Hunted

by Heather Atkinson

  Ryan sank onto the couch beside her wearing a vest and jogging bottoms. He picked up the glass of wine Rachel had poured for him and slung an arm around her shoulders.

  “You shaved it off,” she smiled.

  He scratched at his freshly shaved face. “It was time. It was coming between us and I will allow nothing to do that.”

  She kissed his cheek. “Mmm, smooth.”

  “That’s me,” he grinned, taking a swig of wine. He gazed around the room, his smile broadening. “It’s so good to be back. Is it strange that Daniel Tebbs’s body being on the property doesn’t worry me?”

  “No, it doesn’t worry me either. We lived here for a year not knowing he was there. This is our home and nothing is going to change that.”

  “I think we should put off the trip to Aberdeenshire, just for a little bit,” said Ryan.

  “Trying to postpone seeing Thane again?” she smiled.

  “We’ve just got home. Let’s settle in a bit first.”

  “Okay, we’ll go in a few weeks.”

  “Let’s celebrate,” he said. “The kids are in school tomorrow. Let’s go out on the bikes, we’ve not been out on them for a while.”

  “You’re on.”

  He pulled her closer. “And don’t wear anything beneath your leathers again. We’ve some making up to do.”

  As they kissed they both failed to notice the figure at the window, watching them. The figure ducked down out of sight when the doorbell rang.

  “Who the hell is that?” said Ryan, annoyed. With a sigh he got to his feet to open the door.

  “Hello,” he said to the group assembled on his doorstep.

  “I’m going to be an uncle,” grinned Battler.

  “So I believe.”

  “He is so happy,” said Daina, she and Sabine standing between Battler and Bruiser. “He insist we come here and have a double celebration for the baby and your house.”

  Rachel appeared in the hallway behind Ryan. “What a great idea, come on in, but you’ll have to be quiet, the kids are asleep.”

  “Oh sorry,” said Daina, tiptoeing inside.

  Ryan closed the door behind them all, irked by the interruption. However he soon changed his mind when he walked into his lounge and saw how happy they all were. For once they had something to celebrate. It had been a while since they’d had good news.

  “I’ll crack open the champagne,” he smiled.

  “Orange juice for me please,” said Daina, patting her stomach, everyone quietly cheering when Bruiser grabbed her and kissed her.

  “To the future Mr and Mrs Longbottom,” said Ryan, holding his champagne glass aloft in a toast.

  “Longbottom,” repeated Daina, rolling the name around her mouth while Rachel and Ryan tried not to laugh. “Daina Longbottom, I like it.”

  “I’m glad someone does,” muttered Ryan, earning himself an elbow in the ribs from Rachel.

  As they talked and laughed the figure resumed their vigil, watching with interest.

  CHAPTER 16

  Ryan wandered the corridors of the spa he and Rachel owned, pleased. The business was doing well, very well in fact. The clients seemed happy and the staff were very capable, which he was finding a rare quality these days as modern businesses seemed to think the customer was there for their own convenience and not the other way around. Good customer service was definitely a dying art but he’d be damned if such sloppy working practices were ever used in one of his businesses. His staff were well aware that if they got lazy they got their P45’s.

  He loved seeing a project through to a successful conclusion. When he and Rachel had bought this building it had been a shell, a small hotel left gutted after a bad fire. Now it was a luxurious, flourishing haven. But best of all it was entirely legal and he didn’t need to worry about the police raiding it. He wondered how he’d tolerated the criminal lifestyle for so long. Was he getting soft, or just old?

  “Goodbye Mr Law,” called the receptionist as he headed for the doors. He had to pick Leah up from school soon.

  “Bye Kate,” he called back, giving her a friendly wave. The attractive brunette always liked to flirt with him but he never responded. What woman could ever compete with Rachel? He smiled at the thought of her. They’d gone out on their bikes that morning and stopped to make up for lost time in some woods. Their anniversary was coming up next month and he was planning something special, a romantic weekend break in Venice. Gill and Rick, sworn to secrecy, had already agreed to look after the kids. Seven years was worth celebrating. Who thought all those years ago when he first saw her standing on the steps of the church just after marrying Danny Maguire they’d end up like this?

