Chapter X
CHAPTER X
October 8
8:30 PM
The brunette climbed in the backseat of the taxi and slumped back; her eyes closing as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
They had arrived in Manila four days ago, just a two-hour trip from the Blake’s grandparents house. They spent the days touring around the city, with Lexa and the Blakes as their guides since they’ve been there before. They’ve tried local street foods and Octavia, with the help of Lola Emilia, cooked them some of the most delicious Filipino food they ever tasted.
It all seemed perfect. She and Clarke had gotten closer, got to know each other more and their connection with each other grew deeper. She grew closer to Clarke’s friends; even with Raven who never seemed to run out of ideas to annoy her.
She was happy.
For almost three years, she’s finally learning how to live and love again.
Lexa almost forgot what happened the last time she was here.
Almost.
Until yesterday.
When Anya and Jaha suddenly arrived yesterday; that was only when she remembered the memorial they do every year. Seeing them here, at this country, was like reality slapping her in the face and giving her a wakeup call.
Lexa had been sober for almost 4 months since she started this job; partly because it was one of the conditions in keeping her job, but mainly because of Clarke. Clarke was there to distract her from the thoughts plaguing her every now and then. Clarke was there to help her even though the blonde had no idea what was going on in her head. Clarke was the light at the end of the tunnel for her. She’s slowly letting go and learning to forgive herself for what had happened to Costia.
But this day brought it all back. And it was as if it only happened yesterday.
She drowned herself with alcohol. Bitter and painful memories of her past overpowered the good that had been happening to her the last few months. Clarke was forgotten and was replaced by the ghost of her Lexa’s former lover.
“Are you being serious right now, Lexa? Do you wanna lose your job?” Anya scolded as she took the bottle of bourbon from Lexa.
Lexa grumbled and tried to snatch the bottle from Anya. “Give it back, Anya. And leave me alone.”
“Fine. Here.” Anya gave her the bottle, then pulled up a picture of Clarke from her phone. “But I want you to take a good look at this photo, look at this woman. This is the woman whose heart you’ll break if you continue this.”
Seeing Clarke’s face; those blue eyes, that smile that makes her heart falter and makes her feel safe … Her knees gave out and Anya caught her before she hit the floor. She poured her heart out and cried in Anya’s arms.
She woke up feeling empty. Empty and numb. She left the hotel they were staying at before anyone else woke up and went to the cemetery by herself. Her agents and Clarke panicked when they couldn’t find her until Anya and Jaha informed her that the three of them had something important to do and that Lexa had gone ahead of them. They all believed them.
A vibration in her pocket brought her out of her own thoughts. Unlocking her phone she checked the time and saw she had several messages
Agent L. Hosh7:00 PM :We just got back from a mall. Wanheda is secured back at the hotel.
Raven Reyes 8:45 PM :Wherever you are, get your ass back here already. Our blonde princess has been grumpy all day without you. WE TRIED EVERYTHING. Please save us.
Clarke 9:17 PM: Where the hell are you? You’ve been gone all day. When I asked Anya, she only told me you had some business to attend to. Also, your sister scares me a little bit. And Raven may have a crush on her.
Anya 9:17 PM: WHERE ON EARTH ARE YOU? Answer your damn phone. This woman, Raven, won’t stop annoying me. I might kill her if you don’t come back soon.
She quickly read through them all but the last one pulled a smile on her.
Clarke: 9:18 PM: Also, I miss you following me around. Meet me in my room when you get back? ;)
She quickly typed out a response to Clark saying she’s about half an hour away from the hotel and will be there soon before checking in with her team and asked for updates.
“Tough day?” the cab driver asked
Lexa looked up and saw the driver looking at her through the rear view mirror. “Try tough life.”
The driver shrugged and it was the end of any conversation between them. She preferred it that way; preferring the peace and quiet surrounding them. Between her job and being back in the Philippines, there wasn’t much time for her to gather and organized everything going on in her head. Staring out the window, she saw thick droplets of rain slid down the window; looks like they were in for a rainy night.
The ride took longer than Lexa had anticipated. Because of the heavy rain, there had been an accident and it caused quite the traffic.
