Perfection Is Just an Illusion (Swimming Upstream #1)

by Rebecca Barber

  “Okay. I’ll make some calls. Is he going to be okay?” The ambulance officer just shrugged his shoulders. Although it wasn’t what Ian wanted to hear, it was his honest opinion. He had no idea. He didn’t know what had caused it and he had no idea how he could be snapped out of it.

  ***

  Anna

  By the time the Land Rover stopped not only was Anna blindfolded with her arms bound, but he had also managed to bind her ankles, leaving her powerless and at his mercy. She had no way of defending herself. His accomplice, the oddly quiet driver, pulled the car to a halt and jumped out.

  With his large hands he picked Anna up. Deliberately he snaked one hand on Anna’s bum, giving it a generous squeeze while the other landed on her back. Anna whimpered. She heard his sharp intake of breath and then they were moving again. She couldn’t see where was going, all she knew was that he was climbing stairs before she was roughly thrown onto what Anna could only assume was a bed. She was still pleading with him to let her go, but her cries went unanswered. She didn’t want him to touch her or even talk to her. All she wanted to do was go home and have a shower. When she heard the slamming of the door, Anna assumed he’d left her alone. For now anyway.

  She lay on the bed feeling sorry for herself. Forcing herself to swallow down the pity she was feeling, she started trying to wriggle free from her bindings. A moment later she heard the door creak open and footsteps echoed through the room. Despite knowing she should keep calm and talk her way out of this, her anger got the better of her. Anna started squealing. “Get out of here. Leave me alone,” she screeched as she tried to fight her way free.

  “I’m sorry, Miss. I really am. What’s your name?” It was his accomplice.

  “What the fuck do you care?” Anna snapped.

  “Look, I said I’m sorry. What more can I do?” Anna could tell the young woman was faltering. Her voice had become shaky and soft.

  “Let me go. Please. Help me get out of here. At the least untie me. Give me a chance,” Anna begged as her anger began to fade and desperation laced her voice. Anna couldn’t find the strength to hate her any more. Now she just wanted this woman’s help. She needed it.

  “I can’t. He’ll kill me. I’m sorry,” she whimpered and left the room as quietly as she’d appeared. Anna’s cries started again as she heard a door slam. It was too far away to be the door to the room where she was being held.

  ***

  Diana

  Diana and Michael were unpacking their suitcases, music playing in the background, when the phone rang. Diana jumped as it buzzed beside her. “Hello, Diana speaking,” she answered formally.

  “Diana, hey it’s Ian.”

  “Oh hi, Ian. What’s up? You just land?” Diana was used to talking to Ian about anything and everything so it didn’t occur to her that something might be wrong.

  “It’s James.” At the mention of his name Diana dropped the shirt she was folding. She prepared herself for the worst. Blindly groping about behind her, she clutched at Michael’s hand as Ian continued. “He’s in hospital.” Without a word, Diana dropped the phone. Michael grabbed it and got the rest of the details, Diana was already upending her handbag searching for car keys. As Ian explained that Anna had been thrown into the back of a Land Rover, Michael’s grip on the phone tightened and his knuckles went white under the strain.

  By the time they arrived at the hospital they were forced to battle their way through a large number of local and international press, police, and members of James’s swimming squad. Stumbling into the waiting room, they found Joel and Ian waiting out of the way of the circus.

  “What a fucking nightmare!” Joel spat.

  “Where’s James? What’s happening?” Diana asked impatiently.

  “He’s okay, just in shock. They’ve given him something to calm him. His blood pressure was all over the place. But if I’m being honest, right now I’m more worried about Anna,” Joel admitted, shooting Ian an anxious look. “The police have interviewed everyone that they could. They’ve got a description of the man and the car. We grabbed a photo of Anna out of James’s wallet for them. I just pray that she’s all right.” Joel paced, silent tears ran ignored over his cheeks.

  He’d known Anna a while now and she had become just as important to him as any of his swimmers. They were like a family and Anna was a part of that. She didn’t deserve this. She’d never done anything to anyone. She was a normal kid and now she had been kidnapped.

