"Hey! Hey! What's wrong?" Connor asked, rushing to Vicky's side, seeing her crying. Her phone rang again, it was from Mia. Connor saw the phone call, and looked at Vicky. Vicky wiped her tears, and answered the phone.
"Are you on your way, kid?" Dash asked.
"Yeah! Just ran into some trouble with the weather," Vicky replied.
"Are you crying? You're such a pathetic little thing. You act like this tough kid, but you aren't, are you? I suggest you get here soon, or you'll have a reason to cry," Dash said, cutting the line.
Vicky stood up weakly, and looked at Connor.
"What was that about?" Connor asked.
"Nothing. I have to go," Vicky said, walking towards her car.
"I'm not letting you go anywhere in this storm alone," Connor said, turning to Vicky.
"What are you going to do? I've spent the past few years making decisions on my own, and going places by myself. And now you're worried about me?" Vicky asked.
"You do know that I've been watching you for a long time, right? I know all the things you've done in the past few years. I've made sure to know where you're going, and with whom. Why should I stop now?" Connor asked, looking at Vicky.
"Because I don't need your protection. I don't need you following me around. I'm an adult. I can make my own decision," Vicky replied.
"Like your decision to kill Manic?" Connor asked.
"Can we not talk about this now? I really have to go," Vicky said. She looked at the car, and back at Connor.
"Okay so go. You don't even know any road around that tree," Connor said.
"I can use my phone," Vicky replied. She walked to the car, and took her phone. She saw the no signal message displayed. She sighed, and hit the roof of the car with her hand.
"Watch it! You'll dent the car," Connor said, walking towards Vicky.
"It's a strong car," Vicky said, turning to Connor.
"I'll take you to... wherever you want to go, but I'm coming with you. I'll stay a few blocks away from you if you want me to. I'll make sure that even you have no idea that you're being followed," Connor replied.
"Fine," Vicky said. She was about to get into the car, when her father called out. "What?" Vicky asked, turning to him.
"You know who else is strong like that car?" Connor asked.
"Who?" Vicky asked.
"You," Connor replied, and walked to the captain's car.
Vicky got into her car, and let Connor take the lead, to an alternate road past the fallen tree. Vicky pulled out her handkerchief, to clean her wet face, but it was already drenched in water.
Vicky followed the instructions to the location, using a map she found in the glovebox of the car.
Vicky arrived at the cabin, the Wilson's were staying in. She got out of the car, and looked around. She couldn't see Connor, or the captain's car. She walked to the front door, and rang the doorbell.
Dash opened the door, without coming out, and let Vicky in. The house had no lights on. It looked haunted on the inside.
"Why weren't you answering your phone. A few more minutes, and I would have started putting bullets in them," Dash said. He had a gun in his hand. He pointed it at Vicky, and asked her to walk up the stairs.
"What do you want?" Vicky asked, following Dash's instructions.
"So now you care about what I want? Keep walking," Dash said, pushing Vicky towards a room.
"Mia! Ray!" Vicky said. She rushed to Mia, Rachel and Mrs. Wilson, who were tied up. Dash hit Vicky on the head, and she fell unconscious.
Vicky woke up tied, next to Mia, Rachel and Mrs Wilson. Her mouth was taped.
"Only three of you are leaving here alive. It's time you start choosing," Dash said, pointing the gun at Mia and Rachel. He then continued, "I'm going to count down. The person the gun ends on dies. Three… two…". Vicky watched as Dash kept pointing the gun at Mia and Rachel.
Vicky couldn't do anything, as she was tied to the grill of the tall window in the room.
Mrs Wilson was screaming, but it was all in vain, as her mouth was taped to.
"One…" Dash said, and a gunshot rang in the room. Vicky watched as Dash fell to the ground, with his head shot out.
Connor stood at the entrance of the room with a shotgun in his hand. He untied the four of them. Vicky embraced Connor as soon as he untied her.
"You okay?" Connor asked, hugging Vicky back.
"Yes!" Vicky replied.
"Connor!" Mrs. Wilson asked as she walked towards Connor with her eyes opened wide.
"We should probably leave. He might be working with someone else," Connor said. They walked out of the cabin.
Mrs. Wilson, Mia and Rachel got into the same car with Vicky. Connor followed them closely behind.
They arrived at the lake house. The captain was standing under the patio waiting for them. The storm was getting worse, with a large breeze blowing almost anything unattached.
