police been called?" I asked as I scrambled out of my office, Christian right behind me. His arms were wrapped securely around me, helping to keep me together.

"Yes, they're outside, casing the building. The chief of police is on the phone now." She said, handing me my blue-tooth ear piece. I clipped it into my ear.

"Ana Steele," I answered.

"Miss Steele. Are you alright?" he asked, relieved. "This is Chief Reuben of Seattle PD. We're monitoring the situation down here."

"Yes, I'm fine. What's going on?"

"There's a man in your building, who we've ID'd as Jack Hyde alias, John Hitchins who is heavily armed and holding one of your employees hostage. Ma'am he's strapped enough C4 to the woman to take out the entire block."

Oh dear god.

"Have you any idea why he's targeting you, Miss Steele?" he asked.

"Yes, he beat and raped me when I was five, and went to prison for 21 years for it. I suspect he's exacting his revenge." I couldn't believe he was taking it to this extreme. That he was willing to end the lives of probably thousands of people because of his misguided belief that I was to blame.

"I was told he wants me and Christian Grey to come downstairs or he'll blow the building," I replied.

"Yes ma'am. As of now, that's the only demand he's made. I do not want you to come downstairs, Miss Steele. He's got guns trained on the elevator and on the stairwell. If you come down either of those, he could shoot you on sight."

I pondered his words for a moment. "What about the freight elevator?" I asked.

"Where is that, ma'am?"

"Behind my office on the south side of the building. If he's in the lobby, he can't see the entrance from there. And that elevator goes to the basement. We could evacuate most of the building to minimize casualties if he does set off the bomb. Have the nearby buildings been evacuated?" I asked.

"That's a good idea ma'am and yes all the buildings in a two block radius have been emptied." Thank god. The fewer the people that were killed or hurt, the better.

"Get the building as empty as possible. I imagine there's not much we can do for those in the lobby that he can see, but everyone else needs to get out now. That elevator doesn't ding when it hits any floor, so he shouldn't even hear it."

"Good plan ma'am. We're on it." He put me on hold while he dictated to the other parts of the building what to do. I paced back and forth in the waiting area outside my office for him to return to me. I told Anita to go through my office to the freight elevator but she refused.

"My place is with you, Ana," she said, using my name for the first time. "I go where you go." I didn't have the energy to press the matter, so I merely nodded. She deserved a big raise for her loyalty. If we survived the day, anyway.

"Ana, you're not going down there," Christian commanded.

"That's not your decision to make," I told him sharply. "This is my building and my family is inside it. That and hundreds of people whose lives I am responsible for. Not to mention the entire block if that bomb goes off. You do not get to make these demands of me Christian. I am not your submissive; I am not bound to you."

"Ana, please," he said, dropping to his knees in front of me. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. You can't go down there."

"He wants both of us, Christian. I don't know why. We have to stop him while we can. He's never been this close before. Well, not that we've known about at least. I know what to do. I know how to stop him."

Finally the chief came back on my line. "Everyone but those in his line of site have been evacuated through the basement, Miss Steele. But while we've been waiting, Hyde has taken another hostage, and strapped an equally large bomb to him.

"Who are the hostages?" I asked.

"According to your personnel photos they are…" he hesitated, probably looking it up in whatever database he had. "Katherine Steele and Ethan Steele. Are they your siblings?"

He had Kate and Ethan. The sick bastard had my siblings, who I swore to always protect wrapped in explosives. All I could see was red. The fucker was going to die. Today.

"What in the fucking fuck!?" I yelled. "Yes, I'm sorry. Yes, they are my siblings. Can I talk to him?" I asked. He acquiesced and somehow patched me through to Hyde's phone.

"Annie girl," he cooed. "It's so good to hear from you. I've missed you sweet thing." I wanted to hurl, only my stomach was still empty from having lost my breakfast down the kitchen sink.

"What do you want, Jack?" I asked, completely out of patience. I didn't want to play his stupid game.

"I only want you, baby. You know that. I waited over 20 years to get back to you. So we can be together like we used to be." What? Good god, the guy was deranged.

"Aww, I'm sorry to say I'm already spoken for. There must be something else you want," I said seductively. I wanted to lay into him, give him a piece of my mind like I did Elena, but given the fact that he had bombs attached to my brother and sister and was pointing guns at anyone else, I decided not to do that.

"Yes, I know… you're dating my son," he said.

"What?!" I screeched.

"Oh, didn't the boyfriend tell you? He's my son. Honestly Annie girl, the red hair should have given it away. And he's got my chiseled jaw. Perhaps he and I could share you. Wouldn't that be fun? Wouldn't you like to get it in both holes at the same time?" It was all I could do to stay calm. Thank god he wasn't on speaker-phone. Christian would be having a conniption. The knowledge would cloud his judgment. That and what Hyde was suggesting would put Christian in to the rage induced haze that I was venturing in. I couldn't let that happen. He needed to remain oblivious.

