📎A/N .. It's that time again... the next installment of Buried. :-)

It has been a while since I had a look on my Wattpad map. Since I gave you the last rundown, we have been joined by : Haiti, Peru, Paraguay, Malawi, Uganda, Morocco, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herz., Luxembourg, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Nepal, Myanmar and New Caledonia.

Welcome to you all :-) It always astounds me how many people from such diverse places across the globe are reading my story. I am so very humbled by the experience.

I hope you enjoy the chapter. Don't forget to vote, and thanks for your support :-)

Take Care.

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Kaitlyn's guilt and panic rose with each mile they got closer to Boston. With each mile she was closer to confirming her worst fears. Her mind was sifting through every scenario. Each time it ended with the same outcome. She was finding it difficult to breath.

As she came close to breaking point, Murphy reached over to squeeze her hand. From the corner of her eye, she could see the concern as his brows knitted in a frown. "We don't know for certain," Murphy said, "She could have gotten caught up anywhere from Florida to here."

From his tone, she knew he knew more than he was letting on. But in her addled state she wasn't willing to call him on it. Kaitlyn spent the remainder of the drive to Boston alternating between complete denial and hope. She was thankful that Murphy managed to get them back to the city in record time. However, the last few miles seemed to last forever. She was out of the door before he had brought the SUV to a halt, and in the building before the engine had been turned off. Her mind on the single thought she needed to put to rest.

Joshua caught her before she could enter her apartment. Concern etched on his face as he held her back. "I need to warn you before you go in," he began as he pulled her closer. "It looks worse than it actually is."

Kaitlyn let out an anguished cry as she tore herself from his protective embrace and raced the short distance to her apartment. She stopped the moment she cleared the doorway.

Liam, in the middle of replacing her broken lock, halted what he was doing and shifted his gaze between Kaitlyn and his mate. Clearly unsure on how to proceed. Molly, who had been sitting on the couch, rose and made her way across the room.

Kaitlyn's chest tightened as her eyes continued to lock onto the object that had every cell in her body screaming. Everything else in the room dulled. The people, the noise - everything. The only thing that was vivid and clear was an upturned blue suitcase. A bright lime green scarf tied to its extendable handle that was now resting on the floor. Her legs, as with the rest of her body, refused to work properly and gave way. Before she could fall, a pair of comforting, strong arms caught Kaitlyn.

A moment later, Murphy had turned her to him and rested her head on his chest so that she could no longer see the evidence that proved her mother had been there. The green scarf had been a gift to her mother a few years before.

The initial shock and numbness began to wear off, and Kaitlyn started to be aware of her surroundings. Her hearing began to pick up sound. At first, as if from a distance; then quickly coming closer, clearer and louder.

Finding her feet, she pulled away from Murphy's chest and looked up at him. He was searching her face as he met her gaze. Kaitlyn recognised anguish and pain as he continued to drill into her soul, waiting for her to give him a sign she would be all right. She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a tortured breath.

"I'm okay," she croaked as she opened her eyes again, answering his unasked question.

Joshua, who had been hovering nearby, reached out and squeezed her arm. "Are you sure?"

Murphy gently guided her to the couch, taking a seat beside her as her grandfather took a position on her left.

"Maybe she needs a cup of tea?" Molly fussed as she rushed to the kitchen.

"I suspect she needs something a little stronger," Liam threw out as he resumed fixing the front door.

Kaitlyn's brain began to re-engage and the instant lethargy that had overtaken her was falling away. She shot up and headed towards the exit. "They have her. We need to find her."

Two sets of arms pulled her back down and Murphy blocked her path. "I promise we'll get her back," he promised, "but first we need to work out what happened and where they have her."

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"That's not Kaitlyn Quinn," Junior said as he strode into Ambrose's office.

Ambrose stood and glared at his cousin. "Don't you bloody well think I know that by now?"

Ambrose was not having a good day. He should have known things were going too smoothly after New York. Somehow, they had been discovered. The problem was, who by? The FBI, the Werewolf after Elijah, or this Alliance that he kept harping on about.

"Who is she?" Junior asked.

"All might not be lost," Ambrose sighed as he sat back down. "Turns out those imbeciles took her mother," he said, referring to the FBI agent Junior had recognized from the security footage in Briana's apartment building.

