Just the Truth

Chapter 16

Charlee's POV

I didn't have time to think or process what was going on as I was catapulted back into my apartment, landing on the hard wooden floor with a thud. I wanted to stop him, to ask him what the hell he was doing but there was no time for that.

I was in the process of catching my breath when Eric came in at full speed throwing a kick aimed for my chest that I was barely able to duck. I got back up and blocked a punch aimed for my face. I was so confused, there was no explanation for Eric's behavior but I didn't have time to psychoanalyze my boyfriend at the moment considering the next punch might actually hit it's mark.

I blocked another punch but wasn't quick enough to duck a roundhouse kick that sent me sprawled on the ground once more. Eric was lightning fast, I've never seen him fight like this. He didn't fight with anger in his eyes, which although frightening, wasn't as frightening as the empty coldness of his eyes as he punched me over and over.

I wondered if Kyle was somehow deaf and couldn't hear me or if he was just ignoring the sickening slams of my body hitting the floor. Wasn't he supposed to be a highly trained intern or some shit?

"ERIC, GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!" I shouted in anger as I punched and kicked back, anything to try to get out from under him. It was like he didn't even hear my voice. I finally managed to get away when I managed to punch his face, which by the way, is not exactly bad ass and fun as it sounds, but rather painful.

I muttered a few extra choice words as I looked around for weapons. I always kept a gun behind the lamp but that was approximately five feet away. I didn't have time to reach for it, Eric was too fast.

He was looking at me with bloodlust in his eyes, the first emotion I'd detected since first seeing him. He paced in front of me, waiting for me to make the first move. When he saw that I was plainly out of ideas he lunged for me once more. I don't think I've been this scared in my life.

In the split second before he reached me, I grabbed the only thing near me. It was a metallic framed photo hanging on the wall, ironically of us together. As he ran towards me, I swung the frame blocking him and shattering the frame in the process.

It fazed him long enough to allow me to run in the opposite direction toward the door. He was blocking every other direction and I couldn't let him hurt me. I had a feeling he would continue until I no longer got back up.

However, like I said, Eric was fast. It was like he flew. He grasped me from behind just as I was swinging the door open. He kept me lifted off my feet as his grip on my neck grew tighter. I tried to kick him but struggling was useless. I couldn't breathe, let alone think. All I knew is that either he would stop or my heart would.

There was a loud crash and I was suddenly sent to the floor once more. I lifted my head from the floor to see Eric, limp, on the floor. Kyle stood behind him holding a chair, a bewildered look on his face.

"About time," I muttered clutching my chest. I placed my head back on the ground an closed my eyes. I think it's time for a nap.

.

.

.

.

Eric was moved to the living room where he was handcuffed to the staircase in case he woke up. However, seeing as he got a chair to the head its dubious that it will happen anytime soon. Bullet was at his feet barking and growling incessantly.

"Let me get this straight, you heard her getting punched, kicked, and choked but it took you ten whole minutes before you got around to helping her??" Blaire exclaimed incredulously. The whole team was here. The CIA, however, was not. We wanted to keep my aunt and the agency as far away from this development as possible. A crazed agent wasn't going to help us get back on the case.

"She has a wedding coming up, do you want to be held responsible for the bruises around her neck because that will not look good in the wedding photos," Jacob shook his head and I rolled my eyes.

"Forgive me but, you don't really expect me to marry him in this condition do you?" I told Jacob.

"Maybe he got cold feet?" Jacob offered.

"You run off when you get cold feet, you don't attempt to murder your fiancee," Palma interjected.

"No you don't understand, there was another one. He came in from the back doors. I managed to fight him off. I left him knocked out in the kitchen and went to help Charlee but when I came back he was gone," Kyle explained, interrupting us.

"Another one? Who else was here?" Jacob asked, his voice completely serious. All wedding jokes were put aside as the room turned deafly quiet awaiting for Kyle's description.

"He was asian, tan. A little under six feet tall but definitely close. He wore the same thing Eric is wearing; black shirt, grey pants," Kyle described.

"It was Akio wasn't it?" Lavender said, almost to herself.

"Look we don't know that," I reached out to touch her shoulder but Lavender shook her head.

"Was this him??" she asked Kyle pulling out her phone and showing him her lock screen, an image of her and Akio side by side, smiling.

Kyle nodded his head and Lavender hid her face in her hands and cried softly.

"This is a disaster, what the flying fuck is going on?" Blaire muttered angrily.

"I don't know what's wrong with him," I cried out, everything was falling apart.

"Ok everyone needs to calm down, right now," Tiffany spoke up, silencing everyone.

"We don't know what happened in the days that Akio and Eric were gone on their mission but we can't freak out right now. We need to take Eric somewhere safe, where we can interview him and study his behavior. We need to find out where they went and we need to find Akio. Most importantly we need to move Charlee somewhere safe, its clear you can't live here right now," she ordered looking at me in the end.

"There's this place, I see it all the time when I run in the park. It used to be the recreation center for the park but according to my neighbors it was closed off years ago because there wasn't enough money to keep it maintained. Its secluded, perfect for a new head quarters," Lavender suggested, her voice slightly shaky.

"Lets go take a look right now. Charlee, pack your stuff, ok?" Tiffany said as she and Lavender walked out of my room. I begun to get up but Palma stopped me.

"Let me finish taking a look at you ok?" she said pushing me back down on the bed.

"I'll begin to pack your things, you're moving in with us," Blaire spoke up and ushered Jacob out of the room to keep an eye on Eric.

"Thankfully your ribs aren't broken, neither is your arm. You're just going to have a lot of bruises for a while, ok?" she smiled a few minutes later after wrapping a bandage around the middle of my torso.

"And my neck?" I asked.

"There's also some bruising, it all seems exterior,"

"I'm going to be fine?"

"You're going to be fine, Charlee," Palma promised and I knew she was talking about more than just the bruises on my body. I closed my eyes and she put her hand on my forehead gently before moving on to check Kyle

~~~

OK YES I KNOW THIS MIGHT BE CONFUSING BEAR WITH ME PEOPLE, IT WILL ALL RESOLVE IN THE END... I HOPE.

Does anyone have any ideas on what will happen? Honestly your guesses are as good as mine, this is pretty crazy.

Until next week spy kids :)

~Lorna~