Panting and wheezing, I could feel every fibre of my being crying out in exhaustion and pain as I returned back to consciousness.  Feeling an itch on my head, I tried to raise my arm but a searing burn through my wrists let me know that I was now also restrained to a chair.

I couldn't believe what I saw once I opened my eyes, terror pouring through me as I look to the side and saw Connor's pale, bloody body sitting limp in a hair next to mine.

Crap.

"Connor, Connor are you ok? Please, please wake up, please don't do this."

I felt tears slowly building up in my eyes as a hot, hellish pain ripped through my body, my mind taking me down a downhill slope as I realised that Connor could indeed be dead.

I couldn't sit like this, I couldn't just sit here and torture myself, I couldn't just sit here and let my last best friend die.

Pulling and struggling against the rope that held my wrists together did absolutely nothing and I knew that even if I should get myself out of this anytime soon, my wrists would definitely suffer from the cuts and bruises that I could already feel were starting to form.

My bag was absolutely no where in sight and I couldn't feel my phone in my pocket.

Repulsion pulsed through me and bile rose up my throat as I thought about the fact that he touched me, his disgusting, dry, grimy fingers felt me down. I could taste the vile bitter lacing of vomit in my mouth but I remembered that at the minute, time was of the essence.

I grabbed at the rope once more, the deep cuts going further and further as I tugged at the rope.

Yes! I could feel it loosening!

But all my victories were short lived as I heard multiple voices heading towards the room. I knew that I couldn't be seen awake or I would just be knocked out once again, so I closed my eyes and relaxed my whole body.

"The girl should still be out, the boy is in critical condition and he will definitely die soon if his wounds aren't treated."

Cold sweat broke out all over my body as I heard that, and I knew that Connor never did anything to deserve even the slightest of the things that happened to him.

I had to get him out of here.

I wiggled my way out of the rope and sat there for a few seconds, waiting for the men to walk into the room. However, my emotions went haywire as I saw nurse Minetta walk in, a kit in her hand as she walked over to Connor.

As discretely as I could, I watched her treat Connor, wiping the antiseptic into him and I visibly saw him wince.

Thank fuck he's still alive.

I knew that I couldn't care less as long as Connor was ok. I didn't care what happened to me. But I knew that what I did next had to be smart or I could once more be putting Connor into a torture chamber and this time, he might not be coming out.

I heard someone's footsteps coming closer and closer to me until I felt a sharp slap on my face, forcing me to cry aloud and open my eyes.

"You're a sneaky little b!tch aren't you."

I couldn't even muster enough strength to look at who was my attacker, but the chill calm from his voice let me know that it was my worst nightmare.

"Look at me."

But I knew I couldn't.

"Cordero, look at me, and don't make me ask a third time."

And once again, I defied him.

This time though, I felt a metal object strike me across the face, an agonising shriek being released into the room.

I finally looked into his eyes, the Silver in them petrifying my every cell. I could feel tears driving themselves down my face and I hated myself because I couldn't hold them back.

His sadistic face turned into a sly smile as he saw my moments of weakness, the repulsion I was feeling only intensifying as he looked at my helpless being.

"What the hell do you want, Jack."

"You know the answer to that, my dear sweet Maya."

I could feel my muscles twisting with disgust at his words.

"If I knew what you wanted, I wouldn't be here would I?"

"How about I make you another deal, seeming as the last one didn't go to.... plan." His vile fingers started to stroke my forearm, fear and repulsion radiating from every inch of me.

"Get the hell off of me." I screamed into his ear. I didn't ever do anything to him, he had been torturing me since my childhood, all my safe havens now defiled and overwritten by the disgusting, terrifying moments that he created.

"I doubt you're in any position to be calling the shots, Cordero."

And I felt another strike across my chest from the metal object I now identified as a belt, a scream of pure anguish making its way out of my mouth because of it.

But all of this was bearable other than the fact that Connor was in the grasps of this demon.

"Let Connor go."

"You know I can't do that."

"Let him go and I'll hand myself over."

He looked at me, mildly impressed.

"That's quite the offer you are giving, Maya. Do you have any clue what's going to happen to you if you decide to hand yourself over?"

"I don't care, just let Connor go ok?"

"As you wish."

I felt such a rush of relief as I saw Connor being cut free from his chair, but his limp body still gave me rushes of fear and I nearly felt myself go completely blank as his form lay so weakly in the chair that offered him absolutely no support.

"Take him to a hospital Minetta."

I watched as the once friendly nurse gave me a look, one filled with sadness and betrayal yet I could also recognise a slight tinge of malice in her amber eyes.

"I would say that this was a bad idea on your behalf, you don't even know why you're here, yet here you are, turning yourself over for something you haven't even done."

"I don't know what you're on about, but I'd really reconsider the fact that there are still plenty of people out there looking for you and eventually will start looking for me too."

"Who, Detective Greene and his lackeys? I doubt they'll even get anywhere near me."

"They're here in Coventry looking for you, I would call that pretty close."

"Let's just say that in any case, I have people that'll let me know if anything goes wrong for me."

He had an inside man.

Goddamit!

How were they meant to find me if there was a man trying his hardest to send them down a wrong path?

Let's really hope that Greene catches on soon, he is an international agent after all.

I lowered my head, my mind somewhere else. I didn't want anything to do with this and I couldn't help but feel that this had absolutely everything to do with what happened to my mother.

I knew that I had to find out what happened and why it did, or this nightmare would never end.

And from that moment forward, I knew that as soon as I got out, I would destroy Silver and everything he ever stood for, of course, if he stands for anything at all.

~~~

A/n:  do any of you think you know where this story's heading?

I haven't got much to say today and I'm so so so so SO proud of myself for actually sticking to the update schedule and I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter!

If you think this chapter deserved it, please leave a vote and comment.

See you all soon!

Lolaalvilivi