Kate's POV

I jolt awake at the sound of the lock to my door being opened. In comes a guy in a white coat with a duffel bag in hand. The only people that have come inside this room in the past three days (at least while I wasn't passed out) were Sokolov, Rosa and their minions. So this is certainly different.

The guy kneels beside me, I'm currently tied to the very same chair I have been in since the day I was brought here, and am currently slumped down from the exhaustion. As the duffel bag is opened I spot medical supplies inside. I didn't expect the Russians to care enough, I honestly thought I'd be cut up into pieces by now and my heart would be sent to my family, decorated with a nice pink bow.

"Why?" My voice raspy from the screaming. The guy shrugs, "The boss wants to torture you and he needs you alive to do that, or at least his woman does." My brows furrow. Rosa, why does she want to keep me around when Sokolov is practically done with me. There is definitely more to the two of them than that bitch is letting on.

The only wound the doctor tended to was a burn wound on my stomach that I had gotten yesterday, the others according to him weren't that deep hence didn't need to be treated as of now.

When that was done I thought he would start packing up but to my surprise he pulled out a syringe and filled it with clear liquid, the sweat covering my eye made it hard to read but I was able to figure out a few letters and after that it wasn't that difficult to piece it all together.

"I don't think you're supposed to give me that."

"I'm not but the boss has a degree in business not medical science, so I don't really care." I smiled, though it was barely visible but it had happened for the first time in the whole three days I've been here. The glucose filling my body with energy slowly.

"He has something on you doesn't he? Sokolov, that is why you're here." For some insane reason the doctor didn't at all seem surprised, it was as if he was expecting me to figure this out. With a sigh he spoke. "My wife and son. The moment I go against him they're dead."

"I'm sorry. I wish I could help." With a dismissive wave of his hand the doctor gets up. "You already did. Now let's get you up." I did a double take. "What do you mean?" I was asking him both about how I helped him and what the hell he meant by getting me up.

He started to untie me, and helped me get up, my knees buckled slightly under the sudden pressure of my body and he leaned me against him. "I convinced him to let me take you to a bathroom once a day for however long you're here. All you can do is use the toilet and wash your face. And he only allowed you fifteen minutes in there so be fast."

I didn't know what to say to him, the guy was sticking his neck out for me and he didn't even know who I actually was. With no reason at all he was helping me out. This was a reminder for me, a crazy reminder that there are some people in the mafia who aren't here by choice, whose only choice was to join a mafia or die.

The hallways I was taken through were very similar to my actual room, the walls painted a depressing grey which was seeming to chip off. The smell of blood and bleach was overwhelming, doors were present on both my left and right side, a guard posted outside each one, gun and other weapons in hand they kept a close eye on me.

Finally reaching the bathroom, he let me go after getting done with my business I took a risk of looking at the mirror, and oh my lord did I look a zombie.

My hair was matted with sweat and blood, it stuck to my forehead and neck, the cuts and bruises all over my face were still covered in dried blood. I turned the tap, the water was freezing cold and stung incredibly bad when I washed my face and hands but I had no other choice.

In a way this whole experience was humbling, a reminder of how things used to be before my brothers, granted I didn't get electrocuted everyday but whatever happened I had to take care of it alone. All of my injuries were handled by myself.

Things had changed so much, not even months ago I would have given up, I would have let these bastards do whatever they want and just to get over with it. But now, now I'm fighting back, I have this hope that my family will come for me, that they'll be here to get me back.

Even though I gave myself up but I still believe they'll be here. Exactly fifteen minutes later there are three bangs at the door. And it is pushed open, a guard with the key in hand grabs my forearm without a second thought and hands me over to the doctor, ordering him in Russian to take me back to the room. Agreeing quickly the doctor takes me back at full speed.

Once inside I sit back in the seat, with a pained expression the doctor ties me back to the seat, but the few seconds of standing up have made me way to impatient for my brothers to figure out where I am. So I practically beg the doctor guy to tell me where we are.

"I need to let them know where I am okay. They're good at heart but they aren't that smart." The guy finally gives up "He will record you on the chair again to show to your brothers. I don't know when but he will, that is the only chance you can get. Can you use it without raising suspension?" I nod my head eagerly, a plan already formulating in my head.

"Fine." He whispered in my ear, while pretending to tighten the knots around my stomach and left immediately. While I waited patiently for Sokolov and Rosa to arrive for today's session on the chair.

And he came today with Rosa, her shoulder catching my attention, as unlike every other day it wasn't covered by her stole but it was left bare, her sleeveless dress letting me clearly see the tattoo covering it. That woman deserved to burn in hell.

I was put on the chair again this time my eyes were on the look out and I found the guy holding the camera immediately I knew I didn't have much time before the shock began so as discreetly as possible I signed to my brothers where I was.

This cycle repeated for three more weeks. My body was getting weaker. The two pieces of bread and a glass of water a day making me loose my energy. The doctor only came in two more times, and his glucose shots helped but not much effect came from them.

My hope was hanging on by a thread, I refused to believe that my brothers were not coming, maybe they just didn't get the message or maybe they couldn't decipher it, maybe Sokolov knew my plan, maybe he knew what I was trying to do so decided not to send the video at all and just keep filming it to see me struggle and hope for something that would never happen.

