Brian’s POV

“Don’t worry, I’ll fucking take care of them. Cover me!,” I hissed at Matt, I normally worked back to back with Vee, but Shads and I had enough experience on the field to know every little move of the other, or every hand sign we would give.

“Fine but we need to keep moving. The girls have to be down here somewhere,” Matt replied as we both shot back around the door.

“When I say go, you head to the hallway on the left and I’ll go to the right,” I instructed, firing my gun as a bullets flew over our heads. I knew they had to be here, I could already feel Em’s presence.

“Find the girls and get them out!” Matt didn’t try to discuss anything with me right away, knowing I was in charge on the going operation when it came to this, we were in sync with just one goal.
Finding the girls and get them out, while handing over no mercy to those who took them from us.

“What about—” Matt growled but the rest of his sentence was cut off by the rapid gunfire from my gun. I didn’t matter anyway, he better get the fuck going, so the sooner we would find them.

“GO!” I yelled, pushing Matt toward the hallway to the left. When Matt was out of view and I was sure he was able to handle the situation, I shot the man appearing to my right and dived down to my knees, sliding along the side to the hallway entrance on the right.

I slowly crawled forward, when I heard footsteps I stopped, aiming my gun, and waiting patiently for the guy to arrive. I heard gunfire from the left hallway, but knew Matt was able to handle the situation and concentrated back on my own way.

When the guy ran around the corner, it took me just a second to aim for his head and shoot. He fell to the floor with a loud thud, blood pouring from his head wound, his eyes open and glassy, he was long gone.

I stepped over the dead body and heard some distant screaming, the yelling got even louder, but I couldn’t make out what it exactly was. My heartbeat sped up, afraid it was Emery, but at the same time hopeful that I would soon find her.

I walked near the wall, pressing my back to it and inched step for step forward. I wouldn’t let anyone get to me, now that I was so close to reaching my goal.

A door appeared to my right and I heard a female voice begging “Stop! Please stop!” I felt a violent rage coming over me.

I didn’t know if it was Em or Jo’s voice but no matter which, I would barge in there and killwho ever made that woman sound so full of fear and pain.

Problem was I couldn’t move too quickly and let my guard down, even though I wanted to rip the door open and just shoot whoever was inside. I had to be careful and watch my every step, I couldn’t risk that anything would go wrong, now being so close.

I grabbed the door handle and inched the door open slowly hearing a male voice “Ahh… I love it when you beg, Princess,” he moaned.

I looked back around, making sure no one was sneaking up from behind. I inched the door wider open, I turned back towards the scene before me, how a male was trying to hold someone down, it was a struggle, a fight even. “Do it again…”

“Let me GO!” Em bellowed, and this was the first time I was sure it was her voice. Rage I had never known before consumed me, almost drowning out everything around me.

I saw how the guys struggled on top of her, he shoved his pants down, and Emery’s naked legs were in view. My heart about to stop, my heart stopping even for a second, realizing what was happening here right now right before my eyes.

“Oh, I won’t you let go but I will give you something else…” He said groaning, “Just say those words for me one more time so I can see you officially break!” The foul voice of the guy sounded, while I was in full battle mode, I took a quick serve of vision around the room to make sure no one was in there with him, to shoot me first and then I aimed.

The guy laughed at the muffled screams from Emery, my hand was still, the gun even the trigger feeling like a part of my body. I made sure to aim just right, and then while breathing out I pulled the trigger.

I knew I had hit the mark without any problems, the bullet right through his brain and the blood flew forward the body of the guy motionless dropping down. A shriek sounded and then a moan of pain.

I looked back around, then closed the door after making sure that no one was on their way towards us. I put my gun back into the holster and thenquickly walked to the bed, afraid of what I would see but also unbelievable happy to have found Emery finally, my princess.

I grabbed the guy’s form and lifted it off, throwing the limp body to the floor, feeling a weird need to make sure he was dead and put another and another bullet into his lifeless body, wanting to do much more damage, then giving him the easy way out, but it had to be quickly, so I had to live with this.

