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Chapter 25
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Tears overwhelmed Cara, her dad’s arms enveloped her as she cried into his chest. He rocked her gently allowing her the moment to release her emotions.
The men in the common room all stopped and stared at the scene before them. Johnson turned around from the sofa, eyes widened in shock. His eyes flickered to Archer who also wore the same thunderstruck expression.
‘DAD?’ Johnson mouthed at Archer who shrugged in response.
The embrace lasted a minute before their boss peeled himself away, guiding Cara into the room.
“Gents, this is my daughter. I expect you all to treat her with respect and make her feel welcome.”
“Yes sir,” they all called out in unison.
Her dad pushed her towards a small table, pulling out a seat for her. “Archer, first aid kit.” He ordered. Archer immediately pbeyed the command, rushing out the room.
“I’ll be down the corridor if you need me.” Her dad spoke softly to her. Everyone stood still, mouths agape and
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Cara took a moment to collect her thoughts. The steam that had built up from the showers now threatenedu to suffocate her. She turned the faucet off, allowing the steam to settle around her. She picked up her drenched clothes from the floor and headed back out of the washroom. The corridor was eerily empty, she could hear talking from the far side as she made her way to her room. Pushing the door open she was met with Archer’s tattooed torso. He spun around, his now dry trousers loosely hung around his hips as he slung them on. Her eyes travelled over his chest and abs, adorned with a large eagle at the top with writing; a transcript on his ribs and a lion across his abs. She had never fully appreciated the artwork that stained his skin before and her breathing hitched slightly as she devoured the sight. Archer coughed, bringing her attention back to his face. Cara shifted on the spot, had he noticed her ogling? He shook his hair with his hand, droplets of water spra
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Cara avoided Archer the remainder of the day. Unable to look at his judgemental eyes or feel his inescapable presence. Fortunately, she had managed to eat something, the apple that was left on her plate amongst the sandwiches had sated her hunger slightly. As nightfall came, her tiredness took over. She rested her head on the pillow, the dull throb still evident but bearable. Her eyes closed softly as she allowed the darkness to envelop her. The peaceful sounds outside the window pulled her in. The breeze gently wisping through the trees and the faint sounds of cars passing by. Cara tossed and turned in her bed, darkness surrounded her and familiar footsteps echoed around her senses. She was back in her cell, the sight of nothingness invaded her vision. Suddenly, hands were reaching for her, slashing and slapping at her face. She tried to block the blows but they kept coming. They were calling her name, mocking her. “Cara.” The voices repeated. “Cara.” She he
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Cara woke up feeling refreshed, her body still ached from the bruises but the throbbing in her head had subsided. The conversation from the night before echoed in her mind, she needed to get out of here. Being around Archer was the last thing she needed, what she needed was her own space. She pulled herself up from the bed, glancing down at the body on the floor. Archer lay with his head on his folded up sleeping bag, his arms crossed over his bare chest and his boots had been kicked off in disarray. The sight caused her heart to skip a beat, the shift causing her breathing to rush. His ink-stained skin rose and fell hypnotically, his hair swept over his forehead. She shifted quietly, attempting not to make a sound, holding her breath as if her life depended on it. She was unsure of the time, but she could hear noise outside the room, meaning there were others awake. She ventured out of the room, heading down the corridor. She reached the door at the end, the sign on
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Cara had resigned herself to her room consistently for a week, enjoying the quiet solitude. She had only ventured out to grab some food when it wasn't busy, sometimes exploring further outside to sit on the grass or peek at the self-defence classes. Each time, O’Connell had caught her and asked her to join. As much as she wanted to, it scared her. The thought of being in a confrontational and aggressive situation frightened her. She had never been the type to fight but she couldn’t help but explore the possibility that she could change that. Archer had kept his distance from Cara, he knew she needed time and space and he willingly accepted it. The nightmares were a different story. Each night he would sit outside her room, listening intently. He could hear her panic; her strangled moans as she tossed and turned over in his bed. When he couldn't take anymore, he would cautiously enter the room, watching over her like he was her guard. Holding her hand gently until the dreams
