~*~*~*~*~*~*
Fun House
Level 3
An hour later I walked to the third floor numb, I managed to twist the ring for the rock to be facing inside of my palm.
I struggled not to drag me feet as there were two words that raced through my mind on a repeated loop over and over.
Pregnant.
Married.
Pregnant. Married.
I couldn't question it anymore. What was the point? The questions were answered already, they had been for months.
I had let myself live in denial seeing it as the best way to cope with all the emotions from my day to day here.
I used our special knock on the door, waiting for it to open.
He would hunt us down. There was no doubt.
Should I be putting Rachel through all of this? She would be taking the lead on the mission. Putting herself through removing the chip all alone in the garage while I stalled the guards and got the code.
She smiled. "Are you ready?"
A frown formed as she observed my mood. "What happened? Did he hurt you?"
Technically yes.
"Did you know that there are rings out there that exist to never be taken off? Why would someone even come up with that? Are people that crazy and controlling? How demented do you have to be to want to basically sew on a piece of material to another human being?"
Rachel shut her room door slinging the backpack over her shoulder. "Elena what happened?" Concern coated her face.
"He married me. I'm married to him." My lips moved but no other part of me did.
Was this shock? I thought I experienced it before but this was paralyzing.
"He what?!"
Pregnant.
Married.
Elena Capitani.
Married.
I held out my palm so she could see the rock glisten.
Rach muttered a curse word then got hold of my shoulders. "Hey. I need you to snap out of it ok? Look at me." She gave me a lite shake.
Pregnant.
Married.
House in Italy.
Elena Capitani.
I felt a few pats on my cheek and muffled words coming from in front of me. My shoulders shook again.
Now and forever addressed.
Elena Capitani.
Pregnant.
Married.
A hand flew across my face similar to the feeling of freezing cold water.
"Can you hear me!?"
I blinked back into reality.
"Elena can you hear me ok?"
I rubbed my cheek but nodded. "Thank you." I pulled her into a hug holding tightly hoping this all went well. I really didn't want to leave her alone in that big garage.
She'll be fine. She's the best mechanic we know.
"I'm alright. I just want everything to go well." Rachel grabbed onto the backpack I too brought along.
We began to walk to the elevator.
Taking the stairs would be too time consuming and we had given ourselves thirty minutes to get out. The halls were empty when walking to the end of the hallway.
"I don't want to go to the guard lounge, and I've been thinking just how likely it would be that the code is even in there. It's only five digits, no numbers. How hard is it to forget?"
I followed her inside, seconds later we descended.
"If you don't feel comfortable then just come with me. But we only have three tries then we're locked in. I'm more than willing to take that risk considering the turn of your security status." She tried to make a joke. Surprisingly I laughed.
She's not wrong. it could work to your advantage if you guys get caught.
Then a brilliant idea hit me. "Caitlyn!" I shouted.
"The maids live in the maid center but Caitlyn doesn't. If she stayed discreet about giving you pregnancy tests maybe she could help us this one last time." I pitched. I had much more Faith in this than our first thought.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Fun House
Ground Level Neg. 1
Maid Center
"Elena is everything alright?" Caitlyn removed her glasses letting them hang from their golden chains around her neck.
I swallowed the lump in my throat squaring my shoulders.
I had never met her before, even with what Rachel told me I didn't know if I was dealing with another Bishop or not.
Rach assured me Andreas had a deep respect for Caitlyn and vice versa. I just prayed that didn't fully mean one hundred percent loyalty that overlooked morals.
I made a pit stop to the kitchen after escorting Rachel safely to the garage promising to give her fifteen minutes and meet back there.
My palm was sweaty as I held the cutting knife behind my back.
"I need something from you." I stated taking a step closer.
"Are you not feeling well? Should I get one of the nurses?" She rose from her chair making her way to me.
Just scare her, E. Don't hurt her.
"I need you to give me the gate code."
She went to shake her head no but I pointed the knife right at her throat.
"I'm sorry. Rachel said you're very sweet and try your best to help the girls here as best you can."
Caitlyn held her hands up. "Sweetie, I know how scared you must feel right now. But I am like a grandmother to that man. Hurting me is not wise."
My shoulders slumped in guilt but I kept my strength around the handle pressing it just a half-inch forward.
"Then tell me the code." I whispered.
"You did not think this through. The cameras saw you come down here. Whatever you are up to will not play out well."
I didn't want to think about what could be going on behind the scenes.
None of them could hurt us if we got caught. That's all that mattered. I tried putting the confidence I had the same night I hit Amber back into play. No one can hurt me.
"I'm way past that. Don't you think I know Patrick is foaming at the mouth watching what we're doing?! I don't care!"
She shook her head again. "Dear, Patrick cant help you any longer, Andreas made sure of that. Marcus has the camera survelliance sent to his devices while they find a new tech to train. It's over."
Every dot connected and snapped into place. Marcus? He's alive? He must've spun the story to make it sound like Pat was the one I was with. But...what about the Macaro-
For fuck sake, we don't have time for this!
"This is my last time asking. What is the five digit code?"
"It's Tiger. It's your nickname, ok?" She was another Bishop after all, even with a knife to her throat. I couldn't just walk out. I need to subdue her and stuff her in a supply closet.
