For a moment it's as if time is still, and we just stand there, watching each other. Finally, Kol breaks away, looking down at the ground guiltily. Suddenly, I burst. Not being able to cope with any more news as such, I lunge towards Kol.

"What's wrong with you?" I scream. "Erik took you in! He trusted you! We trusted you! I trusted you!"

Before I can even lay a hand on him, Thorn has my hands wrapped tightly behind my back. I kick and squirm, wanting desperately to lash out at something. I know I must  look like a mess, but I don't care. This is wrong. This whole situation is just wrong.

Kol tenderly steps forward. "Audrey..."

"Don't touch me!" I yell, a sob escaping me. "You lied! You lied about everything!"

I know I must be acting melodramatically, but in this moment, I barely even hear the words escaping my mouth. They all just tumble out. Feeling light-headed and suddenly exhausted, my knees begin to buckle slightly, and all I want is to fall back onto the ground. Thorn's grip on my arms is probably the only thing keeping me up. Kol reaches out to support me, but I kick Thorn behind me, who lets go in surprise, and I swat Kol's hand away, refusing to let him get near me. Kol shakes his head at me, crossing his arms over his chest, frowning.

"Audrey, listen to me, it wasn't all a lie," Kol starts.

I watch my mother waving her mobile in the air. "Why can't I get any reception?" she walks further away towards the truck, holding her phone up in different directions.

"Look. Can I have a moment?" Kol glances at Thorn with his usual, bored expression. I look at the two of them in shock as Thorn reluctantly nods his head with a grunt, and I realise just how much power Kol must have over these people.

"You too," he glances at Spike, who shrugs and walks off, casting me a last glare before following his companion a little distance away.

"Tell me this is a joke," I spit out bluntly.

Kol raises an eyebrow, actually seeming confused. "A joke?"

"Why would you stay with these people Kol? What possible reason could you have? These people killed your parents!" I point out, flustered.

"No," Kol says bitterly. "Your dad killed them!"

I shake my head in bewilderment. "You are just as insane as the others! What are you saying?"

He glares at me. "Exactly what I said! It's because of your father that they got caught! It's because of him that they even joined this stupid organisation in the first place! They could have been doing some other mission! They could've still been alive!" A look of sadness crosses his face and I wonder if he's going to cry. I almost feel sorry for him. Almost. But anger soon takes over once more.

"So you join them?" I scoff.

"They offered me a place with them! You'd be stupid not to pick the winning side," Kol says darkly, a part I haven't seen him before.

"Erik offered you a place in his home! You manipulated him! You manipulated me." My voice dropped low on the last sentence, and I looked at him in disappointment.

"It wasn't fake. You and me," he says quietly, stepping towards me. "Everything I felt for you was real. You can't say you didn't feel the same." He lifts my chin up towards him and I find myself thinking back to the kiss. But this time, I don't feel confusion towards that memory. My stomach doesn't flutter. It's just a memory. A memory of betrayal.

"You and I aren't all that different from each other Audrey. When your mother sent me on this covert mission, I thought I'd have a hatred for you like I did your dad but... you're different. You were innocent in all this," he gently pushes a strand of loose hair behind my ear, waiting for my reply. When I finally respond, though, it's obviously not what he expected.

"Mark was right not to trust you," I say, quietly but firmly. I take a step away from him.

Kol blinks in surprise before regaining his wits, grabbing my shoulders and shaking them. "Mark? Mark?" he looks at me furiously. "He doesn't know a thing about me!"

"Stop it!" I yell, pushing his hands away.

"Is that it?" Kol asks angrily. "Is he the reason you won't join me? You could be with your mother! You could be with me! I'll protect you!"

Seeing Kol so hyped up scares me. He's usually so calm, so nonchalant.

"I'm not joining you Kol," I respond evenly. "Or my mother. I don't need your protection."

Perhaps my words came out harsher than I intended, but something finally makes Kol snap.

"Oh? Who's going to protect you then? Mark? That little weakling?" Kol sneers.

