A Game Of Cat and Mouse

chapter Thirty One

Erin occupied the passenger seat in Voight's truck as he drove to the hideout, following Thomas' directions. "It's up this rocky driveway," the curly-haired man pointed out.

Voight acknowledged Thomas' guidance and proceeded along the road. Prior to their arrival, he had already notified Antonio to rendezvous at the location with the rest of the team. Observing Erin's restlessness in her seat, Voight inferred her efforts to maintain composure. Thomas inquired about the plan, leaning forward to peer through the windshield.

"First, we need someone to divert Brian and Jack's attention while I retrieve Soifon," Erin asserted her intent to personally retrieve her beloved rather than wait idly outside.

Thomas volunteered, confidently stating, "I can undertake that task. With my familiarity of the place, I can easily capture their attention, as they won't anticipate seeing me again." After Voight brought the truck to a stop and put it into park, Thomas disembarked, and the plan was set to await his text before Erin and Voight proceeded to retrieve Soifon.

Erin observed as Thomas approached the hideout with a look of impatience in her eyes. Gripping the door handle firmly, she prepared to exit when Thomas provided the signal.

'Hang in there a little longer, little bee, I am here,' she whispered. She disregarded the comforting gaze from Voight. After what felt like an eternity, Thomas texted Voight to indicate that the coast was clear.

'Alright, let us proceed,' he declared as both Erin and him exited the truck and hurried into the hideout. 'Let us maintain composure, Lindsay,' cautioned Voight as he allowed her to lead the way.

Erin paid little attention and guided Voight to Soifon's rumored location, feeling her anger rise at the anticipation of what she might find. She wondered if Soifon was still alive. Quietly, Erin and Voight discreetly checked each room they passed to avoid compromising their safety and endangering Soifon further.

While approaching the final door at the end of the hallway, Erin displayed distress by nervously biting her lip upon hearing a woman's scream emanating from the room. Locking her gaze onto Voight, her eyes colored a striking shade of green, she conveyed her intention without speaking. Together, they proceeded towards the room where Soifon was located.

Voight raised three fingers and commenced a countdown, signaling their imminent action to forcefully enter the room. Despite her longing to immediately rush in, Erin understood the necessity of waiting, wincing each time she heard her beloved's distressing cries.

* Soifon's P. O.V*

Soifon experienced intense pain as Ace deliberately twisted the knife in her leg, causing tears to stream down her face. He then left the blade in, adding to her discomfort.

Ace proceeded to press his lips against her ear and asked, 'How does that feel?' with a malicious tone. Soifon could feel the blood trickling down her leg from the wound and responded through the pain, 'Shut up,' growling at him. Despite her attempt to struggle, she had no strength left to fight.

She whispered, 'Just hurry up and do what you need to do.' At that moment, Ace forcefully yanked the knife out of her thigh, causing her to scream in agony.

Unaware of his surroundings, Ace only realized that the door had swung open when he was forcefully pushed to the ground by a larger man who proceeded to tackle him.

Soifon flinched weakly as she observed Ace being tackled to the floor. Initially uncertain of the person involved, she eventually recognized Voight, her lover's foster father, relentlessly assaulting Ace. Despite whispering his name, Soifon's voice went unheard by the head Detective. Her wide blue eyes remained fixed on the scene.

Engrossed in witnessing Voight's attack, the raven-haired woman suddenly found herself falling forward and being caught by a pair of sturdy arms. Her head found refuge on a gentle chest. "Easy, it's just me," Erin's voice rang out, causing Soifon to look up with widened eyes and whisper, "Erin?"

"It's indeed me, Soi, it's me," Erin reassured, planting a soft kiss on Soifon's sweaty head. "I am here, and I apologize for the delay." As she tightened her embrace around her lover, who responded with a feeble smile, the brunette whispered her apology.

* Erin's P.O.V*

Erin embraced Soifon tightly, unable to prevent tears from falling. "I apologize for allowing you to endure this situation for such a prolonged period," she whispered. "You may direct blame towards-" the brunette started, but a sudden kiss interrupted her speech.

They eagerly reciprocated, holding each other gently to avoid causing any additional harm to their beloved. Soifon weakly pressed her lips against Erin's before pulling away, paying no mind to the blood staining Erin's shirt.

"Do not apologize. None of this is your responsibility. If anyone deserves blame, it is me," she murmured, gradually losing consciousness due to blood loss and exhaustion. "Soifon, please, do not close your eyes," Erin's voice resonated throughout the room, but Soifon could barely hear her.

Erin's eyes widened as she attempted to request Soifon to remain conscious by keeping her eyes open. In a soft whisper, she pleaded, 'Please, refrain from closing those stunning eyes and stay awake.' She observed her beloved gradually closing her eyes.

Erin proceeded to gently slap Soifon's face in an effort to awaken her. Whispering, she leaned in, placing her ear near Soifon's mouth to check for signs of breathing. 'Come on,' she urged. While sensing only a faint breath escape the raven-haired woman's mouth, Erin persisted, 'Come on, baby.'

Voight, having just knocked out Ace and risen from the ground, approached his foster daughter who was attempting to revive Soifon. Upon closely examining the raven-haired woman, he furrowed his brow and struggled to ignore the distressing sight. In a hushed tone, he called out to Erin and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

Erin gazed upwards to find Voight standing adjacent to her. He stated, 'Let's evacuate her from this place and provide her with necessary assistance.' Antonio and Jay entered the room, visibly startled by what they witnessed.

However, their astonishment was short-lived as Voight instructed them to extract Ace and escort him elsewhere, along with his companion Jack. Responding affirmatively, Antonio responded, 'You can count on us, boss.' He firmly grasped Ace's arm, while Jay took hold of the other, dragging him out after securing his wrists with handcuffs.

In a chilling tone, Antonio whispered to Ace, 'You will undoubtedly regret everything you have done.' Once Jay and Antonio had successfully removed Ace from the room, Voight gingerly positioned his arms beneath Soifon's neck and legs, lifting her up as slowly as possible.

Observing intently, Erin rose to her feet, her legs trembling, her emerald eyes fixed on her beloved as she trailed behind Voight, exiting the room and stepping outside to find an awaiting ambulance.

Voight placed Soifon on a stretcher while Gabarla Dawson, Antonios sister, and her partner Sylvie Brett promptly began preparing the tools. After pushing the stretcher into the ambulance, Erin climbed in with them.

Voight informed her that he would meet her at the hospital once he finished dealing with Ace and Jack. Voight even instructed Adam and Al to follow closely behind the ambulance to ensure a safe arrival at the hospital, while Atwater and Ashley took Brian to jail.

Erin nodded as she observed Voight closing the door, while Sylvia tapped the seat for Charlie to step on and returned to work on Soifon. She glanced anxiously at Erin, who was watching with tears streaming down her face and biting her thumb.

"She is losing a significant amount of blood. We must hurry," Gabarla responded urgently as she tore off the remnants of the dress Soifon was wearing.

Erin perceived a sudden jolt as the ambulance swiftly transitioned onto even ground, with the tires producing a screeching sound on the gravel. Maintaining a vigilant watch over her unconscious lover, Erin whispered, 'Stay strong, my dear,' while Gabriela and Sylvia diligently tended to Soifon to the best of their abilities until they reached the hospital.