And you'd have thought that I would let it go amd let you walk. Well broken hearts break bones.
"You never liked flying."
I actually liked flying. I never liked my enemies knowing things about me either, so I was the one who told him that in the first place.
No wonder he believed it.
I slowly opened my eyes, eyelids heavy when I spotted Landon, dressed in clothes less saying how he would murder me. Black tuxedo with white shirt, probably more expensive than this room, is on his slim tall body when he sits down in front of me.
I don't speak, but he does. "But those were only your words, so it wasn't enough and I had to see it for myself."
The sublity words trying to make me feel guilty were said with so little emotion. "And your perception?"
"That you are not Miles."
Miles Nelson. Kind hearted boy that accidentally stumbled across the horrors of that town. Only to one day walk into things that should never concern him and meet Landon Thorne in crucios accident which turned his life upside down. Then he did nothing. Nothing but follow around him, listening and complying orders like a trained dog.
They are all to blame for believing a person can be that shallow. That kind of perfection only exists in imaginary fiction.
"There was never Miles."
I had a choice three years ago. Stay Miles for the rest of my life and wake up in the arms of the devil in front of me, lying to myself and the world but at least the joy would be by my side through it all. Or be honest, be truthful for once and become who I have always been.
Winter Haden.
But now even that truth didn't feel honest.
"No." he says. "No, there wasn't." He leans his body forward, elbows supporting his arms on his knees while they brush against each other while lowering his head to be in the same line as me. "So enlighten me, who are you? Who is Winter Haden?"
"Depends on who you ask."
Ask Leah and I'm her dad, ask the rest of my family and I'm only Winter. To my colleagues, an agent who got too much for too little. They think they are being extremely slick about their opinions and looks, but I wouldn't be here where I am right now if half-witted morons like them could deceive me.
Ask Meredith and the rest of Snowcombe currently behind the bars, I'm the traitor.
Ask Landon and I am...?
"I'm asking you." he says it with so much criticism.
I tilt my head to the side, noticing the tight lipped smile that can be anything but honest, along with popping veins across his hands. I remember I wanted to study for the behavioral analyst department, but I would need at least ten years of experience as a special agent, to stand out from the crowd. I managed to do the latter, but only four more years of this and I can apply for it.
That's only if I live that far.
"I asked you something." he added.
"I'm not one of your dogs." I snapped at him, a flicker of surprise there. "You can drag them around with your leash, but I won't do the same. You already know who and what I am, so let's skip the small talk and tell me what you want."
There is small turbulence in the plane, shaking up both of our bodies in the stimulants of him laughing at my suggestion. It stops soon, allowing him to have his scarred hands go through his luxuriant black hair. Strands falling on the sides of his forehead even after he grins at me, bitter words leaving his white teeth. "Tell you? Why would I do that? So you could use it against me all over again."
The spit is stuck in my throat. "I was just doing my job."
He bites down on his grimace when he bends his head down, not letting me see his expression when he hums. "Of course, it was all just stupidity from my side. I mean, I was the one who decided to trust you, so how could I blame you."
I can't stand to look at him, not when he lifts his head and meets my eyes. My sight shifted on the doors, refusing anything to show when I heard him standing up. "But I can be spiteful, savage, scathing, hate-filled, disturbingly vengeful." his cold fingers are pushing my chin to meet his eyes. So much agony and resentment there. "And your family will be one of its victims."
Frustration grows in me. "Why? They have done nothing to you."
"No, but you have." he crouched down, pulling my face with him as I barely had to crane my neck to see him. My arms spread to the sides, cuffed while my sanity hangs on by a thread when he pulls out his phone typing in something before showing it to me. "Now she will be the first one to endure my revenge."
There is sweat stopping in its tracks while it drops down my face, stilling along with blood which could soon freeze down my whole body. Although the halt into my lungs seemed to be more serious than any other, as the spike penetrated my hand, clenched its fingers around my heart.
Leah is smiling in the video.
