Adira's POV:
I ran as fast as I could, pushing through bushes and following the cries. I didn't have to run for long when the voice became clear. Soon, I caught a glimpse of two burly figures walking away, one of them carrying Atlas over his shoulder. My heart pounded in my chest as I saw the tears streaming down my son's face and heard his desperate cries, calling for us.
Catching them off guard, I charged toward their backs and delivered a powerful kick to one of the men. He stumbled forward, losing his balance, and crashed to the ground. Just as the second man, who was holding Atlas, spun around in shock, I quickly circled my leg and kicked him between his legs with a full force. He let out a painful cry and dropped Atlas on the ground before cupping his injured part.
In the blink of an eye, I retrieved a loaded gun from behind my back and threw my body on the ground just as Atlas' small body landed on me. I wrapped a protective arm around him and shot the man I had kicked in the back, who was coming at us. I aimed for his head and fired. Without any delay, I then shot the man who was lying on the ground, groaning in pain. I glanced sharply towards the movement around me but seeing Valor looking at me and the men I shot in shock, I relaxed, dropping my gun on the ground and focused on Atlas, whose body was trembling in my arms.
"That's it, sweetheart, that's it, Mama is here, you're safe." I embraced him tightly in my arms, stroking his back as he buried his face in my chest. I tried to coo him gently but my own body was shaking in fright till now. I tried to relax myself inhaling his scent.
"Mom, M-Mom, Mom..." He repeated like a mantra between hiccups. His body relaxed a little, but he was still shaking.
"M-Mom, they p-planned to kill you and D-dad. They- they said they will kill you both and- and grandpa too..." He looked up at me and started crying again. My body stiffened when I noticed the scratch marks on his face and cut on his lips. I was about to answer him when a voice from my earpiece distracted me.
"L-OV-E? A-ADI-RA!" I heard Aiden's loud, yet broken voice in my ear. I immediately placed my hand on the earpiece and asked, "Aiden! Can you hear me?"
"Ad-ira, wh-ere are-" I couldn't catch what he said exactly, but I knew he must be within an 80-meter radius if his device was still connected.
"Aiden, I'm a hundred meters west of the factory. We're here. Can you hear me?" If my instincts were correct, there would be nothing at the second and third hideouts either. We were heading in the wrong direction.
"What? Wa-it th-er-e, I'll-" I believe he was asking us to wait, but this area was far from safe. If they were taking Atlas somewhere, it meant their main hideout was likely nearby. I couldn't risk staying here.
"Aiden, I found Atlas. Meet me near the factory, don't come this way. I'll explain later..." I wasn't sure how much he could comprehend in this chaotic situation, but for now, I needed to get out of here. With that, I shifted my focus.
I turned to Atlas, who clung to me as if his life depended on it. I wrapped both arms around him and stood up, gripping my gun and concealed it behind my back again.
"Atlas, my dear, we'll be fine. Nothing will happen to any of us, I promise. Mom is here with you! Let's go, your dad is waiting," I reassured him gently, then turned to walk back with Valor by my side. But as I took just a few steps, the distinct sound of guns being cocked reached my ears.
"Oh, oh, oh! So Mama bear thinks she's clever, huh?!" A wicked snort echoed from behind us, causing my body to tense up immediately. I recognized that voice.
Clara Davidson!
Valor, who had been walking behind us, swiftly turned towards her and instinctively positioned himself to shield us. Atlas trembled once again in fear.
"Ad-i-ra, W-h-at's-?!" Aiden's voice came through the earpiece, but there was no way I could warn him in this perilous moment.
"Atlas, my baby! Listen to mama!" I whispered urgently, and he looked at me with wide, frightened eyes. "It's code red, remember what to do, right?" Tears streamed down his face as he shook his head.
"N-No!"
"Trust me, my love. Go straight ahead, and you'll find Dad. Don't look back, just trust Mom. Everything will be okay. You trust me, don't you?" I whispered to him, and despite his sobs, he nodded.
"Wh-at's c-ode r-" Aiden's voice sounded frustrated.
