Chapter 14: Chapter 14

CODY

"What kind of traps exactly?" I ask, moving closer to peer at the screens as Ryder continues to type, bringing up the security camera feed.

"Well...nothing as bad as the ones in her room," Ryder says, eyes glued to the screen.

"What's in her room?" Devin questions.

"Lots of things. One of them being that the floors are electrified."

"What?!" Both me and Devin yell in unison.

"Not all the time," Ryder explains as if that fact makes it all better. "Just whenever she chooses to arm it."

"I'm never going into her room," Devin states, a horrified look on his face.

"I found Jason," Ryder announces and I turn to look at the screen. "He took her to the farthest bathroom he could think of." He laughs as he zooms in the camera. "He's on the third floor. He appears to be stuck in the hallway while she's trapped in the bathroom. I guess you don't have to worry about him killing her."

He laughs evilly as he switches camera views. "I hope she's not claustrophobic."

I roll my eyes at him and stare at the screens as he goes clicking through the different camera angles, trying to find Thirteen.

"Wait, go back," I order as something catches my eye. He clicks back a screen. "What is that?" I ask, pointing to the metal wall at the end of the hallway.

"It's a metal barricade." He says simply before switching through the cameras again. "It separates the floors."

"You mean we're stuck on the second floor?"

"Yep." He says, his tone of voice saying it's no big deal while I stare at him in shock.

"Can't you open the barricade?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"It only opens after the lockdown has been lifted. As I said before, Thirteen's the only one who can lift the lockdown. We can only stay on the second floor."

I pull my phone out of my pocket and immediately begin to dial Jason's number. We need to be able to communicate.

"That won't do you any good," Ryder says simply.

"Why?"

"Signal jammer." He states. "It turns on when the lock down's initiated so that no one can call for back up."

"That's the stupidest thing she could possibly add," Devin interjects.

"Is it really?" Ryder questions. "I mean this is Thirteen's house."

"Point taken," I say as I push my phone back into my pocket.

"Found Chase and Thirteen's assistant Megan," Ryder says and we stare at the screen. "They're on the first floor in the conference room." He grabs hold of the landline telephone on the desk next to him.

"I thought phones don't work." Devin points out.

"These phones are all connected to each other," Ryder mutters as he punches in a number. "You can use these phones to make a call but you can only call one of the other rooms in this house."

I watch the screen as Chase moves towards the phone sitting on the long table in the conference room. He picks it up and Ryder switches the phone in our room to speaker.

"Hey, how's it going?"

"Ryder what the hell is going on?"

"That's not a very nice reply," Ryder grumbles but Chase still hears him judging by the string of curse words that follow. "Short version, Thirteen locked down the house for reasons still unknown to us. I've got Cody and Devin with me right now as well as Henri, Jason and Elaine are currently trapped on the third floor. Please tell me Thirteen is somewhere near you."

"I wish." Chase retorts. "I'd like to ring her neck."

"What did she do?" Devin asks.

"Nothing," Chase mutters. "Look she went to take a call and the next thing I know the doors are all swinging shut on their own and an alarm's blaring. I'm not sure what happened and I don't know where she is."

"Keep looking through the cameras," I tell Ryder who simply shrugs and actually listens.

"I found..." Ryder trails off as he stares at the screen. "Someone." He finally says. "It's not Thirteen and quite frankly I've never seen this person before."

I stare at the screen and Devin comes around next to me to look as well. I stare at the girl on the screen, she's got tattoos up and down her arms and another on her chest. Her hair is a dyed a fiery shade of vibrant red, and her eyes are hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.

"I have," Devin announces and Ryder turns towards him waiting for him to elaborate. "Her name is Tessa Dixon she was on Delta team...7 I believe."

"Let me guess," Ryder interrupts. "She was presumed dead?"

"Yeah," Devin replies still staring at the screen. "I guess you were right, it is Vendetta."

Two more guys walk up into the view of the camera and begin talking to the girl, Ryder lets out a sound similar to a growl.

"I'll kill him." He states, his hateful glare burning into the screen. "I'll slit his damn throat the second I get the chance."

I stare at the screen and study the two guys. Ryder obviously recognizes one of them if not both, but I've never seen either of them before.

"Which one?" Devin asks, his eyes studying Ryder's clenched jaw and narrowed eyes.

"The shorter of the two." Ryder seethes.

Devin reaches across Ryder and begins pressing the button to zoom in on the screen.

"You know he kinda looks like you, except with darker hair-oh shit!" Devin suddenly yells and widens his eyes at Ryder who's still focused on the screen. "He's related to you isn't he?"

I turn to Ryder waiting for him to answer the question.

"No, I disowned him after the shit he pulled."

"Please Mr. Stevenson."

"Is he your brother?"

"No. I'd hate to have that ass-"

"Language Mr. Stevenson."

"-as a brother. Besides, I would've been in jail for murder by now. Just wait till I get my hands on that-"

"Mr. Stevenson do not finish that sentence."

Ryder shuts his mouth with an audible snap before jamming his fingers into the computer keys and flipping through camera angles again.

"Cousin," He finally mutters, answering the question.

