Stand for Love Ch. 16

"I have called the inspector," George breathed, holding on to the seat belt as Nicholas' driving seemed dangerous. "He said he's on his way with his men though he might reach quiet late because the search teams are far away from the location."

But Nicholas didn't care. He just drove as he rubbed his tears off, hoping, praying to find Adrian in a really good condition. When he reached the road leading to the location, he stepped on the accelerator and drove like a mad man.

Nicholas was determined to reach his Adrian just in time. He was breathing harshly, holding a firm grip on the driving wheel as the pain shot through him. Nothing was gonna stop him from saving Adrian.

***

Adrian was on the chair where he had been tied since... forever. He had his face dropped while a million tears made their way on his face. It was dark already, meaning his time would soon come. He was about to leave the world for good, wondering why evil was gonna triumph over good. The tears of pain that were pouring on his face were super hot. His heart was in so much pain. His voice couldn't be heard. His body was shaking in pain. His breaths were slow and harsh, causing him unimaginable pain. His head was in so much pain, pulsing with each heart beat. Just the thought of being murdered was making his pain even more intense. He hadn't experienced such pain in his life.

As he sat there, in pain and anguish, the only thing that was on his mind was how Nicholas was gonna be hurt. Victoria's voice kept ringing in his head, telling him that Nicholas was gonna witness his death. That was what had him worried to the point where he got a high temperature and he was sweating. The tears in his eyes couldn't stop flowing and the pain kept on intensifying. Throughout the day, all he had thought about was Nicholas. He had even forgotten that his grandfather, father and father in law were killed by them. All he was worried about was Nicholas and his reaction.

Adrian slowly raised his face and looked up at Drake who was seated on the chair still with his phone. The guy wasn't even concerned that he was about to die. In fact, the smirk on his face was even more painful that Adrian couldn't look anymore so he dropped his eyes to his legs and cried. His eyes were swollen and they hurt.

He prayed for Nicholas to stay far away from the location he was in. He just wanted to spare him from heartache of seeing him dead. He'd rather have him forget about everything than see him. Looking at his legs in pain, all Adrian did was thinking about the love he shared with Nicholas. He needed to die thinking about that love even if it was for a few minutes.

Still in thought about the wonderful memories as his pain shot up, Adrian heard footsteps coming in. Then he closed his eyes in pain as more tears flushed down his face. He closed them, crying until the steps got closer till he couldn't hear them. He knew they were standing right in front of him. His time had come.

Taking a deep breath as his heartache intensified, Adrian raised his face to look up to his to be killers. He saw them, right in front of him with smirks on their faces. He had no more pain to enter him because he was at his maximum. He just stared at them in horror as his fear intensified.

"Hello!" Victoria smirked, crossing her arms on her chest. "Are you ready to meet your fate?"

Adrian's sobs increased at the question of Victoria. He wasn't crying because he was afraid of death but because he knew Nicholas was gonna be in pain. If someone asked him if he was ready to die then he would have said 'no.' but in that situation he knew he wasn't gonna escape death. It was inevitable because no matter what he did, death was inevitable. No one was gonna save him. It was time for him to leave the world... forever.

"I hope you have already said your last prayers?" Jake enthused. "This is your last day on earth. I can't believe after so long... I'll finally get to kill you. I will kill you and then I'll have my Nicholas back."

"I just hope... you'll burn in hell." Cynthia chuckled.

Adrian was staring at them, sobbing uncontrollably at the sudden words they had used. He was really weak and his hands hurt a lot.

"Enough talking," Todd gawped, crossing his arms on his chest. "We don't have much time for this."

"Yeah," Victoria chuckled. "I am sure he's already departed from the house. We have to do this as fast as we can."

"Who are... " Adrian paused when he realized what they were actually talking about. "Please don't bring him here."

"Too late," Victoria was smiling. She was ecstatic and couldn't wait to kill him. "He's already on his way here. I think it will take him about... we called him about thirty minutes ago so he should be here between 5 and ten minutes."

Adrian dropped his eyes and cried. His fears were about to come true and his heart still couldn't accept that Nicholas was gonna be in a lot of pain. If only he could communicate with him then he would lead him in a different direction. But now it was done. It was over. There was nothing left to do but die a painful death.

"Bring them out." Victoria's voice was demanding.

When Adrian raised his face, he saw that Todd had a bag with him and it had something that was fully packed in it. Just by what they had they had told him, Adrian could have guessed what was in there. His suspicions turned out to be true when Todd put the bag down and brought out four bombs. They were a little huge and they had some buttons on them. Adrian could clearly see that they were time bombs. He was done for. He closed his eyes and cried.

"This is it," Victoria chirped, taking one of the bombs in her hands. "I hope you enjoyed the little time that you had spent on earth. 18 years is so little time but I hope you'll burn in hell."

At the end of her sentence, everyone bust out in laughter, rendering Adrian weak. He had no idea how it was gonna be but he knew it was gonna hurt a lot.

