UBER J/7 - the second of four parts
NC-17 for same gender love with all that it entails. If it is not your thing when it comes to reading, use your best judgement.   Some angst.

Thank you again, to Snowolf and Glynis for betareading and to Jay for a read-through. I am so grateful for the advise and scrutiny the chapter so sorely needed! I'm glad I can continue to write and post thanks to your assistance!

Back to "Lost on the Way to Raven's Island" - part 3

© GB

Part 4

Marion drove with the car radio set to an ear splitting volume. Screaming electric guitars against a massive wall of bass did not drown out her inner turbulence, but it matched it well. She would have to remember to change the channel and lower it before handing over the Spyder to Janeway. The sales director was fairly sure that the elegant CEO would not go for her temporary taste in music.

Swallowing hard she gripped the steering wheel tightly. So much had gone down the last few days; her stomach was tied up in knots. Willing herself to concentrate on the task at hand she focused on the traffic around her.

Marion finally gave in and checked the rear view mirror. Julia was driving behind her in their large SUV. She could see the outline of the interior designer where she sat behind the wheel. A searing pain pierced her heart and made her breathless. She had hurt the younger woman beyond words.

Clenching her teeth she shook her head. It was better it happened now than a few years down the line when Julia would have burned all her bridges with her family. This way there was still time for her to mend fences with her mother. As for herself … Marion sighed. She had burned her bridges when she had teamed up with Avery several years ago.

The charismatic blonde man had felt like a kindred spirit at the time. They had shared the same ambitious attitude and worked hard at Stellar Ltd. They had both been on Janeway’s good side until Seven had arrived.

Marion cringed when she remembered how she had passionately hated the young woman when she first started working at Stellar Ltd as an interpreter. The blonde had swept the cool and distant Janeway off her feet, moved in with her and …

A sob broke through Marion’s clenched throat.

She had felt her position threatened and so had Eric Avery. They had dreamed up a plan to discredit Seven, Marion had convinced herself that it was all meant to just open Janeway’s eyes; to make her see that the island girl was not up for the task and that the CEO had made a mistake by hiring her,

Avery had made the mistake of adding sexual harassment to the plan which had made Marion furious. She had wanted no part of that. In fact it had made her increasingly uncomfortable as she had watched the blonde’s confusion at the man’s advances towards her. Marion had talked to Avery, but had not been able to stop him.

It had not taken Janeway long to figure out the whole plot. If it had not been for Seven’s intervention, Marion would have been fired along with Eric Avery. For some unfathomable reason the blonde had spoken on her behalf, pleaded her case to Janeway and asked that Marion would be given a second chance. Eventually, the sales director had realised that Seven really admired her both professionally and privately.

Marion took a deep breath. No matter what it took, what consequences there would be to herself; she would not let Seven down this time.

*****

The blonde woman listened for sounds outside the locked door to her luxurious prison. She could not hear anything.

Seven rose from the bed and walked into the bathroom and opened the small cabinet to the left of the sink.

Browsing through the items in there, she picked up the gel toothpaste but put it back. It would not do the job. She needed something pastier, something white. Her pale blue eyes lit up when she spotted a tube of hand cream that had escaped her earlier attention.

She reached for the tube and then automatically checked her empty wrist. Frowning, the blonde sat down on the bed. She did not like not knowing what time it was.

She had thought of different ways to escape but had abandoned one idea after another. Only when she realised that Avery intended to hold her prisoner for months, possibly longer than that, had she understood that she would have to risk everything to get back to Kathryn. If there was any way she could stop her fiancée from selling her corporation, she would.

When Cynthia had taken her to Avery, she had moved her quickly through the almost empty apartment out into what looked like an equally empty office building. There had been little time to remember the layout of the rooms, but she had tried to memorise as much as possible.

At first she had thought of waiting until the next morning to put her plan in motion, but as time was of the essence she had thought better of it. She pulled out the cream and moved towards the window. She pushed the small curtain to the side and looked at the thirty-five by forty-five inch window. It was not the kind that you could open; it had a narrow ventilation window to the left that you would normally be able to open but this one was locked.

She opened the tube of paste and started smearing it thickly over the window. It did not take her long to complete her mission. Looking over at the bed, a sudden inspiration made her walk over to it and unplug the lamp sitting on the nightstand. She placed it on the window ledge and then pulled the curtain close around it. Seven realised that Cynthia would notice it right away. She would just have to surprise the woman when she came in with her breakfast tomorrow morning. The longer it took before her captors noticed what she had done, the greater the chance of anyone on the outside spotting it.

Seven sighed as she put the hand cream under her pillow. She knew the whole idea was a long shot since they were at least fifteen floors up but she had to do something.

Padding back to her bed, the blonde knew she would not be able to sleep much during the night. She had to be awake and ready when Cynthia came.

*****

Janeway was in her office going over the tape that Avery had made of Seven reading the demands out loud. She was filled with a cold fury that permeated every vein in her body.

The look in Seven’s eyes when she said ‘Kathryn’ towards the end of the tape haunted her. Had he hurt her? If he had so much as laid a finger on Seven she would …

A soft hand on her shoulder made her jump and pivot on her chair, glaring at the one who dared intrude.

"I made you some coffee, darling," her mother said in a calming voice. "I personally think you should rest, but since I know you won’t, I thought nothing other than your favourite beverage would do."

Janeway relaxed marginally.

"Thank you, Mother, I was …" Her voice betrayed her and the CEO reached for the coffee mug to cover up her emotions.

"You were thinking about Seven," Gretchen filled in. "I have thought of little else since Martha called. I can only imagine what you’re going through. But remember that Seven is strong and resourceful."

"I know she is, Mom. That is what’s keeping me sane right now. The thought of never seeing her again is just so ... difficult."

"That’s an understatement, if I ever heard one," a familiar voice said from the door.

Janeway almost dropped the mug when she got to her feet.

"Phoebe!" she exclaimed. Not thinking, she put down the coffee, rounded the desk in one fluid movement and met her sister halfway, embracing the younger woman. "Oh, thank God, you’re here."

Strong arms hugged her close. Phoebe smelled of her favourite perfume and oil paint and the familiar mix of scents brought tears to Janeway’s eyes.

