The forgotten Stories

LII

Aria's POV

After we left Mason to deal with Brian, Jackson, Drake and I all ran down the hall to find where Karter was being kept. We eventually found a hallway full of cells and ran down them. Each of them had names or titles on them.

We ran past one that I recognized. I halted to a stop and ran back.

"Aria! What are you doing." Drake called. I just kept going to the cell. I gasped when I confirmed the name.

"Aria?" Jackson asked. He came up next to me. His hand went over the name plate. "Matthew was here. That means he can still be here!" Jackson said.

"Matthew? Is that Karter's brother?" Drake asked. Both Jackson and I nodded. Drake stepped forward and opened the door. We found the cell empty but fresh blood on the ground.

"He has to still be here somewhere. I'm sure wherever he is Karter is as well."  Jackson said. I nodded in agreement. We continued down the hall until we found the cell Karter was being kept. We found it empty as well.

"Mason isn't going to be happy about this." I said.

Drake shook his head. "No he is definitely not." He said. Drake stepped into the cell and looked around. "There is blood in here." He said inspecting something on the ground.

"Let's just try to find her." Jackson said. We nodded and ran down the hall.

We searched everywhere, but there were so many halls and rooms we almost got lost.

"If we don't find her soon, who knows what will happen." I said. I leaned against a wall.

"Well we can't give up either." Jackson said. Drake nodded and gathered me in his arms. He gave me a comforting hug.

"Look there is a room with a light on." Drake pointing behind me to a door. It had a small window that you could see light through.

"Be quiet till we know it's safe." Jackson said.

We slowly made our way to the door. Drake looked inside the window.

"Karter and Matthew are in there." He said. He looked at Jackson and they both nodded.

"What?" I asked. It was like they were having their own conversation.

"We are going to sneak in." Jackson said.

"What! We should wait." I whisper-screamed.

"Their backs are turned." Drake said. I tried to protest but it didn't work. They both pushed the door open quietly.
——
Mason's POV

I snuck around a corner to find Brian. He was sitting in a folding chair waiting. Waiting for me I'm assuming. I rolled my eyes and stepped out.

"Glad you could make it!" Brian said and clapped his hands together.

"Where is Karter?" I asked. I didn't want to waste anytime with this bitch.

"Oh don't worry, you'll see her." He smirked evilly. He stood up and stepped towards me.

"You are a piece of shit and I'm glad Karter left you." I growled. He gasped sarcastically.

"I know, she would have been good use to me." He cracked his knuckles. "So tell me, how was she?"

Something in me snapped. I ran towards him and punched him in the gut. He grunted but returned the attack. He got a hit to my face. Luckily it didn't cause a cut.

"I'm going to kill you." I said low. I could see fear flash in his eyes for a brief second.

"I'd like to see you try." He glared hard at me.

I pushed my forearm to his throat. He gagged and tripped back. His went to twist my arm but I twisted around him and put him in a choke hold.

"Believe me now?" I asked him in his ear. He choked but tried grabbing for my arm. "You aren't escaping." His face turned purple before he finally lost his air. He fell limp in my arm. I grabbed my knife from my boot and stabbed him in the chest just in case. "Stupid bitch." I dropped him and walked down the hall to find Karter.
——

Aria's POV

We just stepped into the room they were holding Karter and Matthew. The room was surprisingly well lit. It was cement all the way around and had ropes hanging from the ceiling. Karter was hanging from one set, Matthew on the other.

Killian stood at a table talking to two men. His eyes met mine. "You!" He stomped towards us. Drake stood in front of me. "You are not supposed to be here! How'd you get in?" He asked angrily.

"You weren't exactly guarded very well. Plus Brian is pretty much useless." Jackson said.

"You killed him?" He asked. "Doesn't matter. He had no more use to me anyway." He waved it off.

"Why are you doing this to your family?" I asked.

"You don't know? They kept you innocent, than." He walked towards Karter. "My grandfather is the reason for this. When Chris and I were young he promised the eldest the preserve. Of course that was me. So when our father was ready to hand the preserve down he decided Chris should get it instead. I was eighteen at the time, Chris was fifteen. I was upset. I asked him why. Said I wasn't stable enough. So I left. I made my own little family and it grew. I guess he was right. I wasn't stable enough to run a healthy preserve. But I am stable enough to rule over people." He snapped his fingers and pointed to us. The two men rushed us. Jackson clocked one in the eye. Drake guy punched the other.

"You had other chances to redeem yourself." I said.

"They wouldn't accept me. Look what I've done!" He gestures to the cellar. When he looked back at us he realized something. "Where's Mason?" He asked.

"Where do you think?" Drake rolled his eyes.

"So he's the one who killed Brian. Sad. Well, while he's occupied we can get onto the torturing." He yanked a lever and Karter's ropes rose higher into the sky. Her arms were losing strength.

"You really were a mistake." Chris's voice said from the other side of the room. He was holding bush clippers. He was standing next to Matthew. He cut each rope. Matthew fell straight down to the floor. Jack caught him before his knees landed.

"Brother! We meet again!" Killian releases the lever. Karter falls back down. She grunts in pain.

"Let my daughter go!" Chris yelled.

"Now you know I can't do that. Hey!" He yelled. Mason was hiding in the shadows behind Karter and finally showed himself. "Where'd you come from?"

"Does it matter?" Mason smirked. While Killian wasn't looking Drake pushed him to the ground. Jackson and cut Karter's ropes. She fell into his arms. Mason picked her up and held her to him. Karter weakly wrapped her arms around Mason's neck. She looked relieved.

"Hi." She spoke weakly. The words barely audible.

"Hi baby." He picked her up fully. Her legs were hanging loosely at his waist.

"Let's get her and Matthew out of here." Chris said. "I'll get Killian. Drake." Drake nodded. They knocked him out and tied him up. The other two guys were locked up in cells.

"What's that noise?" I asked. A faint crying could be heard. Jackson turned to the noise.

"Is that.. a baby." He went to a box laying on a table. He opened it and the crying got louder. "It is." He picked up a bundle of blankets.

"Why is there a baby?" I asked. "Remember Karters cell has a blanket!" I said. Jackson nodded.

"We'll ask her when she wakes up." He carries the baby out following My dad.