𝗦𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗦
CHAPTER TWENTY!

〔 Season Two, Episode five 〕

𝑺𝑼𝑩𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑺𝑪𝑰𝑶𝑼𝑺𝑳𝒀 𝑪𝑨𝑺𝑺𝑨𝑵𝑫𝑹𝑨 𝑻𝑨𝑷𝑷𝑬𝑫 𝑶𝑵 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑻𝑨𝑩𝑳𝑬 𝑴𝑨𝑻𝑪𝑯𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑩𝑬𝑨𝑻 𝑶𝑭 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑺𝑶𝑵𝑮 𝑻𝑯𝑨𝑻 𝑷𝑳𝑨𝒀𝑬𝑫 𝑰𝑵 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑩𝑨𝑪𝑲𝑮𝑹𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑫, her eye's were glued to their kidnapper as he cooked away in their makeshift kitchen but Alicia's eyes were spinning looking at everything around them. They were very well off, even had a TV playing

Vida walked through Cassandra's line of vision, blocking Connor for just a moment.
But in that time he had crossed the space, placing two plates infront of herself and Alicia

"Omaha steak" he told them, Cassandra glanced down at it warily before staring back at Connor

"The deserters bled this place dry on their way out, but I had these hidden away in the freezer"

Cassandra took note of the way he spoke.
He wasn't like Reed. The world hadn't changed him yet. She also took note of the information he gave them — people left. Betrayed him.

"Working on this beast of burden in the sun, wind, salt, air. Crews used to tell me that my new York strips were the only thing that got them through the day. I make sure that everyone gets a hot meal every night. Even now especially now" Connor crouched down pulling something out of the cabinet

"Are you trying to sell your group to us. Make us want to stay" Cassandra let the question slip out of her mouth

"I'm just giving you the facts. You seem like smart people"

Hearing Cassandra's speak, Alicia took that as her sign that she could to. That it was allowed.

"Where's Jack?"

Cassandra glanced at Alicia, she couldn't tell if she genuinely liked Jack or was using him. In truth Alicia didn't know either, she remembered what Cass said about the playing the part you had to. When Ofelia was lying to the soldier. Jack was the part she had to play.

"I said I wanted to get to know you" Connor replied, Cassandra pulled at the cross around her neck subconsciously, she shivered feeling the cold wind through the windows of the boat. From a glance at the boat Cassandra would say it was a fishing boat but she wouldn't really know, she was far from an expert at boats

"And Travis?" Alicia questioned "can I see him?"

"Eat, please" Connor ignored her Changing the subject, Alicia glanced at Cassandra who gave her a small nod, picking up her own fork and knife as she cut into the steak. Taking a bite of it Cassandra could feel her mouth water at how good it was,
The man weren't lying about making good steaks

Cassandra continued to eat her steak, she hadn't realised how Hungry she was. Fish everyday wasn't really doing it for her.

"Our family?" Alicia asked, not even attempting to eat her food. Making Cassandra sigh. She had to protect Alicia and she can't do that if Alicia pissed them off. They had to play nice for now "they've been taken to land?"

"We think you could be happy here."

"Why do you keep avoiding questions" Cassandra asked "or do you not know the answer, who exactly did you leave our family with because he acted like a physco"

At Cassandra words, something flashed in Connors eyes. Something like shock but also protectivenes

"my brother. He gave me his word that he would take them to shore"

Cassandra's eyes widened at the revelation.

"We can't bring just anybody. We have to be selective. But Jack, he just---" Connor glanced at Alicia "he had this sense about you"

"And me?, you weren't planning on taking me" Cassandra raised her eyebrows wondering why she was the change of plans as Connor was about to answer, the lights shut off and power shut down.

"-generator goes out at bad times" he mumbled Standing up "please join me Cassandra and we can finish this conversation"

Cassandra glanced at Alicia, not wanting to leave her incase anything happened

"I'll be okay" Alicia reassured, she knew this way she could find Jack and her being alone meant she could earn more of his trust. She could get closer to him.

The brunette nodding standing up to join Connor as he left the room, Cassandra threw one last glance at Alicia before she left the room — but what no one realised was the knife Cassandra had slipped up her sleeve — she didn't think she would be able to use it, but it was her just incase.

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

"I do apologise for anything my brother did" Connor glanced at Cassandra as they both walked down to then generators "I'm not making any excuses for him, but we didn't have the best upbringing"

Cassandra looked up at Connor a questioning look on her face as she rubbed her bruised wrists from the zip ties. Your childhood does effect who you become. Lots of people say the abused becomes the abuser, some people fight it untill their last breath but that rage will always be there

Cassandra knew that very well, her past haunted her and it tasted pitter when she thought of it. Everything her father believed that she did not.

