Chapter 5. 14th June 2010 – Springfield Virginia.

Chapter 5.

14^th June 2010 – Springfield Virginia.

The SUV sped through the streets of Springfield, the darkness of the day's events paired with the darkness of night clawing at the bumper, taunting at the occupants, daring them to step out into its deathly embrace. I sat flanked in the rear, wide eyed, nervously chewing on my bottom lip and ringing my hands. All too soon the scenery changed from tall apartment blocks, to highways dotted with sparse forest before finally rejoining civilisation. Store lined streets, dwarfed by smaller apartment buildings and ultimately the tree lined suburban lanes that would be our salvation.

The SUV came to a stop outside a small condo. Red bricks and white slat boards adorned the outside, white columns created a long porch way the length of the front of the house. A black suburban sat in the driveway with two men in the front, one had a cell phone to his ear, while the other looked over at us. Along the street two more men sat conspicuously in a town car. I shook my head, and chuckled to myself, so much for being able to keep a low profile, even my blind old gran could spot these agents. 

"Sit tight for a minute," said Edward from my side, "we need to check out what's been set up."

I nodded in silent acquiescence, as Jasper and Edward excited the SUV and strolled to the Suburban. After a hushed conversation with the two agents inside, they stepped into the house, presumably to check it was safe. I shrugged to myself, not used to this much attention and certainly not keen on being under what appeared to be house arrest. A short while later they reappeared from the back of the house having satisfied themselves that it was as safe as it could be and motioned for Emmett to escort me inside. The two agents from the Suburban joined us in the kitchen.

"Ok Bella, this is where we leave you, Agents Tyson and Henry will remain with you in the house." Edward continued, "There's two more guys down the street and there's an emergency button by the phone. The house is alarmed, so you should be fine.”

I nodded to confirm I'd heard him, while glancing at my new surroundings. I wanted to be here just as much as Angela would want to be in hospital at this moment. 

Suck it up Swan, swallow some cement and get hard for fuck sake.

Without further ado, Edward and his team left and I watched from the front door as the Black SUV peeled off from the front drive and disappeared into the night. Agent Henry stood beside me like a sentinel, I hoped that he wasn't going to stick so close to me that it would get oppressive, it was bad enough being out of the loop as it was.

"I'm gonna head to bed, unless there's anything else" I said to the agents, before heading up the stairs to the master bedroom.

I didn't think that I would be able to sleep, but the weight of the day's events, paired with my injuries, brought on a sudden all encompassing tiredness and I drifted into an unconscious state the moment my head met the pillow.

**********

15^th June 2010 – Springfield Virginia.

I woke late in the evening of the following day, feeling somewhat restless, and very disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings. It took me a number of minutes to register where I was on opening my sleep fused eyes.

Glancing at the clock on the nightstand it was nearing 7pm, I'd obviously been more tired than I thought, having slept the whole day, not even stirring for meals or the bathroom. After a quick shower and finding some clothes in the closet, I headed down the stairs to the kitchen. Agents Tyson and Henry were sat at the table drinking coffee and chatting. The house was silent except for them. I walked to the counter and helped myself to a much needed coffee before sitting down. I sat in silence, quietly observing the two agents; they were both young, similar in age to me, no doubt straight out of the farm. I'm sure they were no doubt good at what they do, but would've felt so much better with perhaps at least one older agent on babysitting detail, I didn't feel safe, something felt wrong, but  couldn't put my finger on it.

"Miss Swan, the ‘DO’ wants you to check in as soon as you're ready, there's a secure line over there," said Tyson, the elder of the two young agents, I guessed that he had superiority and nodded to him, before walking across the kitchen to call Phil Dwyer.

"Sir? This is Bella Swan," I spoke quietly

"Ms Swan, I'm glad you're safe, now then down to business, I'm afraid you're going to have to lay low for a while, it appears that we have a situation here..." he started before the line went dead.

"Sir?" I tried the line a few time, but couldn't even get a dial tone, something was wrong. I looked over at the two agents, concern etched across my face.

"The lines dead," I stated.

Tyson looked at me speculatively, cocking his head to the side, considering what I had said. Suddenly there was a loud explosion from in front of the house, I jumped, taken by surprise, Agent Henry told me to stay there and insisted I hit the panic button, while he and Agent Tyson went to investigate what was going on. I pushed the button then backed away from the doorway, glancing around the room for anything that could help, a weapon, a hiding place, but came up empty, I eyed the glass doors, but quickly realised they were locked. I leant up against the kitchen wall, partly to hold myself up, but mostly in hope that I could maybe just blend in, I hoped that back up was close and that I'd make it out in one piece, but at that moment that very thought pretty much went to shit as the tell tale thud of gunfire sounded at the front of the house, my final line of defence was now down to me.  

