Having Faith

[amz89]

what a cliffhanger more soon please.

[LauraPhilly!!]

Thanks amz89 and tessalove for you lovely comments..!!

Here's the next chapter..!!

It's a cliffhanger too!!

Chapter 16

As soon as they reached the stables, Belle jumped out of the car and sprinted towards the doors, Aden, Mattie and the cops hot on her heels.

"Babe, you shouldn't be running," said Aden, grabbing her arm. "The baby."

"I don't care Aden!" cried Belle. "I have to find Faith."

Belle stopped dead when she saw the stable doors wide open.

"Faith would never leave the doors open," she said, as Aden came to stand beside her.

"Let's not jump to the worst conclusions," said Mattie, rubbing Belle's back reassuringly.

"Guys, wait here," said Angelo, as he and Tara, and a few others walked slowly up to the door, their guns at the ready.

"Stand away from the door with your hands up!" roared Angelo.

There was silence.

Aden, Belle and Mattie followed Angelo and Tara as they walked through the deserted stable. Apart the occasional neigh from a curious horse, the place was very quiet.

When Belle saw Lady's stable door standing wide open, she pulled free from Aden's grip, ran past Angelo and Tara, and sprinted towards the stable.

"She's not here!" cried Belle, falling onto her knees on a pile of straw. "She's not here!"

"But Lady's not either," said Angelo, as Aden wrapped a supporting arm around Belle's back.

"Maybe she's still out riding?" suggested Mattie.

"Yeah, maybe," said Belle, as she sobbed into Aden's shirt.

"Get five of you to search the stables," Angelo told Tara. "The rest of you go through the fields, see if you can find Faith."

"Oh and Tara," he said quietly so Belle, Aden and Mattie couldn't hear. "Keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

Tara nodded curtly, and walked with the others towards the fields.

*

"Find anything?" asked Angelo, as Tara came back into the stables.

Tara looked at Belle and then handed Angelo a small piece of folded up paper.

"We found this."

Angelo took it and unfolded it. "Where was it?" he asked.

Tara took in a deep breath. "It was lying beside what I believe was Lady."

Behind Angelo, Belle's sobs grew louder.

"She was dead," confirmed Tara.

Angelo nodded, and read the paper aloud.

"You have now paid twice for what you have done to me," he read. "I have your daughter, and I have also taken what was most dear to her."

"Lady," said Tara sadly.

"I have taken Faith somewhere, where none of you will ever think of looking," continued Angelo. "Send as many cops as you want looking for us, you won't find a trace. There is only one thing now that will spare you daughter's life."

Angelo paused and looked over at Belle and Aden, and saw the desperation and hope in their eyes.

He looked down at the paper again.

"If you are willing to pay me the following amount of money, and drop it off at a secure meeting place, you daughter will be returned to you safely. The amount I request is 75,000 dollars."

Belle gasped.

"If you fail to secure this sum, I shall be resort to take actions that even I do that want to do."

Mattie sobs broke through the sudden silence.

"Meet me, unaccompanied Aden Jefferies, at the Old Mill on Abbey Creek road at seven, this evening, if you and your girlfriend ever want to see your precious daughter again."

There was stunned silence as Angelo folded up the paper.

"Well," said Belle, looking around at everyone's shocked faces.

Mattie and Aden exchanged a glance.

"Well what, sweety," said Mattie softly.

"Well, we have to get the money," said Belle, in a matter-of-fact tone. "We have to do what he says in order to save Faith."

"We could appear like we're going to do exactly that, but also try catch him in the act," suggested Tara, looking at Angelo.

"Yes, that would be the best way," said Angelo. "If all went successful, Faith would turn out to be fine, and you wouldn't have to fork over 75,000 dollars, Aden."

Aden, who had remained silence through all this, merely nodded.

"Aden, don't you agree," said Belle.

"No, it's just, who's to say he'll buy it that I'm on my own," said Aden, looking up at Angelo nervously.

"Well, maybe he'll think that when it comes to your daughter, you don't mess around," said Angelo.

"But that's just it, mate," said Aden, standing up. "When it comes to Faith I don't mess around. Think of the danger we're putting her in by doing this."

"Do you have a better plan, Aden?" asked Angelo quietly.

"How about we just give him what he wants, no strings attached," suggested Aden.

"Mate, who's to say he'll hand Faith over," said Angelo. "If we do that, he'll see how desperate you are and keeping demanding more money. Nothing will be enough Aden."

