Love Behind Lies
Chapter 24
Chapter 24
“Come one! We need to hurry! They might have killed her by now!” Sam was going crazy. He couldn’t take being away from Kate any longer. He wanted her, safe, in his arms.
Brent was basically speeding down some back road in Rome. The boys had been up two nights in a row getting ready and perfecting their plan. They had to wait until Saturday to rescue Catherine because that was the only morning when the restaurant was closed.
The boys’ plan had just been put into action. Brent had dropped Richard off at a Subway station a few blocks away from the restaurant. Richard knew there were underground tunnels that would eventually lead to the hallway he had been kept in for a few weeks, which also happens to be where Catherine is located.
Brent was now driving to where Sam and Thomas were being dropped off; about a block away from the restaurant, so they wouldn’t be seen. That way they could reach the back door quickly. Brent was going to park in front of the restaurant, going in for the initial distraction by himself.
The rental car pulled into a parking spot about a block away from the back of the Chinese restaurant. The boys couldn’t risk being seen until the very right moment.
“Now, be patient or else this plan isn’t going to work. Thomas make sure you keep Sam in place until the perfect time,” Brent instructed the two boys, before letting them out of the car.
Brent was only a few blocks away from reaching his own drop off destination. He had to park farther away from the building, but as soon as he parked the car, he jumped out and began running to the front door. He walked as he grew closer to the building, trying to catch his breath and time this whole thing just right.
***
Richard was walking swiftly through the underground tunnels. He knew them well after living down here for a few weeks and studying the maps really well over the past day.
He kept walking until he found the one he recognized from the maps. He reached the same hallway he had lived in and found his exact room. Brent had told him the room number of Catherine’s door and now Richard was only a few steps away.
Catherine’s dad came to her door and stopped dead. All of a sudden he was nervous. He couldn’t bring his hand to the door. He was scared of what he might find.
***
Sam and Thomas had just reached the back door. Sam was ready to pounce and try to find Kate, but he knew better and Thomas was doing his best at keeping Sam calm.
The plan for the two boys was to listen quietly for any commotion from inside the building. When they heard anything they would break open the door and go from there, not knowing what they may find. So, until then, all they had to do was wait.
***
Brent was only about six steps away from the front door and he still hadn’t controlled his breathing. Not because he had been running, but because he was nervous too. What if the plan didn’t work? What if Cat was already dead?
Despite his negative thoughts, Brent pushed forward and slowly opened the door.
***
I was shaking so much and the only thing I was doing was being stared at by Nick.
“What?” I asked, despite my nervousness.
“Are you ready to go,” Nick asked, like nothing was really going on.
“You’re not going to go through with this.”
“Yes, I am.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Well you should have been a better guest.” Nick looked at me and I scowled back at him. Then he grabbed my hands and pulled me to the door; to my death.
***
As Brent walked into the restaurant he was relieved to see Chang sitting in the back of the room. That meant Catherine was still okay, maybe.
“Can I talk to you,” Brent asked casually.
“Why,” Chang asked. “I know why you’re here. You are here to kidnap Catherine, but you are too late, my friend. If Nick was true on his word, she is already dead.” Chang was completely calm.
Brent snapped with anger. He couldn’t take it anymore. He ran to the back of the restaurant and started pounding Change, who didn’t see Brent coming and was totally caught by surprise.
In the back of Brent’s mind he made sure to make enough loud noises so that Thomas and Sam could hear him, but the only thing he was really thinking about was Catherine. He didn’t know what he would do without her in his life, especially since it was his fault she was here in the first place.
He forced himself and Catherine to fall in love, just trying to gain her trust faster, but after while he actually started loving her. Brent had felt so bad after he told her what the plan had been the whole time, but what hurt the most was seeing Sam in her room afterward. He tried not to show how disappointed her was, but deep down, that was still really bothering him.
Brent was also mad, because he totally deserved everything that he was getting. He wasn’t good enough for Cat anymore, that was obvious and no one would let him forget that. Sam has been the right one for her from the beginning. Brent and Sam both knew that. Brent just had to suck it up and move on. He probably lost Cat forever, but he still wanted to fight for her to be safe.
