"I know it's late," I say into the phone immediately as the other line picks up. "but I need to speak with you."
"Yes?" Link says. "Did Pitch confront you?"
"Yes," I breathe. "well, n-not exactly." I stutter, shivering in the corner of my room. I stare at the shattered window fearfully, the thought of an evil Jack returning scaring me out of my mind. I've never felt fear on this level before.
"What do you mean, Elsa?"
"Jack confronted me."
"Wait. . . Jack?" Link questions confusedly. "As in your Jack?"
"Yeah, my Jack." my voice breaks.
"Tell me everything, agent." I can hear the intensity in his voice.
"Well, he literally appeared behind me. He was normal at first, but was awfully short tempered. I said something that upset him which led into a speech about him being 'tortured until he gave in'."
"Gave into what?" Link prods me to continue.
"The darkness." I whisper. "He became gray and black and his eyes faded red. He told me his name is Black Frost and that he's working for Pitch now. Then I blasted him out the window and-"
"Elsa!" Link gasps with a chuckle.
"Well I had to! He was trying to kill me!" I defend.
"Okay, okay, go on."
"So I sat against the wall, thinking he was gone, but then out of no where he appeared beside me again. He told me he'd 'own me' one day, then just disappeared into thin air. Link, he's evil now." I whimper.
"I see," I can hear him thumbing through files and muttering words to another person in the room. "Elsa, you said his skin was gray and his hair was black?"
"And his eyes were red, yes." I answer.
"He's been coerced."
"What?"
"It's an old fashioned black magic trick. Pitch has been using it for centuries. Brainwashed is a better word for it." Link explains.
"Can it be fixed?" I'm afraid of what his answer may be.
"It's never been fixed before. It's powerful." Link tells me but my mind flashes back to my conversation with Black Frost.
"He said something when we were talking. . . He said the only thing more powerful than darkness is love." I say.
"It's too risky to try something so soon to his coercion. Come home and we can plan out our next move in a more. . . professional manner. What we thought was a small problem at your school has become a global threat. We'll need more agents on the job."
"Okay." I speak.
"We'll send the private jet to pick you up. We don't want another plane crash." my heart sinks when he mentions that incident again.
"I'll be at the airport." I tell him before hanging up.
I pack up my things, making sure not to turn my back on the gaping window. If Jack makes another stealthy entrance I'm sure he'd silence me quickly and quietly.
***
The airport is tether vacant considering its close to midnight. I walk along the outer rim of the building to get to my waiting jet. My 2 week trip got cut to 3 days.
"Elsa!" I turn and see Jack and my heart sinks. Why won't he leave me alone? What does Pitch want with me?
As Jack approaches I begin to realize he's his normal self, panting and huffing.
"Jack. . ."
"Elsa, please don't leave me here." He gasps, his eyes red from tears and his mouth etched in a distressed frown. Even more scars decorate him than when I saw him hours ago. "Please, he's t-torturing me. I can't take it, I can't take it," he repeated, looking as though he's going insane. My heart hurts immensely watching him go crazy and knowing Link won't let me help him.
"I'll come back for you," I whisper to him, choking back tears.
"Don't let them take me back." He stutters. He's a completely different Jack. He's terrified. For the first time since I met him, he looks young and scared; like a child fretting over the thought of a monster inhabiting it's closet. "Elsa, please. You don't understand what they've been doing to me." he hyperventilates as I tear my eyes away from him and try to walk away.
I can't help him. Link won't allow it.
He jumps in front of me, on his knees. "Jack, I can't help you." I sob. "I can't, you'll endanger everyone on the plane and back home."
"I can't take it here anymore." his fingers ruffle through his hair then his face falls into his hands.
"I'm sorry." I cry. All of the sudden, his head snaps up and his ocean eyes widen, totally alert.
"They're coming," he gasps. "Elsa, you need to run. They're-they're coming. It's too late, it's too late, it's too late." he whimpers. When I don't move, he raises his voice. "Run!" he urges and I give in, breaking into a sprint towards a plane. I look behind me to see two dark agents overcome him, pinning him to the ground and raising a blade.