Chapter 12: Rejuvenate

The next time Kia opened her eyes, she felt alive, more alive than she had ever felt. There was fire in her bones, energy in her muscles. Kia jumped out of bed with a clear mind and energized body. With her body and mind full of life, she could take note of things she had missed previously.

The first thing she noticed was that she was not in her own clothes. Instead, she was in a red silk nightgown and a pair of black lingerie that clearly wasn't hers. Someone had taken her clothes off. But who? Baglor, for all his madness, didn't seem like the kind of person to do such a thing. He seemed too proud and arrogant. But if not Baglor, who?

Kia took a good look at her room. Although simple and small, it was quite luxurious. The first thing she noticed was the window, which was now larger than she remembered and covered by thick red drapes. The walls were covered in a coat of greyish-white paint, while white tiles decorated the floor.

The table and chair looked exactly as she remembered. However, as she rose to her feet, she realized for the first time that she had been sleeping on linen sheets, feather-stuffed pillows, and a thick duvet that was now crumpled up at the feet of her bed.

A small couch was at the far corner of the room, and in front of it was a small stool. On the lampstand was a beautiful lamp and a tiny golden bell. Next to the couch was a wardrobe. Kia walked to it and found four pairs of jeans in the same style and size as the one she had been wearing. Four crop tops, five black tee shirts, five red tee shirts, and three leather jackets. At the bottom of the closet were her pair of boots, freshly cleaned and polished.

"My guns," she thought with a start, suddenly feeling exposed. She ran to the nightstand and opened its top drawer. It was there - her trusty Glock 19, her stun gun, her badge, her phone, and everything else that was in her pocket.

She picked up her gun and checked to ensure it was loaded before placing it back in the drawer. The bathroom on the left side of the bedroom beckoned to her, and she answered. She stepped into the shower and let the downpour of warm water wash her thoughts, worries, and questions away.

It felt good for a while, the feeling of warm water cascading down her back, flowing through her cleavage like a river, soothing all her pain away. She closed her eyes briefly, and then flashes of the night at the warehouse ran through her mind.

Her eyes shot wide open, and she frantically looked down at her chest. There were no injuries, marks, or scars. Her skin was smooth and plain, like she wasn't shot at all. For a brief second, she considered the possibility that she didn't get shot at all. But that wasn't possible. She remembered the night vividly. She remembered killing a few Cyprianis and then getting shot. She remembered lying on the cold, hard floor and dying in a pool of her own blood. She remembered Baglor's face in her mind, ruining her final moments.

However, for all she remembered, there was no proof on her body to corroborate her memories. She stayed in the shower for what felt like an hour, trying to reconcile the memories presented by her mind and the facts that her body showed her. She didn't know what to believe. There were two contradicting truths before her. She was shot, and she died. And yet, she was now alive and her body whole.

Rather than going mad in the shower, Kia decided to go looking for answers. After all, she was a detective, and when the facts don't align, it's time to get some more facts. She grabbed a towel and wiped her body as she walked back into her bedroom. Once dried up, she got dressed in a pair of black leather pants, a red shirt, a black leather jacket, and her trusty black booths. She looked herself over in the mirror and smiled before slipping all her necessary items into her belt and closet.

Guns on her hip, I.D. in her pocket, Kia was ready. But before leaving her room, she decided to check in on Jean.

Jean picked on the second ring.

"Kia? Kia, is that you?"

"Yeah, Jean."

"Oh, thank God. What happened and where the fuck have you been?"

"I'm not sure. Still trying to figure everything out myself. One minute I was speaking with Baglor, then the Cyprianis drove in guns blazing. Next thing I knew, I was shot and unconscious. Thought I was dying. Then I woke up."

"What? Are you okay? Which hospital are you in."

"I'm fine. I think the Bargarattis took care of me or something."

"Me and the squad with boys from SWAT are in the middle of planning a search and rescue mission. Where are you? Are you okay? Are you safe? Did they hurt you?

"I'm fine Jean. But tell me, what happened?"

"I don't know. I told you about the Cyprianis and then you freaking hung up. I waited all night for you to call but you didn't. So I drove to the warehouse and I found the aftermath of a bloodbath. Bodies everywhere, it was sickening. Called it in and searched for you while I waited for back up to arrive. Luckily you weren't among the dead. So I…"

"Wait. Were there any Bargarattis among the bodies you found there?"

"Yes. Vajesh. His body was riddled with holes."

"Anyone else?"

"Yeah. About thirty five Cyprianis."

"Bargarattis?"

"No. Just Vajesh."

"You didn't see a young kid in a suit?"

"What? No."

"Hmnn…" Kia hummed in thought.

"Where are you?"

"I think I'm at the Bargaratti mansion."

"Good. That was the first place we were going to check anyways. What's your exact location? Can you get out on your own or do you need us to get you out."

"I'm not a captive Jean."

"You are not?"

"Nope. Not as far as I can tell. Look, Jean, there is a lot going on, most of which I don't understand. But I'm fine. Call off the search and rescue opp.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. If anything changes regarding my status I would let you know."

"You went silent for over twenty four hours, Kia. If I don't hear from you in the next three hours, I'm storming that castle with every freaking cop I can muster. You hear me? I don't give a fuck if you are fine. I will kill those bastards first, ask questions later."

Kia was surprised. The way Jean spoke forced her to see an aspect of him she hadn't seen before. An aspect she had refused to see. However, this wasn't the time to address whatever was going on in his mind.

"I will keep in touch," she said softly. "I promise. And with that she hung up.