At what cost?

An hour later, Eric sent the coordinates he got from the details Damien sent to him earlier. It was already 5:30 in evening but that wasn’t going to stop Damien from going to rescue his wife. He planned on keeping to his word on not letting her spend a night there.

“I’ll go first. You can come with the police.” He said to Eric over the phone who was also preparing himself for the rescue mission.

Damien drove down town like a madman as he followed the GPS location on his car. In less than twenty minutes, the car slowed down as the GPS showed that he had arrived at his destination. When he looked outside, he realized that it was an abandoned building.

How cliché!

Taking his phone out of his pocket, he failed Eric’s number and on the second ring, he picked up.

“What’s up?” Eric asked.

“I’m in front of the building. Come quickly.” He said and ended the call without giving Eric a chance to reply.

Accessing his surrounding, he noticed that the neighborhood was anything but safe with countless alleys that could be used for illegal activities. He knew that he could be walking into the lion’s den but just like the man, Daniel, he knew he was going to come out alive.

Damien entered the building, now using his phone to track the current location of the supposed kidnapper. Sine the building was abandoned, broken glasses and old wood were littered around alongside various insects and creeping creatures.

He was disgusted at the mere sight of the building.

After walking down countless stairs that seemed to be leading to an underground hideout, he got to a hallway that had tons of doors at every corner.

He tucked his phone in his pocket and started peeping through each door to look for Harriett as his gut feeling told him that she was certainly in one of the rooms.

Seven doors later, he finally heard Harriett’s voice through a light cough and his heart immediately raced as he ran to where the sound came from. Peeping though the tiny hole that was in the door, he saw his ex-wife sprawled on the ground, trying to fall asleep on the cold floor.

Without giving it much thought, he kicked the door with all his strength and it immediately snapped open.

Hzarriet jolted out of her sleep as she heard the sound of her door being ripped apart. When she turned her neck, a relieved sigh left her lips when she saw Damien.

“Damien! I knew you’d come.” She cried, unable to control herself as she flung her bodyweight on him and hugged him tightly.

“I’m sorry, Harriett. I should have come earlier.” He muttered, caressing her back softly as she began to cry.

“We need to get out of here first. Eric is on his way.” He said as she nodded, pulling away from him as they turned to leave.

“Not so fast. I should’ve fucking known that you’d show up.” The tattooed man from earlier appeared before them with a gun pointed directly at them.

Damien instinctively pushes Harriett behind him as he is now face-to-face with the man.

“Woah, woah, woah. Buddy, we can talk this out, okay? I don’t see a need for the gun.” He said, hoping to have a dialogue with the kidnapper.

“I know that you did not kidnap her because you what to. I know that there is someone else behind this. All I want is their name and you’ll be free to go.” Damien said, putting up a deal for him.

“Shut the fuck up!” The man yelled, banging his hand on the wall.

“I call the shots here, okay? Now, get the hell out of here before I change my mind and hold you hostage too.” He threatens and Harriett immediately grabs Damien’s arm, pleading with him to not leave her.

“I only leave this place with the lady.” Damien said without fear and the man looked at him like he had suddenly grown two heads.

“Do not make me pull this trigger on you, man. Fucking leave!” He growled, unaware of the fact that above him was a troop of police which Eric had brought with him.

Damien who knew that in a few minutes, he would be arrested, continued buying time just so that Eric could get here.

But, the kidnapper caught on with all the pointless questions Damien kept asking. He knew that something was wrong so he decided to act fast. He immediately attacked them with the gun still in his hand and his first target was Damien.

With the gun in his hand, he landed a punch to Damien’s head and pulled Harriett away while he was still staggering. Harriett screamed at the sight of Damien falling to the ground and tried breaking free from the kidnappers hold but he was too strong for her.

But, she continued to struggle, giving him a hard time.

Damien felt hot liquid flow down his head and he already knew that he was bleeding.

“Fuck!” He cursed as he felt a stab of pain in his head. He was going to pass out soon but he needed to be sure that Harriett was safe first.

He opened his eyes and saw Harriett struggling with the kidnapper, screaming, kicking and punching as she reached out to Damien. He could see the fear in her eyes as she stared at him and he wandered if it meant that she still cared about him.

“Let me go!” She screamed in the ears of the kidnapper. Annoyed with her antics, he turned to her and was about knocking her out when he heard loud voices.

“Drop your weapons! We have you surrounded, sir. We advice that you surrender.” One of the armed police man said and Harriett slumped to the ground out of relief.

Knowing he was screwed, the kidnapper turned to Harriett and smirked.

“I can’t go down alone, Harriett” He said and the next thing she heard was a bang.

Harriett was unable to scream as she thought that she had been shot but when she opened her eyes, she found Damien in front of her instead, hugging her tightly.

“Damien.” She whispered, wondering how he appeared her. She suddenly felt a wet substance on her hand and when she pulled it out of Damien’s body, a scream left her lips as she was met with the sight of blood.

Damien had gotten shot instead of her.

The police men hurriedly apprehended the kidnapper but it was too late as the harm had been done already.

“Damien? Damien! Look at me, please.” She cried but he only smiled at her, his eyes fighting to stay open.

“I love you, Harriett. I’d die a thousand times over for you.”