Chapter 38

                                    

                                          
I crawl out of bed four hours later and lazily walk to the kitchen whilst rubbing my eyes awake. 
                          
When I step in Julia and Oliver are packing bags, and I stop dead. 
                          
"What are you doing?" I ask. 
                          
"Oh," Julia blurts, startled. "Katy, I didn't know you'd be awake so soon."
                          
"Eh, my face was kind of sore, couldn't sleep very well." I send her a pressured glare and she sends one right back. 
                          
"Why are you packing?" I ask again. "Where are you going?"
                          
She looks at me softly, but her smile says otherwise. A sinking feeling begins in my stomach and I take a step back. 
                          
Why'd you have to say anything last night. 
                          
Why'd you have to anger her. 
                          
But I know it was the right decision, no matter what. 
                          
"Katy, honey..." she says softly. "You already know what's happening."
                          
I take a deep breath and take another step back. "The FBI is going to find us. You didn't cover all of your tracks and you know that so you're leaving to evade being arrested."
                          
"But?" She prompts. I gulp. 
                          
"But you can't leave yet," I whisper. 
                          
"Yes," she hums. "Kathy, you made me realize that all along, no matter how much we trained you, you'd never be like me and your father. You weren't strong enough to hold the legacy so you never tried. That is where it all went wrong."
                          
"N-no," I murmur. "That's not it-"
                          
"You made me realize that you have a mind of your own now. You don't listen to me, and you never will. So... well, there's only one way to reclaim you isn't there?"
                          
My eyes widen as I turn around and run. I run straight for my room, but I can hear her footsteps behind me. 
                          
"No!" I scream, and just as I reach my door I'm ripped back through the air. My feet fly out from under me as she wrenches me around. Her arms securely around me as I struggle against her grip. 
                          
"No no no! Stop!" I yell. 
                          
From down the hall Maddox's door opens and he steps out. As he notices my current predicament his eyes widen. 
                          
"What the hell are you doing!?" He blurts, rushing towards us. 
                          
"Wait!-" I warn, but before I can stop him my Mother kicks her leg out, sending him straight to his knees. 
                          
"OLIVER!" She shouts, and I wince at the sudden sound. 
                          
Out of nowhere he comes running into the hallway and throws himself at Maddox. 
                          
"No!" I screech. "Stop it! Ollie-" I grunt, swinging myself around. Julia makes a sound of surprise as I knock her off her feet and push her away. 
                          
Free of being held back I take a step towards Oliver where he holds Maddox by the shoulders and I kick him at the back of the calf. He jerks, dropping to the floor, and I push him farther with my foot. 
                          
I freeze, sensing the air I quickly lift my left fist. It immediately connects to a hard surface and I turn to see my Mom cradling her cheek. 
                          
I smirk, swinging my elbow back to collide with Oliver's nose. He drops, and I look down at him. 
                          
"A Qwynn always knows how to fight," I mutter and I look him in the eyes. His deep blue eyes, scarcely familiar. But how?
                          
"You're right," Julia groans, walking towards me. "And a Qwynn always remembers. I'm sure you remember this-" out from her pocket she pulls a gun, aiming it at my arm and firing. 
                          
I flinch, expecting a burn. Pain. Blood to be splattered everywhere. But nothing comes. 
                          
"What the hell?" Maddox utters, alarmed. Oliver stands up, wiping his bloodied nose as he leans against the wall. 
                          
I look at my arm, at the capsule that sits there. Bewildered I pull it out and look at it, my pulse weakening. 
                          
"La bounteous nukkua," I murmur, slowly sliding down the wall opposite Oliver. "You still make it?"
                          
"Of course I do baby, how else would I be able to sleep on a plane?" 
                          
My mind gets significantly lazier, but I do remember that small fact. Her flight sickness. 
                          
"La bounteous nukkua? What the hell is that?" Maddox asks, dropping to my side. 
                          
"The abundant sleep," I whisper, my eyelids growing heavier by the second. 
                          
"What!? Sleep- no, no Vi," his tone gets more frenzied as my motions become less frequent. 
                          
"Calm down Maddie," I force out. "I'll be awake in... three hours..."
                          
"Three? Vi, no way, you gotta stay awake, fight through the nukkua shit, please."
                          
I open my mouth to answer but all that escapes my mouth is a sigh as I my body shuts down once and for all. 
                          
...
                          
DEANS POV~ 
                          
I jerk upwards, looking around into the darkness. I'm still in the garage, on the cold cement floor, and as I try to push myself to a standing I seethe, dropping back down. 
                          
My eyes fly to my hand, where my one knuckle is non-existent. 
                          
"Crap," I mutter, pushing myself up with my feet. I slowly limp to the kitchen, where I find Judd working on a crossword. 
                          
"Judd-" I begin, but he cuts me off. 
                          
"Six letters, a form of dance," he asks. 
                          
"Ballet," I answer easily. "Judd-"
                          
"Ah, how could I not see that..." he scribbles something down and looks up at me. 
                          
"What's wrong Dean? Other than the obvious matter."
                          
My heart sinks a little at his words but I ignore it the best I can and raise my hand. 
                          
"Oh," he blurts. "Come."
                          
I walk over to him and give him my hand. 
                          
"How did this happen?"
                          
"I was, uh..."
                          
"Using the punching bag?" he provides, and I nod. "Well, I already know why, so let's talk about that. Be a detective Dean. This woman has been living here in Quantico for at least the past year unnoticed by anyone. She obviously has an accomplice who broke in to get Kathy, who is also the someone who has been doing her bidding. He's the face, whereas she's the mind."
                          
"Okay... nothing would be in her name. It'd be in his, but the only way that'd be possible is if he were an adult."
                          
"Alright alright, keep going."
                          
"They wouldn't want to get noticed. They don't want people nearby... no neighbours. No newspaper- AGH!" I vociferate in pain accidentally as Judd pulls my finger back into its socket. 
                          
"No newspaper?" He asks. 
                          
"Yeah," I grunt. "I don't want anyone to find me, I don't want anyone to see me. What do I do if I get mail and he's not home? Well I don't. No mail. No newspaper. My bills go to a P.O. Box in his name. No leads. No paper trail."
                          
Judd looks at me with hope in his eyes and I smirk slowly. 
                          
"I'll go call Briggs," he announces before walking away. "Oh! And wrap your hand. Give it some rest."
                          
At that he leaves and I look down at the table with a contented sigh. 
                          
I did it. 
                          
I solved it. We have a lead. Briggs will have to look up a map of the city and search for houses in the countryside or woodland, owned by a male who requested no mail. A real lead. A solid lead. 
                          
I look out the window. For some reason I have this feeling, this sense, that if I look hard enough I'll see her. She'll be standing there waiting for us. Waiting for us to notice, or to save her. Just waiting. 
                          
Please Kathy, let it not be too late...