Before the connection was lost, all I could think about was that Mel was carrying our second child and that imbecile Rafael was holding her captive.
"Walter! Where is she?" I growled furiously heading towards Charlie 1.
"She is at the Rodriguez holiday home."
"Inform the police, they might just save her before those fools harm her," he said ending the call.

----

"What are you doing here?" Mel asked as Jordan stepped into the room followed by Chris.
"How are you Melinda," Jordan said walking towards her and surprising her by pulling her into his arms as she stiffened.
"What are you doing Jordan, let go of me!" She said shoving him away as he tried to kiss her.
"Why you little...," he said slapping her across her face.
She held her cheek looking at him in surprise.

"I wanted to do that," Chris sniggered before Jordan pushed her to sit on a chair.
"I'm sorry Melinda, I don't know what came over me," Jordan said kneeling in front of her as she stared at him shocked.
"Enough, can we get down to business," Rafael said as Chris took a seat.

"Now Melinda. All you have to do is sign these papers then we will allow you to leave," Rafael said.
"You said she wouldn't leave," Jordan interjected.
"Fine she will stay," Rafael said brushing him off.
Chris was silent as he watched the interaction. Rafael pushed some papers towards her and after a few minutes of reading, she looked up at him laughing.

"You must be joking. Do you seriously believe I would sign over my company to you?"

--------

Lincoln could still hear what was happening and as the minutes passed by he got more agitated. The idiots had forgotten to check if the earpiece was off.

"You will sign over the company or you will find yourself joining your husband," Chris growled.
"What are you talking about?" She asked perplexed.
"How shallow are you, let me make it clear to you. Sign the papers or we will kill you like we did your husband"
"What? How could y..."
"It was quite easy you see. Jordan here informed us when he was leaving his office after some false information about an emergency in Dubai was leaked to his assistant. I had a group of mercenaries follow him and ambush them killing your dear husband," Rafael said.
"I still don't know how all our men were taken out though," Chris murmured rubbing his cheek as Mel started to laugh historically making them look at each other in confusion.

"So you are behind my husband's death," Mel laughed holding her sides.
"Guilty," Chris laughed unable to resist her contagious mirth before his expression changed when Mel all of a sudden had a dark look in her eyes.

"You idiots, you took care of everything for me. I planned to kill him long back, but you took care of that for me, now I am the wealthiest woman in the world," she said getting up as they looked at her flabbergasted. Slowly pacing up and down in front of them they looked at each other confused. "You are the ones with his blood staining your hands, I must thank you for that," she smirked. "Sorry to say boys but you wasted your efforts," she laughed out loud fat tears rolling down her cheeks as they frowned at her.
They saw them as tears of joy, only she knew they were tears of pain. After all, she was just stalling them until her husband arrived.

"Now Mel dear just sign the papers so we can leave," Jordan said, it seemed he had not heard her clearly but the other two looked like they wanted to kill her there and then.

"Leave? To where?" She said as she backed away from them.
"Yes we need to go start our new life together," Jordan said with a smile.
"Listen to me Jordan. You seem like a cool guy but hey, you and I, that's never going to happen."
"No, they promised we would be together," he said shaking his head. "Come we can talk about this better in private," he said grabbing hold of her hand.

"You are not going anywhere Mel until you sign these papers!" Chris called out.

-----

He pulled her to another room locking the door behind them. Pacing up and down the room he mumbled to himself angrily slapping his forehead.
"Foolish, foolish man. I told you not to trust them," he muttered to himself.
Mel made a move to go towards the door before he stopped turning to her.
"Where are you going? You can't leave me, we are going to stay together," he said with a wild look on his face.
"Jordan please calm down. I just wanted to get some water."
"No, no, no you have to stay. You are staying here with me!" He yelled forcing her into the closet.

Locked away in the dark room she felt claustrophobic as she folded herself into a foetal position. Memories of her childhood resurfaced reminding her of the times she hid away in the closet from her father's drunk outburst. Her mother never could protect her from his wrath when he was drunk. Blaming us for his bad luck, when he gambled away his salary. Every bruise had to be explained as a bad fall, a walk into the wall. It only stopped the day something terrible happened before her eyes. Mumbling soothing words to herself she wrapped her arms around herself trying to keep away the cold air.
"Lincoln," she cried praying he would hear her.

~~~~~~
Flashback

"Where are you, you little pest," her father growled walking into her room. Lying under the bed she held her breath hoping, praying he would not find her. Before she knew it, she was dragged from under the bed by her hair, kicking and screaming for her mother's help. Venting out all his anger on her he punched her little body as she curled up into a ball before he shoved her into a closet. The only sound was the creak of the floorboards outside her door as he paced back and forth trying to calm himself down as he spoke to himself.

The same sound she heard outside the door, as Jordan paced outside her door mumbling to himself.

~~~~~~

A few hours passed by before Lincoln and his men arrived at the house Melinda was being held captive only to find police crawling all over the place. He decided to send Walter to inquire about his wife, not wanting to cause chaos with his supposedly miraculous resurrection.

"Sir she was taken into police custody," he said once he returned to the Charlie 1.
"Walter, where is my wife," Lincoln asked his voice dangerously low.
"They believe she was behind your death to get your company."
"Where is she?" He breathed out.
"It seems they have no explanation over your death and are now just pointing the blame towards anyone with probable cause," Walter rambled on, not hearing his bosses' question.
"Where is she?" He growled out becoming enraged with each passing second that Walter withheld the information.
"They took her to the police headquarters by helicopter," he said closing the door as the pilot started their helicopter.

