20- Dark clouds

"So now what?" Taylor asks her manager while wiping her tears away.


"The police is tracking down where the phone signal came from and looking up where the location is that they have sent you." Tree says, all on one breath. Taylor nods, still wiping her tears away. Selena is sat in a chair on the opposite of the room and looks at her with an empathic smile on her face. 

Taylor gets up from the chair. "Is there a bathroom here?" She asks her manager.


"Down that hallway on the left." Tree says, seeming to understand that Taylor needs some time to herself. Taylor nods once again and gets up. At first she's a bit dizzy and so she stands there for a couple of seconds, looking around, before her legs start to move towards the bathroom.



The last months had gone by so slowly but this day.. this day had passed so quickly. It started like any other day the passed few months and then it turned a little bit better when Camila came to her house and cheered her up. She had actually believed for one second then, that things would and could get better. But then that video appeared. The video that changed everything. 

Taylor's world was falling apart and so was she.

She opens the bathroom door and switches on the light. The bathroom is old looking and feels cold. Taylor shivers while she walks to the sink. She looks in the mirror to look at her reflection once more. She does look a little better than she had done this morning. A little make-up can do miracles.

Taylor sees the whole showbiz world as this layer of make-up. Everything is fake and is made to look better than it actually is in reality. Its cruel and ridiculous when you think about it. But it is how it works and it's definitely what Taylor is used to now. She has been in 'the business' for about ten years now and has grown into the fake smiles and made up speeches and interviews. This was the first interview in a long time where she had been 100 percent honest. 

A tear makes it's way down her cheek. 

"Why?" She asks herself out loud. "Why her? Why Karlie?" Her knees give in and while sobbing softly, she slowly sinks down. The floor feels cold, but so does she so why would she care. She lays down onto the floor and let's everything sink in.

It's when she hears a knock on the door that she opens her eyes. "Taylor?" A female voice asks. Taylor knows who it is. "Oh Tay.." The person says, kneeling down next to her.

 Taylor lets all of her sobs go free then, sobbing loudly as she lays on the floor, hugging her own body with her arms. 

"Come here." The person says, grabbing Taylor's arms. The blonde singer let's herself be leaded towards the person.



"Why her?" She sobs. "Why didn't they just kill me already? Why torture her?" 



"Because they want you to suffer." Selena states simply. "They know you love her."


Taylor aggressively wipes her tears away while she sits on the floor together with her best friend, who hugs her tightly. "How do they know though?" She wonders then.


"What do you-"


"How do they know Karlie and I are together?" Taylor says, sitting up straight after shaking herself out of Selena's hold. 

"No one knows or well, knew instead of.. you." 

The two women stay quiet for a while. 



"You don't think that I did anything right?" Selena asks doubtfully.



"No, no of course not." Taylor says quickly. "I.. I just don't understand how they could've known how much she means to me." She looks into her best friend's eyes, who looks back into hers.


"I don't know either." Selena says, in all honesty.


"It doesn't matter." Taylor says. "We have to fix this now."

Selena nods before taking a deep breath. "Already know what the plan is?" 



Taylor shakes her head 'no'. "I don't even know the location yet." She says

"Let's find out." Selena says while getting up, she sticks her hand out for her blonde friend to grab it. Taylor does so and gets up, still feeling dizzy.

————————————————————————————————————————

Hours pass like seconds and suddenly Taylor is arriving at her destination, it being a campsite somewhere in north California. The plan now, is to arrive there with her own SUV, in which a guard is hidden in the back. This is not one of Taylor's guards but an actual guard working for the white house.


There are multiple agents hidden away at multiple spots at the campsite, even though Karlie had said in the video that Taylor was supposed to arrive without any protection. Taylor hadn't wanted any protection with her, she had said 'no'. Management, and apparently the white house, decided differently though. And here she was, driving a car with a secret agent in the trunk. Her life had just become stranger and stranger.

"You're there." Tree says into her earpiece. "You can stop driving." Taylor shakes her head, having been completely lost in her mind for the whole drive. It is exactly 2.58am when her eyes zoom over to the clock in the car and she looks around the dark, deserted campsite. She wonders why the group of criminals would choose a place like this as the location to potentially kill her.

