Nolan walked up to his wardrobe. He ran his fingers through his suits in order to find out the best one. He didn't want to waste another day without telling Amanda how much he was in love with her. He took out a blue one. He called Amanda up. The call went to voice mail. 'Hey, Ams! Where are you? I want to meet you. Like now. Call me back.' He checked his texts. There was no text from her. There were texts from Margaux though.
I told Amanda that you're going to propose Louise. She seemed upset. She has turned her phone off. I'm little worried.
Nolan checked the time of the text. It was before he called up Margaux the last time. Nolan sighed. He tried to think of places where she could be at this moment. Meanwhile, his phone buzzed. A new mail from an unknown sender. He opened.
'Hello Nolan!' Mason's harrowing face appeared in the video. 'Hope you didn't forget me.' He winked. Nolan looked on with consternation. 'It's already too bad that your kid and her mother do not recognize me.' The camera rolled to another angle. Louise appeared on the screen. Gagged, bound together with their kid. Nolan rounded his face in surprise. Mason continued, 'It's not their fault, though. I've been little off my game lately. All thanks to the Revenge Gods! It's my turn now. Track the signal and come here with Amanda Clark. Only two of you. And don't try anything tricky. Otherwise….' He put Franny at his gunpoint and looked at the camera. 'You know.' He winked.
Nolan wasn't in place to think of anything tricky anyway. He realized how much it hurts for a parent to see their kid in danger. He frantically left the house and drove off his car. He called Amanda repeatedly. But her phone was still switched off. He tracked Mason's number. The signal came from the middle of practically nowhere. Seeing no way out, he called up another number. 'If you really want to do something for me, get me Amanda Clark, anyhow. And stay tuned.'
He drove for hours and reached a place nearby. There was no way ahead. All he could see was a dark bottomless gorge. A narrow, rocky cliff ran across the abyss. Nolan got off the car. His phone buzzed. Take the cliff.
The idea seemed insane. But it was his kid at stake. He had to oblige Mason anyway. He observed the cliff. It seemed like the hardest level challenging track from the video games. He took the leap of faith and walked ahead, balancing himself in each step. He couldn't look at any side. It was all deep, dark, horrifying. He looked forward, only forward.
After half an hour of petrifying walk, he reached the end of the cliff. It was surprisingly a piece of plain land- little wide, round, roughly about 200 meters of a radius. He marched forward before catching the site of Louise and Franny. They were tied to a tree by the edge of the land. His eyes trickled seeing them. He ran towards them and suddenly the world turned upside down to him, literally.
'So even the billionaire genius fell for this old school!' Mason joshed.
Nolan found himself inverted, hanging from a tree with a rope tied around his legs. His phone, wallet, keys and Taser gun dropped on the ground from his pockets. He realized he has tipped on a rope trap. In old times, the hunters used to use this trick to trap their preys. Old school, indeed. Mason quickly walked up to him and made him smell a chloroform soaked piece of cloth. Nolan was soon senseless. Mason picked up Nolan's phone, took out the sim cards and threw both them away.
Few hours later Nolan came back to sense. He found himself still swaying from the tree. He tried to stretch his hands, but he found a rope tied around his body making him unable to use his hands. He looked around. Louise and Franny were still in their previous position with their eyes full of horror. He tried with all his strength to tear off the rope. But in vain. He wondered if Mason had ridden any ladder to tie him up this way.
'Let them go.' Nolan told Mason who was standing in a little distance from them. He held a gun in his hand.
'You're disappointing me. How come there's still no sign of Ms. Clark?'
'She isn't coming. So, unfortunately, you've to talk to me only.' Nolan said.
'You know what this is?' Mason pointed to his gun. 'See I've updated myself. I can't say the same for you. Taser gun? Really?' He chuckled.
Meanwhile, they heard a footstep approaching. Mason promptly pointed the gun at Franny. Amanda appeared in front of them in her black sweat set. 'What the hell is going on here?'
She put her footsteps forward but Mason screamed. 'Don't take another step. Nolan dies otherwise. See the line there?' Amanda found a big red line drawn on the ground ahead. 'If you cross that line, the area goes off. Pressure bomb. I have activated it.' He pointed to the remote in his other hand. Amanda snorted in disbelief.
Amanda saw no way to reach Nolan or Franny without crossing the line. 'What do you want?' An angry Amanda asked.
