Love Condemned: Beginnings Read online

  “Here!” The voice called. “Get these people out of here.” Lieutenant Alvarez walked over and put his hand on Adrian’s back, causing him to jump. “It will be ok. You are safe now.”

  Adrian looked up at the man. He was dressed in black with a Kevlar vest and the Italian Flag on his shoulders. He let out a sigh of relief and squeezed Miranda’s hand realizing that they had been saved. This nightmare would finally be over. Adrian caught his breath and pointed to Alice, “She has been shot. She needs medical attention immediately.”

  Alvarez looked at the woman and called back to his men, “Get the medic team in here now!”

  Adrian was quick to add, “She was with them in the beginning. She was the one that got us all here.”

  “Are you telling me that she is one of your captors?” Alvarez looked at Adrian directly in the eyes then back to the woman lying in a pool of blood.

  “Yes. She was the one that organized this whole thing. Then her partners turned on her. This is her fault.” Adrian replied, the two girls behind him nodding agreement.

  The men cleared the room to make a path for the medical team. They loaded Alice on a stretcher and handcuffed her to it. Once she was out of the room, the other three were escorted out of the hotel. They walked past a number of bodies spread throughout the reception area. Adrian had not seen anything like it. He looked over to Miranda, “Don’t look at it. Just look at me. Everything will be ok.” This was the first time that he said that and actually meant it in a long time. They would be ok.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The last few days were spent being debriefed by many people in various governments. It appeared that the three of them were the only survivors from that day. All of the terrorists, including Alice, did not survive. Unfortunately, they had killed the other hostages before they could be stopped. The incident was all over the news and discussed internationally.

  Each of them was given two phone calls to their relatives to let them know they were safe. Adrian only used one of them. He was not very close with his family but they deserved to know he was alive. The debriefing was to continue until all the questions were answered and they were determined to not be a part of it. The last thing they needed was to paint someone as a victim to later learn they had a hand in the plot. Once they were determined to not be a threat and the debriefing was finished, they would be released back to their respective governments.

  During this time, they were moved to a secure holding location outside the city. It was an Old Italian villa at a local vineyard. The Italian countryside cast an amazing backdrop after the horror they had just lived through, making it feel surreal. Even though it was the three of them, it was still romantic to watch the sunset over the vineyard. Sophie noticed that Adrian and Miranda were getting closer. She made an excuse to go to bed early leaving them alone. Adrian and Miranda looked into each other’s eyes. Speaking was no longer necessary for communicating their wants and desires. Adrian reached out and put a hand gently on Miranda’s face, slowly caressing her. He leaned in gently and kissed her soft lips.

  They spent the next few hours together discovering each other in the moonlight. The slight breeze mixed with the moans and heavy breathing. Tonight was not about what had happened. This was about two people falling in love, coming together as one, and sharing their emotions physically. This was what life is about.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Adrian made his way back to his room. It was early in the morning, before the sun was even showing on the horizon. When he entered the room, he was greeted by two men in suits looking very serious. “Mr. Hunter, you need to come with us.”

  “And who are you?” He asked, cautious of anyone telling him what to do.

  “We are with the United States Government. We are here to take you home.”

  Adrian looked back at the door, “I can’t just leave, Miranda is….”

  The men interrupted him, “Ms. Carroll will have her own ride home. She will be taken care of. It is time for you to go.”

  “Can I say goodbye?” Adrian inquired.

  “There is no time. The plane is waiting to take you back right now. We already loaded your bag in the car.” They turned Adrian around and guided him out the door. He looked back with a pain in his heart as they drove away from the countryside villa. He made a promise to get back to Miranda as soon as he could.

  Miranda awoke to the cool morning breeze and the glow of the early sunrise. She rolled over to find that Adrian was no longer lying next to her. She sat up and stretched her arms up high. Every muscle in her body was sore from the workout, but there was not a single regret in her mind. A smile crossed her face as she remembered the details, one hand absently grasping Adrian’s silver cross that she still had around her neck.

  She made her way to Adrian’s room to see if he was there. His door was halfway open. She walked in to find the room completely empty. His clothes and bag were gone as well. A pit formed in her stomach as her mind raced to find an answer. She spent the next hours searching the villa and talking to staff to figure out where he had gone. Her search turned up completely empty. He was gone.

  She could not help but feel abandoned. ‘How could he leave me like this? Was I wrong about our connection last night?’ She asked herself.

  Many thoughts and questions ran through her mind before she gave in. He left her without saying goodbye. Somewhere deep down, she could not accept that answer. She knew Adrian better than that. Something had to have taken him away that was important to leave her behind. She had to believe that. The alternative was too difficult to think about. She did not want to feel unwanted again.

  She made her way back to her room, unsure what to do next. Thoughtlessly, she started to change into a pair of shorts and an old shirt. She took the rest of her belongings and stuffed them in the plaid bag that was sitting on the small table. When she finally forced the lid closed with great effort, she saw her favorite red pumps on the floor. With a great sigh, she decided that she was not going to repack her bag. She picked up her plaid suitcase and walked away from the villa, her red pumps in hand.

  Epilogue

  Two Years Later

  Adrian walked down the street toward his apartment. Another long day at work had passed. His time in Europe felt like a distant memory by now, even though he still had dreams. When he stopped to get the mail, he saw an envelope that was all too familiar. The off-white color, foreign stamps, and the neat handwriting made it unmistakable. Why would she write to him after all this time?

  Miranda was still living in England, it appeared. The return address had changed, but it was still in the United Kingdom. His hands shook a little as he walked up the two floor to his apartment. He tucked the letter in his bag before opening the door. He thought this was behind him. Two years is a long time. Life continues, people move on.

  When he entered his apartment, he was greeted by a voice in the kitchen. “Welcome home, hon. Dinner will be ready soon.” His faithful girlfriend, Paige, was cooking something that smelled nothing short of heaven. He walked into the kitchen and kissed her lightly on the cheek before going to the bedroom to change. He checked to make sure that he was not followed before closing the door and pulling the letter out.

  As he opened it, his mind went back to their time in Europe together. The trip that started out as unsure and awkward. Then it was turned into a nightmare with being held hostage, only to end up as being one of the best moments in his life. That was all taken from him. He tried to explain that to her in the letters he wrote, but she did not understand. Eventually, she stopped writing altogether. It had been over a year since the last letter.

  He pulled out the letter and opened it. Without even reading it he knew what it would say. A small picture was enclosed telling him everything he needed to know. He started to cry, understanding now why she was so insistent in her responses. Paige opened the door to find him sitting on the edge of the bed, tears running down his face. She rushed over to him to see what was wrong.
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  “Adrian, what is it?” She inquired.

  He could not find the words to describe it. He handed over the picture of a little girl just over a year old. She had stunning light brown wavy hair and dark green eyes. She was wore a cute little dress with a small silver cross around her neck. She had her mother’s smile, but there was no mistaking it. This was his daughter.

  He looked his girlfriend in the eye and said, “I have to go find her.”

  Dedication:

  To my better half, you know who you are. You are my inspiration.

  Note to Reader:

  First, I would like to say thank you for giving this book an opportunity. Your support will help me grow as a writer and provide me the chance to share my stories. Happy reading and I look forward to hearing the feedback.

  Visit http://stephaniebrown622.blogspot.com/ for upcoming books and short stories.