Emery lay bleeding and whimpering on the bed, her eyes pressed shut, her body naked and broken. I inhaled sharply at the sight of her, the red marks, the bruises, and afraid to find out, what really had happened here during her lock down.

“Em? Babe” I said slowly nearing the mattress “It’s not real, not real” Emery whimpered “Somewhere else… Beach…at the beach” She clutched her arm, where blood was pouring from a wound.

“Fuck” I quickly ripped the lower part of my shirt in shreds and grabbed Emery’s arm. She tried to pull away whimpering and new tears were falling from her closed eyes.

I crawled closer to her and lifted Emery’s naked form into my lap, she began to hit me and pushed me away “Don’t! I’m begging you!” She whispered and I let my hands run over her face.

“Open your eyes, beautiful. It’s me… Brian. I’m here…I’m sorry I’m so late… I tried…”
Words stuck in my throat and I swallowed thickly, I wanted to cry with her, wanted to cradle her in my arms and never let her go.

Tell her so many things at once, wanted to hold her and secure her against me, wanted to let her know I would never let anything happen to her again, that she was safe now, but the words were burning on my tongue, not finding their way out, at the sheer shock I was seeing her in.

She was being raped, she was being tortured and she seemed to be broken. Every word I would say wouldn’t change a thing of that. No matter how much I loved her and no matter how much I tried to do it right, it wouldn’t be enough, because I was too late, and they had done their damage already.

A new wave of rage and helplessness was coming over me again, the need to kill even more of those guys was impossible to handle but I tried to concentrate back on Emery. And bring her back to the here and now.

“Em? Princess, it’s me… Please open your gorgeous blue eyes, and look at me” I whispered, my hands running over her skin. I looked around trying to find a blanket or some of her clothes, but they lay ripped to shreds on the floor.

“Em? Babe? Do you hear me? Please, look at me.” I tried again and shrugged off the jacket I had on. I pulled the fabric over her shivering frame and then lifted her into my arms. I was starting to feel helpless, she wouldn’t react to me, wouldn’t even recognize it was me speaking to her.

“Hey princess, do you remember when I showed you my favorite spot on the beach? Where we hid from everyone. You know that was the best day in my life, spending time with you there, and even if I didn’t want to admit it back then, I never wanted to go back. I didn’t want to share you.” I said absently, thinking back to that day, those nights we shared.

“Bri-ian?” Em’s head lifted slightly of my arm, her eyes fluttering open. “Yes, it’s me. God, Emery. I’m so sorry. I tried to be here as soon as I could… I’m so fucking sorry.” I rained kisses onto her face, couldn’t believe she finally came back to me.

“He told me you wouldn’t come. You sold me… I didn’t know… I didn’t…” Em stuttered, her eyes glazing over again, her form shivering even more, her teeth shattering together, shock setting in even more now.

I let my hand travel over her hair, trying to sooth her “It’s gonna be alright. I’ll get you out of here, you will be fine. I will never let anything happen to you again. Em, I love you. Never will anything bad happen to you again..” I swore and just realized how easy those important words had slipped out.

I had waited way too long to tell her how I felt and when Em blinked up to me, new tears filled her eyes, her hands grabbing the hem of my shirt in a death grip.

“Don’t go away… please don’t.” She pressed herself to me, and I tried to hold her more firmly in my arms. “I’m not going anywhere… but we need to get out of here, beauty.” I wasn’t sure if she had heard me correctly, or if the shock was still too deep. But I would make sure that later she really registered what I told her, that she was mine. That I wouldn’t let her go, that I loved her.

I walked to the door, with Em in my arms, I knew I needed help to get out of here in one piece. I tried to wrestle my phone from my grip when my heard footsteps outside and muffled voices.

“Shit” I muttered. “Em, listen to me.. I will set you down now, you stay behind me. I am not going anywhere, okay? Just stay behind me and don’t move.” I instructed but when I was about to set her down, she whimpered and clinged to me, that I wasn’t able to get her to safety before the door opened.