"He's better than you'll ever be!" I spit.

"What has he got that I don't?" Kol retorts. "He's pathetic! And you are too if you don't see it! Damn it Audrey!" he grabs both my hands, despite my protests. "Join us! Join me. If you do, I can protect you! You'll be safe! No more running..."

"And what about my friends?" I intervene.

Kol hesitates, staring at me silently, his dark eyes serious for once.

I shake my head at him, sickened. "That's what I thought. You'd just let them die. You don't care about them. Even after everything. All those times we almost got caught, those times you almost got caught..." I stop, realising something. "But I guess you never really had anything to worry about. The assassins let you get away. You probably all agreed that if it comes to it, you could shoot them, didn't you?" I think back to when we were on the run in the mountains, how he had shot the two men on the trail. I take my hands away from his but he grabs my arm instead.

"Don't be stupid Audrey! I can't protect you otherwise!"

"You know what Kol?" I pull away from his grasp. "You're the one who's pathetic. These people were the ones who killed your parents and you know it. They offered you a place amongst them and you took it. Why?" I continue before he can answer. "Because you're a coward. You don't..."

"Right, I think that's enough of that." My mum interrupts, sliding her phone into her pocket. 

I glance at her in surprise, not noticing when she had made her way over to us. 

"I called the others," she explains to Kol. "They should be heading here soon. Erik and the other two brats shouldn't be far behind either so we don't have much time." 

My mother grabs my arm roughly. "Whether you're joining us or not, you are going to help either way."

I try to wrench my arm from her but she's holding an oddly firm grip on me. "No way would I help you!" I protest.

"Oh for goodness sake, child!" my mother cries irritably. "Thorn! Get over here."

Thorn trudges over and holds me in my place as I struggle to move my arms from where he had pinned them behind my back once again.

"Let's go," my mother instructs, indicating with her head to what looked like a deserted brick castle situated on a grassy hill.

"Move it," Thorn commands, pushing me forward.

I glare at Kol accusingly, and he avoids my stare, walking alongside my mother a few paces ahead. Thorn continues poking me in the back and it takes all my will not to turn around and hit the man. Spike dwindles behind us, still holding his neck. We trudge on the grassy plain, arriving after a few short minutes at the ruins of the castle that must have once stood mighty and tall. It was hard to see in the darkness. I estimate it must be almost midnight. Or maybe past. A blinding light flashes in my eyes and I squeeze them shut. I rub my eyes, annoyed, and open them to find Thorn waving around a torch in different directions. My mother reaches for a short black torch at her belt and my stomach sinks at the thought of her being a part of- running- this dreadful organisation. She turns on the flashlight and points the beam towards the ruins.

"The other men should be here soon to help us. In the meantime, spread out. Find out where Michael hid the crates. There can't be too many places around here," my mother commands.

Spike takes out his torch and wanders off. Thorn begins to grab my arm but Kol holds up a hand. "I'll take her."

Thorn stands rigidly. Obviously, the thought of taking orders from a boy bothered him a bit.

"Thorn, dear," my mother says in that sweet and sickly fake voice I'm gradually growing accustomed to. "Listen to Kol. Remember the deal we offered him? I plan to stick with my word, as should you, otherwise what kind of an organisation would this be? Hm? You wouldn't dare try to ruin this sense of community we have would you?" she bats her eyelashes at the burly man and eventually, Thorn concedes with a grunt.

"Good," my mother smiles and points with the light of her torch. "Off you go."

Thorn stomps off, his heavily clad boots crushing the grass beneath him. My mum looks between Kol and me for a moment as if in contemplation, her eyes lingering a moment longer on Kol, then she swiftly turns around, walking off into the darkness.

"Come on," Kol nods his head at me and I hesitate. My plan had been to not talk to Kol at all. I'm sick of his crap, of him trying to convince me to switch sides... still, I have so many questions, and he might be the only one willing enough to answer some of them. Maybe I'd be able to come up with a plan of escape while I'm at it. Kol begins to move off and reluctantly, I follow suit.

