Let The Rain Fall Down

For Love and Vengeance

For Love and Vengeance

I woke to the familiar and terrifying sensation of water pouring all around my face... I was drowning, screaming out for air... Wherever they had me was dark and dank, the metal chair they had me shackled to was breaking into my back and legs and God the pain in my head was making me feel sick.

 I saw the face come closer, it was like some kind of twisted movie, I was staring into the faces of members of the Royal family and world leaders. The only real sound in what I presumed was a basement somewhere was the most horrific and mind numbing sound for me, the sound of water dripping onto the wet concrete floor, the pipe to my left had been deliberately smashed it seemed to create the sound.

 They knew my weaknesses. My family and the torture I'd been put under for Queen and country so many years before.

 “Lucas North. MI5 agent, father, husband to that whore Chloe North formerly Chloe Morgan. Resides in _________________  with his children, Aeryn, Caleb and baby Eloise, and of course the beautiful fore-mentioned wife. Well did. I believe Mrs North is currently being fished out of the Thames by police divers after being seen floating in the water.

 See Mr North, we know you too.”

 With that, darkness returned as the rag they'd had over my eyes was replaced and the icy water poured over my face I fought with all I had to escape. This nightmare wasn't real, I wasn't here, she wasn't gone. I was going to open my eyes and we'd be back on Tower Bridge fighting over who was going to do what insane task to bring the League down and then we'd find somewhere we could make love till the sun set.

 I choked as more water came pouring into my mouth, seeping into my eyes and making me feel like I was drowning, the bastards would pay. Whether she was alive or not – I would kill them all for what the called my girl. No fucking bastard would do that. NO ONE spoke about Chloe like that and lived. NO ONE. I did all I could do, I closed my eyes and blocked out everything but her smile, the faces of my children and relaxed. I could get through this, and then I'd kill them, if I had my way, tear them limb from limb.

 * * * *

 Where was Daddy? He promised he'd be home to read to Caleb and Elly and he hasn't come home.

 * * * *

 I could hear them talking amongst themselves, the nature of the conversation was definitely aggressive and quite possibly not completely directed at me. I heard her name, my gorgeous girl' name. They were discussing her death in front of me to someone on the phone. My mind was made up, I was going to survive this torture, the man who had the sick fascination in pouring water on and off my face was hovering around me. I could only identify him as 'Blair' as he was wearing a rubber Tony Blair mask – the spitting image style smile making the while macabre situation even worse. My vision when free of water and the soaked fabric was almost swirling as was my mind hearing their words.

 “...no one would know that she didn't jump then? Silly bitch, she was warned months ago we were going to bring Mr North down by any means and she wouldn't listen. As long as you're sure no one suspects, we can move forward.”

 There was silence and I could process the words. Chloe was dead. This time it was real, the argument and the harsh words we'd spoken to one another haunting my memories. How could I have let it get to this, how could I have let Chloe down so much, she had been the light I needed in my life – and still did. I couldn't go on without her, my children needed her, needed the calm advice and the gentle touch when they were hurt. They needed their mother.

 I began to try once more to free my wrists from the ties they had on me – the plastic was tight and cutting painfully into the flesh but I had no choice, I had to get free, had to destroy the people before me. The blood was trickling down my wrists when I felt the plastic give finally, the constant painful twisting finally worth it.

 * * * *

 Can't breathe. Can't hold my breath any more... burning.

 * * * *

 My head hung low, defeated and lost to the pain, my body slumped and my normal tall frame almost half the size it should be. I looked like what I was – a man who felt like he'd lost everything. I saw 'Tony Blair' approach me, probably to torture me physically or psychologically, his fist came crashing down into the size of my already bruised face. He had a Hell of a punch and my face flew to the side, my jaw aching and my eye shut...

 He leant forward, his irritating face getting closer to mine, the smell of old coffee on his breath at first making me crave the drink and then feel sick as my stomach was empty and even coffee would have made me unable to keep my body from churning.

 “You're a fool Lucas North and you'll die here tonight. Your children will have no parents, they'll not have their parents to raise them, love them, guide them... because you refused to back down from us. You and you stupid wife.”

 Like a red flag to a bull, his words had a reaction. I flew myself at him my bruised fists connecting repeatedly with his jaw and ribs when his jaw gave the satisfying sound of it snapping after one hard right hook. I kept going, blood covering my hands and splattering onto my shirt until he finally stopped moving. The room was silent apart from my heavy breathing. It was too quiet, there had been lots of noise before I found myself alone with the now dead man. Lifting off the mask I was greeted with the blonde man I'd seen on Tower Bridge, his eyes now dull and his face going yellow.

 Dragging his body and ignoring the trail of blood on the wet concrete, I hid Blair in a corner of the room after emptying his pockets – a gun, radio and keys to somewhere. Moving quietly, I saw three men looking at a computer screen, I couldn't see what it was, but their attention wasn't on me and the metal bar I'd found by the door. Man number one was on the floor with a blow to his head before the other two had realised what was happening. They turned with menace in their eyes and pulled out guns, I was at a disadvantage – although I had a gun myself I couldn't get to it in time. I couldn't believe I'd got to this point and would be shot in a disgusting room. I would be shot down not in the line of duty but in the line of love and vengeance. I dropped the bar on the floor, the sound of metal on concrete echoing through the room as I moved towards the two men, if they were going to kill me, they could look directly into my eyes.

 “You want me dead? Do it.”

 The bullets didn't hurt, it was more the shock of them bursting through my chest and leg that made me go white and me to lose what stomach contents I had.

 * * * *

 Lucas North when I get my hands on you, I'm going to kill you, resuscitate you and kill you again – if Harry was alive right now he'd have your head for your foolishness. You get to run MI5 but you're still ruled by your emotions. Who knew till you met her that you would even have some.

 * * * *

 I was lying in the putrid water feeling my blood pour out my side. So this was what dying felt like? It wasn't that bad – I did think as the pain became dull about the important things in my life. Seeing Chloe for the first time, that first kiss, conceiving the children, marrying Chloe and how beautiful she'd looked. Further back, making it into MI5 in the first place, the mentor/father figure relationship with Harry, Elizabeta, Maya.... I'd messed up a lot of my life but it'd led me to becoming a better man.

 I'd been allowed to accept that Lucas North was human, I could make mistakes and I could be accepted even with them. Shutting my eyes I breathed out my last breath.

“...Chloe...”