Chapter 16: This Needs to End

"I have to call Ali." Austin said. We've been driving for merely a few hours. We've decided that we'll meet up with Ali, take her home, then call the police, so we can close in on him.

"Now where's Roger?"

"Do you honestly think I'll tell you?" he replied, looking me straight in the eye. "If you don't I'll shoot you."

"With what gun?" he asked.

"This gun." I reached down and pulled out an SPAS-12 

"I'm not stupid, I picked it up before we left."

"The damage is pretty high, but the accuracy..."

"You don't have the guts." he dared.

"Idiot." Austin muttered.

I pulled the trigger, and shot him in the arm. He held his arm in pain.

"Like mother, like Daughter." Austin replied. I shrugged.

"We'll take you to a hospital, after you tell me where Roger is."

He nodded. I handed him his cell phone,and he dialed the number, and turned the speaker on.

"H-Hey Roger."

"I thought you were dead."

"Why would I be dead?"

"They were no longer in need of your services, didn't you get that phone call?"

Mike took a deep breath. "No."

I put the gun down, out of sight.

Austin pulled into a hospital. That's what that phone call was for. They nearly killed me, my husband, and my baby.

"So did you move your location?"

"Nah, I'm still up in Marietta, do you remember the address?"

"Yup." Roger hung up the phone immediately.

"What's the address?"

He took another deep breath.

"He lives in Marietta."

I'm seriously getting annoyed. "Is there a specific address?"

"Its in my back pocket, hold on."

I noticed he wasn't bleeding, he's wearing kevlar. I reached for the gun, but it was too late. Mike already pulled out two guns, knocked Austin unconscious with the barrel of the pistol. He dragged Austin's body to the back seat. "Get in the driver's seat, and follow my directions." He commanded.

I slid into the driver's seat. Okay he's holding the gun. He's aiming the gun. No matter what I do, he'll be able to shoot me at point-blank range. Head, neck, back. If I get shot in the head, I could die, without medical attention. The neck, the bullet could hit veins or arteries or even my spinal cord, which kill/paralyze me. Either way, I'm dead. I don't want to die without seeing my children.

I began driving. "Take a right at the stop sign."

I nodded, I noticed a cop car in the corner of my eye. Immediately, I sped past the car, causing the sirens to go on, and the car to chase after me.

"You bitch!" he yelled. I swerved the car in one direction, so if he pulled the trigger, it would hit me. More and more cars followed. I looked in the mirror, and noticed Austin begin to wake up. He slammed Mike's head into the near by window. He opened the door , and pushed Mike out of it. Police jumped out of their cars, holding Mike at gunpoint, since he was armed.

"We need to end this now."

Chapter 17 : Taken Once Again

The sun beamed into my hotel room window. My eyes fluttered open, I pushed myself up ,and I noticed Brandon still asleep. I got out of bed, and stood over his bed. I tried to shake him awake, he didn't wake up. I moved his body onto his back. Blood stained his pillow, blood was streaming down the side of his head, and it didn't seem like it was dry. Someone's in here. I quickly grabbed a towel,and began dabbing it. They have I have to be here, how else would he be bleeding?

When he finally stopped bleeding, I reached for the phone, and dialed 911.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"m-" I tried to speak, but my sound was muffled.

"Ma'am? I'll track your location." a hand was clamped over my mouth, and an arm was squeezing the life out of me.

"Nice to see you again."

He threw me to the ground. I jumped to my feet. I was face to face with Roger. This should be fun.

"Wish I could say the same."

"We have some unfinished business."

I could escape, but then Brandon would face the consequences.

Roger pulled out a pistol in hand. He waved it towards the door.

"You know the cops are coming, you can just give up."

"Not happening, now walk."

I walked slowly and opened the door. Two men came in and shoved a hoodie in my face, and threw Brandon over his shoulder, and went out the back exit of the hotel. "Don't try to run...Let's just say it'll get messy, for you and Brandon."

"Would you really shoot your own flesh and blood?"

"Its all the same to me, I don't really care about that brat, my life could have been better off without him."

"I doubt it. You'd probably right back in jail." I said, facing him.

"Shut up!" He said. He struck me with the pistol, a raging pain filled the side of my head, he pushed the hood on my head and pushed me outside. I was shoved into his pick-up truck. I noticed Brandon's body in the back seat.