She sighs and grips her steering wheel tightly before letting go and opening the car door. "Remember, walk over to the reception and check into cabin 13. Just act like you're here on a vacation trip." Taylor nods.



"Is that a 'yes' Taylor? I can't see it when you nod." 



"I know you actually can." Taylor says, looking straight into one of the multiple camera's that the government has places in this short amount of time. Taylor had never known she would be this important to for example the white house. They had told her though, that famous people are a sign of wealth and safety in a country, so them all being murdered by a group of criminals roaming around would be a bad image for the country. It was yet again, as always, just for the Image. The government of the USA apparently found it very important to be found 'wealthy and safe'.

"Okay but let's just communicate clearly okay?" Tree asks, nerves coming through her voice. The people from the police have put Tree behind the microphone because she has a voice that is familiar with Taylor. Tree had never done anything like this before, since her usual job was to keep an eye on, you guessed it, Taylor's image.

"Yep." Taylor says, feeling awfully empty as she walks over the parking lot, to the campsite's reception. She knows she can be shot, literately any minute and she knows Karlie can be shot at any minute too. She just wishes to have not fallen for the girl by now, since this all wouldn't be happening to the young secret agent then. She looks around her, seeing nothing strange. 

She walks into the reception, behind the desk, an older woman is smiling sweetly at her. 

"Hello miss, what can I do for you?" 



"Hello." Taylor says, faking a smile and hoping the woman wouldn't recognise her. "I'd like to check into my cabin, number 13." 

The woman nods and types something into the computer. Taylor looks around the reception, which is completely empty except for her and the woman, it not being the high season of course. She plays with her hair, nervous about everything happening.

"Ah, miss Swift. Do.. you have some identification for me?" The woman says, smiling at her. 

"Not that.. I don't know who you are. My granddaughter loves your music." She adds, smiling even bigger as she talks to the famous singer, who's heart drops. "It's protocol." The old lady adds.


"Yeah," Taylor says. "Yeah sure." She grabs her wallet out of the bag she is carrying and shows the woman her identification card. 

"Could you.. do me a favour?" The singer asks then, as the woman gives her the keycard of the cabin. 

"Of course, sweetie." The woman says.

"Please don't tell anyone i'm here?" Taylor asks. "I.. I don't want anyone to know."



The woman looks at her a little more serious. "Of course." She says. "My lips are sealed."

"Thank you." Taylor says, grabbing the keycard. 

"I suppose you came here by car?" The old lady asks then. 

"Wh-what.. uhh yes, yes I did." Taylor replies, her mind not being fully there since she doesn't know what cabin 13 will bring for her. 

"Okay, so you can leave it parked at the big parking lot and walk to your cabin, it's about a five minute walk. Just walk out of the reception and follow the sighs that say 10-20." The grey woman explains kindly.

"Thank you." Taylor says, faking a smile before turning around and walking towards her cabin.


The email had said she should be at the parking lot at 3am, which she was. And which indicated to Taylor that whoever these kidnappers are, they had an eye out on here on the campsite. Then the email had said that she should be at the cabin around 3.15, which was in exactly five minutes. 



"You did good." She hears Tree say into her ear. "Now remember Taylor, theres security all around the cabin. They already looked in the house a few minutes ago and it seems like theres no one in there except for.."



"Karlie?" Taylor breathes. "Is she in there?" 



"It seems so." Tree says. "You still have to watch out though, since we expect it is all a trap. These criminals want you dead, not her."


"So she's.. alive?" Taylor asks while walking towards her cabin, three minutes to go.



"She seems to be, yes. The heat cameras signal that she's warm."

"Okay." Taylor says, a little more hopeful now yet still terrified by the whole situation nonetheless. "Okay, so I go in there, and then what?"



"You go in there alone, since we don't want them or him or whoever is there, to think that theres any protection around you. Theres a hallway, a kitchen, a bathroom and a living room." Tree says quickly. "When you see the house is clear, you'll put up five fingers and we sent the squad in."

