Finally after a long drive Alex arrived at Zander's home greeting the small group of worried friends. "Hey Alex, it's good to see you after so long. Please tell me your bringing some good news," Zander pleaded welcoming him inside.
"It's good seeing you too Z. How's he doing?" Alex stepped in placing his briefcase full of work down on Zander's table.
"As expected. He's taking a rough turn. Nina's in the room with him trying to get him to eat something. I gave him soup last night but he didn't take much."
"I can't imagine having to go through that," Alex shook his head sitting down while Zander went to grab him a glass of water. When he returned both men could hear Nina slowly making her way down the hallway into the dining room.
"Hey Nina." Alex politely said before giving Nina a side glance at the crutches.
"We got jumped, let's leave it at that." She carefully limped over to the table taking a set of her own, setting the crutches besides her leaning against the table.
Alex nodded giving her space, meanwhile Zander took a seat besides Alex. "Has he eaten anymore?"
Without a word Nina shook her head looking down defeatedly. "He's not doing himself any good. He needs his strength if we're going to do something about getting Lain and Kaila back." Zander frustratedly sighed running his hand through his hair.
"Let me talk to him, I may be able to shine some light on the situation." Alex stood from the table, opening his briefcase, and pulling out a notebook from within it.
"I hope you have some good news in that book of yours." Nina's eyes lit up with hope.
"I may have took it a step further and thought of a way we can go get them back." Almost as if a ray of light shined down on him, Zander and Nina stood and led Alex into the room Mallix was in.
Nervously knocking on the door, Alex pushed the door open seeing it as dark as night in his room. Furniture was thrown around the place, the room was a wreck with how much damage it held. "Mallix?" Alex stepped in turning on the light switch to the room, but to no avail. The bulbs in the light overhead had been broken to shattered pieces of glass on the floor below.
He looked back seeing Zander shake his head at him throwing his hand up at the mess. He understood Mallix was going through hell and back, so having a messed up room would be one of the easier things he could fix. Alex turned his attention back into the darkened room, behind all the thrown around furniture, he could make out a figure laying lifelessly on the bed across the room.
He walked over grabbing Mallix by the shoulder and helping him sit up. His strong essence was nearly completely dissipated as he slouched in his spot dropping his head to the ground. Lowering himself close to Mallix's ear, Alex whispered him something. Neither Nina nor Zander could hear him, but by the sudden bolt of energy jolting through Mallix's body, they knew it inspired him. The color in his skin was returning as he rushed up and out of the room over to the kitchen, breezing past Nina and Zander in the doorway.
Alex walked out of the room smiling at their lost faces. He signaled for the to follow him to the kitchen where Mallix was sitting at the table scribbling notes down on a piece of paper from Alex's briefcase.
Everyone grouped around the focused mess of a man, taking their own seats at the wooden table in the middle of the room overlooking the shimmering lake outside the large patio window. "Here." Mallix stated groggily slamming down his piece of paper in the middle of the table.
Leaning over at the sheet, Zander looked confused at the different names and lines drawn all over the paper. "What's this?"
"Everyone who knows the girls and their connection to them, we're going to use this to figure out who fed the Fendly's your information. From there-"
"Fed them our information?" Nina questioned Alex.
He looked up at her shocked she was unaware of the entire situation. "Did you tell her what was going on?" He asked Mallix, it wasn't long before all eyes were on him. Especially Nina, who raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms at him standing to the best of her ability. She left one knee on the chair while the other supported her body.
"No..." he trailed off not wanting to meet their gazes.
"Alex what's going on?" Her voice was harsh and rash, irritated that the boys were leaving her out on information. She wanted to know what was going on, especially when it involved her best friend and favorite little girl.
Side glancing Mallix, Alex stepped forwards. "You remember Lauren don't you, N?"
"How could I forget about someone who turned her back on those I love." She sarcastically stated.
