trigger warning: descriptions of violence and gore

SOFT, THICK STRANDS OF blonde hair rested in between nimble fingers, which gently wove the sections underneath each other with firm yet delicate precision. The repetitive action kept the hands from shaking with irrepressible nerves, and forced the worried mind to focus on what was in front of them. Reaching the end of the dutch braid, the brunette woman grabbed a small rubber band from the bag beside her and tied it off. Two braids pulled all of the stray blonde strands away from Katya Petrova's face, both neat and equal as they rested on her back ─ though they weren't going to stay there.

The assassin sat on the floor in front of Natalie, who was braiding her hair, and toyed absentmindedly with one of the Shaw woman's throwing knives. She had seen how her friend couldn't stay still for more than a moment without either shifting in her seat, tugging at her clothes, or running a hand over her face. Natalie had already braided her own brunette hair into two dutch braids to keep her hands busy and mind distracted, and whilst it served as a momentary reprieve, the woman was back to her restlessness as soon as she had tied them off with the clear elastics.

So, Katya volunteered herself ─ she needed her hair up for their mission anyway, and it saved the assassin from sorting it her own way (which would've been a messy ponytail that took seconds to do).

After the three had explained the situation to their family, the group was a bundle of varied reactions ─ Andromeda was quick to bring a pale-looking Zoey into her signature motherly hug, whispering reassurances into her ear whilst rubbing her back soothingly; Alice, Bianca, and Finnick were talking to Katya, asking if there was anything at all they could do to help; Xavier was already on the phone arranging for a private plane to fly to LA; Nick couldn't conceal his shock surrounding the fact that Zoey had kept something so important from him, especially because the two usually confided in each other about everything ─ he could only wonder if he had done something to break his wife's trust, or if it was simply one of those things that she just wanted to keep to herself.

Hattie and Jakob had approached Natalie, wearing identical sombre expressions, though the latter's eyes held a sadness that reminded the Shaw woman of the six-year-old boy who always worried about his older sister.

It didn't matter how old the pair became, Jakob Toretto would always worry about Natalie Shaw, especially because of her tendency to sacrifice everything, and herself, for the sake of those around her. It scared him more than anything.

Both Hattie and Jakob hugged the woman, with Hattie going first and whispering for Natalie to be safe as they embraced. Jakob was then up next, and he couldn't help but hug her for as long as he could. The Toretto wished his sister didn't have to go, but he knew that wasn't possible ─ she was, once again, being the selfless woman that he admired, and putting others' needs before her own.

After the two pulled away from their hug, a certain Ortiz couldn't resist barrelling straight into her best friend's arms and burying her head into the woman's neck, much like she had during their embrace at the party.

This time, though, something extraordinary happened.

Letty felt a piercing pain in her head, like the sharpest kitchen knife had just been plunged into her skull, before something so familiar yet unfamiliar flooded through her mind like a tidal wave. It started with the day that Natalie Toretto and Letty Ortiz first met in Jack Toretto's shop and cafe as kids, ended with the last time the two had spoken before her accident, and included every moment in between. 

It turned out that Natalie Shaw truly was the key to unlocking Leticia Ortiz's memories.

"I remember everything." The Ortiz woman gasped, making Natalie's heart stop dead in her chest. No, she had experienced this dream so many times, and every time, she had woken up disappointed and devastated ─ there was no way that this is real, she thought.

But it was.

"What?" Natalie whispered in shock, tugging herself from the embrace so that she could look directly into her best friend's eyes. Instead of the emptiness the Shaw woman had grown used to seeing, Letty's deep brown eyes shone with recognition that could only stem from one thing, and one thing alone ─ her memories.

"Oh my god, Lia, I remember everything." Letty couldn't help but laugh in joy, causing Natalie to giggle and bring the woman back into her arms, holding her tighter than ever before.

Despite all of the darkness surrounding them, there was a ray of light peeking through, giving them hope that everything would turn out okay.

Natalie couldn't help but reminisce about the good news whilst she pinned Katya's braids to the back of the woman's head to create a cute-yet-practical updo. The shaking of her hands had almost completely dissipated, making the woman smile to herself.

Thankfully, because they were flying on a jet of some kind instead of a cargo plane, Natalie's nerves seemed to be very much manageable, leaving her hopeful that she wouldn't have a repeat of what happened on the last plane she had boarded.