"So you'll let everyone go if I come down there?" I asked.

"You and my son, yes," he replied. "We're gonna reunite the family, baby." I held back a gag.

"Yes, of course. I'll be right down. Just give me a few minutes, okay?"

"Don't keep me waiting, darling." Bile rose in my throat. I quickly swallowed it down while I reconnected the call to the Chief.

"I'm coming down there, Chief. I have one question first." The answer to this question would determine the next move.

"Yes, ma'am?" he asked.

"Can you tell if his detonators have any kind of dead man's switch or anything?" I had to know if the bombs would go off if I killed the bastard.

I waited a few moments for his response. "No, they just have timers. Pretty rudimentary. He's not skilled at bomb making, that's for sure. Shit, he's just activated them. Five minutes ma'am. Then the building goes up. We're at a standstill here. I'm sorry to say that it's up to you, Miss Steele." I glanced at my watch to keep track of the time.

"He better prepare for me, then," I replied. I strode back into my office and into my closet. I retrieved a few items and then headed towards the freight elevator. I was glad I'd come to my office after one of my trips, many necessary supplies were left in that closet that would come in handy. "Christian. Anita. With me," I said. "You'll both be safe. I promise."

We stepped into the elevator and descended to the basement. "You two get out of here. I won't take no for an answer, Christian," I said when he began to protest. "Anita, make sure he leaves. Escort him back to GEH. It should be a safe enough distance away."

"Ana, no!" he yelled.

"Hush now," I replied. "He ultimately wants me, Christian. He'd only use you to get to me. And I can't have that. You need to leave. I have what I need to take him down. And I will." I looked at my watch. Less than four minutes left. I pressed a hard kiss to Christian's lips, pouring all my love into it and shoved him into Anita's arms. She locked her arms around his elbows, holding him in place. I quickly got back in the elevator and closed the doors before Christian could get away from Anita. The elevator stopped on the main floor and opened silently. While in the elevator I'd taken off my shoes so I could walk as quietly as possible.

I rounded the corner trying to figure where Hyde was standing. He was near the door, his eyes darting back and forth to the elevator and stairwell, waiting for me to emerge from either location. The idiot clearly didn't read the blueprints of this building and had no idea of the existence of the freight elevator.

I thanked my father, Ray Steele, silently for making me go to all those archery classes. Hyde would never expect an arrow to fly through the air at his head. I just had to get him far enough away from Kate and Ethan to ensure my clear shot. As of now, he was standing between them.

I pulled an arrow from the quiver and waved it at Ethan. His eyes caught it and locked onto mine. He didn't betray my location, good man. "Move away," I mouthed as I placed the arrow against the bow, clicking it into the notch. He stepped a foot away from Hyde and told Kate to do the same.

Aiming for his neck, I pulled the bow back and waited. Part of me wanted him to see the arrow leaving the bow, but I knew that it would potentially give him just enough time to dodge the arrow, and I couldn't have that. Just as I was about to let go of the string, I heard Christian's voice.

"Here we are, Hyde," he said. What the fuck was he doing? Hyde turned away from me but was still in my line of sight and therefore right in my aim. I could see Christian on the other side of the lobby holding Anita in his arms, aiming a gun at Hyde. Where the hell did he get a gun? Anita was turned around, so Hyde wouldn't have known it wasn't me. Her hair was nearly the same shade as mine and just as long.

Ethan's eyes darted back and forth from me to Hyde to Christian, trying to figure a way for everyone to survive. Little did he know, Hyde was not going to live to see the building come down.

"You're just in time!" Hyde declared aiming the gun at Christian. No! "Now I can kill both of you."

I released the string just as Hyde pulled the trigger. The arrow sunk into his neck, puncturing his carotid and his airway. He would choke on his own blood until he died. A nice and painful death. He dropped to his knees, gasping for air that would never come. I looked over and Christian was on the floor, a bewildered Anita standing next to him, trying to figure out what just happened. No.

Blood pooled around Christian. I ran across the lobby, ignoring my siblings' calls. "Christian!" I yelled.

"I'm okay, baby," he said. "He got me in the shoulder. Your arrow changed his gun's aim just enough. You saved my life."

"Get the EMTs in here now!" I yelled at anyone else in the building. Within seconds they surrounded Christian, pulling me away from him. With nothing to do but wait for their determination, I turned to Hyde. He was still kneeling on the ground, grasping at the air. I strode over to him, smirking.

"You thought you'd win, didn't you?" He coughed and spluttered up blood, his eyes filled with hate. "You underestimated me, Jack. Now you can go join Rebecca in hell." I pulled the arrow out of his neck, watched the blood spray out of the wound and jammed it into his eye, piercing his brain. Killing him instantly. When several more EMTs arrived to attend to him, there was nothing they could do but call the time of his death.

