Hellooooo! Guys, you have no idea how much I love reading your comments. Really! Thank you so much for the support. Oh, and one more thing before I'll let you read. You need to know that when my buddy hell-and-bliss and I wrote the original story in French, we wanted it to be like a real movie or sort of, so we included music/sound links at some parts of the story when we posted it on the French forum. I'm not sure we can do the same here and give extra links on FFnet (or can we? if anyone knows, please tell me) Anyway, I'll just give you the Title and the Author of the music related to the part, so you can feel free to search on the web and listen to the music in question while reading. But really, you definitely should try, for more...let's say REAL SENSATIONS :D Okay, no more talking now, let's continue. Enjoy! xxx
"All right", Kate said a few seconds after Rick's scary speech. "No need to panic, Espo is right. Guys, we're gonna check around, outside, to see what's going on," she ordered as she glanced at Kevin and Javier. They both nodded as Kevin put is coat on immediately.
"I'm going to take my gun, upstairs", Kate added but when she started to walk towards the stairs, Rick called her back.
"Wait, Kate."
She turned around.
"I'd rather go with them, instead", he said. Kate's eyes widened.
"Rick, it's out of the question."
"Please!" he insisted. "Listen…" He grabbed her arm and whispered to her ear as he didn't want the others to hear him.
"I'm starting to freak out, and I'm scared for my mother and Alexis. I would like them to stay at home and be under police protection. You'll know how to protect them, better than anyone. And I'd feel better…Besides, with Esposito and Ryan, I'll be safe. We're just going to walk around and be back in a few minutes. Please."
His tone was convincing, as well as his gaze. Kate swallowed hard and finally nodded.
"All right, if you promise me you'll be careful", she whispered.
"I swear."
Kate sighed, convinced, before she looked back at Espo and Ryan.
"Guys, change of plan…Castle's going with you. He knows the surroundings, and if you need covering, he'll be more of assistance than me."
"Got it", Ryan nodded.
"And take that", Kate added, as she lent Rick's gun to Esposito. Javier took it and put it in his pocket. When Lanie watched him, her heart skipped a beat. When they used to be together, she had always hated to see him go, because sometimes she had the feeling that, like Montgomery, he would never come back.
So she came closer to him, shyly. He watched her do so, silently, as he grabbed the flashlight.
"Javi, I…" she cleared her throat and crossed her arms, before she raised her eyes to meet his gaze.
"Be careful", she simply said, as she couldn't say anything else. He smiled softly and stroked her cheek with the back of his thumb.
"Don't worry, chica", he whispered back. Then he walked towards the entrance door and she almost felt heartache as he had said nothing more.
"Dad, please be careful…" Alexis said as she hugged her father.
"I will, like always", he smiled.
"Richard, we're being serious," Martha added with authority.
"Don't worry…I'm sure it's nothing but a bad joke, alright?"
Alexis hardly nodded.
"Anyway, dad…if you can also find Royal…" she stammered as she bit her lips.
"I promise I'll find your puppy and bring him home," her father smiled as he kissed her on the forehead.
"Come on, we gotta go now, before it gets darker and the weather gets worse", Ryan said as he glanced at Jenny who was silently panicking, still sitting on the couch. She looked really pale…Kevin came closer to her, lifted her chin with his thumb and kissed her softly.
"See you later, baby", he whispered as he ended the kiss. Jenny smiled sadly before she spoke again.
"Hurry up, honey", she whispered back. He winked at her and the three boys left the manor, letting the girls quite worried.
Kate waited for Ryan to close the door before she turned to Lanie and the others.
"While they're gone, you stay right here, okay?"
They nodded as they didn't need to argue.
"I'll be back in a minute. I'll just bring my gun", she added as she started to climb the stairs.
Lanie slouched on the couch, next to Jenny, as well as Martha and Alexis. They were all silent. Taken aback, they just didn't know what to say.
