I watched in horror as one of the Men in Black punched Jasmine in the stomach, making her curl over with a grunt.

I called out her name before gasping when the other man jerked my hair, bringing my head back roughly.

"Be quiet and watch, or I will make it worse for you." he growled as I tried to squirm away from his hold. My scalp hurt from the hair-pulling and I held back a whimper from when Jasmine received another slap.

Jasmine shook her head before giving her assaulter a warning look.

"Do that again and you'll regret it," Jasmine warned. "Last chance."

The man chuckled before slapping her again with more force. Jasmine's head jerked from the impact before she spat out some blood.

"You have no control here. Maybe I should move on to the other one?" The man gestured to the one holding me, who pulled my hair tighter, exposing my neck.

"You won't dare touch her." Jasmine snarled.

"Oh, yeah?" the evil man said, crouching so he was only inches from Jasmine's face. "And who's going to stop me? You, a lawyer in an evening gown and high heels? Are you going to fine or sue me?" The man laughed and the one holding me chuckled as well.

Jasmine gave the man a faux sweet smile.

"You underestimate a woman with the right motives. Besides–" She was cut off by a sudden beep, and her smile widened even more as the man looked around in confusion at the noise. "I'm more than just a lawyer."

With one stiletto heel, Jasmine stomped on the man's foot before throwing her leg up. I watched in amazement as the kick hit the man in the throat.

The man went down as Jasmine moved her arms frantically. Her arms suddenly came free and the broken bindings fell to the floor.

The man holding me captive released my hair to charge Jasmine, pulling out a knife. Jasmine quickly grabbed her chair to block his advances.

I struggled to get free as Jasmine fought against the man. I tried to stand, carrying the chair on my back, wondering how the heck I could be helpful when Jasmine was doing well on her own.

Jasmine used her impromptu weapon to hit the man's hand, making him drop the knife. She kneed him in the stomach before whacking him in the face, causing him to fall with a thud.

My eyes widened as the man Jasmine kicked stood up, coming up behind her when she was distracted. Not thinking, I charged, making sure that he hit the chair first. I heard a grunt and a crack when I made contact. I lost my momentum and fell to the side with a thump. I had no way to catch myself, and my left arm radiated pain.

Ignoring it, I sighed in relief when I found the man I'd stampeded was out cold.

"Rosie!" Jasmine hissed. She retrieved the knife and cut through my bonds, helping me up. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine. Are you okay? The man hit you pretty hard." I stumbled and gave her a tight hug. Jasmine returned it just as fiercely before pulling away.

"I'm okay. But we need to move quickly," Jasmine took off her heels and grabbed a fistful of the bottom of her gown. Using the knife, she cut her dress short, the edges uneven and jagged at her lower thigh.

"While this was expensive, my dress will only slow us down. We're lucky that it already had a slit in it. Xavier and Damon are coming. For now, we need to hide and buy some time."

I almost crumbled with relief at the news. Jasmine instructed me to help her drag the unconscious men against the wall. After that, she used the torn dress fabric to tie them up back-to-back.

"Take that, assholes." Jasmine muttered.

I spotted my rose charm on the ground. I quickly picked it up and put it in my pocket. I wouldn't let Lorenzo turn something sentimental into something ugly.

"Can we go out the door?" I asked and gestured to the exit.

Jasmine shook her head. "We don't know what's on the other side. I'd rather we remain completely unseen," Jasmine pointed at an air vent. "We'll go this way."

Jasmine grabbed a chair as she walked to the vent, which was a few feet above us. Standing on the chair, she unscrewed the bolts and lifted the vent cover open. Luckily, it seemed large enough that we could fit.

Jasmine threw her shoes and knife in, then used her arms to lift herself up and into the vent.

"Tell me when you are up." Jasmine called.

I looked at the vent skeptically.

"I don't know if I can get up there." I said uneasily as I stood up on the chair. I was able to grasp the bottom on the vent.

"Rosaline, for months you have been learning how to climb up a pole. You have more upper body strength than you think. Hurry up." Jasmine spoke urgently.

