ANDRÉ

Shit! I should have checked my phone the moment it beeped. Her spending that much time in the restroom was becoming alarming. I had a nagging feling that something was wrong but I ignored it.

ABC-2735. HELP. KIDNAP. The message read. 

It's been two days now and I have not been able to get anything on her location.

The vehicle number was traced and discovered to be a stolen vehicle that has been on the look out for months now.

Wait, I placed a network tracker in her phone. I inform Lucas who immediately calls Arnold, our IT guy.

"Have you tried tracking her number?" He asks him.

"Send it in." Lucas gestures for me to do that immediately. I did not need to be told twice, good thing the phone's speaker is turned on. Our reply is silence at his end of the phone.

"Give me 5."

"Alright." Lucas ends the call and I keep tapping my desk in worry. Hope she's alright. I swear, whoever did this will pay greatly.

"You need to stay calm, bro." Fabian tries to calm me down. I really appreciate him being here. He's supposed to be with his wife and child right now but he's here with me. Talk about real friends. The phone rings and he picks it up sharply.

"I have gotten a location. Hacked into the CCTV and the vehicle number adds up. However, the footage ends at a bush path. Nothing can be seen beyond, we would need physical surveillance." He says.

"Thanks, Arnold. Send in the details."

"On that already. Check your mails, it has delivered." That was fast.

"I owe you one." He says in relief.

"Go get your girl, boss." He replies, referring to me.

"What's the latest?" They ask as I check the mail sent to my phone.

"Get ready, we have a long road trip to take." I inform them.

"We need to strategize.  Clear your head, André. I understand it's not easy having the one you love at the mercy of some kidnappers but you need to be calm. We can't just burst in like that!" Lucas says, forcing me to sit.

"We leave tomorrow by 7am. Now, let's lay down some strategies." He continues, looking at each of us in our eyes.

.....

We arrive at the last location that the tracker could access, it's a bushy part with different conected path ways.

Using our instincts, we continue moving forward observing from the tracks that it's the most steep, which could mean that it is the path that vehicles usually take.

After Fifteen minutes of driving and almost losing hope, an uncompleted  building comes in view.  We reverse and park the car at a safe space to avoid attention to ourselves then sneak into the bushes in position not forgetting to send a location to the police force.

The place is guarded by five hefty guys. All we need to do is aim right and shoot them.

I pick up the bow and arrow laced with a drug that could knock them down temporarily and carefully aim at the five guys. Yes, I'm skiled at archery, combined with military trainings which we paid to be taught. It's all for self defense and for accomplishing tasks as LETHAL.

We move pass the guys and ensure they are unconscious before stepping inside. The uncompleted building was just a decoy because in the middle stood another building which I believe my baby is being held hostage in.

Don't panic, sweetheart. I am here for you.

SOPHIA

Slap! "What do you know about this project?" Trandon says as he slaps a file on the floor. I have been transferred here as they say a chair is too worthy of me sitting on it. Imagine these bastards!

"Nothing! And if I do, I will never say anything to you, you bastard!" I spit on his face, earning another slap and beatings. I was already bruised and bleeding from the beatings I had been receiving since I was brought here. Honestly, I am holding on to the last ounce of strength in me hoping a miracle would happen soon. They found my phone and discarded it, leaving me with nothing.

"You dare raise your voice at me, huh?" He says, in anger. He points his gun at me, ready to pull the trigger when one of his boys burst in the room.

"Boss, we have been attacked. The LETHAL are here." He reports, panting heavily like someone who just ran a marathon.

LETHAL? Who are they? Then I remember where I heared the name and smirk.

"I told you, he'll come for your sorry asses." Trandon glares at me in response.

"Send a red alert. Everyone should get ready."

He lifts me up from the floor and holds my hand, pointing his gun on my head.

"Your useless self would pay off today." He says and drags me with him. I hear gunshots and the sound of things crashing.

Where are you already, André?

As if he read my thoughts,

"Trandon!" I hear the voice I have missed so much, relief washes through me.

"We meet again, Dumont but this time I have something you value so much. Now, start talking." He throws the file at André.

"André, please don't say anything." I plead.

"You want your girl alive, right?" I hear him say.

The other guys burst into the room, matching the same expression with André. Anger! Lucas looked more furious than any of them.

Now, it's LETHAL versus his guys. I hear a gun go off and close my eyes ready for the impact but I fall to the ground, losing the hold Trandon has on me.

I gasp and look behind me to see his body lifeless with blood trickling from his head. He's dead! My worse nightmare, dead!

"Cariña." Is the last thing I hear before my body gives up into darkness.

ANDRÉ

"Shit!" She faints in my arms.

"We need to get her out of here. I have sent the implicating documents to interpol, FBI and the CIA." Lucas says.

"Take your girl to the hospital, we'll clean this up." I receive a pat on my shoulders from Nicholas.

"Thanks, bro. I owe you guys alot."

I take her to the ambulance already present which the police officers had brought with them.

"Please stay alive for me." I plead, not sure what I would do if I lose her.

.....

....6 hours later...

"You have a strong woman, Sir?" Dr. Hech smiles.

"She's awake now, you can meet with her."

My mom and dad arrived at the hospital after I called them. I needed their support should anything happen.

"Go in, son. You deserve to see her now." Dad pats.

"Yes, dear. Please go see my daughter-inlaw." Mom says, happy about the news.

I enter the private room she occupies and the sight of tubes attached to her body broke my heart into a million pieces and I break into a sob.

"I'm sorry I failed you and could not protect you. It's okay if you don't want to have anything to do with me or my dangerous world after this." I say, sobbing into her hands.

"What are you saying, love?" She struggles to speak, totally catching me off guard.

"You came at the right time so st-stop..." she coughs.

"...stop beating yourself over it. I love you and that is all that matters." She completes her statement and her lips curve in a small smile.

"Thank you. I love you too, mi reina." I kiss her hands gently in relief.

"What is mi reina and cariña?" She asks, making me laugh.

"Mi reina- my queen. Cariña- darling." I say.

"You are my king, then. And we'll rule our empire together." She jokes.

"Please heal soon. I miss holding you in my arms." A tear slips off my eyes and she wince in pain as she raises her hand to wipe it.

"For you, darling, I will." She reassures.

"Mom and Dad are here to see you."

"Please let them in." I could see the excitement in her eyes as she says so.