Brent was about to stop fighting, because he was clearly winning. Chang was over in the corner trying to catch his breath when Brent stopped thinking about Cat and brought himself back to reality. It was quiet in the room, but suddenly Kang came running in with Sam and Thomas right behind him. Brent smiled; glad his plan had worked so far, and ran towards Chang, hoping to finish him off.
***
Richard was about to reach for Catherine’s door when it opened. Richard jumped back in surprise, but then relief flooded his body as he realized his daughter was still alive. Her wrists were tied behind her back and tape covered her mouth, but she was breathing nonetheless. Nick was holding onto her from behind and both him and Catherine had a look of surprise across their faces.
It took a moment for Richard to realize what was going on, but he soon got a hold of Nick, released Catherine and told her to run. When she was out of sight, Richard began to fight Nick, beating him down until he could barely move.
***
Sam was about to hit Kang over the head with a glass bottle that he had found behind a table, when he saw Catherine.
“Kate! You’re alive!” Sam was overjoyed.
“Sam focus!” Thomas was still in fight mode. Sam brought his attention back to Catherine, hit Kang over the head and then rushed back to the girl he loved. Sam wrapped her in his arms, loving the feeling of her body against his.
“You need to go out the back door.” Sam pointed behind him. “Go around the building and Brent’s car should be somewhere on the street. Get in the car, lock the doors, and stay hidden. We will all meet you there when we are done.”
Sam grabbed her hands and untied her wrists. He took the tape off her lips and they stared at each other for a split second before Catherine leaned forward placing her hands on either side of Sam’s face and kissing him gently. Sam tried to say something back to her, but she was already gone, heading towards the door.
***
Brent and Chang had moved to the front of the restaurant and were feet away from the front door. Chang kept looking at the entrance and Brent realized he might use that entrance as an escape route. Brent protected the only exit for Chang. That was until he saw Catherine run by it. Brent stopped fighting and stared at her, glad she was alive and well, but snapped out of his mind when he realized Chang had sneaked by him and was now chasing Cat down the sidewalk, a knife in his hand.
Brent burst out of the restaurant and ran as fast as he could. He was right behind Chang now and he jumped up into the air, aiming for his enemy.
***
I didn’t really know what was going on, but I did know that someone was chasing me down the sidewalk and no one was telling me to stop. It was a good thing that Sam had taken the tape and rope off my lips and mouth, otherwise running would be a bit of an issue.
I was almost to Brent’s car and I wasn’t going to let anything or anyone stop me. That was until I heard a loud crash behind me. Then I slowed down and turned around to find Brent and Chang lying on the concrete; both motionless.
When I took a few steps closer it looked like that were both dead and I rush of nausea came over me. I didn’t know what to do. What if they were both dead? I kept inching closer, wanting to know for sure.
Suddenly, Brent’s arm began to move and then his whole body was moving, but Chang still looked like a statue. Brent was on his feet now and I was relieved as we both stared down at Chang’s motionless body.
Brent slowly bent over and rolled Chang’s body over. I gasped and turned away. Apparently Chang had been running with a knife, as it was now lodged almost all the way through his chest. Chang’s eyes were wide opened and he was clearly dead.
I looked back and Brent, who slowly turned towards me. I knew what he wanted and I was scared I wasn’t going to be strong enough to refuse. He stopped about five inches away from me. I tried to take a step back, but he grabbed both my hands and pulled them up to his neck. I let my hands rest there as he placed his hands on the small of my back and lured me closer to him. I let my hands relax and they slowly slid down to Brent’s chest. My heart was beating quickly, but I knew I couldn’t let anything happen.
“Brent, I can’t do this,” I whispered.
“Cat, I’m so sorry. I wish that none of this would have happened. I love you so much and I wish that I could take back these last couple days and have a normal relationship with you.” Brent hugged me gently. “This wasn’t the plan Cat. I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with you like I did. I just want you back again.”
“It’s too late now, Brent. You blew it.” I stepped away from him and stepped over Chang’s body so that I could walk back towards the restaurant that I had just escaped from.
The streets were silent for the most part. It seemed as if everyone in Rome had decided to sleep in. There were a few people that drove down the street, but no one took the time to wonder why there was a dead body on the ground. There was a couple walking down the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road, completely oblivious to what just occurred.