10:23 PM
Lexa paid the driver and made a bee line for the elevators once she got in the hotel lobby. Pushing the button for the floor where Clarke’s room is located at, she tried to shake the remaining memories that had came to the surface this day.
One day is enough. Lexa told herself just as the metal doors opened and she stepped out the hallway. Reaching Clarke’s room, she raised her fist, knocking softly and waited. When there was no answer, she knocked again, a little louder this time. A few more minutes ticked by and when there was still no answer, she reached for the door handle and turned it. Her eyebrows burrowed down in suspicion when it gave away and the door opened. One hand immediately went to her holster as she cautiously stepped inside Clarke’s hotel room. She could see a soft glow coming from the direction of the living room but other than that the room is dark. She flicked the light switch and the room was flooded with light. She walked to the living room and saw a glass of wine on the coffee table, a blanket was on the floor, and the television was playing the nightly news.
“Clarke?” Lexa called out, hoping the lights had alerted the blonde of her presence.
The agent slowly crossed the living room, past the small kitchen, and towards the bedroom. The door was ajar and she nudge it open and peered inside.
“Clarke? Are you here?” She called a little louder for the blonde to hear if she was in the shower.
Walking in the bedroom, she looked around and noticed the bed was neatly made. There was a pile of clothes on the chair at the corner. She then focused and shifted her attention to hear the shower running but then realized that the only sound she could hear was the soft murmur of the television in the living room.
An unsettling feeling started at the bottom of her spine and crept up. Lexa double back in the living room and fished out her phone. She dialed Clarke’s number and bit her lip as she waited for the blonde to pick up.
The sound of something vibrating made her turn around and move closer to the couch. There, placed on top of a throw pillow, was Clarke’s phone.
Her heart was now hammering in the back of her throat as she ended the call and dialed another number. After a few rings, someone picked it up.
“Lexa. Hey.”
“Octavia, is Clarke with you?”
“No. She’s probably in her room.”
“I am in her room. She’s not here. Have you heard from her since you got back?”
“Nope. She said she’ll wait fo—”
Just then the television went off and after a few seconds, it turned back on and what she saw made her forget whatever Octavia is saying to her.
One voice rang out in the living room and it sent chills down the agent’s spine, making her grip her phone tightly.
“Hello, Agent Woods. I bet you weren’t expecting this, were you?” The person on the screen snickered and it made Lexa sick.
On the background, she could hear Octavia asking who was that talking and she was on her way to Clarke’s room.
“You’re smart, Agent Woods. I’ll give you that. I’m sure you’ll find us soon enough. But you always had one weakness.” There was a smirk in the person’s tone; an air of confidence and ignorance that made Lexa clench her jaw as she tried to fool herself that this isn’t real but to no avail.
“Lexa?” Octavia’s voice traveled through the living room and few seconds later, the woman appeared. “Lexa? What’s going on?” Octavia stopped in her tracks when she saw the tv screen, her eyes went as wide as saucers. “Who is that?”
“Seems like our little reunion has been interrupted. But don’t worry, Agent Woods. I’m sure we’ll meet again very very soon.”
The moment the tv screen clicked off, Lexa’s knees buckled and she crumpled to the carpeted floor. Her fists tightly clenched at her sides
“Lexa!” Octavia rushed to her side, “Are you okay? What happened? Where’s Clarke? Who was that creepy lady on the tv?”
Taking in a deep breath and trying to control the overwhelming urge to cry and to drown herself in a bottle of bourbon, she lifted her gaze and stared at the woman beside her.
“That woman …” Lexa didn’t try to hide or control the waver in her voice. “… is Catalonia Quinn. And she has Clarke.”
Lexa was scared; not the kind where you think your house is haunted or when you’re walking alone at night in a dark and empty street but the kind where every heart beat feels like a punch straight at your gut, the kind of fear where breathing causes this pain in your chest, the kind of fear that paralyzes every single muscle in your body.
Lexa has been this scared only once in her life.
Once. And it was three years ago.
And somehow, everything that had happened back then, is repeating itself.
11:00 PM
It felt like a jack hammer was working its way halfway through her head as she regained consciousness. Her mouth felt dry and it hurt when she tried to swallow; a bitter and strange taste still lingers on her tongue. Slowly lifting her head up, she groaned in pain as the simple action caused her headache to intensify.
