Family Above All

72. Under Duress

No pairing

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Leaving Mystic Falls, Virginia

"That's a beautiful watch," Lucy acknowledged as she took the road out of Mystic Falls. They had left earlier to beat traffic.

"Aye, thanks. I am surprised. I never had a nice watch like this before," Enzo commented, put his left hand down.

"No, I mean it's a really beautiful watch. That must have been like 40 grand!" Lucy laughed.

"You mean, forty thousand dollars? No, it couldn't be," Enzo said, the pit of doom in his stomach growing. "That's insane."

"Vampire money, I guess," Lucy went on, hoping she hadn't made Enzo feel awkward. Sometimes she had a bad habit of blurting out things better left unsaid.

"Actually, I think Damon's family was quite wealthy. Logging companies or something," Enzo said, feeling a tad defensive. "So, what's Bonnie up to tonight?"

"Oh, they had a game that she cheering at. I usually try to go if it's local, but it's an away game," Lucy explained. Her phone buzzed. "Crap. That's probably her. Can you grab it, Enzo?"
"Aye," Enzo said, fumbling with the phone.

"That button there," Lucy said, trying not to take her eyes off the road.

"Hello, Bonnie," Enzo answered. "What?... When?... Okay, let me call. Stay calm, Bonnie. Okay."

"What happened?" Lucy exclaimed. "Is she hurt?"
Enzo, already pale, looked ashen. "She's fine. It's Elena and Rebekah. They are gone. Tyler's uncle is driving the rest back now. I have to get home. Can you turn around?"

"Oh my God, yeah," Lucy said, putting over to the next lane. "I thought Elijah's security team was on her."
Enzo's phone buzzed next. It was Damon.

"Damon, did you hear? What? Elijah, oh bloody hell!" Enzo cursed. "We're on our way back now."

Lucy navigated deftly through the roadways, making Enzo glad he wasn't at the wheel.

"Elijah's gone," Enzo said after a long moment.

"So it begins," Lucy commented. She reached over and put her right hand over Enzo's left. "We'll find them."

Mikaelson Mansion

Elijah's Office

The security man opened his laptop and tapped uselessly while he spoke to someone at the company. Klaus could hear the conversation, but they might as well have been speaking in tongues. He understood little of their technical jargon. The man finally got off the phone and looked at Klaus in confusion.

"I don't know what happened. All the footage is scrambled," the hapless man said, after hanging up the phone. "It should upload to servers at our company headquarters. This is impossible."

Klaus eyed Kol and Damon.

"What about your men outside? Any sign of them?" Damon asked, emptying his second bourbon into his mouth. If there was ever a time for drink, it was now.

"One was found jogging to Fell's Church across the woods. He doesn't remember anything and his footage is-," the man started.

"Let me guess! Erased. That's really fucking helpful," Damon fumed.

"Son!" Klaus tried.

"Nay, brother, he is right. What kind of security firm lets this happen?" Kol demanded, slamming down his glass on Elijah's desk, cracking it. "I hope you have a money back guarantee!"