Run to Me

Bait

As the night kept moving forward, I began to feel drained, tired and defeated. I tried to fight it, to not allow myself to give up so easily, but it seemed as though my mind had taken the same battering as my body. Tears began to build in my eyes as I thought once again of Jett. I wished so badly that I was with him, or that I could at least see that cheeky smirk of his, and feel the soft caress of his hand against my skin. I closed my eyes, resisting the tears, allowing the memories of his face to swim in my head. Those beautiful blue eyes of his shone brighter than any star in the sky and I felt my heart speed up in response. It was as if it was beating for him, and I remembered the strength he'd always had, the courage he'd shown through everything that he'd been through. He was undeniably strong, he had faced everything head on, and he'd made it. That's when I knew, I knew he was alive, he wouldn't have given up, not that easily, this was why I was here. This is why they kept me. Because he survived. He had to. I felt my strength beginning to return, to build with the conviction that I could get back to him. I had to get back to him, but I didn't know how...

"Athena?"

Jett's voice made me jump, I searched the surrounding darkness for him, but I couldn't see him.

"Jett?" I called hopefully.

"Athena, can you hear me?" He asked.

I couldn't understand why he asked, could he not hear me calling?

"Yes, Jett I'm here!" I cried out, louder this time.

A sudden whooshing sound behind me caused me to spin around. I looked behind me, the darkness was never ending, and it sent a chill down my spine. I turned back, coming face to face with Jett. I beamed at him, I was about to reach out, staring into his blue eyes, that were fixed on me, my own face reflected back at me as he took hold of my shoulders and said firmly:

"Athena, you need to wake up!"

I gasped as I jolted awake, the chair creaking at the sudden force of my movement.

"Ah, you're awake. Thought for a moment that you might have slipped into a coma."

I looked up to see Jackson sitting on the chair that Aaron had left. His phone was in his hand and he had a gleeful smile on his face. I knew that I had to be strong. I must have succumbed to the exhaustion and fallen asleep. But I was glad, because now I felt it, my fight and my strength hadn't gone anywhere, it had been hidden beneath the pain. Not anymore. I knew what I had to do, what Jett wanted me to do, needed me to do. Be strong, just like him. I dug deep, and hauled every scrap of toughness, and courage that I had developed over the years, up to the surface, and stared straight at Holt and smirked.

"No such luck. I'm not going to make it that easy on you."

His icy eyes turned stormy, with annoyance or interest it was unclear. But he tapped his finger against his phone.

"You really are a rare find. I almost expected to find you shaken, crying and broken." He stood up, and walked slowly around the chair, approaching me. "But here you are, still sparky and determined. I almost admire you."

I sniffed, closing my eyes and shaking my head a touch.

"I'm touched." I said dramatically.

He chuckled and scratched his chin with his index finger.

"It's a shame you got so involved with a man like Jett. He's got you tangled in his mess."

His words made me angry, and I longed to strike him. But I knew I had to remain calm, he wanted to rile me, but I had to be smart.

"Jett's a million times the man you are. I'd take getting tangled in any mess, as long as I could be with him." I said firmly.

His brows rose and he unlocked the phone, tapping the screen a couple of times.

"Well, you'll get to be with him soon," He started, "He's on his way here."

He turned the phone screen towards me and I saw the message up on screen. There was a picture of me, tied in the chair, bruised and bloodied and unconscious. Underneath was an address, and a message:

Be here in an hour, or she'll be joining your brother. J

"You see," He leant down to me, and whispered in my ear, "You were just the bait."