Title: Yesterday to Tomorrow: Chapter Sixteen, Block the Bullet
Rating: R [violence, swearing]

Summary: Is Alyssa safe inside a safe?

Previous Chapter A Chest

Current Chapter Block the Bullet

Next Chapter A Test

Her phone rang less than five minutes later. Alyssa instantly answered it, not caring if it wasn't really following the rules.

"Lyssa, love. You're going to open the safe for them, all right? Let them into it. Do whatever they ask. We need you to stall. The SWAT team nearly has access to the building," Chris said quickly.

"I can get into the vault now," she proclaimed, eyes on the head Martha.

"Good," he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards it. "Open it."

"Now, Alyssa," the sargeant spoke up, "that vault will only remain open for about 10 minutes. Then it closes and seals itself again, needing to be re-set. This is temporary access."

"Okay," she replied.

Listening to the instructions twice, Alyssa set to entering the codes into the vault, ever aware that the head Martha and other two who had returned their masks to their heads, were watching her every move. A few more codes and there was a loud beep, the door opened with a sigh, revealing its contents.

"Open," she claimed, before being pushed to the side.

The two lackey Marthas hurried in and removed the chest. Setting it on the bench, they turned to start filling bags with the paper money held in the vault.

"You okay, Lyss?"

"Uh huh."

"Precious. Tell your man that I will release the hostages in 30 minutes, after all of the cops have pulled away," head Martha stated. "One by one. With you being the last. Any funny business and you're coming with us. Understand?"

Alyssa repeated what she had been told.

"Lyssa, baby, don't worry. I'll get you out safely," Chris assured her.

"They'll do as you say," she stated, her eyes flitting the door of the vault.

The head Martha noticed her glance, but before he could ask, the sound of gunshots echoed into the vault. A silver canister rolled into the vault, spewing red fog.

"Lyssa! Baby. Take cover. The vault!" Chris suddenly shouted.

Without even a thought, Alyssa dove into the vault just as the door released it's air locks. Her phone flew out of her hand, clanging to the floor next to the tallest Martha. He picked it up, coughing as the smoke filled the small area.

"You just killed Precious, asshole," he said into the phone before dropping and smashing it.

His gun turned towards her. Alyssa's eyes went wide, knowing the door wasn't closing quick enough to block the bullet. She scrambled to the far side just as the gun fired. Her scream and the sound of the bullet hitting metal echoed in the vault as the door sealed shut, encasing her in complete darkness.



The sound of something pounding on metal roused Alyssa. Slowly sitting up, her hands went to her head. It smelled funny around her, like stale air. And oh was she light-headed, struggling to keep her eyes open. But for some reason she knew she needed to keep her eyes open. That's what the pounding was for. Make her head hurt so much she couldn't go back to sleep, she couldn't succumb to that desire once more.

But she was soooo tired. If she just rested a moment... just a moment... she'd be better. She'd be strong enough to fight off that man in the Martha Stewart mask... the Martha Stewart mask...



"Open the fucking vault!" Chris demanded, pacing back and forth behind the techinician, trying to ignore the blood on the floor. "She's in there!"

"We understand that, Mr. Cornell. We can only work so fast," one of the SWAT guys claimed.

"Every minute you waste is a minute she's closer to DYING. Open the fucking vault!" he growled.

With an audible hiss, the vaccuum of vault was broken. Lights were shined in instantly. Chris didn't wait, shoving aside the cops to enter the vault. Illuminated by the lights, there Alyssa lay on her side, her right arm tucked under her head. Kneeling, Chris touched her forhead gently.

"She's barely breathing," he whispered, his hands slipping under her body.

He heard people object to his actions, but he didn't care. She rolled limply towards him as he stood and turned to carry her out. Stepping through the crowd of men in uniform, Chris carried her out to the paramedics. Kneeling next to the stretcher, he gently lay her upon it.

"You're going to be okay, sweetie. You're going to be okay," he muttered, holding her hand, while the EMTs buzzed around her.



Eyes barely opening, her hand went to her forehead. Oh how her head hurt. As if someone had smacked her in the forehead with a frying pan. And now they insisted upon shining some light in her eyes. No, there was no light in her eyes. She was in a white room with white light, a very bright white light. And there was a beeping, like a heart beat, her heartbeat.

Dropping her hand to her eyes, shielding them from the light in order to open them more fully, Alyssa looked around the room. A hospital. She was in the hospital. But why? Had Chris talked her into doing something foo— the bank.

"C-chris?" she croaked.

He bolted awake next to her, his feet hitting the tiled floor a little louder than intended, making him flinch as she did, "Baby? Lyssa? You're awake!"

Her head moved slightly, "T-too bright."

Without hesitation, he stood and turned off the light in the room. Returning to her side, he reached for her hand, kissing the back and then her palm.

"Oh my love... I... I...."

"C-chris....." her bottom lip started to tremble.

He leaned forward and kissed her shaking lip, "You're safe, love. No one's going to hurt you now."

"H-happened?"

"We'll talk about it later. You just need to rest," Chris replied.

"B-but..."

He sighed, "You were stuck in the vault for too long. You nearly ran out of breathable air, Lyss. The only good thing about that is that it slowed your heart rate, which in turn slowed the bleeding."

"Bleeding?"

"Sweetie, he... he shot you."