AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He squared off against Luke again, forcing himself to ignore the searing pain and the buzzing that filled his ears. He moved his body with precision, countering each of Luke's strikes and landing several more blows of his own. The hornets were everywhere, crawling on his skin, caught in his hair, but he refused to let them break his concentration. He couldn't afford to lose, not with so much at stake.
"Your little tricks won't work on me, Harris," Jake growled as he continued to fight through the pain. "I will bring you down."
"Let's see how long you can stay focused then," Luke spat back, his eyes gleaming with malice.
As they exchanged blows, Jake felt the weight of his fear begin to lift. It wasn't gone, but it was no longer paralyzing him. He could push through it, use it to fuel his determination. His childhood terror might have held him back in the past, but it wouldn't define him any longer. He was an FBI agent, and he had a job to do.
"Is that all you've got?" Jake taunted, landing another solid punch that sent the killer reeling. The hornets still swarmed around them, their stingers seeking flesh, but Jake refused to let them deter him.
In the heat of the battle, Jake's senses were on high alert. The chaotic sounds of buzzing hornets and their frenzied movements only added to the intensity. He caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye, momentarily diverting his attention from Luke.
Fiona had managed to free the terrified woman who was now staggering across the field. But when Jake caught sight of them, he heard Rebecca screaming at Fiona to get up. Fiona was lying motionless on the ground, surrounded by the deadly insects. His heart leaped into his throat, panic flooding through him like an icy wave.
"Red!" he yelled, his voice strangled with fear. For just a moment, his focus shifted entirely to her, forgetting the dangerous man before him.
That was all the opening Luke needed. With a cruel grin, he landed a vicious punch on Jake's face, snapping his head back. Pain exploded behind his eyes, and he stumbled, momentarily dazed. The world spun around him, and for a horrifying second, he thought he would lose consciousness.
"Thought you could save them both, huh?" Luke sneered. "Looks like you're not as invincible as you think."
Jake gritted his teeth, furious at himself for letting his guard down. He knew how much was at stake, and he couldn't afford any more mistakes. As he struggled to regain his footing and clear his vision, one thought dominated his mind: Fiona needed him, and he couldn't let her down.
Summoning all his strength, Jake lunged at Luke, desperation fueling his every move. He couldn't let Fiona down; he couldn't let this monster slip away. The two men grappled fiercely, their bodies slick with sweat and the occasional sting of a stray hornet.
"Give it up, Harris!" Jake growled, his voice hoarse from exertion. "You're not getting away this time."
"Never!" Luke spat back, his eyes filled with madness. At that moment, Jake knew there would be no reasoning with him, no surrender.
They continued to struggle, each trying to gain the upper hand. But Jake's fear for Fiona gave him a renewed sense of purpose, an unbreakable determination. With a final surge of adrenaline, he managed to overpower Luke, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Got you," Jake panted, quickly pulling out his handcuffs and securing them around Luke's wrists. The killer glared up at him, his expression a mix of fury and disbelief.
"Enjoy prison, you sick bastard," Jake muttered. Luke kicked and resisted, but Jake hauled him over to one of the storage crates. He cuffed Luke once more to the crate, ensuring it was strong enough to hold him.
"Let me go!” Luke shouted, but Jake knew he was stuck. He had bigger things to worry about now. Without another thought, he turned on his heel and sprinted toward Fiona and Rebecca.
As he reached them, Rebecca looked up at him, her face pale and tear-streaked. “She got stung too much," she choked out between sobs. "She just... passed out."
"Damn it," Jake whispered, his heart pounding in his chest as he took in Fiona's motionless form. He knew they were running out of time; they needed help now.
"Stay with her, Rebecca," he urged, reaching for his radio. "I'm gonna get us some backup." He frantically called for assistance, his voice cracking with urgency. "This is Agent Jake Tucker. I need immediate medical support at my location. We've apprehended the suspect, but we have an FBI worker suffering from hornet stings. Please hurry!"
"Backup is on its way, Agent Tucker,” the voice on the other end confirmed, but to Jake, it seemed like an eternity before help would arrive.
He knelt beside Fiona, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Hold on, Red," he whispered, his voice trembling. "Just hold on."
CHAPTER THIRTY
The sterile scent of disinfectant and the hum of fluorescent lights weighed heavily on Jake's mind as he paced the linoleum-floored hospital hallway. His heart raced like a runaway train, fueled by the memory of Fiona's limp body as she succumbed to the venomous sting of that damn hornet. It was late, the night pressing in through the windows, casting distorted shadows on the walls.
He couldn't shake the image of her pale face; those beautiful amber eyes squeezed shut in pain. He'd never felt this desperate, this helpless, as he did now, waiting for any news about her condition.
All he wanted was to be able to hold her in his arms, to tell her how much she meant to him, and most importantly, to assure her that the nightmare was finally over.
His fingers tapped an erratic rhythm against his thigh as he continued pacing, thoughts racing, desperate to find some semblance of solace in the uncertainty. He had come so close to losing her, and that realization struck him deeper than he ever thought possible. It was time to stop running; it was time to face the truth.
He knew what he had to do. If she made it through this, he would lay himself bare before her, admitting the feelings he'd long kept hidden. No more games. No more hesitation. He wanted Fiona – all of her, for better or worse – and he prayed to whatever god might be listening that he'd get the chance to tell her.
As Jake paced, each step felt like an eternity, his heart heavily burdened with the weight of hope and fear. The past few days had been a whirlwind of darkness and death, but now, he held onto the possibility of a new beginning – one where he could finally embrace the love and life he'd been denying himself for so long.