"Oh, sis, I only just found out about Seven," the artist murmured. "I happened to switch on the TV and there it was … I’m sorry I haven’t had my cell phone switched on, Kath."

Janeway let go of her sister but kept her right arm firmly around Phoebe’s narrow waist.

"You’re here now, that’s all that matters."

"Hi, Mom," Phoebe leaned over to kiss their mother on the cheek as the older woman approached them.

"I’m glad you’re here too," Gretchen said. "I only came a few hours ago myself."

"What’s the latest news?" Phoebe asked.

"I guess I should show you a copy of the video tape that arrived this afternoon," Janeway grimaced. "We’re pretty sure it’s Eric Avery carrying out his petty revenge on me. He’s no fool – Seven is the best way to get to me."

"Avery? I think Seven told me about him at one point. Wasn’t he the bastard who …"

"… plotted against Seven and then sexually harassed her – with my help," a monotonous voice interrupted for the second time this evening. "Sorry we took so long to get here – we had to go by the apartment."

Phoebe and Janeway turned around. Marion and Julia had just entered the office.

"Marion, don’t," Julia said and put her hand on the sales director’s shoulder as if to physically keep her from uttering any more words of self-deprecation.

Gretchen and Phoebe both had a look of bewilderment on their faces at Marion’s words and tone of voice. Janeway sighed inwardly over all the repercussions Avery’s actions had caused. She had hoped that Marion would come around, but as far as she could tell her employee seemed even worse off as far as guilt was concerned.

"Why not," Marion huffed and shook off Julia’s arm. Janeway could almost not bear to look at the younger woman’s hurt expression. "I think everyone’s entitled to the truth here."

Janeway walked up to the dark haired woman. She raised her hands and took a firm hold of Marion’s shoulders. She had meant to more or less shake some sense into the other woman but then she felt Marion tremble.

The CEO gazed into dark brown eyes that were filled with pain so deep that it matched her own. Janeway realised that this went further into the core of her friend than she had realised. Had Marion lived with this hidden guilt ever since they thought they had taken care of Eric Avery?

"Marion," Janeway began, "I want you to listen to me. You are not responsible for Avery’s actions. You weren’t back then and you're not now. You made some mistakes years ago that made you vulnerable to his evil nature. Don’t you know that you’ve more than made up for it by being such a good friend to Seven and me? Do you think Julia would love you the way she does, if she didn’t see that in you?"

Marion swallowed hard.

"But if it wasn’t for me …"

"We’d be far worse off without you. We need you to help us solve this, to get through it. We all love Seven in different ways. We need your analytical mind and your strength."

Janeway pulled the rigid woman closer, almost forcing the embrace on Marion. At first the other woman tried to pull back but then she relented, giving in to her boss’ determined hug.

"I hate myself for what I did," the sales director husked. "I wish I could change it."

"You have changed it," Julia said and walked closer. "You have changed your outlook on other people, on life – and some of that is because you got to know Seven, but most of it is because of your own strength."

Marion raised her head and Janeway witnessed the hurt slowly disappearing from her features as the dark haired woman looked at her partner.

"Julia." Marion’s voice was almost inaudible.

"I’m here. I never went anywhere."

"We have to talk … but not now," the older woman said.

Julia hooked her arm under Marion’s and gave Janeway a soft smile.

"I think we will be able to solve this later," she said with a confidence that made Janeway raise an eyebrow. She had to admire Julia’s quiet strength.

Phoebe and Gretchen joined them.

"Should we look at the tape now?" Phoebe asked. "I’m nervous about watching it so I’m glad we’re together here." Gretchen put an arm around the youngest of her daughters.

Janeway nodded. This would be the third time she watched it. She did not look forward to it.

"Yes, let’s get it over with."

They moved to the sitting area of the CEO’s office where Janeway put the copy the police had made for her on her request into the VCR. Walking back, she leaned against her desk where she could watch the others while the tape ran.

At the first sight of Seven reading the demands, she noticed tears running down both Julia’s and Phoebe’s cheeks. Marion clenched her fingers around the armrests on her chair.

The resonant voice of her fiancée, together with her tears towards the end, gave Janeway shivers down her spine. She half expected Seven to join them in the conference room, telling them that it was all a misunderstanding.

When the tape was over, Janeway turned the VCR and the TV off with the remote.

"Any thoughts?" she asked, her voice harsh.

"She’s furious," Phoebe surprisingly said.

Julia turned and looked at Janeway’s sister.

"I think you’re right," she agreed. "I first thought it was merely distress, but those tears were of fury, not only fear. If I had ever doubted that it is Avery, I’m convinced now. She looked with such contempt in her eyes. If it was somebody she didn’t know, she’d be more confused, more afraid."

"Yes, she looked at the person in the room as if this was what she’d expect him to do," Marion offered, her voice showing more self-confidence than it had in the last two days. "You’re right, it was contempt and anger in her eyes."

Janeway was stunned. She, who knew Seven better than anyone, why had she not seen the feeling behind the tears? Had she portrayed her own feelings on her fiancée instead?

"I’m grateful that you wanted to watch this," Janeway said. "We have to start pulling our various pieces of information together."

Gretchen rose from her chair.

"Why don’t we go up to the penthouse and do that? I can make us something to eat while you go over what we know so far."

"Good idea, Mom," Janeway agreed. "Let’s go upstairs. It will be more comfortable there and we can plug in our laptops in the living room."

They walked to the private elevator and rode it up to the large apartment that Janeway shared with Seven. The curtains were open and they had a breathtaking view over the city.

Gretchen excused herself and went into the kitchen while the other women went into the living room where they quickly hooked up three laptops.

"First of all we need to tell you about something that Julia found while going over some of ReyVa’s documents. They have recently bought a piece of real estate not far from here. I never paid much attention to those things when I went over their background. ReyVa is not an entirely new company, but from what we could find via the Internet at the motel, they have never bought any real estate before – they’ve always leased any building where they have conducted business."

"So, what kind of building is this?" Janeway asked as she waited for her laptop to boot.

"It is a large building," Julia read from the document on Marion’s laptop. "It contains twenty floors, the first ten hold offices and the next five are mixed and the last five residential only. There is some construction going on as it was built in 1963 and in some need of renovation."

