The first thing Joseph does is put a tap on all my phones, as well as Michael and Bella’s. We pull security footage from right after the abduction so Max can go through all of it. There is someone dropping off the envelope, but the person always keeps his head away from the cameras, so there’s no way to tell if it’s a man or a woman.
“Bella, where is Mum?” I ask her, suddenly feeling panicked. She stares through me like she’s not really hearing me. “Bella, where the fuck is Mum?”
“I don’t know,” she whispers.
I ring my mum. She is not answering her phone. Fuck. “Max, call the detail that is on my mum and find out where the fuck she is and why she is not answering her phone!”
Bella rocks back and forth. She keeps repeating, “Jax, please get my baby back safe.”
Max calls mum’s detail. “The detail said your mum hasn’t left the house since she got back from the school.”
“Then, why the fuck isn’t she answering the phone?! Why was she at the school?”
Max orders them to enter the house. “Jax, your mum is fine. She was in the shower. She is a little shaken up.”
“Have her brought here. I don’t want her alone right now. And find out if she saw anything when she went to the school today.” I walk up to the bar in my office and pour myself three fingers of scotch before I have to deal with my mother.
“Joseph, how much do you think they’re going to ask for?”
He shakes his head. “It’s a lot more complicated.”
“What the fuck do you mean; it’s a lot more complicated? Isn’t this about money? Wasn’t Raven collateral damage?”
Joseph glares at me. “Well, let's see. First, they grab a billionaire’s nephew. And at this point, I have to assume they know who Raven really is. Vincent, her uncle, is an animal and has made many enemies. The rival families will also come into play.”
I pick up the phone and Joseph grabs it. “What the fuck do you think you're doing?”
I yank the phone away. “I am calling my banker and my broker to make sure I have enough liquid capital to pay whatever they ask for, if that’s okay with you!”
He growls, “Okay, but don’t do anything or talk to anyone without going through me first, Understood?”
Like I would really trust this guy. “Yes, understood,” I humor him before ringing up the necessary people. When I finish getting things lined up, just in case, I decide to step outside of my office for a breather.
Duke is getting ready to leave for the day. “Sir, I’m leaving if that’s okay, unless you need me to stay?”
I shoo him away. “It’s fine, Duke. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Max steps out of my office. “What do you need that you don’t want anyone to know?”
This is why Max is my best friend. ”What did Mick say?”
I know he doesn’t want to tell me something. “Just that Raven was trying to stop them from taking Junior, Raven stepped in front of him. They hit her in the face before they tossed both of them into the van. They beat Mick pretty good, but he did get a partial on the plate and a description of the van. Jax you’ve got to keep it together.”
He knows how hard this is for me. “Yeah, for now.”
W
HEN THEY COME BACK, still concealed under ski masks, they take a picture of Michael and me. “We know you worked off the duct tape—you saved us the trouble,” One of them says. Without another word, they turn and leave.
“Michael, look at me, please.” I cradle his face in my palms. “When I was a little girl, about your age, I was kidnapped.”
His eyes grow large. “What did you do, Miss Raven?”
I have to keep things positive for him. “Well, I was alone, so I had to trust myself and try to stay calm. I did what they asked, and eventually, my dad and uncle rescued me.”
He smiles. “Do you think we will get rescued?”
I give myself a mental pep talk before I answer him. “I know that your dad and your Uncle Jax will move heaven and earth to find us.” I don’t doubt that they are trying; I just hope they find us in time, but I won’t tell Michael that. I get up and start to explore our surroundings. There is a door to a bathroom with a toilet and sink. There are no windows. It is cold and when night comes it will get colder.
“Michael, we can get water from the bathroom sink. At least we can stay hydrated. Remember when we did the experiment with the flower in science? We colored the water, which made the flower change color”
He laughs. “Yeah, that was a cool trick.”
Kids always think things they don’t understand are tricks. “That wasn’t a trick. It was to show you how everything the flower needed, it got from the water. We might not have any food right now, but we have water. That is what we need to survive.”
