by J. A. Kerr
“Siena.” Guy’s authoritative bark cut through her thoughts. “You going to pieces will not help the twins. I need you calm. Okay?”
“Okay,” she mumbled.
Benedict had remained silent; his body rigid with tension. Guy was right thought Siena pulling herself together. All this time she’d assumed she was Nick’s target. Her fears were very real. She often imagined what she would do if he came for her. But never in her wildest nightmares had she pictured this. Slowly, however, she was beginning to understand why. Memories of Nick flooded into her mind and she flinched. Nick was good at finding a person’s weakness. In his job, he would identify them in order to make the person stronger. Nick had treated Siena all those years ago. She remembered her brother Leo’s death had been her weakness, and so would Nick. He was the ultimate manipulator. Rage coursed through her; he’d gone too far. If he had harmed them...her brain could not finish the thought. Siena was going to kill him. Her anger kept her focused, she needed to keep going. Nick was obsessive, she thought bitterly. Did she really think he would ever let her go? No. He’d keep going until something or someone stopped him. This could be a trap they were all heading into but they had to take that chance. Siena knew what she needed to do. She would not stop until Nick was dead and gone from their lives forever because…she understood his weakness too.
Chapter 55
The Braille Club Undone
The Braille Club, London. Two Years On. The Swingers Zone Trial. Guy’s heart thumped, blood roared in his ears as he hesitated. However, underneath he knew he wanted to join them. Would he give in to his desires or deny them?
Nick
Nick hadn’t bothered to catch the nanny as she collapsed, but let her fall to the ground with a satisfying thump. DNA tied you to a crime scene so he had no intention of touching her. He stared at her for a few seconds, still angry she wasn’t Siena. He wanted to hurt something or someone by taking his frustrations out on them. However, Nick was too smart to make mistakes. Completely suited and gloved, the only DNA he intended to leave behind was Katie’s. He placed the used syringe in the sharps container he’d brought with him. Cautiously he moved around the downstairs, checking each room but they were all empty. The house was vast and expensive he noted sourly. He could see Siena’s touches everywhere and at that moment he missed her so much it physically hurt. All he had ever wanted was her. They’d been so happy together until Harrison had ruined everything. Siena had fallen under his spell and Nick was the last to know. She’d cut him out of her life overnight. He still remembered the pain and shock of her phone call, telling him they were over, and she wanted a divorce. He’d been devastated but lived in hope of a reconciliation that was never on the cards. How they must have laughed at him. He smiled. Who had the last laugh now?
He moved upstairs and repeated his search moving silently from room to room. He paused when he came to the master bedroom; barely able to look inside. Hatred filled him. He looked around and wanted to destroy everything but settled for destroying their lives and happiness forever. The rest of the rooms were all empty expect for one where the twins lay asleep. Siena was not at home. Somehow his contact had got it wrong. The car she drove was parked in the driveway but Siena herself was nowhere to be seen. Nick was still furious. Everything he’d planned led to this point. Rage gripped him and he lost sight of his mission for several seconds.
He recovered his senses and felt for the syringe in his pocket. He needed to finish what he had started. So his plans had changed but he could still lure Siena. Getting her children back would be her only priority after he took them. He crept inside the children’s room and stared at their angelic faces. It was convenient they slept in the same bedroom. He hesitated. Once he did this there was no going back. He stepped towards the sleeping boy and slipped the needle into his arm. He let out a little cry and Nick froze but the other child slept on. He approached the girl next, her face was turned away from him. Without any further hesitation he slipped the needle into her arm. She turned, her face puckered in shock. Nick gasped. Even at this tender age she was the image of her mother. Nick glanced at his watch, startled by the passage of time. He had spent too long in the house already. He didn’t want the nanny coming around and causing him trouble. He still had work to do.
