“And you just randomly knew where the antidote was?”
Arianna laughed. “No, you silly man! I helped make the thing!”
“You what!”
“Not all of us are made for combat, Kieran.” Arianna told him. “So Abel finds better uses for us. Turns out I am much better in the lab surrounded by science.” She laughed again. “I’m a total nerd.” She pointed. “She’s waking up.”
“Elena?”
“Kieran?” Elena sat up. Reaching a hand up. Touching his cheek. “What happened?”
“They drugged you again, Elena.”
“They what?” Elena started. “How? Oh God, I didn’t hurt you did I?” And she stopped. Blinking. “Wait. My mother. She shot me. Wait! She fucking drugged me!” Elena jerked her head up. And stopped. Her head suddenly spinning. “Oh God, I think I’m going to be sick.” She blinked again. “They told me to kill you.”
“Yes they did.” Kieran whispered. “I did everything I could, Elena. I tried reasoning with you. I tried to make you remember everything, and when that didn’t work I remembered something Diana said. I remember what she said about love. About human emotion. About it being a weakness. And when I told you that I loved you, you broke free of it.”
“Only, it almost killed me.” Elena whispered. “If I wouldn’t work for him. I was dead.” She whispered. “He made the drug lethal.”
“Fortunately, Arianna here, came just in time. She saved your life, Elena.”
“Arianna?” Elena stared at her sister. Stopping and raising a hand. Touching her sister’s arm. “You’re okay?” she whispered.
“I’m okay. We’re both okay.” Arianna whispered. Clasping her sister’s hand. “You know you’re crazy though, right?”
Elena laughed. “Tell me something I don’t know.” She pushed herself to her feet, wobbling a little. Grabbing Kieran’s arm for support. Staring around her. Listening to the silence. “Where is everyone?”
Arianna shrugged. “I don’t know. Everyone was all suited up in vests. Had these rifles, and left, just before Abel did.”
“He mentioned something about unfinished business.” Kieran told her.
Elena stopped.
“Wait.” She whispered, holding out a hand. “What is it that Abel wants more than anything else in the world?”
“To destroy the world. To rule the world.”
“And what’s stopping him from doing just that?”
“Besides you?”
Elena smacked Kieran on the shoulder. “Kieran, I’m being serious!”
“Ow!” Kieran rubbed his arm. “So was I.” And he stopped. They looked at each other.
“The president.” They uttered in unison.
“Now, that is just scary.” Arianna muttered from beside them.
Elena ignored her. “Kieran, he’s going to try to kill the president again. We have to stop him!”
“Oh God!” Kieran reached in his pocket, grabbing his cell phone.
It rung right in his hand.
“Luis?” he gasped into the phone. “We have a problem. We need you. Where are you?”
“As always, I’m one step ahead of you, Kieran.”
The sound of a plane sounded high above them.
Kieran lifted his head.
Watching as the plane came into sight, and Luis could be seen through the windshield at the pilot seat.
“The fucking bastard.” He muttered, grabbing Elena by the hand. “Come on, we have to go.”
They raced through the facility, bursting through the arms of the entrance. A loud, beeping sound sounding in their ears.
Kieran’s hand tightened around hers.
And they stopped, watching as a ladder suddenly fell down from the plane.
“Arianna, you go first!” Kieran told her.
Arianna stared at him a second.
Then she grabbed the ladder and started climbing.
“Elena—“
“Kieran. Go.” Elena whispered, dropping his hand from hers.
“Elena—“
“Just go, Kieran!” Elena screamed. Backing away from him. “There’s something I have to do.” And she spun on her heel. Turning and racing away from him.
“Elena!”
She heard him scream her name, but she ignored him. Running back into the facility. Racing into the chemical room and picking up a canister of gasoline.
“This place is going to go up in flames, if it’s the last thing I do.” She whispered. Running around the building. Pouring the gasoline around it. And stopping, lighting the match she’d taken from Luis’s cabin. Watching as the flame lit up in front of her.
And she turned, racing out the front doors.
“Kieran, now!” she screamed, racing towards the plane.
“Luis!” Kieran cried. “Wait. She’s coming.” He turned his head. Watching as she raced towards the ladder. Holding out a hand. “Elena! Grab my hand!” he shouted.
Elena raised her head. Staring at him.
“Now! Grab my hand!” he shouted again, he whispered. Watching as the plane started to fly over the cliff. “And jump!”
Elena stared up at him. Into those bright blue eyes of his.
And she jumped.
Kieran leaned forward.
His hand wrapping around hers.
And she felt him pull her up, and right into his arms.
Elena sighed. Leaning against him. Staring below her. Watching as the facility went up in flames.
“It’s done.” She whispered. “It’s gone, forever.”
“Yes. Yes it is.” Kieran whispered in her ear. “You realize though, that you’re going to give me a heart attack, don’t you?”
“I’m going to give you a heart attack?” Elena rolled her eyes. “Dammitt, Kieran, what about me! Dammitt, you left me! You left me to die for me!” she touched a hand to his cheek. “I almost lost you, Kieran.”