"Okay." Taylor says. "I can do that." One minute to go, she has reached the house. The air around her is cold and still she cant help but feel warm and sweaty. It's the 20th of December and so frost is laying on the grass and tree's surrounding the cabin.


"Good luck." Tree says.

Taylor nods and walks towards the front door of the little cabin that is located in the middle of the forest on the campsite. She sees multiple guards surrounding the house covered by the darkness of the night. She then takes a deep breath and puts her hand on the door handle, knowing it could all end here, Karlie's life and hers.


She opens the front door and is met with darkness, she searches the walls for a light switch and when she's finally found it, she notices it doesn't work. She grabs her phone and puts on her flashlight, making her way into the dark hallway. "Hello?" She shouts through the seemingly empty house. She walks over to a doorframe on her right side and shines her flashlight into the room. It's an empty kitchen. 

There's another room, to her left.

She takes a deep breath, never in her entire life, having been this scared. With her shivering hand, she opens the door quickly revealing an empty bedroom. She quickly skips her eyes through the room before continuing to walk through the dark hallway. Another door appears on her right hand side, this seemingly being the bathroom. Taylor opens the door quickly, shining her light into the small bathroom area. "Empty." She whispers to herself in relief. 

She knows there's only one room left, the living room. She takes one final deep breath and opens the door. 

She gasps in horror. There she is, Karlie. Her Karlie. All beaten up and bruised, sitting in a chair, tied up to her chair with ropes, a piece of duck tape stuck onto her mouth. She stands still for a second, looking at her girlfriend, who appears to be unconscious.


She looks around the room, expecting one of her kidnappers to be there, but no one seems to be in the cabin except for the two women. "Karlie." She says, not too loud. 



"Taylor, you can put up you hand, then forces will come in and check everything then." She hears Tree say into her ear, but she is still too much in her own mind and is rushing her way towards her wounded, bleeding girlfriend.



"Taylor.." Tree repeats sternly. The singer doesn't hear her though, her mind being completely on the broken girl sitting in front of her on the chair. "Karlie!" She repeats, louder this time. Two green eyes open.


"Karlie, it's me. It's Taylor, I'm here. Everything will be okay." Taylor hushes, having reached the girl on the chair and attempting to free her from the ropes around her wrists. Karlie's eyes open up widely then and she starts mumbling words that Taylor can not hear, due the duck tape on the girl's mouth. 



"Taylor, I'm sending the special forces in now." Tree announces before Taylor hears a loud bang on the front door. Understanding that the police is making their way into the cabin now, she reaches over to Karlie's face and pulls off the duck tape so that the girl can speak. 



"HE IS IN HERE!" Karlie shouts then, a terrified look on her face. 

Taylor then understands what her girlfriend means and quickly turns around. 

"Taylor, another person is located in the house he.. he.. oh my god.." Tree gasps through the singer's earpiece. "He's right behind you." 


Before the blonde singer realises it, a strong arm is tightly wrapped around her neck and a hard metal object is pressed against her head.

 

"Well, well, well." A low voice says. "Look who we have here." 


Taylor struggles to breathe and looks over to the hallway, where multiple men are lined up with their guns aimed on the man standing behind her.


"I told you she would come." The man says to Karlie, who is still tied up in her chair, tears flowing out of her eyes. "I was hidden in the bedroom closet if you were wondering." The man's low voice announces. "Just like you were, the night you two first met." He adds. 

"Now it's time for you to come with me, Taylor Swift." The man says. 



"Don't you dare taking her!" Karlie shouts then, her voice breaking in the middle of her sentence. "Kill me. Fucking kill me instead, you fucking asshole!"


"Nope." The man says. Taylor can't see his face, since he's standing behind her, still gripping her neck tightly. 



"Let go of miss Swift now, sir. Or we will be forced to shoot you." One of the men of the special force team says sternly.

"You should try." The man says. Taylor can hear he's smiling. She looks to the side and sees Karlie sitting there helplessly. Tears escape the singer's eyes while she stares into Karlie's green orbs. Multiple lights from all of the guns are lighting up the younger girl's face, who is staring back into Taylor's blue eyes. "Im so sorry." Taylor hears her whisper. She wants to talk to her. She wants to say it's not her fault but she struggles to breathe and so she looks back at the ceiling, trying to catch her breath, the man's strong hold almost choking her.