"You care enough to keep him with you."

He remained silent. I need to find a way out, while grabbing Brandon.

"Alison." I stiffened. I slowly turned my head to face him, his pistol went flying towards my head. Slowly and painfully, blood trickled down the side of my head. Second by second,darkness closed in, then I was covered completely.

Chapter 18: Hope We Do This Together

Although it doesn't seem like it, It's been three months since my pregnancy. Just everyone thinks we're still missing. Every source we've gotten was a fake, or wasn't the right girl. Traveling practically all over the U.S. The FBI got a location on Roger's car, but he abandoned it in a junk yard. I've gotten my cast off, I was slightly disappointed, I wanted to give Roger the very least a concussion then

One of their agents, Eric. He assumed Roger had us, and if he sent Dalia in, she would find us, and contact him, but it didn't work that way.

Mike's phone rang in my hand. I clicked answer.

"Dalia, I know you're there. Good job getting rid of Moore, very clever.

I'm only going to tell you this once. I have Alison..again. She has quite the habit of running, but this time I won't hesitate or hold back. You'll find your kid, if you tell the FBI to get off my case. See you soon." The line went dead. Austin's jaw clenched, as we sat in the new Toyota Corolla. We have a new car, I guess you could say that. Let's just say we've been on a "shopping spree" but with a small amount of money. We kept theft out of the detail, while speaking to the FBI.

I contacted Eric Danner.

"Roger is on to us. He knows about you guys involved on the whole sex trafficking case, and wants you to back off the case."

"We won't. We'll just make it seem like we're never there."

"Just find Roger before we do, because it won't be so pretty."

I hung up the phone. "Did you take your painkillers? You may have your cast off, but your arm still hurts, considering the fact it popped out of its socket and on our recent 'rescue', we were pushed down a flight of stairs."

I grabbed the prescription and read the label: DO NOT TAKE WHEN PREGNANT. TAKE MEDICATION WITH FOOD.

"It says 'Do not take when pregnant'."

Uh oh. I feel my hormones kicking in. I'm having a strong craving for pickles now.

"I just want my daughter back, we should've killed Roger when we had the chance."

"Dalia, we both know we can't take a life, no matter how much you want to, it won't happen."

I nodded. I have a plan.

"Austin, I have a plan. Since he knows he would probably hide Ali somewhere we wouldn't expect, either because its really obvious or a place people should be safe in."

Me and Austin locked eyes. "Home." we said all together.

"Okay, before we go any further, we should get some food, because I am starving."

Austin looked at me. "What? You can't stop my hormones."

"But the problem is we're 'missing'. Going out in public isn't exactly the best plan we've got." He informed.

I sat back in my seat, and pouted. "I'll go to a near by Publix and buy some food, but if I'm caught I'm running."

I nodded. The phone rang once again. It was an unknown number, I answered the phone.

"Time is essence, Dalia. I'll meet you at the Coca-Cola factory in the back ally in an hour. I'll trade Alison for your baby."

My blood ran cold. "You thought I didn't know? Please."

"B-"

"Oh, right. It isn't born yet, guess you have to wait eight more months to see your sweet, innocent daughter again, but by then she won't be so innocent or sweet anymore."

"No! I'll make you a deal. I'll.. trade in myself."

"What!?" Austin yelled.

I put my index finger to my lips implying for him to be quiet. "I will admit I'm shocked. Didn't think you would trade in yourself for a kid, you might not even see again. I accept your deal. See you in an hour."

I clicked the 'end' button. "You are not trading yourself in." Austin yelled.

"Don't you want to see Alison again?"

"I do but-"

"Okay then. I didn't expect you to agree with my plan, I'll find an escape route. We always found an escape route ever since we were sixteen."

His eyes began to water.

"We'll get through this. I know we will."

Chapter 19: Beauty From Pain

I felt a hand slapping me on the sides of my face. My eyes fluttered open.

"Dalia, wake up."

Luckily, Brandon was the one to wake me up. I looked around, it was dark, but not completely dark, I could see Brandon slightly.

"Where are we?"