It reminded her of how Xavier had come over to her at the warehouse, seemingly to say goodbye, but he really did it so that he could ask if she was going to be alright on the flight. The woman felt terrible ─ her older brother looked so genuinely worried, and she didn't want to have put that on his shoulders.

It also made her heart ache that she actually had an older brother that truly cared for her and her wellbeing. The last time Dominic had behaved that way towards her was before he went to Lompoc prison for two years, which was when Natalie was only sixteen years old.

She missed the Dominic Toretto who ate ice cream with her whenever she was upset, the one who always protected her from the creeps at her school, the one who cradled her when she cried.

She missed her big brother.

The woman's hands stilled after placing the final bobby pin in the Russian assassin's hair, before gently patting Katya's shoulder.

"All done." Natalie said with a small smile, prompting Katya to thank the woman and return to her own seat.

The Shaw woman glanced at Zoey, who was curled up in one of the leather seats, subconsciously chewing on her fingernails as her mind raced with uncertainty and nervousness. She couldn't imagine what the woman was going through mentally ─ having to rescue the half-brothers she'd never met, and confront the woman who abandoned her when she needed her most, all whilst fighting against the very people who made her who she was.

Unsure of how to help, Natalie debated saying anything before deciding that doing something was better than doing nothing.

"Hey, Zo." She spoke in a gentle voice. "Do you want me to do your hair? I can braid it if you'd like?"

The blonde looked startled at the sound of someone talking to her, despite the soothing tone the Shaw woman used, as she was too wrapped up in her own mind.

Not trusting her voice not to waver, Zoey nodded in response and climbed from her seat. She made her way over to Natalie, but before she could sit down on the floor in front of the woman, a different idea popped into her mind.

"Actually, can I just have a hug instead?" Zoey asked quietly, almost unsure of herself. Just as she was about to retract her question and go back to her seat, Natalie shuffled up on the large leather armchair she was lounging on, creating enough space for the King woman.

Wasting no time, Zoey climbed onto the furniture and curled into her sister-in-law's side, gently resting her head on the woman's chest. Natalie wrapped her arm around the blonde's shoulders, pulling her closer, and resting her head on top of Zoey's.

Using her free hand, the Shaw woman began drawing random shapes on her sister-in-law's arm, soothing Zoey so much that nearly all of the tension dispersed from her body. It wasn't long before the blonde woman was drifting off to sleep, with Natalie not far behind her. It was a sixteen-hour-flight, and combined with changing time zones, they were exhausted, but thankfully, they had plenty of time to rest.

So, the two fell asleep, curled up on the armchair together and completely at ease. At that moment, they were just two sisters comforting each other in a cruel world, preparing for what was to come.

THE TENSE ATMOSPHERE IN the black SUV was suffocating. Natalie forced even breaths from between her lips, and kept her sharp gaze on the road in front of her. The woman's hands ached from the white-knuckle grip she had on the sleek leather steering wheel, but Natalie couldn't bring herself to loosen her hold ─ the pain was keeping her grounded.

Zoey sat in the front passenger seat with her eyes trained on the scenery that passed her window. Despite a calm and stony expression covering her face like a mask, it was just that ─ a mask. In reality, her heart pounded with uncertainty surrounding the fate of the innocent family, caught in a merciless war.

The final member of their group sat behind Natalie, quietly mulling over the plan they had made in her mind. Katya was itching to break the stifling silence, but knew that this moment was important; there was a slim chance that the woman would successfully extract and protect all four of the McAllisters (including Zoey's mother, and Patrick, AJ and Oliver's father), and they all needed to mentally and emotionally prepare for any losses.

So, they spent the car ride in silence.

Natalie pulled the car to a stop across the street from the McAllister home, breathing deeply before undoing her seatbelt and opening her car door. The woman forced her own feelings down as far as they could go, burying them away along with any personal attachments she had relating to their job. It was better that way ─ it's just like any other job, she told herself. The McAllisters were an assignment, not family. If she thought of them as family, no one would make it out of that house alive ─ not her, not Zoey, not Katya, no one.

The Shaw woman checked that her black bulletproof vest was tight and secure, despite having already worn it for the entire drive. Her mind needed reassurance that everything within its control was perfect, and that anything that went wrong was at no fault of a simple mistake.

Katya was the next to climb from the SUV, slamming the car door closed behind her and making her way to the trunk of the car. Lifting the boot door, the woman revealed all of the weapons they had collected from Finnick ─ three AK-12's were laid out, along with multiple sets of throwing knives, pistols, and magazines for the rifles.

