49- Isabella and the Secret Tunnel of Secrets

Isabella

Still hiding within my new secret corridor, my eyes continue to look around the poorly lit room, the only source of light coming from the tiny little flashlight that now rested within my hands, my eyes moving to get a closer look at the spiral staircase that stood before me in all its glory.

“It looks ancient” I murmur, my eyes noticing the lack of support as the staircase had no railing and cobwebs completely littered the empty space around it.

“Hmmm, I wonder” I whisper, still within earshot of those within the house, faint distant shouts and whistles could be heard as those within the house continued searching for me, my name faint as they all move to rush around the place in hopes of finding me. Shivering I know I can’t exactly leave this place called hell but that didn’t stop me from actually exploring the room I was in as I slowly moved to climb the stairs to the upper level, my curiosity getting the better of me.

Moving to place my hand on the cold damp wall for support I all but slowly make my way up towards the landing platform, noticing an unfinished hallway of sorts as if someone had just given up on it before deciding to see where it led, my eyes glancing further up to see that stairs continued further except instead of following the stairs I moved to follow the hallway, curious as to where it led until eventually coming across a dead end.

Rats. Disappointed by the lack of hallway I all but turn around to head back only to see another door, this one newly finished as if someone had just placed this one with an intention to use it. Curious, I move to inspect the newly looking door a couple cobwebs here and there along with a handle to help keep it close just like the other one my eyes all but moving to what one would call a makeshift peep hole or a speakeasy panel.

Holding my breath I ever so slowly move to approach the door, the sound of voices reaching my ears as my breath all but hitches, my curiosity always getting the better of me, I all but try to fight temptation. Unable to resist, I carefully move to lift the flap, careful not to let my flashlight show. Leaning forward, I move to peek with my right eye, hoping to get a better look around the room.

Glancing around I all but gasp, the room looking oddly familiar to me as I did. Is-Is this the strategy room? I wonder. The large office in question always being the room where the guys loved to bring me as outlines of books and shelves begin to fill my vision. Just then a subtle move draws my attention further causing me to pause my eye now landing on Tony and Lucus. Gulping I could easily see Tony typing away at his computer, his face looking stern and if I might add a little constipated. Lucus on the other hand was currently screaming into his phone, another foreign language that I did not know but if I had to guess was Irish made him all but sexy when flustered.

Cute I silently say, the words “FIND HER” startling me as Lucus moves to slam down his phone. My breath definitely hitching just from hearing that as I secretly jump, afraid that I might have been seen while doing so.

“Any luck?” Lucus asks Tony, my gaze still on the pair before me.

“No. It’s like she’s vanished. The last bit of footage that I had of her, was of her storming over towards the tree line. Her face showing that she had been crying while in the process of deciding on what to do” replies Tony, his face reflecting sadness as concern now covers his face.

Growling, I move to hear Lucus as he moves to speak up next, “Gah! I swear, that girl gives us so much fucking trouble more so than our fucking enemies do” replies Lucus, a look of exhaustion setting in as he continues to look at Tony.

“Yeah I know, but you have to admit she’s totally worth all the hassle if you ask me” admits Tony, Lucus nodding at his words.

“I know, We’re so whipped it ain't even funny” sighs Lucus, his words causing me to wince. Um, What? I mean sure they were drastically handsome and the perfect specimen of the human male body but come on, these fucking assholes just killed four fucking men right in front of everybody, including me and it wasn’t even breakfast yet not to mention that they didn’t even flinch once.

Biting my tongue, I all but notice Lucus, his eyes now trained on the wall that I had been hiding in as his body slowly moves to approach, my heart pounding deep within my chest as he did. Did he see me? No, that's not possible, I panic, my body freezing in fear as he continues to approach my body eventually moving to step back against the shadows to keep from being seen.

Just then, before Lucus could come any further, does a ding on Tony’s phone go off, Lucus’s attention now on that as he moves to see what’s up, Tony mumbling something softly before both move to leave, the sound of a click was all that was heard as the door moves to close. Sighing carefully I move to feel my body relax unaware I had been holding my breath as I did, tears now rising once again the feeling of being scared now washing over me completely.

Daddy, I miss you, I whimper my attention now on the space around me, remembering that there was a small wooden button on the panel as I move to push it, the door clicking open as I did before moving to slip out no longer wanting to be in there as I move to close it back up once more.

Once sure it was closed, do I move over to the ever so comfortable leather sofa, my body now fully exhausted as I let it slowly sink into the cushions, another lone tear falling as I all but move to rest my head upon one of its many pillows, my eyes closing as it did.

================

Grant

After spending what felt like hours of searching, the guys and I were finally on our way back towards the strategy room, having searched just about everywhere possible we still couldn’t manage to find our dear sweet Isabella.

For when Tony and Lucus had come to join up with us, Tony had managed to get a message from one of his hackers who said they had gotten new footage from one of the cameras over at the front door. Curious as to what the footage could be we all moved to find Lance where once we did, did he move to hand us over a tablet.

Lance having found an old solar powered camera that we had long since stationed over near the tree line that had all been forgotten so when he managed to pull up the footage for that camera, we all watched with bated breath. Surprised that it actually still worked as it gingerly pulled up an image of Isabella, her body resting against a bench that was stationed against the magnolia tree, her body clearly shaking from the events of this morning as she attempted to calm herself down. The next image being of her as she carefully made her way back inside the house, making sure to avoid any possible cameras as she did.

Clever girl.

Now knowing that she was here, we knew it was only a matter of time before we found her, as our sweet little girl was currently playing a game of cat and mouse and was getting really good at being the mouse.

Reaching for the room, Lucus moves to open the door only to pause, Tony, Alex and I all but running into him as he did, each of us now curious as to what could have made him stop as he did only for us to see our dear sweet Principessa (Princess). Fast asleep on the sofa, did she lay her eyes closed as her chest gently rose and fell from her soft steady breathing, her eyes slightly puffy from all the tears she had shed from all the crying.

Gesturing for us to stay silent, do we all silently chuckle, Tony moving ever so slowly as he moved to lay a blanket over her, a blanket that we usually kept laying on the back of the couch as he carefully moved to drap it down over her before moving to kiss her on the head softly, each of us doing the exact same thing before each of us moving to sit down at our desks.

Enzo, Marco, Lucifer and a couple of our other men all move to knock on the door before carefully coming in, Lucus halting them as they did, his hand pointing to the sleeping figure on the couch with a blanket draped over her. Eyes wide as they all but see her tiny figure, a questioning look each making itself known as they each move to look at us.

“What? How? When?” come the shocked questions of each of our men which only leads to Lucus chuckling as he slowly moves to answer. “No clue. She was here when we all got back from downstairs which was only a few minutes ago. She’s been asleep ever since.” admits Lucus.

Nodding the guys take what they can before each of them move to take a seat in one of the upholstered chairs that sat in front of Lucus’s desk, Lucus going on to talk about upcoming trainings while my eyes continued to watch our dear sleeping Princess as her eyes had finally held a look of true terror to them and that was exactly what we wanted her to see.

As we are not heroes, or saviors or knights in shining armor, no we are demons, cold blooded killers who seek to take back what is ours and those four men had decided to flee after giving them money without so much as a glance as they tried to flee without paying us back, and that I’m afraid is just bad for business a business that Isabella would soon learn as nobody ever gets away without a consequence. Even for her.