If my lack of breathing was the biggest issue here, I think I would comment on it, but now as I stare at the live video and Leah and three other girls are in the match of snowballing, my body is the least of my problems.
I know how I must look, frozen with shock and fear, but I still have hope. Hope and prays for her safety, while his mind could think of her as the rest of people do. As Caitlin's daughter and my niece, which could lower down her image in his mind and settle down on the importance of other things.
I could use things as distraction, show more concern for the rest and in that time-
"What is it like, being a father?"
I wish the words didn't have this much force, to flip the floor and ceiling and mix it all together in unholy liquid as I stare at him. My fingers are not wrapped around the metal pipel where they are cuffed, intensively looking at him while I work in silence over the conversation. "That's not-"
"Oh, spare me. I know it's not your sister's kid. She only adopted her to make it seem like it's her, but I know she is actually yours."
How?
"How?" I managed to get out, ripping my chin from his hand.
He flashes his teeth at me when he grins. "I told you once long ago. I will find out everything about anything."
I seal my lips shut when I hear scratches over the metal, right when my hand slips out of handcuffs after I bent them from below, enough for my wrist to slip down. The sound reaches Landon's ears when I grab ahold of my old knife, not allowing him to even notice it when I bring my head down, arch top of my forehead bumping right between his eyes.
Naturally his eyes close, hissing away when he tries to get away while I ignore the jabbing pain on my head, using the opportunity to slice through the air. I wasn't sure where it would land, but when he stumbled down on the floor, hand grasping another, I can only guess it was his palm.
It should keep him long enough as I turn to the left, pinching in the lock part of the handcuff with the sharpest part of the knife when he yells. "Spencer, Martin."
The blood in my body is working quickly, adrenaline blurring my mind when I hear footsteps running to here, voices calling as I focus on getting out of here. Landon is on the floor, blinking away when the doors burst open, my pair of eyes meeting two pairs who spot me after their boss. Their guns were hands as soon as my hand escaped after the click of metal, using my previously free hand to throw a knife.
I don't even manage to see the blood on his face, only a knife between his left cheek when I drop on the ground, hissing from my old wound when I avoid bullets. His hand doesn't get a chance to point down, when I reach out, grabbing his elbow and wrapping an arm around his knees when I push forward. When he falls down, I follow on top of him, both of us already in the pool of blood which is being created when I slam his hand down, making him drop the gun.
As soon as he was unarmed, I used my elbow to strike his face, adding on his head pain, then grabbing his collar, pulling him up and down on the floor. It's all too fast, barely allowing him to take a breath or do anything else when I pull to the side, grasp the gun between my fingers and return to him.
I'm only a second from pulling the trigger when I feel a metal barrel on my temple and the words. "Drop it."
The whole room freezes, even those that run up to the door, guns ready in their hands when Landon snaps. "Do not shoot, get out."
I hear confused mumbles, some other wordabefor ehe sternly repeats himself, not all of them leaving before he pulls closer to me. "Drop it, Winter."
My own gun, more specifically Spencer's gun, or Martin's, I don't know, I can't recognise these two, is lying on his left eyelid, just waiting to be pulled. "I will not repeat myself."
"You already have," I grit through my teeth, fingers white around his collar as the senses slowly start returning to him, but I can't barely see.
My vision is red, black, white, whichever color can blind me, it's that one. I feel like a wild animal, not being able to see anything but violence. Landon couldn't understand it, he is an insane man who is already used to killing people, he does it daily and with ease. His mind could never whirl around itself like this.
"And I will not do it again," he says. "And if you do not wish your daughter harm, you will drop that gun and never do something like this again."
My hand instantly drops the gun, having the men below me wiggle out like a mere insect while he looks at me with fear and disgust, before his eyes look down at his friend. After Landon is pulling my body up, he is dropping down yelling and sobbing over his friend but I can only stare at it now and wonder what I did.
