"----bloody---hell----" wheezed Brielle once she had hauled herself out. She clutched her chest tightly as she tried to calm her thundering heart. The rope she had climbed was quickly pulled up and rolled together by her 'saviour' . She were seated on the grass just above the basement cell she had been imprisoned in. Tall trees and woods surrounded her as she looked around.

The gaping hole in the ground was staring back at her. Thankfully, none of the Kormins or Jones had come to investigate the little blast that had taken place. The bomb should ideally have drawn more attention.

"Hey Pouting Prissy, we really need to get out of here."

She was so upset and hurt---What did he just call her?

"Who the hell are you?" she snapped defensively crossing her arms over her chest.

"Now is that a way to address the handsome man who rescued you?" said the man an inappropriate grin gracing his lips. Brielle felt the sudden urge to hit him, just so he would stop being so cheerful.

"I don't know who you are or why you rescued me, but but ---" the words died in her throat and she began to wish she had remained in her little confinement.

Jack.

Nothing felt worthy of effort anymore: seeing, smelling, breathing, touching...everything was hollow, meaningless, unnecessary and unwanted.

Gone.

Forever.

Her tears would never be enough...

... to let him know how much she loved him.

It was too late.

Brielle felt the tears slide down her cheeks. She had experienced the loss of loved ones once before in her short life. Her parents had passed away a few years ago, when she was only seventeen. It had taken a lot out of her, both emotionally and physically, to continue with her life and resume smiling. Her chest clenched under her suppressed sobs as she choked back further tears.

Why does everything I love turn to dust?

"Um, earth calling. Helloooooo. mind telling me why you're all monsoony after I set you free?" broke in a boyish voice, cutting insensitively through her gloom. He waved his hand in front of her, trying to wake her from her stupor.

Monsoony? Which idiot---it was the man who'd helped her out. What a drag, she had forgotten about him.

Brielle squinted up at him looking defeated, unable to muster the strength to fight him with so much as words. She decided to tell him what was bothering her, hoping he'd just leave her alone.

"Jack's dead." Hell, if he even knew who Jack was.

The man's childish face broke into a grave look of horror. For a moment Brielle was rather pleased to revel in his misery.

"He's WHAT? The bastard can't die yet. This wasn't part of the deal." he exclaimed confusion evident all over his face. He pulled Brielle to her feet suddenly, who cried out in pain.

He looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry about that. Please tell me where he is?"

"In front of the room I was in. Just outside the steel door." said Brielle. She didn't know anything about her companion or why he was so concerned, but she felt a sudden likening towards him because he seemed to care about Jack. "Had you known him or something? Were you his friend?"

"Don't talk about him in past tense. Yes, I'm his friend. His best friend. He better not die on me." rambled the man. Brielle noted he actually looked like he was about to cry.

"He was shot on the back, down there in the basement. There was blood everywhere. It may have hit his heart..."

"Back? He was shot on the back." repeated the man. He stopped looking upset and began to grin widely. Brielle could just not understand the guy. Maybe he's a bit touched in the head. "Oh he'll be fine. Come on Water-girl lets get out of here."

Water-girl? Seriously? The brat.

"Just tell me who you are?" said Brielle irritably.

"Oh don't you know?" he said merrily. "You heard my voice before, remember?"

Brielle's eyes widened in shock. "You're the guy on the phone with Jack this morning. Leslie, I think he called you."

"Axky. Its Axky. Not Leslie, okay?" he said looking hurt. "I'm Jack's best friend, from junior school. I'm also a master programmer and hacker."

A gruff voice coming from the hole beside them interrupted their conversation.

"SHE'S GONE!" yelled the balding man to his comrades as he pushed through the cell's doors. His moustaches reflected the sunlight falling on him, making him look up. "How did she make that ruddy hole in the ceiling!"

"Time to go." said Axky pleasantly. He could have been talking to her about the weather. Without warning, completely ignoring the indignation on her face, he bent down and lifted her off her feet and carried her bridal style.

"Hey!" she cried as he started to walk briskly away. "Put me down, we can't leave---"

"Sure we can. Do you want to die?" he asked running full speed ahead.

"What kind of a friend are you?" she scolded. "You're leaving Jack here, shouldn't you at least---"

"The kind of friend who obeys orders." said Axky rolling his eyes. "Calm down okay? He's not dead."

"He's not?" Brielle was too shocked to say anything. How was Axky so sure anyway? Oh who cares, she'd give anything for Axky's words to be true.

"Yes. It'll take a lot more to kill that old guy." said Axky merrily as they neared the clearing up in front. "He used to be unbeatable back in his day. Trust me, he's okay."

He was so convincing Brielle found herself trusting him. She nodded against his chest as he smiled at her contentedly.

"We need to get out of here as soon as possible. It's my job to take you girls to safety." said Axky.

"Girls?" asked Brielle surprised at the plural. As far as she knew she was the only girl around here.

Her question was answered seconds later when they reached the clearing to find a pale harried looking woman was sitting on a black handsome Harley Davidson looking very frightened. Beside her was a seemingly old broken down Ford car, so dusty that she couldn't see what colour it was.

"Hey Paula? How are you doing?" asked Axky to the woman as he set Brielle down on her feet. The woman looked like she'd seen a ghost.

"Aren't you the girl who was kidnapped?" stuttered poor Paula looking at Brielle. Brielle nodded in surprise. Who was she?

"Where is the kind man who came to save you?" asked Paula earnestly.

"You mean Jack?" Brielle asked in surprise. Jack seemed to have a lot of friends around here.

"Um ladies, get in the car please." said Axky opening the dusty door for them. "The Kormin's will be here in no time."

Paula and Axky had already seated themselves, as Brielle dawdled outside. She couldn't just leave Jack alone like this. Even if Axky said he had a plan, even if Jack was supposed to be invincible. WHat if he was not. What if he just wanted to save them all and paid the price with his own life?

He was chivalrous that way. He would do anything for those he cared about.

But he never loved me.

But it didn't matter at all whether he did or not. He was a kind soul, the best boss a person could have, the nicest son, the sweetest...

"Brielle!" called out a gruff male voice from back in the woods as Brielle felt her heart almost stop. Was it ... him? She must have been imagining things. She put her hand on the door handle again, proceeding to get inside the car.

"Brielle,"

Again. She stopped.

"Brielle, please..."

She turned around at the distress in his voice. Her eyes met his own, brown against black. Chocolate sweet and bitter, she thought as she stiffened at the sight of the man in front of her.

Axky and Paula gasped as they rushed out of the car to help him.

Brielle could only stare, unable to process the sudden arrival of the man she was craving to see.

There was blood everywhere. On his front, on his back, on his left thigh. He was limping, he was in obvious pain, so weak that he was on the verge of collapsing, but thank heavens he was alive.

She rushed up to him, running as fast as her legs could go, her thoughts a blur, tears blinding her eyes, her heart pumping harder than ever, as she flung her arms around him.

He

was

alive.

And that was all Brielle ever needed.