Hearts' Desire

Chapter Nine

Tobin's P.O.V.

"Hello, Tobin." Servando says smoothly, keeping the barrel of the gun pressed to Alex's head. "I bet you're looking for your annoying sister, aren't you?" 

"She's not annoying!" I growl. "Let her go!" 

"I don't think so." Servando says. "You made the choice to cross me. You get to suffer the consequences." 

"She never did anything to you!" Alex yells. 

"Shut up!" Servando snaps. "Now listen carefully. I am going to take the lovely Miss Morgan down to the basement, and then I am going to come back up for you. I can hear everything in this house, so if you try to run, I will know, and there will be a bullet in her skull before you're out the door." 

"That's what you think." Alex says. She elbows Servando in the gut. He swears and doubles over, and she runs for the basement.

Alex's P.O.V.

I run to the basement stairs and slam the door shut behind me. An overpowering stench of blood washes over me, and I gag. I turn on my phone flashlight and walk down the stairs. At the bottom, I see a chain hanging from the ceiling and I pull it. A single bulb hanging from a wire flickers to life, and in the dim light, I see a scene straight from my worst nightmares. Thalia is unconscious, tied to a pole, standing in a pool of her own blood. Actually, standing is a pretty strong word, because it's clear that one of her legs is broken, and the ropes are the only thing keeping her upright. 

I search the dingy basement for something to use to free her. I find a rusty knife, and begin sawing on the ropes. As I work, I hear three gunshots from upstairs, and a grunt of pain. I saw faster, and I finally get Thalia free. I pick her up and run upstairs. Both Tobin and Servando are on the floor. Tobin has her hand over her upper arm, and there's a large red stain on the stomach area of her t-shirt, which is steadily growing larger. Servando has a single bullet wound in his chest. He isn't moving. 

"Tobin, did you..." I begin. 

"I think so." Tobin croaks. "He was coming at me, and I panicked. I didn't mean to do it, Alex. I really didn't." I kneel next to Tobin and lay Thalia down next to her. I smooth Tobin's hair back. 

"I know you didn't mean to, Tobin." I say soothingly. "That's not the kind of person you are." Tobin nods. 

"Call an ambulance." she rasps. I nod, and dial 911. 

"911, how may I help you?" the operator says. 

"I need an ambulance and a police car." I say, and give her Servando's address. In a matter of minutes, I hear the sirens as the vehicles pull up. Tobin and Thalia are loaded into the ambulance, and Servando is taken away. 

"Excuse me, ma'am." the officer says, opening his notebook. "Could you describe what happened here?" I tell him the whole story, and he writes it down. 

"Thank you, ma'am." he says, and leaves. I take Tobin's car and drive to the hospital. Tobin and Thalia are in the same room. Thalia is hooked up to about half a million different machines which are keeping her alive. Tobin just has two IVs, one pumping fluids into her, one supplying painkillers. 

"Hey Toby." I say. 

"I'm not going to jail, am I, Lexy?" she slurs, the painkillers making her loopy. I smile and kiss her head. 

"Not if I have anything to say about it." I say.