"let me guess. He gives in to the rage of whatever happened to you guys and you fight it"

"Something like that" he turned smiling at Cassandra "that's why I took you also. I walked onto that boat and you share that same look in your eyes. You weren't afraid of us, you were angry."

Cassandra looked up at him confused, she was afraid. She felt afraid. And she wasn't abused. "My dad never hit me..."

"Abuse isn't just physical. It's physiologically also. It's why your gripping that cross so hard"

And he was right, looking down she held onto the cross, she felt the metal of the necklace digging into her neck at how hard she held it. Subconsciously. She didn't believe, yet she was still holding onto it like it would protect her.

That action was her father. It showed how much he truly impacted her. Quickly dropping her hand, she wrapped her arms around herself

She wanted her fathers hold on her to break. She thought it would have when he died — but maybe she had to prove him wrong.

"You don't look very warm in those clothes. Once we sort the generators. We'll find you some" Connor suggested, noticing how his words effected her. Cassandra just nodded slowly hating how she let him get into her head. But she was freezing and wasn't going to deny new clothes

Cassandra's converses dinged on the metal of the ship, as she ducked away from neats, they walked in silence untill they got to a ladder

"Ladies first" Connor spoke, ushering Cassandra to start climbing. She grabbed onto the ladder with one hand, feeling the coldness of the metal. But as she went to lift her other hand she remembered the knife in her sleeve, if she climbed this ladder the knife will either slip out or cut her

Thinking on her feet she quickly gulped, she felt Connors stare at the back of her head

"I can't I'm sorry" she turned to him acting afraid "I have a fear of heights" pulling at her sleeve as she lied, she looked up at him and then down to her shoes. He studied her, looking for a lie but at her body language he couldn't find one

"Okay." He laughed "that's okay. I'll take you to change and while you do that I'll come back here"

"Thank you" Cassandra smiled softly surprised that her lie actually worked.
She followed after Connor walking back down the small walkway they had just come from. It felt like being in a fun house with how wonky this boat was.

♱

Cassandra sat on the floor as she waited for Connor to come back, she looked down at her new attire. It was different then what she normally wore but not that much, it wasn't bad either. It was a long flowing grey vest top, tight skinny jeans, thats the part she wasn't really use to. A dark denim jacket it kept her warmer and gave her a better place to hide the knife, she kept her converses and had manged to tie her hair into a pony tail — she felt it was more practical for right now.

As she sat on the floor, her knees tugged into her chest. Her head resting against the hard metal. She played with the cross dangling from her neck, she thought of all the times her dad said it would protect her,
But it didn't protect her from getting builed in school, Nick did. It didn't protect her from this world, Nick did.

She played with the cross but all she could think of was Nick. He would come for her. She knew he would. Even if it was impossible

She remembered how her father use to tell her when she would come home crying about how the kids treated her. He said God would protect her. That he doesn't give people what he doesn't think they can handle.

She remembered the day she came home smiling, tugging Nick along with her. Telling her father how he had stood up for her. She remembered Elijah giving them both a real and rare smile. Shaking Nick's hand, he had said that day to Cassandra that God had given her a protector

Elijah had Thanked Nick that day for protecting his daughter and Nick had told him he would always protect her.

Cassandra smiled at the memory. A time were her father loved Nick. We're he believed he was an angel instead of a sinner.

"Now that's better isn't it?"

She looked up hearing Connors voice and she knew it should scare her but it didn't.

"Yeah"

Connor walked closer, sitting beside Cassandra "Your boats here."

Cassandra sighed tapping her leg, she locked eyes with Connor
"And my family.."

"We'll find out" Connor put a walkie up to his mouth as Cassandra watched and listened carefully

"Hey asshole, what are you waiting for, a written invitation. Get your ass back here over."

Cassandra watched the irritation fill Connors face as his brother didn't answer him.

"Reed, you're pissing me off. Drop anchor, shut it down. Over"

"You can have your brother back when I get my family" Cassandra's eyes went wide as she heard Madison's voice through the radio, she let out a laugh of relief and a smirk took over her face as Connor turned to her in shock and anger

Connor bit his tongue in anger
"Damit" he cursed, looking at the smug look on Cassandra's face he pressed the button on the radio but he addressed Cassandra and she knew why, he did it so they knew she was in arms length of him, so don't piss him off

"Is that Madison. Cassandra?"

