𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

𝙛𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙮 𝙛𝙞𝙫𝙚.

─☼☼☼─

𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙀 𝙒𝘼𝙎 𝘼 dull ache in Charlotte's head as her eyes slowly opened.

Pain assaulted her vision for a moment, blurring her surroundings as she attempted to come to.

She had no idea where she was, she could barely remember the last thing that had happened. Vaguely, she remembered the church, and the cross, and— oh shit.

Panic surged through her for a moment as she sat up, turning to check where she was.

She wasn't in the church anymore, through her pounding headache she could deduce that much. She was in some sort of vehicle...but she was alone.

With a tight chest, Charlotte shifted in the seat she was positioned in, looking out the window to the right of her.

She hadn't been handcuffed or tied, in fact, it seemed that she had merely been placed into the truck with no real concern of keeping her here.

The truck was in some sort of air hangar. She hadn't the smallest of ideas as to what the hell was going on.

In her examination of her surroundings, Charlotte caught sight of movement in the side mirror, followed by voices floating through the hangar. There were other people here.

She weighed her options; stay in this truck and wait for Renfield to come back and take her wherever the hell he wants, kill her maybe; or get out, find out what was going on and get the hell out of there.

She liked the second option a lot more.

Timidly, Charlotte reached over, pulling on the door handle. It opened easily...she hadn't been locked in.

As quietly and slowly as she could, she stepped out on the concrete floor, not bothering to close the door behind her.

The voices continued from toward the back of the truck. It was a woman and a man — Limbrey and Renfield she was sure.

"You're cut off! I'm not giving you a penny."

Limbrey's voice was full of hatred, full of anger. Apparently, their partnership had gone awry. 

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte slowly walked toward the back of the truck, pushing herself up against the side of it in order to hide herself from the view of the two people who had made her friends' lives a living hell these past few days. 

"I don't need your money." Renfield spoke, his voice sending shivers up Charlotte's spine. "I've got the cross now. Come on Rafe, help me."

Charlotte's heart skipped a beat for a moment...Rafe was here. He was here, and he was still working with Renfield. 

Slowly, the dots began to connect in Charlotte's muddled thoughts. 

Rafe had been the one to take her from the church. He was the reason she wasn't tied up, wasn't thrown in the back of the truck like garbage. 

But even if he had looked out for her, he was still working with Renfield, which meant she wasn't safe. Not really. 

With a vote of confidence, Charlotte forced herself to peer through the small crack that was left by the back door that was ajar. Her eyes darted around for a moment, landing on Limbrey who sat on the ground. It seemed as if she had fallen...or been pushed.