"We're in a U-Haul truck to Atlanta." He helped me to my feet; I ran my hand through my now brunette hair. I suddenly remembered how my parents met, and escaped.

Should we take a risk or stay quiet? The truck began speeding, here's our chance. I reach for the handle, and was about to pull up the door, but then the truck came to a sudden halt. 

It jerked me and Brandon to the ground. The sliding door opened. It was pretty dark outside, the only light there was from the street lights. Roger grabbed me by my ankles, and dragged me from the truck.

"Let go of me!"

"Shut up kid!" Roger yelled.

Brandon walked from the truck, with a guilty look on his face; he had a pistol to his side.

"I can't go back, I won't go back.” he muttered.

"Please...”

"I'm sorry Dalia." He brought up the pistol, and put his finger on the trigger. Tears welled u, and blurred my vision, I closed my eyes, letting the tears slip.

I heard the sound, but felt no pain. I heard a thud behind me.

I opened my eyes, and saw a pale Brandon before me. He dropped the gun from his shaking hands.

"Damn!" Roger yelled. He was holding his shoulder in pain.

"Why are we here?"

"To trade you in for your mom."

"My mom?"

“We were supposed to meet in the back ally."

In happiness, I grabbed Brandon by his cheeks, and laid a big kiss on his lips. "Thank you!"

I sprinted towards the ally. I stopped in my tracks, watching three men beating up my dad, as mom stood perilously in the far corner, holding her stomach. Holy..

She has a bump, a BABY bump. I tried to move, run to my parents' rescue.

A man grabbed a baseball bat, he brought it into position, he knows exactly where to aim. He swung it towards my dad, but my mom blocked the way. The bat hit her in the stomach, a look of complete and utter pain appeared on her face. She fell to the ground, holding her stomach, now unconscious.

"NO!" I yelled. I pushed past the three men, and stood near my parents, who were hand in hand. My dad was unconscious, beaten and bloody.

Soon one man grabbed me.

"NO! Let go of me!"

"You're coming with us."

I looked to my parents, who were now unconscious. The two other men began kicking them.

"Please, don't. Why are you even working for him? He's just going to land you in jail!"

"Be quiet!" I grabbed his leg, and sunk my nails into his leg. He kicked me away. I jumped to my feet, and tried to run back, but he and two other men cornered me. No, no, no. There's no way out. Three gunshots filled my sound waves.

The men fell to the ground, holding their knees.

I looked up, and saw Dad and Uncle Brian panting and holding the gun.

They embraced me in a hug. "Mom! We have to get her to a hospital."

I ran over to mom and dad's car. I slammed my elbow through the window, and unlocked the door, and started the car.

"We can't take this car."

"Why?"

"It had GPS, it could easily be tracked." Uncle Brian explained

"Uncle Brian, where's your car, and how did you know where to find us?"

"Tracked the car, after your father told me Dalia was going to trade herself in for you." He explained.

“Well, let them track us then.”

I got into the passenger seat, and Uncle Brian got into the driver’s seat, while dad stayed by mom’s side in the back seat.

He raced to Southern Regional Hospital. They took me and Dan to the ICU. Mom to the ER.

After all the procedures, I was finally able to talk to Dad, and Uncle Brian. Just the thing I don't like is explaining what happened to me over the past months.

FLASHBACK:

After I woke up from being hit in the head with a pistol, I looked around. I'm in an apartment. I put my head to my temple, a bandage..

This is the master bedroom, King size bed. This can't be good..

I push the comforter off me, and jumped out of the bed. I looked down, I'm still in my clothes. I inched towards the door. I wrap my hand around the doorknob, its cold. I opened the door, and took one step forward , and another, then another. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. I took one step forward, and was immediately pushed back into the room. I landed on the ground, and hit my head at the foot of the bed.

"Since I'm in a generous mood, I'll just have my fun when you're unconscious. Although, I'd rather hear you scream. Oh well."

I struggled to get up, so I tried to crawl away from him. He grabbed a fistful of my hair, and slammed my head against the foot of the bed, and the ground until I blacked out, so I took a while.. Soon I blacked out immediately on the fifth slam.

When I regained my consciousness, my discovery was absolutely horrifying. I was complete nude covered in a bed sheet. My breathing became sharp, I tried to get out of the bed, but I ended falling to the ground, I held the cover around me, but it didn't help ,I felt exposed.

