Well, here's the end of book two. This chapter is very intense, and I hope all of you will read book three, it will be from Danny's POV. Thank you all who keep reading, I hope to hear from more of you. I'll probably jump right into book three this weekend because I'm so addicted to writing this. Enjoy!
Chapter 47- Welcome to V-Town
Julian handed out knives to Sam, Drew, Kevin, Nikolas, Lucas, and TJ and they went out to the streets where everyone was in an uproar and drones hovered in the sky. "We need to run," Julian said through gritted teeth. "Leave everything else behind and get help."
Alexis' eyes grew wide.
"We'll have to go underground… the sewers," Molly said. "That's our only chance. My My Face says they have security everywhere."
"We can't leave without the kids," Sam choked up, breathing rapidly. "They've taken over the school. Willow's in danger… I heard Ric on the other end of the phone… they're all in danger."
"Sam, you go with your family," Drew said. "I'll go get the kids."
"I'm going with you," Sam insisted. "I'm not leaving without my children."
"Spencer is there too," Nikolas groaned.
"And I need to find Wiley," Lucas said.
All the colour drained from Alexis' face. "Well I'm not leaving without any of you."
"You have to, Mom," Sam said. "Leo needs you. He's little. Make him your priority and I'm going to save my priorities."
Alexis wrapped her arms around Leo.
"I'll go with Sam," Julian said.
"No!" Sam shouted. "You need to protect Mom and Leo!"
Julian sighed. "But you're my daughter…"
"And Leo is your son. We don't have much time. We'll find you, but you have to go. And I need to get my kids."
Drew and TJ pried open the sewer grate.
"Sam…" Kristina teared up. "What if…"
Sam hugged her tightly. "No what ifs… we'll find each other."
Molly looked at her phone as she cradled Lexie in her arms. "My phone is out of service now."
"So is mine…" Lucas groaned.
"Go!" Sam pressed and Kevin, Lucy, and Kristina climbed down into the sewer.
"Ava, go with them," Nikolas said.
Ava opened her mouth but he pressed an index finger to her lips.
"No arguing," Nikolas said. "You'll only slow me down. Stay with your brother."
"But Nikolas…"
Nikolas pressed his lips hard to hers. "I love you."
She caressed his cheek. "I love you too, you sexy man." Then she followed into the sewer.
Sam hugged Molly and kissed her cheek. "You take care of my sweet niece."
"I love you, Sam." Molly pushed the tears from her eyes, then TJ helped her and Lexie into the sewer.
"Sam…" Tears streamed down Alexis' face.
Sam wrapped her free arm around Alexis' waist. "I'll find you."
Julian hugged Lucas.
Alexis kissed the top of her head. "How is this happening…"
"I love you, Mom," Sam said.
"I love you more."
Sam handed Annabelle the second to Julian. "Take her with you."
Julian kissed Sam's forehead. "Stay safe."
Leo climbed down, and as Alexis started to climb down, she pressed the tips of her index finger and middle finger to her lips and blew Sam a kiss and Sam blew one back. As she watched her parents disappear into the sewer Sam burst into tears.
GHGHGH
Drew, Sam, Nikolas, and Lucas raced through town in Drew's car. Guards holding rifles at every corner and V-Town flags streamed from streetlight to streetlight.
"I need to get Wiley too!" Lucas pressed.
"There's no way Nelle would let him out of her sight tonight," Sam said. "And Willow said she's at the school."
Drew came to an abrupt stop behind the school. "Okay, we need to be smart about this. They're probably in the classrooms or the gym. I say let's break in through the kitchen window. Maybe we can grab more knives while we're there."
"And maybe we should split up," Sam said. "Nikolas, you and Lucas search for Spencer and Wiley. Heck, any of the kids you see just grab."
They crept up to the back of the building and crouched down. When they reached the kitchen window, they peeked inside. With no sign of anyone, Sam seized a rock and smashed the window.
Careful not to cut themselves on the glass, the foursome hoisted themselves through the window into the kitchen.
Checking all the drawers, they only found one sharp knife, but they also grabbed some large metal spoons desperate for any protection.
When they reached the hallway, Nikolas and Lucas went right and Drew and Sam turned left.
They peeked inside a classroom. It was dark and empty. They passed more classes, all empty. But muffled sounds came from the janitor's closet.
Knife at the ready, Sam locked eyes with Drew, then pushed the door open. Willow was bound to a chair with duct tape over her mouth. Her eyes grew wide when she saw them, and she mumbled under the tape.
"Willow…" Sam dropped beside her and quickly unfastened her bounds and gently ripped the tape from her mouth.
"Sam…" Willow cried.
Sam threw her arms around her. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
"I'm fine… but Ric said he was going to shut off all cell phone services because I called you."
"Do you know where Danny and Scout are?" Drew asked.
"The gym. They're all there. And Nelle has Wiley."
Sam handed her a knife. "You'll have to come with us to get them… I'm not leaving you alone."
They made their way through the hallway and slowly pushed open the door to the gym.
"And as your new principal," Nelle said holding a wailing Wiley in her arms. "You will treat me with respect. You will no longer have nagging parents telling you what to do. In the freedom of V-Town, there are no parents. The Almighty V has already taken steps to either flush them or lock them up for your protection. He will protect all of us."
