I heard someone on the stairs and, thinking it Alec, I went to ask him if everything was okay. It was not Alec.
I came face to face with Luke's co-worker Alaric and a man I didn't recognise. They barged into the room and had all three of us in handcuffs in a matter of seconds.
"What? What the hell is going on?" I asked. I didn't get a reply and was instead shoved down the stairs.
Alaric and his partner dragged us out to a black car parked on the street. I looked around frantically, hoping someone would see us and help us. Then I realised that obviously nobody was going to stop two cops from arresting someone.
I caught a glimpse of Alec down the alleyway, by the fire escape. We made eye contact for a split second before I was pushed forwards. I heard him shout my name and as I was being forced into the car, I saw him sprinting towards us, but the car was already racing off and I lost sight of him.
Alaric pulled into the docks and he and his partner opened their doors to get out.
"Where are we? This isn't the police station," Clary pointed out.
"Just cooperate and everything will be fine," The unknown man responded, before yanking the back doors open, "Get out."
"We didn't do anything wrong," Simon pleaded.
"Be quiet or you're gonna make this worse for yourself." Alaric's phone started ringing as the men ushered us across the dirt towards what seemed to be a Chinese restaurant.
"Ignore it. That's an order," The man told Alaric. They hustled us inside and pushed us down into some chairs.
"Why do I keep getting kidnapped?" Simon asked rhetorically.
"Not to be self-centered, but I think it's me they're after," Clary said to him. As Alaric and the other man took a seat opposite, my sister turned to them. "Okay, what is going on? Alaric, did you arrest us for trespassing or something, because, news flash, I was in my own apartment," She demanded.
"We're just having a little conversation, that's all," The man assured us.
"Do you always handcuff people you wanna talk to? I bet this guy has one of the scariest online profiles ever," Simon rambled.
"This guy's funny," Alaric's partner pointed to Simon, "I like funny."
Alaric leaned across the table and looked at Clary, "Look, I know you're scared of Luke. He's trying to find you - I can keep you safe. You just need to tell us where the Mortal Cup is."
Clary sighed, frustrated, "Everyone thinks I can find this Cup, but I don't know where it is!"
Alaric shook his head and pressed, "Think, Clary. I'm trying to give you a chance."
"I can't help you. I'm sorry. Now, will you please let us go-" A fork being slammed into the table where my hands had been not two seconds ago, cut Clary off.
"Playtime's over," The man said.
Alaric turned to him, "Theo, just let me talk some sense into them."
"No, we did it your way. Now, we're gonna try it my way," Theo waved somebody over and suddenly Simon was being hauled from his chair.
"Hey, don't touch him!" Clary shouted.
"Tell us where the Cup is or your funny friend dies," Theo said as though it was a reasonable request.
"Please, don't hurt Simon, okay? I promise you, I swear to you, I do not where this Cup is," Clary begged.
"And what about you," Theo turned to me. I shook my head helplessly. "That's too bad. Get rid of him."
The man that had a hold of Simon dragged him away through a pair of double swing doors to the back. "What? Hey, let go of me!" He cried.
"Please, wait, don't hurt him!" Clary yelled.
As soon as Theo returned from checking on Simon Clary begged, "Please, tell me if Simon's okay."
"He's alive for now," Theo shrugged, "But I'm thinking you might need a little more incentive. This is you sister no?" He grinned, pointing at me. Suddenly arms wrapped around me in a crushing hold.
"No let her go!"
"Tell us where the cup is!" Theo demanded.
"I don't know, I don't know," Clary sobbed.
I saw yet another man walking towards me with a menacing grin plastered on his face, and knew this wasn't about to get any better for me. With one of them pinning my arms behind me, the other walked straight up and without any hesitation, landed a punch straight to my gut, completely knocking the wind out of me. The next blow gave me a bloody lip, followed by a blood nose and a split cheek.
"Okay! Okay, you win," Clary cried. "I'll tell you where the Cup is, just please - let her and Simon go!"
Theo held a hand up and the man in front of me stopped, and I gasped in pain. "I'm listening."
"It's, uh it's in the loft where you found me," I could tell Clary was improvising but apparently it wasn't so obvious to Theo. "There's a loose floorboard in the bedroom. My mom didn't know I knew, but she hid it there."
Theo grinned, a nasty look crossing his face. "Thank you very much." He looked to two of his men, who disappeared - presumably to retrieve the cup then faced the men holding me. "I think I'll let them have a little more fun with her though, at least until I know you're not lying to me."
"No! Sam!" Clary looked like she was going to cry.
I heard the man behind me chuckle and he dragged me backwards as I kicked and thrashed, through the same doors where they took Simon. I was half surprised to find an actual kitchen, not realising this was a proper functioning restaurant. After being bashed around a little more by the men, they threw me - literally picked up off the floor and threw me - into a small cell, where I was met with Simon's panicked face. They locked the door and left us in the semi dark space.
"Oh my God! Are you okay?" Simon dropped to his knees beside me, and I noticed he'd managed to break his handcuffs, freeing his hands.