"Turn around and show me your face, b***h! I want to see your wretched face when you die," Clara declared sternly.
I carefully placed Atlas on the ground and turned around, shielding him with my body. I stood a step behind Valor, who remained on high alert. His outstretched arm guarded me as he stared at the individuals before us.
My gaze shifted to the woman standing just a few meters away. She was nothing like I remembered. The naive and gentle facade she had once presented during college was long gone. Her blonde hair was now cut short, and her face heavily layered with makeup.
She never acknowledged my presence back in college. Though I did catch her glaring at me a couple of times, it was fleeting, so I didn't think much of it. We were practically strangers until I discovered her connection with Aiden, and even then, I tried to avoid her. This was the first real interaction we were having.
Well, I wouldn't exactly call it an "interaction"!
I only heard from Aiden about her craziness. But now, confronted by her true nature, I could see the depths of her madness in her glare. Clara's eyes bore into mine with a twisted mix of obsession and hatred. Her voice was cold and devoid of empathy.
Three men stood by her side, guns pointed in our direction. She wore a wide smirk on her face. I clenched my fists.
She shouldn't have revealed herself to me, especially not after what she did to my son...
I bravely met her eyes, returning her gaze with an equal intensity, which seemed to surprise her as she raised an eyebrow.
I'm certain she expected me to be scared, to beg for mercy, to plead for my life. Instead, I gazed back at her darkly.
Suddenly, a chilling laughter escaped from her lips, sending a shiver down my spine. I narrowed my eyes, refusing to let her penetrate my resolve.
"Look at you, acting all brave. You thought you could stand in my way, steal the love that rightfully belongs to me? Oh, how wrong you were, my dear," she taunted, her voice laced with a twisted delight. "See, where has this brought you? You should have stayed in the hell you were destined for." She voiced out venomously.
"Clara, your twisted desires and delusions won't change the truth. Aiden never loved you, and he never will. You're the one who belongs in your own hell." I retorted seriously.
Her laughter grew louder, filling the air with a bone-chilling echo. "Oh, Adira, you underestimate the power of my love. I will make you suffer, tear apart everything you hold dear, and revel in your pain. This is just the beginning. I will make you pay for everything you took from me." She stated her last sentence with raw hatred.
I subtly glanced at Valor who planned to press the tracker on his watch without getting attention. I need to keep her and those men distracted. I locked my eyes with her.
"You're sick, Clara. Whatever twisted games you've played, they end now. I won't let you destroy our lives any further." I said icily.
Her eyes blazed with a mix of fury and delusion. "Destroy? Oh no, Adira. I'm not here to destroy you. I'm here to watch you suffer, to revel in your pain. And rest assured, my dear, you will suffer."
"You really call this love? After all you have done to Aiden, you say this is love?" I scoffed. I just wanted to buy some time for Valor and others to reach us, but I couldn't help feeling hatred towards her recalling everything she had done to Aiden.
Her facial expressions changed drastically as her eyes blazed with fury. "It's all your fault, b***h! It's all your fault that he refused to look at me. It's your fault that you came and separated us. If you hadn't come to our lives, we would have been married, he would have loved me and I wouldn't have lost my child..." She screamed.
She had a miscarriage?!
Losing a child is something that a mother can't even imagine. Just the idea of losing my son made me feel crazy. As a woman, I would have empathized with her if she hadn't hurt Atlas.
A woman who can harm an innocent child is unworthy of being called a mother!
"If you hadn't come and mess our lives. No one would have suffered. It's because of you that he refused our child. If just he had accepted our child, he would be alive here and I wouldn't have to abort it." I looked at her as she grown three heads.
She- She aborted?!!!
I gaped at her, not even knowing what to say. I knew she was cruel, I knew she was sick to the core but I didn't know she could go to this extent to achieve her goals.
