CHAPTER THIRTEEN : TAKEN AWAY
1390 Words
She had imagined this moment a hundred times.
In every version, it went differently….
He smiled, she smiled, they said the right words, and whatever had broken between them quietly pieced itself back together. A hundred versions, and not one of them prepared her for the way he actually looked.
Ashley stood still, like she had been trapped through time.
Her eyes widened in disbelief, tears still rolling down her cheeks.
“He's finally home” she muttered with a little smile on her face.
After weeks of unanswered questions, endless tears, and sleepless nights, he was standing right there in front of her in the middle of all the chaos she was facing and all she could do was stand still with tears streaming down her face.
A thousand emotions crashed into her all at once: shock, relief, sadness, happiness, and fear.
On the other hand, Josh's expression was nothing like hers. Even from afar she could see it.
His nervousness, mixed with relief and worries, was as if he knew something bad was about to happen to her. The kind of look he would give her anytime he saved her from trouble.
That familiar look, oh she knew it quite well.
“Josh” she yelled from afar, breathing turning into panic.
“Ash…, you stay right there I'm coming to meet you,” he responded, hurrying towards her from the other end of the parking lot.
But before either of them could reach each other, A black van screeched to a stop.
Everything happened too fast, the doors slid open, and two masked men jumped out.
Ashley gasped
"Josh!" She screamed
A hand covered her mouth.
Another forced a black bag over her head.
She screamed, kicking helplessly as they dragged her inside the van.
"No! Let me go!"
"Ashley!!” "Ashley!" Josh shouted.
The van doors slammed shut and it drove as fast as it could.
Meanwhile, Josh ran after it.
"Ashley!"
His voice echoed through the parking lot as he chased the speeding vehicle.
He kept running. Faster.
Ignoring the burning pain in his chest.
Ignoring the lack of air.
Ignoring everything.
But still couldn't catch up with the van.
He stopped, breathing heavily, his eyes red, his body trembling.
He dropped to the ground. "No..."
His voice cracked.
"No... no… it can't be.." he said, still trying to catch his breath.
All he wanted was to protect her, but still they found her.
On his knees, he regretted every decision that had brought them to this moment. Leaving her behind, burdening her with confusion, and hiding the fact that he was a billionaire, all because he had foolishly believed he could protect her from a life that resembled a never-ending blockbuster.
****
He reached for his phone.
"Frederick."
"Sir?"
"They have her." Silence followed.
"What?"
"They have Ashley."
"Mr Clifford"
"I left her, Frederick!" His voice broke.
"I left the woman I love alone, and they still found her!"
"Sir, we're currently tracking the vehicle"
"I want every man available. Every trained man in the building, mobilise every team. Contact the Commissioner. I want every traffic camera, every CCTV feed, every toll booth and every highway monitored. Pull every black van registered within this city. I want license plates, ownership records, routes, everything.”
"Get me in line with the Minister of Transportation."
"Sir?"
"No one leaves this city.”
His eyes burned with fury, veins visible beneath the death grip he had on his phone.
"They touched Ashley."
A chill ran down Frederick's spine.
"And if they so much as put a scratch on her..."
His eyes turned cold.
"...God Himself won't recognise what's left of them.”
"Mr Clifford, stay where you are. The teams are already mobilising. ETA, five minutes.”
Frederick responded.
Sharp. Efficient. Reliable. Just as he had always been.
Meanwhile...
Ashley sat tied to a chair. Her hands, her legs, even her body. Everything was restrained.
A black tape covered her eyes.
Another covered her mouth.
Fear consumed her.
The voices around her were unfamiliar.
"Call Jason Clifford."
"He'll come."
"He always comes."
One of them laughed.
"The girl is his weakness."
Ashley froze.
Jason?
They knew.
They knew who Josh really was.
Her eyes widened beneath the blindfold.
***
Meanwhile, back with the team
"Sir, the plan is ready."
Josh slowly raised his head, his eyes no longer carried the warmth Ashley knew.
The man before Frederick wasn't Josh, he was Jason Clifford.