He gets a huge smile on his face and I know he gets it. “Miss Raven, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
He furrows his brows. “Do you ever do anything other than teach? I mean, you're always thinking about teaching stuff. Don’t you just want to play video games or something?”
I burst out laughing, “Oh, Michael, thank you, I needed that.”
He just shakes his head, smiling at me. “Miss Raven, are you going to marry Uncle Jax?”
I’m in total shock. “What would make you think that?”
He’s shuffles his feet. I can tell he’s unsure of what to say. “My mom and dad were talking, and Mom said ‘the handwriting is on the wall’ and then she was yelling at my dad… something about a dream. What did she mean by that? I would get into trouble if I wrote on the wall.”
I really don’t want to go into this with him but I need to be honest with him. “Okay, Michael, first, you shouldn’t be listening to your parents when they’re talking to each other and not to you. That’s called eavesdropping. Secondly, I barely know your uncle; we’re just friends.”
I think it’s time for a subject change, and quick. “Michael, do you have any pets?”
His face lights up. “Yeah, I have the coolest dog. His name is Vito. And he is a very big German shepherd. You would like him. He is very strong. Do you have any pets, Miss Raven?”
My mind goes back instantly to Winston. “Not now. I did when I was your age. I had a dog, too. His name was Winston, and anyone that came to my house would take one look at him and wait outside.” I smile as I am telling him the story of the first time a boy tried to get close to me, “Winston walked up to the front door and that boy ran for the hills. He was a 235pound, chocolate-brown Newfoundland. When I walked him, people would cross the street. They thought he was a bear.”
He pulls a kid’s Doctor Who wallet out of his back pocket, opens it up, and shows me a picture of his dog. “This is Vito. When we get out of here, will you show me a picture of Winston?”
I hug him and give him the reassurance he needs that we will get out of here. “Sure. Why don’t you go to the bathroom and wash up.”
When Michael comes back in the room, he’s back to his reticent behavior. I need to keep him distracted. “So, Michael, is your favorite television show, Doctor Who?”
His face takes on a serious expression again. “Miss Raven, it’s okay if you're scared. I will protect you.”
He is so precious, I just want to cry. “Thank you, Michael. We both need to stay strong together. So, back to television shows.”
Sometimes, when I look at his face, I see the same facial expressions that Jax makes. “Well, isn’t Doctor Who everyone’s favorite television show?”
I start to laugh so hard I cry, which causes Michael to laugh along with me. Suddenly, one of the kidnappers comes in and videotapes us.
“Michael, do you watch Doctor Who with your Uncle Jax?”
He hits me with a huge smile. “Oh, all the time, Miss Raven. We wear bowties, eat PB and J’s, and drink chocolate egg creams while we watch the show.”
My heart is in my throat. This boy loves his uncle so much. “So, Michael, you could be
a young Doctor Who.”
There’s that smile again. “Well, I guess when you put it like that, I could be!”
I pull him close to me, hopefully giving him the assurance he needs that we will be fine.
“Michael, now I know we will be fine because the Doctor is in the house.”
MY MUM WALKS INTO the office, pale and crying. She runs right into my arms. Jesus, I can’t take seeing her like this.
She pulls back a little, “Jaxson James Phillips, you get my grandson and future daughter-in-law back safe, right now!”
All heads turn to me. My mum has rendered me speechless. “Mum, what makes you think Raven will be your daughter-in-law? And what were you doing at the school today?”
Oh no, she’s giving that look that will stop me in my tracks. “Well, if I waited for you or your sister to introduce me to Michael's teacher, I would still be waiting. I met the girl and I like her. She’s genuine. You can always tell when someone is tender-hearted, and, my boy, she is. Now, do what you have to, but get my family back!”
Mum turns to Joseph, who is just staring at her, speechless. “Do you have a problem, sir?”