Nick had left the keys in the hire car’s ignition for the police to find. Earlier, as Katie lay unconscious, he had pressed her fingers onto them until satisfied he had a decent print. Two weeks ago, he arranged for the hire car to be driven and left at the woods. The keys had been put in the bag with everything else he needed and stored in the locker ready for collection. Katie told Nick about the woods. It was one of her favourite places she’d told him and completely isolated. She liked the isolation, it was easier to think there, she said. When he researched it out of curiosity, he discovered it was perfect for what he had planned, and another link to Katie. Of course, the hire car was in Katie’s name also. When his contact confirmed Siena was at home he’d swung into action. It was a risk sedating Katie before he had the keys to the Volvo but he couldn’t wait. Luck, it seemed, was on his side until he discovered Siena was not at home.
Then he remembered what his contact had told him. Siena’s car was parked in the driveway. No one would think twice about it leaving the house. Even better, there was an integral garage. Nick hurried downstairs hoping Siena was still a creature of habit and smiled when he found car keys inside the hall table. The drawer wasn’t obvious but Nick’s sharp eyes saw it. She always left them there when they’d been together. His gut twisted. She should be with him now. Nick’s fists clenched and the pain from his hand reminded him of Guy Walker. That bastard would pay for what he’d done to Nick. Harrison and Siena would pay. Today was just the start, and if Siena had been here...he’d be home and dry. Anger at this stage was pointless. Shaking himself from his revere, he moved through the house until he located the garage.
He put Katie’s coat back on and pulled up the hood. Nick stepped inside the garage and switched on the light. Next, he opened the garage door by pushing a button located on the wall. While concealed inside he unlocked the car sitting on the driveway. Moving outside, he opened the driver’s door and slipped inside. Starting the car, he quickly reversed into the garage. Like the house, the car was expensive and he enjoyed driving it. Once inside he pressed the button and the garage door closed. Carefully he took one of Katie’s hairs from the bag he’d brought with him and placed it on the rear seats in-between the two children’s car seats. He had other fibres from her clothes which he placed in the boot and passenger seat. Next he fetched the package he’d brought with him. Taking Siena’s car was risky. If for any reason the car was reported stolen he would be a sitting duck, so he’d taken the precaution of gluing on false plates. Satisfied they were firmly in place, he opened the rear passenger doors in preparation.
He re-entered the house and briefly checked the nanny was still unconscious. She lay unmoving, exactly where he had left her. Turning, he went upstairs. He picked the boy up first and placed him on the floor. Taking another hair of Katie’s he placed it on the boy’s pillow. He was heavier than Nick expected. He worried the dose of sedative he administered would not be sufficient. He must hurry. Lifting the child he calmly walked downstairs to the car. He awkwardly placed him in the car seat. His head slumped forward and it was several minutes before Nick had adjusted the seatbelt to keep the child in place. He returned to the house and quickly slipped his hands beneath the second child. As he gazed at the girl in his arms, he considered what might have been. She and her brother would pay for the sins of their parents. Sad but unavoidable. With both twins loaded into the car he felt a sense of triumph. He was excited; it had been easier than expected. Like taking candy from a baby, except it was Siena’s babies. Her words echoed in his head from all those years ago.
“Nick, I could never have children...” She gasped between sobs. “It would kill me if anything happened to them like…well, like Leo.” Pulling Siena into his
arms, he held her tight. He told her he understood but Nick had never wanted children.
He didn’t want to share Siena then, and now was no different. Glancing at the unconscious twins, he smiled. He wished he could be a fly on the wall when Mr and Mrs Harrison got home. A giggle escaped his lips and then laugher. It was several minutes before he got his hysteria under control. He wasn’t worried about the twins waking up; he’d given them another shot before he set off and disposed of his final syringe in the sharps box. He didn’t want them coming around. That would be stressful and inconvenient. Suddenly, he grimaced as he realised his mistake. He should have given the twins an overdose so they couldn’t wake up. He cursed his stupidity and slammed his hand down on the steering wheel. The pain focused his mind. It was too late now; he didn’t have any more sedative. He would have to continue with the plan.