"Shit," Devin mutters as the camera focuses over the kitchen, only to show another three people armed to the teeth with weapons.

"Shit is right." Ryder agrees. "This is going to be really bad if there's another three in every freaking room...well, every room without a door that is."

"Language Mr. Stevenson, I am not going to warn you again."

"What about Devin!? He's cussing too!"

"He is a guest Mr. Stevenson."

"Then what the hell am I? A freaking fish?"

Henri slaps the back of Ryder's head and Ryder turns to glare at him.

"Find Miss Kingston," Henri orders Ryder in a chilling tone, Ryder visibly shrinks back in his seat.

"Looking, looking, looking, still looking..." Ryder mumbles as he flips through the cameras. "Still looking, looking, looking, still looking and-crap."

The camera is focused on the living room where another six people stand, mostly near the exits. A girl stands in the center of the room, dark hair pulled back into a neat bun, her hands on her knees as she bends over to talk to Thirteen, who's being restrained by two other guys, their backs to the camera.

"She's in some really deep sh-"

"Mr. Stevenson," Henri warns.

"Shoelaces."

"Why? Who is that?" I questions and Ryder looks uncomfortable for a moment before finally answering.

"Her sister."

"What?" I hear Chase ask and for a moment I forgot that he was still on speaker.

"I thought she disappeared," I question. Thirteen's secrets and lies are really beginning to piss me off.

"She did," Ryder responds. "There was an...incident at your agency years ago, a murder of a fellow agent. Thirteen's sister was accused of doing it. She was innocent but all evidence pointed towards her so one day she just...vanished. Only Thirteen stood up for her and tried to get people to see she was innocent." Ryder shrugs. "They use to be really close, but...Lydia betrayed Thirteen's trust one too many times."

"So Lydia's a part of Vendetta?" Devin asks and Ryder shakes his head.

"No. She created it." He says. "She basically wanted a way to get back at Zero for accusing her of crimes she didn't commit. Thirteen works for her...but not so much by choice anymore."

"What do you mean?" I question.

Ryder just shrugs. "She's threatened Thirteen with all kinds of things if she tries to leave."

I focus my attention back on the screen. The girl's lips are moving but unfortunately for us, we can't hear a thing that's being said.

"Is there any audio?" Devin asks.

"I'm surprised you even have to ask, this is Thirteen's house, she's got the best of everything," Ryder says.

He types on the keyboard a couple more times before the screen on the computer switches to one of the large TVs and the speakers turn on, allowing us to hear what's going on.

"Got anything to say?" Lydia questions, staring at Thirteen, who's on her knees in front of her, one guy on either side holding her by her arms to keep her from moving.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do." Thirteen responds, her voice sounding slightly winded. "Next time you plan on coming over, call me ahead of time. This way I know not to wear white." She glances down at the white button-up shirt she's wearing.

Lydia's fist slams into Thirteen's face, and she spits blood out on the floor.

"That the best you can do?"

Shut up Thirteen.

Lydia's fist flies into her face once more and Thirteen just laughs.

"That one almost actually hurt, you're getting better at your punches. Good job."

Thirteen immediately begins coughing as Lydia's fist slams into her stomach.

"Wow, your punches are getting stronger by the second, someone must really be pissing you off."

Lydia's foot comes up this time and Thirteen falls backward as the two guys release her arms the second Lydia's foot collides with her stomach.

"Get up." Lydia hisses.

"Nah, I'm good where I'm at. This floor is actually really comfortable."

Lydia walks forwards and grabs hold of Thirteen by her hair, yanking her to her feet.

"I'm only going to ask you this one more time-"

"Shouldn't even bother asking at all"

"Where is your damn dagger?"

"Don't know...I seem to have misplaced it. I'll get back to you when I find it."

Thirteen is thrown into the glass coffee table in the middle of the room. She lets out a groan as she struggles to get back to her feet.

Lydia stalks towards her and flips her onto her back, her fingers digging into Thirteen's shoulder. She lets out a hiss of pain.

"How badly does this hurt?" Lydia asks in a sickly sweet voice as she applies more pressure to Thirteen's bad shoulder, blood beginning to seep through her shirt as the wound is reopened.

"I told you what I wanted." She pushes down even harder on Thirteen's shoulder. "And I told you what I would do if you didn't comply."

"Yeah, I know." Thirteen grits out, pain and anger laced into her tone. "You said you'd kill Cody."

Devin's eyes snap over to me while I stare at the screen, at her, in shock.

What?

Thirteen lets out a humorless laugh. "How's that working out for you? What with you stuck down here on the first floor and all."

Another punch.

"Jeez, even I know when to shut up," Devin mutters.

"I don't," Ryder announces as he pulls a microphone over towards him and types some more on the computer, a mischievous look on his face. He presses a button on the microphone.

"He's turning on the overhead speakers," Henri tells us. There's a crackling sound and everybody in the room begins looking around, obviously trying to determine where the sound is coming from. Ryder clears his throat.

"Attention shoppers, attention shoppers. The store is getting ready for a major remodel and if you're all not out the doors before the remodel starts...well then you're all basically fu-"

"Language Mr. Stevenson!"