"First, you used some man to get pregnant just to deceive my husband, attempting to make him believe he had slept with you. Then, when your sick plan failed, you went ahead and aborted the pregnancy. But let me tell you something, Aiden saw right through your scheme. He never fell for your manipulations. He was not unconscious fully aware when you tried to assault my husband. He never slept with you or anyone else. You've twisted the concept of love into something monstrous. Aiden never had any relationship with you, Clara. Your delusions and lies have brought nothing but pain and suffering. And now, I see the extent of your madness. You actually killed your own child just to manipulate Aiden? How could you sink so low?" My voice trembled with a mixture of anger and sorrow.
How can she even call herself a human after what she had done?!
Clara's eyes flickered with a mix of defiance and a hint of guilt. She seemed momentarily taken aback by my words, realizing the magnitude of her actions. A sinister smile crept across her face, revealing the depth of her deranged mind.
"It was a sacrifice I had to make, you see," she hissed, her voice dripping with malicious satisfaction. "A sacrifice to prove my love for Aiden. He would have accepted me if he had seen the lengths I was willing to go to be with him. But because of you, he hated me." Her voice filled with hate.
"You are deluded, Clara," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil raging within me. "Love doesn't thrive on manipulation and destruction. It is built on trust, respect, and selflessness. What you've done is an abomination. You've not only hurt yourself but also caused irreparable pain to others."
I glanced at Valor once again, and he blinked in response. It was our signal. I gently nudged Atlas, indicating that it was time to move.
"Now! Go, Atlas!" I said firmly, turning to face him. With determination in his eyes, Atlas sprinted off in the direction I had directed him. Gunshots echoed behind me, but I focused on the task at hand. I pulled out my gun, ready to face the men before us.
One of the men lay lifeless on the ground, while the other advanced toward the path Atlas had taken. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Valor taking down the remaining man with a well-placed shot.
As the man raised his gun, aiming for Atlas, I swiftly kicked his hand, causing him to drop the weapon. Before he could react, I shot him in the arm. Clara's voice filled the air, berating the men for their weakness.
Ignoring her venomous words, I fired at the man again, this time targeting his chest. I quickly turned to check on Atlas, relieved to see his small figure disappearing into the distance. He was following my instructions without looking back. My brave boy!
With all the men dead on the ground, I shifted my attention to Clara, who had picked up one of their guns with the intention of shooting Valor and me. Acting swiftly, I rushed toward her and delivered a swift kick, causing her to drop the weapon.
She screamed in pain, clutching her arm and hurling curses at me. I approached her and wasted no time in delivering a powerful punch to her face. She stumbled backward, falling to the ground.
I pounced on top of her before she could react, gripping her throat tightly. "You will pay for the pain you've inflicted on the people I love," I growled. With each word, I delivered a hard slap across her face.
"This is for hurting my husband," I struck her twice.
"This is for destroying our lives," I continued, slapping her again.
"And this is for harming my son!" I unleashed two more forceful slaps and followed them with a fierce punch.
The sound of a bone cracking filled the air as Clara's nose broke, blood trickling from her nostrils. I stood up, allowing her to cough and spit blood.
Pulling a gun from my jacket, I pointed it directly at her. Wide-eyed, she stared at me in fear. But then, she mustered a smirk and raised an eyebrow.
"You can't bring yourself to shoot me! You're too weak. The Adira Beyonce Jackson I know is a coward and a kind hearted woman," she taunted, her voice dripping with arrogance. I furrowed my brow at her words.
"You think I'm too weak for that? Maybe you're right about one thing, Clara," I replied, my voice laced with darkness. "But you're not facing Adira right now, my dear. You're facing a mother, and a mother never shows mercy to someone who has harmed her children." With unwavering resolve, I aimed and shot her leg, eliciting a piercing scream of agony. The sound echoed around us, but it didn't waver my determination.
I directed the gun straight at her head, preparing to pull the trigger. However, in that very moment, I heard the distinct sound of another gun being cocked behind me. A chilling sensation brushed against the back of my head as a cold pistol pressed against my skull.
"Drop your gun, now!" a man's growl sounded from behind me.
*************
I know I said both encounters in this chapter but it was too long so I split the chapter into two. Sorry about that!
Satisfied with Clara's beating for now?!
Next chapter would probably be the last or second last before the Epilogue. 💕