I dived down, burying Em carefully under my body, when the door was thrown open and guns pointed at me, “Shit, Gates… We were looking everywhere for you!” Christ put the gun down and turned “He is in here – they are here” Johnny corrected when I scrambled off Em.

“Who is with you?” I asked and the Berry brothers peaked their heads in. “WE HAVE A SITUATION! MEET US AT THE CAR! ASAP! CODE RED!” Jimmy’s shrill voice sounded over Johnny’s mic and I frowned, what did that mean? More people coming? Normally, Code red meant someone was hurt. Did they get to Shads?

“We are moving. We have Gates and Em, they are okay. The area is cleared the Berry’s took the remaining members down” Johnny answered evenly and then walked out.

I grabbed Emery back in my arms, when Jason Berry walked over. He had a blanket in hand and carefully pulled it around Emery, she cringed away from his touch so I took over and wrapped her up completely in my arms so only her head was sticking out.

“Thanks” I nodded to Jason who replied the same way. “Who is hurt?” I asked and Jason shrugged.

“Let’s roll…” Johnny moved forward securing the hall way, while the rest of us followed when Johnny’s mic sounded again “I DON’T FUCKING CARE GET THE BERRY’S OVER HERE! NOW!” Matt’s voice sounded almost hysterical and I swallowed thickly, that meant he was at least okay, leaving only one person who could make him act like this.

“Jo? Where is Jolie?” Em’s small voice sounded, her deep blue eyes staring at me, while big tears never ceased to stop rolling over her cheeks.

“We are going home. I bet she is fine…” I said and Emery shook her head, “Where is she? I need to see her! Brian, let me see her!” She began trashing in my arms which made the running more complicated for me, but I didn’t dare let go of her.

“Ssshhh, it’s gonna be fine. Don’t worry, princess. Why don’t you rest a little” I said as I tried my best to stay calm for Emery. I tried not to show the hatred I felt for this place, the rage that still buzzed through me, the helplessness of the situation.

“You sure you killed everyone?” I asked Matt Berry quietly, and he nodded “Damn sure, you and Shads already had almost everyone, and the escaping ones we took care of. The Gold Vipers are no more.” He confirmed and I nodded.

Emery wiggled in my arms and she tried to look around, I didn’t know what the sight of blood and dead bodies would do to her, so I tried to shield her, her hands were still firmly gripping my shirt, and she whimpered every now and then.

“Don’t look around, love. Close your eyes, this is not for you to see the terror” I said and Emery shook her head “I need to… are they… dead?” She asked and I nodded. “No one will ever get to you again.”

We ran towards the two Van’s parked outside. I climbed into one and the other was filled quickly too. I looked outside the window and saw Matt carrying a seemingly lifeless body out of the door.

He cradled her against his chest, pure shock and despair on his face. Jolie looked pale, way too pale. The Berry’s rushed over, they were the once with a good medical education and training, they helped us out more than once, but I wasn’t sure, if they were really able to help this time.

“Is Jolie there?” Em asked, her voice barely audible. “Yes, love. She is… We will head home now. Don’t worry, you gotta heal for me.” I looked at the makeshift bandage on her arm and saw the dried blood, at least the bleeding head stopped, but the dark circle underneath her eyes and the bruises were still worrying me.

Our Van started driving and so did the other, I prayed to god, which I normally never did that we would all walk out of this alive. I knew what Jolie meant not only to Emery, but to Matt, and if he was losing her now, he would never be the same, we all would never be the same.

I settled Em in the seat beside me, but she crawled back into my lap, “Don’t leave me alone” She whispered, her eyes falling shut. I pulled her even closer “I’m not going away. I’m never leaving you alone” I kissed her forehead and she snuggled into me.

When we reached the compound Emery had passed out, exhaustion paying it’s toll. I got out of the when and Johnny held the door open.

