262: END?

END?

THE place they were at was specially built for this plan of his. No one knew the place except for Sheldon's men. It would be a great challenge for Clifford's men to find them before it's too late. He celebrated at the thought.

Ingrid wanted to faint. She used all the energy that's left with her to convince, to plead Sheldon not to carry on his plans. The look on Lance's position seems like he's breathing in agony. She needed to do something to distract him again.

"Wait, wait, Sheldon, I remembered you said earlier that you had an ally, and you mentioned that ally is a she, who are you referring to? Is she someone I know?" she prayed that Sheldon would bite her trick.

"Oh, you notice.." he laughs then shrugged, "who do you think is pestering you ever since you and Clifford been together?" she pretended to think deeply to divert his attention, "oh cut it, Ingrid! Will you? You're not an idiot to pretend that it's hard for you to realize who that woman is."

"Vanessa?"

"The one and only." He grinned.

"H-how? I mean, why?" Sheldon rolled his eyes and then he gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"Woman, as much as I want to say to you the detail but I don't have the luxury. My focus now is on Lance, if you want to –"

"Sir, one of the men noticed a commotion outside," one of his men interrupted.

"Take care of it. I'll be continuing my business with Lance."

"Please Sheldon, don't do this." Ingrid begged but Sheldon just grinned evilly.

"But sir, the intruders seem–"

"You are all paid to do two things, to follow my orders without question and to protect me, at all cost. I don't care if you die in protecting me. I've paid you handsomely. Take care of those intruders and make sure that they cannot come near here. If the situation comes to worse, activate the bomb! My revenge is much more important than anything else. Make sure no one's interrupting me. Never mind these captives."

'Bomb? What does he mean?' she panicked. "Sheldon, what do you mean by activating the bomb? You have bombs planted?" she needed to avert his attention again so that the intruders, whoever they are, can advance. She just hopes that they are here to rescue them.

"If worse comes to worse, I have my spare plan of escape. Bomb is the last resort you know." He shrugged and mentioned it as though it's the most normal thing to do in the world.

"Sheldon, please…you don't have to do this. Revenge won't make you any happier. It has been done, you cannot bring back the past." She pleaded.

"You don't know what I've been through. You are right, what is done is done and I have already started it, it would be a dishonor for me if I'll just stop it just because you ask? Lucky you." He laughed bogusly.

"I know, but you can still change. There is still more in this life. You don't have to ruin your life more…"

"Oh you shut up! You have no right to give me life lessons." he raised his hand and smack her almost made her deaf.

Then he turned his attention to Lance again and instructed his men to strip off the man's pants then the handed him the surgical knife. The poor man could only silently groan in anger to protest.

On the other hand, Ingrid closed her eyes and her strength slowly fails her and she wanted to throw up at the thought of blood gushing out from Lance's private part.

"Hmm… what should I use? Should I use sharp knife or the dull one? Oh! I think the dull one for you to feel that slow and excruciating pain, do you like that? Oh yes, you do!" he grinned.

Puffing sound comes from Lance as though by the trying to breath heavily that he could escape the pain he would have to endure under the merciless hands of Sheldon.

'I shouldn't have done that..' Lance finally concluded in his thoughts.

He slowly moved his head, half his eyes were shut, and there he saw Ingrid's desperation to help him. His love for her before clouded him that caused him to be foolish. Did he regret doing it to Lance? Guess he isn't. Now, he has to pay for his foolishness.

He lied when he said that he loved her only as a sister. He still loves her and he will until the end of his life. If he will be given another chance to live after this, he knew he will never be the same again. He may love someone, but not in the same way he loved Ingrid. Ironically, an image of a woman came across his musing.

'For God sake I am in the middle of being tortured, what am I thinking?!'

If he is in a normal situation he might have had shaken his head and laugh at himself. He just felt numb at the thought. He is not worthy of anything, even that woman. He is on his way to his doom.

Throaty and panicking groan could be heard in that room. Ingrid couldn't help it but she have to open her eyes even though she's been so frightened to look out what Sheldon is doing at that moment.

To her horror, she witnessed that Sheldon starts to cut off Lance's genital, blood starts to gush out and Lance cried in pain. Ingrid shouted with all her might. For crying out loud, he is using a dull knife that added pain to his misery.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

Then they heard a successive gunfire. Ingrid tried to crawl to Lance's side, but he was stopped by one of Sheldon's men.

"Take them out of here. Place them at the basement." he ordered then shifted his attention to his men, "Who are outside? Prepare yourself, we'll fight those freaking intruders." Two of his men assisted Ingrid out of the room, as he instructed and another two took Lance out of sight.

