Balance (The Balance Series Book 1)

by Janelle Stalder

  This was the reason behind Kellan’s apathy and resentment towards their mother. He could not overlook the fact that she wished they had never existed. Caleb and Collin understood, even though it still pained them to know it.

  “I won’t let him hurt you,” he said, grabbing both her hands to bring her mind back to their table.

  “Even here, Caleb, he can always get me. How can you protect me when he can reach me wherever I am?” She looked sadly into his eyes. “Even in my dreams,” she hissed. The two of them stared into their identical eyes, and Caleb knew he had to take major steps to protect her once and for all.

  “I’m going to have you moved,” he decided as the words came out. “I will find a place for you that is just as nice as this, even nicer, so he won’t know where to find you.”

  “But I like it here,” she argued. “I don’t want to leave. Plus, now you’re here with me, everything is fine.” She smiled at him.

  “I’m here now...” he began then stopped. His face froze, and his mother looked on with confusion. “Give your mother my best.”

  “What’s that, my love?” she asked, giving his hands a squeeze.

  He was here, just like his father knew he would be. Just as he knew he would be as soon as Caleb heard his mother needed him. His father had played him like a puppet. Now that Caleb sat here, Vivian was there, alone and vulnerable.

  This was what he’d wanted all along, Caleb realized with dread. He only needed one opportunity to get at her again, and he would never have been able to do that with Caleb constantly by her side. He had successfully gotten Caleb as far away from her as possible

  “Where are you going?” his mother asked, alarmed as Caleb stood up.

  “I need to make a phone call,” he said heading for the door. “I’ll be back,” he called over his shoulder.

  He needed to talk to her, and he needed to do it fast. He had to make sure she wasn’t doing anything, or going anywhere where she might put herself in danger. He felt helpless as he headed to the front doors. There was little he could do when he was on the other side of the ocean.

  As he burst through to the outside, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell, trying desperately to stay calm enough so he could dial her number. The other end began to ring, but there was no answer.

  Damn it. Where was she?

  He had to get back there, and quick, but first he had to make new arrangements for his mother. For the first time in his life he prayed, prayed that Vivian was still safe. He doubted anyone that was up there would care what someone like Caleb wanted, but he hoped they would care enough for her to ignore what he was.

  My day had been tortuously long and boring. It was nice to be back at work, but it wasn’t enough to fully occupy my mind. Lily and Ashley had loads of workplace gossip to fill me in on, and of course a million questions to ask me regarding Caleb. Apparently the whole place had been completely mad since the disappearance of Brian Connor.

  Truth be told, with everything that had been happening in my life, I had almost completely forgotten about that monster. There had been police in and out, which both girls greatly appreciated, and news stations outside almost daily. They said neither Dermot nor Kellan seemed to know what to make of the situation. Apparently the authorities were in the same boat.

  “Oh, and you should have seen Stacey,” said Lily with a wide grin.

  “It was priceless,” agreed Ashley. “She looked like someone had taken a piss in her morning coffee when she heard that you and Caleb were officially an item. If only I had had my camera on me that day.” She laughed wickedly. “I would have framed it and hung it on my cubicle wall.”

  “It was glorious,” Lily said. “She has been acting like a miserable you-know-what, ever since. She rarely even looks in our direction anymore.” She chuckled.

  “I’m glad I could have been of some service to you while I was away,” I replied with a laugh.

  There were a million things to do in order for me to catch up on everything I had missed while I was away. The girls’ constant chatter occupied most of my attention, but I still couldn’t help but miss Caleb. I wondered what he was doing, and how his mother was. Thankfully I was meeting Amanda and Blake that night, so I wouldn’t be alone. The only time I would really need to worry would be when I went to bed, but I had already decided on taking some of Caleb’s special tea to help with that.

  It was nice to get some normality back in my life. The only thing that had thrown me off was the absence of Murray. When I had entered the building that morning, I looked over expecting to see Murray’s smiling face, but instead there was a new man sitting at Murray’s usual spot. Neither Lily nor Ashley seemed to know what had happened to him, but apparently he no longer worked there.

  It caused a twinge of unease in my stomach, but I didn’t dwell on it. As I left the building, and called out a goodnight to the new guy, I felt the same worry, but again pushed it back down. Instead, I concentrated on getting home and preparing to go out that night.

  After dinner I took a quick shower and got ready to go out with Amanda and Blake. Amanda called and told me they would meet me at a small café in the downtown area around eight. I agreed to the time and hung up, throwing my phone on my bed. Rummaging through my closet, I tried to find something to wear. Since I had been ill, my laundry was seriously backed up. Finally I found a shirt that at least appeared to be clean, and threw on some shorts.

  By the time I was done, I only had ten minutes until I was to meet them, so I ran out, calling a quick farewell to my parents.

  The night was warm and beautiful, so I decided I would walk. Heading down my street, I began to happily hum to myself. The street was empty, illuminated only by the streetlamps, the moon hidden behind a splattering of clouds. My footsteps mixed with my voice, the only sounds aside from the musical melody of crickets calling out to each other.

