Secret Deception (Jonathan Black's Love Story)

Chapter 21: Transposition

Standing before the President of the United States, Justin Cole next to Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan, Alexia's second in command and the acting director of the FBI. Watching him look over all of the evidence and the video Alexia presented to the courts made my stomach twist into knots. We were wasting time.
"Mr. Black." President Cole said looking up from the video.
"Your fiancee has done many incredible things for this country in the 9 years she's been with the FBI and in my nearly 8 years in the presidency I have never known her to be anything less than precise in her arguments and in this case it's no different.
"What has been presented to me is easily enough evidence to overturn your conviction. Alexia may have been willing to accept the pardon just to get you out of prison but I'm not."
He took the pardon and sent it through the shredder. My heart sank.
"As I know that time is of the essence I won't send you back to court. As President of the United States, I hereby release you from Attica Correctional Facility with an apology from the entire United States legal system and will wipe this conviction from your record. You're a free man, Mr. Black. Find her and bring her home." He smiled at me.
"Thank you, Mr. President."
Derek placed his hand on my shoulder shaking me from my daze. We had to find Lexa.
Standing in the Archive watching Penelope and Spencer analyze the video that was streamed to Jonny of Lexi. To me there wasn't any way to find her from the video. It took Penelope and Spencer over six hours to drive to New York. Cheaper for the government but it gave us only 18 hours to find her. Alexia is only five foot seven and six hours is three feet of water.
The door to the Archive opened and Derek walked in and my heart dropped, where was Jonny. Just before I could speak Jonathan walked into the room.
"So, what happened?" I asked trying to keep my voice even.
"I've been released." Jonny said and I just kind of looked at him.
"Like to help us find Lexi or?"
"No Cam. It's over."
I couldn't help but rushing over to hug my brother.
"She did it." I muttered.
"Yeah, she did. Now we need to bring her home." He pulled back from me.
"We can't tell much from this video." Spencer spoke up from the table.
"All we know is that it's underground and it's in New York."
"How can you tell that?" Jonny asked.
"It's underground because all of the light is artificial. There's no sun coming in from anywhere and nearly all of the buildings in New York have at least one window. Also the stone back wall and floor. You don't see that above ground." He explained.
"As for being in New York, listen to this."
He pressed play on the video. I saw her bruised face. My heart broke. She's always been so strong and I always hated seeing her hurt.
Underneath that I heard a train horn and the muffled sounds of Grand Central Station.
Water lapped up against my face pulling me from the depths of my unconsciousness. I shook my head and dipped beneath the water which fully woke me. I tried to sit up but barely scraped the floor with my foot. I forced myself to stand up was standing in five feet of water. Looking around I saw that I was still in the plexiglas room, the chains still pulling on my wrists as the slow steady stream of water disrupted the calm water. My Swarovski crystal bracelet still hanging from my wrist had a silver bar connector I could use to pop the locks on my chains in true Cameron Black style. Once they were off I tried to swim over to the door. The pain shooting through my torso made it impossible for me to raise my arms above my head. I managed to walk to where the door was only to discover that it was welded shut. I slammed my fist as hard as I could against the seams but the door didn't budge.
Cameron and I walked around Manhattan trying to figure out where Alexia could be hidden. Underground didn't really help in New York but Grand Central Station did narrow it down a little. Knowing this Mystery Woman and her obsession with Cameron and I she had to be keeping her somewhere that meant something to us, but where?
"Didn't she bring you to New York on your first New Year's together?" Cameron asked.
"Yeah we stayed at The Langham on Fifth Avenue."
"That's close, right?"
"Yeah, it's like 5 minutes that way." I pointed to our left.
"Should we check that out?"
"Yeah. We don't have any better leads."
Walking into the hotel it occurred to me that neither Cameron nor I had any authority to ask them anything. Cameron sensed my apprehension and nodded in a 'follow my lead' way and since he was always better with people I followed him.
"Hello, sirs. How may I help you today?" A young woman with sparkling emerald eyes and long layered auburn hair asked us in an Italian accent.
"My brother and I were hoping to enquire about booking some rooms for the week of his wedding but we haven't been able to find any information about any basement facilities or anything, his fiancee wanted to have a very private rehearsal and we wanted to assure her that there would be no windows that the paparazzi could get pictures from." Cameron smiled that charming smile.
"Congratulations on your engagement, Mr..."
"Black. Jonathan Black." I answered.
