Burnt Lies

Stand Still

Violence warning, may not be suitable for all audiences.

Cameron

My heart stilled at the thought of losing her again. The message ran through my head as I exited out of the bathroom, avoiding the man who had slipped me the needle and holding myself from plunging it straight into his neck. She was gone again, but this time the note left in her wake was not that of a threat. 

But could I trust it?

As soon as I was out of the line of sight of the masked fiends, I threw my own mask off. And rushed over to where Leo and Owen were ushering people out of the hall. They had formed a barricade out of tables where their guns rested on top shooting anyone who was not a guest. 

I skidded behind the table, my own gun pressed firmly against my chest, Owen turned to me with a deepened frown, "Shit you didn't find her did you," I had come to a stand still. 

I pulled out my phone and showed him a photo of lipstick smeared message, he read it aloud, "Don't worry, I've got her,"

"Do you believe it?" his concern was genuine.

"I don't know," I responded truthfully there was too much at play, too much uncertainty, but it was better to be safe then sorry, I had to assume and prepare for the worst. 

"Have we got most of the women and children out of here?" I asked Owen who nodded in response. 

"Kayla's got nearly all of them, they were in the safe room but now we're working on getting them out, the last group is heading out now, just leaving us to defend this place," he was all the makings of leader, prepared for anything at a moments notice he could lead an army and in a way he was. 

"You go find Alara, I'll be fine here, take Leo with you, it would be better for you to focus your efforts on her," I thanked him quietly locating Leo and explaining the plan. 

"You and me are going to try our best to find Alara, but first we need to get out of here without being shot," I spotted a corner of the room that had the least amount of masked assailants only about four to that entrance, the main focus was the bathrooms and the main entrance, that small alcove would be our best bet.

As we were turning towards the corner I heard something being called out behind me. 

"Grayson," I stilled at my name being called. 

I gritted my teeth at the sound of the voice, "What is is Laurier?"

Dane Laurier stood their reloading the magazine of his gun and holding it to his side, "Let me come with you,"

"No," my response was immediate, I knew he would have ulterior motives especially he had been the one to take Alara before. I could never trust him. 

"Have you forgotten I saved your life, does that not prove anything?" his logic was sound enough but my pride would not let me join forces with a man like that. 

That is when Leo touched my shoulder and reasoned with me, "We need all the help we can get, having the Bloodhounds also looking for Alara will make it much easier for us to find her,"

Dane began speaking once more, "I believe that she is safe, that the message in the bathroom rings true," there was glint in his eyes, a flash that said I know more than you do. 

I narrowed my gaze at him, watching his stance, the feathering muscle in his jaw, the flitting gaze, he knew something that he wasn't letting on. 

"Shit, you know where she is don't you?" Everything fell into place, and it took a whole lot of self restraint not to attack Dane. 

"Not where, but rather with who," he began to explain. 

"Tell us on the way," I interjected as I realised that more masked attackers were beginning to congregate in the only viable exit. 

Leo and I moved with enough stealth to slip behind all the masked men, I had lost sight of the ring leader with is duplicitous drama mask. My fingers clenched onto my gun ready to fire if need be. 

Soon we were close to the door, the numbers dwindling to only three guards, one for each of us. I acted first, smashing the but of my gun against the head of the largest guard. They spun around to face me, gun cocked and ready to plant a bullet in my brain but I had the advantage of being faster, just as he was about to shoot, a bullet had already lodged itself  in his chest, he clutched at he wound, thick red blood pouring from the sizeable hole, a guttural howl of pain as he fell to his knees with a thud. 

The second guard turned at the noise but Leo had already grasped onto the back of his neck with all his force his slammed the his victims head against the wall. A distinctive crack resounding through the small alcove, as blood started to gush out of his temple. 

That only left Dane who had a knack for being the most gruesome in his killings, he never did anything simple, he had pressed his gun straight into the eye of the third and final guard making sure his gun was wedged deeply in the eye socket before he shot, there was a splatter of blood and brain matter from the back of the guys head raining down on the plush carpet. 

Leo and I both stared at the inhuman display of violence, but Dane just shrugged it off, wiping off a thick clot of blood from his blazer and walking towards us as though he had not just blown the brains out of a guard. 

All he said was, "I do what needs to be done," and I didn't have the energy to tell him he did what he wanted to be done not what needed to be. 

We made our way into the cold open air, the night sky stretched across the horizon with not stars to be seen just an endless abyss of black. The towering trees leaned and groaned against the wind pushing their branches in every direction. 

"Who has her then?" I gritted out as the three of us, dove into the outskirts of the forest around the hall. 

"My guess is Cole Mason," he replied tucking his gun away in the holster around his trousers. 

"Your guess, I thought you knew," I seethed getting more and more aggravated by his presence. 

"It's more information than you had before," the arrogance in his voice made me want to stick a bullet in his head, but I couldn't which just irritated me further. 

"Why would your right hand have Alara?" Leo asked, his face the picture of confusion. 

"Cole Mason, doesn't care for anyone, why would he get her out?"

"Cole Mason may not care about anyone, but he cares about something, something I also care very much about," he divulged. 

My blood began to boil as I put the pieces together. 

"If you say this is about your fucking blood diamond, I am going to shoot something, preferably you."

Dane Laurier laughed into the night air, his breath condensing into smoke before our eyes as he whispered:

"Of course it is Mon ami, it's always about le diamant rouge,"