I have done it again, but this time i will not drop down into agonising episode of terror in my mind becuse I have so many more things to worry about. Soon enough, the plane is shaking, pushing Landon to hit the side of the room, pushing my body with his as I look out of the window and see we are landing.
My eyes are barely blinking, even when curses and mutters are thrown around. Landon is keeping our bodies steady at the side of the wall, until the wheels hit the ground and the whole room shakes. I don't even have to see trees surrounding us to learn that we are not at any airport. Rather on a very uneven ground, when I hear a man bend me spitting some orders on what to do with the body when he pulls me out of the room.
I don't do anything else, all the anger now turned into empty feeling when we are being pushed out of the plane, catching my dad's eyes on the way. I hear him yelling and screaming for me, but Landon doesn't let the back of my neck go, and just leads me out.
After we come down from the stairs, I catch a glimpse of them holding my dad down, one of them delivering a punch in his gut. It's only then that reality hits me across the face. This could be the last time I ever see him.
I stop in my tracks, my dad is yelling for me and Landon is already opening his mouth for threat but I stop him with a hand over his arm, gripping tightly when I speak. "Just let me say goodbye to him." his eyes are narrow in irritation, even when I add. "It's my dad, Landon. Just let me say goodbye, let me hug him, please. I am begging you."
I don't know which words convince him, but his face drops in strange emotion when he waves his hand, allowing his men to let my dad go. He is fast on the stairs when Landon steps closer, looking down at me. "Don't try anything else, I will be watching you."
After my nod, I am running into my dad's already open arms. When he wraps them around me, I feel like I'm being suffocated but I don't complain, instead grasp his body even stronger when I look around, making sure we are far away from everyone else.
"Wren Broadway, number ten, apartment on the second floor." I whisper in his ear, sensing his confusion. "Do not get here immediately, wait ten days. Then behind the hall closet there is a false bottom in each drawer, don't question it and find Leah. With that, you can hide both of you."
"What-"
I hug him tighter, letting my head drop on his shoulder, trying to let myself enjoy the comfort, but knowing nothing could be the same. I try to ignore the welled up tears in my eyes, knowing we will separate now and all I can say to him is how to keep my and his daughter safe.
It feels like the world is stealing our last moment away. "You can't tell a soul about it dad. He has spies everywhere, even the Bureau."
Dad doesn't have a chance to ask the question which would stay unanswered either way, but Landon's voice is pulling me back, now close enough as I look at dad. He is already crying, tears dropping down his face as I try to give him a reassuring smile, but nothing could help him now.
"I will handle this dad, don't worry." I say with a breathy voice when I feel a hand on my shoulder.
"We are leaving." Landon speaks, but my dad is nodding, ignoring him when he cups my cheeks. "I know you will Winter, you were always the smartest and bravest one of us Hadens."
Landon doesn't break the moment, even when I feel my own tears on the edge, mist over my vision when he places a long, drawn out kiss on the top of my head. I feel like dying, hands dragging me down when he pulls away, strangers arms pulling him back and my body feels weak.
Even weaker when I feel the sharp pain in my neck, dad yelling my name and Landon's hands covering my waist when he pulls out the needle. I go to ask what is happening, but my body is already losing its balance, vision mulling over when I hear Landon say. "I can't have him trying to escape again."
"You piece of shit." I can vaguely see my dad suffering another punch for that, so I use all the strength I have left to ease this to him.
"Dad, it's fine." I gasp out, not sure how loud it is but I'm trying the yells when I look around, the trees of the woods being mixed together like Leah's paintings. "Im fine, I promise. I jus- Dad- Da-"
It's then when my voice leaves me, my body is long gone when the darkness starts taking me down. I wasn't sure where I was, but the only thing I knew is that Landon's hand lifted me in the air and the consciousness was down into mud below our feet.
I didn't even know what he was planning to do with my dad, but I am counting on that he will need him more, so he will stand down from killing him just yet. Still that doesn't give any immunity to him, only telling me I was right.
Landon is here for revenge at me and after my family and he already got a hold of the two of us.