The Chase

Chapter 4

Maddie was put into a medically induced coma. Jacob had missed any major organs, just wanting her to bleed out and die from blood loss. Alex was shot twice, stabbed once and beaten.

Zander, Jace, William and I paced the conference room in the FBI building, nothing said between us.

Zander hadn't said anything to me, William would occasionally check in with me and Jace... let's just say that he was doing a great job at hiding his emotions about the whole situation.

I sighed and stopped pacing. In fifteen minutes, Evan and Tanya were going to be informed about what was going on and that Jace was still alive. Everything was going to blow up, which is what Jacob wanted.

This was everything that he wanted.

"He planned this. He planned everything out." I whispered, saying it aloud without thinking.

The fucking psycho wanted all the attention to be on Jace. Evan and Tanya would be overwhelmed with finding out about Alex and Maddie, Jace would bring the anger and resentment that they had for him out and on top of that finding out that Mackenzie was gone... it was going to be a catastrophe.

I hadn't realized that I had said aloud and everyone was trying to get my attention. I looked at them blankly and just nodded, pretending as if I knew what they were saying.

I watched as Tanya and Evan came around the corner, an agent escorting them to us. Something snapped into reality. I walked towards them and intercepted them from continuing.

"We need to talk. I want you to listen to me and say nothing. This isn't about any of us right now, it's about finding Jacob and getting Kathryn and Kenzie back safe." I told them. They both nodded, confused expressions from the both of them.

I took them into Zander's office and proceeded to tell them everything that had happened. To say that they were angry was an understatement but they would have to wait to express it with everything going on.

As we all walked back to the conference room, I could see Evan shaking with rage as his brother came into view. Sighing, I opened the door and there was nothing but silence.

"When this is over, I'm going to make you wish that you had actually died." Evan seethed, his voice low and filled with venom.

Jace visibly shuttered but nodded. He said nothing to his mother who stared at him with tears in her eyes but it wasn't anger that laid deep inside her eyes, it was disappointment.

I then began explaining what the situation was in detail and that's when they finally understood. This truly wasn't about them.

This was about finding Mackenzie and Kathryn as well as keeping Alex and Maddie out of his sight.

"And with Alex and Maddie, we were thinking, putting them into Witness Protection. Jacob is smart but he can't find anyone that will help him unless that person has a life sentence that they would want to serve." William told Evan and Tanya as they began to process everything.

They both nodded and then looked at me.

"This is why you've been so quiet?" Tanya asked me, her voice low. I nodded shamefully.

Can't protect your own daughter, what the fuck is wrong with you? A voice shouted at me in my head. I heard nothing from anyone as I just left the building.

I wasn't in the right mind. I didn't want to think about all the things I could have done to make sure this didn't happen.

Jace must hate me. I thought to myself. I hope he did. If I had only just waited to see what was going on... or maybe if I had....

NO. He didn't let me know. I knew why he did it, I completely understood but it was the fact that I know he was watching from afar.

I rubbed my temples and sat on the bench that was on the side of the building. Sighing, I placed my head in my hands and thought about how I was going to get my family back without Jacob doing something irrational that could make me lose both of them.

I felt someone sit next to me. As I was lifting my head, I heard them speak.

"Meet me at the Pier in Santa Monica at midnight Friday." The female voice said. It was vaguely familiar but I nodded either way. The person left and I put my head back down.

Friday was three days from now.

• • Friday • •

Zander and William had decided that I shouldn't be involved in the case anymore because they didn't want me to get too emotional. Jace was the only who thought that it was stupid but he also understood where they were coming from.

I took a sip of my coffee as William came downstairs, the case files in his hand and a small smile on his face. And being the emotional piece of crap I was, I decided not to talk to him.

He sighed and before he could even reach for my shoulder, I had stepped away from his grasp and out of the door. I couldn't do it.

I wanted to know how things were going about MY daughter and they made a decision for me. I seethed in anger as I got into my car and drove towards the one place I knew would bring me peace.

The sun kissed my cheeks gently, I welcomed it. The cliffs that started it all. The love. The memories. The pain. The hurt. I kind of missed the way that things used to be. The smell of the ocean calmed my nerves as I thought about everything going on.

My daughter and aunt kidnapped by a sociopath, my not-so-missing/dead boyfriend and baby daddy was back in my life and lastly, I was wary of my relationship.

With Jace being back, Will has been uptight, not coming home and whenever he does come, he sleeps on the couch with a game on the TV and three beers at his feet. The fact that those two were friends and now, one is with me and the other one isn't.

"You think too hard." A very familiar voice said. My heart completely stopped and my mouth stopped open.

I shook my head at the thought of them being in front of me when I had seen their body right in front of me, I saw the brightness not come back to their eyes. I grieved. I lost a piece of me with them.

"Frankie?"

Author's note:

Hello loves. It's been a while. Life has been crazy. Job changes, wedding planning, little man growing up quicker than I would like and I wanted to apologize for not being as frequent with the updates.

Anyways, please check out my other stories. Sinner, Lion and the Lamb and a new story I'm working on called The Usual are all in the works for updates.

Thanks for being super patient with me,

X