The doorknob jiggled, I felt my eyes widen. I tried to wrap the cover around me. I began fearing for my life. The door opened, and showed Brandon. I sighed in relief, which came out as a wheeze.

He looked down at me, and removed a leather jacket, and wrapped it around me. He smelled of perfume, and a slight blush appeared on his face.

"They tried, they really did, it didn't exactly work."

I nodded. Soon tears spilled from my eyes. Brandon didn't know what to say, so he simply wrapped his arms around me.

I didn't exactly experience what he did to me, but I know it happened. I can feel the pain, the shame..

The doctor came in, with a nurse.

"How is she? How's the baby?" I asked.

"She and the babies are fine. We just had to have an emergency C-section."

"Wait, babies?" we all asked in unison.

"Yes, she was six months pregnant with twins. Didn't you know that?"

We shook our head. "I thought Mike raped mom about three months ago, shouldn't she be on her fourth month?"

"Yeah, but.. Oh."

"What?"

"Two months before that, it was our wedding anniversary, and things got kind of steamy."

"Okay, that's enough. No more info..Ew." I said.

"When can we see her?"

"Not right now, she's asleep, but maybe in an hour or two." he informed.

"Oh by the way, Mr. Turner. You have a fractured arm, and some minor trauma to your ribs."

"Dalia, you have a concussion, and a some bruising in your vaginal area.." The doctor said.

"That son of a-" Dad and Uncle Brian began. They have this weird unison thing going on.

"Alison!" Brandon ran in. He was bloody, and bruised, and limping.

"Oh my gosh! What happened?"

"Roger died from blood loss, and the guys working for him got mad, like REALLY mad, and ganged on me. I hitched a ride with a few taxis, and made it here."

He sat down in the chair, and nurses began treating him.

Roger's dead, and I wasn't the one who pulled the trigger like I thought I would, but Brandon had to, shooting his own father, killing his own dad. It takes an emotional toll on someone.

"I'm just glad it’s all over."

Soon, a high-pitched scream filled the area. "Dalia!" dad yelled.

Spoke too soon. 

We jumped out of bed, removing all wires from us.

"Wait! You must stay in bed!" the doctor yelled.

"Now's not the time." Uncle Brian said.

He shoved the doctor out the way as we sprinted down the corridor, and into mom's hospital room. She was standing weakly, tears pouring out of her eyes. Infant cries fill the room.

"Please just give me my babies!"

"Not going to happen." The voice didn't sound familiar at all, but to my dad. It was like poison.

I came into eye contact with the man, he had bright blue eyes, and dark hair. He would be cute to others, but not to me. He's a threat to my family, and I have no sympathy for men like him. He had a pistol in hand while holding both of my newborn siblings.

Without thinking, I picked up a vase, and threw it at the man's head. He yelped, and put one of my siblings in a chair.

He dropped the pistol, and woozily walked around. I picked it up, and held it in my hand. When I thought he was about to attack anyone in the room. I pulled the trigger. At first, he didn't realize I shot him until he felt the pain. He held his stomach, and let go of my baby sister. I dropped the gun, and jumped across the room and caught her in my arms, as he fell to the ground. I held my sister and my brother in my arms, as paramedics take him away.

I can't believe I did it. I can't believe I pulled the trigger. I began shaking, so I handed my brother and sister to mom and dad. I walked slowly towards the ER, to watch them perform surgery on Mike.

I made eye contact with one of the surgeons after the surgery; she mouthed 'He's going to be fine.'

I sighed. I know I shouldn't feel bad, but you didn't feel what I felt. You didn’t do it, you didn’t pull the trigger.

Pulling the trigger, feeling his pain, seeing his shock. It was all too much to take in. They hand cuff him to his bed, so he can't escape. At least he gets to go to jail, for a LONG time. It puts me at ease. I waited until he woke up; he saw me and was slightly angry.

He opened his mouth to say something.

“Don’t say anything.”

“I hope you rot in jail after all you’ve done, you don’t deserve freedom, and you don’t deserve respect.”

I wander back into mom's hospital room. She hands me my little sister, and brother. I stare into their big brown eyes.

"Her name is Clara, and his name is Damon."

