45 RESCUE
SEB
“Cops are on their way to the location,” Lincoln informs me after I tell him the address of the land title.
It’s twelve miles from my house. Lincoln and I stick to one car while Mason, Logan, and Riley take the SUV. Trixie insists riding with her twin. I update Mike that we might have found Abby.
I pray that she’s okay. I don’t know what will happen to me if something terrible happens to her, and I will carry the regrets for the rest of my life.
“Abby will gonna be okay, Seb. She’s a survivor, and she would do it again now that she has you. Just be strong, man.” He steals glances at me. I nod and look outside the door when my emotions are over the top.
“I should have stopped her from running away, but my feet seemed to be glued until it’s too late,” Lincoln blames himself too.
“I’ll have my wife back, and she will get her justice. She can finally live her life without danger. I would never have thought that I would care so much like this to a woman, let alone a stubborn innocent woman who called me a manwhore.” I chuckle, and so as Lincoln. “It’s even difficult to breathe without her.” I blow a huge breath as I think of seeing her again
“She deserves someone like you, Seb. You love her. She’s stubborn because she’s still young, but I can see it in her eyes that she loves you. I can’t wait to see a little Abby with big green eyes around your house.
I stare at him when he mentions little Abby, and I’m getting weepy. “Yeah, the stubbornness that makes me love her more. She always wants to get what she wants, and she’s also impulsive and impatient.”
“We’re almost there. You will see your wife soon, man. You will be together again.”
My heart beats faster. I’m excited to see Abby again and scared at the same. I close my eyes as I try to push the thought of that bastard doing something to her like what he did to all his victims.
The police already spread, surrounding the perimeter. They don’t let us stay close to the abandoned old house to avoid disturbance that will alarm the kidnapper. Police cars and EMT are already alert, and some cops march through the front, and others from the back. Some stay in the car for backups.
My chest suddenly tightens if something goes wrong inside during the raid. Abby might get hurt, and I don’t even want to think about it.
I get out of the car and take some air.
Trixie comes to me, wrapping her arms around me. “We’ll see her again, Sebby. Promise me that I can still spend some time with her and no more calling her every five minutes.”
I roll my eyes, and I can see the hint of a smile in her eyes.
“Fine. I promise, but no night outs without me and no skimpy clothes for her.”
She scowls. “That wasn’t skimpy, and if I have a body like her to show, I will dress skimpier than that.” She flips her hair back and leaves.
I look at the house, and it looks familiar as if I’ve seen this before, and I can’t point my finger on. Fuck! Why didn’t I think about it before?
“Lincoln, this is the same house where he brought Abby three years ago, but the title was written a year ago. He bought this place to bring Abby back here, and he’s been planning on kidnapping Abby again.”
“How did you know this place?” He gets out of the car with a deep frown.
“I saw this house in the picture. A report of Abby’s missing three years ago. Her dad gave me the copy,” I explain.
“The landowner shouldn’t have sold this. They’re inside. Stay here.” Lincoln walks away from me and heads to the house. I follow him, and he notices me.
He stops, glaring at me. “Where in the stay here you didn’t get? Get back there, Seb. I need you safe there,” he orders, pointing to the car.
I don’t even look at him. He groans. “You are not allowed to come here, and I am trained for this, and you’re not. You’re violating the law.”
I face him. “I don’t care, and that’s my wife they’re trying to rescue.”
He looks at me. “You’re just like your wife, so hardheaded and stubborn.”
I smile, and I can’t believe I smile. “You’re right. That’s why you love me.” I hear a gunshot. My spine straightens, and I run toward the house, ignoring Lincoln yelling my name from my back. I’m almost ay the door when someone grabs my arms.
“You can’t get inside there, sir. Let them handle the situation, please?” A police officer leads me away, and I notice Lincoln is glaring at me.
“Seriously, Seb. Are you insane? Do you think running over there to save her and put your life in danger will do any good? Don’t do that again.”
It was my instinct. I wasn’t thinking straight, and my adrenaline rushed before I can even think of what to do.
When I see two cops coming out from the door, I run to the house again, and I see Tennings being handcuffs, wounded on his left arm. I pause momentarily, swallowing hard the bile rising from my throat. My pulse spikes up, and my blood boils when our gazes lock. My wife put her trust in him, and that’s what he does to her?
I stride towards him. “Tennings! This is for my wife!” I give him the strongest punch I can ever give, and my fist hits his nose, and it’s not close enough, but I can’t put the law on my own hands. Blood flows from his nose down to his shirt. I want to punch him again, but Lincoln manages to grab me on my arms.
“That’s enough, Seb. Save your strength.”
I try to struggle to get lost from him, but he tackles me well. That’s when I see a yellow stroller come out of the house.
I groan. “Linc, please? I want to see my wife.” That’s the time when he releases me, and everyone runs toward the ambulance.
My steps toward the stroller are calculated. I want to see her so badly, but I’m not ready for what I’m about to see. I pul all my courage together, and at this time, my heart bleeds for her.
My Abby, my wife looks so pale. Her hair is everywhere. She has bruises on her cheek, around her lips, and below her left eye. She’s wearing a shirt of that son of a bitch. Did he touch Abby? Her arms have bruises too. Her wrists and her lower body covered with a blanket.
I wipe my tears from my face as move closer to her. “Abby? Baby, it’s me, Sebastian.”
Her eyes are close, and I hold her hand through the blanket, but the EMT stops me.