Phoebe sat down on the armrest next to Janeway and looked over her shoulder as the CEO pulled out a cord from underneath the couch and hooked it up to her laptop, thus getting access to the Internet.

"Where is this building?"

"Two blocks down on Adamson’s," Marion replied. "I think you can see it from here, actually."

"No, I don’t think so," Janeway objected, "isn’t the Carerra Tower in between?"

"No, you’re thinking the other direction," Marion said and handed her laptop over to Julia. Look, here I’ll show you."

She walked over to the panorama window facing north and Janeway followed suit after setting her computer down on the coffee table.

"There, you see? That must be it," Marion pointed.

Janeway looked down at the, compared to the Stellar Building, small structure. You could make out the top seven or eight floors and she could see lit up windows at the top.

"So, ReyVa bought this? How long ago?"

"Four months ago, Kathryn. That in itself can be completely legit but I think it’s worth investigating."

The two women returned to the sitting area and picked up their laptops again.

Phoebe, still sitting on the armrest to the couch, leaned down towards her sister.

"Do you still have your telescope, Kathryn?"

"My telescope? Why would you … yes, of course I do. It’s mounted on the patio as usual."

She had kept the telescope her father had given her on her eighteenth birthday and it had provided the CEO great pleasure to show it to Seven. The two women had spent hours out on the large patio looking at the constellations during cloud free evenings.

Phoebe got up.

"I’ll just be a moment."

Janeway’s eyes followed her sister as the tall woman walked lithely towards the patio door next to the panoramic window. She watched Phoebe walk up to the telescope that was mounted at the narrow end of the patio. Feeling both amazed and grateful that she and her sister were finding their way back to each other, she smiled sorrowfully.

Julia asked her a new question that demanded her attention. She directed her focus on her friends and they began to go over ReyVa’s affairs in detail.

She had no idea how long it had been when suddenly Phoebe was at her side again.

"Kath, you better come and take a look at this!" Her sister was out of breath, her face pale.

"What is it?" Janeway said and rose. "What’s wrong?"

"Not wrong, exactly … but … come on! You have to see this!"

Her sister impatiently pulled at her arm and Janeway found herself being dragged towards the patio.

"Phoebe, I’m coming, calm down."

Julia and Marion followed the two sisters out on the balcony. Phoebe hurried over to the telescope and looked into it as if to make sure it was set right.

"Now, look and tell me what you see," the younger of the Janeway sisters ordered.

Janeway, suddenly feeling nervous, walked over and looked into the telescope that she realised was quite illegally directed towards the building recently purchased by ReyVa Inc.

She could see a set of four windows as clear as if they were on the other side of the patio. She scanned them to see what had gotten Phoebe so excited.

The first two were unlit and she could not detect anything out of the ordinary. The third one had muted light coming from behind a curtain. There was something strange about that window. It was as if there was …

Her heart temporarily stopped.

She took several unsteady steps backwards and was caught by Julia’s strong arms. The younger woman held on to her as Janeway had to put a hand over her own mouth to not cry out as her heart resumed its painfully fast beating.

"What the hell is going on?" Marion asked and stepped over to the telescope and looked into it. She only took a few seconds before she rose and turned towards Phoebe.

"You’re something else, Phoebe." Her voice was tinged with admiration. "How the hell did you find that?"

"I thought I’d take a chance," the artist replied, her voice still weak from nerves. "I couldn’t believe my eyes. As far as I can tell from here, it’s on the fifteenth floor."

"Can someone tell me why you’re all out here screaming?"

Gretchen was now joining them, looking worried as she found her oldest daughter trembling in Julia’s arms.

"Mom, it’s Seven," Janeway managed. "Phoebe … Phoebe found it; she saw it."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Gretchen sounded dumbfounded.

"Avery’s building is that one over there, Mom," Phoebe motioned towards the structure. "I pointed the telescope at it."

Gretchen made no attempt at looking into the large telescope.

"And?" she asked, encouraging any of the women to explain further.

"There is a large number, a 7, on one of the windows," Janeway said throatily. "Mom, she has to have written it somehow, there can’t be any mistake."

"Oh, God, Katie," her mother whispered and put her hand over her heart as if to keep it in its place."

"Let me look again," Janeway said and walked over to the telescope. She bent down and looked at the window. A large digit was drawn and it was clearly visible since it was lit from behind by a small lamp.

"Clever girl," the CEO murmured to herself. "You hoped we would figure it out, didn’t you?"

"We have to get a hold of Lieutenant Archer and Detective Graham," Gretchen said. "Come on now, ladies. I have food ready for us. Something tells me that we’re going to need our strength tonight."

Janeway walked back into the living room last of all. Sending a glance towards ReyVa’s building she breathed deeply to find her bearings. I saw it, darling. I saw your sign.

*****

The unexpected sound of a key in the door startled Seven out of a half sleep.

Quickly getting on her feet she moved to stand next to the door. She inhaled deeply just before it opened.

Cynthia stepped in through the door and began closing it behind her. Seven saw the glimmer of a key chain in the other woman’s right hand and before the guard had the chance to see that she was not in her bed, she managed to get a firm grip of the large collection of keys and yank it free.

"What the hell …" Cynthia gushed as she was knocked over on the floor.

A strong hand around Seven’s ankle pulled hard, knocking her off balance. Falling face down, she felt the keys fly out of her grip and heard them slide across the floor.

The blonde rolled out of the guard’s reach, feeling under the bed for the keys in the faint light from behind the curtains.

"Oh, no, you don’t!" Cynthia growled and latched on to Seven’s legs, pulling herself up along the blonde’s body. Tugging hard, she attempted to get a grip around the younger woman’s waist.

Clawing for them, Seven managed to hook a finger around the chain, pull the keys closer and hold them tight. Several of them stuck out between her fingers.

Seven dreaded what she had to do but did not hesitate. She knew she would not get this chance again.

Twisting her body out from under the bed, she pressed her clenched fist against Cynthia’s upper arm, just beneath the short sleeved shirt. The other woman gave a short cry when the sharp keys dug into her flesh.

The older woman loosened her grip around Seven and the blonde scrambled to her feet and bolted for the door. Pulling it shut behind her she frantically pulled at the door handle to keep it closed as she tried to gauge which key were the right one.