Then after laughing, Victoria turned to Drake and gave him a big bag. Adrian knew there was money in that bag. He cried out even more when Drake looked down at him with an evil grin on his face. He couldn't believe that Drake used to be his friend. He had turned out to be heartless and cold.

"That is your money." Victoria said, handing the bag to her. "Now I want you to get lost and... leave the country for a while. We'll call if we need any of your services and... "

"Don't worry," Drake's eyes widened at the thought of using all that money. "I don't know you and nothing like this happened. On any of our future business transactions I'll just be a stranger to you."

"Good!" Victoria chirped, patting on his back. "Now remember, don't use the road. You must pass through the forest or you'll definitely get caught."

"Thank you ma'am and I'll gladly work with you next time. It was good working with you." Then he moved his eyes to Adrian to grinned, enjoying the look on his face. "And good dying bro, I really hope you won't be so nosy next time."

Then one final laugh of mock, he picked up his phone and left the building. Adrian's time was over.

"It is now time." Victoria chuckled. "I think five minutes will be enough time for you to think things through and say your last goodbyes." Then Victoria turned to her crew. "Preset the timer to five minutes and then let it begin the countdown. Then place three other bombs on different locations, leaving only one here. It will serve as... a clock for him since it's the last thing he'll see on this earth."

"With pleasure," Jake smiled as bright as ever, picking up the time bomb.

Adrian closed his eyes crying, trying to get his mind off his death for once and just think about other things. He didn't want that to destruct him or make him more scared.

Adrian began hearing the clicking sound and he knew that the bombs had been set. In just a few seconds he stopped hearing anything.

"Done," Jake chirped.

"Please do as instructed." Victoria laughed out bitterly. "Give me one."

Adrian heard footsteps which mean that the others had left to place the bombs in different locations. He was so scared. Never had for one day had Adrian thought that it would end like that for him? It was really painful.

"How... pitiful," Victoria chirped, slowly grabbing a chair. "This is so, so sad. My dear son in law's death will be too painful for the family members that you stole from me." Victoria yelled. "They'll soon forget you even existed and I'll be back in the house. We'll live happily ever after without a pest called Adrian Wilson. Goodbye for good." She then gave a bitter laugh that filled the whole building.

Hearing her voice was disturbing Adrian. Beyond that intense pain and fear was anger, anger for Victoria and her gang. If ghosts really existed then he was praying to be brought back to life and then haunt them till they die one by one. But that was just a myth.

"And tell that... brother of mine," Todd chuckled softly. "... tell him that I still hate him. Tell him that I never regretted killing him. If I have to do it over and over again... I would gladly do it."

Adrian quickly raised his flooded face and looked up at Victoria and Todd, the only left there. Then his eyes moved to the time bomb which was on the chair. It had red and blue cables and he knew it couldn't be stopped unless by a professional. There was only 4 minutes and 50 minutes left and nothing could be done.

"And do you know that we filled this place up with gas cylinders?" Victoria asked the stunned looking Adrian whose eyes were on the bomb. "Just look over there." She signaled with her hand.

When Adrian moved his face into the direction she was signaling, he could see the gas cylinders in different places. That place was gonna blow up in flames and he knew he couldn't do anything to stop it. It was now time for his death.

"Any last words?" Victoria asked.

"I will haunt you in my death... "

"We don't care," Todd snapped. "We'll kill you over and over again even in death."

Then they chuckled as Adrian's cries turned into wails, trying to get loose but he couldn't do it no matter what he tried to do. Both his legs and hands were tied tightly. In just a few seconds Jake, Jane and Cynthia came rushing in.

"We need to go." Jane said impatiently.

"Goodbye Adrian," Victoria chuckled before she quickly rushed out and began running away. All of them followed but Jake first smirked and kissed his cheek. Then he too ran away from him, leaving him in more pain that he could ever imagine.

Adrian continued hearing their chuckles till he couldn't do it anymore. The place seemed to be old but Adrian's eyes were on the bomb. He had only four minutes left. In those four minutes he was gonna try to cut loose.

Quickly gathering the little strength that he had, Adrian began moving as he cried. He tried to pull out his hands out of the rope that he was tied to but he couldn't do it. His hands just hurt a lot. He tried his legs but nothing was doing him any good.

Quickly pushing his legs downwards as he tried to free his hands, Adrian used his body to try and let himself loose. But no matter how much he tried to twist his body from side to side, nothing was happening to him. He only ended up wincing in pain. The rope they used was too strong. Only something sharper could cut right through.

After trying for some moments, it was hopeless. Adrian then moved his eyes to the bomb on the chair and he only had 2 minutes and 50 seconds. He could use that little time for something useful. Sure the thought of death was excruciatingly painful and it made his heart to hurt a lot. His fear intensified too but he didn't need to be selfish.