Katie’s car was loaded with the equipment he needed. It was parked and hidden from view at the disposal site. That was a thirty minute drive, at least, within the speed limit. He couldn’t take the chance of being stopped by the police. On the surface everything looked normal. The twins were sleeping in their car seats but a sharp eyed officer might sense something was amiss. The overhead camera recognition system was no longer a threat with the false plates in place. Nick felt more and more confident as he neared his destination without any issues.
Finally, he pulled up and parked. He removed Katie’s coat and threw it on the passenger seat. He no longer needed it and it firmly linked her with the abduction. Katie’s Volvo was over the hill hidden by the trees but assessable by foot. There was always a chance that someone might come along. The location was remote but he’d prepared for every eventuality. He took a moment to look around but all was quiet. He quickly walked up the path toward the Volvo. Opening the trunk, he lifted the shoes he’d taken from Katie’s feet earlier. Walking back down toward Siena’s car, he pressed them firmly into the mud. The prints were clear. Satisfied, he tossed them back into the Volvo and grabbed the shovel. The booties he wore would conceal any treads he made.
Katie had talked about these woods a lot. He checked around again, relieved he was alone and nothing had been disturbed. He retrieved the baskets from the boot and carried them to the spot he’d chosen earlier. He returned to the car for the shovel. Judging the size required, he pushed the edge of the spade into the soft earth and dug. Nick was sweating, the work was hard and his hand throbbed. He decided the area was quiet and remote enough to get away with a shallow grave. Lifting the baskets, he placed them in the hole side by side, relieved to see the hole was deep enough. Nick took a moment to rest and catch his breath. He lifted the little boy first. It was difficult getting him into the basket but he did it. The child hadn’t stirred and Nick had been disappointed to feel a pulse when he checked. He picked up the little girl next. He stared at her, stunned anew by her resemblance to her mother. Doubts assailed him. Should he take the girl instead? However, he wasn’t set up to keep a child. Regretfully, he placed her into the second basket. He pulled the lids on and picked up the shovel. The thud of dirt on the lids was pleasing. After twenty minutes he finished filling the graves with soil. He was scattering some debris and rubbish over the area when he saw headlights in the distance and froze.
He stared at them in horror. Fear immobilised him for a second until adrenaline surged through his body. Someone was coming. He lifted the spade and ran to the Volvo. Throwing it into the car he jumped into the driver’s seat. Starting the engine, he kept the headlights off, and with heart racing—he accelerated away as fast as he dared.
Chapter 56
The Braille Club Undone
The Braille Club, London. Two Years On. Swingers Zone Trial. Guy stared at her transfixed and his hand moved to the handle. If he chose to enter this room then there could be no going back.
Benedict
Guy’s car screamed to a halt beside Siena’s. Benedict was out of the car and running towards it. Pulling the doors open, he looked wildly inside, but the car was empty. He heard the police car arrive behind him and footsteps approaching. He reached inside the glove box and grabbed the LED torch. The GPS technology was sophisticated and the location was very close. Heart pounding, he looked around but saw nothing.
“The car’s empty?” asked DI Clark, out of breath from his sprint.
“Yes,” said Benedict, his voice bleak.
“A false alarm?” asked DI Clark.
“No, the signal is still active,” said Benedict firmly. He saw Siena’s anguished face and walked away from the car. He stood directly on the spot where his little girl should be. Nothing. His gaze frantically scanned the area. He heard Guy behind him.
“Where is she?” said Benedict desperately.
“Benedict, it might only be the bracelet,” said Guy softly.
“I know she’s here,” he said, ignoring the comment.
“She’s not here,” said Guy.
Benedict’s torch swept over the area. Something gleamed in the light.
“What’s that?” said DI Clark.
Benedict looked down. He could see a glint of silver in the soil and bent down. It looked like a pen.
“Don’t touch it,” the DI exclaimed.
Benedict watched him pull an evidence bag from his pocket. Placing it over his hand, he lifted the object.