"Okay, okay. You got this." I whispered before I heaved myself up, trying not to hit my head on the vent door. I quickly scrambled into the space, sighing in relief that I had a lot of wiggle room.

"I'm in." I murmured as the door closed behind me, making it dark.

"Perfect, follow me and be as quiet as possible." Jasmine whispered as she began crawling. I followed her, making sure that my weight didn't cause any noise.

As we continued crawling, we passed a few other vents. Through them, we could see guards patrolling the building. We still didn't know where we were being held and I hoped Jasmine would figure that out soon.

After a while, Jasmine stopped at a vent when we heard shouting.

"Find them! Lorenzo is on his way back and we need to find the prisoners."

Looked like they found out we were missing. My palms began to sweat as the reality of our situation kicked in.

Oh mylanta. Holy guacamole.

"Shit." I whispered.

Jasmine didn't answer me and started crawling faster.

Multiple shouts echoed throughout the vents, making my panic skyrocket. I wanted to twist my hair, but I needed both hands to move.

Deep breaths.

Jasmine stopped again and I heard a door open and then close. The vent brought some light and I could see Jasmine hold up three fingers before sending me a 'hold on' gesture. I saw the light glint off her knife as Jasmine carefully opened the vent door and jumped out.

I heard grunts and I crawled over in time to see Jasmine fighting three men in a room similar to the one we just escaped. While they managed a few hits, Jasmine gracefully disarmed them. I was both awestruck and horrified at her lethal moves.

Once they were down, she patted them down until she found a phone and radio transmitter.

"Yes!" Jasmine cheered before she gestured for me to come down.

I looked down at the scene and gulped. I don't know if I could handle being with a bunch of bloody bodies. I wasn't even sure if they were alive or not.

Jasmine saw the fear in my eyes and dragged the men into a supply closet connected to the room.

"Come down now. If you talk in the vents, your voice will echo. Come on, I can catch you!" Jasmine encouraged me.

I put my feet through the vent and held back my squeak as I started falling. Thankfully, Jasmine was able to catch me like she said she would.

I was starting to learn that there were a lot of physical skills that Jasmine had kept hidden from me.

"You okay?" Jasmine asked and I nodded, my eyes wide as I looked at the blood trail on the ground.

I was thankful that it didn't trigger any more anxiety than I already had. The last thing we needed was for me to go over the edge and have a meltdown. Jasmine passed me the radio and gun while she got to work analyzing the room.

"H-how did you do that? In the other room and here?" I was barely able to ask, overwhelmed.

Jasmine wiped the knife on her dress.

"I used to run with a different crowd before Xavier and Damon found me in Istanbul. Now, I'm more involved in the infiltration business rather than the 'gut them and slice them' business," Jasmine explained.

That explained Julian's fixation. The woman knew her way with knives.

"Now let's create a blockade at the door. We need to make sure we are secure before we message anyone."

In this room, there was more furniture and supplies. Jasmine and I blocked the door to the best of our ability. If anyone were to try to enter, they would need to use a lot of force in order to bust the door open.

I rested against the wall, putting the radio and gun next to me.

I twisted the ends of my hair tightly to control my trembling hands. I closed my eyes, imagining being back at home with Damon and the others to calm myself.

I jumped as I felt a warm hand on top of mine. I opened my eyes to see Jasmine's concern.

"Did you hear the radio? They already checked the house and are searching the perimeter for us. We're in a warehouse, but should be safe in this room for now."

My mind focused on the "should be" part of her sentence.

"I don't know if I can stay calm much longer. I-I'm not a fighter and I can't–" I stammered but Jasmine grasped my chin firmly, forcing me to look into her eyes.

It was different in the way Lorenzo did it, Jasmine being far gentler as she tried to give me encouragement.

"You are a fighter, Rosaline. You are one of the strongest people I know. You may not be physically trained, but you're brilliant and persevered through so much. Let me send a message to Erik and then I will help find ways to calm you down, all right?" Jasmine said as she pulled away to text on the phone.