There was a sharp cry of frustration and rage from behind the door as Cynthia yanked at the door handle. Seven tried three keys, one after another, without success. Lactic acid made her right arm burn as she hung on to the door handle. She spotted a fourth key that seemed to match the lock on the door. With trembling fingers she pushed it into the lock and twisted the key.

There was a distinct snapping sound when the cylinder moved and locked the door.

Shaking all over, Seven let go of the door handle, painfully stretching her aching fingers.

Cynthia was now banging on the door even harder, cursing out loud as she realised that the blonde had managed to lock her inside. Then there was a brief silence. When Seven heard the other woman start to talk in a low tone of voice she realised that Cynthia had a cell phone. Not wasting any more time she began moving cautiously down the hallway. All their commotion had not attracted any attention so she figured that they were alone in the apartment. No doubt Cynthia was calling for backup and the thought of meeting the men who had kidnapped her did not appeal to Seven at all.

She did not turn on the lights. Relying on the light from the city she manoeuvred between boxes and scattered pieces of furniture. It looked to her as if Avery was moving either in or out of this place.

Seven reached the front door and hesitated briefly as she listened for sounds on the other side. All she could hear was the quiet humming of the air conditioning.

Trying the door handle she found the door was unlocked. Cautiously she looked out into the hallway. Two elevators were located in the middle and beyond them a grey steel door.

As she exited the apartment, Seven noticed the digits on the display over the right elevator begin to count downward, starting from eighteen.

Not about to stay and find out who was approaching, she ran towards the steel door. Opening it, she found it led to a staircase. She took a few seconds to listen for footsteps. When there was nothing to be heard, she began her descent.

*****

Right before Janeway left with Phoebe, Marion and Julia in tow, her mother had pulled her aside.

"I know it’s not practical for me to go with you," her mother had said, "but I know of some other way I can make myself useful. I will take a blanket and a thermos with coffee with me out on the patio and keep an eye on that window through the telescope. Have your cell phone on, darling. I’ll call you, if I spot anything."

"You’re brilliant, Mom," Janeway had replied and kissed the older woman’s cheek. "I’ll call you as soon as there is anything new."

"Go take care of your girl, Katie." Gretchen smiled softly.

They had taken the private express elevator down to the garage where the four women had gotten into Marion’s SUV.

It only took them ten minutes to reach the building. Marion pulled over and simply parked on the sidewalk; blatantly disregarding the risk of getting a ticket or being towed. Janeway gazed up at the tall structure as she got out of the car. The thought that Seven might be in there, that this was the location Avery had chosen, right under her nose, made her equally angry and frightened.

Janeway peered through the large windows next to the door. A doorman was on duty by a large desk in the old luxurious building.

She flinched when her cell phone rang. Pulling it out of her pocket she flipped it open and answered.

"Janeway."

"Darling, it’s me," her mother replied. "Someone pulled the curtain aside in the window where the ‘7’ was painted. I could see that it wasn’t Seven; it was some woman. She smeared what ever Seven used in order to write the number on all over the glass. She then yanked the lamp down and now it’s dark."

Janeway’s mind reeled.

"Thanks, Mom. Are there any lights on in any of the other windows on that floor?"

"No, not what I can see. I scanned the building a minute ago and there are no lights on the office level. The residential floors are lit up though."

"Thanks, Mom. Please keep checking the building from your end and keep us posted."

"No problem, honey. Be careful now."

They hung up and the CEO turned to her friends and sister.

"I think Seven has managed to do something to infuriate them," she said after repeating what her mother just told her. "Someone was in that room, wiping away the ‘7’ and Mom could see that it wasn’t Seven. Either they are moving her or …"

"… or she’s on the move on her own," Julia said, her eyes huge. "We have to find a way to get into the building."

Phoebe looked over her shoulder at the guard.

"I think I can get us inside. What name is Avery using these days?"

"Rick Reymers, but what are you going to …"

"Just play along, sis."

The artist pulled a lipstick and a small mirror from her purse and applied a generous layer of red on her full lips. With rapid hands she pulled the ribbon from her waist long auburn curls and shook them free. She took off her leather jacket and flung it casually over her left shoulder.

She gave the other three women a glance, leaned over to ruffle Janeway’s neat hairdo and then did the same to Marion. Julia’s naturally unruly hair got an approving look.

"Look sultry," the artist commanded. "Follow me."

Janeway watched in amazement as her little sister opened the door to the building and stepped inside, giving the CEO a pointed look.

The other three women followed behind the flamboyant Janeway sister who approached the guard with a broad smile on her face.

Phoebe leaned over the counter and tapped the surprised man on the shoulder.

"Hi … Gary," she greeted him, "how are you doing?"

The man looked bewildered at the beautiful woman.

"Eh … Good evening, miss …" He quieted, not sure how to handle the situation.

"Rick’s expecting us," Phoebe stated, "and you know he doesn’t like to be kept waiting."

The guard looked at the computer screen.

"I don’t have any notation of that, miss …"

"Aw, Gary, it’s me, Candy," the younger Janeway lied without effort. "I’ve been visiting Rick several times and you know very well that he doesn’t want that in the log, darlin’. Now he’s expecting company from Japan … and you know …"

She winked at the indecisive man.

Gary looked dumbfounded and before he had the opportunity to object, Phoebe leaned over the counter and kissed the middle age man on the forehead.

"Thanks, you’re a sweetheart," she proclaimed and began walking towards the elevators. "I’m sure Rick will remember you when it’s time for the Christmas bonus!"

The four women quickly entered the elevator that was standing by in the foyer.

"Good lord, Phoebe," Julia breathed, her eyes huge. "I had no idea you could act so convincingly."

"It was just a spur of the moment kind of thing," the artist replied, failing miserably to sound humble. "I thought he would be too embarrassed to check with Avery if he figured we were call girls or something."

"Or something," Janeway exhaled and briefly closed her eyes. She had pressed the button taking them to the fourteenth floor. "Guess we better not walk directly into the lion’s den."

The elevator ascended quickly and stopped with a ping before automatically opening the door. The women cautiously stepped out into a dark hallway. Janeway heard a humming sound. She turned around and looked at the display over the elevator doors.