Sam whipped her head around as several kindergarteners started crying and calling out for their mommys from the front of the gym. One of them being Scout.
At the back were the highschoolers—Danny, Georgie, Jake, Cameron, Josslyn, Emma, Trina, Spencer amongst them.
Francesco Marchesi walked over to the kinders and kicked Noah Drake Jr, causing him to wail.
"If you keep crying like that, your punishment will be worse," Nelle shouted into her microphone.
"Noah!" Emma jumped to her feet, shaking.
Alessandro Marchesi walked over to Emma and started stroking her hair. "Little girl, you were not asked to stand."
Emma's shoulders sunk.
"Perhaps you could come with me," Alessandro said. "And I will show you to listen to your leaders."
"Leave her alone!" Cameron jumped up and shoved him.
"Cameron…" Ric walked up to him and grabbed him by his shirt collar. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." He dragged him over to the wall and pinned him.
"I should've known you'd be working for these people." Cameron spit on him. "You're a low life just like them."
"They're going to give me what no one else has given me," Ric said. "What I should've had all along." He started choking him.
Drew started to charge over when the door at the side of the gym flew open and Elizabeth stormed in with a baseball bat.
"Elizabeth…" Ric said. "It didn't have to be this way. We could have had a life together."
"Get away from my son!" Elizabeth shouted.
She struck the bat hard against Ric's head. The blow to his head caused him to drop to the floor, dead. Screams pierced the air, and the usually quiet Aiden stood and shouted out, "Mom!" But Francesco pushed him to the floor. Elizabeth mouth dropped as she looked at Ric's lifeless body and she wrapped arm around Cameron.
"Let the kids go!" Drew stepped forward, knife at the ready and Sam followed.
Willow stood close to Sam, and Danny looked back at them with wide eyes.
"Mommy!" Scout tried to run over, but Francesco grabbed her.
"Well, well, well," Nelle said shifting a screaming Wiley in her arms. "If it isn't the woman who used to be my mother."
"I never was," Sam said through gritted teeth. "Now, let my children go."
"Oh, I can't do that," Nelle said. "I'm not letting these precious souls follow after their destructive parents' footsteps. No. They'll follow the Rule of V-Town." She pulled out a walkie talkie. "Send them in. I have people here bothering me."
Several men carrying rifles stormed into the gym, causing more children and teens to scream. One of the men grabbed Elizabeth. Sam charged over to Francesco and tried to pry Scout from his arms when—
Bang!
"Daddy!" Scout screamed.
Sam's heart sank and she yanked Scout from Francesco. She whipped around and saw Drew lying on the floor, blood gushing from his gut.
Sam darted to Drew's side with Scout, and Nikolas and Lucas stormed in and charged over to the Marchesi twins.
"Get—get…" blood streamed from the corner of Drew's mouth. "Get the kids out…"
"Drew…" Sam teared up.
"They're… your… priority…"
"You're not taking them anywhere," Nelle shouted.
Sam twisted around and Nelle was pointing a gun at Danny.
"He could've been my brother…" Nelle said. "But if I can't be your child, then no one can."
Danny's chest moved up and down quickly and his panicked eyes locked with Sam's.
Sam passed Scout to Willow. "Stay with your sister…" Sam walked closer to Nelle and Danny. "Put the gun down. Now."
"No can do…" Nelle grinned. "The Incredible V doesn't tolerate defiled Cassadines."
Bang!
Nelle pulled the trigger and the bullet ripped through the air towards Danny, but Sam pushed him out of the way. She felt tight pressure in her chest. She looked down at blood gushing from the right side of her chest. Her ears rang but she saw Willow and Scout screaming in the distance, then looked over at Danny whose frightened face paled and his eyes filled with tears as she dropped to the floor and everything went black.
GHGHGH
When Sam opened her eyes, she thought she was dreaming. Three screens were above her on the ceiling with no sound. On the left Willow sat in a bed in a tiny white room holding her pink blanket to her chest as the cried. The middle screen Danny was in a similar room, rocking back and forth hugging his legs. And on the right, Scout laid on a bed kicking and screaming.
Sam turned her head side to side and realized she was laying on the floor of a padded room. Other than the screens on the ceiling, that's all it was, was a padded room. She tried to sit up, but she grabbed her chest… that's right… she was shot. She seemed to be bandaged up and she only assumed the bullet was removed. But Drew was shot too... where was he? Did he survive?
The door swung open and Valentin walked in. "I see you're awake now. What's wrong? Are you not happy to see your uncle? We still haven't located Natasha. She's always been the weak Cassadine, so I'm assuming she ran or is hiding. You tried defeating me, but I am the true ruler of this town and the Cassadine Prince."
Sam swallowed hard.
He looked up at the screens on the ceiling. "Isn't that the perfect torture? Watching your children from afar suffer and not able to stop it? There are cameras around V-Town. In their rooms, at their school, where they will eat. But you won't have the luxury of seeing them all the time." He gritted his teeth. "Just enough to rip your heart out. I am the true Cassadine line. Charlotte, Nina, and I will rule. Natasha's and Stravros' line will be treated like the vermin that they are." He looked at the screens again and smiled. "So many orphans in V-Town, they will look to their leader for guidance. It's like what Hitler said… he alone, who owns the youth, gains the future."
He walked out slamming the door behind him and Sam's heart raced as she looked up at her suffering children.