  Diana and Michael went in to check on James. He was sleeping soundlessly, his cheeks stained from tears that had threatened to drown him but he was breathing steadily. Diana reached out and took his hand. Michael stood behind her, his hands resting gently on Diana’s shoulders. “It’s okay, sweetheart…” Diana mumbled, as she began to sob. “We will find her. She will be okay. I promise.”

  Michael looked at Diana and asked nervously, “Do you think that was the truth?”

  “It has to be. It just has to.” Diana shuddered, falling into his outstretched arms.

  An old, fat policeman waddled over to where Diana and Michael cried. He removed his hat and spoke slowly. “Mr. and Mrs. Thompson. Sorry to interrupt but I have some good news. It’s about Anna.” Diana’s head shot up. She wasn’t sure what was coming next, but she just prayed it was good news. It had to be. They couldn’t take much more bad news. “We’ve found the car that we think was involved with the abduction of Miss White. We have the female driver in custody. The bad news is, however, she’s refusing to tell us Miss White’s whereabouts.”

  Michael was usually a kind, considerate man, not often letting his temper consume him. But this was just way too much for any sane person to handle. “Make her talk. You have to find Anna,” Michael boomed at the officer. He managed to bite his tongue before the words that were bouncing about in his head took an unchaperoned stroll out through his mouth. ‘Maybe if you stopped sitting around on your fat arse eating doughnuts all day you’d have found her already.’

  “That’s why I am here, Mr. Thompson. I need you to tell me truthfully, would Miss White just take off?” His voice was calm and Michael understood that he really was trying to help. No matter how many stupid and misguided questions they asked Michael endeavoured to answer them.

  “No. Anna would never run off and leave James. They were going to be married in a few days. She was beyond excited about it.” Michael offered as many details as possible. After a few more useless questions the officer shuffled away.

  ***

  Anna

  Anna’s arms were heavy and everything ached. She’d fought her bindings until they had started to cut into her skin. Her wrists were scraped raw and beginning to bleed. She bit her lip in an attempt to hold back tears that were teetering on her eyelashes. She wanted to get out of there so badly she was considering the possibility of cutting her arms off if it would help. With her constant wriggling Anna fell off the bed and landed with a thump on the cold, wooden floor. Moments later the door was pushed open. In stalked the man with the wandering hands and picked her up, tossing her back on the bed. As she landed with a bounce, her head hit the metal frame, making her see stars.

  He’d left the door ajar and Anna could hear the television going in the background. She heard a familiar, calming voice talking about the Australian swimming champion, who, only hours earlier had arrived back in the country after collecting gold medals and world records, was lying motionless in a hospital bed after the abduction of his fiancée. The presenter went on to tell that they had found the car used in the abduction and they had already taken the driver into custody. It gave Anna a renewed sense of hope. Someone was looking for her. She only prayed that they got to her in time.

  Her captor had also been watching. He knew he was running out of time. They had his friend, now it was only a matter of time before she caved. Strutting confidently back into the room he watched while Anna continued to squirm. “Well, now. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” he said slyly.

  “Do
n’t touch me!” Anna screeched back at him, kicking her legs wildly.

  “I don’t think you have a choice,” he growled, grabbing at her legs. Anna’s heart raced faster as she twisted away from his fingers. Anna didn’t know what it was that he wanted, but she knew she didn’t want to find out.

  She didn’t have to wait very long. Without warning she was suffocating under his weight. With renewed determination Anna fought harder and more ferociously to get out from under him. As he squirmed about on top of her, his breathing came in short sharp bursts and Anna could smell the overwhelming stench of stale bourbon on his breath. He was kissing and licking at her face. His hands traced roughly up and down her body without discrimination. With all the hatred she could muster, Anna spat in his face. Almost instantly he retaliated, slapping her face, reopening the gash. The force had been such that Anna flew out from underneath him and landed on the floor. Without her arms to break her fall, Anna’s head bounced off the floor, knocking her unconscious. As Anna lay on the floor not moving and barely breathing, her attacker smiled deliriously.