"We haven't figure out sir, we could not count them and we suspect that others are hiding somewhere."

"Idiots! Did I instruct you to count the intruders?!" he is fuming mad. He never expected that the Briggs men were able to trace them. It has been very well planned. Only those whom he trusts know where they are.

The men he hired were blindfolded while on the way to the hideout. Unless… Unless, of course, someone betrayed him.

Then a sound of a helicopter with a headlight appeared and a man then spoke using a loudspeaker.

"SHELDON MEASLEY WE HAVE ALREADY SURROUNDED YOUR AREA. YOU HAVE NOWHERE TO RUN. SURRENDER NOW OR YOU WILL FOREVER REGRET OF NOT OBEYING THE AUTHORITIES PEACEFULLY AND SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCE."

He's now livid!

"Who the hell betrayed me???!!!" he roared. "Didn't we trick that spy we sent to Clifford Briggs, did we?" His men did not answer and just looked at each other. He could not trust that man after all, for he might be a double spy.

"What are you now doing, you imbecile! Activate those bombs and let's get out of here." Again, no one dared to move and to his shock all of them pointed the gun to him.

"What the – what's the meaning of this? I hired all of you –" but he was stunned when someone appeared. Loathing is written all over his face when he saw Clifford entered the room.

"Surprise!"

"HAH! The daring Clifford Briggs, what a pleasant surprise. Welcome to my humble abode." Sheldon said mockingly.

"Thank you, Sheldon Measley, the sour loser." He smirked.

"Don't mock me, yet, you know I still have Lance and your wife…" he grinned in return, unfazed by Clifford, but the man in front of Sheldon just shrugged boringly, uncaringly.

"This is getting boring, Sheldon, is this you can offer me after all you've been through? What a sissy of you hiding beneath a device. You really thought that I couldn't get you, huh?" he said with glint of sarcasm in his voice.

"HOW DARE YOU RUIN MY PLAN!" he throw a punch to Clifford but he just hit the air.

"Oh yes, how dare me. Have you not noticed the faces of your men recently? They were all replaced by yours truly.."

"But – but how?" Clifford then sit to one of the chairs and leisurely stared at him.

"The moment you allowed Orlie, that one you thought as a spy, was the start of your doom. Everything was just staged. From the moment his daughter was allegedly 'kidnapped' 'til he become one of your men were all just a trap, Sheldon Measley. His daughter is safe and secure with us,"

Clifford's statement felt like a bomb to him. All along, he knew and he just played with him.

"And oh, that bid to be one of the shareholders was one of the steps to lure you and know who you really are…"

"I still have your wife and Lance. Those men who took them were my men, my trusted men" he said proudly.

"Are you sure? Have you seen their faces?" Sheldon is stunned. "I guess not. Bring them in…" four of Sheldon's men were handcuffed. He's speechless for a moment. He has nowhere to go.

"I guess, I don't have a choice now, do I?" Clifford just shook his head. "Alright, I surrender, but before that…" he took something from his pocket, showed it to Clifford,

"Good bye, Mr. Briggs, see you in hell…" and then without warning he pressed it.

MEANWHILE…

"Where are we going? Where are you taking me? Please I beg you, just release me. My family will spare you of their wrath if you will help me. I still have three children who are waiting for me, please have mercy on the children.." she sobbed.

"Don't worry madam, you are safe…" her crying immediately stopped. "We're here to rescue you, all of those who are present in that room are your bodyguards." She is bewildered.

"But.. how come.. why did you allow Lance to be tortured?"1

"It's one of the plans, madam, so that Measley won't suspect anything. It's also the suggestion of Mr. McNaught, to atone for his sin, but of course, we will not allow it to happen."

"How about Vanessa? Where is she? That bitch!"

"She's at the police station, Madam, she turned herself over, voluntarily."

BOOOM!

The earth shook at the impact of a sudden explosion.

"DOWN! DOWN! PROTECT THE MADAM!" the man who assisted her shouted.

"What happened?" she asked warily.

"I think the house exploded! Master Briggs is there, but we are not yet sure…"

"WHAAT???"

"We are not yet sure madam, I know he is safe. Don't worry…" she looked back but all she could see is a black smoke, commotions and sirens are everywhere.

"I need to go back, I need to ascertain that my husband is safe."

"But madam, we are strictly instructed to take you out safely." But she tried to escape from them and ran back to the house. Only to find out that the house is on fire. She heard someone yelling that her husband is still inside.

"CLIFFOOORRRRDD!" someone grabbed her pulled her out from the scene.

"NOOOOO!! Get away from me, I need to find my husband." She wriggled but she could not escape.

Then everything went black.

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