/
(**A/N : the following part should be read while listening to Going Home, by John Murphy**)
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Kate arrived upstairs, feeling anxiety through her body in spite of her efforts to control it. She couldn't get how bad and fast the events had turned during their stay at the manor. All the memories from last night rushed through her mind. She could still remember the party, the fun they had, the moments they spent in the Jacuzzi, and that moment of intimacy she shared with Rick in the kitchen. She wished they hadn't been interrupted.
And now they got this latest news, this scary news coming out of nowhere. There she was upstairs in the big hallway of the manor, in the dark, because she had to take her gun. She didn't know if she really had to worry. The only thing she knew is that she didn't like it at all.
Walking fast, she headed to her bedroom's door and opened it without any hesitation. She pushed the switch button before she remembered electricity was down and sighed. She quickly looked around. The room was dark because of the late hour. Her bed wasn't made yet, her suitcase was still opened and messy on the floor, next to a chair where she had put her swimming suit from last night. She placed her hands on her hips and shook her head. She was making herself at home, perhaps a little bit too much for a guest since she was here. Finally, she shrugged as she thought she would find some time later to tidy the room. Anyway, she knew Rick wouldn't mind. Then, she sat on the bed and searched for her Glock in the drawer of the nightstand. When she found it and held it in her hand, she began to check it out as usual. She looked at the charger, weighed it up for a few seconds. She liked feeling the touch of the metal against her palm. It kinda made her feel safer. She was used to doing so since she had started her career at the precinct.
Suddenly, there was a dull noise.
She raised her head, in alert. Did she hear something?
Knock.
That noise. Again. As if somebody had bumped into something. It was close. This time, it wasn't a dream.
Feeling her heart beating faster, she held her gun tighter. Her cop's instinct encouraged her to check it out. She stood up quickly and headed to the door, trying to remain as silent as possible. She slowly turned the knob and bit her lips, hoping it wouldn't creak.
There she was in the hallway, again. It was dark. Almost too dark. She thought how threatening it was, as if the few minutes she spent alone in her room had been long enough for the night to fall.
Get a grip, Kate. You're just imagining things. Don't let yourself be impressed by…
Knock.
She heard the sound, again, louder this time. Nope, it wasn't her imagination. It was really close…she turned her head and had the feeling she had to check Rick's room. She held her gun tight and waited a few seconds before she walked slowly towards the door, her heart pounding in her chest. She dreaded to open the door and yet, she had to. So she would know. She took a deep breath and put her hand on the doorknob…
She waited one more second before she pushed the door with all the strength she had, pointing her Glock right in front of her.
Rick's room was empty. She checked the room quickly and found nothing in particular…except for the window, which was wide open. The blinds were constantly knocking on the wall because of the strong wind and the rain was pouring. Kate rushed to the window to close it before the rain would come inside the room. So that was it? That was the noise she heard earlier, just a stupid open window? You're crazy Kate…she told herself, half relieved it was nothing but her being paranoid.
But had she barely closed the window when she heard another noise, some kind of a chair someone had pushed. This time, it was coming from another room. And that was real.
Without wasting any more time, she ran to the hallway again. Breathing heavily, she frowned as she looked at the guest room in the end of the corridor, which was unoccupied. She could see a ray of light coming from the lowest part of the door. What made her shiver was the shadow she suddenly saw under the door. The shadow disappeared as quickly as it had come. As if somebody was in the room…
Kate stepped further, her knees shaking as she tried to control the stress that rushed through her whole body. She raised her Glock in her right hand and with the other one she turned the doorknob, anxious to know what was on the other side.
The door opened.
The white curtains, almost transparent, were balancing under the wind like sheet ghosts. The window had been opened, just like in Rick's room earlier. But that was not what scared her most. What scared her most were the rustling leaves right in front of her, one meter ahead. Kate slowly came closer to the edge of the window to try and see something. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw a moving silhouette run away in the dark. She wanted to scream but she couldn't make a sound. What was the point anyway? The silhouette was already gone now. She was terrified at the thought but there was no doubt now.
Someone broke into the manor…
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to be continued...