Tears had started to slip out during their torture I still didn't scream but I couldn't help the crying that came after the hurt finally caught up to me.

Third person POV

The smell of coffee and overused deodorant wafted through the eldest Marino brother's office. At three am in the morning most of the kids were asleep, only Alex, Xavier, Ace and Sophia still remained awake. The four engrossed in their own work.

"You should get some sleep, honey." Sophia spoke softly, her voice directed to Ace. Unlike the others he hadn't take a break, he was set on bringing Kate back home, and the sleepless nights he had spent with his mother had given him practise with staying up for hours.

"No need." His answer was simple, the boy turned back to his work immediately. "Don't try." Xavier told Sophia, he knew the boy longer than his girlfriend, having been a part of his training alongside after his father's death. He knew all too well that the Hispanic boy would not rest for even a second until Kate was found.

And Xavier was right. Because to Ace, Kate wasn't just some girl he liked, or loved even. No, Kate to him was so much more, that girl was the reason Ace had started to believe in hope. It was because of her he had started to think maybe he wasn't supposed to be alone forever. It was because of her he had started to believe that life was worth living.

The room was washed with silence once again until a ping on Xavier's laptop alerted everyone in the room, "Sokolov..." the name left Sophia's mouth in confusion, the others awoke with a start at the sound of the man's name. Everyone stumbled to Xavier's desk.

The eldest clicked on the email, the subject being You would want to see this. The body only consisted of a video and nothing else. Nervous glances were shared, this was the second video they had gotten, the first being three weeks ago.

It started with a black screen until it came into focus, the man they all loathed, seated in his office, behind a desk, he was dressed in a clean crisp suit, his greyish hair combed back perfectly. He looked far from the psychopath that was until you looked closely.

In his eyes you could clearly see the craziness, the madness that lay neatly under a sheet of false normalcy. He speech was perfect, each word spoken like he was addressing the entire country. "Hello. I had initially planned for this to be just for the Marino family but after recent research I found that I would also be addressing the Spanish and Turkey mafia as well." Eren, Ace and Victor met each other's eyes. 'How the hell did the bastard know about us?'

"Now I know how desperate you are to see your sister again, now my apologies for delaying this video, the past three weeks I have been trying my hardest to find the perfect one to send forward to you all and after careful consideration I believe I have found the best one. This version truly catches the essence of what I want to show you. So here you go."

The video cut from Sokolov to a dark room, the very same that haunted the dreams of the people sat the office. A weak figure was dragged up to the chair. Katherine's head lolled to side as she was set down. She was awake, that much could be seen but she seemed too weak to even hold her own head up straight.

They showed the whole thing even the part when she was strapped in. After that the shocks started, Kate bucking out of the seat in pain, her mouth and eyes clamped shut. A painful sight to look at. She was given three shocks that seemed to last an eternity when in reality they were only a couple of seconds each.

"Wait, rewind it." Ace spoke up, the others looked at him with wide eyes. "What the hell kind of masochist are you? You want to watch that shit again?" Dante screeches at him. "No, no I just, I think I saw something. Just start it up again."

Begrudgingly Xavier started your the video again, at the part when Kate appeared on screen after a couple of seconds Ace paused the video. "Look at her hands." The others noticed how her pointer and middle finger were pointed on the hand rests. "What about them?"

Ace played the video again pointing to her right hand "Look closely, they're moving in rhythm. Someone given me a fucking pad." As soon as he got the paper he started jotting down the dots and lines. Upon closer look Eren realised what Ace was pointing out. "Wait, is that-?" "Morse code, yup."

-.-. .... .- ...- . --.. / -- .- .-. -.- . - / ... ..- -. -. -.-- ...- .- .-.. .

After he was done he showed everyone what he had gotten, sighing out in relief "God I love that girl." He smiled for the first time in three weeks. In fact everyone around him smiled for the first time in three weeks, realising that their smart as fuck sister was helping them get closer to her.

"What does it say?" After translating it to normal English Ace announced "Chavez market Sunnyvale" Victor perked up at the name of the Mexican restaurant "Chavez? That's the Mexican place, and Sunnyvale is the least visited location. But wait they wouldn't actually keep her in the restaurant right?"

Alex confirmed that theory, with a map open right in front of him. "You're right Kate isn't at the restaurant, she is at the abandoned warehouse less than 10 miles from that restaurant. Which apparently used to a mental hospital."

Luca scoffed "Talk about fitting." He muttered under his breath. Xavier stood up immediately.

"Get the team ready, weapons need to be checked. Medic on the ready and the rest of you get some damn sleep for a couple of hours, I want all my members alert and ready. Tomorrow we're getting Kate back home."

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Hello beautiful people! How are ya'll doing?!?

I am so happy with this chapter, Kate's inner monologue and her remembering the days before her brothers UGHHHHH😞😞

Not related but Ace and Kate, practically radiate Kaz and Inej vibes.

My girl is going through hell right now, and I'm the one making it happen. I don't know weather to hate myself for the torture or love myself for the writing!!!

Chapters left- 3 + epilogue

Love you all!💕💕✨✨