And he was angry. The kind of anger that buried empires.
Frederick had served him for years.
He had seen him negotiate billion-dollar deals without blinking.
He had seen rivals beg.
He had seen men disappear from industries after crossing him.
But never this. Never this look.
"Frederick..."
"Yes, sir."
"I'm done hiding." Silence followed.
"They've taken the only thing that matters."
"And now..."
"They'll know exactly who they chose to fight.”
***
The warehouse was heavily guarded.
Police vehicles surrounded the area from a distance while armed men dressed in black moved into position.
Jason Clifford stood beside Frederick, his expression cold and unreadable.
"The thermal cameras confirm she's inside, sir."
"Alive?"
"Yes, sir."
He closed his eyes briefly in relief.
"Commence rescue mission"
"And if things go wrong?"
Frederick hesitated.
Jason's gaze darkened.
"Ashley must remain alive."
***
Ashley sat motionless.
Her wrists were sore from struggling.
Her eyes remained covered.
Tears slid down her cheeks as muffled voices echoed around the room.
Suddenly….
Bang!
A gunshot.
Then another.
Shouts filled the building.
More gunfire.
Footsteps.
Panic.
The kidnappers cursed and rushed outside.
Ashley trembled violently.
Was she going to die?
Then she heard it.
"Ashley!"
Her breathing stopped.
No.
She knew that voice.
Even with the tape over her mouth and the blindfold over her eyes, she knew that voice.
"ASHLEY!"
Josh.
He was here.
Fresh tears escaped her eyes.
The man guarding her quickly grabbed his gun and pointed it at her head.
"One more step and she's dead!"
Jason froze.
His eyes immediately found her.
Tied to a chair.
Blindfolded.
Shaking.
Crying.
And for a second, his heart broke.
"Ashley..."
His voice softened.
"I'm here."
The kidnapper tightened his grip on the gun.
"I said don't move!"
Jason slowly raised his hands.
"Take me instead."
The man laughed.
"So the mighty Jason Clifford can beg?"
Jason didn't care.
"Please."
The room fell silent.
"Let her go."
The kidnapper smirked.
"And if I don't?"
Bang!
The kidnapper's eyes widened.
His body collapsed to the floor.
One of the officers had taken the shot.
Jason rushed forward immediately.
"Ashley."
His shaking fingers removed the tape from her mouth.
Then the blindfold.
The moment Ashley saw him, tears burst from her eyes.
"Josh..."
He untied her hands and she threw herself into his arms.
He held her tightly.
"I'm sorry."
His voice broke.
"I'm so sorry."
Ashley cried against his chest.
"You came..."
He buried his face in her hair.
"I'll always come."
Neither of them noticed the wounded kidnapper lying nearby.
Coughing up blood, he clutched the spot where he had been shot.
Slowly, Painfully.
The man raised his gun.
His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Ashley.
Jason saw it first.
"Ashley!"
Without thinking, he pushed her away.
But in that split second, when Ashley saw the gun aimed at Josh, she reacted instinctively.
"Josh!"
She threw herself in front of him.
Bang!
The bullet struck her near the waist.
Her body jerked.
The officers immediately returned fire.
The kidnapper collapsed, lifeless.
"ASHLEY!"
Josh rushed forward and caught her before she hit the ground.
"No..."
His voice broke as tears filled his eyes.
"No... no, no..."
"Please..."
"Don't leave me too."
"Ashley, look at me!"
With trembling hands, she gently cupped his face.
Her breathing was becoming weaker.
Josh held her hand tightly.
She tried to speak.
"Josh... I..."
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I love you."
Her voice faded, her hand slipped from his, and her eyes slowly closed.
"No!"
Josh cried out, pulling her closer.
"Ashley!"
"Open your eyes!"
"Please!”
"Stay with me!"
The ambulance team rushed forward.
"Sir, move!", "We still have a pulse!"
Josh froze.
"A pulse..."
Hope returned to his eyes.
He looked up at the medics, tears streaming down his face.
"Please..."
"Anything."
"I'll give you anything."
"Just save her. Pls !”
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