86. The Search For Wendy

Anastasia stirs in the dimly lit room, the soft hum of machinery faintly audible in the background. Her body feels heavy, her mind foggy, but something is different this time clearer.

The numb haze she had grown accustomed to is gone. She opens her eyes slowly, squinting against the low light. Sitting in a chair across from her is Steel, his imposing figure backlit by the faint glow of a single bulb overhead. He leans forward, his dark eyes fixed on her.

"Where... where am I?" Anastasia asked in a hoarsed voice. 

"You're safe now. Basement level. The fire didn't reach here." Steel said as he was on the corner full or bruise and bleeding.

Anastasia's brows knit together as flashes of memory come back, the blaring fire alarm, the suffocating smoke, the chaos. "The fire... the hotel! What happened? How did we—"

"It was a setup. Someone wanted you and Wendy out of the picture. They thought a little chaos would cover their tracks." Steel explained as he hold into he's wound. 

She stares at him, her breathing uneven as his words sink in.

"Wendy... is she...?" she asked since she remembered that Wendy was taken by some goons.

"She's alive. Locked in the room next door. But she's not safe yet. Whoever's pulling the strings here wanted to separate her from Zade and they nearly succeeded." Anastasia's eyes narrow as her mind clears further. For the first time in days, maybe weeks, she feels fully present.

"Why do I feel... different? What did you do?" Anastasia asked.

"I stopped putting the drug in your medicine. You're free of it now. Thought it was about time you started thinking for yourself." Her fists clench as anger flickers in her eyes.

"You were drugging me? You—"

"I didn't start it. But I kept it going to keep you quiet. Look, Anastasia, we don't have time for this. I'm trying to fix what's broken." Steel said as he looked at Anastasia pleadingly.

She glares at him, her jaw tightening, but his words make her pause. "Fix what? Why should I trust you?" she asked as she was skeptical by his action. 

"Because I could've left you in that hotel to burn, but I didn't. Because right now, Wendy needs us, and Zade's out there trying to stop the people who did this. We need to plan everything out properly after all what were going to fight is someone who have lots of connection." Steel explain. 

"If we are not careful, Then this will risk the Reyes Empire." he said as Anastasia knew that there is something wrong. Her expression softens slightly as she processes his words. She leans back, exhaling shakily.

"What do they want from Wendy?" she asked as she looked at her broken watch. 

'Damn it I cannot contact anyone.' Anastasia thought. 

"She's leverage. The Reyes Empire is a threat to their plans, and Wendy's Zade's biggest weakness. They're hoping to break him." He answered as he stand up and smiled at him. 

"And me? What do I have to do with any of this?"

"Collateral damage in the Falcon's, most likely. But now, you've got a choice. You can sit here and keep asking questions, or you can help me get Wendy out of here and take the fight back to them."

Anastasia's gaze hardens. She swings her legs over the side of the cot, testing her balance as she stands. Her body feels weak, but her resolve is stronger than it's been in years.

"If you're lying to me, Steel, I'll make you regret it." Anastasia said determined that she will finish him with one shot. 

"Wouldn't expect anything less." he answered as he stands and moves toward the door, checking the hallway before glancing back at her.

"Wendy's room is two doors down. It's guarded, but I've got a plan. Are you in?" he asked as Anastasia straightens, her expression fierce despite her lingering fatigue.

"Let's do this." Anastasia said. 

The two step into the hallway, the faint echoes of footsteps in the distance signaling the urgency of their mission. Whatever doubts linger in Anastasia's mind are overshadowed by one thought: she will not let Wendy fall into their enemies' hands or let the Reyes Empire crumble without a fight.

The aftermath of the hotel fire was chaos. Thick, black smoke still rose into the night sky as the last remnants of the blaze flickered out. Firefighters rushed in and out of the building, but Zade had ignored their warnings and plunged back into the ruins.

His footsteps echoed in the crumbling hallways as his sharp eyes darted around, searching for any clue that would lead him to Wendy.

He knew that his Wife is just somewhere around the hotel after all the exits where blocked by the fire. 

His clothes were singed, his hands blackened with soot, but his determination burned brighter than the flames that had engulfed the hotel. He couldn't fail her not Wendy, not his wife, not the mother of his unborn child.

"Where are you, Wendy? I'm coming for you..." he murmured as he looked around the house. Suddenly, a voice called out from behind him, faint but desperate over the sound of crackling debris.

"Zade! Stop! You'll get yourself killed in here!" Aaron shouted as he cannot afford to lose Zade in this type of incident. 

Zade turned sharply, his piercing gaze locking onto Aaron as he emerged from the shadows, coughing against the smoke. Aaron was disheveled, his face streaked with ash, but his grip on his gun was steady.

Yet Aaron know that Zade will not be stopped anymore. He immediately message Keteki about the situation they are doing in Hawaii. Keteki message back that he will come immediately. 

Aaron turn his attention to Zade as he felt bad about this. 

"I don't have time for this, Aaron. She's here. I know it." Zade insisted as Aaron grabbed his arm. 

"The building's coming down! You won't find her like this. We have to regroup!" he shouted as Zade glared at him as he's eyes looked like a dead fish. 

"You think I'm leaving without her? Wendy's out there, and someone took her. Every second I waste with you, she gets further away." Zade said as he starts crying as he don't know what to do anymore while he keep calling her name. 

"Zade, listen to me. We found something. Steel's got himself confessed lead he thinks she's in the basement, locked up. But if you go alone, you'll only make things worse." Aaron pleaded as he cannot afford to let Zade get himself into a mess. 

Zade's jaw tightened, his fists clenching as he processed Aaron's words. The thought of Wendy locked in some basement, terrified and alone, ignited a fresh wave of rage within him.

Aaron knew that if Zade kept on looking for Wendy he will be dead in no time for luring himself to the culprits trap.

"Zade..." Aaron called as Zade looked at him. "I will bring bring back Wendy and your child safely. You just need to trust me." He said as Zade stopped walking when he step into a mine that's been under the pebbles.

"Boss?" Aaron asked as Zade looked at hmm horrified.

"I think I step into a land mine." He said as Aaron panicked and was horrified when he saw that it was an actual land mine.

"B-Boss..." Aaron said horrified as Zade smiled sadly.

"Find Wendy, No matter what happens bring back my wife in the Reyes mansion." He said as Aaron starts tearing up.

"Aaron, I trust you more than anyone else. My Wife might be around here somewhere cold and scared. Find her." He added.

"But what about you boss?!" Aaron asked as Zade looked at him.

"Keteki will come by and defuse the bomb himself. Right now I want you to find and protect my wife." He said as Aaron stands firm.

"Wendy will still be in danger if we still cannot find who the culprit is." Aaron said as Zade nodded. "Indeed, The Empire won't be a safe place for her either. I trust you Aaron. Protect my Wife at all cost." He said as Aaron nodded and run to find Wendy as he wiped his tears.

He knew that there is no point for him to stay longer as Zade's command comes first.

Keteki arrived in Hawaii and saw Zade standing still on a debris.

"I can see that you got yourself stuck there Zade David." Keteki said smirking as Zade looked at him.

"It took you long enough even with your private jet." He said as Keteki smirked seeing the land mine that Zade step into.

"I cannot defuse this bomb but I can make it delay it's blow in five seconds, Can you perhaps run?" He asked.

"I can run Keteki." Zade answer coldly as Keteki cut a wire on the bomb as he shouted run.

Both of them run as fast as they can but the blow was so hard that it made Keteki and Zade got blown.

Zade hit his head on a debris while Keteki got his arm broken.

"Zade! Fvck it!"