Vicky and Connor parked the cars inside the garage, and walked into the house.
"What happened?" the captain asked, looking at the five of them, drenched in water.
"Dash found their house," Connor said.
Vicky, Mia and Rachel were shivering. The captain opened the door for them, and they all walked inside.
"It's fre..eezing," Rachel said.
"Uh… let's go grab some new clothes to wear," Vicky said, leading the two towards her room.
Vicky searched for her old clothes, and gave Rachel them. Mia was the same size as Vicky, so she was able to wear one of Vicky's clothes.
After changing, the three went back downstairs. Vicky searched for Connor. He too had changed out of his wet clothes. He was checking on Wyatt. The others were still in the living room too.
Connor looked at Vicky, who smiled at him. Connor got up, and walked towards Vicky.
"Everything okay?" Connor asked.
"Yes. I just wanted you to give this to you," Vicky said, handing over the keys to the car, to Connor.
Connor and Vicky walked away from the eyes of the others.
"Thanks!" Connor said, taking the keys from Vicky, and continued, "You're a terrible driver. Who taught you to drive?"
"Leo," Vicky said with a smirk.
"I see," Connor said with a smile.
"Maybe it's just that reckless driving runs in the family," Vicky said.
"I'm sure that I am not as reckless as you think," Connor replied.
"Hmm… sure. Do you want me to point out all the times you were reckless, while driving us to and from school, and pretty much everywhere," Vicky said.
"Let's not go there," Connor said, smiling.
"Dad!" Vicky said. Her smile faded, and she stared at the wall behind Connor.
"Yeah!" Connor said. He noticed the change of emotions on Vicky's face.
"Thanks for following me, and being my dad even if I'm rude to you sometimes," Vicky said. She looked at Connor.
"You don't have to thank me for anything. You were right, I was a terrible father to you and Leo. I should have been there for both of you… after the fire," Connor replied.
"No! No! Dad! For once, could you be quiet and listen to what I have to say, because I have to say this to you," Vicky said. Connor looked at Vicky, and Vicky continued "I'm sorry for being rude to you. You always just wanted to help. You wanted to make sure that I didn't get into trouble, and I never appreciated it. Even before the fire."
"Don't say that! You don't have to appreciate what I do… always. I'll keep protecting you always. Because no matter what happens, you'll always be my daughter. No matter how old you grow, as long as I'm around, I'll always have that instinct to protect you," Connor said.
Vicky started tearing up, and hugged her father. Connor hugged her back, and kissed the top of her head.
"Thanks dad. I love you," Vicky mumbled, while hugging Connor.
"I love you too… princess," Connor replied.
They walked back into the living room. Claire was sitting next to Wyatt who was awake, and explaining what happened at Raina Corps.
"Hi!" Claire said, smiling at Vicky.
"Hi!" Vicky said, sitting on a bean bag.
"So what, you guys besties now?" Mia asked, looking at Vicky and Claire.
"Mia!" Mrs. Wilson said. Vicky looked and Mrs. Wilson, and nodded sideways.
"No. But I'd like my bestie to sit next to me. Come on, sit on this bean bag," Vicky said, pointing to a bean bag next to her.
"What have you done to it?" Mia asked. She looked suspiciously at Vicky.
"Nothing. Just sit down," Vicky said. Mia eyed Vicky, and poked the bean bag. She poked it a bit more, and eventually sat on it.
Mia wiggled on the bean bag, and fell inside. The bean bag was broken, and Vicky knew it.
Vicky burst out laughing, and fell back on the bean bag. Mia stared at Vicky. Mia grabbed a pillow from the couch, and Vicky with it.
"You told me that it was fine," Mia said, hitting Vicky with the pillow.
"Mia!" Mrs. Wilson said again.
Vicky kept laughing and sat back up, as Mia kept hitting her with the pillow.
"Jerk!" Mia said.
"Calm down. It was a joke," Vicky said laughing.
"You're so mean!" Mia exclaimed.
"Me? Mean? Have you seen the pranks you pull?" Vicky asked.
"Fair enough!" Mia said. She sat back on the couch, and blew the hair off her face.
The rest of them watched Vicky and Mia's drama unfold.
"Can someone please explain what's going on? And who was the person at our house? And how are you still alive" Mrs. Wilson asked, looking at Connor.