'I'm fucked'

"Shit" I muttered to myself.

I pressed myself closer to the wall, holding my breath with my hand firmly clasped across my mouth in fear that I would be heard.

"Bellaaaaaaaa," a male voice called.

My eyes went wide in fear, knowing that Agents Tyson and Henry must be dead, I steeled myself, a sudden shot of adrenalin surged through me, I grit my teeth in determination.

"D-don't c-come n-near m-m-me," I responded.

"Don't be like that Bellaaaaaa, we're going to be great friends," he replied, I could sense his sinister undertone.

"N-n-nooooo," I cried, as the giant man ran at me, tackling me to the floor. I kicked and punched and screamed beneath him, but it egged him on further.

"Don't fight Bella, although I admit this is most enjoyable, I don't have the time right now," He grinned at me.

I cringed as he stroked my face; his hot breath blew across my cheek as he spoke to me. 

"So pretty, we have such wonderful plans for you," he sneered at me.

I managed to get a leg free from beneath him and connected my knee to his groin, he let out a feral growl and rolled away as I sprung to my feet and darted from the kitchen.

"You little slut!" he bellowed, while writhing on the floor.

I'd barely reached the front room before my assailant had regained his feet and I felt him slam into me from behind, throwing me across the room, where I landed painfully, my back taking the full brunt of the fall and splintering the coffee table beneath me. I groaned in pain, the wind effectively knocked out of me, as the large man grabbed me around the throat and rammed me against the wall, I gasped in his grip, staring pleadingly into his dark angry eyes. My breaths were coming in shallow gasps, as I fought to remain conscious, but it was all in vain as he thumped me in the jaw and I slumped, succumbing to the oblivion.

*****

Felix heaved her body over his shoulder and stepped out into the night.

Lifting his cell to his ear, he spoke quickly on his way back to his SUV. "I have her.” Before clicking his cell closed.

*****

I was lulled into consciousness some time later, by steady rocking and the low hum of a car radio. I squinted my eyes trying to make out the fuzzy shape of the person driving but saw nothing but the back of the seat. I tried in vain to wipe my eyes only to find my hands were bound behind me and that I was lying uncomfortably in the back, pressed up against a large metal lock box and a wheel brace. I groaned uncomfortably, needing to stretch my legs. My neck cracked with my movement and I winced in pain, perhaps a massage would help, but it's unlikely I'd be getting one soon, if ever.

A number of hours later, the SUV came to a slow steady stop, I could just make out that it was dark, I could hear the steady patter of rain on the roof of the vehicle, the DJ on the radio was talking about a baseball game, I could smell grease, hair gel and after shave, a hint of mint and sugar. The sound of a door opening then closing was soon followed by crunching of rock underfoot, and then the trunk opened and torchlight was waved in my face.

"Ah sleeping beauty is awake, hello princess, you and I need to have a talk, get acquainted some," the man said.

I cringed, I didn't want to get acquainted with him, I wanted to go home, get on with my life and stay the hell out of the way.

"Now then princess are you going to be a good girl for me?" the large man grunted.

I flinched under his stare; my eyes wide in fear, my body trembled as he leant towards me and dragged me from the back of the SUV. The rocky ground scraped against my knees, as I was dragged out into nearby woodland. The fine rain soaked into my clothes, my skin glistened with the moisture, intermingling with my tears. I sobbed into the gag around my mouth. My mouth dry from hours of being stuffed in the back of the SUV and unwillingly being forced to suck on the dirty cloth.

I was unceremoniously dropped, the darkness preventing me from gaining any knowledge of where we were. Fear had a strangle hold on me and I felt that I would die of fright at any given second. I could hear murmuring all around me, heavy footsteps to my rear, I was surrounded by large foreboding trees, their shadows casting an eerie dominance across the ground. I curled into a ball, my arms strained in their bonds behind me, I could smell the rain, it used to be soothing, but now it just felt like a freezing death. I prayed he would just shoot me, or let me go, I would tell no one if he asked it, but I knew I couldn't bargain with this man. He'd killed four agents without batting an eye; he'd taken me from a safe house, ha! What a joke, safe house my arse! Now I was out on my own, in the middle of who the fuck knows where, with a silent killer who held my life in his hands and had no way of knowing when my last second would be.