  As I turned the corner, my head was down, so I didn’t see the object as it hit me full force in the forehead. The warmth of my blood could instantly be felt as it ran down between my eyes from an apparent cut on my forehead.

  I stumbled back, reaching up. Vibrant crimson covered my palm as I pulled it away. Blinking, I tried to see who or what had hit me, but stars filled my vision. Stumbling, I fell back onto the sidewalk, consciousness starting to slip away from me. The only thing I could remember before I completely slipped into darkness was the sound of footsteps by my ear, and then I was gone.

  Nora was still sitting at their table when Caleb returned to the dining hall. She stood up as he approached, concern written over every inch of her face.

  “Is everything alright?” she asked.

  “It’s fine, but it looks like I might have to leave again to take care of something important. Right now, let’s get you to your room and ready for the night,” he said taking her by the elbow. She didn’t argue with him, aware that something was very wrong with her youngest son.

  Caleb brought his mother to her room, and went down to the kitchen to fix her some tea while she got changed into her nightgown. He was surprised at how easy it seemed to be to convince her it was time for her to sleep. He knew it had a lot to do with the fact that he was here, and she always felt safer when he was with her. Guilt overwhelmed him for needing to leave again, but he promised himself he would be back soon – this time with Vivian by his side. He swore he would not leave her alone again, even if it meant she would meet his mother and see the inconsistencies surrounding his life.

  On his way back to the room, while he carefully balanced the hot cup of tea, he repeatedly tried Vivian’s phone. It continued to ring, with no pick-up on the other end. There were beads of sweat from panic on his forehead. Never in his life had Caleb sweated over anything. He sensed something was horribly wrong, and very rarely was his intuition wrong.

  Nora was sitting on the edge of her bed when he walked back into the room. He handed her the cup and she obediently drank it. Caleb was relieved that at least one of his problems woul
d be momentarily fixed. He helped her climb into bed and sat on the edge while he waited for the tea to take effect.

  “I’m going to get you moved somewhere nice and safe, so you never have to worry again,” he promised her. “I want you to get all the rest you can while I’m gone, so your health can be back to where it was. I will be back as soon as I can.”

  She nodded. “Are you going to tell me what’s happening?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “It’s nothing for you to worry about. Just get some rest,” he said, leaning in and kissing her on the forehead.

  “I love you with all my heart, Caleb,” she said sleepily.

  “I know, Mother,” he said, as he watched her slip into a deep sleep. The nurse came in, throwing him a look of thanks when she saw his mother asleep.

  “I don’t know how you do it,” she whispered. Caleb smiled and walked back out to head toward the doctor’s office again.

  When he knocked on the door, the doctor looked up from his work with a confused expression. “Caleb is there something more you need tonight?” he asked.

  “Yes, I’d like to make arrangements to have my mother transferred to another facility as soon as possible,” he explained, entering the office.

  The doctor sat back in surprise. “Is there something wrong?” he asked.

  “Nothing that has to do with you, or this place, but I feel it would be better for my mother to be moved somewhere where only I will know how to locate her.” He watched the doctor’s expression turn from insult to suspicion.

  “This is very unexpected. Are you implying that you would like her to go somewhere where not even your brothers will know her location?” Caleb nodded. “Your father is the one who legally has control over your mother’s wellbeing, I’m certain you’re aware of this. I’m not sure there is much we can do without his permission.”

  Caleb grew impatient as he realized this would be more difficult than he had originally anticipated. “Listen, it is my father who is the biggest threat to my mother’s wellbeing at this point. She needs to be somewhere where he will not be able to contact her,” he tried to explain.

  “Your father has never tried contacting her during the whole duration of her time with us,” he argued.

  “I need you to do this for me. You know I only have her best interest at heart. I would never do anything to my mother if I thought it would harm her. She has to go somewhere fast, and I need the location to be kept between us.” Caleb pulled out his cheque book and wrote a large figure on it, then slid it smoothly over to the doctor. “Do you think this is something you can help me with?” The doctor hesitated. “I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t absolutely necessary,” he pleaded.

  Finally the doctor reached over and grabbed the paper off the top of the desk. He placed it securely into his pocket. “Very well, I will go along with this. Heaven help me if it comes back to bite me in the ass,” he said with a huff. “I know of a place where I can get her in quickly, and I know she will love the scenery.”

  Caleb let out a breath of relief. He thanked the doctor a million times after everything was settled, then left to make his own arrangements.

  When he got outside he tried Vivian’s cell again, still with no luck. He decided it was time he called her parents. He dialled the house number and waited for someone to answer. Finally her mother’s voice was on the other end.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, it’s Caleb. Is Vivian there?” he asked, cutting to the point, propriety be damned.

  “Oh, hello Caleb,” she replied. “Vivian is out with her friends right now, can I give her a message for you?”

  “No, that’s alright, I’ll just call her back later. Thanks,” he said hanging up the phone.

  Something was happening, he could feel it. He drove to the airport faster than he’d ever driven before, and ran in to buy a ticket for the next possible flight. He would be home soon, and then he would be able to make sure she was safe – he could only hope that he wouldn’t be too late.