'Poetic justice. A tragic end. The partners-in-crime to get what they deserve.' Mason spoke out loud. 'See you promised me a bestseller. But the victorious end is little clichéd. I want my readers to feel for you at the end. Now tell me how it all started? With a father and daughter. Right? Don't you think it should end with another father and daughter?' He took a gagged and bound Franny in his arms and stood behind Louise, just by the edge of the land. 'First I'm going to make you cripple. Then I'm going to shoot Franny in front of both of your eyes.' He pointed to Nolan. Louise cried with helplessness. 'As a payback for putting me through hell. Then I'm going to press a button here.' He gestured towards the remote. 'The bomb goes off killing Nolan in front of your eyes. And I'm going to let you live. How shall it feel when you won't be able to save your partner? The man for whom you are who you are. The man you probably love- How shall it feel to have Nolan's blood on your hands, Amanda Clark?'
Amanda's eyes went red in anger. But she stood calm, letting Mason speak his mind.
'Help Franny.' Nolan begged Amanda.
Mason looked at him. He was about to say something when he felt a sudden pull from behind. The remote fell on the ground. Before he could realize anything, he was falling off the cliff. He got ahold of Louise's legs somehow, losing his hold of Franny in the process. A bound and gagged Franny fell further off the cliff.
Mason tried to resist the fall by grabbing Louise's leg tight. This, in turn, tore off the rope with which she was tied to the tree and she lost her balance. She managed to clasp the edge of the land, but her hand fell on the remote. Seeing this, Amanda promptly jumped over Nolan. Before they all could understand anything, the explosion occurred. Louise screamed Franny's name at her top pitch.
After the initial shock, Amanda opened her eyes. All she could was a dark mist of smoke everywhere. Her back was burning. She rolled over on the ground to extinguish the fire. She looked at her side. Nolan's legs were burning. She quickly stood up and kicked his legs repeatedly to douse the fire. She ceased fire. But his head was badly injured, bleeding. He didn't open his eyes or breathe. Her back hurt and her eyes trickled. Louise was still screaming from the edge.
'Is Mr. Ross ok?' Bran shrieked from the edge too.
Hearing his voice, Louise looked down the cliff. Bran was hanging by the cliff. Holding a rope at one hand, Franny at the other.
Mason turned to the unknown face too. He realized who pulled him from behind at the first place.
Hearing Bran's voice, Amanda pulled herself together. 'I don't know. Is Franny ok?'
'Yes but please pull us up.' Bran screamed with fear.
Amanda ran towards Bran but heard Mason scream, 'Pull me up or I shoot Franny.'
Louise looked at Mason. He was holding her legs with one hand and the gun with another one. Amanda leaned over to see the same. They both opened her mouth in shock. 'Help Franny.' Louise sobbed.
'Yeah.' Amanda nodded and ran towards Bran.
Mason shot Bran. The bullet hit his leg. Bran screamed with pain.
'Help me or I shoot again.' Mason warned.
'Help! Help!' Bran whined.
Amanda felt helpless. She couldn't decide whom to get to. 'Mason stop! Or I swear I'll kill you myself!' She yelled.
Mason shot again. But this time, missed the target.
Bran screamed with fear and pain. 'I won't be able to hold onto Franny much longer. Help me please!'
'Bran, you've to hold on.' She shouted and extended help towards Louise.
'I can't. Please.' Bran sobbed.
'Help Franny.' Louise told Amanda.
'I'll. But give me your hands first.' She ordered Louise.
'Take the help. Go up.' Mason screamed at Louise.
'Promise me you'll take care of Franny like a mother. Forever.' Louise asked Amanda.
Amanda frowned. 'What?'
'Just promise me!' Louise screamed.
'Promise. Now give me your hands.' Amanda insisted.
Louise smiled. 'If he's alive, tell Nolan I loved him.' She withdrew her clutch from the land. She fell off the cliff along with Mason.
Amanda could do nothing. She only heard Mason's screams before they faded away. A stunned Amanda choked on her own breath.
'Help me, please.' Bran's begging voice hit her ears. She walked towards him, stumbling and sobbing. Pulling him up, she snatched Franny from him and hugged her tight. She wasn't sure how many she has lost today. She didn't want to know. That night, Amanda Clark, felt tired, broken, scared to death. Franny was senseless. But her heart was still beating. With an aching back, traumatized mind, Amanda trembled, sobbed and hold on to her for life.
Amanda's sleep broke as she adhere some movement in front. She woke up and found Nolan back in his senses.
'Franny! Franny!' He looked around and freaked.
'She's fine, in the ICU. Mason had her sedated with chloroform. But the doctors are taking care of her.' Amanda spoke in a hurry as if she wanted to contend Nolan with as many information as possible in no time.
'ICU? And you say she's fine. She's in a freaky ICU.' Nolan bridled and tried to move out of his bed. His whole body ached. Till then he hasn't realized how many machines were surrounding him, how many syringes were punched into him. Amanda abhorred the scene. Like the hardest thing in the world was to see Nolan in pain. She held him.
'You're too injured to stand up now. Please settle down. Franny is doing well. Trust me.' She tried to console him.