"So, Thorn seems to care a lot what you think," I mutter. "You must have a lot of control."

Kol stops walking and stares at me. In the darkness, it's hard to see his features clearly, but I sense those dark eyes boring into mine.

"I do. When I agreed to join them, I told your mother I would, but on one condition. That I would be the captain of this group. Don't you see Audrey? This is exactly why I can protect you!"

"I thought Thorn was the captain," I murmur, choosing to ignore his last statement.

Kol nods. "He was. I took his place when I came along. He wasn't all that happy about it either," He tries a little half smirk, but it doesn't seem to have the same effect on me as it once had.

"Why would my mum just give you such an important spot on the team?" I ask, half in wonder, half in disgust.

Kol shakes his head. "I pledged my allegiance to her. I have to do everything she asks, which I thought was fair enough. I always had a feeling that she would use me in some big plan and..."

"She did. She used you against me." I say bluntly, the words hurting me probably more than it did him.

Kol stares silently ahead. After a moment he speaks again. "You could join me..."

"Oh just quit it will you?" I cut in. "Why on earth would I do that? To be used as a pawn in some sick game my own mother has been playing for who knows how many years?" I glance down and nauseatingly, I see a black belt full of supplies and whatnot strapped around his waist, similar to the other assassins, or whatever it is they claim to be. I look back to the black car I had arrived in and the awaiting truck. For a split second, I think of making a break for it; but reality kicks in and I know that driving a car without actually knowing how to drive one is probably not a good idea. Plus, I don't have the keys, and I probably won't make it across the grass in time. 

Without a word, Kol grabs his torch and switches it on, making his way to the front of the ancient castle. As old as the castle is, the bricks are held firmly together, and a part of the castle at least, stood tall and proud. There's overgrown tufts of grass and other shrubs growing around the castle walls and two bell towers stand erect on each side of the façade. I'm about to step inside the ruins of the building when Kol shakes his head at me.

"Lola - your mum," he corrects, "Said to spread out. Thorn's already checking that place out. Spike went round the back and I think your mum's checking the sides. We'll take the front."

I cross my arms. "There's nothing out here, though," I say, referring to the green pastures, which in the dark, almost looks black. I glimpse back at the archway leading inside and decide that on second thought, it's better we reamain outside, it looks awfully dark in there anyway. Kol motions for me to follow him. We search the front part of the castle wall, not really sure what we intended to find. Every now and again Kol would push on a random part of the brick wall, but it did nothing out of the ordinary. After what felt like forever, I sigh in frustration.

"Look Kol, there's nothing here." I point out with annoyance.

Kol shakes his head stubbornly. "Use your brain. Where would your dad hide something?"

I cry out in frustration. "Seriously? I can't believe you Kol! Don't you get that my mum's just using you like she is me?"

"Where would he hide something?" Kol repeats the question.

I grit my teeth. "I don't know, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

"Well, you better start using that pretty little head of yours," a voice rumbles.

I jump, startled, and spin around to face Thorn's grim face.

"Nothing at the back. Not that I can see anyway. It's overgrown with grass and crap, and I'm sick of searchin' through that jungle. So start thinkin'." Thorn orders gruffly.

"I'm handling this, Thorn," Kol warns in a low tone.

Thorn gives a throaty laugh. "I'm damn sure you are. So, you know where it is then?"

"I told you, I'm handling..." Kol gets cut off by Thorn's growl. "Listen, boy, I'm sick of you and your idiocy. Things were done much quicker when I ran things." Before I can even blink, Thorn grabs a fistful of my hair and tugs roughly. I scream out in pain and grasp at Thorn's hand.

"Stop..." Kol starts, but at that moment my mother emerges from around the corner.

"What's going on here?" she demands.

I struggle against Thorn as he speaks. "Just convincing Blondie here to use her head a bit more."

My mother stares thoughtfully at Thorn. "Very well. You may proceed."

I look at my mother desperately but find no sympathy in those cold eyes.