  “Come on, man. It was never supposed to go this far,” a second voice reminded him.

  “Don’t be such a pathetic wimp. That bitch deserves everything that she gets. I was never good enough for her. I put up with all her bullshit for years. And you, I don’t know why you’re being such a pussy all of a sudden. First she lies to you. Gets you interested, and then as soon as you’ve bared your soul to her, she shoots you down. And finally, only when she’s been caught out does she confess the truth,” the angry man bellowed.

  “I know what she did. I’ve heard the stories a million times. But that doesn’t mean she needs to get hurt. Ease up, hey?”

  “Go easy? Go easy? This bitch turned my life upside down and inside out for years. And you don’t want me to hurt her. She fucked me over time and time again. And the only way for me to feel better is to repay the favour. The slut broke my heart and then gave someone else what was rightfully mine. So now I’m going to get my revenge. So stop being a little bitch and let me take what’s mine,” he snapped finally, swinging out at his accomplice.

  Anna began to stir. Her legs were still bound together but her arms had been untied from behind her back and were now attached to the bed head. Her blindfold had been removed but it still took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the light. She was in a dark, untidy room. The room was sparse with a solitary bookcase crammed in one corner and the bed in the other.

  Anna’s sobs grew louder as she looked up at her wrists. They were burnt and bleeding, her ankles much the same. He’d removed her clothes and now she was lying there almost naked. All that remained where her polka dot cotton panties and white sports bra. Anna could see the pile of her discarded clothes tossed in a heap on the floor. She looked down at her body and began thrashing about wildly, trying to cover herself. Embarrassment flushed through her but didn’t last. Instead almost as quickly as it had descended it gave way to an all-consuming rage. Once again the tears came and Anna began coughing violently. It was a mistake. He heard her spluttering and raced back into the bedroom.

  Anna immediately recognised him. Grant. He’d tied her to a bed. He’d knocked her unconscious. He’d stripped her of her clothes. And he’d smacked her around like a man possessed. Anna froze. She was paralysed with shock when she realised that it was Grant standing before her. Someone she’d known and loved in one way or another for as long as she could remember. Yet now he was about to put her through hell.

  “Princess,” he said, stroking her face. “You’re awake, sleeping beauty. Now we can play,” he slurred. He was even more smashed than earlier. She watched him with wide, horrified eyes as he stumbled over and locked the door. She heard someone banging on the door, pleading with Grant not to hurt her, but he ignored his pleas. His wild eyes firmly fixed on Anna. She knew what he wanted and she was so repulsed she threw up all over herself.

  “That was not attractive,” he cautioned but he didn’t seem bothered. The stench of vomit filled the room and quickly became too much for him to handle. He ripped the sheet from the bed and wiped her down before tossing it aside. “Don’t do that again, sweetheart, or I’ll get angry. And you don’t want that. Do you, Princess?” Grant was perched on the side of the bed, running his fingertips up and down Anna’s body. Anna flinched. She was stiff and scared. She couldn’t move. It was taking all of her strength to hold back tears. Anna turned to face him. If Grant was going to take part of her soul, a part of who she was, she wanted him to see the damage he was causing. She wanted him to see how much she hated him.

  ***

  James

  Diana sat by James’s bedside the entire night. Michael had tried but he couldn’t sit still, not knowing that some maniac had Anna. Michael was furious, once for himself and once for his son. They didn’t know who had her, let alone what they were capable of. Eventually James began to stir. When he woke he was oblivious to what was going on around him. He didn’t remember anything. Not Anna being taken. Not talking to Ian. Not even the long, flight home. It was like the last twenty-fours just never existed for him. Perhaps this was a good thing. Nothing good had happened in those twenty-four hours. Diana knew he had to be told and she knew how much it would hurt him, but he had to know. The doctor had warned them of the possibility that when James awoke, he would know what happened, but there was a chance that he would have repressed the memory to ease the pain. He suggested that if he didn’t know, the sooner that James confronted reality the quicker he would recover. Physically, at least.