“Well, what matters, is that we’re both alive.” Kieran told her. Staring at her, as they swayed on the ladder. “And now, we have one last thing to take care of.”
“Save the president.” Elena whispered, laying her head on his shoulder. The wind whipping around them. Brushing against her hair. “Again.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“You realize that you both are insane, right?” Luis turned his head, narrowing his eyes on them as Kieran and Elena climbed into the plane. “Especially you, dumbass.” He pointed a finger at Kieran.
“Me?” Kieran dropped into the seat behind Luis, and feigned shock. “Why am I insane? Why am I a dumbass?”
“Because you decided all by your lonesome, to go face Abel by yourself!” Luis shouted, turning in his seat and punching Kieran hard in the arm. “What the hell were you thinking, Kieran! You could have gotten yourself killed!”
“Ouch!” Kieran winced, rubbing his arm. “Dammitt, Luis!”
“Good, I’m glad it hurt!” Luis shouted. “Dammitt, Kieran, I don’t know what I would have done if you had died.” He shook his head, turning his head, staring off into the distance at the bright blue sky. “You’re all I have.”
Kieran swallowed. Staring at his friend. Then at the rest of the people in the plane. Suddenly feeling very self-conscious, as he realized that he was no longer alone. He was no longer that little boy who only had himself to rely on. He had people who cared about him. People who loved him.
“I know.” He finally said. “I know, it was stupid, but I didn’t think I had another choice. I didn’t want to watch anyone else I care about suffer.”
“Only, we both almost died.” Elena whispered from the seat next to him. Raising a hand, she watched it shake and closed her eyes. God, she was still weak, she thought to herself. She never, ever, ever wanted to feel like that ever again.
“Oh, Elena, I am so sorry!” Kieran cried. Turning to her. “Trust me that is the last thing I ever wanted.”
“Oh Kieran, I’m not mad.” Elena whispered, turning her head to look at him. “Because I understand. I unders
tand why you did it, because I was going to do the exact same thing.”
“You were what!”
The voices chorused around her, and she winced, shaking her head. Staring around her at the people in the small plane. Some she’d known her whole life. Some who she had just met, and she felt tears cloud her eyes.
“I was going to leave, but you beat me to it.” She whispered, turning, staring at Kieran. “I have been fighting this fight for a long time. I have lost so much, without even realizing how much I’ve lost. I remember being this young, joyous young girl so full of life before everything was taken from me. Before my family was destroyed. Before my life was destroyed. Before I was turned into a killer.” She bowed her head, staring down at her hands. “For so long, I didn’t even know what had happened to me. I didn’t even know who I was. I was kept in the darkness, under this drug forced to take orders, thinking that’s what I needed to do. But I didn’t. I didn’t need to follow orders. I didn’t need to kill all those people. I wasted so much time. Time that could have been spent saving so many people.” She shook her head. “It wasn’t until I saw Tori again that I realized that I had to stop this. I had to stop the violence. The madness, because I didn’t want her or any of the people I care about in any more danger. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing anyone else. I didn’t want her there, witnessing the moment our father was out of our lives once and for all, and I thought there was only one way to do it. My way.”
“Elena, you have to stop protecting us.” Torianna rose to her feet, and crouched down in front of Elena. Taking her hands in hers. “I love you for it, but Elena, we’re not little kids anymore. You can’t be the hero to us anymore. We have to fight our own battles. This was done to all of us and we all have a right to be part of it. We have a right to be part of taking him down. We have to.”
“We have to stick together.” Arianna whispered, walking up to them, and crouching down next to Torianna. She stared up at Elena. “I’ve lost you both once. I can’t even think about losing you again.”
Tears ran down Elena’s cheeks. She pulled one of her hands free of Torianna’s and held a hand out. Touching Arianna’s cheek. “I thought I’d lost you. I thought I’d lost both of you.”
“We’re together again.” Torianna whispered. “That’s all that matters.”
“And you need your rest.” Kieran interjected. Hating that he had to interrupt their family reunion. But Elena was looking way too beat up. Way too warn out. And he was afraid that any emotions she was feeling would send her back into a cardiac arrest.
He held out a hand. “Come on.”
“Kieran—“Elena protested.
“Don’t you dare protest.” Kieran told her, glaring at her. “You almost died!”
“He’s right, Elena.” Arianna whispered. “You need your rest. You’re heart took a toll today. Go with him. We’ll be here when you wake up.”
“Ah, I hate to break up this party here.” Luis butted in. “But would someone like to tell me where we’re going?”
“D.C.” Kieran and Elena said at the same time. “Abel’s on his way to kill the president.”
“And of course, we have to be the ones to stop him.” Luis muttered under his breath, turning his head back to the sky, and focusing on flying.
Kieran pulled Elena to her feet, and walked her towards the back of the plane, opening the door in there that lead to a small room with a small bed inside.
“Where did Luis get this thing?” Elena muttered, as she sat on the bed.
“That’s something that only Luis knows.” Kieran whispered, taking a seat next to her, and putting his arm around her. “I’m sorry I had to pull you away from your sisters.” He whispered, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “I know you only just got them back.”