Clarke attempted to sit up and pulled her legs to her chests and leaned back the wall. She had been lying on her side, her face pressed down the cold concrete floor. Now that she was aware of her surroundings, she felt cold. A cold breeze blew in the room and she shivered and when she looked up, she saw a broken sky light. It was dark and the sound of rain hitting the glass echoed in the room.
She looked around; the floors were solid concrete, the paint on the walls was starting to peel off, exposing the bricks. The windows were so high there was no way she could look out and see where she is. The roof above her was leaking and water was dripping all over, forming a pool of water on the floor. At the far end of the room, she could faintly see a shape of a door.
She concluded that she’s probably in an abandoned warehouse.
But where? Am I still in the Philippines?
For all she knows, it could’ve been days since she was taken and she’s in a different continent.
She tried to move and stand up but the pounding in her head was so overwhelming that she doubled over fell on her knees, her stomach emptying its contents with no warming. The burning, sour taste of bile made her eyes water and the pain in her head spread all throughout her body. It was as if someone injected acid directly through her veins and she was burning from inside out.
Coughing and spitting the last of vomit, she bit her lip and forced herself to stand, despite her body screaming at her. Because of the lack of light in the room, she blindly reached for the wall behind her for support as she finally stood up. The world around her was spinning and she almost tripped over when she tried to walk. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she tried again, slower this time and using the wall as support, and headed for the direction of the door. Carefully placing one foot after the other, it was only then that she realized she was walking barefoot, her feet freezing cold against the cold concrete floor. She was so cold and tired, the pain too much.
The door slowly came into view and a small spark of hope ignited inside her. Out there, she could find Lexa and Lexa would help her.
Lexa.
The mere thought of Lexa made her ache. All she wanted right now was to have Lexa beside her, to be safe in Lexa’s arms. But if she wanted that, she had to keep going. She had to get out of here. She has to.
Does Lexa know where she is? Does she know what happened? Does Lexa even notice she was gone?
Clarke tried to push down the fear that Lexa had not noticed she was gone. She had to hope that Lexa know; that Lexa was somewhere out there looking for her.
“Well, well, will you look at that, the blonde princess finally decided to join us.”
She was halfway through the room when a feminine voice rang throughout the room and saw movement in the shadows.
She saw it coming in the corner of her eye but her movements were slow and by the time she turned around, it was too late. A fist connected with her jaw and she stumbled backwards, lost her balance, tripped, and fell. Her head bounced off the floor and her vision became blurry.
“Pick her up and tie her to a chair.” She heard the woman say.
She felt two strong arms pick her up and the sound of a chair being dragged across the floor echoed around her. She felt herself being put down and a few moments later, a rope was tied around her so tight, she could feel it digging through her exposed skin.
“Did you really have to hit her?” someone asked.
Wait … That voice. It sounds. Familiar.
Clarke tried to lift her head and look at their direction but her head feels so heavy and she’s losing consciousness.
Those familiar brown eyes came in to view again and hear a soft “I’m so sorry, Clarke.” before she was swallowed by darkness.
11:04 PM
Lexa looked up as the door opened and Anya and Jaha entered the room. Seeing her sister, Anya quickly crossed the living room and pulled Lexa in a hug. Lexa was exhausted and she couldn’t hold the tears at bay anymore. She didn’t care that her former boss was in the room. When she felt Jaha’s comforting hand on her shoulder, she cried even harder.
“We’ll find her, Lex.” Anya promised her.
The Blakes, Raven, and her team walked in. At the sight of them, Lexa pulled away from Anya and composed her. She wiped the tears and took in a deep breath. She made eye contact with Octavia and the woman looked as wrecked as she was.
“What happened?” Jaha asked as he looked around Clarke’s hotel room.
“I got here around 10:23. I knocked but no one answered. I tried the door but it was unlocked so I went inside. I was beginning to have this bad feeling the moment I found the door unlocked.” Lexa gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. “I should’ve been here with her. This is all my fault.”
Anya was quick to rebut her sister, “No. It’s not. We had no way of knowing this would happen.”
