Well here it is, the final part.

Please see previous parts for all disclaimers and such.

Thanks!

Becky

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…this woman will render the greatest power unto utter desolation…

The Prophecy

I set the last box down, watching as my wife – it still seems unreal that I have a wife, but then it's only been two months - puts books up on the shelves. "Need any help?"

She looks over her shoulder, her auburn hair escaping the clip and flying around her face, as she puts the last few away. "Nope, that's all of them." She climbs down the ladder, jumping off the last step, and glances at the box resting on the floor beside me. "Is that the last one?"

"Yes."

She walks over, leans down, and starts to pick it up, but I stop her. "Why don't you take a break? I think I can handle this one."

Sophie straightens herself, placing her hands on her hips. "You sure you can manage this last one?"

"Yeah, I think so," I answer sarcastically.

Sophie just raises her eyebrows at my response. "Really? You're positive you can get this very last box?"

"Smart ass," I counter, drawing her to me and wrapping my arms securely around her before I lean forward and capture her lips in a soft kiss. She surprises me by deepening it, but I eagerly follow her lead.

A moment later, she pulls away. "If you'd ask me to help, we could get it done faster and move on to other things," she suggests seductively as her fingers lightly dance across my chest.

"Mrs. Vaughn…" I begin as I reach up and undo the clip that is holding her hair.

"Yes, Mr. Vaughn?"

I run my fingers through the silky strands and when they reach the end, I let them slip to the buttons on the shirt she's wearing. Damn, she does look cute in my shirts... "Let's forget the box."

"I love your thinking."

"I was hoping you would," I answer as I pick the box up to move it out of the way. I set it on the end table next to the sofa, but my ring catches on the flap. When I pull my hand back, trying to free it from the cardboard, the ring slides off my finger, dropping on to the table. I shake my head as I pick it up.

I'm still holding it when the phone rings. "I've got it."

She comes up behind me as I'm about to answer. She snakes her arms around my waist. "Just get rid of them," she whispers, her fingers doing things that are making it very hard to think coherently.

I grab the receiver just as the answering machine is about to pick up. "Hello?"

"Vaughn?"

My breath catches and I immediately break Sophie's hold and sit down on the sofa. "Jack?"

"I wanted you to know. We just got a call."

Everything starts to close in on me and I have to force myself to remember to breath. Sophie touches my hand, her concern evident. "What call?"

"We just received confirmation. In Hong Kong. We've got her."

This is the call I've been dreading for the past twenty-two months. They've finally found her body. I close my eyes, trying to hold back the tears as Sophie wraps her arms around me, comforting me as best she can. The hand holding the phone is shaking uncontrollably. "I understand."

"We need you to go to Hong Kong to retrieve her."

I'm about to question why Jack isn't the one going, but then I think about it and I realize it's only fitting that I am the one to go. A father should never be put through the torture of bringing his child's body home.

I can only wonder what I'll find when I get there. Will she bear marks, evidence of her captor's cruelty? Will it be a bullet to the head? Or will it just look like she's sleeping? In any case, it won't really matter because no matter how she looks, she'll still be dead.

"Vaughn? Did you hear me?"

"I'm sorry, Jack." I pause before continuing, "I need to know. How bad?"

"How bad? What do you mean?"

"How bad is it?" I ask.

"Vaughn, haven't you been listening? You need to go get Sydney."

"I heard you and I do understand, Jack. I just need to know. How bad is it?"

"No," Jack states emphatically. "I don't think you do."

"What do you mean?"

"She's alive, Vaughn. Sydney's alive."

fin