There were also multiple weapon holsters within a duffel bag, which was the first thing Natalie reached for. She strapped ones for her knives around each of her thighs, before attaching a hip holster for a pistol to her right hip, and unzipping her left boot so that she could wear an ankle holster.

After ensuring they were all secure, the Shaw woman moved towards the weapons. She grabbed two pistols ─ one to wear on her hip, and one to conceal in her boot for emergencies, as well as two extra clips that slotted into a compartment in her vest. Natalie then equipped herself with a dozen knives; four per thigh, and four that were secured on the lower back of her vest.

The woman grabbed an over-the-shoulder strap that she then attached to one of the rifles, which allowed her to wear it across her chest; if Natalie had to let go of it in a fight, it wouldn't clatter to the floor, it would simply drop to her side.

It was only after both Natalie and Katya had geared up did Zoey climb from the car, her face now steeled with what could only be described as absolute determination ─ the King woman would be damned if anything happened to that family, or to her own, including the two women in front of her.

Katya smirked as she cocked the rifle in her hand, her sharp green eyes darting between Natalie and Zoey.

"Well, what are we waiting for?"

THE THREE NOW FULLY-ARMED and highly-trained women approached the McAllister home, with their rifles clutched tightly in their hands and their eyes darting around their surroundings. They knew that they had cut it close for time, and that the Organisation would be there any minute, so they had to move quickly.

"Katya, you go around the back ─ Nat and I will go through the front." Zoey explained, earning a nod from the Russian assassin before the woman disappeared around the side of the house, headed for the back door.

Natalie let out one final deep, controlled breath before reaching for the front door's handle and twisting it. To her surprise, the door opened with ease, prompting her to cautiously step inside.

Well, there was no going back now, she thought, readjusting her grip on her rifle.

Zoey followed closely behind, her gun raised and her eyes calculating as she checked every corner they approached. Both women tried to tread as quietly as they could manage in their military-grade combat boots, though the floorboards still occasionally creaked beneath them.

Faint voices echoed from somewhere nearby, and prompted Natalie to make eye contact with her sister-in-law before nodding towards the direction of the noise. Zoey nodded in agreement, before the two made their way towards the kitchen.

The Shaw woman peeked around the corner to check for the family, only to find exactly what she was looking for ─ Patrick McAllister leant against the kitchen counter, a mug in his grasp as he poured fresh coffee into it. His wife, Carmen, chatted with a bright smile painted on her face whilst dishing up scrambled eggs onto various plates. In front of the woman sat AJ and Oliver McAllister, the nineteen and twelve-year-old kids who, unknowingly, had large red targets painted on their backs by the Organisation.

Natalie couldn't help but envision herself living a mundane life; free of tragedy, free of shadow governments, mercenaries, and life-threatening jobs ─ just a nice house in London, or maybe even a lake house in the Lake district, with her and Deckard, and maybe even a child or two. Though, the thought of children made her heart clench with a paralyzing pain that could only be associated with her s─

"Oh my god, please don't hurt us!" A panicked feminine voice exclaimed, snapping the Shaw woman out of her thoughts and forcing her around the corner, gun raised and eyes sharp.

What she wasn't expecting to see was Zoey standing a few feet away from the now-petrified McAllister family, rifle down by her side on the over-the-shoulder strap and her hands raised in an attempt to make herself seem less threatening. Natalie didn't even realise her sister-in-law had moved from her position behind the Shaw woman.

"My name is Zoey Jenkins," the King woman began, watching carefully as Carmen's face drained of every drop of colour and her eyes flickered with recognition, "and I don't have much time to explain, but there are some very powerful people after you, your sons in particular, and my family and I have come to get you out of here before they can... well, before they can kill you."

Carmen stepped forward, unable to stop her hands from shaking as she momentarily pressed a hand to her mouth in shock before speaking. It was then that Natalie realised how similar Zoey looked to her mother ─ they shared the same messy, blonde waves, though Carmen's were tinged with grey; both womens' eyes were the same shade of dull green, and their faces shared similar shapes. Even a stranger would be able to identify them as mother and daughter.

"Zo, is that really you?" Her voice wavered with emotions that Zoey wasn't expecting to hear ─ love, regret, longing. Zoey didn't trust herself to speak in that moment, so she simply nodded her head in confirmation.