"Look, the other elevator is on its way down. Can he have called Avery after all?" Her voice was just barely more than a whisper.

They watched as the other elevator descended towards them. The display stopped counting at fifteen.

"Something’s going on, I knew it," Janeway muttered through clenched teeth. She looked around and her eyes fell on the door with the symbol saying it was leading to the stairwell.

"Kathryn, wait," Marion grabbed her by the arm, "you need to be careful."

"What I need is to get to Seven," the CEO growled.

Marion strengthened her grip. Reaching into the pocket of her jacket she pulled out a gun.

"Let me go first."

*****

Eric Avery stepped inside the half empty apartment, moving cautiously among scattered boxes and furniture.

He could hear the distant banging on the door and knew it came from Cynthia, locked inside Seven’s room. He did not know if the tall blonde was still in the apartment but he would not chance being taken off guard.

Avery approached the door, key in hand and opened it.

Cynthia stood just inside, her hand clutching her shoulder where blood had soaked her shirt.

"God, did she do that?" Avery exclaimed, thoroughly surprised that the girl he thought he had pegged as being innocent and quite harmless, could take such violent action.

"Have you got her?" Cynthia hissed.

He gave her an irritated look.

"No, I just got here. How long have you been in here?"

"I called you right away. She can’t be far away."

"Search the apartment. I’ll take a look outside. I better alert the front desk," Avery stated.

He moved back through the apartment and went out to the elevators again. None of them were moving. The one he had used were still on the fifteenth floor and the other one … He looked at the number. Fourteen. Could Seven have taken the elevator one floor down and then gotten off?

He opened the door to the stairwell and listened. He thought he could hear footsteps further down, much further down than the fourteenth floor. Quickly he walked back and pressed the button to open the elevator door. Thinking, he pressed the button of floor ten, taking a chance that Seven had not had time to reach any floors lower down than that.

Avery pulled out his cell phone and began to dial. He would need assistance.

*****

Seven ran down the stairs as fast as she dared on naked feet. She was afraid of slipping as the cold concrete did not provide good foothold.

The blonde passed the twelfth floor and kept going. She wanted to put as great a distance between her and the people on floor fifteen as she possibly could. No doubt someone had let Cynthia out by now and they were chasing her.

Suddenly her right foot slipped, sliding painfully over the edge of three steps before she got a firm grip on the railing with both hands. She could not help moaning out loud.

Feeling the sole of her foot burn, she had to slow down considerably.

Just as she turned to descend the next flight of stairs, the door was flung open and the person she least wanted to see came barging in.

Avery.

Seven turned and began running upwards again. Her right foot was in agony, but she tried to ignore the pain.

A strong hand caught the injured foot and pulled hard. The blonde fell, automatically trying to protect herself by holding on to the railing.

Grunting as she kicked at him, Avery kept his grip around her foot, yanking her towards him.

"You thought you could escape, huh?" he hissed. "You should’ve known better. You’re not going anywhere."

He managed to pull her down several steps. Seven hit her hip on the stairs as she slid towards him. She gave a muted groan as her sweaty hands lost their hold of the railing. She slid down further and soon she was lying on the landing with Avery hovering above her. He was a tall man and had showed unsuspected strength.

Seven was not about to surrender. She crawled backwards towards the wall and began to get up only to have her legs swept away by a quick manoeuvre by Avery’s leg. He did not actually kick her but it hurt when she hit the floor again.

Avery bent over her, grabbing her by her long blonde hair.

"Don’t move," he snarled. "We’re going to wait here for my men. You’ve already met them, remember?"

Seven paled. She realised that if she was outnumbered, she would not stand a chance.

Looking at the railing, she quickly assessed her options. The stairwell was built with the inner railing going around in a circle, leaving an approximately four feet wide circle in the middle that went all the way through the twenty floors.

"Please," Seven whispered, "let me stand up."

Avery regarded her cautiously.

"All right," he agreed after a moment, "but I warn you. Don’t do anything to make me have to hurt you."

"I just need to stand up."

He helped her to her feet and as she was holding on to his arm, she braced herself and then pushed him from her with all of her might.

Avery staggered back against the opposite wall. Seven did not delay any further. She grabbed the railing with both hands and quickly flipped both her legs over it. Finding her foothold she began to slide along the small ledge outside the railing, desperately holding on.

"Are you crazy?" Avery yelled and tried to grab for her.

"Do not touch me!" Seven hissed back letting go of one hand and grabbing the railing on the opposite side. "I would rather fall than let you take me back to that room!" She jumped across the four feet wide gap. There was a stab of pain in her injured foot but she kept going.

The man took a step back, looking at her with widening eyes.

"Get back here," he commanded, as he ran down the stairs to reach for her again. She repeated the manoeuvre, tossing herself across the empty space between the railings, keeping him at bay.

Seven kept descending along the inside of the stairs. She moved her hands rapidly, but only a few inches at a time, terrified of losing her grip. Her right foot was becoming numb and she knew that if she missed one step she could end up crushed at the bottom of the stairwell.

Seven could hear Avery talking somewhere above her and guessed that he was calling the men who had kidnapped her. She realised her actions were desperate and that she would probably not be able to keep going for very long.

There was a slamming of a door further down.

"You might as well climb back," Avery smirked as he approached the railing again. "We’re having company."

*****

Janeway looked at the small gun in Marion’s hand. The other woman looked calm and collected as if holding the weapon gave her a sense of being invulnerable.

"Was that why you went by the apartment?" the CEO asked, motioning towards the gun, as the two women left the elevator on the tenth floor. They had watched the other elevator descend to the tenth floor and agreed on being cautious. Julia and Phoebe would approach from the fourteenth floor where they had parted.

"Yes."

Janeway knew better than to keep questioning the other woman. Marion was holding up, but there was something frail about her.

The CEO had called Detective Graham before they parted from Julia and Phoebe before she and Marion took the elevator down. He had not sounded pleased that they had taken on this endeavour without notifying him but then admitted that Gretchen Janeway had been in contact with him since the four women had left the Stellar Building. The auburn haired woman had sighed in relief. The police would be there soon.

They moved towards the door to the stairwell. Opening it cautiously they immediately heard voices coming from above them.