But he was no joshed billionaire at that moment. He was a doting father who cannot be solaced so easily. 'Is Louise with her?'
And the dreading moment arrived for Amanda. She had no answer to this. She remained standstill, like a statue. Her eyes welled up, but nothing came out of her mouth. Seeing her so still, Nolan's heart raced up. 'What happened?' He quivered in consternation.
And his fear became true. 'I'm sorry Nolan.' Amanda broke down.
'No, no.' Nolan begged her.
'I tried Nolan. I really did. She didn't let me. She went down. Like nothing. She took down Mason with her.' Amanda sobbed miserably.
Nolan sat on his hospital bed, shell-shocked, trembling. His heart denied every word Amanda said, but she had no reason to lie. He closed his eyes. 'Get lost.'
'Don't do that Nolan. Please. You are all I have.' She begged.
'And you are the reason for whom my kid won't see her mother ever.' Nolan never knew it was in his power to abhor Amanda but at the moment he did.
'I tried Nolan. I tried my best.' She wept. She could take all but Nolan's' hatred. She cupped his face with both of her hands. 'Look at me. Please.' She sobbed and begged. But he refused. With a broken heart, she left the room for the time being.
A year passed by. Amanda and Nolan, both lived in the same house for the sake of Franny. Franny was too small to understand the concept birth mother. All she understood was that Amanda was her mother and Nolan her father.
Nolan never forgave himself. Neither could he look at Amanda. They lived under the same roof, but in different rooms. On some nights, his heart ached for Amanda. But the next moment, Louise's demise used to come back, reminding him how much he hated both of them.
Amanda learned to live with hope. The hope that one day Nolan shall forgive her for failing Louise and come back to her. Till then all she could do was to be a mother to Franny and wait for him.
On one night, when Nolan's conscience and his heart fought too much, he woke up to take a walk by the shore. He walked for hours without realizing how many miles he has crossed. It was only when he spotted jack's new bar, he realized he has come a long way. He hadn't talked to Jack ever since the day he last met him Alabama. He stared at the bar with nervousness, unsure if he would be welcomed there. With some hesitation, he tried his luck.
It was early in the morning. The bar was not open yet. He found the door open and went in. Jack's naked back welcomed him as he was making love to a girl. Nolan quickly turned around.
Hearing the movement, Jack turned and found an embarrassed Nolan.
'I'm sorry. I should have knocked before.' Nolan said with his back turned to them.
'Nolan!' Jack's face lit up. The girl ran behind a door. Jack put on his pant and came forward to hug him. The old friend's hug felt so soothing to Nolan. He hugged him back. They ended the embrace and looked at each other. 'It's so good to see you, Nolan.' Jack was clearly happy.
Nolan's eyes welled up at this. 'Same here.' It felt so good to stand in front of a person who would understand what he is going through. 'You look happy.' He pointed to the girl who has by then covered herself.
Jack smiled. 'What can I say? It feels good to have moved on. There's no point in living in the past.' He patted Nolan's shoulder.
His words struck a chord somewhere in Nolan's heart. 'I have to go.' He suddenly left in a hurry.
That evening when Amanda entered the house after her usual routine of picking up Franny from school, she could almost not recognize it. The walls were either covered with roses or luxury silk curtains. Everywhere she looked, all she could see were red rose petals. Nolan stood in the middle of the hall, dressed in his best. The two center lights focused on each of them. Amanda stood still. Nolan came closer. The light followed him.
He held her hands. His gaze fixed on her. Amanda stared at him with awe. 'I can spend the rest of my life regretting something that I cannot change anyway. Or I can spend it by being happy with the few things which are left in my life. Fortunately for me, the few things are the two most important person of my life.
Amanda Clark, I've loved you since the first day I saw you. Just the way I've loved Franny. Of course, those two are a different kind of love.' He winked. It is no Nolan Ross if he isn't working any humor in between his words. He knelt down in front of her holding a ring in his hand, 'Amanda Clark, will you marry me?'
Amanda could utter nothing. She felt too emotional to speak. She only rubbed her hands on her lips. All, this time, she had been waiting for one word of affection from Nolan and all of a sudden he was asking her to become his family, in its true sense. She cried and nodded her head. Nolan smiled and cried together in joy.
6 months later….
Amanda and Nolan came out of the chapel and found eager teams of paparazzi waiting for the first look of the newly wed. There was no media access provided since Nolan wanted to keep it as simple as possible, just the way Amanda liked. The media begged for the repeat of their first kiss. They looked at each other and blushed. Amanda kissed him with pride, he kissed her back with affection. Together they made the most handsome couple-complementing each other like they were made for it- made for each other.
A/N: Please read and review. Your reviews matter.