The blonde had no time to prepare herself before a body collided with her own, and gentle arms wrapped around Zoey's shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, baby." Carmen whispered whilst tears pricked at her eyes. "I never should've given you up... but by the time I'd realised how much of a mistake I had made, there was no way to get you back. Y-you were just gone."

Natalie couldn't help the jealousy that twinged inside of her ─ Zoey's mother took one look at her daughter and jumped at the chance to apologise for causing her so much pain, but Dominic would never do the same to the Shaw woman. Zoey got to have her mother back, but Natalie would never have her big brother back, and that struck pain deep into her chest.

Zoey pulled away from the hug and looked her mother dead in the eyes, a singular tear rolling down her cheek as she did so.

"I know, losing Dad was incredibly painful for you and we've both done a lot of things we regret," She began, "but we need to have this conversation later, once you're all safe."

Natalie had lowered her gun as she watched the scene carefully, before spotting Katya in the doorway, who was also entranced by the reunion occurring in the kitchen.

The two women made eye contact just as the sounds of splintering wood and heavy footsteps flooded the house ─ they weren't quick enough.

The Organisation was here.

DOMINIC TORETTO CLENCHED HIS jaw in determination as he and Nobody's men stormed the warehouse in Abu Dhabi. His best friend, Brian O'Connor was right by his side, along with Lia Jones (Ana), their newest recruit. Not only was his sister and her new family inside the abandoned industrial building, but so was the love of his life, Letty Ortiz.

As far as the Toretto was concerned, the Kings and Shaws had kidnapped Letty, and his brain hadn't considered the fact that she may have gone willingly. Hell, she had been wanting to go with them for a year, but he didn't know that.

The armed group advanced through the warehouse, guns raised, approaching where God's Eye said Deckard Shaw's exact location was. To their surprise, they found him with a handful of people, though Dominic knew that some were missing ─ he couldn't see Xavier or Nick, who had attacked him and Brian at the party a few hours prior.

Keeping his guard up, he crept closer, only to pale at the scene before him.

Not only was Letty seemingly enjoying the company of those around her, but she was enjoying the company of someone Dominic thought he'd never have to see again.

Jakob Toretto lounged on one of the couches, seemingly unfazed by the new company of his former employer ─ he used to work for Mr Nobody, but went rogue and fell off the grid earlier that year. He wasn't surprised that his brother had been recruited by the Agency, considering that before Jakob left, he gave Nobody the idea to go after the Toretto crew and recruit them.

Hattie Shaw sat next to Jakob, although Dominic had no clue who she was, and Letty sat beside the blonde woman, no longer in her dress from the party.

Natalie had leant her some spare clothes, including a pair of black jeans, a grey t-shirt, and even some spare combat boots that the woman had. Letty couldn't help but feel comforted by her new attire, as it was doused in Natalie's familiar perfume, and it made the Ortiz woman feel like her best friend had never left for LA.

Dominic was also shocked to see that all visible wounds his wife beared had been patched up ─ she had a white bandage wrapped around her upper arm, protecting a gash she had earned fighting one of the guards, and the large cut on her forehead had been cleaned of any blood and was held together using wound strips. A large bruise was also forming above and around the cut, because it was the wound that the main guard had inflicted when she slammed Letty's head into the pillar, knocking the Ortiz woman out cold.

Deckard sat in the same chair that he shared with his wife a few hours prior, his posture nonchalant whilst his eyes were cold and calculating.

"I hope you're enjoying your last moments together." Brian called out, clutching his gun nervously. He didn't want to have to hurt Natalie's family, but he also didn't want to betray his best friend, his brother.

All heads turned towards the armed group, their faces blank and unsurprised as they took in the company. Though, Hattie was shocked at one thing.

"This is all we warrant? Two dozen men?" The Shaw woman scoffed, knowing it was going to be an easy fight, "You boys really don't know how to play, do you?"

Dominic stepped forward, making Letty's heart pound in her chest. Despite everything that he had done, Dominic Toretto was still the love of her life, and she now knew that he was also her husband. Her heart felt like it could tear in two ─ did she want to stay with Natalie and her family? Or was it time for her to return to Dominic?

"I think you'll find it's more than enough." One of Nobody's men piped up, his gun trained on Hattie.

"Is it, though?" A new voice spoke, causing a sinking feeling in all of Nobody's men, including Dominic and Brian. There was no way.