Adrian closed his eyes as more tears made its way to his face. Then he thought about the new relationships that he had formed and how much they loved him so much. He cried a lot when he thought of the pain he was gonna inflict on them with his sudden death. Then he thought of his friend, a friend he had only met a week ago after being apart from him for four years. He prayed for George to take care of his friend. He prayed for George to bring strength and happiness to his family. He prayed for his husband to take heart and find someone to love him but not Jake.

"Dear lord," He cried out. "Please hear my prayer for the last time on earth." He felt a lump in his throat but he was gonna stop. "I am not praying for myself but my family and my husband. Give everyone the strength to move on while I am not around. Guide them and let them find the courage to forget about... me and the pain they'll be passing through. I know that George is the strongest one of all. Help him to be the pillar of everyone in this hard time. Help my granny and give her the strength to move on and let her forget about me. Help my son to grow into someone that is kindhearted and beautiful on the inside and out. And my husband... "

Adrian gave out a low cry of pain when he thought of Nicholas but he didn't have that time to cry. He had to pray like never before.

"... guide my husband." He continued. "Let him continue to live his life. Find someone good and someone who will love him more than me. Let him not be in pain... let him forget all my memories... give him the courage to move on. Don't let him be devastated or anything. Give him that strength which he will require." He sobbed and then continued. "Keep my family away from the likes of Victoria and her gang. Punish them oh lord. But most of all, guide my soul. Let me take all the pain with me... Amen."

After the prayer, Adrian's eyes went straight to the bomb. He had only about a minute and fifty seconds. There was nothing left to do so he began crying, mourning his own death and the pain of seeing his husband in so much pain.

Adrian dropped his face and began crying. His time had come and there was no way he was gonna escape death. It was just a few seconds and he would die.

****

"Come on, hurry," Victoria hollered to her gang. "It's gonna blow up any second from now." She looked straight ahead and there was a bush. Their car was parked far away, in the forest.

Victoria and her gang run into the forest and hid between trees were they could get a full view of what was gonna happen. The building was in the middle of the forest. It had been a timber company long ago but now it will also be Adrian's grave site.

All of Victoria and her gang were breathing harshly, hiding between trees, watching the building. They knew it was just a few seconds left and he would be... gone. The thought of Adrian's death brought so much peace to her mind. She couldn't believe it was gonna happen.

"Anytime now," Victoria whispered to her crew.

****

"We are here." George hollered after seeing the building a distance from them. The road where the car could reach had finished so all they had to do was rush there.

Nicholas quickly packed and then furiously got out, leaving the door open. His eyes were on the building which was just a little distant away from them. His heart was pounding deep in his chest... his breaths were harsh and painful and his heart was in that building with Adrian. He was scared and even though he was running like a mad man, he was scared as hell.

He was just hopping Adrian would be fine by the time he was gonna reach him. He could feel his friend's footsteps behind but he was faster. He was hell bent on finding Adrian. The police had not yet arrived so it was up to him to save Adrian.

He ran as fast as he could and he was almost near the building.

***

"Any second now," Victoria whispered, glancing at her electronic watch. "In 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1"

Suddenly, there was a loud noise as the building exploded into flames. It was like boom! The ground shook like a tremor and it lit everywhere. Victoria's heart beat with joy and her mouth gaped at the building in flames. The beautiful thing was that the building was somehow collapsing and she loved it.

"Finally," Victoria whispered, touching her chest in mock astonishment. "He's gone... out of our lives for good."

"I can't believe it." Jake gasped. "I will finally get to embrace my Nicholas and... "

"Shh," Victoria whispered. "Look over there... " She signaled. "... It's Nicholas. We need to leave before anyone sees us. We need to get back home and pretend we don't know a thing."

The whole gang turned and began heading quietly deeper into the forest. They were really happy with their accomplishment. Who would have known that they would defeat Adrian? They were ecstatic about their greatest achievement. Good riddance!

Before Jake left though, he took a glance at Nicholas who seemed dumbfounded and said, "You'll soon be mine." Then he set off into the woods together with his gang, happy.

****

Nicholas increased his pace, running as fast as he could. As he neared the building, his heart began racing with joy. He was ecstatic and he knew he would soon see his husband and get to be with him... kiss him... and make love to him once again. He couldn't wait to see him.

As Nicholas was furiously running, panting like a wild animal, something happened, something that took his whole heart. He heard a loud explosion and then the ground shook furiously. It felt like a tremor and the powerful wave of wind that he felt made him stop. Then he raised his face to look forward... and saw the building in flames, collapsing.

He stopped and then all his strength left him. He felt a sharp pain hit his heart and it broke into pieces. The tears that formed in his eyes were different from all the others. They were of pain, rage and thunder. He had never felt like that before. The pain he felt was worse than death. He couldn't believe... he didn't want to believe that the building where Adrian was probably kept had exploded and was now collapsing.

"Adrian!" Nicholas screamed out in pain, staring at the building in flames. "No... "

Nicholas' heart died with what he saw. His heart gave a sharp pain when he thought of Adrian being in that burning building.

Could this be the end of Adrian?