Joseph puts his glass down and walks up to my mum. “No, ma’am, I just wasn’t expecting a ball of fire to come barrelling through the door.”
Mum puts her hand out to Joseph, “I’m Anwen Phillips, and you are?”
He extends his hand. “I’m Joseph Adessi, Director of The FBI. Your name is very different; Welsh, if I’m not mistaken. I believe it means very beautiful.”
Oh really, please tell me he’s not hitting on my mum now! I’m about to say something but leave it to my mum to step up. “Mr. Director of the FBI, your knowledge of Welsh names is very impressive, however, that is not going to get my family back. So cut the crap and do your job,” she bites. Joseph is speechless, and I’m pretty sure I have a stupid grin on my face.
My phone beeps. There is a short video of Raven and Michael, but there is no sound. I can see Michael laughing at something Raven is telling him. Leave it to my girl to find something to make him laugh at the worst possible time. Another text comes right after informing me that instructions will follow.
Joseph calls his tech guy in and gives him my phone. “There’s a video on here. See if you can trace it through the cell towers. How are we doing with tracing the second phone?”
The tech informs us that the phone is indeed on, and they’re trying to narrow down the location. All we can do now, is wait. Waiting is something I’ve never been good at.
Max decides he is going to Jackie’s flat to see if there might be something she saw at the playground.
I PULL UP TO Jackie’s building and I notice the doorman is helping another resident, so I wait.
“Please ring Miss Jackie Gerhard and let her know Maxwell Fleming is here.”
The doorman informs me she’s been expecting me, and I should go right up. When I get upstairs, I knock and the door fly’s open. “Miss Jackie, are you crazy? You didn’t even ask who was at the door!”
She looks so scared, and it rips me up inside to see it. “Oh, Max, you’re the only one the doorman was instructed to let up.”
I know I’m growling but I just can’t help it. “I don’t care. I have enough on my dish—I mean plate—right now!” I step inside and close the door. I turn around and she jumps into my arms. Oh Fuck.
“I’m sorry. Please, I’m scared. My best friend and the sweetest little boy were kidnapped right in front of me today.” She’s trembling and I pull her tighter to me.
“First, thank you for helping me today when they knocked me out. They used some sort of tranquilizer on me.”
She runs her quivering fingers across my lips. “You should have let the paramedics look at you. They beat you up pretty good.”
I shake my head. I need to keep it together, and right now—I just want to feel her touch all over. “I needed to get to Jax. Can you tell me what you saw prior to the kidnapping?” I hear the vulnerability in my voice, but I don’t care to shake it. Holding her like this, feeling her breath in my face; it’s giving me an achiness and a sense of urgency I haven’t felt in a long time.
Her eyes instantly fill with tears. “Well, it was supposed to be me, not Raven.”
She starts to rock back and forth, crying.
“Please explain. I’m confused. What do you mean; it was supposed to be you?” We sit on the couch and she takes a few calming breathes.
“We have a set schedule and this week was my turn to monitor the playground. I had a new student that I needed to do an assessment on, so Raven took my place. Oh Max, this is all my fault.”
I pull her into my arms. “Hush, you don’t know that. Did you notice anything this week that seemed odd or out of place?”
She looks up at me. “I did have a feeling like I was being watched, and I told Raven. She had me talk to the office about it but they said it was added security from Michael's dad.”
I hold her tighter, not wanting to let her go. “Do you remember ever seeing the van before today?”
She shakes her head, “No, but I don’t notice that kind of stuff. I’m too busy watching the children.” She averts her eyes for a moment but brings them back. “They beat Mick up when he was trying to help. Do you know how he is?”
Gazing into her eyes, I see she genuinely cares about Mick. “He’ll be okay. He was taken to the ER.” I glide my hands up and down her arms to comfort her. “I’m sorry, Miss Jackie, but I need to get back to Raiders. I’m putting a guard on you, though. Do not ditch him. I’ll call you later and update you. Lock the door and set the alarm, okay?” I pull her in for one final hug before getting up to head out. She follows me to the door and before I can walk out, she wraps me into another urgent hug, crushing me to her. I pull away and give her an encouraging nod. “I’ll call, I promise.” I reassure, and then leave.
