Chapter 28: Coldest Before the Dawn

“Ana? Sunshine? Time to wake up.” Ethan shook her shoulder.

Isabella jerked awake with a start to feel the plane had stopped. It was quiet again in the small private plane and she realized the boys – all but Harry and Zayn had been collected and taken to an awaiting van.

“Wmm –“She realized she was still gagged and let her voice drop, looking out toward the cold looking night.

“What do you need me to do?” Zayn asked, his voice anxious and unsure.

“I need you to be quiet right now. Medical staff will see to you two and check out Louis. I’m just waiting for them.” Ethan explained, his voice now formal and curt. He knew that he was back in the presence of Glen Saudimere and that everything had to be professional. He could not fuck this up.

“Alright.” Zayn raised his hands in surrender before hearing Harry puke for what was the hundredth time.

“You gonna make it, mate? You are so pale.” Zayn observed, looking over at Isabella and shook his head. He could not be any angrier as he was then.

“I’ll be –“Harry moaned not finishing his sentence.

“He needs a fluids bag.” Zayn pleaded but Ethan ignored him, untying Isabella from the chair and forcing her hands behind her back when she tried to fight him. One thing was sure, if he had to deal with anymore unforeseen problems tonight he was going to blow his top. Patience were never his thing. It was only Isabella who had always managed to calm him down and since he all but wanted to slap her at the moment, it was pointless to try to pretend to have that patience.

“Anastasia!” Ethan hissed, grabbing her arm and giving it a brutal tug, clicking a pair of cuffs so her hands held firm behind her. He forced her up and brought his hand up, seeing her flinch down from him sitting down in the chair again.

“Don’t.” Harry pleaded, his voice straining before bringing his head toward and dry heaving again.

“Worry about yourself, mate. We’ll worry about everything else later, yeah? Just got to concentrate on getting you better.” Zayn comforted, eyeing Ethan who was standing in the aisle and taking out a walkie-talkie.

“This is Ethan Bright, prisoner transport to medical? Come in medical.”

There was only silence that followed and he gave a growl of annoyance.

“This is Ethan Bright, prisoner transport to medical? Come in medical, patient assistance needed for two, one in critical status,” Ethan tried again but received the same silence. So he tried one last time. “This is Ethan Bright, head fucking doctor at the Saudimere building and if medical doesn’t pick up right now I will castrate them with a spork with absolutely no anesthetic and make them of female origin. Now kindly PICK UP!”

The walkie talkie came to life.

“This is medical three-two-five, status, three minutes, Northbound near the airport.” A guy’s voice crackled to life.

Ethan muttered a swearword before replying.

“Great, you have two minutes, so I’d hurry. Take in South bound exit and get your clearance. We are South gates. Ethan Bright, over and out.”

Isabella simply looked up at Ethan, watching him check his watch before reaching over and pulling the gag from her mouth and went behind the seat, taking up a bottle of water, popping the cap and putting it to her mouth.

Isabella pulled away from the tip, jerking her head back.

Ethan growled and wrapped his fingers through her hair, pulling it so her neck was positioned up and forcefully put the bottle to her lips, tipping it and forcing the liquid down her throat.

Isabella choked but when he was satisfied she had enough he pulled the plastic holder away and capped the rest of it.

“Depriving yourself is only going to hurt you, not me –not Glen. There are ways of keeping you alive that we can order so don’t be stupid, Ana. Take what is offered.” Ethan advised, abet gently.

“I told you, I’d rather die! I wasn’t lying. I wasn’t even in the slightest.” Isabella hit back, which was only rewarded in Ethan finally having enough and bringing his hand down to meet her cheek in a swift smack. He put the gag back in and reached into his pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes, accompanied with a lighter.

“You’ll get your wish darling, eventually and only when Glen gets what he needs. When you aren’t doing what he wants, you’ll be tied down like an animal in a cage. That’s all you are –all you’ll ever be.” Ethan muttered, lighting up his cancer stick and taking a long drawn in breath, enjoying the nicotine that hit his lungs. He let the poisoned smoke out slow after the relief.

“Mate? Where are my other friends?” Zayn asked, turning to Ethan as he turned slowly to the doctor.

“Niall, Liam and Louis have been escorted to the van. They’re fine but I will have my medics check Louis over quickly enough. You will be escorted with them to the facility and Harry will go by another transport and be kept in the infirmary for observation. He should be fine, if he hasn’t died by now he won’t.” Ethan replied with a dismissive wave, sitting down in the seat Niall had occupied and watched the tears fall down Isabella’s face. He reached over and wiped them from her face. “Crying will not do you any better than begging would. Though, you’re a lot weaker than I remember. The Anastasia I knew didn’t break down like a weak little kitten. She was strong –admirable. This –“ He gestured out with a little bit of disgust. “This is weak and pathetic. Saudimere will see you and he will play on it so I advise you to toughen up and get ahold of yourself.”

Isabella simply remained stoic and looked away, letting her tears fall. She was tired of being strong. Eventually dams burst and hers was cracking.

The van honked, almost impatiently.