  The heavy fog that clouded my mind began to lift as I slowly began to regain consciousness. My head hurt, and my hands felt numb. I tried to move them and realized they had been tied behind my back. Slowly, I tried to move my feet, grasping that those were also tied. I opened my eyes to complete darkness.

  At first I thought maybe I was still unconscious, but soon made sense of things. I was stuck in a small, black area. My head banged on the top of whatever I was in as I tried to lift it. Claustrophobia started to kick in when I realized how small the space was that I lay in.

  There was something loud in the background, but muffled. I tried to focus on it, hoping I would get some indication of where I was. It was music, I realized. The more I focused, the more I could make out the loud, double base rhythm of metal being played on a stereo.

  As my head cleared, I noticed the gentle sway of movement beneath me.

  Holy crap, I was in a car.

  No, I was in a trunk.

  There were two voices talking over the music to each other, but I couldn’t make them out because of all the noise. They seemed too far away and barely audible. I was tied up and tossed into someone’s trunk, just like a horror movie.

  My heart raced uncontrollably as it dawned on me that wherever these people were bringing me, would most likely be a lot worse than what had already been done. With a new found sense of desperation, I frantically tried to squirm out of the ties that were bound tightly around my wrists and ankles. It was useless, especially in the confined space of the trunk.

  My thoughts went immediately through the list of important people in my life. My parents, who would never see me again if I didn’t get out of this; Amanda and Blake, who were probably still waiting for me at a cafe, and would never know what happened to me; and lastly, Caleb.

  Caleb – who was thousands of miles away, tending to his sick mother, and who would never know I was in trouble. There was no way he would be showing up to save me.

  Tears trailed down the sides of my face. Caleb would come home to find me gone. I would never have another chance to see him. My heart slowly felt as though it were breaking into millions of pieces. An ache filled my chest, my breathing ragged against the despair overwhelming me.

  The car made a sudden left turn, causing me to slide into the walls of the trunk, hitting my head. I was completely disoriented, and was starting to feel sick. I wasn’t sure if it was from the multiple blows to my head, the car, or the panic. I tugged at my bonds again, failing miserably. I sagged against the floor of the trunk, taking deep breaths. It was probably smarter to keep my strength. I would need it when the vehicle finally came to a stop.

  Then it did.

  The rhythmic movement suddenly came to a halt as the car reached its destination. As the engine was switched off, I could hear two male voices speaking to one another over the sound of car doors opening and slamming shut. Footsteps were outside the vehicle now, gravel crunching beneath their steps as they approached the back.

  I didn’t know if I should pretend to still be unconscious, or let them know I was awake and aware. There wasn’t time to make a decision as the trunk was suddenly thrown open, and a burst of light filled the tiny black box I had been locked in. My eyes squinted against the sudden glare, making it virtually impossible to see who was standing in front of me.

  “Let’s go,” one of them said, hauling me out as I squeaked in protest.

  My body was thrown over one of their shoulders and carried off. I still didn’t recognize my surroundings or my captors, because my eyes had yet to adjust to the new lighting. I was being carried into a building where an unknown future now awaited me. My thoughts went back to Caleb as new tears filled my eyes.

  I was doomed.

  Artem looked on in horror as Kellan and Liam carried in the limp and bound body of Vivian. Liam had her thrown over his shoulder like a sack.

  He had arrived at what looked like an abandoned warehouse about an hour ago. Dermot had called his cell and told him h
e needed to meet him at this location in order to go over some minor details regarding their arrangement. When he arrived, there hadn’t been anyone else there, so he’d walked aimlessly around the building until finally Dermot had called again and told him which room they would be meeting in.

  This was the room he currently stood in. The only piece of furniture had been a chair in the middle, and nothing else. One light hung over the seat, casting deep shadows around the outside. He had sensed something was wrong as soon as he walked in there, but hadn’t expected this.

  Vivian’s hand and feet were tied tightly behind her back. He could see the blue colour in her fingers from her blood being cut off. She also seemed to be bleeding from a cut somewhere on her head, but from where Artem stood it was hard to see.

  Liam dropped her onto the chair that was in the middle of the room, and tied her hands to the back of the chair and her feet to the legs. Artem could feel the sickness build in his stomach. He didn’t think he would be able to keep himself from vomiting.

  This was not what he had intended when he agreed to help them. The room, the chair, Vivian, everything so far suggested some sort of torture or interrogation scene.

  “You promised she wouldn’t be hurt,” he accused angrily. He moved forward to go to Vivian, but Kellan pushed him firmly back against the wall. He looked up in horror at Kellan’s calm and amused face.

  “He promised! I could have arranged a meeting with her; that was supposed to be my part. I could have done this without anyone having to be hurt! That was the plan; that was the arrangement we made.” He sounded slightly hysterical even to himself. His voice was shaky and shrill, as he desperately tried to make sense of the situation.

  Kellan regarded him with indifference. He sunk back against the wall, trying not to vomit in front of the other people in the room. Vivian seemed to be unconscious, her head hanging forward at an uncomfortable angle as she slumped in the chair.