I leaned down to kiss her on the lips, deepening our kiss and forcing my tongue inside, wanting to taste and treasure every moment with her. I got down on my knees and rubbed her belly, feeling our little ones kicking their mom hard. “They’re quite active today. Are you sure they aren’t hurting you?”
“They’re fine. There’s plenty of fat and fluid to help cushion the blow.” She laughed as she placed her hand atop of mine and smiled. “You know, they’re already in love with their father. Almost as much as I am.”
I looked up at her quizzically. “What do you mean, love?”
“When you get close enough that they hear your voice, they start jumping around like crazy, like they can’t wait to get out and meet you.”
I kissed her belly gently. “Keep your mom safe for me while I’m gone,” I said softly. “I can’t wait to meet the two of you, but try to stay inside for a little while longer.”
Thompson entered. “We’re ready, sir. Jonathan will meet us at the airport.”
I got up, kissing Laurel one more time, feeling a sense of foreboding hanging heavy in the air. “It’ll be all right honey. I’ll be right here waiting for you when you get home.”
The flight had been the quickest part of this trip. I’d presented the information about how the machine works to the surgeons and board of directors, but that seemed to open up a floodgate of questions. They were reluctant to invest that kind of money on something so new. I sidestepped the discussion and offered up Jonathan to handle those questions. We had always been able to work with resistance by formulating a compromise between parties where everyone could be happy, and that was his specialty.
I excused myself from the meeting so I could give Laurel a call, but when I saw the amount of concern etching Thompson’s face in the waiting room, I knew something terrible had happened. Before I even knew what it was, I felt the wind get knocked completely out of me. I had to sit down. My heart could already feel that Laurel was in trouble.
“Sir, are you okay?” Thompson helped me to a seat, right as his phone rang.
“Thompson here,” his voice sounding urgent, “yes, have you activated the tracking on her phone? Is Grace okay? We’ll be en route momentarily. Call the FBI in on this, we need to move fast.”
His words seemed to run together in my mind. My worst fears were coming to life, I just knew it.
“Sir, we have a problem. Mrs. Waters and Ms. Grace decided to step out with Dillon and Stewart for some food at Jonathan’s restaurant. They were fine and had left there without incident, but decided to do some more shopping for the twins.”
I didn’t like where this was going. I’d strictly forbidden her from leaving the penthouse, for her own protection and my peace of mind. “Dear God, man, spit it out already!” I yelled at him, wanting him to get to the point. Was Laurel all right or not?
“As Grace and Laurel were stepping out of the store’s entrance, a flashbang was thrown out of a moving vehicle, blinding everyone and giving the culprits enough time to tranquilize Dillon and Stewart and knock out Grace with a punch to the face. From what we’ve gathered, Laurel was taken by a man wearing a ski mask.”
My mind instantly went to Walt’s threats. Had he programmed his son to kidnap Laurel in order to draw me out and then kill us both? My world began to spin and I had to duck my head between my legs to regain my ability to breathe. It felt like my world tipped on its axis and my heart had been ripped completely out of my chest. I was nothing more than a shell of a man at that moment.
“Get the plane ready now and fetch my brother. We’re leaving. Screw this damn meeting. I think it’s all been a ploy anyhow. I’ve never had this much resistance in trying out a piece of our equipment. See if you can find the link to who’s responsible in there. When I find them, they’re going to wish they’d never crossed me.” My voice was laced with venom and I didn’t care. My one and only focus was on my beloved and our unborn children.
If even a hair was harmed on Laurel’s head, it wouldn’t matter what they tried to do to me, because I wouldn’t stop until the threat of them ceased to exist.
The plane took off in record time and I told the captain to push as hard as he could to get us there. Thompson talked with Dillon, once he came around, to find out all the details. The FBI, police, and every available investigative force was scouring the city for any sign of my Laurel or the van that had taken her. Luckily, there were witnesses in the area, on their lunch breaks, who’d managed to get an accurate description of the van, license plate, and type of clothing the attackers wore.
I hated that I had to remove the bracelet from her wrist, but she’d suffered from some water retention to the point that removing it had been a requirement. Otherwise, we could activate the tracking device and find her immediately.
I heard Jonathan on the phone with Grace. “It’s not your fault, honey. Everyone knew the risks of going out. She should’ve listened to Garrett and Dillon should have put his foot down.”
You could hear Grace’s frantic voice over the phone. She was just as fearful as the rest of us. “Are you okay?” my brother asked.
There was a pause, and then he erupted.
“Stitches! Where? How many? What aren’t you telling me, Grace?”
Jonathan’s face paled as he handed the phone to me. “I think you need to hear this.”
“What’s the matter, Grace?” I asked, pissed that I was even talking with her knowing she helped Laurel get out today.
“I just reached into my purse to pull out the medicine I’d been given at the hospital for pain and I realized a note had been placed inside, addressed to you.” Her voice was shaky.
“For Christ’s sake, read it, Grace,” I insisted, wondering why she was stalling.
I heard paper rip and then her words came across the phone. “We have your wife and children, Mr. Andrews. Expect a call from us at 3 PM. Do not involve any authorities in this little dispute we have going, or I’ll have my son take his pleasure from her before he kills her and your little brats. Her life depends on yours.”