Lia Jones, or rather Ana Starling, walked to the front of the group, a playful and dangerous smirk tugging at her lips. Her gun hung down by her side as she strutted towards the couches.

"Oh, come on, you really didn't see this coming?" The redhead mocked, turning towards Nobody's group as soon as she was standing behind the sofa that occupied Letty, Hattie, and Jakob. Knowing that she had the power to really piss them off, Ana purposely stood closest to her former lover and Dominic's brother.

Gently grabbing Jakob's chin, Ana turned his face towards her own, before leaning down and reducing the distance to a mere inch or two.

"Do you trust me?" She whispered, her hazel eyes darting between Jakob's brown eyes and his soft lips.

"Always." He whispered back. Without wasting a second, Ana closed the gap between their lips, making the Toretto man melt in her grasp.

Dominic's jaw clenched as he pulled his eyes away from the scene ─ he really thought 'Lia' was becoming a part of their crew, and if he was being honest, the Toretto trusted her with his life. Well, up until now, the man thought bitterly. His chest burned with betrayal, exactly the same as a year prior, when Riley Hicks was revealed to be part of Owen Shaw's crew the entire time. The sense of deja vu was overwhelming, and so was the hurt that invaded his entire body.

Neither Ana or Jakob could fight the violent butterflies that fluttered frantically in their stomachs ─ oh, how they had missed that feeling.

Despite not wanting to detach their lips, Ana knew she had to pull away before it became awkward, or before she couldn't resist going back on the decision she made all those months ago.

Clearing her throat, the Starling woman turned to face all of the people she had betrayed and smiled devilishly, whilst wiping some of her smeared lipstick with her thumb.

"We trusted you, Lia!" Dominic barked, taking a step forward and pointing a finger at her. It didn't matter that he had raised his voice, or that he looked like he wanted to bury her six feet under, Ana remained unphased as she stood tall, and rested a hand on Jakob's shoulder.

"Yeah, well that was your mistake, wasn't it, Dom?" She smirked, before pouting. "One that you've also made before. Riley Hicks, was it?"

Dominic clenched his jaw and clutched his gun tighter, the fury of not one but two betrayals coursing through him. Though, the most recent one hurt him the most ─ he considered Lia his friend, unlike Riley, who was only an acquaintance at the time.

Whilst the group was so focused on Ana, Deckard subtly grabbed a grenade from his coat pocket and concealed it with his jacket sleeve.

"I hope that you all came prepared," His gruff British voice announced, "for your own sakes."

Bringing his hand to his mouth, Deckard pulled the pin from the grenade with his teeth, causing all of Nobody's men to cock their guns. He plucked the thin metal from his mouth, and twirled it between his fingers.

Dominic walked forward, seemingly calm as he approached the small group, and stopped just a few feet away from his sister's husband.

"I'm ready to meet my maker." The Toretto said calmly, "Are you?"

"What were you expecting, Toretto?" Deckard questioned, furrowing his brows and glaring at Dominic. "To catch us off guard? To have Natalie standing here, waving a white flag? After everything that you did."

The mention of his sister made him realise something he had completely overlooked ─ where was she?

Dominic glanced around, discreetly trying to see if she was nearby, only to hear Deckard chuckling. He turned back towards the Shaw, confused, but Deckard paid him no mind.

"Have you ever heard the saying 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'?" The Shaw asked, making Dominic take a step forward.

"I don't have friends. I got family." He responded, only to become unnerved by the confident smile of Deckard's face.

"Well, I have both."

The lights above them flickered before they turned off completely. Before anyone could make a move to defend themselves, the door to Dominic's left exploded, sending blasting heat surging towards him, along with chunks of metal and wood.

Multiple fully armed and familiar mercenaries stormed through, guns raised and bullets flying.

Oh, Toretto didn't stand a chance.

HEAVY FOOTSTEPS RICOCHETED OFF the wooden flooring of the McAllister home, making everyone's stomachs drop. Five men in all black armour and equipped with various weapons and devices stormed through the now-broken down front door, whilst five entered through the back door.

Natalie, Zoey, and Katya instantly surrounded the terrified McAllister family, guns raised and hands steady, despite the flurry of nerves consuming all three of the women.

One man in particular stepped to the front of the group, with a tactical mask covering the lower half of his face. His dark brown hair fell to his shoulders, yet didn't conceal his sharp blue eyes, which stared menacingly at Zoey in particular.