Brent caught up to me. He put an arm around my waist and escorted me back to the building. When we walked back inside the doors of the Chinese restaurant, I was scared all over again. I took an instinctive step back towards Brent, who held me close.
As we neared the back of the restaurant, I found Sam and Thomas, both hovering over Kang’s body.
“Is he dead,” Brent asked.
“No, unconscious. Sam hit him over the head with a glass bottle. Then he fell over and hit his head on the table,” Thomas replied.
Sam and I said nothing. We just stared at each other. I realized I really loved Sam, I always had. I walked over to him and he gave me a big hug and kissed my forehead. I squeezed him hard, never wanting to let him go. I felt safe in his arms and that was all I wanted right now.
Of course Brent had to ruin the moment. “We should go check on Richard,” Brent murmured, obviously annoyed with the attention I was giving Sam.
We all walked down the stairs to find another body lying on the floor.
“Is he dead,” Thomas asked, pointing at Nick’s body.
“No, just unconscious. I put him in a deadlock until he passed out. He should be fine by tomorrow.”
My dad looked up and his eyes met mine. My eyes started to water. I have never been so happy to see my dad. I rushed over to him and gave him a big hug. Everyone joined in, relieved that the hardest part was over.
“Now what do we do,” I asked the boys. “Shouldn’t we call the police or something?”
“Yeah, we probably should. There are three bodies lying on the floor,” Brent replied.
“Here I got the number,” my dad said.
Brent took out his phone and dialed the number. The hallway was quiet, almost as if nothing had happened.
We all walked upstairs to wait for the police. When they finally arrived, Sam and I waited in the back, while the rest of the boys went to explain the situation.
“I am so sorry, Katie.” Sam grabbed my hands, holding them tight. I pulled my hands from him and wrapped my arms around his torso. He pulled me closer to him and wrapped his arms around me, kissing me head. “Catherine?”
“Yeah,” I asked.
“I promise to always keep you safe. If I am with you, you will be safe, okay?”
“Sam, that was the same thing Brent said to me.” It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Sam, I was just scared now of letting someone take care of my heart and my body.
“Kate, don’t compare me to him.”
“I know, I’m sorry.”
“I’ll prove it to you, okay?”
“Sounds good.”
“Come one! We need to hurry! They might have killed her by now!” Sam was going crazy. He couldn’t take being away from Kate any longer. He wanted her, safe, in his arms.
Brent was basically speeding down some back road in Rome. The boys had been up two nights in a row getting ready and perfecting their plan. They had to wait until Saturday to rescue Catherine because that was the only morning when the restaurant was closed.
The boys’ plan had just been put into action. Brent had dropped Richard off at a Subway station a few blocks away from the restaurant. Richard knew there were underground tunnels that would eventually lead to the hallway he had been kept in for a few weeks, which also happens to be where Catherine is located.
Brent was now driving to where Sam and Thomas were being dropped off; about a block away from the restaurant, so they wouldn’t be seen. That way they could reach the back door quickly. Brent was going to park in front of the restaurant, going in for the initial distraction by himself.
The rental car pulled into a parking spot about a block away from the back of the Chinese restaurant. The boys couldn’t risk being seen until the very right moment.
“Now, be patient or else this plan isn’t going to work. Thomas make sure you keep Sam in place until the perfect time,” Brent instructed the two boys, before letting them out of the car.
Brent was only a few blocks away from reaching his own drop off destination. He had to park farther away from the building, but as soon as he parked the car, he jumped out and began running to the front door. He walked as he grew closer to the building, trying to catch his breath and time this whole thing just right.
***
Richard was walking swiftly through the underground tunnels. He knew them well after living down here for a few weeks and studying the maps really well over the past day.
He kept walking until he found the one he recognized from the maps. He reached the same hallway he had lived in and found his exact room. Brent had told him the room number of Catherine’s door and now Richard was only a few steps away.
Catherine’s dad came to her door and stopped dead. All of a sudden he was nervous. He couldn’t bring his hand to the door. He was scared of what he might find.
***
Sam and Thomas had just reached the back door. Sam was ready to pounce and try to find Kate, but he knew better and Thomas was doing his best at keeping Sam calm.
The plan for the two boys was to listen quietly for any commotion from inside the building. When they heard anything they would break open the door and go from there, not knowing what they may find. So, until then, all they had to do was wait.