It was all I could do not to throw up. I never in my wildest dreams realized just how malicious and evil that bastard was. Why couldn’t he let go of the past and just live for the moment? Why did he have to dwell on hate? He’s so evil, that if he died, I think Hell would reject him. I knew all I wanted to do was smash his face in and prevent him from harming anyone ever again.
“Garrett? Are you still there?” Grace questioned.
“Give the note to Dillon and let him process it for fingerprints and to see if there are any clues left as to where they might be holding Laurel. We should be there shortly. Call everyone and have them meet us at the penthouse.” I hung up before I could even give her a chance to respond. I didn’t mean to be rude, but Laurel’s life depended on it.
I began pacing the aisles of the plane, trying to rationalize that they had to be in the Orlando or the surrounding area. If he wanted me to meet up with them, he’d keep her close, where I could have proof that she was alive.
I punched the back of one of the passenger chairs, causing Jonathan and Thompson to jump. “Sorry.”
“Bro, I would be doing more than punching the seat at this point. I don’t know how you’re able to remain so calm.”
“I’m anything but fucking calm!” I yelled back at him. “He has my wife, my future kids, and has threatened to have that mind controlled nit-wit of a son of his use and abuse her before taking her life if I dare try anything. Basically he wants my life for hers, but I don’t trust the bastard not to destroy us all. He wants the Andrews bloodline to end.”
I finally broke down crying, not knowing what to do to save the love of my life. I felt lost and out of control.
My brother quickly sat beside me, giving me his best man hug possible. “We’ll find the bastard and help you get rid of him.”
Thompson was quick to speak up. “Sir, the authorities set up road blocks immediately in and out of the city. The van hasn’t left the area and we’ve na
rrowed the field down to a ten mile radius.” His hand came to rest upon my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “We’ll find her, Garrett. You have my solemn vow of that.”
It was rare for Thompson to use my first name unless he was trying to drive some sense into me and it worked, helping me to refocus. We pulled up a map of the area on the laptop and had it hooked up to the flat screen so we could all focus on the search area together.
My first instinct would have been to check out any empty warehouses or storefronts, but the area was mostly thriving businesses, corporations, and the entire downtown district, with a few outlying housing communities. I shook my head, trying to think like a madman and figure out where she could be.
Thompson and Jonathan started making a list of possible locations, thinking it would be too obvious to hide in plain sight. But was it?
I didn’t have time to think any further as the captain announced we’d be landing in five minutes. We took our seats and continued studying the map, trying to play out every potential angle.
We had a police escort from the airport to the penthouse, which was swarming with investigators, forensic specialists, and both of our families. All the women were in tears, crying for my sweet Laurel, while the men were overwrought with emotion, somewhere between fear and hatred for what was going on.
I’d just walked to the center of the room when my cell rang with a call from an unknown number. Knowing that it was the time Walt had stated, I answered the call. “Hello?”
“Andrews, this is your worst nightmare. You took my woman from me. You turned her against me, kept me from her all these months. Now you’ve knocked her up with your demon seed and destroyed her for me.” He sounded like a demented, crazed individual, definitely not a rational MIT graduate. What the hell did his father do to him?
“I need to know that Laurel is okay. Can I speak to her?” I pleaded.
“Here, tell him you’re fine, but you say one word out of order and I’ll make sure you’re in pain.” I heard a slap of flesh and a whine escape Laurel’s lips.
“Are you okay, love?” my voice was filled with panic.
She sounded weak and shaky. “I’m okay for now. It’s so good to be home with you.”
“But you’re kidnapped, darling, not here with me. Are you and the babies all right?”
“The babies are fine, for now. I’m just so happy to BE HOME WITH YOU in an hour.”
“What the hell are you telling him, bitch?” I heard another slap and her moan in pain.
Her voice got softer, I guessed he was moving the phone away from her. But, I could barely hear Laurel say, “I love you so much, my darling. I always have and always will, forever.”
I heard him reply, “You’re delusional, Laurel. I’m not your damn husband. I wanted to be, but you wouldn’t have me.” Then I heard his voice scream in my ear, “I want you outside your office building, alone, in two hours, without any cops, wires, or tracking devices on you, or else I get to have some fun with my former fuck buddy.” The next thing I heard was the dial tone.
I was in a state of utter shock, feeling the floor disintegrate underneath me. Laurel had just said her goodbyes to me, in the event she didn’t make it. I didn’t even realize that my father had come over and guided me towards one of the chairs at the dining table. I finally looked up to realize that everyone was talking about the phone call, since I’d had it on speaker, unbeknownst to that dickwad.
Thompson was in my face immediately. “Dillon is trying to track his call to the nearest cell tower to his location.” His lips kept moving, but I didn’t hear what he said until he started shaking my shoulders to draw me back into the present.
“What?!” I shouted, making everyone jump.
“Do you think Laurel was trying to send you a message? She kept referring to being home with you.”
“Home,” I said aloud, looking at the map that had been put up on the wall beside me. “Home.” Then the light bulb went off; my eyes zeroed in on what she was trying to tell me, or what I thought she was telling me.
