Mixed Messages ~ {d.w}

➵Forty Five

"Alice!" Damian shouts. I could hear the relief in his voice and I could picture the smile on his face. God, I missed him.

"It's me, Kitty Boo, live and in stereo," I joke, chuckling. That was surprising. The coding for the bomb was complex and beyond the normal bombs they'd use. Wow, I guess they went all out for me. I'm going to take that as a compliment.

"No time for jokes. Where are you? Father and I are almost to Bosnia, we can pick you up in the jet."

They have a jet? Pfff... Of course they have a jet. It's fricken Batman. Bruce Wayne! The guy probably has a mother-ship floating in the sky somewhere! "Listen, Kitty-" before I could say anything more, the bomb beeps. The timer goes up by 30 seconds. That was good.

There was silence on Damian's end.

"Kitty-"

"There's a bomb there with you. Isn't there?" he asks.

I sigh, "Yeah... but listen-"

He cuts me off once more. "No! We're on our way to the warehouse. ETA 10 minutes!" I roll my eyes, why was he always cutting me off. I was about to open my mouth but of course he says more. "Are you-"

I had finally had enough. "KITTY BOO! Let me speak!" I scream into the receiver. I set the walkie-talkie on the edge of the chair that the bomb is sitting on. I focus solely on the bomb now. Well, that and making sure Damian doesn't get here. Damian doesn't say anything. I take that as a "Yes I will let you speak." I take a breath in, "Damian... I'm not telling you the exact location of my whereabouts. I can't, it's too dangerous."

I follow my instincts and the knowledge I have about bomb defusing. My fingers shake as they move towards the blue wire. One more breath in, one more out. My fingers enclose around the wire's base. With on e swift movement, I yank it out. My eyes tightly shut, waiting for the impact. When nothing happens, I open my eyes. Everything's the same but the timer is still going down. 6 minutes, 13 seconds left.

"Alice, what did you do?" Damian suspiciously asks. "We're almost there, don't do anything until we get there!" I roll my eyes again. He seriously doesn't think I like being bossed around like that. Does he?

"You know, Kitty, have I told you how cute you are yet? Because you are seriously adorable!" I try to lighten the mood. There's a bead of sweat going down my forehead that I wipe away.

"What? Alice, we have no time to talk about such things," he says. I could hear the disapproval in his voice. It made me want to giggle. But that'd just make him more stressed out.

Hacking the bomb wasn't working and I couldn't get the timer to go up or down. "I figured that while you were here, we could catch up, you know?" I ramble, "I forgive you by the way, if that's what you mean. You were right, I guess I do have a tendency to run from things. I'll make sure to talk that over with the Doc."

"The Doc? Five minutes out..." I hear him mutter under his breath. He's probably pacing around in that jet.

The timer was at 4 minutes and 59 seconds. I had absolute faith that Damian would get here. I know he will. "Yeah, Dr. Neckle. She's cool I guess," I shrug my shoulders. I reach for another wire. This time, the yellow one. "Okay.... one more..." I murmur. I rip the wire out. The timer starts going down faster.

"Alice... what was that?"

There's nothing left. "Damian, listen...  I love you so much, Kitty. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Don't..."

A tear slides down my cheek as my hands retract. "I never thought that loving someone so much was possible until I met you. I..."

"Alice."

"I... My computer. On the sign in, type in my name. My real name. First and last.... The password is your name. Full name. I set it up the first night I stayed at the Manor. There's everything you wanted to know about me. My entire past. Tell Jason that I'm sorry. That I'm so, so sorry...."

"You don't have to do this. I can see the building from here!"

My hands are shaking. "I love you both till end of time and back!" I rush out. I had absolute faith that Damian would come. Just not in time.

The timer hits 0.

Everything goes black.

I race out of the jet, my boots hitting the snow. The warehouse was right in front of me. Alice is right in front of me. Father and Todd were right behind me.

But the warehouse erupts in flames. The blast throws me back. I put my arm over my eyes to protect myself. When the brunt of the force is over, I look to the warehouse. Or what's left of it. Flaming scraps, burnt wood, smoke and ashes. That's all. Nothing could have survived that blast.

"Damian...." Father says behind me.

I couldn't speak, I couldn't move. My knees buckle under me as my knees hit the snow. I feel a hand on my shoulder as the world around me blurs out. Alice is gone.

And I didn't even get to tell her I loved her.