"Yeah. That's her" the brunette said she stated at Connor not being able to wipe the smirk off her lips

"What'd you do with him?" Connor asked referring to his brother

"Nothing yet"

"I wouldn hope so, considering I have Cassandra sitting right next to me" he replied without missing a beat, and that sparked fear In Cassandra's

"Hey don't you dare touch her" Nick's angered voice shot out from the radio, making Cassandra let out a cry of relief

"Nick" she whispered, he was okay he came back. He was coming for her. She placed her hand over her heart as she smiled softly.

"Let me talk to Reed."

"No.."

"Let me talk to him now" Connor shouted making Cassandra jump up and move away from him

"You want him. trade. One hour. Your brother for my family"

Connor looked up at Cassandra,
"Is she being serious? What is she capable of"

"You don't want to know what she's capable of" Cassandra whispered, clutching the knife in her pocket. Noticing the anger that he tried to hard to hide bubble to the top.

"Okay, I'll play" he mumbled into the radio "one man with Reed. If he's unharmed you get yours."

Cassandra sighed and if she believed in God, she would be praying that everything went well but she didn't so all she could do was hope

♱

"I'll go, I'll go" Nick raised His hand, his eyes raw red which told Madison that even hearing Cassandra's voice was to much for him

"I'll bring him. One hour" Madison ignored Nick. Which angered him, he wanted to see Cassandra. And if anyone had hurt her...

"I'll go mom" Nick whispered

"No because if they have hurt her—"

"If they have hurt her" Nick stepped closer to Madison, knowing if they had hurt her, he probably would kill them all and he wouldn't regret it "I wouldn't regret anything"

"That's why"

And before Nick could argue a gunshot rung through the boat, making all three of them jump, before Madison could even blink Nick had bolted down the stairs, he headed straight to Reeds room stopping behind Ofelia he stared at the sight before him, half of Reeds face was missing

"Chris said he was gonna turn" Ofelia whispered

"Where's Chris?" Madison asked

"He just left" Ofelia spun around

But Nick couldn't keep his eyes off of the Reeds corpse. He didn't believe that he was about to turn, he knew Chris felt guilty, he knew Reed was getting in his head — he left Chris with him, that was on him — but now he just lost his only chance of getting Cassandra back

Nick stood in the Connor as Daniel stressed and luis came running in

"That's that" he whispered in Spanish before switching to English "were going South, this is done"

"Nothing is done" Daniel stated

Nick felt his anger boil up
"Shit. Shit." He mumbled he was so close to getting them back. Nick walked over to the window gripping it into his knuckles turned white

He swore if there was any chance now of getting her back, he pleaded in his mind to the whole universe and everything beyond.
To anyone to listen he promised if he got her back, he would be a better man.
That he would be good.

After a long moment of what people would consider praying but Nick wouldn't, why would God listen to him and he knew Cassandra would probably hit for doing it, he picked up a cloth and helped Ofelia clean the blood

"Chris can't see this. Ugh" blood was surprisingly sticky and hard to clean

"Think I'm actually starting to get used to this" Ofelia mumbled,

"Please don't" Nick pleaded, right now he wished Cassandra was here. She would be making him feel better maybe she could have gotten threw to Chris and they wouldn't be cleaning blood off the walls
— Nick clenched his eyes shut at the thought of Cassandra. It was physically aching him that he was so close to her and he couldn't go and save her. It hurt him at how afraid she must be.

"It's what we do now--" she wiped the blood off the floor "spill blood, clean it up, spill it again"

Nick grunted as he moved away from the blood the smell filling his senses as he chucked the rag away

"Well get her back" Ofelia tried to comfort Nick, making him drop his head "she protected me. She drew the attention onto herself. She did the same for Chris. I think that's another reason why he feels so guilty. She put the spotlight on herself to protect us"

"That's who she is. She's selfless. That's why she stuck around with me for so long, brought me back when i was lost" Nick looked up at Ofelia "She's a living angel. My angel" she saved him everytime and he couldn't save her, Ofelia smiled softly at the way Nick spoke about Cassandra in all this mess. It was pure.

"Chris said he was going to turn" Ofelia looked up at Reeds body before turning to Nick once again "he wasn't was he?"

