I froze for a moment, not even able to process what I needed to do. In the dark I didn't know if I needed to bolt or to scream or who was even in my home. Unfortunately, that split second was all the time the intruder needed. It happened so quickly, I wasn't entirely sure how, but the invader was suddenly behind me, creating a barrier between me and my only exit as his larger hand covered my mouth, preventing me from screaming. When I was able to function again I threw my elbow backwards, hoping to strike him in the stomach. The blow would cause him to double over and leave him gasping. He caught it with ease. I brought my leg back to kick him, but he pressed his weight into me, unbalancing me so my blow never connected. I thrashed my body as hard as I could, hoping a limb would hit soft tissue or that I would wriggle hard enough to get out of the tight grasp that surrounded me. I just needed to get my mouth free so I could scream until someone called the police, or startle him into letting me go.

I wasn't exactly sure what I could do if I managed to get free. The only exit was blocked. My balcony was too high to jump off of, I would surely plummet to my death. My only option was screaming and wailing until someone else either came to check up on me or called the police. But all I could do now was throw my body around as roughly as I could.

I'm not sure how long the struggle lasted. It could've been seconds or minutes, the panic had killed my perception of time. But I was getting exhausted. It seemed like my captor anticipated every single one of my moves, blocking, dodging and catching every attempt I threw out. I let out a frustrated scream, but it was muffled by his hand that was still clamped over my mouth. My energy was draining; my fight was weakening while he remained just as strong and just as quick.

"Come on, Camila, you can't win." The voice was loosely familiar, but I couldn't place it. Still, it sounded soothing and relaxed, like this was something that happened every day.

I tried to scream defiantly, letting him know I would not give in so easily, but barely any noise made it passed his hand. Tears filled my eyes, from frustration and defeat. My body was sweating, my arms were aching, my legs had been placed in such an awkward position that they were deemed useless, and the arms that were holding me still were unrelenting. I was breathing hard, but the hold over my mouth was making it difficult. My fighting slowed down.

"There you go." The man murmured. His voice was so level considering I had just fought for my life. "I'm going to let you go because I think you're smart enough to calm down and have a simple conversation with me. If you choose to prove me wrong I will have no problem tying you up, gagging you and throwing you in the back of my car. Do you understand?"

I hesitated, trying to go through all of my options as quickly as possible.

I had none.

I just bobbed my head in the slightest nod. At least then I would be able to breathe properly again and there was a chance that my circumstances would change to give me a better chance of escape.

I was released slowly. He moved his legs away from mine, allowing me to have a normal stance. I just shuffled to stand up properly. My legs were cramping horribly, telling me I had been fighting with this man for longer than I had originally assumed. The arm restricting my upper body loosened, allowing my arms to relax down to my sides instead of being twisted in awkward positions. But before he uncovered my mouth he turned on the light. A second later his hands were completely off my body and I whirled around instantly.

The first thing I noticed was how his hand twitched towards the metal gun that was secured in a holster at his hip, tucked under a suit jacket. The gesture made every scream for help, every cry for the police, and every protest die on my lips.

Then I brought my attention to the rest of the man.

Sharp suit that was the definition of male fashion, tailored perfectly. Blonde hair that was styled to look casual and touchable, but clean and professional. Intense blue eyes that captured every detail, but remained calm and neutral. Strong arms and shoulders paired with a rigid posture that was almost too perfect to be human. Intense confidence that could be felt just by standing so close to him.

My heart pounded so hard in my chest I thought that it would burst.

But then my focus moved to the high cheek bones that did not belong to Josh. The glimmering watch that was a brand Josh hated because it wasn't American. Subtle and faded scars were misplaced. The pair of lips were too thin, the eyes not wide enough, the teeth not white enough.

Yes, he was similar, but he was not my ex fiancé.

"Agent Smith." I blurted, stricken.

I had met the man once and I had never thought that I would see him again. To say I was surprised would be an understatement. But it wasn't my retched ex and that made my heart rate slow and my breathing come a little easier, even if he had reached for his gun. He was the one who had defended me against Alistair. He was the one who believed I had been kidnapped and wanted to give me a chance.

"You seem stunned, Camila. Who were you expecting?" He paused briefly, taking a small step towards me. There was something different about him now. Something deeply sinister. "Josh?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." I sputtered out, matching his step forward with a step back of my own.

"Of course you don't." he assured, his voice still even. "Come with me." It sounded like a suggestion, but he grabbed my arm and steered me away from the front door. Away from the one way out.

I let out a little whimper, my eyes locked onto my escape, but his grip was firm and it didn't loosen until we were in my small, dingy room. There was no hesitation in the way he moved; clearly he had spent a fair amount of time in my tiny apartment, so well acquainted with it that he knew where each light switch was.

"Pack a bag." He ordered, thrusting me inside.

"No." I blurted back.

He placed his hands on his hips, brushing back his suit jacket to reveal his gleaming gun once more. His threat was wordless but I complied immediately, moving to my tiny dresser and retrieving a duffle bag. I was strong for my size and quite cunning, but I could not outwit a gun.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned, but I already knew the answer.

"Cleaning up Alistair's mess." Those blue eyes flickered over my still body in a way that matched Josh so closely that I shivered involuntarily. "If you aren't going to make use of the courtesy I'm giving you then we can just leave now."

"I can't pack what I need if I don't know where I'm going."

I knew exactly where he was taking me, but I needed to stall.