  As much as Diana didn’t want to be the one to tell her son the gut-wrenching truth she had no choice. It had to come from someone he loved. After all, she was his mother. “James…” He rolled over and looked his mother squarely in the eye. “There’s something that you need to know. It’s about Anna,” she began, as she felt her chest constrict.

  “Where is she? Is she outside? Can you send her in?” James was sitting bolt upright now, his eyes frantically darting around the room, searching.

  “James, listen to me. Anna has been abducted,” Diana blurted out. It was a horrible thing but trying to pussyfoot around it wouldn’t help. No matter how she told him, James was going to react badly. “Yesterday, outside the airport. You were with her. Do you remember?” James couldn’t answer. He just started hyperventilating. He was pulling at the bed covers and trying to get out of bed. “Where are you going?” Diana asked softly.

  “Where the fuck do you think? I need to find her. I can’t just lie here and do nothing. I have to find her,” James spat as he stuffed his shoes on. He jerked open the door; Joel, Ian, and Michael jumped simultaneously. He wasn’t the one they were expecting. “I’m going to find Anna. If any of you want to help me, let’s go. If not, I’ll see you when I get back. With Anna.”

  ***

  Anna

  Anna thought that she was either in hell or if possible, somewhere worse. She wasn’t sure. Grant, who reeked of alcohol, crawled all over her, his prominent erection digging into her stomach. Her whole body shuddered as he ran his long dirty fingers up the inside of her thigh. “Get off me! Please, Grant. I’m begging you. Please don’t do this. Please leave me alone,” Anna begged unashamedly. Beneath him she was fighting more intensely than ever.

  “I told you to behave and I wouldn’t hurt this pretty little face. Again,” he growled at her. The back of his hand collided with Anna’s face again and split her lip. Her head was pounding. Her face was red and swollen. She looked as though she’d spent ten minutes in the ring acting like someone’s punching bag.

  But as much as she wanted to, Anna wasn’t stupid. She knew there was no point screaming, she’d already tried that and no one had come. She knew the more that she fought the more he would beat her. As disgusting as it was, Anna was forced to accept that it might be better to go along with what he had planned, than to make it worse. She just wasn’t sure it was possible to control her gag reflex for that long. Anna knew the person wh
o was on the other side of the door wanted to help her, but they didn’t have the strength or the courage to stop Grant.

  ***

  James

  James sprinted from the hospital and down the road to the police station. If they had information that could be useful, he wanted it. And he wanted it now. No matter what the cost. Joel and Ian trailed behind him, unable to keep up the pace. It was just after three in the morning when James burst through the police station doors and begged for help.

  “I’m very sorry, sir, but we have no information that we can give you at this time. If you would like to leave a contact number, I will contact you as soon as we know anything,” the officer stated, dismissing him as politely as possible.

  After the night James had he was in no mood to be fucked around with, especially if Anna was in danger. “I do not want to go home and wait for you to call. I am going to find Anna with or without your help, so I would appreciate you telling me anything that you know. Please, please, help me.” James’s head dropped down onto the counter with a thud as he broke down in tears.

  “Fine! Fine! Calm down. You didn’t hear this from me.” He leaned over the counter. The sight before him of a desperate and broken man disarmed him, and despite his better judgement, he wanted to help. “We have the woman in the interview room who’s admitted to driving the car that Anna was taken in,” he whispered.

  “Well then, she knows where Anna is.” James’s head shot up. He was face to face with the constable. “Where is she? Did she tell you? Let’s go and get her.” James was speaking so fast that everything came out in a mumble.

  “At this stage she is refusing to say anything. Maybe you can talk to her. I understand it was you that they originally wanted anyway. Would you consider talking to her?” It was three in the morning and the officer was tired. He’d been hoping for a quiet night to get through the backlog of paperwork, but now he was wide awake and ready to solve this problem.