“I’ll see them later.” Elena whispered, leaning forward and laying her head on his shoulder.
“I can’t believe I almost lost you.” Kieran whispered, his voice a little on the rough side. “I seriously thought I was doing the right thing. I never thought I would put you in danger like that. If you had died, I never would have forgiven myself.”
“I’m okay, Kieran.” Elena whispered. “We’re all okay.”
“Yes. But now we have to go and save the president.” Kieran whispered. “Elena, you do realize that your father, mother, and aunt are all going to be there, right? That you might have to kill them in order to save the president? In order to save the country?”
“I know.”
“Do you think you can do it?”
Elena opened her eyes, pulling away from him.
Then she turned, staring right at him.
“Kieran, none of them have been my family for a very long time. My father has made me into something I never wanted to be. My mother lied to me. Made me believe she was dead for years, only to come back and almost kill me. My aunt, she was the master mind behind everything. She took away my sisters. She ruined everything. Can I kill any of them?” a smile crossed her face. “You bet your ass I can.”
Kieran stared at her for a moment.
Watching her. And once again, thinking that she had to be the strongest, bravest woman he had ever met.
She had been through hell.
The people she had trusted had let her down in a very big way.
He couldn’t imagining your whole family turning their back on you.
He’d had enough trouble with just his father abandoning him.
And deep down, he wondered, if Elena was lying to herself.
If she was trying so hard to convince herself that she could kill them.
Because they were her family.
They were her flesh and blood.
And if there was one thing he had learned about Elena, it was that family was one of the most important things to her.
“Come here.” He whispered.
She turned to him.
He pulled her in his arms, laying down on the bed with her. Listening to the sound of her breathing.
“Promise me you’ll be here when I wake up this time.” She whispered.
“I’m not going anywhere.” He whispered back.
He watched her. His heart melting at the smile that spread across her face, just before she fell asleep in his arms.
And he lay there, his arms wrapped around her, listening to her sleep. All the while thinking of what lay ahead for them, and wondering if any of them would come out of this alive.
Chapter Forty
The plane dived downward.
The wheels hit the turf, landing with a hard thud.
Elena jerked awake.
“Kieran?” she whispered, turning to look at him. “What’s happening?”
“We’re landing.” Kieran whispered, wincing, his arms tightening around her as the plane started to gain speed, then slowed. “Luis was never good at the landing part.” He sat up on the bed and waited until the plane came to a complete stop. Then he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her to her feet. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“To stop this once and for all.” He whispered, pulling open the door and walking down the aisle of the plane.
He stopped at the end of the aisle.
“Still working on that landing, Luis?” he asked, a wry grin spreading across his face.
“Hey, at least I didn’t crash!” Luis protested, rising from the seat, and stretching. “Damn. It’s been a long time since I’ve flown this thing. I’m surprised I even remember how.”
“It’s like riding a bike.” Kieran muttered under his breath, reaching above him and pulling the door open.
The door swung open, revealing bullet proof vests.
“Everyone is wearing one of these.” His eyes scanned the room. “Everyone.” His eyes landing on Elena.
“Why are you looking at me?”
“Maybe because you’re stubborn.” Torianna whispered.
“Bull headed?” Arianna added.
“And takes risks when she
shouldn’t?” Luis added.
Elena glared at them. Crossing her arms in front of her chest. “I hate you all.”
“No you don’t.” Kieran told her, handing the vests out. “You love all of us.” And he watched as they all fastened them on before putting his own on. “Now come here.” He turned and walked down the aisle to the bedroom he and Elena had just been in. He opened a cabinet above the bed, revealing a collection of guns.
“Oh, wow.” Elena whispered, staring up at them. “You guys are prepared, aren’t you?”
“You never know just what might happen.” Luis told her, reaching up, and grabbing a gun. Checking the safety. “Go ahead, grab what you want.”
Elena reached up, her hands wrapping around a small revolver. She shoved it in the small of her back. Then she picked up a knife, sliding it into her boot. “Okay.” She whispered, staring around her. “How are we going to do this?”
“Well the white house is heavily guarded.” Kieran whispered, turning and staring around at them.
“Unless if they’ve already been taken down.” Arianna whispered.
“She has a point.” Luis muttered. “We’re a little late to the party, Kieran.”
“Then I guess we should get going, shouldn’t we?” Kieran reached a hand up, pushing a button.
The door next to him swung open, and stairs appeared below the plane.
“Umm, I hate to be the bearer of bad news.” Arianna held up a hand. “But I really am not so great at this whole fighting thing.”
“I know.” Kieran whispered, his hand shooting out, grabbing her by the arm. “That’s why you’re not going.”
“What?” Elena grabbed Kieran by the arm. “Kieran, she has to go with us.”
“No. She can stay here.” Kieran told her, pointing towards the plane. “And she can tell us exactly what she sees with these.” He held out a hand. Showing several ear coms. “Plus, if any of us get injured we can come back here and she can help. I’ve seen what she can do.”
“You’re sure you’re okay with this?” Elena whispered, staring at her sister.
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