Nick shrugged although he knew what she was saying was the truth deep down but he had no proof. Silence filled the room untill they heard snarling coming from Reed

"Oh, god" Ofelia gasped and Nick's reflexes kicked in grabbing ahold of her pulling her behind himself, flicking his knife put

"Careful"

"No,no, no, no. Wait, wait, wait" Daniel ran into the room grabbing ahold of the crowbar sticking out of his stomach, Daniel slammed the reincarnated body of Reed against the wall, shoving the crowbar through the wall sticking him in place

"Not yet" Daniel spoke sitting on the bed "not yet"

Nick stared at the zombie stuck on wall, he could of laughed. He asked the universe for a way and they gave him one. They gave him one in the form of the dead

♱

Cassandra gripped the knife in her pocket as she was lead out beside Travis, but unlike him she wasn't blind folded

"You know after this trade is done. Your welcome to stay. You and Alicia" Connor whispered as he glanced at Cassandra "it will be your choice then"

"Despite the hospitality you have shown me. I'm happier with them" with Nick, she just had to make it through this last part and she will be back with him

Travis tripped making Cassandra grab him
"I've got you. We'll be home soon"

"Are you okay?, have they done anything to you. Have you seen Alicia?" Travis spoke quickly, finally hearing Cassandra's voice for the first time since they had been taken. He was worried that something had happened to her

"I'm okay. There gonna get Alicia and then we were going home" Cassandra spoke confidently, because she would make sure of it even if things didn't go to plan

Travis nodded, Cass kept a grip on Travis arm which he was thankfull for since he couldn't see anything. Both of them being led out of the boat, Cassandra's eyes stung as she adjusted to the sun, blinking away the blurriness she hadn't realised how dark it had been inside the boat

Herself and Travis followed Connor down the dock well aware of the armed men beside them.

Cassandra stepped forward seeing Madison only to be pulled back harshly by Connor. Cassandra winced pulling her arm back.

"Where's my daughter?"

"She's okay maddie" Cassandra told her, looking past her to the abigail that was sitting in the ocean

"You'll get her when I see my brother's alright"

Cassandra watched as Madison struggled with Reed, she saw the hesitation on Madison's face but only she could see it, she watched Madison subtle shake her head. Making Cassandra realise something wasn't right, Cassandra gripped the knife in her pocket

She nodded at Madison, the blonde pulled the restrains off of Reed throwing him at Reed's men since he still had ahold of Cassandra's

"Maddie" Travis asked Madison quickly ripped the bag and restraints off of Travis.

But time slowed down for Cassandra as the bag was ripped off of Reeds head, he was dead. Panic ran through her body, she felt Connor freeze but his grip on her didn't fall. She panicked. She saw Reed bite down on one of the armed guards as the other flew at Travis.

Cassandra pulled the knife out of her pocket as Reed set his sights on her, charging at her she flipped the blade round impeding it in his head

"No!" She heard Connor cry as Reed fell to the ground, anger flooding his veins. He set his sights on Cassandra wrapping his hand around her throat he squeezed making her chock

She clawed at his hands, looking up at him she couldn't see a trace of the man she spoke to earlier. This was the rage. The rage of the father that beat them both.
As she struggled to breath and it felt like time stopped

But her mind wouldn't stop. She thought of how easy it would be to give up. To see her father and meet her mother. But then she thought of the people she would be leaving behind. The people she loved, the people she did anything and everything for. She couldn't leave them

She made choices before because she didn't want to lose them. This was no different. This was a choice between leaving them or staying.

She felt the cold metal of the blade her hand, she knew what she had to do but as she thought about it, her father's voice echoed in her mind, to take a life is a sin.
To let blood stain her hands.

To take a life would mean eternal hell. That God would make your life miserable

But in the new world. God didn't exist if he did why would he let this be.

And in a flash Cassandra had drove the knife into Connors neck. She stared into his eyes, she wasn't going to take the cowardly way out. She watched as the realisation filled his eyes. Pulling the blade from his neck, she watched him drop to the ground blood spraying everywhere and her hands covered in it

She didn't know how long she had stood there watching him choke on his own blood but she knew it was long enough. Since he was now a cold body on the ground.

"I'm sorry" she whispered as Madison pulled her away, well she thought it was Madison. She was in shock everything felt like a daze like she wasn't even there. Voices felt like they were miles away.

She knew she now sat on the speed boat. She felt it tip as Madison pulled Alicia onto it. She knew they were staring at her with worried glances. She knew they were speaking to her. But she couldn't do anything.

It was like everything wasn't real. She knew she was in shock. The logical side. The side of reason but the side of belief just wanted to wake up and for the world to be normal again.

I'm sorry father....forgive me. She thought as she glanced down at her blood soaked hands as much as she hated to admit it a part of her was relieved, she had broken his hold on her, maybe...maybe she was strong enough to survive this world.