“The threats, the stalker … I should’ve seen this coming … I should’ve know she’s not done with me …” Lexa continued.
“She? Who?”
“That creepy lady on the TV earlier.” Octavia answered.
Anya and Jaha shared a knowing look; fear and worry evident on both of their faces.
“No. It can’t be.”
“It’s her.” Lexa said, her voice suddenly void of anything emotion. She looked at her agents, “Secure the building. No one gets in or out. Review every single camera footage since yesterday until Clarke’s abduction.” Lexa made her to the door, “Octavia knows the face of the woman, she can identify her. Understood?”
At first, no one moved, no one answered. They were shocked to see Lexa transform from a crying mess to someone who looks like someone out for revenge and feels nothing. Lexa turned around and stared at them, “Understood?” She growled lowly when no one answered. They all jumped and nodded their heads.
“Good. Anya and Jaha, I know I can’t stop you from reporting this to President Griffin and in less than 24 hours a swarm of FBI, CIA, Secret Service agents and probably the Army, Navy, and Air Force will probably be here turning this country upside down just to find Clarke.”
“Lex …” Jaha’s voice was soft, cautious.
“But 24 hours is too long and Clarke will probably be dead by then. At the most, we have 12 hours to find her.” Lexa didn’t hear him and kept going
“Lex,” Jaha approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Stop thinking like that.”
“Like what?!” She snapped at him.
“Like there isn’t a chance we’ll find her. We should focus on what we know. We can find Clarke if we all work together.” Jaha looked at her the way a father would look at his daughter, “We’ll find her, Lexa.”
Lexa swallowed the lump in her throat, “Dust the scene. Get prints. Find anything that can give us a lead; anything. And can someone please find Agent Lawrence and Miss Handcroft. Do a headcount and make sure everyone else is here.”
Octavia snickered, “Those two might be doing something out of the ordinary right now.”
Beside her, Raven fought the urge to laugh at the comment and elbowed Octavia. “Shut up before Commander Hotpants murders us. And I can’t believe you can joke around when our blonde princess is missing. Like she might be dead in a ditch somewhere for all we know.”
“Raven!” Octavia exclaimed as she hit Raven on the arm.
Lexa ignored the two and focused on her team, making sure they got her instructions loud and clear. “I want to know who took Clarke and I want to know how they even got to her in the first place.” Once her team and the rest of them nodded and voiced out that they were on it, Lexa headed straight of her room.
She grabbed a bag from the safe in the closet and placed it on the bed and opened it.
“What are you doing?” Anya’s voice came from behind her.
“I’m going to find her.” Lexa answered calmly.
“Are you crazy?
“I can’t stay here when she’s out there and in danger.”
“Your team is looking through the security footage, we’ll find who took her.”
“You and I both know that’s a dead end. And the longer we wait; the less chance that Clarke will survive Nia. And by the time the Feds get here, it’s far too late. I’m not just gonna sit around and wait when I can do something.
“Okay. I’m coming with you.” Anya grabbed an assault rifle, a couple of magazine clips, and grenades, and proceeded to assemble a pistol.
Lexa just nodded as she continued to assemble her own gun.
Just as they were about to leave Lexa’s room, Bellamy appeared in the door way. “How can I help?”
“Look, Doctor, we all want to—” Anya began but Lexa cut her off.
“Can you shoot?”
“I sometimes go to the shooting range with my dad.”
Without any second thoughts, Lexa handed Bellamy the duffle bag and started walking towards the elevator
Anya had informed Jaha of Lexa’s crazy plan of walking straight up to Nia’s front door with guns blazing with just the three of them; a retired Secret Service Agent, an active agent, and a neurosurgeon. The older man tried to stop and reason out with them, told them to wait for back up but Lexa was having none of it. She floored the accelerator and was on their way even before Jaha made it to the basement parking.
“Do you even know where we are going?”
Lexa’s grip on the steering wheel was so tight her knuckles are turning white; she’s clenching her jaw so hard Anya’s afraid that it’ll snap any moment.
“Where it all ended three years ago, and this time, I’ll make sure it does.”