Janeway let Marion walk in front of her as she was the one with the gun. On impulse, the CEO leaned against the inner railing and looked up. The sight that met her made her quickly clasp one hand over her mouth to silence the fearful gasp.

Almost two floors up, Seven was climbing downwards on the inside of the stairs just below the eleventh floor. Avery was reaching for her.

"You might as well climb back," Janeway heard Avery say. "We’re having company."

Apparently the man thought it was his cohorts in crime.

She tugged at Marion’s jacket.

"This is it," she mouthed soundlessly. "He thinks we’re his buddies. Go!"

The sales director pressed her lips together and took the stairs two at a time. Janeway followed her, eager to get to Seven.

Then everything seemed to happen at once.

They reached the landing where Seven clung to the railing from the outside. Avery pivoted and watched with his mouth open as Janeway and Marion approached from the floor beneath.

Janeway rushed over to Seven.

"What the hell?" Avery managed before the dark haired woman leaped towards him and pressed the gun to his temple. "Marion!"

"Oh, yeah, it’s me, Avery," the sales director hissed. "If you think I won’t pull the trigger on you after all you’ve done, that would be making a big mistake. I wouldn’t move an inch, if I were you."

Avery was clenching his fists.

"You bitch!" he spat. "I wouldn’t be so …"

"Shut up," the dark haired woman said with vehemence, pressing the gun harder against his temple, making the man slide down along the wall from the pain.

The door was yanked open next to them and three men entered.

"Stop right there," Marion shouted, "or I’ll shoot him!" Her voice was cold and there could be no mistake that she meant every word.

The three men stopped in their tracks, taking in the scene.

"Kathryn …" Seven lost her hold of the railing. Fumbling, the blonde tried to grasp for it with sweaty hands. Her feet were sliding against the ledge.

"Seven!"

The CEO threw herself forward and grabbed two fistfuls of Seven’s pyjama jacket. Holding on tight she pulled the younger woman up towards her. Seven hooked one arm around the railing and the other one around Janeway. Trembling so much that her teeth clattered, the young woman said her fiancée’s name over and over again as she struggled to get a foothold.

Julia and Phoebe came running down the stairs from above. Phoebe was on the cell phone, obviously directing the police towards their position in the stairs.

When the three men by the door heard Phoebe refer to Detective Graham they bolted back for the elevators.

"Some hoods are making a run for it but that’s okay, they won’t get far," Phoebe spoke into her cell phone.

Janeway held Seven tight and helped the blonde climb the railing back to safety.

"I’ve got you, darling," she husked. "There, easy now."

The blonde shivered and Janeway let go of her enough to take off her coat and drape it over Seven’s shoulders. She pulled her beloved close again, guiding her to sit down with her on the stairs.

"Kathryn, how can you be here?" the blonde whispered, her voice betraying her as she hid her face against the auburn haired woman’s neck.

"Phoebe saw your sign. We knew we had to act quickly."

Janeway kissed the blonde head resting on her shoulder. She turned towards Avery.

"I see you’ve tried another doomed endeavour." Janeway’s voice was emotionless. "This time we’re not going to cut you a deal. The police are on their way and you’re on your way to prison."

"Bitch," Avery spat and grimaced as Marion pressed the gun harder against his temple.

Julia had cautiously passed Avery and Marion and now opened the door to the tenth floor. There was no sign of the three men.

Phoebe quickly caressed Seven’s hair as she followed Julia to the door. The younger Janeway still had the cell phone against her ear.

"Tenth floor, hurry please," she said.

Janeway could not believe that she was holding Seven. The tall woman seemed smaller, more frail and in shock, having almost plummeted down the stairwell.

"Seven would you like to move and sit down somewhere else?" the CEO murmured.

"No, no … please, Kathryn, just hold me." Seven’s voice was slowly losing its frightened timbre. "I will be all right. Do not let go."

"I won’t. Ever."

"Here they are," Julia said, sounding relieved.

Detective Graham entered together with three other officers, their weapons drawn.

"I take it, this is Avery?" Graham motioned towards the captured man. There a joyless smirk on the detective’s face as he gave Marion a stern glance. He watched the armed brunette carefully move away from Avery, not lowering her gun until his subordinates moved in to apprehend the man sitting on the floor.

Marion walked over to Julia, putting the gun into her pocket. The younger woman tucked her arm under Marion’s and held on to her.

Graham turned to Janeway and Seven. "Are you all right, Ms Hansen?"

"Yes. I am now. Have you … have you apprehended the other men and Cynthia?"

"Who is Cynthia?" Graham asked.

"She is the guard who brought me food … I think I may have caused her injury when I tried to escape. I locked her in the room."

"The room is on the fifteenth floor," Janeway filled in. "Perhaps this woman is still there."

Detective Graham pulled out his radio and rattled a few orders. He then turned to two of the uniformed police officers.

"The paramedics are on their way up. When they take Ms Hansen down, I want you two there, keeping an eye on her."

"Yes, sir," they replied.

It did not take the paramedics long to arrive with a stretcher. They helped Seven onto it, folded the blanket around her and then strapped her securely before lifting it. Janeway took her hand.

"I’m going with you," she assured the blonde. "The police have Avery secured and now I just want to be with you."

They moved towards the elevators.

Seven looked up at Janeway.

"I knew you would not give up, that you would figure it out," Seven said. "I was just so afraid …"

"What were you afraid for?" Janeway asked when the blonde quieted and averted her eyes.

"I was afraid that you may follow the instructions on the video tape; that you would give it all up for me."

Janeway leaned down, her face close to the alabaster cheek.

"I was not ready to give up anything, least of all you, without a fight. But I want you to know that you are more important to me than any company, share or reputation can ever be. Everything else is empty without you. I can’t be without my Seven."

One large crystal tear disentangled from Seven’s long eyelashes.

"I was so angry," she confessed. "I was angry enough to assault the guard that was bringing me food."

"What did you do to her?"

"I pushed a set of keys that I had taken away from her into her arm. They perforated her skin. I never thought I could do such a thing, Kathryn."

The elevator reached the bottom floor. The police officers exited and made sure the ambulance was ready by the front door.

Janeway saw that another police officer was questioning Gary, the man at the front desk. He glanced at her, his eyes dark. She ignored his accusing glance and took Seven’s hand as she accompanied her fiancée to the ambulance.

