Listen, Obey

46. Forty-Sixth Lesson

After a night of peaceful rest, Marc kept me in check for most of the day. My nerves wanted to jump and run, but his presence by my side calmed me down enough to push ahead the thoughts of Jace and the mission. 

When Drew came to pick me up, however, my worries returned ten-fold. 

I turned to Marc. "I wish you would come with us." 

"I know, but I don't want Tilia close. I'll be waiting here, and you behave, okay?" He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "Stay in the car. Do as they tell you." 

"I will." I wanted to add Sir at the end, but I wasn't comfortable enough in front of Drew. Marc seemed to hear the word I never said and gave me a brief kiss before I sat down in the car.

During the drive, everything was happening so fast that I lost focus and spiralled down the rabbit hole until Drew broke the silence. "We'll meet with the others close to the hotel. You're here to comfort Jace when we get him out, so I don't want to see you inside the hotel. Is that clear?" 

"Yes."

Drew nodded and switched gears. "I know you're worried, but we know what we're doing and we're prepared. We'll get him out of there." 

I watched his calloused hands on the gearshift, hoping that they were as sure and strong as they looked. Drew had an air of confidence around him, much like Marc, and I found myself willing to trust him even if I hardly knew him. 

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, hoping to understand his motives. 

"Because I can." 

I didn't know how to answer. Wasn't he afraid to get hurt? The men surrounding Sam looked like seasoned fighters, having that scary glint in their eyes that revealed those who liked violence for violence's sake. 

We spent the rest of the drive in silence except the calls Drew made on his phone and those he received. It sounded like the rest of the team were ready and waiting for a signal to go in. Drew told them to hold until he arrived. 

My heart began to pound as I recognized the houses lining the street. We turned a corner, and Drew stopped the car. "Don't call us, we call you." He gave me a phone. "Don't stray from the car. We need to get out of here as soon as we can once we get him."

"Okay." I clutched the phone in my hand, wondering how the hell I was supposed to sit here and wait. It would have been different if Marc came with us, but with him at home, I had no one to keep me grounded. 

Drew was on his way out of the car. I almost stopped him, ready to reveal that I couldn't deal. But, what would I say to him, and how could he possibly help me? I held my tongue and watched him give me a last nod before closing the door and walking off to the black sedan waiting by the curb. 

I glanced at the time. I should be at home, asleep, but I guessed it was a good time for a mission such as this. The streets were calm, the cars few and far between even if this was a busy street during day time. 

Four men got out of the vehicle in front, moving with certainty and efficiency. It calmed me down that they knew what they were doing, a feeling that held until they got close to the hotel and entered through what must have been a partly hidden entrance. 

I waited for the alarm to go off until I recalled that hotels usually didn't want to keep people out. If one of them had an room key, they could likely get in at any time during the night. The relief was short-lived, however. My mind ran wild, conjuring different possibilities of what went on inside the building. Had they reached the room? Had they been apprehended by the staff, or by Sam's men? Was someone already calling the police?