Ethan swore and stomped the cancer stick on the ground and stood up again, dragging Isabella from her chair and forcing her to the door of the plane, opening the door.

Isabella backed against Ethan’s chest as the cold wind hit her bare skin. The only thing she had on was the sundress and it didn’t offer protection from the wind chill.

Ethan could feel Isabella shaking against his body and sighed with annoyance, pulling off his heavy brown leather coat and draping it around the girl’s shoulders before reaching around with his arms and zipping it around her.

For a moment his arms lingered there around her, the warmth of her body heat against his chest was familiar and warm. It seemed natural but she didn’t hug his arms back to her like she use to and he knew physically she couldn’t even if she had wanted to. That was another place and another time.

The jacket was huge on Isabella and reached to above her knees. It wasn’t quite a trench coat but Isabella appreciated its warm and the body heat that Ethan’s chest provided. She hated this man with every fiber of her being but she kept being drawn back to his eyes, his mouth – the memories.

She mumbled into her gag, shaking her head.

Ethan pulled it down again, annoyance in his voice.

“Make it quick we’re about to leave.” Ethan hurried her, his arms leaving her chest.

“You don’t remember the lakes, do you?” Isabella asked softly, her teeth chattering slightly as the coldness swept around her face.

Ethan had been remembering the exact memory, it was familiar and beautiful. He had taken her high up on the hills. She had forgotten her jacket and he had his leather one – the same one she now had around her.

He couldn’t help but let a smile slip onto his face, although she couldn’t see it.

“You were stupid and forgot your jacket, I put this one around you and we stood and watched the sunset. My arms crossed just like I had them – but did you ever think that was my intention? To make you remember? To remember what we had –remember what you lost?” Ethan chuckled, although he had to force it. He couldn’t help but remember how alone they were – how complete he felt.

“You’re a monster.” Isabella said finally, her head looking out across the barren tarmac. Everything but a single van that was parked below with its motor running.

“I know.” Ethan agreed, although not without some bitterness etched to his voice. “You’ll come to see that a little better darling but for now, you need to keep quiet and I need to think.” Ethan said, reaching in front and pulling the cloth between her teeth again before going to the back and knotting it tighter.

Isabella simply watched outward, feeling the cloth tighten but Ethan wasn’t cruel, not like he could have been.

It was another minute before another vehicle was seen driving up, parking alongside the van. This one looked like an ambulance.

“We got to go. Zayn? Leave him.” Ethan said, going to the boys, pulling Zayn from the chair.

When Ethan did that, sensing his hands were about to be restrained, he turned and pushed Ethan as hard as he could, balling his fist and clocking the other man in the face before turning toward Isabella.

“Ella, run! Go!” Zayn yelled, grabbing Ethan around the throat and pushing the man against the wall, keeping him there.

Isabella looked on in shock before her legs seemed to move on their own accord. Survival clouded her vision but she’d be a fool to think that she could get away – especially with cuffs she couldn’t get off locked on her hands. Regardless of the useless attempt she still did as Zayn ordered.

Her knees shook but she managed to make it down the steps, running passed the van and ambulance as they made their way up and toward the plane.

Isabella didn’t know where she was going and the wind whirled in her ears, blocking out her hearing within a foot in front of her. Unfortunately that’s where fate got her and she soon felt her hair being pulled violently, jerking her body back against another body, their arms encircling around her.

At first all she could hear is his breath but as she was turned around, the familiar sets of deep cold blue eyes met hers.

Glen Saudimere.

“Hello, angel eyes. I’ve missed you.” His voice a deep purr, his lips grazing her neck and nipping at her flesh.

Isabella moaned, trying to pull away from him, his touch sending a spark of lava fire through her heart but he didn’t relinquish his touch.

“Did you really think I was going to allow you to escape again? By the time I’m through with you, darling – you’re going to wish you had never crossed me.”

With that, Isabella’s knees were kicked out from under her, she fell to the ground, her body helpless on the cold and freezing concrete.

Glen wasted no time in continuing his assault, his foot connecting to Isabella’s chest, knocking the wind out of her.

A scream was barely heard above the wind but it was loud enough to be caught and carried, making Isabella’s eyes look to the plane, she recognized it as Zayn’s.

Another vicious kick sent her weakened body away from the foot before a fist punched her in the cheek, her jaw baring the blunt of it.

Isabella remembered why she had ran, why she fought desperately to escape. It was because the pain of the abuse was still fresh in her mind and it brought her back to a very basic reality. Pain.

With her eyes barely able to stop flinching, she felt the very familiar hold of her mind, her brain activity was picking up, sending jolts of lightening through her. She was almost glad this was happening. She was happy that she could focus on the blinding pain then the now dull punches her face was receiving.

Before her vision completely faded, she saw Ethan running down the steps and toward Glen, dropping beside Isabella and taking out an inhalant from his pocket, spraying it into her nose but the attack had started full on and she could only look into Ethan’s concerned blue eyes as her green ones started to fade.

The last thing she truly saw was Glen’s foot coming to her face and that was when the lights went out.

Notes