The blonde in question paled at the sight of the man, and her heart stopped dead in her chest from shock.

"Seb?" She all but whispered, her voice tainted with years of repressed memories coming to the surface. The man, Seb, just looked at Zoey confused before signalling for the nine other men to move in.

Katya was the one to whisper to Natalie whilst keeping her eyes locked on the enemies surrounding her.

"Get the family upstairs. Hide them somewhere, anywhere. We'll hold them off." The Russian assassin demanded, giving Natalie a reassuring look and a nod, before averting her eyes back to the men in black.

The Shaw woman ignored how her heart raced with nerves and adrenaline and tilted her head towards the family behind her.

"I need you guys to stay close to me." She began, her voice leaving no room for arguments. "We're gonna get you upstairs and safe, okay?"

They all murmured some variation of 'I understand', each of their voices shaking for obvious reasons, and reminding Natalie how important this job was. The woman took one last deep breath before Katya yelled "Now!", causing her to strategically spray bullets at the two men in front of her, and send them stumbling back.

They were wearing bulletproof vests, the best Natalie had ever seen, meaning that the most they earned from the bullets was a few bruises — but it gave the Shaw woman enough time to usher the family of four upstairs.

They reached the second floor, and Natalie quickly led them to the bathroom near the end of the hallway. Gunfire and grunts echoed from downstairs, making the family flinch with every shot.

"Inside, now." She demanded, making sure they were all inside the bathroom before turning to Patrick.

"Take this." Natalie grabbed the pistol from her ankle holster and placed it into his shaking hands. "Use it if you have to, and under no circumstances should you leave this room, unless I come and get you, understood?"

Patrick was the only one to nod his head, whilst Carmen was silently crying, along with her twelve-year-old son, Oliver. AJ, the nineteen-year-old, appeared to be zoned out, but his entire body was shaking with fear. Knowing that she needed all of them present and aware of what was going on, Natalie repeated her words, except harsher.

"I said, do you understand?" She demanded, earning nods from all four members, making her sigh. The Shaw woman made her way over to the door before looking over her shoulder at the terrified family.

"Lock the door behind me, and don't let anyone except for me in, okay?" She said much gentler this time. "Everything is going to be fine."

Natalie took a deep breath and shut the door behind her, her worry easing just ever so slightly when she heard the lock twist in the door. Somehow, not a single person had followed her to the second floor, so clearly, Katya and Zoey were doing a hell of a job. The gunfire had died down slightly, but that wasn't a good thing ─ it meant a lot of hand-to-hand combat, which was extremely exhausting no matter how many hours someone trained. And to make things even better, Natalie already felt exhausted, despite her long nap on the plane, so things were bound to be fun (note the very heavy sarcasm).

Silently making her way down the stairs, Natalie swiftly turned a corner, only to see one of the armed men already reaching to grab her. The cold metal of her throwing knives sent chills dashing up her arms as she grabbed two from her thigh holsters.

Dropping to her knees, the woman slid across the hardwood flooring and went through the gap between his legs. As she passed through, Natalie slashed both of the man's inner thighs, severing his femoral arteries.

Thick, dark blood splashed against her clothing and coated the silver blades in her grasp. The man yelled in pain before falling forwards, his limp body getting soaked in the ever-growing pool of his own blood.

Natalie, who now wore blood splatters on her tanned face, turned to face her fallen enemy, only to see two more men aiming their guns at her. Flicking her wrists, the Shaw woman threw the bloody knives at them, which embed themselves in the men's necks.

Both started choking on their own blood, spluttering and coughing as they dropped to the ground, much like their now-dead friend.

The Shaw woman climbed to her feet, and without even being able to take a second to breath, someone grabbed her from behind and threw her into the nearest wall. Natalie gasped in surprise, before groaning at the pain that flared up her spine and flooded the back of her head.

Her back had collided with the wall so powerfully that the plaster cracked and left a dent. Paint chips rained down on the woman's hair, along with dust, causing her to cough.

Her attacker tried to advance closer, only to be winded by a harsh kick to the gut, which sent him stumbling back. Grabbing her AK-12, which was on the over-the-shoulder strap, Natalie grasped it tightly as she fired three bullets into the man's skull.