"But –

"Babe, maybe you should just listen to Angelo and Tara," said Belle, softly, standing up and slipping her hand through his. "They know what they're talking about."

"Listen Aden, the guy hasn't just kidnapped your daughter," said Tara. "He's also escaped prison. Our job is to arrest him too."

"Yeah I know but –

"We'd be killing two pigeons with one stone."

"I'm just afraid that if something went wrong, Faith would be in even more danger," said Aden, knowing his argument had been defeated.

"We've got to start somewhere mate," said Angelo, putting a supportive arm on his shoulder. "We all know Faith. We care about her as much as you guys do."

Aden nodded, knowing Angelo was being sincere.

"So," said Angelo, clapping his hands together. "How fast can you get your hands on 75,000 dollars."

*

Aden looked at his watch as he sat in his car.

18:55.

He took in a deep, shaky breath.

Although he knew Angelo, Tara and the other cops were hiding in the bushes behind him, he was still extremely nervous.

As his watch told him it was seven, he stepped slowly out of his car, and walked towards the doors of the Old Mill.

"That's close enough Jefferies," said a voice from the dark.

"It's just me Max," said Aden, loudly. "Just me, with the money. Come out where I can see you."

He saw a shadow move in the dark in front of him and out stepped Max, towing Faith behind him, her mouth sellotaped shut with duck tape.

Aden's zoned in on Faith. She looked reasonably ok. In she was in any pain, she was hiding it. All that was apparent was that she was terrified out of her wits. When she saw Aden, her eyes widened and she began thrashing against Max's hold.

"Quiet down you!" bellowed Max, pushing Faith onto the ground.

Aden instinctively jumped an inch forward, his eyes glaring at Max.

Max however was focused on the brown envelope in Aden's right hand.

"That it?"

Aden lifted up the envelope and shook it.

"It's all there, Max," he said. "All you have to do is hand over Faith, and then I'll give you the money."

Max looked at Aden warily, his left hand twitched.

In the light of the moon, Aden could make out the shape of a gun in his left pocket. His heart thudded nervously.

"How about we meeting in the middle?" suggested Max, pulling Faith to her feet.

Aden nodded cautiously, and began to walk forward as Max did.

Suddenly, Angelo and Tara jumped out of the shadows, their guns pointing straight at Max.

"Freeze!" screamed Angelo.

As quick as lightning, Max pulled the gun out of his pocket. Before Aden had time to duck, Max had pulled the trigger.

Aden felt a blinding pain in his chest. He heard Faith's distant scream, and then he heard feet running towards him. Paralysed by this sudden burn, Aden collapsed onto the floor.

Behind him, Max was running away, pulling Faith behind him.

*

"I just wanted to get you checked out," said Ruby, calmly. "The stress your under right now wouldn't be good for the baby. I just wanted to make sure everything was ok."

"And is it?" asked Mattie, as Belle pulled her top down over her bump.

"Yeah, everything's fine," said Ruby, smiling at them. "Babies responding well, and everything's looking good."

"Thanks Ruby," said Belle, sliding off the examination table.

"No problem," said Ruby as they walked through to the reception.

Suddenly the ER doors burst open and paramedics came running in, wheeling a stretcher behind them.

"29 year old male, penetrating wound to the chest, consistent with a bullet!"

"Right, let's get him through to intensive car," said Ruby urgently.

"Let's get to the police station, find out what's happened," said Belle.

Mattie however was looking at the stretcher as it wheeled past them , her face as pale as a ghost.

"Mattie, are you ok?" asked Belle, anxiously.

"Belle, that's Aden," said Mattie, her voice cold.

"What?" said Belle, astonished.

Then she caught sight of the person on the stretcher. She saw his face; she saw his blond hair.

Then she saw his closed eyes.

Thanks for reading..!!

...xXx

[hitmanfan]

oh God, not Aden Lets hope he's ok, and Faith of course.

[tessalove]

OMG aden i hope hes ok, And faith!!

Update soon!!

[amz89]

I didnt like that, you know I dont like cliff hangers I hope Adens okay please dont make him die. Or i will be very sad.

UPDATE SOON!!!!!!

[Lise]

I hope Aden and Faith are going to be alright. Good chapter.

[~Zoe~]

Good chapter, hope Aden and Faith will be okay

[LauraPhilly!!]

Thanks for your comments!!

Here's the next chapter!

Chapter 17

"Heart rate's dropping!" cried the nurse as she checked the monitor.