“CLEAR THE WAY! STAY WITH ME JO! DON’T YOU DARE FUCKING LEAVE ME!” Matt yelled, running past all of us with the limp body of Jolie in his arms.
I waited for him and the Berry’s to quickly make an entrance, before getting in behind them.

Emery was nestled in my arms and I quickly took her to my room. I settled her on the bed, when my door opens again and Jimmy poked his head in “Do you need anything? Is she… Is she okay?” Jimmy asked and I felt my mouth run dry.

“I don’t know… She is.. through too much. But...” I sighed “Get me something to disinfect the open wounds, band aid, some water and food. She is too thin… and blankets, more blankets” I said and balled my hands to fists, I could at least treat her physical wounds. I had no idea how to deal with her psychic wounds… I still didn’t know what they exactly did to her, but it looked bad.

“On it” Jimmy left and I pulled the blanket and my jacket away, then grabbed a pair of fresh clothes and carefully dressed her. She didn’t wake once. Jimmy came back and helped me fix up every putter wound we detected.

I heard the yelling in the living room, heard the sound of breaking things, the agonizing scream of Matt over and over again. The begging, the torment, Zack and Matt yelling at each other, the painful yelp of Zack.

When Jimmy entered next I lay with Em cuddled close in my bed “How is she?” I asked and Jimmy looked away “Not good… We don’t know if she will make it. The Berry’s are at their limits… another doc will be here any second, she needs blood…lost too much already, the wound isn’t closing, it’s critical.” Jimmy sighed.

“How is Shads doing?” I asked though I knew what I would be feeling like if Em would be the one on the line. I had gone completely crazy by now.

“Bad, what do you think? Zack tried to distract him, they got in a fight, Matt punched his lights out.” Jimmy shrugged “He knew what he was getting into, but it calmed Matt down at least… Last hope is the doc. Is a friend of The Body and knows about the secrecy and is informed about all supplies needed, if he can’t help her…” Jimmy trailed off and I cursed. “Keep me informed” I said and Jimmy nodded, and slowly closed the door behind him.

My eyes became heavy, but I didn’t dare to fall asleep. Emery began to tossing after a couple of hours. Her breathing heavy, she whimpered every now and then until she began screaming “NO! DON’T PLEASE!” She tried to push me away, her hands flying in the air wildly, hitting my chest, my face, but I didn’t care.

“Ssshhh, hey… Em, my princess. You are safe, it’s me” I tried to calm her down, but she trashed and turned. “Em, open your eyes. You are having a nightmare. It’s nothing more. I’m here!” I repeated her forehead was sweaty, her skin glowing, cheeks red.

Her eyes snapped open “Brian?!” She looked at me like she would see me the first time. I hugged her close. “Yes, Em. It’s me… You are safe.” I whispered again and again.

“I.. I don’t remember… I…” She threw herself at me and I kissed her cheek, pulling her as close to me as possible. “It’s fine. God, Em… I love you”

Jo’s POV

“I. Said. Answer. Me. When. I. Talk. To. You!” I was in and out of consciousness again and again, I welcomed the blackness. I felt weightless, like I was floating. Watching the scene down below from the clouds. But then… I woke up, air in my lungs and the pain cutting deep.

I heard voices, heard some loud banging, doors opening and falling shut, or was it just imagining, what was real and what was just an illusion?

“What weren’t expecting me?” A familiar growl sounded, the knife in my side suddenly gone. I felt the blood pour from my wounds and tried aimlessly to press my hands onto those cuts. But I was just so weak, that I wasn’t even sure my hands were doing what I told them to.

A howl in pain sounded, but not mine this time. I tried to lift my head to see what was happening, but my muscles refused to work.

“Oh… did I hit a nerve? How does it feel? How does it feel!?” Again that familiar voice, but I just wasn’t able to look up “Where are the girls?!”