Lexa had to find Clarke, even if it killed her. She can’t lose someone she love. Not again. Without Clarke, she might as well be dead.
October 9
12: 47 AM
Her body ached and her head was pounding. Every time she tries to open her eyes and move, her vision would become blurry. The nausea and dizziness whenever she tries to move even the slightest bit had already been clear to her that she has a concussion. Her face and hands are covered in dried blood, her finger nails had broken, cuts and bruises covered her body. The air around her smells like blood, dirt, and vomit.
“Sit up.”
The voice came out of nowhere and was so loud that it made Clarke flinch. That’s when she noticed that she wasn’t tied to a chair. She’s back on the floor. When she didn’t move, two strong hands grabbed her and pulled her up. She yelled in pain and the nausea was instant. She dry-heaved but nothing came out, although she could taste bile in the back of her throat.
A bottle of water swam in her vision and she greedily took it. Her fingers are shaking as she uncapped the bottle. She drank slowly, so as not to upset her stomach further. Now that she has been hydrated, she felt strong enough to lift up her head and look at the woman standing in front of her.
The woman was oozing with arrogance and power.
“Who …” Clarke swallowed hard, “Who are you?” Her voice was hoarse. Her headache was causing her to lose focus and her vision to blur from time to time. “What do you want from me?”
The woman chuckled, the sound vibrating through the empty. “My, dear …” There was something about the woman’s tone that sends a tingling sensation down Clarke’s spine; as if she was taking pleasure in seeing Clarke like this. “It’s not about you. It’s about what I want from Lexa.”
“Lexa?”
For the first time, the woman looked at Clarke straight in her eyes. “Do you know who I am?”
They were the same brown eyes that belonged to someone that took her from the hotel room; but this woman’s eyes were cold.
Clarke willed her foggy brain to put a face on those familiar brown eyes. She knows she has seen them. She knows who that person is. She knows she was always with them. She knows they belonged to –
“Oh my god.” Clarked gasped as she finally realized who those eyes belonged to.
“Mom, I should get back to the hotel. They began the search and are starting to wonder where I—”
The younger woman stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Clarke looking straight at her. For a few seconds they both just stared at each other, mouth agape.
Clarke was the one who spoke first, her voice filled with anger and betrayal. “How could you do this to us? We trusted you!” Clarke, even in her weak state tried to run towards her and hit her. She barely made a step before a hand shot out and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her back.
She screamed in pain as she fell. She was thrown aside and a foot made contact with her stomach. The whimper that escaped her lips made the older woman snicker and smile.
“Because of Alexandria Woods, I lost a husband, and my daughter lost a father. Now she’s going to know how that feels; to have that one person who loves and believes in you and cares about you be taken away.”
Her attacker’s face was illuminated by the light of the moon falling through the broken sky light. What she saw scared her. Her eyes were dead, like all the life in them has been drained and was replaced by the lust for revenge.
“She is going to know exactly how that feels.”
12:03 AM
Back at the hotel, Agent Green and Raven were furiously typing away at their keyboards and going through every security footage since yesterday; their eyes jumping from one screen to the next.
Jaha was on the phone with the President of the United States and was currently informing the president about the situation. Judging by his facial expression, sooner rather than later, Air Force One will be on its way here.
Agent Hosh has already locked down the entire hotel with the help of the hotel securities and was out interviewing the hotel guests.
Octavia was tasked to find Luna and Agent Lawrence. She had looked everywhere but to no avail. Just as she was about to enter the surveillance room and tell the others, her phone buzzed.
Ontari 12:10 AM : Sorry I missed your calls and messages. Luna and I went out to grab a bite. We were down south when we got the message. We should be there in half an hour.
“Oh thank Christ.” Octavia sighed in relief and went to inform the others.
The moment she opened the door to the surveillance room, Agent Green stood up from his chair, and look of shock, surprise, and betrayal on his face.
“What? What is it?” Raven exclaimed as she looked at the screen Monty was pointing at. “Oh my god.” She exclaimed as her eyes went as wide as saucers.
All of them gathered around and saw what caused the two to be so shocked.
Behind them, Octavia gasped as she saw the face on the screen.
She quickly dialed Lexa’s number. “We know who took Clarke.”