"I could have you arrested for murder, Miss Steele. But you saved a lot of lives today," the chief said as he approached me. "I think we'll let this one slide." He held out his hand to shake mine. I took it graciously. "You're also incredibly stupid. Miss Steele. But I thank you for what you did. Everyone gets to go home today, everyone gets to live. Well, not this guy, but he was headed for the chair anyway."

"Do me a favor, chief?" I asked.

"Anything for the savior of Seattle," he replied, smiling.

"Oh that's a rubbish title, don't call me that," I joked. "Would you test Hyde's DNA against Christian's? Hyde said he was Christian's father and I… I just have to know. If he is, I'll tell Christian, but I don't want to say anything until we know for sure."

"Understood. I normally couldn't do that, but given the circumstances… you'll have the results, first thing," he agreed. I thanked him and he left to go help take some more statements from the other witnesses.

Once Kate and Ethan had the explosives removed from their torsos they ran to me, wrapping their arms around me. I was so glad I'd gotten past my aversion to touch. This was the greatest feeling ever. "I'm so glad you two are okay."

"What were you thinking, Ana?" Ethan asked.

"Your arrow against his guns, a grenade and all those explosives? Are you crazy?"

"I had the element of surprise, Ethan, to use a cliché. He had no idea about the freight elevator. It was the perfect plan. And it worked. We're all safe and he's dead."

Kate was sobbing uncontrollably. I knew he'd strapped her up first. "Are you okay, Kate?" I asked. She shook her head and then launched herself at me again, crying against my shoulder. I stroked her hair. "It's okay baby sister. I would never let anything happen to you."

"He was going to rape me, Ana. He licked my tears off my face and then he… he touched me. Through my clothes, but I felt so dirty. Ana, how did you ever get over that?"

"I didn't Kate," I admitted. "I was afraid of men my entire life until I met Christian. I was even afraid of Dad and Ethan. Even though I knew neither of them would ever hurt me. I was constantly terrified."

"But… you're Steele. You're my superhero. You've always been so strong and so protective. Why didn't you ever tell me how afraid you were?"

"It was my job to protect you, Kate. I swore to you as a baby that I would always take care of you. That I'd always keep you safe. I put on a brave face and did that your whole life. I had to."

"Oh Ana," she cried, squeezing me tighter. "It's so wonderful to hug you like this. I never thought I'd get to. Whatever Christian is doing, he better keep it up. Where is he anyway?" she asked.

"Um, he was hit. Hyde shot him." She gasped. "He's okay. He got him in the shoulder. The EMTs are working on him now." I pointed to the swarm of people with baby blue shirts and navy blue pants that were scrambling around my man. He kept calling for me, making a fuss, and making their jobs much harder. He kept shouting for them to stop touching him. The poor thing was relapsing to the do not touch version of himself. He needed me.

I walked over to him, the EMTs parted like the red sea, and I knelt next to him. He was panicking. Too many people were touching him at the same time. But all his flailing was making his wound worse. "You need to calm down, baby," I told him. "You need to let these people do their job and save you. I need you to stick around for a few more decades. Can you do that?" I asked, my voice soft and loving. "Can you let them touch you for me? They can't help you if they can't touch you, baby. They're not going to hurt you. They're only trying to save you."

He relaxed under my touch. I stroked his forehead and his hair, trying to keep out of the way of the paramedics working on his shoulder. They were trying to get the bullet out so they could stop the bleeding. But his flailing made the bullet go deeper which complicated things. I whispered into his ear, keeping him calm and soothed. He closed his eyes and reached his uninjured arm up to hold my hand. I squeezed his fingers tightly, bringing them to my lips and kissed each one individually.

A few minutes later, they managed to stop the bleeding and got him onto a stretcher. He was holding onto my arm for dear life, and demanded that I ride in the ambulance with him even though I wasn't technically related to him. Finally the EMTs acquiesced and I hopped in behind him.

"Can I use my phone?" I asked. "Has anyone notified his parents?"

"Yes to the phone, and I don't think so to your other question," one of the medics replied. I quickly dialed Grace's number at the hospital where we were headed.

"Grace, it's Ana," I said.

"Ana? Are you alright? I heard about the bomber at your building."

"Yes I'm fine, the bomber is dead. Christian and I are on the way to the hospital. Um, Grace, he was shot."

"Oh my God!" she yelled. "What happened?"

"I think your son is as stubborn as me. The bomber was after me. It was Jack Hyde. I went down with a plan and Christian almost ruined it by trying to play the decoy. I shot Hyde and Hyde shot at Christian, hitting him in the shoulder. They've pulled out the bullet and stopped the bleeding, but he's going to need surgery, I think. We're in the ambulance right now, headed towards your hospital. I wanted you to know before we rolled through the ER and you found out the hard way."

"Oh honey," she cried. "I'm in the ER today, too. I'll be there. I'll see you both soon." And she hung up. I hoped she'd call the others. I didn't want to have to retell that story again.