“I-I-I…” Someone wheezed weakly, wasn’t that the voice of my captor, but what was happening around me? My eyes wanted to fall shut, but I tried to keep them open, knowing once they closed, there wouldn’t be any coming back soon, if at all.

“WHERE ARE THE GIRLS?!” Matt’s voice was clear now. He was angry, yelling, rage consuming him. My Matt, losing his temper, but could that be? Could he be here? That couldn’t, right?

“M-M-Matt?” I said weakly, even though I knew better than to get my hopes up. My mind probably playing a trick on me.

“Jo? Jo— NO! Fuck! Someone help!” Matt gasped, rushing over to me. I lay there helpless, but a smile was slowly forming on my lips, he was here. Either this was a dream, but I didn’t care, as long as I saw his handsome face. Matt’s eyes darted everywhere, his hands and face was full of blood splatters, but I didn’t care, it didn’t seem to be his, and as long as he was fine, so was I.

“No… no… no!” Matt hissed, shaking his head as he pulled me into his arms. Matt moved my body, cradled me close, and wasn’t that the best feeling in the world? His body felt hot, while mine felt like ice. My eyes wanted to fall shut, my hands already shaking from trying to put pressure onto my stomach wounds.

“Fuck…babe…talk to me…” Matt breathed, moving me closer to him, probably to hear me better. I tried to open my mouth and tell him how happy I was to see him. That I knew he would be coming, that I waited every second for him. That I loved him, but the energy slowly left me. I couldn’t form the words.

My eyes finally losing the fight, they drifted closed, while I summoned the last strength I had to touch Matt’s face. He was so handsome, my handsome boss… my breath slower, the energy almost gone.

“M-M-Matt…” I rasped, sucking in a loud shaky breath. “I-I-I knew you-you would come for me...” I whispered in a barely audible tone. I had to let him know, even if I didn’t make it, I had to say this. “I didn’t tell them anything... I-I…. Love….you…” was the last thing I said before everything turned black, and when earlier I welcomed it, now I wanted to go back, but this time… I couldn’t.

I felt pain, so much pain, every time I woke, the pain was almost too much to bear. I felt like I weight a thousand pounds, my limps too heavy to move, even my eyelids wouldn’t cooperate.
I heard voices around me, yelling and something breaking. Familiar voices and some I couldn’t pinpoint right away.

Matt was screaming, I sighed, he was here, with me… thank god. I went back to sleep, and hoped to wake up again soon, but I never knew.

“Ms. Shadows? Can you hear me?” A voice I never heard spoke to me, confusing me. “Ms Shadows? If you can hear me give me a sign” The voice said again.

“Careful! Don’t touch her so roughly” Matt’s voice sounded “I didn’t touch her at all, Sir” A growl sounded “You better watch it” I almost wanted to smile, but even that little twitch of the mouth I couldn’t form.

“What’s her first name?” The voice asked “None of your business” Matt growled and then another familiar voice sounded “Jolie, her name is Jolie” Zack said “Calm the fuck down, Shads. He is here to help”

“Jolie, if you can hear me, please move your hand” The voice said and I tried to move my fingers, but I couldn’t… the voice sounded again, but I couldn’t register the words, and my mind floated away, no fighting possible from my side.

I don’t know how much time passed, and I was slowly thinking I would stay in this state forever. I tried to fight against it, but it wouldn’t do a damn thing. I wanted to answer the people around me, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t move a single muscle… nothing.

“Oh god, Jo” My sisters voice sounded, sobbing and then a soothing male voice I registered as Gates.

“Ssshhh, Em. She will be fine… don’t worry. She just needs to come back to us… talk to her, just let her know you are here.” Gates said calmly and when I felt my sisters warm hand against my colder one, I tried again to move a muscle, to show her I heard her, but nothing. I was slowly getting tired of this game. I didn’t want to lie here and be a burden.

Emery sat by my side, touching my hand, telling stories and I lay still, my mind running on overload, while my body wouldn’t cooperate. I hated myself for this, why didn’t I just wake up? Or sleep forever?!