Landing on the building across the police station they were greeted by numerous security guards as they had landed without authorization. Stepping out of the helicopter the firearms were lowered as the men recognized their bosses' boss. "You, you, you come here," he said pointing out the bulkiest of the guards. "By the time we get downstairs make sure my path is cleared or else," he said not missing a beat as the grown men faced each other and ran for the stairs.

The elevator doors pinged open as he started walking not stopping for anyone with only one thing on his mind. HIS WIFE. Stepping out of the building pedestrians and cars had been stopped by several men as they all looked to see who had such authority to stop even the flow of traffic. They looked, no stared in utter shock seeing a man who was said to be dead walking in broad daylight. His security team was highly alert as they crossed the street. The doors had already been swung open as he stepped through being greeted by the constant ringing of phones.
As soon as they stepped inside everyone stopped what they were doing looking at the latest arrivals. Their eyes trained on Lincoln who had a foreboding look. The temperature must have dropped below freezing point as no one made a move except for Lincoln as he scanned the room. The phones stopped ringing, surely someone must have disconnected them not wanting any interruptions as they asked the dead man how he was alive.

The pungent smell of fear rose like a thick cloud as he flexed his hands into fists at his sides. Each movement emphasized his muscular build as his shirt strained against his pectoral muscles. Raising his hand he pointed out a young policeman calling him with his pointer finger.
"Where is my wife?" He said in a deep voice that gripped the young man with fear making the young man shrink back.

"What is going on out here?" The police commissioner asked stepping out of an office.
"Where is my wife?" Linc growled slowly losing his patience.
"How are you alive Mr Shields?" The commissioner asked unfazed by his question.
This was because of the large distance between them. But once those words left the commissioner's lips he closed that gap easily towering over the man.

"Do not make me repeat my question," he whispered making the man swallow his saliva audibly.
"Come with me," he said leading the way to the interrogation room.
Seeing Mel through the one-way mirror his anger flared when he saw the bruise on her cheek. She was in handcuffs and chained to the table like some animal. The cuffs were hurting her wrists and they just kept her chained up. Two men were throwing question after question at her. They looked to be federal agents judging from their attire of black suits.

"Commissioner the next few seconds of your life are going to be very crucial. I want my wife in front of me or consider your career buried."

The commissioner made a move to ask him a question but Linc cut him off.
"No, it is not a threat. I do not make threats. I make statements. And if you ask around my statements tend to bring forth results. So open that door, tell those fools to leave and remove those handcuffs. I will see to the rest," he told the man as a detective came in and was informed on what to do.

Mel sat worried, confused and afraid after being detained for who knows how long. She was lost in thought as the agents bombarded her with questions she could not answer, still somehow stuck in that memory of the closet. When the detective walked in she looked at him blankly not knowing why he was even there. He removed the handcuffs telling the agents who tried to stop him that it was by the commissioners' orders. The agents rushed out coming to a halt seeing Linc as he stood against the wall waiting for the detective to leave the room.

"How are..." One of them asked as Walter cut him off leaving Linc to see to his wife.

The room was sickeningly quiet as she looked at the door, waiting for whoever was going to walk through it. More agents? Maybe the commissioner himself. She didn't care as she looked down at her hands.

------

"Mel," Linc whispered walking into the room with long purposeful strides once he saw her.
Too weak to stand she broke down shedding tears of joy and sadness as he lifted her into his arms wrapping her legs and arms tightly around him, afraid he was just her imagination.
"Sshhh sweetheart I am here now," he said rocking from side to side.
She was safe, was all he could think of as he held her in his arms.
"They...they think I killed you. They confessed Linc. They said they wanted to get their hands on your company," she rambled as Linc held her tightly in his arms.
"Mel..Mel, it's alright love," he said stopping her.
"But...but..." She said before he cut her off.

"Shh sweetheart. Walter is seeing to everything. The police have the recording with their confession," he said feeling her relax in his arms as he pulled her closer.
Cupping his face with her hands she whispered, "Is it really you Linc?" Looking into his eyes as though searching for something. Slowly leaning her head towards his she captured his lips in a slow tantalizing kiss that sent shivers down her spine. She felt as though she was finally home, in his arms, with his lips on hers. Pulling back abruptly she ran her fingers across his face just to make sure it was him, enjoying the feel of his stubble as she explored. He looked at her as though seeing her for the first time and she, him. Looking at each other with unadulterated love, he watched her eyes darken in an all too familiar way.

"Mint," she whispered. "Our favourite," she murmured before leaning towards his lips once more. Biting his lip gently she begged him for entrance which he granted. As her tongue danced with his she felt like she had struck gold as he groaned in response to her moans running his hand down her spine as her body came alive under his masterful touch. Running her hand through his hair and fisting a handful of it he groaned in pain his pulse quickening as he took charge of their kiss showing her how much he missed her as he pulled her closer as though wanting to meld their bodies to become one.

"Linc...I can't breathe," she gasped breathlessly making him laugh as she became lost in the desire shown in his eyes.
"Sorry love. Shall we go home?" He said breathless.
"We?" She asked only for him to nod his head yes as she sighed in relief. "Home," she sighed resting her head on his shoulder feeling the steady beat of his heart against her chest as she shivered recalling being in the small closet once more.

Walter walked in handing him a blanket which he wrapped around her. Linc never let her go as he walked out of the interrogation room. Seeing Jordan as he was led into an interrogation room she tensed in his arms as he whispered sweet nothings into her ear, calming her down slowly. They passed Chris as he was being led away in handcuffs.
"Mel!" Chris called out with a crazy expression on his face. "Enjoy your surprise!" He said with an evil grin.