"I did a little something." The man speaks up again. "If you, pull that trigger.." He says, pointing to the man of the special forces team that has just spoken to him. "I will pull mine." He pushes the gun to Taylor's head a little harder, making the girl wince in fear. 

"And you know what happens then?" He continues. "This whole cabin will blow." 



"What do you mean?" Karlie asks, being the only one brave enough to speak it seems, since Taylor is unable to. 

She looks at the man with hate and fear at the same time. 

"I put some explosives underneath the floor around.. there." He says, pointing towards the floor underneath the men of the special forces. "And well.. if I pull my trigger, it will send a signal to those little things and.." He lets out a scary, little giggle. "Boom."



Everyone remains quiet for a while, Taylor feels her heart beating heavily in her chest. "Why?" She manages to get out of her mouth, in more of a whisper. 



"Why I'm doing this you ask?" The man says. The gun pressed against Taylor's temple securely. "I think theres too many famous people." He simply states. "You have too much money." 

He takes a deep breath, seemingly tired of having to explain himself. "There's too much of you famous shitheads. So much other shit could be done with your fucking money."


Taylor remains quiet, not knowing what she could tell this man to convince him she actually works for her money and does a ton of good stuff with it. He wouldn't want to listen to her anyway. She actually feels sad for this man, that he feels like killing people just because a voice inside his head is probably telling

 him to do so. And yet, she's scared. She's never been more scared than she is right now, with this gun pressed to her head. She is scared he will hurt Karlie even more. Scared he'll kill all these men from the special forces with his stupid bombs. And scared he'll kill her as well.

She looks around the dark room, trying to find a way to escape from the man's grip. All she sees are the lights shining in her eyes, coming from the guns. She tries looking at Karlie though, who she can actually see since the lights do shine in the same direction. She looks at her dark blonde  hair, covered in blood. Her bruised eye and cheek. Her bleeding mouth. The wound on her arm. 'God, she must have been in so much pain.' Taylor thinks before her girlfriend speaks up.

"And so you just.. kill people?" Karlie asks in disbelieve, her voice weak as her question sounds more like a sigh. She visibly struggles with breathing

"I think people should realise that the world isn't as great as it is depicted." The man says, the gun still pressed to Taylor's temple. "I think everyone should realise that these 'superstars' are just people, that can be hurt just as much as any other person. They're not invincible. They're not super-humans. They're not anything other than just normal people."



Taylor remains quiet. This man had thought about this a lot.

 "You're crazy." Karlie says, a drip of fresh blood making it's way down her chin.



"Some say crazy, some say brilliant. It's all the same." The man says, smiling again. "Anyway, nice time were having here. But we have somewhere to go, sweetheart." He kisses Taylor's head and moves forward towards the special forces unit, smiling on his way there.


"Drop the gun, sir." One of the special forces agents says then, suddenly having found the courage to speak up. 



"Listen, you will make room for us to leave." The man says. "And then you'll all be fine and happy. Except for this one of course." He says, loosening the arm around Taylor's neck but gripping her arm instead. 

"Move. Now!" He shouts then, out of no where, seemingly having lost his patience. 

This is when it becomes real for Taylor. She had lived in a daze for the past couple of minutes but has certainly awoken now. She starts breathing heavily, feeling herself almost fainting in fear. The man grabs her arm even tighter, pulling her with him towards the back door of the apartment, since the men of the special forces won't move an inch. 

She locks eyes with Karlie and screams out her name while trying to free herself from the man's strong grip. "KARLIE! KARLIE I LOVE YOU!" She shouts, feeling the man pushing the gun against the back of her head. "Move!" He shouts at her with his low voice.

The next moment all happens in a flash. Taylor discovers a small red light in the corner of her eye and hears a very loud bang not much later. The man behind her grunts in pain and another gunshot is heard. She feels the hand around her arm loosen and is able to free herself from the man's grip. She rushes away from the man, towards Karlie before hearing another gunshot. After that, everything goes black.

—————————————————————————————————————————



A/N

Tell me what you think guys?? 

Have a great day!

X