"Spectacular," I replied sarcastically. "Who have you called?"
"Called? What?" He asked, confused.
"You mean you haven't called anyone? Simon!" I said exasperatedly, "There's a phone right there!" I pointed to an open locker.
"Who do I call? Simon, think. Who do you call?" I heard him muttering as he raced to grab the phone. I saw he'd pulled out a lighter too.
"Ring Clary's phone, she hasn't got it with her, maybe Alec has it," I suggested from the floor.
Simon set it to speaker and we waited with bated breath.
Jace's voice rang through the cell. "Hello?"
Simon let out a huge sigh of relief, "Oh, I thought I'd never utter these words, but thank God it's you. It's me, Simon."
"Where are you? Where's Sam and Clary?" Jace asked quickly.
"Uh, I don't know. Some Chinese restaurant, I think? This cop Alaric arrested us, but it was a total fake-out. Him and his buddy, they took us to their hangout and then they told Clary that they'd kill her if they don't find the Cup. She wouldn't tell them so they started beating Samara, trying to get Clary to talk."
"Samara?" I heard Alec's voice cut in and figured they must have their end on speaker too, "Is she okay?"
Simon looked down at me, "She's bleeding real bad, but she's conscious."
"Just calm down, all right? Tell us what you see," Jace replied.
"Okay," Simon raced to the tiny barred window at the top of one of the walls, "Uh, we're definitely on a pier. There's a ton of water. Uh I see lockers and oh, my we're in some sort of torture chamber - there's claw marks all over the wall."
"Werewolves," I heard Isabelle.
Then Alec, "That's possible."
"Okay, Simon, you need to get more specific. Tell us what you see. Help us find you," Jace was speaking again.
Simon looked around desperately, ruffling through some of the lockers, "There's nothing else that can help- wait, hold on! Hold on," He pulled out what looked like a menu. "We're at the Jade Wolf Chinese Restaurant on the pier at Greene St - and they have really inexpensive cocktails," he added, reading the menu. "Just hurry, just hurry."
"You need to create a diversion. Stall them," Jace instructed.
"How? All I have are clothes and a lighter," Simon asked.
"Start a fire, Simon," Jace said.
"That never works! Have you ever seen an action movie?" Simon pointed out.
"We're on our way," Jace hung up.
Simon looked around before spotting something on he wall farthest from me. I couldn't see through the dark but I could hear him pull something open, clicking the lighter, and suddenly the fire alarms were ringing.
Smoke was filling the room at a dangerous rate and I could only hope that Jace, Alec and Isabelle would be here soon. Sitting on the floor was no longer possible with the smoke spreading so I struggled to stand and Simon let me lean on him for support.
Simon and I were on the verge of choking when the bars on the window were ripped clean off and Isabelle's face appeared.
"I'm getting seriously tired of saving your life," She grinned.
"I'm not!" Simon joked. "Here, pull her up first." Simon gave me a boost and Isabelle managed to get me through the window, with Simon hauling himself up after me. Isabelle broke my cuffs and wrapped one of my arms around her shoulders, taking some of my weight as we hurried to get away from the burning room.
I could make out three figures through the smoke and Simon sprinted forwards. "Clary!"
"Where's Samara?" I heard Alec demand.
"I've got her!" Isabelle called and she helped me limp forwards. Alec ran over to us and pulled me from Isabelle's arms into his own, wrapping his arms around me.
"Sam, oh my God-"
"I'm fine, but we got a bunch of werewolves trying to kill us so maybe we should get going," I cut him off, drawing back slightly to look up at him.
"Wait, wait, the box, my backpack. I think I left it at the loft," Clary said, looking at Alec.
He shook his head, "No, we've got it. I didn't screw up everything."
"You didn't screw up anything," I corrected him, drawing his attention back down to me, still in his arms.
"Let's get out of here, then," Simon turned to leave but Isabelle grabbed the back of his jacket.
"Wait, Simon! Whatever you do, do not make any fast moves," She instructed. I looked around to see glowing green eyes cutting through the smoke in every direction.
"This can't be good," Jace groaned.
Alec pushed me behind him, "We're surrounded, everyone, stay together."
"Believe me, I'm not going anywhere," Simon murmured.
Suddenly, the largest one started forwards towards us, and Jace exclaimed, "Everyone, get back, that's the alpha leader!"
"Jace, behind!" Clary screamed. We all turned in time to see another wolf leap over the top of us, meeting the alpha mid-air. They tumbled back behind some crates and we could only catch glimpses of them fighting.
After a flash and a thud, the fighting noises ceased. We all crept forwards slowly, only to find Theo's body bleeding out.
"The alpha's dead," Isabelle noted.
Luke stumbled out, bleeding but alive, and all the other wolves howled. Transforming back into humans, they dropped down to one knee, bowing their heads.
"What? What is it? What's happening?" Clary asked, looking between them all.
Jace looked around, then turned to Clary to explain, "When a werewolf kills the alpha leader, he becomes the new alpha - your friend Luke's the leader of the pack now."