Stealing the Heart of Mr. Steele

[Atlas]

Shortly after Jude left the harbor, Clark activated the drones and tracker.Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.

Which is how we both heard that he intends to kill Cordelia.

My blood ran cold. My heart stopped, I watched my entire future flash before my eyes, one where Cordelia and I raise our child together, maybe even fall in love and get remarried, fall around me like ashes.

"We can't wait," I announce, looking over at Clark and seeing that he is thinking the same thing. "As soon as we have a location we are flying in." I pick up my phone and order a helicopter readied ASAP. I also activate the security force we independently hired to help in the retrieval. I don't know what we can expect on that island, but I will not risk Cordelia's health and safety by not being ready for anything.

Clark continues to diligently watch the tracker hone in on a location while I drive the van to the nearest airport, We have one, maybe two hours until he reaches the island. We are certain they are SOMEWHERE on Catalina Island, but where? There are two main towns and a huge state park. Someone like Jude could be hiding anywhere. For all we know, he even set up inside the state park itself.

The wait is excruciating. Knowing she is out there in danger but being helpless to stop it. No matter how quickly we arrive we may still be too late, which makes me feel sick and weak. How did it ever come to

this?

At what moment in time did we set ourselves down this path?

There is no use wondering about how things might have gone differently. We must deal with the situation as it is now. And as it is the only thing keeping me sane is knowing that once we know our final destination, we can be there in less than 20 minutes. Just as the airport comes into view the trackers in the back of the van begin to beep.

"We found her!" Clark confirms with an excited whoop. The drone doesn't have a visual confirmation yet, but I know where they are."

Clark sends the location to my phone and I send it to our security forces. It seems that Jude has set his lab in an out-of-date mental facility on the border of the state park, far enough away from town to avoid

suspicion.

We are in the helicopter in moments, our task force not far behind. We have informed the police of our intentions and they promise to provide additional support. It isn't every day that you rescue a billionaire heiress from the clutches of a madman, after all, and the LAPD could use all the positive press they could get. They've never been particularly popular.

"Please let her be okay," I say a prayer under my breath as the helicopter reaches the island. "Dear God, let her be safe."

The facility is almost invisible from the air. Thankfully, the drones have done their job, and we hover above it for a moment before we see exactly who we were hoping to see.

Cordelia. She is wearing one of those thin hospital gowns that whips around her legs like a banner, blowni by the wind created by the helicopter propellers. Grasping her arm with enough force to bruise is Jude,

+26 BONUS

who looks both exhausted and angry.

Bringing a megaphone to my lips I shout. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF MY WIFE!"

Jude startles. Cordella uses this as an opportunity to break free and begins running as fast as she can away from both the helicopter and Jude.

I order the pilot to put us down on the nearby beach. While Clark chases Jude, our task force is just behind him. I chase after Cordelia.

When I catch her, she can't stop screaming. "Get your hands off of me!" fights, scratching at me.

"Cordelia," I try to soothe her, but my voice doesn't register. She looks at me, but it's like she cannot see me, her eyes showing no recognition. "It's me, Atlas."

T

*ATLAS!!" she shouts, "I need to get to Atlas, I need to get to him. The baby."

"I am Atlas," I try to convince her. "Cordy I'm here."

"Atlas!!" she continues to cry and struggle. I do what I can to hold her steady. I do not want to let her go. I cannot let her go. She is too precious to me.

Even if she doesn't know who I am.

Her body goes lip as her eyes roll back, the efforts from her chase finally catching up with her body as she faints.

The police arrive several minutes later. Jude is carted off,-handcuffed, a giant bruise on the side of his face. Clark comes to join me next to the life flight helicopter as Cordelia is secured inside to fly back to the mainland for treatment. I see his bloody knuckles and know it was him who caught up to Jude first.

I hope he didn't break his hand.

I

"Hey Clark, I'm heading back with Cordelia, I don't want to leave her alone."

"Before you go," Clark's face is blank, scared. "There is something you need to see."

As he says this, the police come forward with someone I never thought I'd see again.

The air leaves my lungs. She can't be real.

*Angelica."

VictoryAnne Vice

Author

And now things just got a bit more int