The paramedics secured the stretcher inside the ambulance and the CEO climbed onboard. As one of the paramedics was ready to close the door behind them, a familiar face peered inside.

"Glad to see you in person, Ms Hansen," Lieutenant Archer said and introduced himself. "I’ll be accompanying Avery, or Rick Reymers as he insists his name is, downtown to the police station and then I’ll come by the hospital to take your statement."

"Can’t that wait until tomorrow?" Janeway asked. "She’s exhausted."

"I am all right, Kathryn. I will answer any questions that you might have, Lieutenant."

"Good. See you later, Ms Hansen. I really am pleased this ended well." He gave Janeway a look that spoke volumes. She was not sure he was all that pleased with her initiative, even if it had ended well.

When the ambulance rolled away down the street, Janeway leaned over her beloved and kissed her gently on the lips, not caring that the paramedic was there.

"You did what you had to do to get away from those people; to come home," the older woman whispered.

"I love you, Kathryn," Seven whispered back. "I have never been so afraid. I thought he was going to keep me there for months, maybe forever."

"I would not have allowed that. I was on my way to get you."

Janeway held on to her fiancée, knowing that physical contact would help Seven realise that she was free and safe quicker than any words. The ambulance drove rapidly through the city as it was in the middle of the night and the streets almost empty.

She could hardly believe what had taken place tonight.

Seven was free.

*****

The faint light from the lamp in the window rendered the room a soft glow.

Seven had reluctantly accepted the idea that she would not be able to go home just yet. X-ray had shown two hair line fractures in her right foot and she now boasted a large cast.

She looked down on her foot. The cast was pink. The blonde rolled her eyes and turned clumsily towards the woman sitting on her bed.

"Are you in pain, darling?" Kathryn asked. "I can get the nurse …"

"No, the pain is not bad. I only need you here."

The CEO leaned down and slowly brushed her lips against Seven’s. The younger woman eagerly kissed her back. She could not get enough of her fiancées touch. It still had not quite sunk in that she was free and that they were together again.

A sound from the door made Seven flinch and cling to the older woman. Turning her head she saw two men approach the bed.

"Is this necessary already?" Janeway frowned. "Seven is just out of x-ray and …"

"I’m sorry, Ms Janeway," the older of the two men, Seven remembered him as Lieutenant Archer. "We have to Ms Hansen’s statement. Rick Reymers already has a team of lawyers working towards getting him out on bail. If we can’t get the district attorney all the facts, we won’t be able to hold him after the arraignment."

Seven sat up in bed, her eyes wide.

"Can they do that? Can they let him out?" she asked, hating how her voice trembled.

"Not if you give us your statement, Ms Hansen," the lieutenant reassured her. "Kidnapping is a felony offence. We have to make it clear to the judge that he is a threat to you and your partner and also that he would flee the country, if released on bail."

Seven squeezed Janeway’s hand.

"If you will forgive me for being quite exhausted, I will do my best to tell you everything that happened," she stated, swallowing hard.

Archer’s stern face softened and he pulled up a chair.

"Take your time. We want to get this right. Detective Ramirez here will take your statement and that alone will keep Reymers behind bars until the trial."

"His name is not Rick Reymers," Seven began, "it is Eric Avery. He once worked for Kathryn at Stellar Ltd and … his first offence was when he sexually harassed not only me but several other women at the company. Kathryn has their affidavits and also his written confession to that stored in the safe."

Archer glanced at the CEO who nodded.

"Go on."

"I do not remember everything about the actual kidnapping," the blonde continued. "I was on my way to Jacob’s boat where I would meet up with him and Kathryn; we were going to Raven’s Island for a vacation … when …"

She swallowed unable to speak past the lump in her throat. Kathryn shifted so that she could put her arm around the younger woman. Seven leaned against her partner as she tried to sort the scattered memories out.

"I went onboard and when Jacob did not seem to hear me, I opened the door to the bridge. He was lying there. There was blood all around his head and his hands and feet were tied up. I had just begun to dial Kathryn … and then I can not remember very clearly … I remember a strange smell, a lot of commotion and the next thing I knew I woke up lying on the floor of a car."

She told the rest of the story in a low, monotonous voice. Kathryn’s soft hand stroking her hair helped her relay the rest of the terrifying experience.

Detective Ramirez had both taped Seven’s statement as well as scribbled down notes on several pages of his writing pad. He now stopped the small tape recorder and nodded towards the blonde.

"This will do it," he said with confidence. "You can relax now, Ms Hansen, Reymers, or Avery as it were, will not be out on bail when the judge is informed of this."

"Thank you. I have to ask, did you catch Cynthia?"

"No, not as of yet," Archer shook his head. "There is a warrant out for her arrest. We’ll get her."

The two men said goodnight and left.

"Did you check on Marion and Julia?" Seven asked and snuggled closer to Kathryn.

Strong arms immediately held her tight.

"I called them as well as Mom and Phoebe when you were being x-rayed. Julia and Marion are still at the police station giving their statements. Marion had to confirm that she had a permit for that gun of hers. Mom and Phoebe are at the penthouse, I think my sister is probably in the process of telling our mother ‘how it all went down’, to quote her."

Seven gave a faint smile. Satisfied that the others were safe, she could finally relax as the pain medication the nurse had given her made her sleepy.

"And Jacob? Did you call the hospital he’s in?"

"Yes, I did. He’s awake but still very weak. The doctors say he will be all right but it will take time since he’s not a young man anymore. I asked Dorothy to tell him you’re safe and she thought that might be the motivation he needs. We’ll go visit him when you’re up to it, darling. We’ll take care of them, I promised them that."

There was a small trickle of relief that the man who had been a father figure for years would recuperate. Seven sighed and nuzzled the soft fabric of Kathryn’s shirt.

"Are you staying?" she murmured.

"Of course, I am."

"I am afraid that I might wake up and be back in that room."

"You won’t. I won’t leave your side and tomorrow I’ll take you home. You’re safe, darling"

Seven shuddered.

"It might be a while before I can really feel it."

"Shhh, I’ve got you, sweetheart. I won’t let anyone hurt you." Kathryn’s voice broke. "Nobody will ever take you from me again. Nobody."