“We have to take her to the hospital for further medical attention, sir. You can follow us there.”
I look at him. “Just a few seconds, please?” He gives me time. I squeeze her hand, and she squeezes my hand back. “See you there, baby.”
She nods her head, and I feel relieved that she hears me. I let the ambulance go. Tennings is still in the police car.
“What did I miss?” I asked Lincoln.
“You should have seen what happened.”
I face him. “What happened?”
He just laughs.
“Seriously, Linc?”
He stops. “When the guys saw him coming after you punched him, Mason punched him in the eye, then Patrick punched him on the corner of his mouth, then Trixie kneeled him in the crotch, and the cops didn’t even stop them.”
“Ouch,” we say in unison.
The drive to the hospital takes forever. If I can fly, I already do. Lincoln keeps telling me to relax, but I can’t.
Finally, we arrive. I don’t let Lincoln park the car, I jump out and rush to the door. The doctor tells me to wait in the waiting area, but I want to see my wife. I pace back and forth which irritates everyone.
“Man, you’re giving me a headache. Can you please, calm down and sit? You should stop drinking caffeine,” Mason says while rubbing his temple.
“Tell me if you can calm down if Trixie is there?”
“That’s unfair, man.”
Everyone arrives, including Mike, Mom, and Dad followed.
“Why don’t you go home, Mason? Sleep and snore in your bed.” I roll my eyes.
“I don’t snore. You can ask Trixie.” He freezes and looks shocked at what he just said. Patrick is about to punch him when the doctor appears.
“Who’s the family of the patient?”
I raise my hand, and I notice everyone does too.
The doctor looks amused to see us all like one big family. “I understand you’re all excited to see Abbygail, and I want—”
“I’m her husband, and he’s her dad.” I point to Mike.
“I can’t allow everyone to rush inside, but you and her father can see her first. She’s still drowsy. We gave her something for pain and let her rest,” the doctor explains.
“Go ahead, Seb. I think you need her more than you need to breathe right now,” Mike says, and I follow the doctor to show me Abby’s room. He tells me about Abby’s condition, and she also advised me not to wake her up.
I enter her room, and she is lying on a slightly elevated bed. She still looks pale, making her bruises more visible. They give her fluids hooked on her left hand.
I take a seat on the empty chair and hold her hand, and that’s when I notice the scrape around her wrist—he tied her. I run my thumb over her broken skin carefully not to cause her more pain.
I hold her hand and put it to my lips. She stirs and lets out a moan.
My heart breaks every time I see her hurting, and this is the worse. Because of me, Abby was taken and gots hurt. If Riley didn’t find something in that son of a bitch’s apartment, she could have suffered worst, or I might not see her again alive like what he did to the other victims.
Soon when Abby is stable enough, I have to tell the authority about the video and pictures so that they can give him a life sentence or worst death. I sit for a few minutes, and I see everyone peeking at the door.
“You can all go. I’ll stay here for a while.” I look at all of them who are looking at Abby. I rise from the chair and walk out of the room. “I will send a group chat when she wakes up.”
They don’t move.
“I think you should go home, Seb. Take some sleep, shower. then come back here.” Mike squeezes my shoulder.
“I’m not going anywhere. I will stay here until my wife wakes up.”
He releases a huge breath.
“You can go home, Mike. I will call you, and you just traveled long hours. You need to rest, old man.” I tap his hand on my shoulder.
When everyone finally left, and I still see Lincoln, Mason, and Logan with Riley behind my back.
“Linc, go home. I’ll be fine here. No one can harm us. The psychopath is already locked up behind bars.”
He doesn’t budge. I look up to him. “Get Riley a hotel room. Mason and Logan can get a room or suite whatever they want. There’ss a King’s close to the hospital. Go home, Linc. When you wake up, bring me something to change and ask the helper for Abby’s.”
He rubs the back of his neck. “Mason can stay with you for the meantime.”
I roll my eyes. “I’ll be fine. He needs rest too. You’ve been up for almost two days.”
“I will call cops to stay here while I’m sleeping. No arguments.”
“Who’s the boss here?” I raise my eyebrows, and he grins. “And you’re on my speed dial. Just please, get out of my face?”
“I don’t care that you’re my boss. I don’t wanna lose my job if something happens to you.”
I groan. “Fine. Whatever. Now, go home. I don’t wanna see your face.”
He chuckles. They all finally walk out, then I get into the room and sit down, then the door opens again.
“What?” I hiss.
“No banging in the hospital bed.”
I grin. “I made no promises.”
He smiles. “The bed is uncomfortable. Trust me.”
I chuckle and shake my head, then he left. I kiss Abby’s forehead, on her nose down to her lips. I rest my head to the bed, pressing my face to her hand. My eyes instantly feel heavy.
I feel someone’s playing my hair, fingers massaging my scalp, and it feels good. I must have moaned. I open my eyes and blink. Is this a dream? I can still feel the fingers on my hair, then the constant beeping sound from the room. My position is uncomfortable, and I might have a stiff neck.
“Babe, are you awake?” A groggy voice that sounds familiar causes me to jolt up. She’s awake. My Abby is awake. Abby is awake.
I look up to her face, and she’s now smiling at me, even her bruised face, she’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
“Baby?”
She smiles and wrinkles her nose with a raised brow. “Who else?”
I chuckle. “I see. My Abby is back. “I kiss her bruised lips, and maybe a little stronger out of excitement.
She grips my arms as she might feel a little discomfort.
“Oops. Got excited.”