Stealing Beauty

Part 17- Hope

*Cody Walker as Konnor Adams. Ha! That's funny...*

"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness." -Desmond Tutu

***

It's like no matter where I went, I could hear Natalie's screams. My heart pumped faster as I stood in the computer lab, watching men type and advance search for any information on The Dictatorship's location.

"What if they don't even have Natalie?" Alexander came up behind me, handing me a cup of coffee. Somehow everyone knew I hadn't slept the night before, and I was having serious jetlag.

"Then I'll keep looking. Y'all can head home once this is over, but I'm staying. Even if The Dictatorship doesn't have her, somebody does, and eliminating them now will just eliminate another option." I took a sip of my coffee, but it didn't warm me; I was a mixture of hot and cold right now.

"That's one less thing for us to worry about," Sergeant Maxwell came up behind us, speaking in that authoritative tone of his. I shook his hand as he joined us, watching these people research.

"Anything from the location department?"

"Nothing. There are at least 5 abandoned prisons around here, and 10 ones up and running. There's no telling who controls what and if it's being used or not."

I nodded my head, because I knew it wouldn't be that simple. There's no way they could fly helicopters around this place and see someone, clear as day, walking in and out of these buildings.

"Anyone out on foot?" I asked, wondering how hard these men were really working to catch the King and Queen.

"We have snipers lined up, scoping out the East side of Paris, we have a chopper covering the rest."

"That's not enough ground for one helicopter to cover!" I started to raise my voice, but Maxwell only stiffened his posture.

"Adams, I don't think you're in any position to get worked up; I am only your ally. We're using all the resources we can sacrifice for right now."

"You mean to tell me you can only "sacrifice" one chopper? To cover 3 quarters of Paris? One chopper?"

"Konnor, I think it's time to go-" Alex tried to consult me, but I was only getting angrier and angrier by the second.

"No!"

"Young man," Maxwell hardened his eyes and I swear I could see him staring into my soul, "If you want your wife to be found, you need to stay patient with us. Believe me when I say, we're doing everything we can. Sit down and shut the hell up!" With that, he turned his back to me and left the room. I could feel everyone's eyes leave the computer and stare at me, but I shook it off.

"Back to work." I simply said, before I thanked Alex for the coffee and sat down at a nearby desk, looking at blueprints of several different jailhouses.

"We've got activity," Zander said, zooming his camera in on one specific area. I could see a foot climbing through a broken window, and I wondered if that could be the place. Perhaps the broken window was an illusion to make us think the prison was abandoned.

"Activity reported at South Central Street..." he talked into a walkie, communicating with everyone: sergeants, soldiers, men in the choppers, the snipers. I ran out of the room, rounding up my recruits.

We traveled in a van, clutching firearms and other weapons. I looked at Raylynn and she stared at me hardcore, her hand resting next to her pistol. We nodded as if to say "this is it."

Let's hope this is it...

I watched as the world zoomed by around me. Where would she be when I find her? Will she be happy to see me? What am I going to do to the bastards that hurt her?

I don't even think Natalie, the girl who fought off all my demons, could even hold me back on this one.

"Hey Konnor, you good?" Maeve came in through my ear. She stayed behind with Zander to help with location.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm... I'm alright. Just ready to have her in my arms again."

"Awwww that's so sweet! Gag me," Carter said from beside me. I shot him a look that said 'don't fuck with me.' I had my game face on.

"Wouldn't you love to be gagged, though, Carter?" Mason smirks as Carter drops his smile.

"Hey man, you know I'm not gay. I ain't into all that freaky shit either so you better watch your tone with me."

"Watch my tone? What are you? My fucking mother?"

"Guys!" Raylynn said, rubbing her temples in frustration. "We're about to walk into this place and find the fuckers who took Natalie. Can you chill the fuck out and settle this argument later?"

Mason and Carter glanced at each other for a second, then just their mouths. The van pulled to a halt, and I took a deep breath.

Maybe this was it...

**********

Short chapter and a lot of dialogue. Do you think they found Natalie? Is the book ending this soon?

Look everyone, I understand the sequel is hardly ever better than the first, no matter if it's movie, book, etc. But it is one of my goals to finish it. I know it seems kind of bland now, but that's partially because I'm not getting as much feedback on this story as I did when I wrote the first one. This book WILL be finished. I've given up on several things that I've written before. Stealing Beauty WILL NOT be one of them.

Anyways, still not sure when the next update will be, but I do have to pat myself on the back about this. A few chapters ago I said I wouldn't update again until November. I've written much much more since then. 

Until Chapter 18!

XOXO,

-Lucky8Girl. <3