His body thudded to the floor, dying instantly, making the Shaw woman sigh in relief and exhaustion. She leant against the wall for a moment, her eyes closed as she caught her breath and willed the ache in her head to go away.

Though, her eyes shot open when she heard terrified and frantic screams echoing from the floor above, along with multiple gunshots. Shit.

Racing up the stairs, Natalie's heart pounded as she dashed around the corner, only to see one of the men spraying bullets at the bathroom door, penetrating and splitting the wood in an attempt to get to the screaming McAllister family.

The Shaw woman raised her gun and fired only two bullets, both of which pierced through the side of the man's skull and sent him crashing to the ground. Wasting no more time on him, Natalie darted towards the now-ruined wooden door and slammed into it, sending it swinging open. It collided harshly with the wall, but she didn't care.

Her stomach swirled with violent nausea as she approached the family of four, who were huddled in a small group with Patrick crouched over his wife and children protectively.

"Is everyone okay?" Natalie asked desperately, crouching down beside them. Patrick lifted his head and nodded, though his face looked paler than it did when the Shaw woman last saw it. Carmen and both of the boys had splotchy cheeks and tears streaming down their faces.

"Let's get you all out of here." She said gently, standing from her crouched position beside them. Her mind spun for a moment, making her stumble into the sink. Natalie squeezed her eyes shut, and pressed a hand over her forehead, waiting for the dizzy spell to pass. A warm, shaking hand rested on her shoulder, making the woman open her eyes.

Carmen stood in front of her, a worried look on her face that reminded Natalie so much of her own mother, Andy.

"Are you alright?" She asked, helping the Shaw woman steady herself to a proper stand. AJ and Oliver stood behind their mother, also wearing worried looks, but their fear was more to do with what would happen to them if Natalie was injured, or just unable to get them out of there.

"I'm fine," The Shaw woman insisted, taking a deep breath as she tried to ignore the pain that flared all over her back like violent flames, "let's go, we don't have much time."

The group made their way towards the hallway, only to hear a deafening thud behind them. Natalie turned in confusion, wondering what the hell the noise was, except the sight that greeted her eyes made her nausea return tenfold.

Patrick laid on the tile flooring, a puddle of dark crimson inching further and further away from his paling body. A chorus of panicked yells from Carmen and the boys reverberated off the walls as they threw themselves towards their loved one.

Natalie followed suit, utterly confused as to where the blood was coming from. She hadn't seen any wounds on him when she first walked in, but then it occurred to her ─ he was wearing a black shirt, blood wouldn't show up at first glance.

"No, no, no, no, baby, stay awake." Carmen sobbed, cradling her husband's face in her hands. Oliver was curled into his older brother's side, hiding his face in AJ's shirt. The nineteen-year-old just stared at his father in shock, completely unable to process what was happening.

Natalie counted four bullet wounds to the chest and abdomen, making her heart pound against her ribcage ─ there was no way Patrick McAllister was making it out of that house alive. Unfortunately, the Shaw woman was proven right.

"I-I love you all, so much." He whispered, before his eyes glossed over and a singular tear trailed down the side of his face. Patrick's chest rose and fell for the final time, and his final breath left his lips.

Carmen's sobs intensified as she rested her head on her deceased husband's chest and let out the most heartbreaking and grief-filled scream ever heard. God, Natalie would never forget that sound. The pure pain and heartache that sounded within the cry brought a familiar sting to her eyes, making Natalie wipe them desperately.

She had to stay strong ─ for Carmen, for the boys, for everyone.

It was then that more gunfire sounded from downstairs, snapping Natalie back into the reality of their situation.

"I-I'm so sorry, but we have to go." She said gently, carefully pulling a distraught Carmen away from the paling body of her husband.

"No, I don't wanna go. P-please, don't make me go." The McAllister woman sobbed, breaking Natalie's heart right in two.

The Shaw woman had no choice but to lead the three remaining McAllisters from the bathroom, but stopped in the hallway. Cupping the splotchy cheeks of Carmen, Natalie forced the woman to look her dead in the eye.

"Carmen, listen to me." She said firmly, despite it causing another crack in her already broken heart. "You have to pull it together. For the sake of your boys, please, wait until we're safe to mourn your husband. Do you hear me? Pull it together to save yourself and your sons."

Carmen sniffled one last time before nodding, forcing her grief to the side, just until we're safe, she told herself.

"Okay, I need you guys to stay close and stay low." Natalie explained gently, before making her way to the stairs with the now family of three behind her.

