Home for Christmas

Chapter Twelve

When she awoke again she felt oddly refreshed. It was then she noticed she had on a rose pink nightgown. Someone must have put it on her...but who? Alvin? The last thing she remembered was being in his arms. She got up and walked onto the balcony. It seems she was at a resort of some sort. 'Annabelle....' She turned around and came face to face with Lee. Just then her head began to hurt and she felt faint. She leaned against the railing for support. Lee was probably spying on her all this time for that maniac and to think she dated this bastard. Her anger gave her strength and she looked at him accusingly. "I could see those little wheels spinning around that beautiful head of yours love. I know you're smart enough to figure it out so I hope you will cooperate because my boss wants answers." " Yes I have figured it out. You played me for information! But I know nothing! So you are wasting your time." "Wrong answer love." Just then some burly looking men came onto the balcony and one of them grabbed her. She stood in amazement as Lee ordered the men to kill Al and take her away. She fought furiously and elbowed the man behind her and ran downstairs. Scarlet ran out the house and through the forest until her feet were bleeding but she still felt them behind her. She found a cave and hid in it. Back at the house Al finally got out of the ropes and went looking for Scar. He came across Lee's men and vented his rage out of them through bloodshed and gunfire. He left the house ablaze and entered the forest. He moved among the trees like a predator seeking its prey. Meanwhile Scar was huddled in the dark corners of the cave. Not hearing anymore running she gently crawled out of the cave only to be grabbed by Lee and dragged out by her hair. That was when something ticked inside of her. All the tension from the past few days finally got to her and she lashed out at him, punching him in the nose and running away. However she did not get very far. She ran into a mean looking man dressed in black. She then noticed that there were several women and men, all dressed in black. The mean looking one spoke something in what Scar guess was Russian. An elderly man then came out from behind the crowd and barked orders to the group. She found herself enclosed in a human circle. They all had guns waiting. The elderly man besides her who identified himself as Skipper turned and spoke to her. "Annabel. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. You have your grandmother's eyes." Scarlet stared at him blankly. "I am a friend of your grandfather's. The man that's after you goes by the name of Russell. He is an ex spy and very covetous. He is after a bomb your grandfather help me hid years ago. Russell wants it and he foolishly thinks you know where it is. But you and I both know that you don't .These men and women you see here are part of the 'Black Rose' a secret spy center your grandfather help founded. Agent Hennessey is also part of this of our group however he is soon-to-be retired and does not know of your connection to the 'Black Rose' .But thanks to him we found you. He called in a few favors from us but little did he know we were always watching you in an event that something like this happened. So you need not fear. It's our duty to protect you. They were trained for this." Scarlet's mind was reeling from all she just learned. Her grandfather, Al...." Where is agent Hennessy?" Skipper laughed. "Last I heard he burnt an entire house down looking for you. He's a keeper" Scarlet blushed. "I know you have a lot of questions and so do I, but let's save that for after. Russell would be here any minute now." *** Just then a copter landed in front of them bearing the infamous Russell and his minions. Scarlet began to resent the mere sight of him and wanted badly to smack him in the head. "Hello there Skipper old boy. I see you've meet Annabelle. She is a sweetheart isn't she?" "Leave the girl alone, she doesn't know where the bomb is" Skipper lashed out. "Well we will see about that won't we now." He started walking towards her and she hid behind Skipper in panic .Skipper's men moved forward anticipating a fight. "Just give me the girl and this will all be over. My men have you surrounded. There is nothing that you can do now to save her." Just then Alvin who was hidden behind some trees came forward. "Oh he is not going to do anything...I am!" His announcement led way to a series of gunfire which she didn't get to witness since Skipper grabbed her hand and dragged her through the forest away from Russell. Several times Scar glanced behind to see Al fighting. She had never seen him this angry. He fought with a vengeance.in spite of all that had happened and was happening she smiled. For in that very moment she realized she loved him and sent a silent prayer up to heaven to keep him safe. On their through the forest she heard a gunshot and watched in horror as Skipper crumpled to the ground in a heap of pain. She knelt down to assist him but he yelled at her to continue running but before she could get up blunt object collided with her skull and she too crumpled to the ground. *** She woke up to find herself bounded and gagged lying at the back of some van. She tried to get up but her head ached and she felt. Eventually when she did manage to get up and peer into the front seat, she was greeted by the sight of Lee at the steering wheel. Suddenly the van came to halt, sending Scarlet hurdling to the back of the van. She saw him get out and heard a series of gunshots. She was beginning to feel faint again when she saw the van door open and Alvin stick his head inside. She began crying with relief. *** Alvin breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her and quickly went to untie her when he saw she had started to cry. The last thing he expected was to be grabbed and kissed passionately by her. However his initial surprise turned into desire as their kiss deepened. It was she who eventually broke the kiss much to Al's disappointment. "Are you ok? Where is Skipper? And what became of Lee and Russell?" "I'm ok babe, just trying to recover from that kiss." She blushed. "Skipper is going to be fine. He has been through worst, as for those two bastards...dead. "Skipper told me to bring you by sometime but I have no intention of letting you go anytime soon". With that said he cradled her in his arms and kissed her long and hard. There they were in the middle of nowhere, in the backseat of a bullet ridden van on Christmas day but she never felt happier. She got the best Christmas gift – Alvin. Scarlet began to laugh and when Alvin asked what was wrong she replied by hugging him and saying "I think I'm finally home for Christmas...."