Proving Her Wrong

Chapter 19

(Prior during torture)

Marc gathered the papers and shoved them into his back pocket and started following the blood drops. Remembering everything Axel and Raven had taught him, he left the hospital and entered the trees behind it. He had to find her, the pain in his stomach crept up into his chest.

"Come on, Beautiful," he whispered as he looked around, "where are you? Give me a clue."

He searched and searched but it seemed as if the blood drops disappeared once she entered the trees. Taking a breath he closed his eyes and thought like her. An idea popped into his head and he took off further into the trees. "There you are," he said as he came up to the huge dead tree that reminded him of the tree from Sleepy Hollow. He walked around it and found the opening. Kneeling down he peered inside and lost his breath for a second. There was her zippy up hoodie shoved into the darkest part. He pulled it out and growled at the stab wounds and dried blood on it. Searching around he found her phone under some dried leaves and powered it on.

Thanking the gods above that she never changed her pin code, stared at the screen for a second, "What am I supposed to do, Beautiful?" Without thinking he went to the text messages and saw a draft message for him. He opened it, growled, and raced back to his car.

As he speed down the empty roads, his mind raced with memories of them hanging out in the kitchen, her laughing with Corey about whatever movie they were watching, her learning marine animals with Axel or him teaching her his native ways, her training with Raven, and working on cars with Brandon. Memories of what they endured as children crept into his mind and he slammed his fist against the steering wheel, taking solace in the knowledge that he knew Raven would make sure these assholes suffered for hurting her and taking pride in the fact she got some sort of justice as well. He swore that he wouldn't hide his or his family's feeling from her anymore and she would never have to go through this again, he just needed to get to her.

He slammed his car into park and raced to his destination. Their safe home loomed in front of him and he briefly flashed back to when he was here with Luke looking for Melisma. He pushed the door open and took a shaky breath, "where are you, Beautiful?"

He searched each room on the bottom floor and started climbing the stairs while hoping they didn't collapse under him. He listened but was only met with silence. "Come on Beautiful," he whispered as he looked around, "I know you are here."

He pushed open the door to the room that was their favorite and was assaulted with memories of him hiding her up here as children to escape their parents. He pushed them back down and took another step in to the dust covered room. The floor creaking under him was so loud he wondered if the animals outside could hear him. He walked over to the iron rod bed and shook his head when he thought back to how he taught her hiding under it was the first-place people would look thanks to movies.

He headed back to the doorframe and investigated the room again. "Where would you hide?" He asked as he closed his eyes and put himself in her mind. "I'm hurt and need to hide somewhere I would find you. Where would you go?" He opened his eyes and frowned as his eyes went to the door frame and he finally saw dried blood on the wood. It was hard to see since it was dry, and the sun was setting so the shadows covered it up.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and turned on the flashlight. Scanning the room again, he sighed in frustration when he didn't see anymore. He walked over to the window and started to sit on the window seat, but something caught his eye. He knelt down and gasped, just under the seat, covered by the shadows was a drop of blood drying on the lip of where the seat connected with the base.

He pushed up the seat and lost his breath as he looked at Alina curled up inside the hidden compartment, too pale and not breathing.

"No, no, no," he whimpered as he felt for a pulse and panicked when he couldn't find one. He grabbed his phone and hit redial.

"Da?"

"GET DOC HERE NOW!" Marc screamed, his voice cracked as he looked at her not moving, "Yevgeny...she...I can't...Yevgeny..."

He heard two shots then Raven said, "Done."

"I'm tracking," Corey declared then he heard typing on a keyboard.

Raven growled "On way," and Marc sniffled.

"Yevgeny hurry," he gasped as he pulled her out and laid her on the floor. "Russian way now."

"We're coming," Sean said as North pressed on the gas even more. "Marc?"

"1...2...3..." Marc mumbled through their speakers making everyone go silent. "Come on Beautiful, don't do this to us...you promised me, Alina, don't do this to me...1...2..."