It went on for a while, me listening in on the people around me, the scream tantrum Matt was having again and again, the soothing words, the hopes, the prayers, but nothing. Just the beeping noise of the heartrate monitor was steady, if slow.

“Hey Jo… Matt finally fell asleep from exhaustion. It was about time, it feels like weeks that he went without closing an eye, you know? And if you don’t want him to continue like that, you should open your eyes soon. He needs you, you know. We all do…” Zack’s voice sounded, he seemed to be sad.

His hand brushed mine “He loves you, more than anything, and if you won’t wake up, it will kill him.” He continued and I felt my eyes fill with tears.

Something ran down my cheek, it tickled, but I couldn’t lift my hand to brush it away. “Holy?! MATT! SHADS! COME OVER!” Zack’s voice raised suddenly and he yelled.

Soon I heard commotion around me “Did she move? What happened? Why did you let me fall asleep?” Matt sounded so exhausted and out of breath at the same time.

“Look” Zack said and I wanted to see what was going on so badly, “She cried…” Matt said.

“What the hell did you do?” Matt demanded and Zack huffed out air “I talked to her you asshat. About you… it’s you she cries about” Zack snapped back and they both exchanged some curse words and mean names, when a hand touched mine, I was sure it was Matt’s.

“Hey baby, I’m here. Do you hear me? I fucking miss you, you know. I need you. Please, god… Jo, wake up… wake up for me, okay?” Another tear slipped from my eyes, I missed him too, I wanted to be with him, hold him.

I took all my strength to blink my eyes open, and with a great effort I finally blinked them open, my head feeling fuzzy and my eyes wouldn’t register anything but brightness.

“Jo?!” Matt’s voice was hoarse, my head slowly moved to the directions his voice came from. “Oh god, babe” Matt sounded close to tears himself. “I’ll get the doc” Zack’s happy voice sounded and he vanished.

I tried to lick my dry lips but soon, a glass was placed there “Drink” Matt held my head up and let slowly run some water over my lips and into my mouth.

“I love you, Jo. God, I missed you. You can’t believe what I went through” My eyes finally focused on Matt and I saw the beard on his face, the dark circle underneath his eyes, a slowly fading bruise on his jaw.

“Wh-at happ-ened” I tried to get the words out, motioning with my hand to his chin and Matt chuckled, a tear slipping from his eye running down his cheek.

“You should have seen Zack” He replied with a snorted laugh, when another tear slipped down his face. “I can’t believe you are finally awake.. oh my Jo. I’m so sorry… I can’t even-” He stuttered but then was pushed aside and a person I never saw before was in my view.

He introduced himself as Dr. Johnson and when I heard his voice, I knew that he was the one talking to me before. He took a small light and checked me over, he put the blanket down and lifted my shirt, all with a growling Matt standing on watch behind him.

He told me about my wounds and the stitches that I needed, about losing so much blood and needing a transfusion, me falling to coma, which I now register as the time being able to hear everyone around me, but not being able to talk or give any signs back.

“I was so close to losing you” Matt’s voice hitched and I looked at him over the doc’s shoulder “You will never lose me, Matt” I tried to say back, but my voice was still raspy and row, and probably barely audible.

I felt exhausted after the doc was done with the instructions and talking. He then asked to talk to Matt alone and I was back to resting. I was afraid of closing my eyes again, and not waking up. So I tried to stay awake as long as possible, but then my heavy lids won the fight. I closed them and settled back into the big pillow.

I had so many questions, I wanted to see Emery, and the rest of the Avenged crew, wanted to know how long I had been out and what happened in between the time, how they got me out of the nightmare. I couldn’t even recall everything, I wanted to know what happened to the people, to our captors, but I knew I had to wait.

I breathed heavily in and out and let sleep overcome me, when I woke up next, I would feel a little better, a step each time. Then I could ask Matt everything, see everyone… I just wished it wasn’t this exhausting.

Notes

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Let us know what u think about it!! :)