"Unfortunately our basement isn't furnished. As a matter of fact no one's been down there all year. May I recommend the Waldorf Astoria, or Andaz 5th Avenue - a concept by Hyatt, both are very close and might have the facilities you need. I apologize we are unable to assist you."
"Thank you very much. We'll talk with Lexi and she'll decide what's best. She just asked us to do some of the leg work." Cam smiled at her again.
"Yes. Thank you for your time."
I called the FBI office and pitched our idea to Derek and Kay while Jonathan drove back to the Archive.
"It'll take time to get a warrant to go down into that basement. Derek is on his way to the courthouse now." Kay said.
"How long?" I asked.
"An hour. Maybe more."
I sighed and looked at the clock.
"We're cutting this close Kay."
"We'll find her, Cameron."
I certainly hoped so. Even I couldn't reign in Jonny is Lexi died. They'd never catch him and they'd certainly never hold him.
"Derek is going to the DA for a search warrant but it's going to take some time." I told Jonny once I hung up the phone.
"Time is something we don't have much of, Cam."
"You know we'll find her, right?"
He nodded but I could feel his fear.
"What if we don't?" He asked quietly.
"We will, Jonny. Don't think like that. You get so lost in what ifs. She needs you here. Focus on the now."
The room was slowly filling with the passage of time. I certainly didn't have much left. The water was nearly 3 feet from the ceiling and closing. I could barely tread water with my injuries. My only option to try to float on my back, hoping they could find me before I ran out of air.
I thought back to our first New Year's together. I brought him to New York to watch the Time's Square ball drop and firework show. It was also the first time we slept together. It was about a month after our first official date.
We got a hotel room facing the square. I stood at the sliding door staring out at the sunset when he came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me and nuzzling my neck. I leaned back into him and sighed. He grabbed my arm gently and spun me around and pressed my back against the glass. His lips found mine easily and his hands pressed against the glass on either side of me. My hands came up and rested on his chest before snaking up around his neck, pulling him closer to me. He kissed down to my neck as I clung to him. Slowly we made our way to the bed.
Needless to say we didn't actually watch the ball drop that night.
"We have less than an hour to find her! What is taking so long?" I complained.
"If we're almost certain that she's there why don't we just go get her?"
"I actually have an idea." Cameron said.
Half an hourlater I was walking with Cameron around the lobby of The Langham, while Kay and Mike walked up to the front desk. After a quick conversation the receptionist ran out of the room in search of the manager. Kay turned and gave us the signal. Cameron opened the door to the basement and we descended the stairs.
At the bottom of the staircase was a long hallway with doors, two on each side and one at the end of the hallway. Lexa knows better than anyone that I always followed my gut and right now it was leading me to the door at the end of the hallway.
Cameron didn't bother to question me when I ran towards the door. He followed me but when I tried to open the door but it was locked. Cameron dropped to his knees and began working the lock seemingly knowing that my hands were shaking too much to be able to pick the lock.
When the door popped open and we pushed into the room we saw a large plexiglas box full of water. There were chains floating near the bottom and at the very top Lexa was floating on her back. I panicked and ran forward slamming my fist into the wall of the box. The force of the impact startled her. She took in a breath and pushed off the ceiling and floated down towards me. Her eyes widened when she saw me. She placed her hand on the wall where my fist was.
"I'm going to get you out." I told her.
She nodded.
I pointed to the ceiling to tell her to stay at the top until the water fully filled the box. She kicked weakly back to the top.
I tried the door knowing that she'd already tried. Plexiglas is hard to break as it's some weird mix of plastic and glass. It wasn't bullet proof but neither Cameron nor I had a gun. I glanced around to find something to try and break the glass with. On the floor in front of the box I saw an envelope with her name on it. I picked it up and pocketed it.
I didn't notice Cameron was not beside me until he ran in and slammed an axe against the plexiglas. The wall shook but didn't break.
I glanced up and noticed that Lexa was floating back towards the bottom her eyes closed, no air bubbles coming from her.
"Try where the door was!" I screamed at my brother.
He slammed the axe into the door and a small crack appeared slightly dripping water.
"Let me try."
He handed me the axe and I wretched it back far as I could and hit the door. It broke open at the seams, water pouring out onto the ground. Once the water ran out I ran towards her.
She was face down in the last few inches of water. I flipped her over and tried shaking her, knowing I needed to do more. I began CPR but could feel her already broken ribs move beneath me. I had no idea if this was doing her any good. I felt the tears sting my eyes.
"Please, Lexa. Please wake up. Come back to me. Lexa!"