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Cara couldn't help herself, she hated feeling jealous. She had made it clear to him she wanted nothing to do with him, yet she was pining after the very man. She made her way back to her room, a shower calling to her. It was increasingly frustrating that she was constantly asking Johnson to keep lookout while she showered. It was a little before midday so she was certain that everyone else would be out, she decided to risk it. She headed into the washroom, making her way to the back of the tiled room. The area was separated by a white tiled wall, allowing two sections for showering. She stepped around it, peeling off her workout clothes and turning the faucet on the farthest side. Cara waited for the water to heat up as steam soon welled up in the room, like a mist rolling in. She stepped under the cascade, revelling in the refreshing feeling as it washed over her. She had soon finished washing and was enjoying the subdued tranquility when she heard a click as the th
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Cara swiftly exited her room, finding O’Connell in the common area alone. His fiery features fixated on the tv as she watched him playing Call of Duty. “Good session.” He smiled, his focus fixed ahead of him. “Excuse me?” Cara blushed as she sat down beside him. “The class.” He paused the game, taking a moment to observe Cara’s flushed features. “Oh. Yeah, thank you for that.” She smiled back, feigning her initial reaction. “You have a mean upper-cut, I’ll give you that!” He laughed, nudging her. She laughed back in response, as a grumble left her stomach. “Hungry?” “Yeah.” “Let’s go then!” O’Connell stood up from the sofa, ironing out his uniform with his hands. Cara followed him out the building, taking the familiar path down towards the gym before following it the left. They stood outside another large building, the scent of roasted vegetables wafted around them. Cara watched more uniformed bodies entering the large
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A further week had passed, Cara’s nightmares weren’t easing up and Archer was still making a regular appearance to soothe her during the episodes. Cara had woken a few times to the sight of Archer, before her eyes shut again. No words were ever exchanged, the silent understanding that he would protect her filled the room. She allowed the small intimate strokes on her hand or face to pacified her without the need to speak. This evening was different though, her nightmares took her back to the dungeon she was held captive in. Only this time, Rich had appeared in the doorway, he was tensed up and fists clenched at his sides. His face was pulled up into a smirk, taunting Cara. He stalked towards her, his eyes glowing red in anger. His face contorted and his smile widened in a satanic fashion. She tossed and turned, trying to pull herself away from his grasp. He pulled at her clothes, his nails turned into claws as he dug them into her skin. He was crawling on top of her,
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“Want to spar?” He asked her while a cheeky grin formed on his face. “No, I’m done here,” she retorted. She began to unwrap her gloves but paused when she heard his taunts. “Scared?” Cara’s body tensed up with anger before throwing her gloves to floor. “Fine.” She stood to face him, she still had the wraps on and the new sense of danger was pumping adrenaline furiously around her body. Archer’s presence already had her riled up and she knew that fighting him would only fuel her on. Archer walked up to her, standing less than two metres away from her. Cara raised her fists protectively, meanwhile Archer circled her with his arms swinging by his side. Archer threw the first punch, Cara dodged under his arm before jabbing her fist into his ribs. He rubbed them lightly, tilting his head at her. “Not bad,” he taunted. Memories of high school drowned her thoughts, igniting the embers inside her. He lunged forward at her distraction,
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“You look beautiful!” Jessica smiled at Cara through the mirror. “Let’s get this on.” She picked up the long ivory coloured dress from the hangar, draping it across the bed. She examined it closely, undoing each button and holding it open for Cara. She stepped into it, pulling the straps over her slender shoulders. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror, the deep V that plunged between her breasts, accentuating her bust. The tight corset that squeezed her insides but revealed her curvaceous figure. “Archer’s going to love this, not so sure about taking it off though. These buttons are a bugger!” Jessica squeezed and pulled, the force pinched at Cara’s stomach. “When did you last get this fitted?” “Jess, don’t.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “Oh babe!
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*Six Months Later* It had been a quiet plan in the making and Archer was slightly nervous as he drove Cara and Ayla down the quiet streets. Ayla sat in her car seat mumbling and gurgling gibberish as Cara gazed wondrously out of the car window. Bright green bushes reflected emerald light, while dazzling flowers beamed under the intensity of the sunlight. It was early spring, the floral foliage danced in the light breeze and bees bumbled around gleefully. “Why have we come this way?” Cara asked him. They had been visiting Archer’s parents and he had taken this detour purposefully unbeknownst to her. “I want to show you something.” He answered simply, concentrating on the road in front. His sweaty palms gripped the steering wheel as his stomach churned anxiously.