My head shot around to Grace. “Quick, what earrings did Laurel have on today?”
Grace looked panicked and it took her a few moments to think. I realized she’d been hit hard on the side of the head and had stitches. Her head must be pounding, but she managed to say, “I think the diamond studs you gave her for graduation.”
“Thank, God!” I yelled out.
Everyone looked at me as if I had completely lost it.
“Thompson, activate the tracking device on those earrings. If my suspicions are correct, we’ll find her in my birth parents’ old house. It must be why she kept referring to ‘my home.’”
Dillon stopped trying to ping the cell towers and switched over to the GPS navigation on the computer and BINGO, a blip filled the screen, right where my childhood home sat. The neighborhood was getting run down over the years and was set for some demolition and rebuilding of nicer homes. It made perfect sense to hide where there was no one home, no witnesses, and the ability to ditch the van at any of the vacant houses. That bastard Walt was calling me out, wanting to end my life where I’d learned of the demise of my family. Nice way to complete the circle you sick bastard!
I didn’t want to wait for the two hour mark. Then I realized, there was more to the message than just my home. She’d said something about seeing me in an hour. I’d remembered reading that some patients with trigger words required regular reminders to keep them in their hypnotic state. The person didn’t have to be present, but they did have to hear the person’s voice to be put back under suggestive thought.
“Thompson, get a plan of attack formulated in less than an hour. I think Laurel gave us more of a clue than Chase realizes. She said something about seeing me in an hour. If our research and her theories are correct, that’s when his programming runs out and he needs his trigger word to be brought back under control…”
Thompson took over with my line of thinking. “If we can get to him first and subdue him, then we stand a chance of rescuing her and drawing Walt out in the process. He seems to want his son to do his dirty work for him.”
My security crew, along with the FBI, started working on a plan immediately. We had little time to pull this off and make things work. They wouldn’t suspect that we’d be able to find where they were hiding so quickly. I was just thankful that Laurel had the sense to put on the earrings today.
I remembered seeing a bright light flash before my eyes and the smell of something nauseating cover my mouth before passing out. I awoke feeling stiff, tied down to some kind of table with my entire body spread eagle. Now with Garrett, this would have been a turn on, but this scared the shit out of me. I collected my thoughts and realized, thankfully, that I was still dressed and could feel my little ones moving actively inside me.
Normally, I would’ve panicked in this type of scenario, but thanks to Thompson and Dillon training me, I used my wits and tried to remain calm. I went through a checklist of things, looking around to see if I could figure out where I was, who had me, and how I was feeling. The room looked a little on the familiar side, but my head seemed foggy either from the drug they used to knock me out or from low blood sugar; only time would tell which one it was.
I heard a door shut in the distance and could feel my eyes widen in horror as I came face to face with Chase.
“Well, well. I see my little slut is finally awake.” A devilish smile spread across his face. He came over, caressing my face tenderly with the back of his hand. “Are you feeling all right, Laurel? I don’t have the ropes too tight, do I?”
That’s odd, I thought kidnappers and attackers treated their hostages harshly. Why is he being so attentive?
“I’m a little groggy and sore, but okay.” I remembered Dillon telling me to keep your captor talking to try and draw out some information and to keep yourself alive. “Why are you doing this, Chase?” I asked. It was worth a shot.
“Because we’ll finally get our chance to be toget
her,” he was quick to answer. “I know I was wrong to hurt you in college, but I wanted you to be mine so badly. I’d listened to my father and took what I wanted, rather than wooing you and trying to gain your trust.”
He paused for a moment, walking around the table, deep in thought. “I remember us coming together. It felt so right, so amazing. I know I scared you off and I tried so many times to come to you to apologize, but you wouldn’t let me get close enough to say I was sorry for what I’d done and to ask for your forgiveness and another chance.”
I thought back to the way he always followed me around campus, looking like he was ready to approach me. I hated answering how I needed to, but I needed to play up his sympathy. “You’d scared me. I was afraid you were going to hurt me some more.” I forced a few tears from my eyes to add to the effect.
His hand wiped the tears away. “I never meant to hurt or frighten you, Laurel. You meant everything to me, reminding me so much of what I’d lost.”
What he’d lost?! I let my face become perplexed, which wasn’t hard. “What do you mean? I’m not sure I understand.”
Chase took a deep breath in, holding on to one of my hands, which was tied down. “The first moment I saw you, I knew I was in love. You reminded me so much of my mother. You look so much alike that you could be twins.” He stared off into space for a moment before repeating the words, “my mother,” then shivering and shaking his head to dispel some sort of thought; what, I didn’t know.
“If I look so much like your mother, then why did you treat me so badly?”
His face took on a menacing look. “Because my father treated my mother that way, claiming she was a loose-moraled bitch.”
“But you took my virginity, Chase!”
His face softened. “For that I’m truly sorry. Had I known you were a virgin, I’d have made sure to have made your first time more memorable. But one moment with you wasn’t enough for me. You felt so fucking perfect, so right, like we were meant to be together.”
Learning to Love Again Page 18