  He was whistling to himself as he exited the automatic doors, which closed behind him with a soft whooshing sound. As he headed towards his Range Rover parked in a cosy corner of the staff car park where no one could prang it he felt a sting in his arm. It was a warm day so he was just wearing a t-shirt. Assuming it to be a wasp sting he had a shock when he looked down and saw a small black dart sticking out of his arm.

  “What the hell?” he frowned, yanking it out. He held it up, staring at it in puzzlement. His head started to swim and his legs went weak.

  “No…what….,” he mumbled before blackness rolled in, blocking out the beautiful day and he collapsed to the ground. There was the roar of an engine and he forced his eyes open. He squinted at the silhouette peering down at him before he lost consciousness entirely.

  “Boys, will you please calm down?” Rachel called over the noise of the two little boys running about the living room chasing each other. “What did they give you at nursery, a bag of sugar each?” Usually they were in nursery until three, except on a Friday when they finished at lunchtime.

  She tutted and shook her head when they continued to run about like demented Duracell bunnies, despite her warning. The ringing of the phone saved them from a second telling off.

  “Hello? Mrs Law?” said a voice.

  “Yes,” she said, having to stick a finger in her ear to block out the noise from the boys. “Who is it?”

  “It’s Mrs Carpenter from the school. No one’s come to collect Leah.”

  “My husband was picking her up. He wouldn’t be late.”

  “I’m afraid he hasn’t turned up.”

  Rachel’s stomach plummeted and a cold sweat broke out on the back of her neck. “Ryan wouldn’t forget. He forgets nothing.”

  “It’s probably something simple like his car’s broken down or he’s let time get away from him. Happens all the time.”

  Clearly the woman didn’t know Ryan. “I’m on my way.”

  “Thank you Mrs Law.”

  Rachel slammed down the phone, scooped up Aaron and led Ethan by the hand to the door. Sensing something was wrong they’d gone absolutely silent. Rachel wished they’d start making some noise again, the normalcy of it would have reassured her a little.

  After putting on their shoes and coats in record time she bundled them into the car, started the engine and plugged in her hands-free kit so she could dial while she drove.

  “Rachel, get a grip,” she chided herself when she stalled the car.

  After restarting the engine she set off down the drive, stomping a little too hard on the accelerator, sending up a spray of gravel.

  “Calm down,” she told herself firmly. Her phone was voice-activated and when she said Ryan’s name it automatically started dialling his number. She cursed under her breath when it went to answerphone. She tried to tell herself this meant nothing, they were out in the countryside, sometimes it was difficult to get a signal.

  Next she tried the spa where he’d said he was going before picking up Leah but she was told he’d left forty minutes ago. Before she’d reached the school she’d tried the salon, two of their restaurants, the hotel and a pub they owned. No one had seen him.

  As she pulled up outside the school Rachel was almost in tears. This wasn’t her husband, he never disappeared. The boys trotte
d in unnatural silence after her through the playground towards the office.

  Rachel found her daughter sat with the receptionist, looking miserable.

  “Where’s Dad?” she demanded.

  Rachel shrugged helplessly, her tenuous calm slowly slipping. “I don’t know.”

  Leah looked as afraid as she felt.

  Rachel took a deep, calming breath, determined to be strong for her kids even though she was disintegrating inside. “But I think I know who can help us.”

  She ushered the children back to the car, Leah helping to get her brothers there as quickly as possible. As she drove Rachel tried Ryan’s phone again but it went straight to voicemail, so she tried the rest of the businesses they owned, Dolores, then her parents. She kept her tone light when speaking to her mum, pretending Ryan had left his phone at home and she needed to talk to him, not wanting to worry them. Fortunately Gill didn’t realise anything was out of the ordinary. Rachel was glad she hadn’t spoken to her dad, he would have known something was wrong immediately.