The two women curled up in the narrow hospital bed. Holding on, Seven placed her head close to Kathryn’s chest, listening to the comforting sound of the older woman’s steady heartbeat. She inhaled the familiar scent of the soft perfume.

"I love you, Kathryn."

"Oh, God, I love you too, darling. Now go to sleep, I’ll be here when you wake up; I won’t leave your side."

Willing herself to relax and believe in the reassuring words, Seven let her guard down and allowed sleep to overtake her senses.

*****

Marion stood in the middle of their living room, a vacant expression in her eyes as she watched Julia take her jacket off and toss it on a chair.

The sales director had stood her ground at the police station, not about to let anyone question her actions when she had threatened Avery with her gun, making him step away from Seven. She had given her statement in a matter of fact voice, every bit the elegant, cool sales director who would never allow anyone to stare her down. She had fought any sign that she might crumble, managing to keep that up until they stepped over the threshold to the apartment.

Images from the tumultuous night flashed before her eyes.

The thought of the blonde woman balancing on the outside of the railing, ten floors up made her nauseous. Cold shivers ran down her spine, making her tremble.

"I know it’s early morning but why don’t I make us some coffee?" Julia offered. "I could use some, I think."

"Not for me, thanks," Marion managed. She swallowed hard, trying to think of something else to say, something to remove the sight of Seven, injured and almost plummeting towards her death, from her retina.

"Marion?" Julia came up to her, touching her cheek with the back of her hand. "You’re so pale. Come sit on the couch. I can skip the coffee; it’s not all that important."

The older woman let Julia guide her to the couch where she sat down, her hands motionless in her lap.

"There we go. Now, put your feet up, sweetie. Come on."

With gentle hands Julia moved her listless body before she reached for the soft chenille afghan. She tucked it around Marion’s body and then sat down next to her.

"Do you want to talk, love?" she asked in a soft voice.

Marion struggled to focus on what her partner was saying. Julia’s eyes showed nothing but love and compassion.

"I came so close to pulling the trigger today," the sales manager husked, her voice hardly audible. "I had him at gunpoint and every cell in my body screamed at me to fire. I wanted him dead after everything he’d done. What he put Seven through … what he did to me … what I allowed him to do …" She shivered and pulled the soft afghan closer.

"Sweetie …"

"It’s true." Marion’s voice was stronger. "I allowed him to have power over me. He then saw an opportunity to blackmail me, which lead to the events that put Seven at risk and may have scarred her for life. I’m responsible for that, Julia. So, I thought, why not shoot him …" She clenched a fist and hit the backrest of the couch. "But you know the irony of it all? If I had shot him – the next person I would have had to turn the gun onto was … me. I hold myself accountable. Who am I kidding? I’m no killer. So I didn’t squeeze that trigger."

"Thank God, you didn’t," Julia whispered. She disregarded Marion’s apparent reluctance and hugged her close. "I think he thought you would though. He was scared witless of you, sweetie. He didn’t move an inch. If the police had not arrived when they did, he would have wet himself."

The exaggeration made Marion smirk against her will.

"Why do you love me, Julia?" she asked, suddenly desperate to know. "How can you find any redeeming qualities about someone like me?"

Not falling into the trap, Julia smiled softly and kept Marion close to her, softly stroking the older woman’s back.

"You know why," she insisted in a gentle manner. "I love you because you’re everything I ever dreamed of. You’re of course very beautiful, smart, tough, honest, caring, sexy … I could go on and on, but it is all the little pieces that make up your person that make me love you. I wake up every day counting myself very lucky that you love me back. No matter how hurt I was when you withdrew from me at the motel – I knew you loved me."

"I don’t deserve your loyalty!" The pain was almost too much to bear. It flooded her senses and she expected Julia to finally realise just how misplaced her loyalty was. "I don’t deserve you and you certainly don’t deserve being ostracised by your mother because of me. She hates me."

"I don’t care what my mother thinks. I gave up on that long before I met you. And you’re wrong – you do deserve love and loyalty! You have to face what really is the problem here, Marion. You have to look to the person who’s forgiveness and acceptance you need the most."

The dark haired woman stared at her partner, her eyes glazing over when she felt the soft, decisive voice caress her senses.

"What are you talking about, Julia? I let everybody down … I … " The pain made her curl up into a ball to keep her aching body together.

"I’m talking about you, sweetie," the interior designer replied in the softest of voices. "I’m talking about finally accepting that you made a serious mistake and that everyone has forgiven you a long time ago, even Kathryn. Everyone – but yourself. You are your own hardest judge, Marion. You don’t give yourself credit for anything good you’ve done up to the point when you teamed up with Avery, or after you discovered how bad he really was."

Julia pulled her partner closer, rocking her.

"I, and everyone that really knows you, sees a caring, beautiful woman who has every potential to become everything she wants to be – and I also see your own self-loathing, and it hurts me more than I can say. Forgive yourself and come back to us. Please, we need you. If I lose you, I’ll be devastated and If Kathryn loses you, not only does she lose a very loyal friend but also her right arm when it comes to business. And Seven … you know she loves you."

There was a slow trickle of warmth penetrating the cold shell around her soul. Slowly at first she felt it begin to make her feel warmer and then it was as if the dams burst. Julia’s love, the all surrounding, overwhelming sensation engulfed her and made her burst into tears. She held on to her lover, her best friend, and allowed the younger woman to comfort her.

"Forgive me," she sobbed. "I’m sorry, I’m so sorry."

"I forgive you if you forgive yourself," Julia vowed. "Just let us love you and keep you, sweetie. I love you so much and I can’t … I can’t be without you."

Clinging to Julia, Marion hugged her close.

"I don’t want you to go. I love you. I love you. Please, stay. Stay with me."

Julia kept murmuring terms of endearment as they sat on the couch, the sun rising over the tall buildings in the inner city. Marion knew that they had made it through a crossroad in their relationship, and she had taken a step towards her own self-respect.

The sales director closed her eyes and made room for Julia on the couch, not interested in moving into the bedroom. She felt safe and warm under the afghan with her lover.

They were where they belonged. They were together. They were home.

*****

Continued in "Lost on the Way to Raven's Island" - epilogue