I shrunk into myself, thinking of everything I had achieved, I thought of Renee and Phil, thought of Charlie back in Forks. How proud he was when I graduated from MIT, how he told the guys down the station that his little girl was head hunted by the CIA! That's right, the CIA. How I'd cracked that case in Seattle, the promotion to Senior Analyst and Ben and Angela's engagement. I thought back to missed opportunities, the cute guy at the lodge last time I went home, the blind date Angela had set up with that awkward kid from IT. Angela! She'd looked so frail, so broken in the hospital, but she would get better, the injuries would heal and she'd get her happy ever after with Ben. I sobbed; there would be no happy ending for me, for all I knew I was going to die right now in the middle of nowhere and at the hands of the big crazy man behind me.

No I was not going to feel sorry for myself, so I'd not completed all of my goals, but I'd made an impact in my chosen life, I'd proven myself in my field, I'd stood up for my country and I would die with honour. I may not want to die right now, but that didn't mean that I wouldn't do so proud for what I was. A new determination filled me; I moved to my knees, straightened my back and looked on my captor with a face that said, 'you may have bested me, but you'll never beat me'. I was ready to take whatever came, with pride and honour.

****

The large man stood by a tree, mumbling into his cell phone, he raked his hand through his hair with agitation. Demetri had said this woman had knowledge of what they were planning and could also prove to be a useful source of Intel, which they could use to further their plans. Felix however felt she was nothing more than a waste of air. An unnecessary stumbling block, she was in the way and as far as he was concerned the sooner she was dead the sooner they could complete the mission and move on.

He groaned into the cell phone, angry that he was being forbidden from disposing of her, this was the perfect spot, woodland for miles, hell he wouldn't even need to make a clean kill, her blood would draw predators in and they'd eat her alive. He grinned at the image that appeared in his head, it would only take a few cuts, perhaps he'd break one of her legs so that she had limited mobility too, if she didn't bleed out, she'd maybe starve to death or succumb to the elements the possibilities pleased his twisted mind. But no Demetri wanted her. He huffed with annoyance, and strode over to her, she'd risen from the floor and was eyeing him with a defiant glint, perhaps she wasn't a complete waste, and perhaps he could have some fun.

****

I glared at him, I'd heard him literally begging to kill me, but he'd been denied it seemed. However, the wicked glint in his eye told me, my nightmare wasn't over, I forced myself to sit taller, pushed my chin out in defiance and dared him to kill me, for I was not going to crumble and tell him or anyone else anything, I am a patriot and I will fight for my country. He growled at me, his face literally inches from my own.

"Now then princess, what makes you so special that my bosses want you alive?”

"I'm not telling you anything, I'll die first.”

I cocked my head at him a smirk across my lips, mission 'piss off the big guy' in full effect. He ground his teeth and glared at me, before backhanding me across the cheek. My head shot sideways with the force of it, blood pooled inside my mouth and I spat it out before righting myself in front of him, a look of absolute defiance across my face.

"Fuck you" I spat.

He kicked me forcefully in the stomach and I fell back against the leaf covered ground, the breath knocked out of me, I gasped in pain, but grit my teeth and forced myself to sit back up.

"Is that all you have, arsehole?" I smirked.

He blew out a breath in anger, before kicking me again, I fell back, sure that he'd broken a rib this time.

"Stay down if you know what's good for you," he sneered into my ear.

I gasped for air, struggling to gain my balance to right myself, I fixed him with a glare, 

"What if I don't, it's not like you're allowed to kill me.”

****

Felix stomped back over to the trees and leant against one to regain his composure, she was proving to be an insufferable bitch and he wanted nothing more than to put her out of her (his) misery. He turned back to her to see her still struggling to right herself, he walked over and grabbed her under the arm and dragged her back to the SUV, forcibly throwing her into the trunk, where she smashed her head into his lockbox. Serves her right if it knocks her out. The more he thought about it, if she was unconscious it would be better for him, he didn't think he could put up with her crap all the way to Port Angeles.

Bella groaned, her head was throbbing, she was in agony from his kicking her in the ribs. She was second guessing herself over defying him, was all the pain really worth it, No she couldn't think like that, the pain was nothing if she could find a way of stopping these sickos, it would be worth it. She would take whatever they had to throw at her.

Felix loomed over her, an evil sneer plastered over his face, he grabbed her arm roughly and stuck her with a needle, forcing the plunger all the way down. The heavy concoction of barbiturates would keep her sedated and he would get the peace he craved. Bella eyed him woozily, her vision blurred, her tongue felt like cotton, she wondered if he'd finally decided to kill her, this was the end, her final thought as she slipped into unconsciousness was that she hadn't stopped them, and that she had failed.