"Well, you might want to sit down for this part now." Alex warned waiting as the woman in front of him sat down. The next half hour Alex went in detail explaining all about his past and the Fendly's. Both Nina and Zander were lacking this knowledge, they sat quietly listening intently the entire time not daring look away for they feared they'd miss some important information. "...which is why we're going to need to get them out soon. Once the deed is done there is no going back, we may never get another chance to see them again. Or worst...we'll be able to get them back, but they won't be the same people we know."
Their eyes were left on his closed mouth waiting for some kind of conclusion, something to put their minds at ease, but that something never came. Instead they were left on the lowest of notes realizing just how horrific their friends conditions truly were. "So what do we do?! There's got to be something we can do!" Zander argued slamming his hands down on his table.
Meanwhile as Zander longed for an explanation from Alex, Nina desired one from the quietest person in the room. "Why'd you keep all that from me?! Didn't you think I deserved to know that my best friend, your wife,...my niece, your girl,...my boyfriend, your brother, are all missing and just now you want to tell me that they may all be held hostage by some underground killers! You should've told me about this! I could've helped! I wouldn't have suggested going to the mall! They would still be here! SAFE! But no...you kept the information to yourself and now look where it's got us! I swear Mallix if a single hair on their heads is harmed I'll-" Nina wanted to throw hands at the man cowering in his seat until she felt Zander's hand grip her shoulder.
"Hey Nina, I know your upset about this. But give Mallix some space. Alex said both him and Lain wanted to leave you out of this for your own safety. It's not his fault. Besides he's got the worst situation going for him than all of us. Can't we just try to focus on the main objective here," Zander looked across the table and back, "were going to get our friends back. I may not know Kaila personally, but from the way you all speak of her, she sounds great. And I know Lain and James are strong. They'll be able to take care of themselves for the time being. Let's just not make them wait longer than what's needed."
Mallix looked over giving Zander a small smile before turning to see Nina still arms crossed in her seat but with a soft look in her eyes. "Alex, any ideas?" Mallix muttered out as loud as he could, even though it was a mere whisper. He feared talking anymore or any louder would break him. The last thing he wanted right now was to be seen crying in front of all his friends.
"That's what I'm about to start on, but it's going to be a lot." Clapping his hands he began spilling out the simple details. Everyone was chatting amongst one another discussing the logistics of the information. It seemed like the entire day passed before their eyes, soon the sun was setting and everyone was concluding on the plan. Calling it for the night everyone split up into their own rooms. Almost like routine, Mallix found himself wide awake at the hands of darkness. He stood staring out his late night window, watching as leaves were blown by and the bristling of bushes. His mind was filled with questions and worries that he could quiet.
A tear dropped from his eye, he looked up trying to find hope in such a dark situation but what he found was better. A bright light illuminating what seemed to be the darkest abyss that went on infinitely. "Please be ok. Please." He whispered softly under his breathe as the orb thousands of miles away stared back down at him, lighting his face. The simple ray of a minor gleam was enough to comfort his aching heart. Countless hours he stared out watching as the moon ran across his window. If they have to be away from one another, at least he knew one thing would be there with them. The friendly man staring back at him giving him strength.
Sobbing into her hands, Kaila brought her head up in her new room she'd awoken to hours earlier. Whatever the nurses did to her made her legs feel weak. She found it difficult to gather the strength in herself to walk anywhere. Right now the only thing she was happy for was the fact that this room was doubled in size from her last one. While still tiny, it did have a small window with bars running along it giving her some sense of day. The small view of freedom kept her attention for the past hours. She watched the sun set, and now pleaded at the only light in her life not to disappear again.
The shining piece of cheese that floated within the night time sky was her only friend. Keeping her company all night long. She feared what might happen if she were to close her eyes in a place like this. The constant sound of monitors from within the room set her off in a daze, she had been watching out her window so intently the atrocious sound of footprints approaching her were unapparent.
