Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Present (Day 5) – Time unknown

The first thing Abby feels as she gains consciousness is the cold. The kind of cold that seeps into your bones and chills you from the inside. The second is the darkness. The type of darkness that swallows everything it touches. She can’t tell if her eyes are open or closed. The kind of darkness where you wouldn’t see your hand right in front of you. Then she notices the pain. It hurts so much that she can’t really tell where it comes from. She can’t remember what caused it…wait. She can’t remember. She can’t remember anything that’s happened before she woke up here. Here? Where is here? Since when has she been here? When? How long has she been here?

Day 1 – 09:07

It’s a hot summer’s day. Abby is busy hanging up her first load of laundry when she hears a car approaching. She’s not expecting any visitors, she only gets unexpected visitors if it’s a medical emergency. She stands and wait half hidden behind the sheet, she’s just hung up, but able to see perfectly. A red flag goes off when the car comes into view. It’s a big, black SUV type. The type of car used for security reasons. There are only three types of people with cars like these; celebrities, cops (the FBI/CIA types) and bad guys. She doesn’t know any celebrities, especially not around here and she didn’t call the cops so that only leaves… The car stops and a man in a fancy black suit steps out. He’s tall, muscular with long hair and a tattoo on his face accompanied with a nice big crescent shape scar above his eyebrow. The other guy probably looks worse, if he’s not dead. She watches as he walks up the steps of the porch toward the front door. At least he’s pretending to be nice by ringing the doorbell. She has experience with this so she takes the opportunity to walk stealthily and come up behind him. She puts on her most innocent friendliest face. “Hi, can I help you?” she asks. He jumps from the fright. Good. She surprised him, shook him a little off his game. She’s the boss on her property. “Hi, yes. Sorry to show up unannounced, but I’m looking for a Jake griffin, the neighbours said I could ask next door, that you might know?” She hides her shock as best as she can. She never thought this would actually happen. “Oh, sorry there’s no one here by that name. It’s just me here.” And just to prove that; “would you like to come inside?” “Uhm no, thanks. Perhaps you know his wife?” Good, he doesn’t know who I am. “Oh, I don’t know. I spent most of my time here. I might have seen her around town, do you know what she looks like?” “No, unfortunately not, I’ve only met with Jake.” Liar, he’s been dead for years. “He said he lives around here, but I’m not sure where and I lost the address he gave me.” I wonder if he knows how bad he is at this. “Sorry, I wouldn’t know. Maybe, if you don’t mind all the driving, you can ask next door. The farm is big so it’s a little while out. The couple there have been here much longer than I have, they might know who you’re looking for.” “I don’t mind at all. Thanks for your help.” “You’re welcome, bye.” Asshole. He finally gets in his car and drives off. At least she bought herself some time. She hurries into her house to get her phone from the charger and dials. “Hello?” came a deep voice, a bit raspy. He must have been sleeping. “Hi, look I know it’s been a long time and I said I wouldn’t call you again” silence “but before you said to call If someone asked for him.” silence “I didn’t know who else to call.” Silence again. He’s probably deciding if he’s going to help or he’d gone back to sleep. “Are you there?” “Yes, yes. Do you remember the plan?” he answered finally, and he’s helping. “Yes, but what about Clarke?” “Clarke’s not close she’ll be fine for now, what’s important is that you follow the plan and stay safe, okay?” “Okay, but how will I know if it’s safe and if Clarke’s safe?” “I’m on my way, I’ll come get you and then we’ll go get Clarke, no go before it’s too late.” He’d hung up the pone before she could thank him. She takes her car and drives it into the cornfields. It’s a small car so it can’t be seen. Then she packs her clothes and other essentials, leaving some drawers and doors of closets and cupboards open to make it look obvious that someone packed up and left. She than heads to the stables that she uses for storage and locates the trapdoor, if she didn’t know where it was, she would’ve never thought there was one. He made sure it was well hidden and not just covered by a carpet. She heads down the steps and closes the door. He made sure that they were prepared even if she thought it would never happen. There is only a bed, toilet, a sink and shelves with some canned food and bottled water. Hopefully he’ll be here tomorrow at the latest, please. She texts him to let him know she’s done everything as planned and that she’s safe in the bunker. He reads, but doesn’t answer. She knows he’s bad with texts, but she also knows he’s on his way.

Chapter Text

Day 1 – 15:37

Marcus was sitting at his desk, sleeping. He was busy completing paperwork from his recent case; he went undercover for several months to track down a human traffic operation. It wasn’t easy, but they had managed to get close and take down the boss and brains behind it, save most of the girls and young women that they could, some died trying to escape, others pumped so much with drugs that the little adrenaline from the rescue and escaping, what they knew as hell, caused lethal heart attacks and strokes. They had also lost some agents during this mission, mostly from the shootout they had after discovering the head base and before taking down the big boss.

To a normal person it is considered a lot of deaths, but to special agent Marcus Kane, it’s just part of the job. It is still a lot of lost souls, but he managed to cope with it…sometimes.

It’s a lot of paperwork and he’s been at it for almost a week. He started with it right after the mission ended, not wanting to relive it after taking is break to recover, not just physically, but mentally, spiritually and emotionally. He is almost finished, then he can reread it to make sure all the details are added, there might pop up something he’d missed that he should add, and to check spelling (because typing is not his best skill).

He had just reached that sleep where you feel like you are in oblivion and just drifting peacefully, usually this only happens after passing out from exhaustion, but before the nightmares start, when his phone starts ringing. He startles awake before he realises it’s his phone. He must blink a couple of times for his eyes to adjust from the harsh light and to focus on the digits displaying before him.

Even though the name isn’t saved on his phone, and he tried to forget it, he’d recognise that number anywhere. It’s her. She’d said she’d never call again. Why is she calling? Maybe she changed her mind? But after all these years? Why now? Maybe something’s wrong. As soon as that last thought popped into his head, he decided to answer. He didn’t say anything at first, then; “Hello?” his voice came out raspy. “Hi,” he missed her deep smoky voice. “ look I know it’s been a long time and I said I wouldn’t call you again” silence. He’s listening, making sure that he’s heard correctly. “but before you said to call If someone asked for him.” Silence. This can’t be happening. “I didn’t know who else to call.” Silence again. He never thought this day would come, but he’s already working out a plan in his head, what the next steps are. “Are you there?” She’s waiting for an answer, to see if I’ll help. Of course I will. Always. “Yes, yes. Do you remember the plan?” he answered finally. “Yes, but what about Clarke?” “Clarke’s not close she’ll be fine for now, what’s important is that you follow the plan and stay safe, okay?” “Okay, but how will I know if it’s safe and if Clarke’s safe?” He had started packing up his desk and getting ready to leave. “I’m on my way, I’ll come get you and then we’ll go get Clarke, now go before it’s too late.”

He’s in a rush so he disconnects the call and heads to his boss’ office. “Hi, sorry for the short notice, but I’m taking my time off, I’ll send you the report as soon as it’s finished and will let you know how long I’ll be gone tomorrow.” He has a good relationship with his boss…well not good, but they understand each other and his boss know he doesn’t do anything unless for a good reason. “As long as I get the report, you can take as long as you need, you know that.” Was all his boss said and needed to say for Marcus to know that it was okay with his boss. Then he left.

As soon as he got to his apartment, he started packing and took the first flight to Tennessee, United States.