***
Brent was only about six steps away from the front door and he still hadn’t controlled his breathing. Not because he had been running, but because he was nervous too. What if the plan didn’t work? What if Cat was already dead?
Despite his negative thoughts, Brent pushed forward and slowly opened the door.
***
I was shaking so much and the only thing I was doing was being stared at by Nick.
“What?” I asked, despite my nervousness.
“Are you ready to go,” Nick asked, like nothing was really going on.
“You’re not going to go through with this.”
“Yes, I am.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Well you should have been a better guest.” Nick looked at me and I scowled back at him. Then he grabbed my hands and pulled me to the door; to my death.
***
As Brent walked into the restaurant he was relieved to see Chang sitting in the back of the room. That meant Catherine was still okay, maybe.
“Can I talk to you,” Brent asked casually.
“Why,” Chang asked. “I know why you’re here. You are here to kidnap Catherine, but you are too late, my friend. If Nick was true on his word, she is already dead.” Chang was completely calm.
Brent snapped with anger. He couldn’t take it anymore. He ran to the back of the restaurant and started pounding Change, who didn’t see Brent coming and was totally caught by surprise.
In the back of Brent’s mind he made sure to make enough loud noises so that Thomas and Sam could hear him, but the only thing he was really thinking about was Catherine. He didn’t know what he would do without her in his life, especially since it was his fault she was here in the first place.
He forced himself and Catherine to fall in love, just trying to gain her trust faster, but after while he actually started loving her. Brent had felt so bad after he told her what the plan had been the whole time, but what hurt the most was seeing Sam in her room afterward. He tried not to show how disappointed her was, but deep down, that was still really bothering him.
Brent was also mad, because he totally deserved everything that he was getting. He wasn’t good enough for Cat anymore, that was obvious and no one would let him forget that. Sam has been the right one for her from the beginning. Brent and Sam both knew that. Brent just had to suck it up and move on. He probably lost Cat forever, but he still wanted to fight for her to be safe.
Brent was about to stop fighting, because he was clearly winning. Chang was over in the corner trying to catch his breath when Brent stopped thinking about Cat and brought himself back to reality. It was quiet in the room, but suddenly Kang came running in with Sam and Thomas right behind him. Brent smiled; glad his plan had worked so far, and ran towards Chang, hoping to finish him off.
***
Richard was about to reach for Catherine’s door when it opened. Richard jumped back in surprise, but then relief flooded his body as he realized his daughter was still alive. Her wrists were tied behind her back and tape covered her mouth, but she was breathing nonetheless. Nick was holding onto her from behind and both him and Catherine had a look of surprise across their faces.
It took a moment for Richard to realize what was going on, but he soon got a hold of Nick, released Catherine and told her to run. When she was out of sight, Richard began to fight Nick, beating him down until he could barely move.
***
Sam was about to hit Kang over the head with a glass bottle that he had found behind a table, when he saw Catherine.
“Kate! You’re alive!” Sam was overjoyed.
“Sam focus!” Thomas was still in fight mode. Sam brought his attention back to Catherine, hit Kang over the head and then rushed back to the girl he loved. Sam wrapped her in his arms, loving the feeling of her body against his.
“You need to go out the back door.” Sam pointed behind him. “Go around the building and Brent’s car should be somewhere on the street. Get in the car, lock the doors, and stay hidden. We will all meet you there when we are done.”
Sam grabbed her hands and untied her wrists. He took the tape off her lips and they stared at each other for a split second before Catherine leaned forward placing her hands on either side of Sam’s face and kissing him gently. Sam tried to say something back to her, but she was already gone, heading towards the door.
***
Brent and Chang had moved to the front of the restaurant and were feet away from the front door. Chang kept looking at the entrance and Brent realized he might use that entrance as an escape route. Brent protected the only exit for Chang. That was until he saw Catherine run by it. Brent stopped fighting and stared at her, glad she was alive and well, but snapped out of his mind when he realized Chang had sneaked by him and was now chasing Cat down the sidewalk, a knife in his hand.
Brent burst out of the restaurant and ran as fast as he could. He was right behind Chang now and he jumped up into the air, aiming for his enemy.