"You're wasting my time." He snapped, suddenly losing his cool, much like he had done with Alistair. That vice like grip was wrapped around my pulsing arm once more. "We're leaving now." He jerked me out of my room and back into the hallway.

"You're going to hurt me." I retorted tightly. I hated Josh more than anything in this life, but using his name offered an amazing amount of leverage. No one knew what he did to me behind closed doors. In their minds I was the perfect fiancée that had been stricken by a tragic kidnapping and he was the grieving man who was desperately searching the ends of the earth for me. He seemed like the type of man who would do anything to defend the honour of his loved ones. "Josh will make sure you lose your job if you leave a bruise."

Agent Smith released my arm and spun around so quickly it almost made me dizzy just watching him. His hand reached toward his hip and a split second later something cold was pressed up against the base of my chin. Now I truly froze. With the gun pointed up towards my head-towards my brain- I didn't even allow myself to breathe or blink.

One slight movement from him and my life would be over.

"I'm not Alistair, you little bitch. I know what you've done and I know exactly what would happen if I pulled this trigger right now." He hissed. Those blue eyes flashed dangerously. "I know that Josh just covered for you and I know that you are right, Josh would want to be the one to deal with you. But also know that he wouldn't care too much if I was the one to put a bullet in your skull. His main priority right now is making sure that you are dealt with."

The cool metal was gone and the gun was placed back in its holster so quickly it was like the outburst never happened, but I still refused to breathe in.

"Move. Now!" Agent Smith barked. "And if you push me any farther tonight then I will make it my duty to make sure you don't suck in another breath."

My frozen limbs thawed and I complied. I followed him out of the isolation in my apartment, down the stairs, and out to the parking lot. I felt like my body was on autopilot. I was moving. I was breathing. I was doing what I was told to do. But my brain was no longer functioning. My heart was pounding in my chest but I didn't feel the fear. I knew that I was walking towards my untimely demise, one way or another, but I couldn't make myself stop. When Agent Smith opened the back door of his sporty sedan I slipped in, sitting down behind the passenger seat, without a word. My instincts told me that I needed to survive, even if I knew that a simple bullet to the brain was the worst thing Josh would do to me.

I didn't say anything for a long time. We drove and I remained perfectly silent, the shock taking over my body. I just sat in the backseat with no seatbelt on, breathing through my mouth as my hands clung to the buttery leather of the seat beneath me.

But something was gnawing at me. Something that I couldn't let rest.

"How do you know Josh?" I asked softly from the backseat. There was no Plexiglas like there had been in Alistair's car, but Smith didn't seem particularly concerned.

"Old friends. I met you several times, but you were too full of yourself to remember me." He said. His voice was as charming as it had ever been. Like he wasn't taking me back to my abusive ex, like he hadn't threatened to kill me twenty minutes ago.

I did remember him, but barely. I had always been too concerned with keeping Josh pleased at social events to vividly remember his friends. I think they used to play rugby together in college.

"Then why did you pretend like you didn't know who I was?"

"I didn't want the rookie to suspect anything. He's too smart for his own good, but too stupid to keep his mouth shut. He didn't even mean to lead me right to you. Just remembered your face from the press conferences. Doesn't matter though, the less he know the better."

"Where are we going?"

"To the airport. The sooner I get you back to Josh the bigger my reward is." He stated smugly, "You were hell to catch, but with what he's offering me it's worth it."

I swallowed hard, knowing that my next statement could be my last. But it could also be the words I had needed to say to save myself. I grabbed the back of the passenger seat and pulled myself forward, trying to make eye contact with Smith in the rearview mirror. I needed him to see me as a human being, not whatever Josh had put into his mind.

"Do you know why I left?" I whispered softly.

"You better shut the fuck up before I change my mind about keeping you alive, you little bitch." He snarled out.

I had taken my chance. Despite the fact that it hadn't worked it also hadn't blown up as much as it could've and I was grateful for that.

We continued to drive. The silence in the car was deafening and there was no traffic on the secluded highway due to the late hour. And the few lights that I could see faded away when we turned onto a rural road. We continued on for several minutes before the driver sensed something was amiss.

"What the fuck?" Agent Smith grumbled out, the car slowing down as he glanced at his GPS in confusion. "There's no way that this the fastest way to the airport." The car was put into park as he began tampering with the system

I saw a car pull off a side road, coming up behind us slowly and quietly. As it drew nearer the lights were shut off, causing the dark car to disappear in the blackness of the night.

"There's a-" I began, panicking at the sight of this stealthy vehicle.

"Shut up!" Agent Smith shouted.

I clamped my mouth shut, but clenched the seat belt tightly in my hands.

Just as Agent smith's head lifted, an expression of triumph on his face, a thunderous sound split the air.

Before a startled shriek could even leave my lips I heard the rear window smashing above me, pieces of shattered glass raining down on my body. I hunched my shoulders up, trying to protect my eyes, ears, and airways.

Agent Smith let out a straggled sound, like fluid had filled his airways.

In the feeble light the moon provided my eyes caught a horrific scene

Smith's body fell forward limply, pressing against the steering wheel. His head was turned towards me. His eyes were open, staring right at me, but he was unmoving, completely lifeless. I could hear a liquid moving, pouring right onto the floor mats on the driver's side.

It was then that I began to scream.

****Probably one of the biggest cliff hangers I've ever written. You're welcome. Please vote and comment if you liked it and want another chapter!****