  All her calls were fruitless. No one had seen him, so she went to the only people she thought could help her.

  Rachel prayed Battler and Bruiser were in their office. Battler wasn’t but Bruiser was.

  “Ryan’s disappeared,” she blurted out the second she walked through the door.

  Concerned, Bruiser wrapped an arm around her shoulder and escorted her to a chair. Without a word he set the boys up at Battler’s desk with some paper and pencils to keep them occupied and sat Leah beside her mum, knowing the determined little girl wouldn’t be so easily distracted.

  “Tell me,” was all he said.

  His firm, deep voice steadied her and Rachel explained everything beginning with the phone call she’d received from the school. As she talked she wondered if she was overreacting. Ryan had barely been missing two hours, he was a grown man. But Bruiser’s grim expression told her she wasn’t. He knew Ryan well and understood how out of character this was for him. He’d never forget about his daughter.

  “Have you called everyone?” said Bruiser.

  She nodded. Christ it must be bad if he was talking. “I’ve tried his phone too but it just goes to voicemail.” She clutched at his hands desperately. “He wouldn’t forget about Leah, Ryan never forgets anything.”

  “I know.” He gave her hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze before getting to his feet and picking up the phone. “I’ll call Battler.”

  Leah nestled into her mum, resting her head on her shoulder and clinging onto her arm, afraid, the bad memories returning. Unconsciously she looked up, saw the black choker covering the scar on her mum’s throat and fervently prayed the same thing wouldn’t happen to her dad. Or worse. Despite what everyone had told her she knew Uncle Alex had given her that scar.

  Battler was there in a matter of minutes, pulling Rachel into a suffocating hug. “We’ll find him. Promise.”

  She nodded into his chest.

  Battler released her and knelt down before Leah. “Your dad’s fine, trust me. If anyone can take care of himself, it’s him.”

  “Someone’s taken him, haven’t they, like they took Mum?” Leah replied with tears in her eyes.

  “We don’t know that yet. It’s probably something simple and we’re all overreacting. He’ll be back soon telling us we’re a bunch of idiots.”

  He gave her a wink, which she responded to with a tight smile.

  Battler straightened up and moved to a corner of the room to confer with his brother. “Have you rung round the hospitals?”

  Bruiser nodded.

  “Nothing?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Shit.” Battler looked down at the pile of papers on his brother’s desk among which lay photographs of the missing men. “He fits the bill,” he said, nodding at that gallery of faces.

  Bruiser nodded again, troubled.

  “No way this guy could snatch Ryan. No one could.”

  “What are you talking about?” demanded Rachel, joining them in the corner of the room. “Leah, watch over your brothers for me.”

  The girl, who had been about to follow, hesitated then went to sit with Ethan and Aaron, who were absorbed in their drawing.

  “Bruiser checked the local hospitals. Nothing,” said Battler.

  “There was something else you were discussing, Why did you say he fits the bill?”

  Battler glanced awkwardly at his brother, who nodded. “I’m sorry to tell you this Rach but Ryan is just like all the missing men - age, build, looks, hobbies.”

  “Oh God. You think Ryan’s been taken by the killer, don’t you?”

  “We don’t know that Rach,” he replied. “I find it hard to believe anyone’s capable of taking him. If they tried he’d kick their head in. Right now we don’t even know if he has actually been taken.”

  “Oh come on Battler, course he has.”

  He led Rachel even further away from the children. “I hate to ask this,” he said quietly, “but have you had a fall out recently? You remember what he was like after Thomas?”

  “If you’re asking did we have a row and has he stormed off in a huff then no Battler, we haven’t. Even if we had he wouldn’t leave Leah stranded at school.”

  “Sorry, I had to ask.”

