Into My Heart

LXXXV

KELLEY

A gun in my hand, I enter the warehouse, out of breath: while everybody was too concerned about the Dahlkemper and Lavelle girls getting abducted, I managed to bribe a police officer into releasing me, so here I was now, on my own act of conscience. 

Although most people I've ever met might think that I am a bad person, I never asked for any of this: I mean, I got forced to follow my father's footsteps, as my mother died when I was young and he was all I got left, before he died in turn, murdered, and that I was his only child, therefore the O'Hara firm belonged to me. I never got to uncover exactly what shady business he and Cody Press were involved in, until recently: therefore, I put everything on an USB-card. 

The uploaded files from my father's computer were copied into 2 USB-cards, one I gave to Mallory Press, the other that is in a safe in my new apartment - I couldn't yet see what was on those files, but I knew for sure that it would reveal who The Patriarch is, or at least give us a strong lead.

But as for now, I needed to go fix my mess: I somehow felt that the O'Hara firm was involved in something far greater than gang smuggling, and that The Patriarch was seeking to take revenge. Or, at least, that's what Ali Krieger told me while interrogating me, therefore revealing her involvement in that very organisation. That's how I knew she was the one abducting Abby Dahlkemper and Rose Lavelle.

As of right now, I was risking my life to compensate for whatever horrible things my father has done: when I turn a corner, I finally discover the hangar's main room, where two women were tied up on metal chairs, and guards were watching carefully. I immediately recognise Crystal Dunn, Christen Press' personal guard, as well as Ali Krieger. 

They both had guns in their hands, so I hold my breath back, overhearing the interesting conversation between the two of them:

"The Patriarch should be here any minute now, please put something on their faces so that they won't see shit" Ali Krieger orders.

Immediately, Crystal puts hoods on Abby and Rose's faces, before turning toward her boss and asking:

"They might recognise her voice, so maybe it'd be best if we just make them fall asleep for a while, wouldn't it?"

"You're right: sedate them"

As the two victims are trying to get out of this uncomfortable situation, Crystal takes two syringes out of a bag and injects the liquid inside Abby's and Rose's arms. In a matter of seconds, they faces fall, as Ali Krieger removes their masks.

Quite content, the FBI agent declares:

"Way better."

As I am trying my best to hold my breath and take a step back, I step on something that makes a hell of a noise, immediately alarming the two women. I immediately run around the room, still hidden, so that they wouldn't see me right away. As Ali Krieger runs to where I was before, Crystal remains near the victims, her gun pointed in the air, looking around her nervously. 

I take advantage of a moment when she isn't looking my way to throw myself at her, pointing the gun at her neck so that she'd know she's screwed. Without saying anything, she hands me her gun, that I put on my own pocket, before trying to remain calm. I put my arm around her neck, my gun still pointed at her head, so that when Ali Krieger comes back, she'd have no choice but point the gun at her partner, that is acting as a shield between us.

The FBI agent effectively points her gun at me, visibly very frustrated that her plan isn't going accordingly to what she imagined.

"Well, well, well..." the brunette comments, visibly quite surprised to see me here. Staring right at me, she declares: "Looks like you defied the odds: I thought you were in prison."

"I was" I confirm, "but I wasn't about to let you take other innocent lives, so I had to do something."

Ali smirks. 

"And why would you think that you'd be the hero of this story, uh, O'Hara? The daughter of a renowned pharmaceutic criminal, actor of an endless number of crimes who, all his life, only caused destruction and heartbreak. He killed so many people, Kelley, and you are still defending him and standing proudly?"

"No, I am not" I calmly say, tightening my grip on Crystal. Ali seems quite content, as I add: "I know he wasn't a good man, but you are making the wrong people pay for it (I point at Abby and Rose, still unconscious)."

The FBI agent smirks. 

"Oh, my dear, per usual you managed to miss the entire point: neither of those girls are my target - I am waiting for someone else to show up because there truly are only three people standing on our way."

"Christen, Kristie and Alex" I whisper, finally getting it. But it might be too late: Ali points her gun toward Crystal and I, as I exclaim: "Careful, or your associate dies."

A cold and evil laugh invade the room, as Ali casually declares:

"See, that is why you will never be able to understand dear old dad: you don't have evil in you, Kelley. But I certainly do."

With that said, she fires her gun, touching Crystal straight in the head. 

As her body falls on the ground, I point my gun directly at Ali this time, in shock: this maniac would even kill her own associate, which is totally insane... I throw a quick look at Abby and Rose and, although I have never been quite the religious role model, I start praying to whoever would hear me: help me have the strength to sacrifice myself for everything my father's ever done.

But as my finger touches the trigger, I hear the doors being opened and then a familiar voice invades the room:

"Orange Police, drop the guns!" Julie Johnston orders, as we are soon surrounded by about twenty armed agents.

Looking around, I immediately see Christen rushing toward Abby, protecting her with her body in case something happened. 

Knowing that she was surrounded, Ali Krieger just stares right at Christen, then at me, before declaring:

"All hail to The Patriarch: there are more of us than you think."

With that said, she points the gun at Christen, but Julie fires her gun first. 

Ali Krieger's inanimate body drops on the ground, as I gasp: I let my gun fall on the ground, my whole body shaking, as two cops are violently throwing me on the ground, putting the handcuffs behind my back, before forcing me to get up, as I watch Lia Wälti and other police officials rush toward Crystal and Ali's bodies, realising that they are both very well dead. 

In the middle of a grand confusion, Mallory runs into the hangar and immediately throws herself at Rose, who is still unconscious. Nevertheless, the teenager wraps her arms around her, bursting into tears. In the meantime, Kristie and Alex are watching the scene, their fingers entangled for a moment, before they realise that people could see them and pull away.

I, on the other hand, just have an interaction with Julie Johnston, who whispers:

"Imma get you out of here, and we're gonna take The Patriarch down once and for all."