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The loud beeps of the monitor penetrated Cara’s eardrums. She winced at each piercing note causing her to open her eyelids. She groaned as her eyes fluttered open, attempting to figure out where she was. Her vision was blurred, grogginess enveloped her heavily and a dull ache radiated down every part of her body. While her body felt heavy and stiff, she could feel her extremities again and she was thankful that she wasn’t paralysed. “Cara.” Archer’s voice whispered to her. He stroked her supple cheeks, waiting for her to come around. He couldn’t hold onto his patience as she awoke, he had been waiting nervously for the last 24 hours for Cara, it had been a difficult time for everyone. He had been terrified of losing her and the baby, he was furious with himself that he was unable to protect them both. When she had told him she was having the baby, he felt physically sick. He had to control his anger and g
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Max leaned forward, his teeth shone in her face. His breath was hot and Cara grimaced as she inhaled. He brought the needle to her neck, his other hand still grasped at her throat, firmly blocking her airways. She scratched and clawed, gasping for breaths. Cara had only one other option. She slid the gun out from her side, placing it between her chest and his. “Bottoms up, my love.” He sneered at her. She closed her eyes, she could feel the sharp pierce of the metal on her skin, her finger squeezed the trigger as the cold liquid began to trickle into her veins. A loud bang exploded through the room and Max slumped to the ground. The room fell silent, only the heaving breaths that came from Cara resonated with her. The loud ringing in her ears pierce
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Cara awoke suddenly, bright lights impaired her vision and a foreboding headache had formed across her frontal lobe. She felt groggy, her throat was dry and the searing pain that radiated up her spine was incapacitating her by the minute. She turned her head, blinking heavily and groaning as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Everything was still blurry, she could feel the open cut on her forehead, it stung in the cold air, making Cara wince. Cara tried to wipe her head, but her arms were instantaneously yanked back by restraints. “Not so fast.” Max taunted her with a smirk. The sudden realisation of what was happening shook her and she became more alert.She pulled and tugged but her restraints remained fi
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The corridors blurred into one as Cara ran as fast as her feet would take her. The blood seeped down her leg and she clutched her stomach protectively. She needed to get out of the building, but on each turn of the corner, she found herself more confused than the last time. The excruciating pain gripped her spine, it felt like it was almost breaking but the adrenaline that coursed through her veins refused to let her stop moving. She needed to get to safety; she needed to find Agent Carter. Everything had happened so fast, one minute she was waiting for Agent Carter to return and the next she woke up on the top floor of the building. She was now wandering aimlessly across the seventh floor, unsure of how she got there and dazed and disoriented by her surroundings. *One Hour Earlier*
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The rain was attacking from all sides unforgivingly as Cara walked the path. Almost like the puddles had a mind of their own, the droplets bounced up from the pavement, spraying around her feet and up her skirt. Her umbrella fought the wind valiantly but by the time she had reached the door to her work, it was a broken mess of material, wire and water. Her skirt and shoes were drenched and she silently cursed herself for not bringing spare clothes with her. It was strangely quiet in the building today, the deep echoes of Cara’s footsteps resonated through the corridors. Normally there would hustle and bustle around the labs, general chit chat about weekends and events. The only sounds were the wet pads of her feet slapping against the tiled floor below her. The lab was in her sight and she welcomed the warmth that she would receive from entering her office. S
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The crisp coastal breeze felt refreshing as it circled their bodies. Cara didn’t mind the shiver it instilled in her, Archer’s arms around her was enough to settle the chill. They had sat for a while, mostly in silence and listening to the soft breeze and crash of the waves as they lapped on the shore. It was a break from the chaos around them, the months had been difficult and Cara inwardly hoped that things would settle down; get easier in a way. Archer was evidently excited as the due date neared, while Cara held onto the slice of anxiety that simmered beneath her skin. She still held onto the worry that would course through her veins at night, wondering what the next problem would be and how Archer would react. It can’t have been easy for him, she knew as much. Meeting your biological mother after decades of absences would cause you to harbour resentment but he had worked through it. The news of
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The autumn weather had set in, leaves whipped and wove around the trunks of their trees. Branches swayed and swerved through the wind as it assaulted everything in its path. Cara clutched onto Archer’s arm while they followed the path to the Church of All Saints. She gazed up at the strong, stoic man beside her, it filled her with pride that he had remained determined to hold his composure. They had silently got ready that morning, she had opted for a loose fitting black dress and flat shoes, her movement was restricted enough without having to fight the constant battle of tight clothing. He was dressed in an all black suit with a silver tie over his white shirt. His tattooed hands peeked from his sleeves and wrapped around Cara’s slender fingers. She offered him a feeble smile which he returned. The deep emotions of sadness were evident as they entered the church, the organ played in the background
