should you choose to accept

gone

ethan

the distance between julia and me had done its job.

i lifted my eyes and met ilsa's unwavering gaze, her striking blue eyes burning away more and more old walls inside me. i feel them crumble and fall, no longer holding me back, and i feel the shadow retiring. blood rumbles through my veins, from the forgotten corners of my soul, pounding at the door to my heart, demanding to be let in. it was so silent; i could hear the drum of my heart, beating fuller than ever as the door ripped open. "you're okay..." my voice was airy and it trembled. i was still physically exhausted from the battle that had killed august walker. my wounds stung and burned in the crisp mountain air of kashmir. a sharp intake of breath. then, "and you've never been better," she joked, chuckling softly, her fingers running themselves against my shoulders soothingly. i surrendered myself to her touch and breathed out slowly.

"how close were we?" benji's cleared his throat, determined not to be forgotten. luther and him casually stood in the doorway, grinning at us slyly. they had seen everything. "oh, well, you know, the usual," i rasped, resisting the shade of pink threatening to brush my cheeks.

"the usual?" ilsa teased, her face showing mock disbelief, then giving in to carefree laughter, infecting all of us. smiling, she took my hand. in the background, i saw benji and luther share a knowing smile. "hey, uh, guys? you know, julia's husband, patrick? he said he wanted to give me a ride to turtuk, 'cause he still thinks that's where i last was. julia'll be there, naturally. so, you three okay with taking the jeep to turtuk first to pick me up when they drop me off?" my eyes flickered to ilsa's, searching for a thread of sadness. but if it hurt, she didn't show it. i smiled, reassured, as they nodded simultaneously.

as if he had been listening, patrick stuck his head in the room. "hey, not to interrupt or anything, but, uh, dr thorne, if you're still up to it, we're heading home soon. still want us to drop you off at turtuk along the way?" i nodded in response clumsily, knowing "dr thorne" was me. i stood up, head spinning. it gradually steadied itself and i shuffled out the door with my belongings after patrick, stealing a last glance at ilsa; i was fully taking advantage of my new freedom

i was surprised by how agile my body still was, keeping up with patrick effortlessly, despite the fact that i was wounded. suddenly his phone rang, breaking the uncomfortable silence between us. he whipped out his phone from his pocket and for a split second, as he read the caller ID, i saw panic flash on his face, but it was gone as soon as it came. he glanced at me shiftily. "i'll just, uh, take this call..." he didn't stay to hear my reply and rushed off behind the toilets to answer the call. he didn't get completely out of earshot, so i heard snippets of rushed conversation. "what the hell, walker...yes...yes, julia's secured...of course she's bleeding, you idiot...hurry up, i can't keep hunt waiting or he'll suspect something...don't call me... what?...lane?..."

my heart stopped. something was definitely up. walker? what- august walker aka john lark? didn't i just kill him? how could patrick be talking to him? he's dead! and julia secured, bleeding... my brain, still dazed from the fight with walker (who was supposed to be dead) began piecing things together. something clicked. time stopped. how could i have been so naive? they had julia held captive somewhere here, and patrick had obviously been working with either lane or walker the entire time! i started to run blindly around the campsite, until distant pleas for help struck my ears. i changed my track and followed the direction of the cries. they led me to a rundown wooden shed, dark and mysterious. i treaded in, the sound of my boots against the floor resounding hollowly. "julia? julia!" i yelled stumbling into the darkness. julia recognised my voice and let out a few muffled screams. i turned around a corner and my blood ran cold. she was tied onto a chair, her arms strapped behind her. her mouth was gagged with a black cloth, and across her neck lay a rope. as she struggled against the binds the rope tightened and she choked with every immediate second. blood seeped from her head. "julia, juli- stop struggling, you're going to kill yourself!" i realised the odds of me being defeated by patrick or anyone else was higher than usual, what with my injuries still split open. instantly my mind went to ilsa, benji and luther. they should be halfway to turtuk now, but desperate times, desperate measures.

i pulled my phone from my pocket and dialled ilsa's number. thank God, thank God, she picked up. from hearing the voices of benji and luther, i knew she had put me on speaker mode. my words rushed out-"guys, it was all a trap, they counted on us to defuse the plutonium, patrick's been working with lane or walker all along, which one i don't know, but i'm in a wooden shed house after i heard him talking to a specific walker on the phone, who is supposed to be dead since i killed him! julia's kidnapped and bound. i'm standing in front of her right now, but just in case- in case anything happens to me, don't count on me being at turtuk to meet you. stay away from here, it's only a matter of time before patrick realises i found julia, i'm betting he has a gun-"

a gunshot rang out and reverberated around the shed. hock paralysed me and my phone fell to the ground. a damp red patch was growing steadily across julia's chest. time seemed to slow down. the hollowness in my chest widened and emptiness echoed across my mind. she looked at me, and so many things were told in that one moment. with a look of supplication, her lips trembled with the effort to form words. then, a chill swept the room and her eyes were nothing more than glassy, lifeless orbs, sprinkled with light she could not see. i spun to patrick, my rage so intense, except the grief seemed to diminish it, so that anger became a distant storm that echoed across a vast, silent ocean. julia was gone.

"well, well. look who's mr harvard scholar," patrick spat, the ends of his mouth curling into a cunning smirk as he crushed the remnants of my phone to pieces with his foot. "i don't care who you called because one, i'm assuming you didn't get to the point. and two," he leant in closer, his hot breath smuldering on my ears as he whispered, "she's already dead, and soon... you will be too." i clenched my jaw. ilsa, benji and luther's yells faded to darkness, like the last tears of a sun.

author's note

sheesh, sorry that was a pretty long one compared to the introduction lol. i hope things are getting a little more exciting for you hehe :) let me just say, the next few parts might get more intense. also, i hope all the ethan-ilsa shippers enjoyed the first part of this chapter LOLOL. hope you enjoyed this! also, happy labor day! (i'm spending my day binge watching stuff HAHA)