"Why can't you call them?" I murmured, forcing myself to take deep breaths.

"I don't want to distract them or be too loud. You never know who hears what. I'm just telling them our status and asking for an ETA."

Jasmine sent the text, then grabbed the gun and took a seat next to me. She aimed the weapon at the door, prepared if anyone came through. I clung to the radio, keeping one hand in my hair for comfort.

My eyes caught a small light blinking on Jasmine's watch.

"What's that on your watch?" I asked tentatively.

Jasmine released a small smile, bringing the watch closer for me to inspect.

"It's the gadget Erik created that saved both of our hides. It's the reason why I missed the event since one of the functions wasn't working. It has many functions, but it has a tracker signaled directly to Erik's device. If I'm in distress, I hit a certain button on the watch to send an SOS signal. They have a time frame to respond that they are on their way or else I know I'm on my own. Luckily for us, they responded."

"Convenient." I muttered as I worked on my breathing. Now that we were more secure, the adrenaline was fading away.

We sat in silence for a while when Jasmine spoke.

"You know, I'm impressed and proud of you."

"How? I feel like crying and curling into a ball." I laughed self-deprecatingly.

"But you aren't. Most people would've been long gone by now, but not you."

I shook my head. "Oh, I am panicking. I feel like something is trying to crawl out of me and can't control my shaking. If you weren't here with me, I would be utterly useless and still tied up back there."

Jasmine tsked me.

"When will you realize that you're not alone anymore? You have so much support and have changed for the better. You certainly aren't the scared girl from Los Angeles anymore. Did you forget that you stared Lorenzo and Wiseman down and told them to fuck off? Or that you saved me when you rammed yourself into one of the men? You aren't having a meltdown and you are in the present, talking to me. That's a fucking huge accomplishment and you should be proud of yourself." Jasmine patted me on the shoulder.

I thought through what she said. If I were in this situation six months ago, I wouldn't have been able to handle it. The blood and violence would have triggered a panic attack.

While I was still shaken, I could still focus and follow Jasmine's instructions. And Jasmine was right, I wasn't alone because she was with me and everyone else was on their way as backup.

I wasn't facing these people alone– I wasn't facing Lorenzo alone.

Those thoughts helped me loosen my grip on my hair and rest my hand on my lap.

I gulped, closing my eyes.

"Thank you." I croaked, letting a tear escape.

"You don't have to thank me for this. Ever." Jasmine declared.

My eyes opened when I heard something vibrate. Jasmine patted my shoulder again.

"I received word. They're thirty minutes away and want us to remain in this room. They brought the cavalry. Let's keep quiet and wait for more instructions." Jasmine ordered. I nodded my head, tightening my grip on the radio.

Needing more comfort, I decided to close my eyes and relive a memory of baking with Damon. Maria was always demanding he make different dishes to satisfy her pregnancy cravings. While he complained and mumbled the entire time, I knew how happy Damon was to participate in an activity he enjoyed that wasn't work-related. He was glad that he was able to take care of his family in a way he knew how.

The last time we baked together was a few days before, when I wanted more croissants. It was my pastry obsession and Damon knew it, excited to make them. I remembered how Damon looked so distressed as I tried to fold and roll the dough into multiple layers, creating a squishy mess. He looked ready to pull me away, but I was determined to do it on my own.

Five minutes later, Damon dragged me away from the kitchen so he could redo it.

It was funny but cute to see him fuss over his pastries.

My favorite scowling tattooed baker.

A voice on the radio jolted my thoughts. My once relaxed posture was now rigid.

"We have unidentified armed vehicles surrounding the area. The west gate has been breached and they are almost at the warehouse! Prepare for attack and head to the entrances!" The staticky voice screamed.

Rapid footsteps pounded outside the door.

The phone vibrated once more. Jasmine quickly read it.

"They know our exact location. We need to move our blockade. They're going to have someone break in. Move!" Jasmine shouted.

