Chapter Text
The last chapter
Isobel rushes out of the JOC on unsteady legs trying to reach the bathroom. She grips the sink so tight her knuckles turn white as she leans down trying to take deep breaths. She’s shacking from head to toe. She doesn’t notice when Jubal comes behind her putting a reassuring hand to her shoulder.
“Breathe in and out. I got you.”
He whispers running his palm in her back. She real tries to follow his instructions. When she finally can breathe better, she splashes some water in her face.
“Better?” He asks.
Their eyes meet through the mirror. She nods.
“Look at me.” He asks turning her around.
“I’m gonna find her. I’m gonna bring her back alive.” She lets some tears hearing him.
“It’s been three days Jubal.”
Three days ago, her sixteen years old daughter was abducted. At first, they had no clue. Yesterday Vargas sent her a photo and they knew he was the one who took her. Isobel had been a mess since then. She barely got a total of 5 hours sleep all those days. Today he sent her a video. The fear on Cassie’s eyes when Vargas pointed the gun on her broke her.
“That asshole killed her father 8 years ago. I had to look in her eyes and tell her that her father will never come home again. He killed Kyle and got away with it. And now she has her. I can’t let him kill her as well. She’s all I have left.” Isobel says while crying.
“I know Izzy. But this time it won’t be like this.”
“You can’t promise that.”
“I can. I’ll turn the word upside down but I’ll bring her back alive. Why don’t you go home? You barely can keep your eyes open. You need to get some rest.”
“I can’t sleep Jubal while she’s out there with him.”
“I know, but you need to clear your head. Please. Just go have a shower, maybe eat something and lie on the couch. I would come with you but I think I can be more useful here.”
“No, no. stay here. I need you here. You’re the only one I can trust with this case.” He smiles at her.
“Then do me this favor. Take some time off.”
He looks at her putting a hair behind her ear and then caressing her cheekbone.
“Okay. But you’ll call me if you have anything.”
“Of course. I’ve kept you some pizza from last night so reheat it and try to eat something as well.”
“I’ll do my best.” He pulls her into a hug and then kisses her forehead.
~
She is about to open her door when she finds a note I her feet. You have an hour to come to where Kyle was found. Otherwise, you’ll find your daughter in the same position. She loses it. She turns around goes into her car and starts driving without a second thought. She knows the place very well. She used to go there for years after losing Kyle and still doesn’t know the reason for this. Jubal keeps waiting for Isobel to text him she reached home but after an hour he asks for the footage from across her house. He sees her reading the note and then starts driving.
“Elise, track Isobel’s car. And then send me her location and notify the SWAT to meet us there. Guys, follow me.” He asks and the team follows him. He has to get there before it’s too late.
Isobel parks outside the warehouse and walks inside without thinking it much. Vargas smirks when he sees her.
“So, we meet again.”
“Where’s my daughter?” She demands.
“Everything in time.” He enjoys playing with her.
“Cut the bullshits Vargas. I wanna see my daughter now!”
Before he can say anything, she hears someone coming and turns to see a man dragging Cassie into the room. She goes to move but the man points the gun on her. Cassie looks at her mother with tears in her eyes. She wants to hug her and talk to her but the clothe in her mouth doesn’t let her. The man put the girl in a chair tying her down. Vargas walks to her and smirks. Isobel walks as well and reaches the table in the middle of the room. Cassie in on the side and her and Vargas are facing each other with the table in between them.
“So, you want to see your daughter. Here she is.”
“Let her go Vargas. It’s mee that you want.”
“But that will ruin all the fun.”
Isobel doesn’t like how that sounds.
“We are gonna play a game Isobel. You win and you can take your daughter and leave. You lose and I decide what to do with her.” Both of their eyes widen.
“What game?”
Vargas roll the revolver’s drum and passes her the gun.
“Don’t even think about it. You can try if you want but it only has one bullet inside so if you try shooting me, I’m almost sure I get to shoot you next for sure.”
He says showing her his other gun.
“The rules are simply. You put the gun in your head and pull the trigger. If you survive it’s my turn then.”
“I’m not gonna play Russian roulette with you.”
“If you don’t then I shoot her right before your eyes.”
He says and points his guns on Cassie who leaves a muffled cry.
“No!” Isobel says.
“Then pick up the gun. Ladies first.”