***
I didn’t really know what was going on, but I did know that someone was chasing me down the sidewalk and no one was telling me to stop. It was a good thing that Sam had taken the tape and rope off my lips and mouth, otherwise running would be a bit of an issue.
I was almost to Brent’s car and I wasn’t going to let anything or anyone stop me. That was until I heard a loud crash behind me. Then I slowed down and turned around to find Brent and Chang lying on the concrete; both motionless.
When I took a few steps closer it looked like that were both dead and I rush of nausea came over me. I didn’t know what to do. What if they were both dead? I kept inching closer, wanting to know for sure.
Suddenly, Brent’s arm began to move and then his whole body was moving, but Chang still looked like a statue. Brent was on his feet now and I was relieved as we both stared down at Chang’s motionless body.
Brent slowly bent over and rolled Chang’s body over. I gasped and turned away. Apparently Chang had been running with a knife, as it was now lodged almost all the way through his chest. Chang’s eyes were wide opened and he was clearly dead.
I looked back and Brent, who slowly turned towards me. I knew what he wanted and I was scared I wasn’t going to be strong enough to refuse. He stopped about five inches away from me. I tried to take a step back, but he grabbed both my hands and pulled them up to his neck. I let my hands rest there as he placed his hands on the small of my back and lured me closer to him. I let my hands relax and they slowly slid down to Brent’s chest. My heart was beating quickly, but I knew I couldn’t let anything happen.
“Brent, I can’t do this,” I whispered.
“Cat, I’m so sorry. I wish that none of this would have happened. I love you so much and I wish that I could take back these last couple days and have a normal relationship with you.” Brent hugged me gently. “This wasn’t the plan Cat. I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with you like I did. I just want you back again.”
“It’s too late now, Brent. You blew it.” I stepped away from him and stepped over Chang’s body so that I could walk back towards the restaurant that I had just escaped from.
The streets were silent for the most part. It seemed as if everyone in Rome had decided to sleep in. There were a few people that drove down the street, but no one took the time to wonder why there was a dead body on the ground. There was a couple walking down the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road, completely oblivious to what just occurred.
Brent caught up to me. He put an arm around my waist and escorted me back to the building. When we walked back inside the doors of the Chinese restaurant, I was scared all over again. I took an instinctive step back towards Brent, who held me close.
As we neared the back of the restaurant, I found Sam and Thomas, both hovering over Kang’s body.
“Is he dead,” Brent asked.
“No, unconscious. Sam hit him over the head with a glass bottle. Then he fell over and hit his head on the table,” Thomas replied.
Sam and I said nothing. We just stared at each other. I realized I really loved Sam, I always had. I walked over to him and he gave me a big hug and kissed my forehead. I squeezed him hard, never wanting to let him go. I felt safe in his arms and that was all I wanted right now.
Of course Brent had to ruin the moment. “We should go check on Richard,” Brent murmured, obviously annoyed with the attention I was giving Sam.
We all walked down the stairs to find another body lying on the floor.
“Is he dead,” Thomas asked, pointing at Nick’s body.
“No, just unconscious. I put him in a deadlock until he passed out. He should be fine by tomorrow.”
My dad looked up and his eyes met mine. My eyes started to water. I have never been so happy to see my dad. I rushed over to him and gave him a big hug. Everyone joined in, relieved that the hardest part was over.
“Now what do we do,” I asked the boys. “Shouldn’t we call the police or something?”
“Yeah, we probably should. There are three bodies lying on the floor,” Brent replied.
“Here I got the number,” my dad said.
Brent took out his phone and dialed the number. The hallway was quiet, almost as if nothing had happened.
We all walked upstairs to wait for the police. When they finally arrived, Sam and I waited in the back, while the rest of the boys went to explain the situation.
“I am so sorry, Katie.” Sam grabbed my hands, holding them tight. I pulled my hands from him and wrapped my arms around his torso. He pulled me closer to him and wrapped his arms around me, kissing me head. “Catherine?”
“Yeah,” I asked.
“I promise to always keep you safe. If I am with you, you will be safe, okay?”
“Sam, that was the same thing Brent said to me.” It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Sam, I was just scared now of letting someone take care of my heart and my body.
“Kate, don’t compare me to him.”
“I know, I’m sorry.”
“I’ll prove it to you, okay?”
“Sounds good.”