"I didn't give him that order..." Kol tries but gets interrupted once again.

My mother glances at Kol with hard eyes. "No. But I am. Remember who's in charge here. Don't make me regret inviting you into my family."

Her family? I think irritably. She calls this a family? Kol nods once and Thorn yanks at my hair again. I bite my lip to keep from crying out.

"Think," Thorn hisses.

I rack my brains, thinking back to memories of my father and me playing various theft games as a child. Suddenly, a thought hits me, one of the very first lessons that my dad had taught me, and continued to remind me of as a child. Sometimes, things are best hidden in plain sight. I ponder over it for a bit. Plain sight.

"Let go of me," I shove at Thorn, and my mum gives him a little nod, seeming to understand that an idea is forming in my mind. 

Unwillingly, Thorn lets go, and I immediately rub my head with one hand. Head throbbing, I search the grassy plain in front. Although it's hard to see in the dark, once my eyes lay upon the object I don't need to look twice. I keep my eyes averted from the others just as I hear a scuffle of feet.

"I found nothin' boss," Spike's whiney voice states. He stops a bit away from Thorn.

"No, but my daughter did," my mother says simply. "I know the look in her eyes when she gets an idea. Where is it, Audrey?"

I felt like a dog, forced to listen to my mother's patronising voice and abide her wishes.

"I don't know," I mutter.

She takes a step towards me. "Look at me." Her voice is dangerously low, her words almost snake-like and I look up with some reluctance.

"You know where it is." It wasn't a question, it was a statement, but I choose to play dumb. If I could just stall for time maybe I can think of a way out of this...

"No, I don't." As I speak, another black car pulls up in the distance and out hops three hooded figures. They hurry up to us, the three men stopping just a metre in front of us.

"Boss," the first man spoke with a strange accent. "The others are too spread out. There are still some coming from the North of Italy and a few that were far south heading here now. They won't be arriving for another couple of hours."

My mother's face remained blank, "What about Erik and the other two?"

The man next to the one who had previously spoken nods. "We made sure he was following us. About a few kilometres back we drove full speed so we could inform you and he lost us. He'll be here very shortly."

Panic strikes me as I think of the threat that is unknown to Erik, Mark and Justine. If they come, they'll get killed.

My mother nods curtly. "Very well, I suppose this number will suffice. You attached the bomb though I presume?"

I gape at my mother in horror. She didn't mean..?

Thorn grins menacingly as the second man nods. "That Erik will finally get what's coming to him."

The third man hands a tiny rectangular remote to my mum along with a small backpack, and she smiles, satisfied. I eye the bag, wondering what terrible objects might be in it. I feel like I'm trapped in a never-ending nightmare and all I want to do is just wake up. With one swift movement, my mother grabs my wrist and squeezes, hard.

"Did you hear that?" she whispers to me.

I stay silent, wishing for this nightmare to just end already.

"I suggest you tell me where it is, otherwise, you can say goodbye to your friends. Got it?"

I try to twist my wrist from her grasps, but that only causes her to tighten her grip. 

"You wouldn't," I spit.

"Try me," she replies, her expression strangely calm, and that's when I realise that she would. The mother that I once knew, or thought I knew, was long gone. Tears clung to the corners of my eyes but I blink them back. She's not even worth crying over. 

Knowing she had won, my mother takes a step back, smiling.

"Kol, give her your torch," my mother instructs. Kol does so without protesting.

I think of lying to her again, but I figure that it's only going to infuriate her more, and by that point, all I would be able to do is hope that Erik, Mark and Justine are out of the car by then. Having no other options, I point the flashlight towards the lonely fountain on the grass.

"It's in there. I think," I add, a part of me hoping I'm wrong.

I slowly walk towards it, sensing that the others are following close behind. I point the flashlight into the fountain. It's no longer functioning, and it looks like it's been that way for years. The fountain is an octagonal shape. I walked around it in a circle observingly. I close my eyes for a brief moment, putting together everything my father ever told me, and everything that Justine, Mark and Erik had taught me. I stand there for a good minute or two, eyeing different spots on the fountain.