He was still failing to understand why they had taken her when his explicit instructions had been to observe and not make direct contact. He was now caught between a rock and a hard place. He couldn't let her go. And he had no idea as to the repercussions if her body was found. The police and FBI were not a problem. It was this O'Neill and the Alliance he was more concerned with.

Junior rubbed his jaw. His mind clearly on the new information. "Are you thinking a trade? What does Elijah have to say about this?"

"Say about what?"

Both Ambrose and Junior's heads span round to face at the unexpected arrival. Elijah looked expectantly at the two men. His eyes anchored on Junior. "So you're the one they've been hiding from me," Elijah said as cocked a brow in surprise.

He then levelled a glowering look in Ambrose's direction. "So what else are you hiding from me?"

Ambrose, not willing to show fear, shot Elijah an angry glare. "Nothing that concerns you," he snapped.

Elijah smirked at Ambrose, continued his progression and stopped short of the large window that faced the back of the property. "So the woman you have locked upstairs is just some random female you grabbed off the street? And you're all running around in a panic for no reason."

"Who she is, and what she is, is of no concern to you," Ambrose growled threateningly. "You will keep away from her."

Elijah swung around to face Ambrose. "Or what?"

"Or you will have to deal with me," he said clenching his fists.

Elijah burst into laughter and turned back to the window. "You do really have quite the sense of humour don't you?"

Ambrose's eyes narrowed to slits as he stared fixedly at Elijah. The Werewolf had become a major problem. They still needed Junior to be turned and now this O'Neill and Quinn were on to them, it would need to be sooner rather than later.

Their only saving grace was that if O'Neill and the FBI woman knew where he was, they would have fronted up by now. They might have worked out who Briana was, but they had not found their way back to him. Yet.

"So just how strong is this Werewolf that's after you?" Ambrose asked, changing the subject.

Elijah shrugged. "He's got Alpha blood," he said, "so you're no match for him if that's what you're asking." Elijah then turned to Ambrose. "Why?" he asked suspiciously.

Ambrose chose to ignore the question, rose and indicated to Junior to follow him.

"He's found you hasn't he?"

Ambrose halted mid-stride. "I think you seem to forget. It's you O'Neill and Quinn are after."

"Quinn?" Elijah said, "That's impossible. He's dead."

"She is very much alive," Ambrose threw back.

It was clear Elijah was confused.

"Murphy is working with Kaitlyn Quinn," Junior clarified, "You killed her father. When she heard you were back, she made sure she was assigned to the task force to track you down."

Ambrose was rattled at the cold glint that glazed across Elijah's expression as he pulled the knife that was never far from his grip from its scabbard, and caressed the blade. The creature standing before him was the epitome of pure evil and it scared him. He would need to work out how he was going to eliminate him and get the Werewolf out of their lives.

"Tsk, tsk O'Neill," Elijah muttered more to himself than the others. "You really are a glutton for punishment. Another one that I'll make sure you watch die."

The silence was shattered by a dull thumping noise. Elijah snapped his head to the ceiling, the direction the sound had come from. Ambrose held his breath. Hoping the madman would ignore it.

His hopes were shattered when Elijah shifted his gaze back to him and narrowed his eyes as if assessing the situation. Before he knew what was happening, Elijah had taken off out of the room, heading towards the stairs.

"You will not touch her," Ambrose shouted as he raced to catch up to Elijah. "We need her as leverage!"

Ambrose had nearly closed the gap when Elijah burst through the door, into the room they were holding the FBI agents mother.

Madeline Quinn's mouth had been taped, her hands tied behind her back and feet secured to the chair she had been deposited in. Her dark brown hair was in a disarray and a large purple bruise covered her right eye and cheek. She had put up quite a fight when his men had taken her. Ambrose felt a twinge of guilt as she froze at their arrival. He had no qualms about giving the orders to have someone terminated. However, even he had a line he would not normally cross. The woman had done nothing wrong, except being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Elijah approached the bound and gagged woman with a look of interest. Her terror-laden eyes darting between the new arrivals. He stood over her and gazed down at her form, nothing in his expression giving away what he was thinking. Ambrose watched in horror as Elijah bent down and trailed his knife down the woman's neck. A small trail of blood followed its path as the blade cut into her skin. "And who do we have here?"

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📎A/N ... No, no, no... they have Kaitlyn's mother!!!

... and now Elijah has his sights on her...

... will Kaitlyn and Murphy get to her on time... or will Elijah have his fun before they do??

Till next time. Take care and don't forget to vote.

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