"Are you ready?" was the first thing Penny asked me when we started driving away from Jonathan's house.

The entire morning, the three boys talked amongst each other, coming up with some kind of plan to make everything work out. I had no idea what their plan was. I just had to follow their lead.

They packed weapons. There were at least 20 weapons in the back of Jonathan's car, and 3 weapons on each of them. Penny gave me a dagger to stash in my boot, and a knife to keep in the back of my jeans.

I looked him in the eyes and slowly nodded my head. I wasn't ready. He looked away and clenched his jaw. He knew I wasn't ready. I knew I had to be, but there wasn't a chance in hell that I would ever be.

Maybe if I just take a few deep breaths. Yeah, just take a few deep breathes and it'll all be okay.

I started to breathe in and out.

I knew this technique. Bill was the one who always had to take deep breathes, and I was the one who always helped him. Breathe in for eight seconds, hold it for four seconds, and breathe out for eight seconds. Keep doing it until you don't feel like the room is spinning.

I closed my eyes.

"Hey," I heard Penny's voice beside me. "I'm not going to let anything hurt you. Do you understand me? Don't look back, either. Don't hesitate."

"What if I'm looking for you?" I asked.

His eyes softened. "I'm not leaving your side, Ariana,"

"What if you have to? You can't be right next to me at all times. What if I end up losing you?"

Penny shook his head and grabbed onto my hand. "As long as you don't doubt me, everything will be fine, got it? Doubt me, and you risk everything,"

Xander turned around in his seat. "It's true, he's watched me almost die at least forty times,"

"Like when you didn't disarm a bomb that you thought wasn't a real bomb?" Penny asked him.

"I forgot," Xander shrugged his shoulders.

"Who forgets to do that?"

"That's a stupid question. Me, obviously," he scoffed and turned back around.

Penny laid his head back in his seat. "Lord, give me patience or an untraceable handgun,"

I laughed and watched as Penny smiled at me. I couldn't help but notice how the two of them bickered more than anyone else I knew, other than Richie and Eddie. They were something else.

Jonathan stayed quiet the entire ride. I didn't see him look at any of us once. Maybe there was something on his mind. Of course there was something on his mind, we were about to go to a place called Belvedere Palace, where there were German Assassins, and even worse, Penny's parents.

It took nearly two hours to drive to Belvedere Palace. When we first pulled in the driveway, there was a large fence standing at least nine feet tall, keeping everyone out of the property.

All four of us got out of the car after Jonathan put it in park. I followed after Penny, all of us looking at the building in front of us.

It was huge. A large templed building with four floors, standing over a body of water and a numerous amount of stone statues. Belvedere Palace really did look like a palace.

Xander walked up to the fence, a gun in his hand, and slowly placed his hand on it. With a sudden jolt and flash of electricity, Xander pulled his hand back quickly and winced. "It's an electric fence. Those prestigious assholes,"

Penny walked up to the gate and looked at the camera facing all of us. We were being watched already.

Jonathan and I looked at each other and then back at the fence. What was their plan?

There was no lock or code to get in, meaning we had to be let in. Penny backed away from the gate and started to turn around. "We'll have to find another way in," he whispered.

Before walking away, a buzz was heard from the speaker in front of us. Penny slowly turned around to look at the gate once more.

"Looks like they know we're here," Xander remarked and squinted his eyes at the camera.

"We're here for Amira and Henry," Penny spoke to the camera.

"To evaluate, we're here for our parents. Now, open the door," Xander walked forward and rested his large gun on his shoulder. "and no one gets hurt."

It was silent for a moment. All four of us eyed each other before the gate shuttered and creaked, soon slowly opening with a loud noise of metal being pressed against metal.

"That's more like it," Xander smiled and walked forward. Penny put his hand on Xander's chest to stop him in his tracks.

"I don't think the first thing we need to do is threaten them."

"Opened the door for us, didn't it, brother?" Xander retorted and continued walking forward. "After all, they threatened us first,"

Penny ignored his brother and turned around to look at me. "Are you ready?"

I looked at the large building in front of us, seeing Xander walking slowly toward the entrance. I gulped and looked back at Penny.

"Do you have a plan?" I asked him.

He nodded his head with assurance and grabbed onto my hand. "Do you think it's going to work?"

He hesitated before saying, "Hopefully."

Jonathan moved toward us and put his hand on Penny's back. "It's time to go," he told us.

Penny looked at me once more before leading me down the long pathway to the front doors of the building. Xander was already standing there, a sly smirk on his face and his shotgun at his side.

"Let's go kick some assassin ass."

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Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh!! I'm so excited for the next chapter. The story is ending soon, and ya'll are in for a treat. See you soon ;)

Quote of the Day: "I had figure skating lessons when I was thirteen, and then my mom sobered up and realized I was a boy." -Winston Schmidt