"Uh..." Spike starts but my mum cuts his sentence short with an icy stare.

A small circular shape was placed near the top of the fountain. I lean over and touch it. It feels like stone. It looks like stone. I glance down at the fountain's peculiar base, switch the torch off and lay it on the grass, then carefully step into the fountain.

"What do you think you're doing?" Thorn asks suspiciously. I try to push the circular piece of stone, thinking it might move, but it doesn't budge. Determined, I use all my strength, but to no avail.

"A little help?" I cry exasperatedly.

Kol climbs in next to me and attempts to push, grabbing another side of the flat circle.

"Spike, go help," my mother orders.

Spike looks incredulous. "Me? If the children wanna play in the fountain..."

I notice a pair of headlights in the distance slowly heading our way and I get a sinking feeling in my stomach as I realise it's Erik's small car. Following my gaze, my mother snarls.

"Perfect," she hops into the fountain next to me and begins to push. "Get in Spike! All of you! I won't ask again," she barks.

I start to step out of the fountain. I want to run to the car as I watched it draw closer and closer. I wanted to shout at the three of them to turn around, but my mother grabs me roughly by the shirt. She points with one long finger at the remote placed in her belt.

"They're still in the car Audrey, and I'd prefer not to waste any more time. I need all hands on deck. Now start turning this damn thing!"

With all of us squished into the fountain and each holding a bit of the flat, circular stone. We begin moving in a clockwise direction. For a second I begin to doubt myself. Maybe I'm wrong, it's getting us anywhere, and I have no doubt that these men lacked strength. My dad came here alone. I consider thoughtfully. Which means he didn't have the strength of eight people. So either I'm wrong about the fountain or...

"Wait," I hesitate. "Try going the other way."

One of the assassins unknown to me begins to grumble but quickly stops when my mother shouts at him.

"Do as she says!" my mother barks.

We all face the opposite direction and begin to move anticlockwise. Suddenly, the stone piece begins to move with efficient ease and we all stumble forward at the unexpectedness of it. There's a click, then another click as we continue to shuffle around.

"How many times we gotta turn this thing around?" Spike asks, obviously not seeming too impressed by the whole matter.

"Eight, I reckon." I murmur, recalling its octagonal shape.

On the eighth click, we try to press further, but it won't budge. My theory was correct, and I can't help feeling some triumph. Then I watch with dread as the ever-nearing car skids to a stop.

"What now?" Spike asks.

As if in reply, the fountain creaks and groans. We quickly jump out of it and I stare in dumbfound awe as we hear the mechanisms deep in the stone whir to life. How on earth did Dad find this place? I find myself wondering. The fountain trembles and gradually, it seemed to lift. We watch in silence as the fountain gently tips on its side, leaving a huge gap where it once stood. I watch in fascination as the strong mechanical chains beneath the fountain continuously move until eventually, the fountain is completely side-on. I hastily return my gaze towards the car and see three figures emerge. One tall, the other two slightly shorter. A small moment of relief fills me as they run towards me and away from the bomb-rigged car, but that respite soon leaves me as my mum speaks.

"You three," she points at the three men I had not been previously acquainted with. "Get them." She signals towards my friends and terror fills me as the three hefty men charge after them like lions after their prey.

"You're coming with me," my mother grabs my arm tightly and I peer into the circular hole.

"Step in it," She orders.

"What?" I ask in shock. It's too dark to see anything down there, and it looks like an endless black hole. Fear takes over and I try to step away.

'No way," I struggle against my mum, but she holds her ground. I look past my mum's shoulder and watch as Erik, Justine and Mark come face to face with the three men.

"I don't have time for your petty fears," my mother jeers. Before I can even suggest pointing a torch down it, she pushes me. I shriek, trying to balance on the edge of the dark hole as I teeter dangerously, but one final shove and it sends me falling towards the enveloping blackness below.

The penultimate chapter!! Can't believe how far this story has gone. Thanks again to all my readers <3

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