“Looks like a pen,” he said as he examined it through the plastic.
Siena was standing beside them. Tears were running down her face. Benedict couldn’t bear to look at her and studied the ground. He was so sure he could find them. Frustration and helplessness assailed him until he noticed something.
“Wait,” he said. “This soil has been turned over.”
The three men stared at each other and then looked at the GPS location on Guy’s phone. Benedict didn’t understand what his brain was screaming at him. He looked at the GPS location again and then fell to his knees. He started to dig.
“Benedict...” said Guy, his voice trailed off as he understood.
“No,” said Siena. “No.” She stared at them in horror.
Frantically, Benedict tore at the soil. Their children were either dead or it was the bracelet that was buried here.
“We need help over here,” the DI shouted.
More officers arrived as Siena knelt beside them. Adrenaline pumped through Benedict’s body as he clawed at the earth. His mind was numb because he feared his kids were dead; the lunch from earlier today, a lifetime ago. He saw the twins’ excited faces and voices in a vivid flashback. How could they be gone? How could this happen? Benedict had done everything he could to protect them but it still wasn’t enough. Were they buried beneath this soil? A guttural sound escaped him as he worked faster. The GPS signal was still active and yet they had not recovered the bracelet. Additional officers arrived to remove the soil. He spotted more headlights and welcomed them, but didn’t stop. He could hardly see for the tears blinding him as hope of finding just the bracelet faded. Guy knelt beside him with a rusted can.
“Use this,” he said.
Benedict heard the DI make a call to dispatch. He heard him request shovels. They needed something, anything, to dig with. Benedict used the can; it cut through the soil surprisingly well. Guy’s face was grim as he dug alongside him. Benedict could hear Siena sobbing but couldn’t stop. He had to find the bracelet and see with his own eyes that his children were not buried beneath the earth. They all worked as a unit until he hit something soft.
“Stop,” he commanded. Benedict’s stomach twisted as Guy pointed his torch at the ground. Gently, Benedict wiped the dirt aside from what appeared to be a basket. He and Guy worked simultaneously to push the soil away until they had cleared most of it away revealing a lid.
Benedict felt everything slow down. Siena’s shriek of terror penetrated his heart. With shaking hands he gently lifted the lid and there she was, his sweet Reeva. Her face and body covered in dirt, still dressed in her Disney pyjamas. Her golden curls full of soil and her eyes c
losed. Instinct made him lift her. Her body felt cold as he cradled her in his arms, an anguished sob escaping from his throat. He bent his head to her chest and it was the sweetest, sweetest sound when he heard her heart beating. Then Siena was taking Reeva, her sobs muffled as she buried her face into the still little body.
“Siena, she’s alive,” he said.
He watched his wife stand up. Her hands filthy as she held Reeva, pressing her face against her shoulder. Guy took off his coat and wrapped it around Reeva.
“Leo,” said Siena urgently. “We need to find Leo.”
More people now; police. They were working with Guy and quickly uncovered the second lid. Benedict lifted it off and reached down to lift his son. His face was pale, his lips blue. Guy pushed him away and started mouth to mouth resuscitation.
“Get an ambulance,” Benedict shouted wildly.
Another police officer knelt by Guy. “I’ll assist,” he said calmly.
Benedict watched colour slowly return to Leo’s face. He too was wrapped in coats and blankets; the police officers shedding what they had without question. The mood was sober as they lifted the twins into the warm squad car. Radios squawked in the background but Benedict and Siena were oblivious as they waited for the ambulance. Exhausted, Benedict felt an anger burn through his numbness until it became a dull roar.
Nick Waters. Siena had been adamant. The twins lay unmoving in their parents’ arms. What had that monster done to them?
Chapter 57
The Braille Club Undone
The Braille Club, London. Two Years On. The new Swingers Zone is complete. There were adaptations required; two Braille chairs instead of one. They are trialling the Assignee, clicking their own wrists into cuffs attached to the side of the chair. If it proved successful it would streamline the process and save time.