I call Tony on my way back to Raiders. “Hey, Tony, how’s the phone tracing coming along?”
“I should have it sooner, rather than later,” he grumbles. I know he is working as fast as he can. “What did Jackie say?” I need to bounce this off of Tony before I let Jax know. Tony is my sounding board; he helps keep my thoughts clear.
“She said they have a set schedule and she was supposed to be on the playground, not Raven. That makes me think that Raven was never a target, but something has changed. Something is off and I can’t put my finger on it.”
He’s quiet for a bit. “Do you think Jackie was the original target?” he finally asks.
I know where Tony is going with this. “I don’t think she was, but I can’t rule it out, either. Her father is a powerful man, but I know nothing about the brother. Maybe we need to pull a check on them.” I rub the back of my neck to release some of the tension. “Just keep it between us right now.” I wait for his agreement. “Any luck with the partial plate number?”
“The plate was reported stolen last week. This seems very well planned. If they knew who Raven was, then why do it this week when Jackie was on playground duty? Did they know about Jackie’s dad? Maybe she and Michael where the original targets?” he rambles off his questions, barely a hint of breath taken between them. Even Tony is coming unhinged by all of this.
Fuck, this is so cocked up. “Just get that trace done. I’m almost to the office.” And with that, I end the call.
F
UCK. FUCK. FUCK. WHAT the hell did I get myself into? She told me he would just pay up, and then we could go to one of the islands and never look back. I try calling her but she’s not answering the fucking phone. This was supposed to be my one shot to get out of that hellhole in Michigan—permanently.
I can’t go back home, but this is way more than I bargained for. Why the hell does she not answer the phone? Freezing my ass off, I decide to grab a coffee. Just as I step inside the coffee house, my phone rings. It’s her—finally! “Where the fuck have you been?” She doesn’t answer me right away. I actually look to see if she is still on the line.
“Relax, everything is going better than planned,” she says, nonchalantly. She’s got to be kidding me.
“Are you fucking nuts? They took the boy and the teacher. Why both?” I want to tell her to just fuck off and leave me out of this, but I’m in too deep now.
“Look, the boy was planned. I know Jax will pay up and pay big for his only nephew’s safe return. The best part is, we now have a bonus—his girlfriend.”
I get my coffee and sit down. “What makes you think he’ll pay to get her back, too? He’s only been with her for two weeks, and besides, she wasn’t supposed to be out there this week. That’s why we did it now.” She’s not answering me. “Hello, are you still there?”
“Where are you right now?” I close my eyes and tell her the location of the coffee house I’m at.
“Just wait there. I’m on my way. There is a lot you need to know.” The phone goes dead; all I can do is wait. In the meantime, I try to calm down . Finally, she comes breezing through the door. Her long blonde hair and beautiful body renders me speechless. She sits next to me, stroking my arm. “Are you calm now? Can we talk?”
“Erica, you said this would be easy, this is anything but.”
Have you figured out who she is yet?”
“What are you fucking talking about, she is the teacher,” I snap.
She laughs an almost sinister laugh. “Duke, guess again. She’s not just the teacher. She is your half-sister.”
I stare at her in total shock. “Erica, how long have you known?”
She leans in near my ear, “I found out two weeks ago,” she whispers.
What the—is she fucking kidding me? “You’ve known for two weeks, and you’re just telling me this now? How did you find out?”
She seems so proud of herself. “I have a friend at the Bureau, and when Jax hooked up with the teacher, red flags went up. He gave me a copy of her file.”
Realization hits me. “Erica, is that why you pushed me to get the job as Jax’s assistant?”
The Unraveling of Raven (The Unraveled Trilogy Book 1) Page 12