Without a word of warning, Kaila was being forcefully removed from her room once again. Being brought out into the whitened halls of this repulsive facility. She was being dragged against her will past hundred of doors, the sound of crying and screaming echoing in the halls. Fighting back with what little she had left in her, Kaila managed to wiggle her arms out of the guards grasp. Not wasting any time celebrating her single success, she began bolting down the hall away from him. Her weak legs barely able to hold up her body, but she pushed through. Seeing this as her only chance of escape, she blocked out the horrible pain. The loud thunder of footsteps growing louder behind her. The only pathway in front of her was the direction of the straight halls. She was gasping for air and chocking on her own tears the quicker her pace became.
"Code Blue. Code Blue." The intercom overhead stated repeatedly. She turned her head around seeing the one guard was now joined by his many buddies. She screamed not believing her own eyes at how fast her legs were carrying her. Kaila's adrenaline was running at such a fast pace she never had a thought of stopping, despite the heavy breathing and water droplets falling from her head.
Continuing the chase further, it seemed like she had become rather popular from the large sea of guards running after her. Some tried blocking her from up front but using her size to her advantage, Kaila managed to maneuver her way around. It seemed like there was an endless labyrinth of white walls and heavy doors all around her...or at least there was. Until she came across her first and only dead end. The hallway leading to nothing but a singular door at the end of the hall. However, unlike all the other doors that were pristine, white, and clean. This door was black surrounded by velvet wallpaper.
Being too absorbed into her goal of escaping their clutches Kaila finally paused taking the time to look back seeing the entire hall had become "normal". Unlike the typical halls of the facility, this narrow hallway was decorated with items and color. Upon taking a break from running she began panting for air feeling the affects of running for ten minutes straight at hyper speed taking their toll on her small structure. She huffed and puffed, hands on her knees trying to catch her breathe. It wasn't long before the storm of stomping grew near. Scared and out of options Kaila had only one place to hide. She knew it was a long shot but what else could she do in a situation like this.
Running for the black door, she gripped tightly to the silver handling twisting it. Her eyes popped when it twisted. "Stop!" A man shouted appearing down at the end of the hall, running as fast as a cheetah towards the small girl. Instinctively she screamed pushing open the door stepping in before slamming the door behind her. Just in time for a hard pound against the door from the other side. The impact sending her back violently. Thinking quickly she got up and put her little body weight against the door. While panicking and trying to look for a lock on the door, she was too weak to support the weight of many strong built men who practically knocked the door down.
Kaila found herself once again on the floor struggling to find her bearings as she watched all the men enter the room while she crab walked backwards away from them. Multiple hands came down, about to touch her small body before a strong voice behind her caught everyone's attention. "Out!" The familiar voice was comforting as Kaila shot her eyes back.
She watched wide eyed as the men all stood up and walked away from her without another though. "I swear those imbeciles." The voice walked around from behind Kaila's body to the door, shutting it carefully they walked over and reached a hand out to Kaila. "It's good to see you again little one."
——————————————————————————
A/N: Happy Hundred to Perfect Preparation! ❤️ And congratulations on making it to end!
Thank you to everyone who gave me feedback yesterday on what you guys wanted to see next. Now for the results, drum roll please...you'll all be happy to hear that the sequel for Perfect Preparation, Three Hearts Left Intact, comes out tomorrow. So stay tuned!
This has been my favorite story by far to develop and to watch evolve over time. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Every single one of you keep me inspired to write more. This has been my first story to reach over 100K views and for that this will hold a special place in my heart. You guys are all the best! And almost all of the comment you guys make has always been so lovely and supportive!
But enough sappy talk, I really appreciate you taking the time to read my novel and giving it some love. I know many will brush over this small segment for me to connect with you guys with, but for those who have stuck to the end I want to thank you. To commemorate the ending of such a book, I have a few things I'm genuinely curious about.
-Let me know what's been the most memorable or surprising event/plot twist?
-Who's been your favorite character? Who's been your least favorite character?
-What you thinks going to happen with the Colden's?
Thank you all again and for the last time in this book Lexx ❤️ signing off