The Monster & The Conspiracy (BWWM)

34. The Bloody Confrontations

C H A P T E R
T H I R T Y - F O U R    

Death had visited The Rose. Black cloths covered the corpses lined on the smooth tar roads of The Rose parking lot. The eerie, black cloths were a constant painful reminder of the horrible events that had transpired that afternoon.

Everyone present at the parking lot was staring at The Rose ruins. Half of the main building was still standing. However, the same couldn't be said for the two smaller buildings surrounding the main one.

The smaller buildings had completely collapsed. Bricks, concrete, wood, glass and steel debris was strewn all over the parking lot due to the force of the explosions.

A fountain's marble statue had been disembodied and different parts of it were scattered on the lawns. Julian could see the statue's head lying amongst a ruined row of crysanthemums.

There was a number of ambulances parked just about everywhere in the parking lot, tending to people with minor injuries and transporting the critically injured to hospitals. News reporters and cameramen emerged from the News vans, clutching their mics and thrusting them in people's faces as they asked a slew of insensitive questions whilst some cameramen taped everything.

A helicopter circled above them, patrolling the area. Firefighters and bomb squads braved into the ruins, searching for any survivors or corpses. Unfortunately, Lin had not been found. When Julian had first heard the bombs, he had been terrified. Terrified because Lin hadn't made it to the S.U.V. Now each time they dug up yet another corpse, Julian was fearful that it was Lin. None of the corpses had been identified as Lin. None of the survivors included Lin either.

Julian stood in front of the rubble, his eyes tracing an ear-comm that no doubt belonged to Lin. He had discovered it when he was pacing the parking lot, tugging at his hair and praying that Lin was alive. He had no clue what had become of her, but something told him she was alive after he had found her ear-comm.

It could only mean that Lin had been taken. The police had confirmed it.

Shelly was hunched over a trashcan not too far away from Julian, emptying out the contents in her stomach whilst James rubbed her back. Shelly hadn't taken the news well. She too, had been greatly horrified by the events. And more so worried about her missing friend.

According to the police address, Alqua, a well known terrorist organisation had conducted a well-planned attack and even kidnapped a few people. The terrorist organisation was founded in the early 1800's, it had no sole purpose besides lusting after money. The police referred to them as thugs rather than terrorists. They had stormed into The Rose and shot  twenty-four people after detonating three bombs which killed fifteen people. Lin had been taken by this perilous band of terrorists.

Julian was beyond terrified. He was afraid for Lin's life. Women taken by such terrorist organisations were hardly ever heard from nor seen ever again.

This was all his fault.

If Julian had never included Lin in this mad hunt of his, she would be in Zimbabwe, Bulawayo right now, no doubt curled up in a blanket and watching Titanic for the millionth time. He pictured Lin's hair tied up in that messy afro puff he loved with untameable tendrils framing her delicate face. He pictured the emotional woman crying over the scene were Jack died whilst shoving ice-cream down her throat.

But she wasn't in Zimbabwe.

She had been taken by a group of heartless terrorists hellbent on wreaking havoc. Julian shut his eyes tightly, willing back the various scenarios of Lin being tortured playing in his head. Julian's hands fisted as he tried to get a hold of his emotions.