Rupture

Chapter 7

Ch7

She awoke to a loud thunderous noise echoing off the walls in Leeway's office. She looked around, head pounding. She saw Vladimir lying on the ground, a bullet hole in between his eyes.

Leeway approached her, his gun in his hand. "If it were anyone else, he'd be the one to put the bullet in your head...but I need you..." He gently stroked her brown hair. His grip hardened around the back of her head. She yelped and squirmed at the pain as he held her down. "You will not defy me again! Understand?! Your life, your sister's life depends on it." He released her head, wiping the blood off his hand. Then in one swift movement, he crashed the barrel of the gun against her cheekbone. She fell off the couch, groaning in pain and blinking back the tears that threatened to spill over, but she was determined to keep them hidden. She couldn't break. There was too much at stake. She needed a second plan. A well thought out, full proof plan.

Vladimir was out of the picture, but she knew at some point someone new would be assigned to babysit her, so she had to think fast. She looked around the room, noticed a bust on a pedestal. She declined the thought, she didn't have enough strength or adrenalin to pick it up. Rest, she needed rest. Surely Leeway wouldn't take over the world without his "power house". Maybe she could save herself a few minutes to rest. Suddenly the phone rang and Bella's eyes jerked open. She was already dozing off, on the floor.

"What?" He said angrily. He looked up at her before he hung up. "Don't go anywhere." He warned before walking out.

Bella had no intention of going anywhere. She had no strength left in her. Just like Luke and Blakely, she needed to be rescued. Her eyes fluttered shut and the feeling of sleep and exhaustion overcame her.

"Bella! Bella!" A voice called out to her in urgency. "Bella come on! This is no time for naps! We need to get you out of here! How badly are you hurt?"

"Luke?" She mumbled, barely able to keep her eyes open. "You're okay." She let out a long exhausted sigh.

"Bella, Bella stay awake. Come one, we have to get out of here."

"10 more minutes."

"We don't have 10 more minutes Bella! We have 8!"

"What are you talking about?"

"It's only a matter of time before our choppers drop in for the rescue!"

"But the mission?"

"The mission failed Bella...we failed..." He went over to Leeway's desk, picking up the book and diamond then stuffing it into his bag. "You've been in here this whole time with these items and you never came looking for me?"

"Luke, I haven't exactly been free to roam."

He let out a sigh. "Come on, are you okay to walk?"

She let out a groan. Walking. She was still just too exhausted to do anything.

"Come on." He urged. He helped her to standing, placed a gun in her hand and walked out with her, a gun in his other hand. "Let's just get out of here as quietly as possible."

"Wait." She stopped, stumbling over her feet a little. He placed his hands on her shoulders to prop her up.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Blakely! She's here!"

"What?"

"Luke we have to go back for her!"