Upon getting to the bottom of the staircase, Katya and one of the men crash to the ground in front of the Shaw woman. The Russian assassin clearly had the upper hand, as she had landed on top of the Organisation agent and stabbed a knife into his chest, right where the bulletproof vest stopped.

Katya ripped the blade from his body and climbed to her feet, wiping the blood on the leg of her pants.

"You good?" Natalie asked, earning a tired nod from the Russian assassin.

"Brilliant. You?" Her thick Russian accent consumed her words.

Natalie grimaced and nodded towards the family behind her. "Not so much. I'll tell you later."

The Shaw woman didn't have to say anything else for Katya to know what she was referring to ─ Patrick was missing from their group, which only meant one thing.

Unable to dwell on it for too long, Katya gave a simple nod before Zoey came rushing towards them. Her blonde hair was tainted with blood, and had crimson smeared across her forehead, lip, and her hands.

"We ready to go?" She asked shakily, having just fought Sebastian. Seb, as Zoey called him, was the King woman's best friend all throughout her time at the Organisation. They used to be inseparable, up until the man refused to run away with her. So, that night, Zoey left Sebastian in the Organisation's blood-soaked clutches, and said goodbye to him for good.

Clearly, the Organisation had done something horrific to him, considering that Seb had no idea who Zoey was throughout their entire fight. As much as she wanted to whisk him away and figure it out herself, she knew that the Organisation would find him, and Zoey would end up endangering her entire family, instead of just a handful of people.

That was why Seb was knocked out cold on the living room floor, instead of going with them.

The highly-trained women, and the McAllisters, left the house and headed for the SUV across the street. Unbeknownst to them, there were still two members of the Organisation watching the perimeter, guns fully loaded and on the lookout for any threats.

So, whilst the group was in the middle of the road, bullets began to rain down on them like a deadly storm.

"Get down!" Natalie screamed, shielding the McAllisters the best she could whilst standing before returning fire. Her shots were semi-accurate, as they were inches away from where the men were standing, but the bullets just couldn't get close enough to wound either of them.

Katya and Zoey were also doing their best to take the two agents down, but neither could land a shot. It was incredibly hard to focus with their blood rushing in their ears and their palms sweating with fear.

Finally, Natalie was able to send a bullet through the left one's skull, sending him crashing onto the pavement, though it didn't come without a price.

The remaining man directed his fire at the Shaw woman, and whilst it allowed Katya and Zoey to finally take him out, it also meant that two bullets had stuck themselves right in Natalie's vest.

Her breath caught in her throat as her body was flung backwards. The Shaw woman's back collided harshly with the pavement, causing her to gasp frantically for air. The back of her head crashed into the concrete, sending the most excruciating pain ricocheting through her skull, and causing dark crimson to cascade onto the ground.

Her ears rung, muffling the sound of the final gunshots and the frantic calls of her family.

It felt all too familiar to when Luke Hobbs had shot her on that plane, and that scared the living shit out of Natalie Shaw.

Groaning, Natalie forced herself to sit up, though immediately regretted it. Dizziness overwhelmed her more than ever before, prompting horrific waves of nausea to overpower her.

Leaning to the side, the Shaw woman heaved and threw up the small amount of food she had eaten on the plane. A familiar hand smoothed circles over her back, and for a moment, she imagined it was her husband, but after turning around, she found that it was an extremely worried-looking Zoey.

"Let's get you in the car." She said with a frightened look on her face. The King woman helped Natalie to a stand and settled her into the front passenger seat. Katya took the driver seat, whilst Zoey and her family squeezed themselves into the back. Carmen, AJ, and Oliver had all made it out of the house unscathed, but Natalie could only wish that she could say the same for Patrick.

HAYLEY WRITES...
sorry for the slight delay on
this chapter! it's over 7000 words
and took wayyy too long to edit

so the mcallisters are safe!! for the
most part... (rip patrick)

we're getting so so close to the
finale for this act, and you guys
are not ready for what's in store

what did y'all think of this chapter?
i love reading your thoughts!

any last predictions for the finale?

fun fact: this chapter was also delayed
because i accidentally temporarily
deleted THE ENTIRE CHAPTER
and almost had to start all over again
(i almost cried)

another fun fact: in the original plan
for this book, the kings were not nat's
family, they were only her close
friends (so glad i changed it haha)

anyways, until next time :)