"There's a major blood clot somewhere," said the doctor , as he and the nurses tried to stop the flow of blood coming out from Aden's chest. "We've got to stop it or we're going to lose him.

"I'm can't find a pulse!" cried the nurse as the machine behind them began to buzz uncontrollably.

*

"Belle, please calm down!" said Mattie, as Belle began to hyperventilate.

"Don't tell me to calm down Mattie!" cried Belle, as she paced around the family room in the hospital. "My daughter is missing, and my husband is in there fighting for his life. How am I meant to be calm!"

"Belle, you have to be, for the baby's sake!" said Mattie, as the door opened and in walked Ruby.

"Ruby, is he ok? What's happened?" asked Belle, rushing over.

"He's still in a critical stage, but Dr Rogers and the nurses are doing the best they can," reassured Ruby. "The only thing you can do now is keep calm, for the baby."

"I don't care, I want to see Aden!"

Then suddenly, Belle froze. Mattie and Ruby exchanged an anxious glance.

"Belle?" asked Mattie, walking towards her with her hand reaching forward.

Suddenly Belle clutche her stomach. Then she let out a loud whail, collapsing onto the floor in front of her.

*

"Charging to 270!"

"Clear," cried Dr Rogers as he pressed the electrodes on Aden's chest.

Aden's body rose and then fell back onto the theatre table with a loud thud.

"No change," said the nurse, as she read the monitor.

"Alright, I want another miligram of adrenaline, charge to 360!"

"Charged."

"Clear!"

Aden body rose and fell again. All eyes rested on the monitor.

"No change," said the nurse, sadly.

*

"Belle, Belle, just breath, honey, just breath," cried Mattie, as she dabed Belle's sweaty forehead with a flannel.

"I can't! The pain," said Belle, as her face screwed up with frustration.

"Ruby, what's happening?" asked Mattie, as Ruby burst in through the door.

"We fear that the mounted stress Belle is under is resulting in miscarriage."

"Miscarriage!" cried Belle, from the bed. "No Ruby! NO! I can't lose this baby!"

"Ok, ok, nothing really bad has happened yet ok," reassured Ruby, as she hooked Belle up to an IV drip. "We're going to give you some drugs, and see if they will help. But Belle, you have to help the drugs, ok, you have to STAY CALM!"

"Ruby, I can't," cried Belle, as tears trickled down her cheeks. "I need Aden. I need Aden!"

"Ok, ok, I'll go find out how he is ok," reassured Ruby.

As Ruby left, Mattie took her place besides Belle's bed. She took her hand and squeezed it.

"Belle, listen to me, ok," said Mattie. "Are you listening?"

"YES!" said Belle, as she took in a couple of breaths.

"Aden is in there, and he's fighting," said Mattie. "Now it's your turn to fight, to fight against this happening ok. If Aden can do it you can!"

"Aden, yeah, Aden," said Belle.

"That's right, think of Aden," said Mattie. "Think of what he's doing in there, with the doctors, right now!"

"Aden, Aden," said Belle.

Within minutes, Mattie saw Belle was beginning to calm down. She was taking slower, more rhythmic breaths. The machine beside her read that her heart rate was going back to a steady pace.

"That's it Belle," said Mattie, beaming at her. "That's it, your doing brilliantly!"

"Belle, Belle," said Ruby, bursting into the room. "Aden's fine, he's going to be ok!"

"Yes!" said Mattie, clapping her hands togther, as Belle looked on at Ruby's face in shock. "Thank God!"

"He's going to be ok?" whispered Belle, as if afraid to believe it.

Ruby smiled, and came to the bed and took Belle's hand.

"He's going to be absolutely fine."

After reading the sincerity in Ruby's face, Belle burst into tears.

"Thank you, Rubes, thank you so much," she managed to say, in between tears.

"Your welcome," said Ruby, smiling at her.

"And if you keep up this steady breathing, you and your baby are going to be just fine."

"I'll do it," said Belle, nodding her head, determindly. "If Aden was able to keep fighting in there, I'll make sure I keep this baby!"

Ruby smiled and leaned in and hugged her, while Mattie looked on, smiling widely.

Thanks for reading..!!

...xXx

btw, check out my new fic; "His Life, Her Life, Theirs Combined"!!

[tessalove]

Good chapter!!

Glad Adens ok!! I hope there baby is ok, and faith is found!!

[~Zoe~]

Good chapter, I hope Aden will be okay