FORTY

Link

Link walked inside the big room to find all the men Lucian ordered to go out on the field getting ready. They were all silent, each to their own thoughts. It didn't take a mind reader to know that these men were thinking about ways to get the fucker down.

"You going?" Mace appeared behind Link.

Link gave him a nod. "Your boss can't stop me."

"I don't think any of us can." Mace replied back honestly. At least one man in here know the truth. Link wasn't staying behind. He was going wherever the hell that fucker took Orianna and he was going to bring her back.

"How did he manage to take her?" Mace asked him.

"She was running. He was probably watching her and caught her like that."

"Like a predator waiting in the bushes."

"That predator becomes a prey now." Link said those last words before Lucian came inside the room.

All the men turned to him. Lucian looked at Link, making it clear how he felt about him standing in this room. But he was wise, and wise men knew when to back off when other men were becoming protective.

"Caught him on CCTV." That's all that needed to be said. Soon after that, two black jeeps were filled and driven out the building car park.

****

It was a remote location.

Link wasn't surprised nor were the other guys. The cameras didn't show the whole route that fucker took but enough was seen for Reece to make out what direction he could have head in. And after that, it was a matter of following tracks and hoping the men back at Security were not wrong.

Link looked around the dirty path surrounded by naked trees. If the fucker was here, they would have seen him by now even from a distance, since there wasn't much obscuring the view.

Link was starting to find it hard to keep his emotions at bay. He wasn't a fool, and spending enough time with these men Link knew that emotions in a tense situation could get you killed. Or worse, Orianna could get hurt. He felt to blame that Orianna was with the fucker and suffering, with whatever the hell he was doing to her. Link couldn't imagine what exactly since that alone could drive him mad.

The car came to an abrupt stop. Mace put up the hand brake and jumped out the car. Link, zapped out of his dangerous thoughts jumped out the car instantly and followed him, knowing that Mace wouldn't stop the car if he didn't see anything of use.

"Look." Mace pointed to the dirty path and saw that the car tracks had disappeared. Link and Mace followed the end of the tracks with their eyes and saw that it disappeared to the side.

Link walked between the naked, hollow trees. You had to walk a few steps deep into the trees until you could see it.  There wasn't a path, but how often the fucker trekked this way out made a steep path down.

At the bottom, hidden well enough from the normal path at the top, Link saw something. There was a small cabin, something you'd see in the movies and the car he used was parked to the side. Link didn't wait for anything as he made a dash for it, ignoring the shouts of Mace and Lucian.

"Fuck," he heard Lucian curse from behind him before ordering everyone to take their positions and sending two men after Link.

Link was irrational, even he knew that but the thought of Ori in that place with that fucker, and so close for Link to physically grab her took over. He was going to get her first no matter what.

He was tackled from the side which sent him flying to the ground. An animalistic growl came from him as he knifed his eye to the side to see Mace half sprawled on top of him. "You'll fuck this up." He whispered harshly.

"She's in there-" Link started to sneer back at the man holding him back.

"And she's fucking dead if you burst in like that." Mace snapped back.

The horrid word swirled in front of Link's eyes and he could picture a lifeless Ori in the room and it could all be his fault. He could fuck this up, for her. And that made him rational to a degree and allow for Lucian to get his men in formation.

Mace and Lucian would take the side door. Errol with Link were going through the front. But before all of that, Quan was to make a quick sweep around the house and see if he could pinpoint an exactly location of the fucker.

"Second room to the right." Quan muttered low when he came to the front.

That's where the fucker was.

Everyone stood on standby waiting for Lucian to give the go, which would come any second. Link felt his blood star to boil already, his mind picturing seeing Ori frightened and vulnerable. He was going to keep her safe from now. All of this, if he wasn't so selfish and senseless would have never happened.

The signal came from Lucian a second later and just as fast, all the men burst through the doors. Link heard a surprise curse from the fucker.

Link ran to the room, ignoring the formation he was to stay in. Errol followed close on his heel, and from the corner of his eye, Link could see Mace and Lucian looking around the other rooms in case of other unwanted surprises.

Link kicked the door open just as he saw the fucker shoot to his feet, scrambling to put his pants back on.

His eyes knifed down to see a dazed looking girl. This wasn't Orianna, but rather what remained of her. She was looking up at the ceiling, with blood - both fresh and dried - trickling down the side of her face. Her pants were gone, leaving her dignity all there for the fucker to violate. Her hand looked to be in a odd shape but she was still clutching her bare stomach that was covered with blood.

Link wasn't moving. He just looked at the girl who didn't deserve this. Who didn't look alive anymore even though she was still breathing.

"Link, go to her." Mace pushed his friend to the girl. He could hear the fucker put up a fight behind him but he wasn't focused on that anymore.

All the driven force to mutilate the fucker on sight disappeared when he caught Ori in the middle of the room. Link stumbled until he caught his step and managed to go to her. He fell to his knees in front of her, careful not to touch any part of her and inflict more pain.

"It hurts," she crocked out. "So much."

Link lifted his finger and placed it tentatively over her bruised lips. "Shh." He saw her eyelids drop low. "It's okay, we'll get you some help."

Ori moaned out in pain. "I don't need help. I just need-" she started to say but the rest were difficult to make out for Link. He picked her up, and gritted his teeth when another tortured moan escaped from her.

Link had just glanced and saw Errol has the fucker pinned down to the ground and already unconscious. He would get his share in, the men knew to give him that. But right now, all he had to do was to get Ori to the hospital.

"Link?" Ori cried out softly.

Link looked down in his arms and saw she was resting her head on his chest. "It's okay, we're going to-"

"Is it really you?" She looked up at Link and met his eyes with hers half open. She still had that glazed look on her face and Link knew she was struggling to separate reality from her nightmare. She must have zoned out to something else to cope with what he was doing to her. And she still wasn't out from it.

"It's me," Link assured her. If he wasn't holding her with both his hands he would have touched her face to give her some comfort. But he settled on leaning his head down and planting a soft kiss between her eyebrows.

He heard her breathe out and that gave his heart a single tug. She was here. She was in his arms and she was breathing. He didn't know what had overcome him but the sudden rush of raw emotions that washed over him were welcoming. He wasn't running from them, not anymore. He wanted nothing but to keep her safe.

He knew he had to apologise and explain to her his reasons. Which to Link, right now, seemed so stupid. He kept it strong in front of everyone else, to a point where they all hated him or feared him. But with Ori, as he found himself spending day after day with her he couldn't help but welcome the fresh vibe she brought with her. Yes, she as afraid of him, even he knew that but it never masked her hatred over him as he kept fucking her life up. And even after all of that, she still had managed to see the real person hiding being the fake persona Link created. He never felt so alive before he met her and he knew, from the adrenaline rush only she could give him that Link wasn't going to give up.

She was going to put up a fight. Heck, he knew Ori well enough to know she wasn't going to let this all go easily. But Link was willing. He was addicted to her and her ability to create something new within him. He would do everything he could to have her in his life. In all ways possible.

"I don't know what I would do without you." Link whispered those words for only her to hear. He didn't bother masking the rawness in his voice and the vulnerability in it. His words were nothing short of the truth. It has come to a point where Ori had such an impact on him that he couldn't imagine anything without her.

She would be pissed, she would be fucking fuming but Link wasn't going to give up. Even if it took him years.

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> short and sweet. Shame less self promo but it would be amazing if you could check out my new story KEVIN. Its short so nothing too stressful ? Thank you!

> the walking dead is back on yeye