  “I know, it’s okay.” She looked from one brother to the other, pleading in her eyes. “I know something bad has happened. Please help me.”

  “You don’t even need to ask Rach, course we’re going to help you,” said Battler. Bruiser nodded and hugged her.

  “I need to talk to Tracey, I need to see if her brother’s disappearance is the same as Ryan’s,” she said.

  “We’ve already spoken to her. There are some similarities.”

  Rachel paled even more, even her lips were bloodless.

  “The best thing you can do is go home, just in case he turns up there or you get a call,” said Battler.

  “I need to be doing something, not sitting around on my backside.”

  “It’s vital someone’s manning the phone at home. I can’t stress how important that is in a missing person’s case and you need to get the kids home and settled, you can’t have them hanging around here for hours.”

  Rachel huffed out a breath and rubbed her forehead. “Okay.”

  “We’ll keep you informed. Before you go I need you to write down Ryan’s exact movements all day.”

  Rachel was glad for something to focus her mind on. “I can do that.”

  “And I’m sending one of my men home with you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because for all we know this could be something to do with Katia or the Slatterys.”

  “No. They are not capable of taking on Ryan.”

  “Rach, he is just a man, he’s not superhuman. If there were enough of them…”

  “I’m calling Mikey.”

  “Use the phone in there,” he said, indicating the secretary’s office who had left for the day.

  Rachel walked inside and sat down behind the neat desk, her legs like jelly. She gave Battler a reassuring smile through the window but, judging by his expression, it couldn’t have been a very convincing one.

  “Alright Rach?”

  Just the sound of Mikey’s voice was enough to bring a lump to her throat. She wished he was here. “Ryan’s gone missing,” she said, glad her voice came out strong.

  “Jesus. How?”

  “We’re not sure. Battler and Bruiser are looking into it, trying to trace his last movements. We don’t know if it’s something to do with Katia and the Slatterys or…”

  “Or what?”

  “This is going to sound mad but there’s a serial killer operating in the area. Ryan fits the victim profile.”

  “No way Rach. If any serial killer came near him he’d rip their balls off.”

  “All the other victims were very capable men - a karate black belt, a kick boxer, a soldier and they got took too.”

  “You want me to look into the Katia possibili
ty?”

  “Please,” she said gratefully. “I know Jules said she intended to come after me first, to make him suffer, but what if she had a change of heart?”

  “I’ll get my best men down there to check it out. When I’ve looked into it I’ll come straight to Devon.”

  “Thank you. Sorry, we’re always asking you to come to the rescue.”

  “Anytime, you know that. It’s not a problem.”

  “I haven’t told Jez yet.”

  “I’ll do it. Don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll sort things out this end and I’ll take care of the Katia lead. If she has him she’s giving him back.”

  “If she hasn’t killed him already.”

  “How long has he been missing?”

  She glanced at her watch. “Two hours. I know it sounds stupid but he didn’t pick Leah up from school, he’d never do that.”

  “If you say he’s missing Rach then he’s missing and you’re right, there’s no way he’d leave Leah stranded.”

  Rachel wished she could reach through the phone and hug him, she needed his reassuring presence. “Thank you.”

  “Anything for you Rach. I’ll get right on it.”

  “Thank you Mikey. Bye.”

  She hung up and stared at the phone, willing the nausea to subside. It was starting again only this time Ryan was the one who’d been abducted. He’d come for her three times. She would not fail him now it was the other way around.

  “We’re going over to your spa,” said Battler, popping his head around the door. “That was where Ryan was last seen. We’ll speak to the staff and look at the CCTV.”

  She was on her feet in a second. “I’m coming.”

  “No Rach. Sorry but I’m putting my foot down on this one. You’re too emotionally involved and you need to wait at home for news. Leo’s already there on guard duty.”

  “Battler, please…”

  “I know it sounds tough but it’s important that you do this. If someone has taken him and they’re trying to make a call and if no one’s there to answer…”