I searched for items with my eyes and saw an orange scarf hanging from her chair.
"I'm very sorry."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ground Level 1
I raced up the stairs from the maid center with Caitlyn's handheld walkie talkie in hand to listen out for any communication.
Caitlyn was tied up in a supply closet, gagged, with no keys to freedom unless someone heard her banging.
I kept an eye out for maids and guards strolling about and it was interesting to me just how empty it was simply because football had the majority of the guards away. It wasn't even this empty on Thanksgiving.
"Rachel!" I whispered. My voice carried an echo as I walked into the twelve car garage.
I racked my eyes over the four Rovers that had been left behind
"Over here!" I jogged to the last vehicle seeing the front door wide open.
Did she not have to smash it, like we thought to get in?
"It's done. The door was open but there aren't any keys so I'm doing my very best to hot wire this motherfucker." She explained as her hands worked carefully.
I went around to the passenger side. "Close your door and lock it. The windows are tinted right? Just in,-" The walkie buzzed.
"This is guard #201, five minutes out from FH. Returning in Rover 4. Copy."
She closed her door then snapped the locks. I looked at her nervously as she focused. "How did you get that?" Rachel asked with a glance at the walkie.
"I stole it from Caitlyn." I admitted.
"Elena!"
"I didn't want to risk it. Ok? And she gave me the code. Don't worry, I didn't hurt her much and if they find her it won't be for a while."
She took a deep breath after being buzzed in shock by the wire.
"I trust you and at least we know we have five minutes now thanks to the walkie. If we don't pull out of that garage when they come in I don't have another way to get it open besides very harshly crashing into it."
We had an hour to drive to rest stop to switch out the plates before they noticed we were gone. This hot-wiring was eating up our time and we weren't even out yet.
My nervous glance rotation of looking at her work and the garage door didn't stop.
"Rachel...can you get it?" I was trying to keep myself from asking but time was running out.
I heard a short lived roar of the engine rock the car to life before fizzling out.
"Almost." She dealt with each electric shock like a champ.
The repeated roar and fizzle of the engine made my heart thump forcefully in my ears. Caitlyn could've had a spare key and could be hopping her way to the elevator to get to the guard lounge for all I know.
A rumble shook the ground beneath us as the metal garage door slid to open.
"Rachel!" I called out in desperation.
"Elena please! I can do this." Her fingers twisted and worked at a steady speed and I sunk into the seat feeling my heart assault my ribcage to break free.
When I looked back through the rearview the Rover was approach up the swiveled driveway. They can't see us but this feels like the end already.
The car rumbled to a full start and she wasted no time putting in reverse. "Fuck yes! Yes!" She let out a chuckle with tears down her face.
Our backpacks full of what we could carry sat in the backseats as I too watched us pull out as the other Rover slid in. They didn't beep or radio to see who was leaving so that was a bonus victory keeping us invisible.
"Elena what's the code?" She said pulling down the driveway waiting to pick up speed to keep suspicion low.
"Tiger."
She scoffed then rolled down the window to punch it in the keypad.
T.I.G.E.R.
....
Err.
It buzzed in error.
The slow look we gave each other plummeted all faith we had just seconds ago.
"She fucking lied. Fuck!!" Rachel roared beginning to hit the steering wheel in full rage.
She didn't stop and I was afraid she'd accidentally honk the horn.
"Gawddamnit! Fuck! She lied!" Her open palms balled into fists as she now punched.
My hands shook as I watched the woman that had been here longer than anyone else fully rage out and loose her shit.
All the care and patience she held over the years to survive, gone. All the kindness she had when nursing each new girl after their first night, just to turn around and see her either lose her soul or life in that place, gone. All the maturity of being the bigger person when they bullied her with jealousy, gone.
The window was still down. The outside world was hearing her completely break down.
She started to punch the armrest. "Rachel please." I pleaded not knowing how to help.
Her fists slowed after we heard the plastic crack under her strength and eventually she stopped just to slip into full on sobs. She gave herself a few minutes to cry. I rubbed her back in soothing circles that I wished helped.
When she went silent the green embers of joy now held defeat.
"I can't...go back in there Elena." She whispered, nothingness in her voice. No faith. No hope.
No life.
The walkie buzzed. "This is first-year guard #559, head count complete, all girls accounted for. Over."
We looked down at the device.
"Copy that. Is Mrs. Capitani in the library? Over."
I held my breath waiting to hear them say we couldn't be found.
"All girls accounted for. We're playing by your rules. Over." My brows dipped. That wasn't the same voice as the first-year that spoke.
It sounded like...
"Was that?" Rachel asked thinking the same thing I did.
Marcus?
"We have two more tries, that's it just two."
A memory squeezed in from all those months ago.
'...don't give up when the game is starting to play by your rules.'
There's no way...
There is absolutely no way it could be...
'Your name is beautiful, it's just five letters. Simple as that. It sounds freeing.'
"...five letters. Rachel, it's my name." I softly realized locking my eyes with hers. He's watching. He's been watching this entire time.
"Are you sure? We'll still have one more guess but,-"
"I'm sure." I nodded looking on with anticipation.
E.L.E.N.A
...
Ding.