Rule #1: Never Date An A.C.E. [COMPLETED]

Chapter 29: Rule #47: Always Have Multiple Weapons

The figure stood against the window, the silhouette visible from fading sunlight.

"Flower?" I said in disbelief.

She chuckled, twirling a knife deftly between her fingers, "Surprised, kitten?"

"Stop calling me that!"

"Oh, but it's so fun," she stalked toward me, the motherly nurse façade I had come to know crumbling before my eyes. I patted my body, cursing myself for not having any weapons on hand.

"You're the mole?" I asked.

She hummed in agreement, the knife glinting in the light as she stopped spinning it, "Now move." She had moved behind me, and began prodding me with the knife.

"Where to?"

"Just walk," she growled and I complied. She poked and prodded me all the way to the Director's office. "Open the door."

"But—"

"Do it!" Flower commanded. After opening the door, Flower ushered me in, "Sit." I plopped down in the chair I had sat in when I agreed to be an official agent. Flower frantically searched the room, I tried to sidle from my chair. A knife embedded into the wall beside me, made me stop. "Don't think that's my only one. Rule number forty-seven, always have multiple weapons." She turned to flash me a wolfish smile, "Must be a rule you haven't learned yet."

Flower continued her search as I watched with slight curiosity. I finally mustered up enough courage to ask what she was searching for. She regarded me with silence. Moving from the shelving to the desk, Flower felt around it until a panel clicked open on the top of the desk. A file set and a flashdrive were all that it contained. She collected those and we were on the move again.

Flower led me toward a set of stairs and we descended four flights. The temperature dropped significantly as we reached the bottom. We entered a hallway with harsh lighting, doors lining the sides. In each door there was a small window, the glass replaced with metal bars. I gulped as I realized where we were.

Ace's Lockup.

Otherwise known as the penitentiary for Ace's worst.

The world's worst.

Only a few of the cells were occupied, most of its occupants busing themselves with puzzles, reading, or coloring. Ace was brutal, but the Director didn't wish these people to drive themselves insane.

The end cell held a prisoner who wasn't doing anything, but instead had his face close to the bars. His smile grew wider with each step I took toward him and I knew my face portrayed my terror.

"About time, Harper," Luca drawled and I risked a glance at 'Harper'. A smirk grew on her face as she made eye-contact with Luca.

"Sorry, Boss." Was all she said, before snatching my hand. I tried to resist as she pulled it toward the fingerprint scanner.

The fingerprint scanner that would release him.

"No, I won't!" I jerked my hand from her hold, but she just snickered.

"Either you let me do it with your hand attached or not, it's up to you."

I allowed her to grab my hand again, my fear consuming me as the light flashed green. The door swung open at Luca's push and I backed away.

"Kitten," Luca purred and I cringed.

"Please, leave me alone," I protested weakly, internally saddened by my actions. Luca caressed my cheek before clamping his hand around my neck. He squeezed tightly and I clawed at his hands, gasping for breath.

"You will come with us, and this time," Luca's eyes flashed, "you will die." He released me and I slid down the wall, gulping at the air around me. Picking me up, Luca flung me over his shoulder and Harper followed along behind, once again flipping the knife between her hands. His shoulder dung uncomfortably into my stomach and bruises were already beginning to form on my neck. We left the way we came, but instead of going up four flights of stairs, we only went up three. We burst through an exterior door, and by then my mind was made up.

If I was going to die, I was going to die fighting.

Even from my weird angle, I punched Luca in the back of the head. This caused me to slightly loosen his grip, allowing me to wriggle free. I fell with my head downward, so I made sure to extend my arms to protect my head. Falling into a roll, I stood quickly, my fists at the ready. Harper came at me with her knife as Luca stood to the side, rolling his eyes. I evaded her knife, landing a kick in the shin and a punch to the stomach. Harper seemed unfazed, slicing my right arm and catching some of my pant-leg. My movements were becoming sloppy, Harper landing more cuts. One on cheek, another to my arm and one to my thigh. I backed away as her attack gained more focus. It was dizzying to see how much blood I was covered in, and I tripped. Harper loomed over me, her once soft facial features now held malicious intent. Just before she dealt me a fatal blow, Luca called her off.

"The others want to have fun with her too," his smile was taunting as he gripped my arm, pulling me upright. I slipped again, and this time Luca was fine with dragging me across the rocky terrain. A blood smear followed along behind us and a wave of nausea flowed over me. Luca's grip tightened on one of my cuts and I bit my lip to keep from crying out.

Suddenly, an arrow whizzed by, implanting itself in Luca's shoulder. He let out a yelp, releasing his grip on me. I fell to the ground as I looked toward where the arrow had come from. Alex stood from her kneeled position, a steely look on her face. Vanessa was beside her, her handgun aimed at Luca and Harper. Boone's face was contorted in anger as he rushed toward us. Luca turned tail and ran, but Harper was frozen in fear. Boone smacked her, sending her flying into a nearby tree, before running after Luca with Vanessa. Alex approached me, her hands hovering over me. I sent her a smile of relief and she grinned back.

"Where's Levi and Dylan?" I asked as she began wrapping the worst of my wounds.

"Levi is tracking Luca from inside, talking to Boone with comms. Dylan is trying to figure out how Luca and Harper planned on escaping."

I nodded, my head spinning from the action. Alex sat beside me as we waited, after handcuffing Harper. Gunshots continued to sound in the distance until silence ensued. Harper groaned awake as Boone and Vanessa came traipsing back to us, winning smiles on their faces.

"Is he dead?" Hope blooming in my chest, but Vanessa shook her head, her smile not leaving her face.

"He's leading us right back to them," Boone said victoriously. He reached down and gathered me in his arms. We reentered Ace, Vanessa and Alex tightening their grips on Harper's arms.

"Fuck all of you!" Harper screamed as she struggled. I wasn't the only one shocked by her change in personality. I knew Flower, but the others had been friends with her for a lot longer.

The betrayal hurt them too.

I was taken to the infirmary and placed in a bed beside Junior. His eyes were wide as he took in my blood-covered state. Boone left to handle Harper with Vanessa and Alex once he knew I was in good hands.

"Isa? Are you okay?" he crawled from bed and walked to mine. Two nurses rewrapped my wounds with gauze and gave me a strong painkiller.

After they left, I stood and hugged Junior, "Come on, buddy. Let's see what the others are up to."

"He won't be there, right?" Junior's voice trembled slightly and I shook my head.

"No, he's gone, for now. We have a plan to get him and the others," I brushed his hair on his head. Junior agreed and we left to find what was left of my friends.