True Blue - A Second Chance Romance (Complete)

Chapter 33

The closer they got to the embassy, the more pandemonium ensued. The cries of people began to be replaced by the sound of sirens and abandoned cars blocked their progress. Finn and Campbell gathered the gear, ditched the jeep and cautiously made their way on foot.

As the building came into sight, Finn assessed the damage, gathering data to determine a plan. There was a hole where the front gate guard box was supposed to be and thick iron gates barred the entrance.  Black smoke plumed from behind the gate, through broken windows on the left side of the building. Two armoured cars were attempting to shore up the gap in the perimeter wall and provide an additional barrier. Finn could see at least two soldiers peaking up behind the vehicles intent on deterring anyone from advancing on them.

Whoever had initiated the attack seemed to have abandoned their task. No one was pressing their advantage or trying to enter the embassy grounds. Finn signalled the two guards, indicating a friendly and asked permission to approach. When he received the all-clear, he and Campbell raced across the road, through the bombed-out guard box and over the armoured car's hood.

"Captain Wainwright and Lieutenant Campbell" introduced Finn. "We're looking for a woman who came in about an hour ago. Petite, long red hair, civilian."

"With Officer Kim, right?"

Finn nodded and tightened the grip on his gun.  He had no idea who Emily was with but desperately wanted this to be her. "Do you know where they are?"

"Um.  I think I saw them go into immigration." The younger of the two soldiers pointed towards the side of the building. It was currently suffering from blown-out windows and deep black scorch marks marred the once-white façade.

Dread tried to slip from the box Finn locked his emotions in.  Swallowing, he pushed the lid shut tight and focused on Campbell's question.

"Did they come out?"

The soldiers looked at each other and shook their heads. "No one left, sir. That I know of. After the explosion, we were sent out here."

Campbell thanked the men, assured them additional help was on the way and pulled Finn into the building. Finn's feet didn't want to work, afraid of what he might find in there.  If Emily was hurt, he'd never forgive himself. If it was worse, he'd never survive it.

They heard a male voice barking orders before he came into view, a deep baritone echoing down the wide marble hallway.  What they saw when they entered made Finn's stomach turn.

The immigration office was organized chaos. Papers were strewn around the room as if a badly planned ticker-tape parade had made its way through the space.  A handful of military personnel, identified by their brown uniforms were attending to a row of people propped up against the inner wall, opposite the shattered glass of the windows.  Some stood, others sat. Everyone looked rattled. A man in a white suit, soaked with red from the blood spilling from his cheek moaned in pain.

Glass crunched under his army boots as Finn ran up and down the line of people, searching for any sign of her distinctive red hair. 

He came up empty.

Grabbing one of the soldier's arms he demanded, "Is this everyone?"

"Not sure."

Finn scanned the room again. No sign of Emily. The lid on the box rattled.  Bile rose in his throat. Where was she?

Campbell tapped him on the shoulder. "Let's explore," he indicated a half-open door at the other end of the room. Taking one last look around in a desperate attempt to locate her, Finn moved forward. As they pushed through the exit, Finn noticed blood on the door handle. Someone injured had come this way.

It's not Emily's blood he told himself and the box in his mind.

Another hallway, not marble but still bright and clean presented itself to them. Moving slowly but confidently down the corridor, side by side, each searched the handful of rooms they discovered.  One by one each room offered no hope. Vacant. No Emily

A quiet settled on them the further into the building they went. The sounds of sirens died down, voices evaporated. When they came to a connecting hallway, Campbell pointed to drops of blood on the floor leading to a stairwell.  Wordlessly they agreed to follow the trail, Finn taking the lead while Campbell covered from above.  Determining all was clear, the men sank down into the basement of the building.

Fluorescent lights lit pale green walls and concrete floors in the long corridor the found themselves in. Campbell covered their back while Finn pushed forward, skimming along, gun raised before him. All noise was dampened down here, their footsteps barely taps on the cold flooring. The roaring in Finn's ears threatened to accelerate but he forced it to slow. The box reminded him it was still there, but he ignored its attempts at attention.

Seek and find.  That was the mission.  Find Emily.

There were no rooms to check out in this part of the building. Only a long hall ending in a sharp-angled turn. Finn searched the area ahead for signs of anything. Enemy. Friendly. Emily.

Reaching the end of the hall, Finn turned the corner.

And froze.

He found his target.

The lid and the box disintegrated as every fear flooded his senses.

There before him was Emily's lifeless body.

Propped against the wall, legs splayed out before her. Emily's red hair fell over her shoulders, just how he always wanted to see it, free and vivacious. The white of her shirt was streaked with grey on one side. The laces on her left shoe had come undone. Delicate hands he had held in his own only a few days ago fell limply at her sides.

She looked peaceful. Like she was resting, eyelids closed to the world. 

It took a moment for his brain to catch up with the sight before him.  When it did, he absently marvelled at how he didn't feel the pain. Everything simply slipped away, his surroundings going dark before him. Except for his vision of her. The floor tried to swallow him up as he fell to his knees, dropping his gear and gun. He wished it would.

He found her.

But it was too late.

As if on autopilot, his hand reached out, wanting to touch her. Caress her pale cheek. Trace the still pink lips he had been dreaming about.  He hesitated. The logical side of his brain wondering if her skin would already be cold.

Instead, Finn took a lock of Emily's wavy hair in-between his fingers. Something he'd done a hundred times before.  A simple pleasure. So often leading to more. A tug here. Followed by a smile.  Grey eyes sparkling in anticipation. Ending in a kiss. The silky strands belied the life that was no longer there.

He was vaguely aware of his lungs screaming for air.  But why bother? What was the point of breathing?

Survival instincts must have kicked in as he gasped. The sound seemed funny to his ears, like a puppy whining over a withheld treat from a teasing master.

With the oxygen came the agony. His chest burned. It was worse than when Emily abandoned him all those years ago. This happened because she chose to be with him. Happened because she followed him here.  Happened because he let her get on that plane. All for a few precious hours with her.

There would be no future together. No home. No strings.  His mother's engagement ring would stay in Simon's safe. 

Her father had been right when he'd chastised Finn at their first meeting in the Montgomery mansion all those years ago.  The man's words echoing in his head. Finn was a loser.

The sweetest, kindest woman in the world was gone. Her spark snuffed out because of an act of stupidity. Emily Montgomery, the love of his life, dead. And it was all his fault.

His eyes travelled away from Emily's auburn tresses tangled in his hand.  Try as he might Finn couldn't stop himself from looking at her beautiful face.

Ocean blue met pale silver irises.

"Finn?"