Part 16:

 

Salem:

 

Mimi is in no mood for Chelsea, “I can’t imagine what you and I would need to talk about! And frankly you are, next to your Dad, the last person I need to be seen talking too.” She starts to walk off. Chelsea stops her saying, “Please I need to know what your brother’s message said.” The look in her eye is desperation. Mimi opens her mouth to form an insult but seeing her expression gives her pause. She sighs and says, “Fine! I might as well completely infuriate Shawn.” She opens her phone and shows Chelsea the text message. Chelsea looks up at her and says, “I’m not sure I get it.”

 

Mimi explains how her brother and her use to write to each other in anagrams to keep their mom from knowing what they were talking about. She shows her how all the words that are anagrams are capitalized. Chelsea stairs for a moment then says, “Bo is dangerous… Hope. I see it now.” Mimi nods, “I’m impressed… I had to write it out to decode it.” Chelsea says, “I’ve had some experience with this stuff too.” Mimi looks at her sideways and says, “Yeah? Where?” Chelsea realizing her mistake just says with a sigh, “I like crosswords.” Mimi smirks saying, “Whatever.” She turns back to the message and says, “I know Patrick and Bo aren’t friends but this message is just… weird. I can’t help but think it means he is in danger. And ‘Hope’… why mention her?”

 

Chelsea asks if she has talked to Hope. Mimi says she tried but didn’t get through. She then tells Chelsea about the phone call from Bo that was from a number out of the country. Finally she tells her about the weird conversation she had with Bo2 at the pier. Chelsea just silently listens. She then asks Mimi, “Do you think Bo is dangerous?”

 

Mimi sighs and says, “I have no idea… but my brother wouldn’t send this if he didn’t think so.”

 

Chelsea says with a very serious look on her face, “We should watch him… my dad I mean.”

 

Mimi looks at her stunned and says, “What?! You are taking this all very… oddly! I just told you my brother sent me a code telling me YOUR dad is dangerous! And you aren’t even flinching. What is this all about Chelsea? What aren’t you telling me?”

 

Chelsea looks at Mimi and then glances around and pulls her over to a table and whispers, “Mimi I have to know I can trust you. Can I trust you.” Mimi raises her eyebrows at her and says half laughing, “No! You killed Zack, you broke up Shawn’s family. No matter how angry Shawn may be at me right now I know what kind of a person you are, Chelsea.”

 

Chelsea looks at Mimi and says, “Good. I’m glad you do. But I need you to look past that and help me here. Or I fear someone may get hurt.” Mimi looks slightly freaked out, “Hurt? How? Who?” Chelsea says, I don’t know yet.” She gets a far off look as she thinks and then snaps back saying, “Listen to me…. My dad is acting very strange. He… I don’t know I mean I’ve not known him as long as everyone else has but something is wrong with him I just know it. He… he asked Billie to marry him.”

 

Mimi nearly shouts, “WHAT?!!” Chelsea shushes her and says, “See?! That’s what I mean. I know they have history but… there is something in his eyes… I can’t explain it… he’s different.” Mimi looks at Chelsea studying her and asks, “You’re… scared aren’t you?” Chelsea glances at her and says, “Just promising me not to tell anyone you and I have spoke about this. PLEASE!?” Mimi hesitates for a moment and then nods in agreement and asks what they do next. Chelsea says, “We go on as normal. I’ll keep a close eye on my dad and keep you informed as to what he does.”

 

Paris:

 

Hope is unconscious and being carried by the two men who where with Julian (Steve). Julian leads them down a dark hallway to a door. He goes to unlock it and finds the key pad is dead. He pulls out his gun and pushes on the door. It swings open easily. They go inside and Julian curses saying, “They’re gone!” He turns and sees a little hole in the wall with wires sticking out of it. Julian turns to the other two men and says, “Well don’t just stand there! They couldn’t have gotten far. Find them!”

 

Outside the room, down the wall a ways we see Patrick peaking around the corner, the hall is dark. Bo2 is on the other side of him. Patrick whispers to Bo2, “I think it is safe to say our escape has been noted. I think they have Hope with them… they were dragging someone. Bo2 moves to go to her rescue but Patrick puts up an arm. “Wait. There were three of them and Hope in the middle. Chances are they are going to come out looking for us. Better to take them one at a time.” Bo2 hisses back, “It is only 3 men. We can take them!” Patrick shakes his head, “Julian Richards was leading them. Do you know who he is?” Bo2 shakes his head no. Patrick says, “Well he is a bit of an enigma but he is one of the best mercenaries around… known for being very brutal. I didn’t know he was working with Mason. He’s good… too good. If we are going to fight him I would rather he be alone.”

Just then they see the two men emerge from the room. They prepare themselves to jump them when they hear a ruckus from inside the room and the two men turn to see what is going on.

 

Inside the cell Hope comes too. She sees Julian’s back to her she grabs the broken chair and slams it against his back. He staggers forward and out of the way of the door. Hope makes a break for it but Julian’s two henchmen attack her. She is trying to fight both off but she is still slightly dazed and they are getting the better of her.

 

Suddenly the man holding Hope is ripped off her. Bo2 has pulled him off he goes for his gun but the man is able to knock it from his hand. Hope only has a second to glance back and the hall being dark she does not see clearly who saved her. Patrick knocks her over to save her from another attack from the second man. Hope rolls out of the way and ends up back in the cell with Julian who is now shaking off her hit.

 

Hope sees him about to draw his gun at her and she grabs the chair again and knocks the gun out of his hand with it. He dives for her, tackling her to the floor. The two wrestle as He tries strangling her. She is putting up a fight. Outside Bo2 and Patrick see what is happening but are still trying to fight off their attackers.

 

Julian pulls out a knife with his free hand, keeping the other around Hope’s throat. She grabs his hand with the knife and holds it off of her and he presses down with it. With her other hand she is floundering around the floor in search of something to use as a weapon. She then feels something in her pocket and struggles to reach it. She pulls out her hand and we see in it the syringe with “RX: 4-815-16” printed on the side. She struggles, gasping for air and trying to keep the knife from stabbing into her with the other hand.

 

She works the syringe up between her body and Julian’s and finally reaching his neck stabs him with it injecting the serum into him.

 

Outside the room, Patrick’s fight had taken him farther down the hall finally subdues his attacker. He grabs the gun. Bo2 now finished with his attacker. Patrick yells to Bo2 and throws him the gun yelling, “Shoot him!” Bo2, who obviously didn’t need any encouraging too do so, catches the gun and turns towards the cell entrance.

 

Hope pulls out the needle from Julian’s neck. He leaps off her in pain. She crawls away some and pulls herself to a sitting position. Julian blinks in confusion holding a hand to where Hope had injected him. Then *BAM!* A shot rings out. Hope yells “NO!!!”  Blood oozes from Julian’s chest near the shoulder of the arm holding the knife. He drops the knife and looks down at the wound, staggering forwards. He falls to his knees, looks up at Hope still on the floor, he looks different now… his face less tense. He blinks as if clearing his eyes and says, “Hope?” he then passes out in a pile on the floor.

 

Hope stares in disbelief at Steve, she then looks up and see Bo2 standing there holding the smoking gun looking down at her in utter relief at the site of her.