Cassie pleads her mother with her eyes which are so heartbreakingly like her father’s not to do that but Isobel knows she has no choice. She picks up the run with a trembling hand. She’s picked up a gun before but for some reason this revolver weights more than any other. She brings the gun in her temple.
“Don’t look.” She mouths on Cassie but Vargas sees it as well.
“Nah, she has to keep watching.” He says and holds her head forcing her to watch her mother.
Isobel closes her eyes. Takes a breath and then pulls the trigger.
They hear the click.
No bang.
No bullet.
Isobel let’s a tear fall and then push the gun to Vargas. He actually doesn’t think twice. He pulls the trigger with such a confidence that really scares Isobel.
They hear the click.
No bang.
No bullet.
Two down, four to go. Her turn again. She puts the gun in her temple again. She wishes she had notified Jubal. If he was there none of this would happen. Her and Cassie would be on their way back home. She pulls the trigger.
They hear the click.
No bang.
No bullet.
“It’s actually better than I had imagined.” Vargas keeps messing with her.
Cassie is crying by now. She knows the chances both of them get out of there alive are little. Vargas gets the gun and locks his eyes with Isobel’s while pulling the trigger.
They hear the click.
No bang.
No bullet.
Isobel curses inside her. The chances are 50-50 now. There are two bullets now. Vargas smirks at her and this time she walks to her and gives her the gun.
“Come on. Don’t leave us waiting.” He says smirking.
She brings the gun in her head again. She thinks about Jubal. He’ll be devastated. She still owns him an answer. A week ago, he proposed to her. They’ve been together for four years now. She asked him for a little time to talk with Cassie first. She knows the two of them are get along great but still she wanted to talk with her first. Jubal treats Cassie like his own and she loves him really much especially since he makes her mother so happy. She wanted to tell him ‘yes’. But now she run out of time. She pulls the trigger.
They hear the click.
No bang.
No bullet.
But she doesn’t feel relief. Because that’s Vargas. You can never know with him.
“Well, well. I guess you’re lucky after all.”
“I won. You said I can take my daughter a leave.”
“What’s with all the rush? You can only win if someone lose.”
“Do you want me to believe you’re gonna kill yourself?”
“We both know that this image is gonna haunt you forever. Am I right?”
“Vargas.” She warns him.
“You’re so different than him. I still remember him begging him for mercy. You know we played the same game.” She knows he’s talking about Kyle.
“Stop.”
“He lost though. early on. He wasn’t so lucky as you. He begged me to not hurt you or your daughter. Little did he know. What a shame that you turned him dirty and made him come to me. But still he kept loving you even after you destroyed him.”
“Stop it!” She says firmer but almost as a whisper because her tears take away her voice.
“You where the one who really pulled that trigger that night. You pushed him to work for me. You killed him. You ruined Cassie’s life. You ruin everyone’s life.”
She doesn’t hear the police getting closer. But he does. So, when she looks at him, he pulls the trigger. Cassie screams even through her covered mouth. Isobel doesn’t even flinch. Jubal and the team run inside. Maggie and OA run to free Cassie while Jubal goes to Isobel. Her face is covered with blood and at first Jubal thinks it’s hers. But when he gets the whole picture, it shocks him.
“Izzy?”
She keeps looking on Vargas’ dead body. She doesn’t move, doesn’t talk and doesn’t even acknowledge him or anyone for the matter.
“Mom!” Cassie runs by her side and hugs her but Isobel still doesn’t react.
“Mom? It’s me. I’m fine. We’re both okay.”
No answer. Jubal starts to get really worried now.
“Cass, why don’t you go with Maggie and I’ll bring your mom, okay?”
The girl nods and gives Isobel another tight hug before walking outside.
“Babe, I know you’re shocked. But can you at least walk with me outside?”
He asks holding her face to force her to look at him. But even then, her look is empty. He picks her up and carries her outside bridal style. Little does he know that he’ll carry her like this again later the night to her bathroom to clean her up. She spends weeks like this in bed staring at nowhere, not speaking, not eating, nor sleeping.
After two weeks Cassie gets her to get out of this mess and starts talking and sleeping. She keeps struggling for months with what happened that day. Therapy helps, so does Jubal, Cassie and the team.
But even a year later she still thinks about it sometimes. And she knows that he was right about one thing. Even now that he’s dead, he stills haunts her…