"Hi Clara. Hi Damon Welcome to the world. I'm your big sister, Alison. I'm going to keep you safe, mark my words, I will." I smile at them.

"Looks like you could make a great mother." Brandon said.

"What are you saying?" I asked.

"Nothing." He leaned in, and gave me a quick peck on the lips.

I smiled up at him. I'm happy it’s all over the pain. This is beauty from pain. We went through all the pain and right here in my arms is the beauty.

Chapter 20: Gold Plate

I was six months pregnant and I didn't even know. I have twins. Clara and Damon Moon. Dalia is great with them. she's extremely close with Brandon. I'm glad she's okay, I'm glad she's sane, I'm glad she's here.

Austin and Brian finally got some rest. Dalia was holding Damon and Brandon was holding Clara. I sat next to him and took Clara into my arms.

"Thank you for saving my daughter."

"I did what I could." he admitted.

"At least you did something, you didn't do what you were supposed to do. You decided to follow you conscious and your heart,and the right thing."

I noticed he caught eye contact with Dalia, they immediately blushed and looked in opposite directions.

"You like her, don't you?"

He simply nodded, and looked down hiding the blush growing on his cheeks.

"Go, spend some time with her, within the hospital." He nodded, and signaled to Dalia, she looked at me and I nodded at her. A smile lit up her face.

"Austin!" I whispered. He groaned.

"Don't you want to hold your son?" I asked. His expression lit up, as he stared into Damon's brown eyes.

I peeked into the other room. Dalia and Brandon were having a conversation, a few tears slipped down her face, but then a smile grew on her face.

He wipes her tears away, and kisses her gently on her lips. Aw, they kissed. Young love.

Clara fell asleep in my arms. I suddenly felt a feeling of relief yet worry. Now I know what I'm worried about. The court ruling. I mean what if they aren't proved guilty.

I walked into Mike's room,he unconscious. On the outside, he seems perfect. Like a gold plate, but underneath the surface is just cheap crap. Can't wait to tear the golden surface right off...

Epilogue

It's been four months since Damon and Clara were born. Four months since I was reunited with my family.

Four months since Roger died.

Mike and a few others were taken into custody, and the trial has just begun.

What if there isn't enough evidence to prov them guilty? If there was, would it be enough?

I went into my room, and pulled together an outfit, that was casual yet appropriate. I grabbed a white blouse, and black dress pants. Once I out them on, I kept pacing, I stopped and stared at myself in the mirror. I washed the hair dye out, and I don't have dark circles under my eyes anymore.

I began pacing once again. Two hands rested on my shoulders. "Calm down,kid." Uncle Brian said.

He led me downstairs to the living room. Clara and Damon already began crawling and smiling. Clara crawled towards me, and I picked her up.

"Ready to go?"

I simply nodded. I just need to look on the bright side.

We arrived at court, and I went up to the podium.

"What evidence did you have against Roger, and these men?"

"My attorney has a hospital record showing signs of rape."

"Okay, where's the evidence of the verbal abuse?" I stood up from the podium, stood before everyone in the court.

I lifted up the side of my blouse to reveal a long scar going down from the bottom of my ribs to the top of my waist. Gasps filled the room. I made immediate eye contact with man who did it. He was a brunette, brown eyes. Looks are deceiving when it comes to him..

My mom, dad, Uncle Brian, and Brandon testified against them.

Soon the jury made their decision. "Guilty."

We all cheered in happiness, but a thought came to mind, what happens when I go back to school, what about Brandon, what'll happen with him?

"We won, you don't look so happy."

"Its just, everything's is going to change, I got back to school in two months, and Brandon doesn't have a place to stay."

"Sweetie, everything is going to be fine, and besides Brandon is going to stay with your uncle Brian. Its finally over. You have no worries anymore."

Once we were back in the car, we got onto an unfamiliar road.

"Come on." Dad said to Mom.

They got out of the car, and dad dug through a couple of twigs, and pulled out Mom's wedding ring, and slipped it onto her ring finger.

A huge smile grew on her face. Then I began thinking about what she said.

Mom's right, I don't have any worries anymore. I can finally smile, or laugh. No more wondering if I'm going to live the next day, or wondering where I'll end up. I'm safe now.

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