Tension's Like a Fire

“Now let me tell you how this’ll go ladies.” Stefan began explaining as he paced before them. “You do what I ask and you make it out of here in one piece. Otherwise ladies you’ll be a lot worse for wear.” His subtle flirtation turned to threats.

Even though they didn’t have a doubt in their minds that he would make good on his threats they remained silent.

He smiled, sensing their fear. “This is your first night I’ll let you off until tomorrow. Then the punishments will begin. Sleep well.” He mocked them as he walked out of the room.

They looked at each other slowly. They knew this was going to be bad.

They took their eyes from each other and lost themselves in their own minds with their own fears.

Jazz made a decision.

***

“Why couldn’t this have come to you yesterday?” Alex asked roughly after Amelia explained the plan the next morning.

He felt better, still sore, but much better.

She sighed. “Alex, this still had to happen.”

“That’s what you keep saying.” He spoke back bitterly. “It’s just one night how important could it have really been? What can one night change?” He asked skeptically.

“One night can change the whole world.” She responded so confidently it was eerie. She obviously knew something they didn’t but they knew better than to ask what.

“So what exactly are we doing again?” Jack spoke confused woken far too early.

“Don’t worry it’ll be nothing new.” She said smiling a coy smile before going over the exacts of the plan for tonight.

One night was going to make all the difference.

***

The girls still hung up shoulders aching the next morning as the boys brewed up their plan with Amelia and when Stefan made his next appearance.

He came in his face had his usual five o’clock shadow and brown eye sparkling only hoping to see something that would make his morning. Something sadistic. He wanted to hurt them. He craved to see people in pain. Especially when he just wakes up.

“Good morning ladies.” He said in his typical fashion as he sauntered in really waking them.

The both lazily looked up at him exhausted from the lack of sleep.

When Sally was captured she was put into a position where she was meant to go crazy by the way she’d so easily drift in and out of consciousness to the point where dream and realty meshed into something so confusing that she’d never really know if she was awake again. It kind of worked. She still -days later- sometimes feared she’d only wake up to find this all something her mind conjured up and she was really still strapped to the table.

They’re torture was entirely different more upfront. He was wasting no time this round.

Matter of fact he was dying to inflict the torture himself this time.

“So do either of you have anything to tell me?” He asked with his arms still crossed behind his back.

The girls stayed silent.

Jazz had an internal battle going on. Should she or shouldn’t she?

“Have it your way.” This is the way he hoped it would go this morning.

He drew his hands from behind his back and released the chains in his palms. Long, thin, light weight metal chains that had gaps in the links that would catch, scratch, and tear at their skin.

He started lightly -teasingly- swinging them gaining some momentum.

Then he flung it out like striking with a whip intentionally missing Jazz by mere inches.

She let out a small cry of fear.

“Stop please.” She cried out. “If you know our powers will you let us go?” She begged.

He didn’t know how quick she’d break. It almost disappointed him. A smile rose on his cheeks none the less as he stopped the chains.

“After I have your powers I’ll have no use for you. So of course.” He said easily.

“Promise me.” She sobbed.

“Jazz don’t.” Jenny tried to stop her.

“I promise, Miss Jasmine.” He said as charming as he’d ever been.

“Jazz!” Jenny shouted again.

Jazz ignored her. “Unlock her I’m telling you hers first.”

He smiled and called one of his men in to unlock her as Jazz spoke.

Jenny tried to talk her out of it. She shouted to her begging her not to but Jazz wouldn’t stop what she thought was right.

“Her hands show her the past. She touches something and she sees it’s history, the history that’s happened before it.” She turned her head to see the rough looking man that was undoing Jenny’s restraints. “And I don’t have any fucking powers. That’s a promise.”
Stefan’s face hardened. He didn’t believe her. “Well your friend gets to be free say Goodbye darling.” Then he turned his attention to Jenny taking her power.

Then he got a nasty revelation, Jenny’s power was one of the ones that came with a price. One that there was a pain coming into.

His head felt like it would explode. “Damn it!” He snarled. He hissed out orders to let Jenny leave but to leave Jazz as she was. He’d “Be back for her later” he told them as he used the wall as a crutch to make his way out of the room while his head felt like it was being torn to pieces.

After Stefan was out Jazz stopped Jenny before the men guided her out.

“Jenny!” She called only hoping that she wouldn’t be too angry to even bat an eye in her direction.

Jenny turned face sour. She hated what Jazz just did but wasn’t going to hold it against her.

“Tell Alex I’m ok?” She requested softly.

Jenny cracked a tiny smile and nodded only enough for Jazz to know her message would be delivered. Then she was taken out the door and it was closed behind her and Jazz was alone and utterly terrified all over again.

They led Jenny out as promised. Shoved her out the door and locked it behind her.

She was so angry she could spit.

She saw their car and knew how she’d get home but she stopped and took off her right glove touched the building.

She went to their car with a decent sized rock she picked up from the dirt surrounding the building. She took a couple glances around knowing she’d have to do this fast. Never had she been more thankful to be a mechanic and have the extensive automotive knowledge she had because that guaranteed her speed in this simple task.

She pitched the rock through the window and rushed to unlock it and fling the door open. She brushed the seat off with one swift movement as she hopped in and went for the steering column. Ripping it open and manipulating all of the necessary wires hearing the car roar to life only moments after Stefan’s people got sight of what she was doing and she was burning rubber down the road before they could do anything to stop her.

***

“You don’t know the layout of the whole place?” Zack asked incredulously.

“I didn’t have free reign of the place.” She paused and looked to the door a smile coming to her face. “That’s what she’s for.”

Moments later Jenny came through the door not even bothering to knock.

Zack hopped up and ran to meet her.

“I’m so glad to see you.” He murmured into her hair as he hugged her. “How’d you get away?”

She pulled away and looked around relieved to be back to the place she felt safe. “Jazz.”

Alex sat up straighter his interest peeked. “What’d she do? Where is she? Is she ok?” He asked quickly.

“She told them my power. He was going to torture us and she spit it out to protect me.” She explained to everyone then turned her attention to Alex. “She told me to tell you she’s ok.”

“So he just let you go?” Rian asked in total disbelief.

Amelia spoke knowingly. “He has no use for her after he gets her power.”

“And he doesn’t believe Jazz doesn’t have a power.” Jenny finished.

Alex’s face contorted in anger.

“Well can we go back to when you said, ‘That’s what she’s for.’ because I still don’t get how Jenny comes into our issue with the floor plan.” Sally said bringing them back to the rescue rather than they’re momentary excitement.

“She knows the floor plan.” Amelia said haughtily. “She touched the building on her way out.... By the way guys there also happens to be a hot car in the parking garage.”

Rian’s eyes expanded. “Hot? Like stolen?”

“Hey I had to get home somehow!” Jenny said defensively. “Plus those fuckers kidnapped me I stole their car. We’re not even kind of even yet.”

Again Sally pulled everybody back. “Ok so you draw the floor plan out and we’ll be ready to get Jazz.”

That was the end of the conversation. They knew the plan and they were going to know all the particulars it would take to make it work.

They all started off in they’re different directions to prepare.

Alex was the exception he went and caught Jenny before she went back to her place to grab some paper and decent pencils to draw with.

“Is she really ok?” He asked softly. “I know Jazz just because she says she is doesn’t mean she really is.”

Jenny looked sympathetic. “When Stefan got my power he had to go through the excruciating head pain that brings his mind up to speed like I did. He wanted to deliver the pain to us himself so she should be fine until it passes. I don’t know how long that gives us.”