We began removing the pieces of furniture that blocked the door. Jasmine leaned against the wall, gesturing me to do the same as she pointed her gun at the door. I had the knife Jasmine used earlier, but it felt clumsy in my hands.

We waited in still silence. When the gunfire started, I jumped at the sudden volume but didn't make a sound. It seemed like the noise was never-ending.

The door slammed open and two men burst inside. These men looked different than the Men in Black, wearing heavy vests and dark clothing. They reminded me of the military as they held their own weapons. On their vests they had a number over their hearts– one was nine and the other sixteen. They stopped when they saw Jasmine.

"Codeword!" Jasmine barked.

"Octavian," Nine shouted. Jasmine lowered her weapon and nodded. "Ms. Amari and Ms. Sinclair, we have orders to bring you two out to safety. Let's move!"

Nine positioned himself in front and Sixteen stayed behind us, creating a protective formation.

"Grab my hand, Rosie." Jasmine demanded and I quickly did.

Nine took us down a long hallway, stopping us as we got to the end before firing at something.

"Clear." Nine said, as we continued, finding the exit. I glanced at a couple of bodies limp on the ground and forced myself to look away.

You just need to survive.

We had almost made it to the exit when the building shook. I barely felt the force of the explosion when someone's hands pushed me back. I had no time to scream when the force threw me back on the floor, losing my grip on the knife and Jasmine. I groaned at the impact, feeling debris cover me. There was a ringing in my ears that wouldn't go away.

Someone patted me on the cheek. I blinked heavily and I saw Jasmine looking at me frantically. She was covered in dirt and blood trickled down from her temple. I touched my own head, finding it warm and wet. I pulled my hand back to see the red coating my fingertips.

Jasmine encouraged me to get up, then Nine. I felt incoherent, looking back to check on Sixteen, only to find him unmoving on the ground, debris covering his entire head. Nine quickly checked for a pulse and cursed.

My breath escaped me when I realized what happened.

Sixteen had pushed me out of the way and saved my life. The ringing stopped and it felt like I had no air in my lungs.

"Keep moving! We can't stay here" Nine barked, but I saw the grief in his eyes. Jasmine dragged me along, the cold air hitting me as we ran outside. More people were firing but I couldn't tell who was on our side and who wasn't.

Half of the building was on fire, the smoke in the air completing the impression of a war zone.

Jasmine aimed her gun and fired, and I saw a person fall. Another came in my direction, only to be taken down in a swift move. My eyes widened as I recognized the twins, who were completely covered in blood.

I released Jasmine's hand as the twins rushed towards us, Julian going straight to Jasmine.

"We're coming to the rescue, ma'am!" Josh cheered, a manic glint in his eye as Nine moved ahead to play offense; he must had felt comfortable enough to leave us to the twins.

I looked over and saw Jasmine and Julian have a quick conversation before they took each others' hands.

"Let's move!" Julian growled. Josh stayed beside me as we continued to run. I stumbled a few times, until Josh scooped me up.

"Where's Damon? Xavier?" I asked groggily.

Josh gave me an evil smile and did a small shrug.

"They need to take care of a few things. Don't worry, Damon will be okay soon. But you need to get checked out. You're injured and may have a concussion. We got a first aid kit in the car, but I need you to stay awake, got it?"

I nodded, sagging against his body as some of the emotional weight was lifted from my soul.

After a few minutes of running, we stopped in front of a car. The door opened and we were ushered inside. The car immediately took off once Julian closed the door, taking us away.

I watched the smoke recede into the distance, tears streaming down my face.

We were finally safe.

Josh wrapped his arm around my shoulder to comfort me, doing his best not to get blood on me, which I thought was a lost cause.

I saw Jasmine and Julian wrapped in a tight embrace, Julian slowly petting her hair. Between him and Josh, he was the one that was most covered in red. His hands were smearing blood on Jasmine's hair, but she didn't seem to care.

Josh pulled out a first aid kit and Julian finally spoke. I realized he was talking into the ear comm that connected him to my Damon.

"They're secure and heading home. Do your worst, boss."