The Braille Club (The Braille Club #1)

by J. A. Kerr

  Benedict started to recruit for the club. Guy Walker was the first candidate he interviewed, and he had liked him instantly. He was tall and imposing, his face handsome but serious with intelligent green eyes, every inch the copper. After interviewing several other possibilities, he knew Guy was the man for the job. He was efficient, disciplined and very experienced in IT. He signed all the confidentiality agreements without hesitation. He was exactly what the club needed, and Siena liked him too. They had been working together developing lots of technology for The Braille Club and it was turning out to be truly inspirational.

  Chapter 50

  THE BRAILLE CLUB

  Braille Club, London, Present Day: Guy was also thinking about a mixed group session in a new zone he was developing. This new zone would be called Rapture. Members would be tested to the limits. They would start by eliminating the weakest link, their ringing bell terminating their stay in the zone until at last they had only one member remaining.

  London, 2013

  Siena

  Siena was nervous; she was flying back to London for good. Officially divorced, her lawyer had collected the paperwork from the clerk’s office, and she was finally free. At thirty-three weeks pregnant she was huge, and worried Benedict would be appalled by her size. Her parents had wanted to come too, but she knew she needed this time alone with Benedict to reconnect before the babies arrived. The thought of twins still alarmed her, but she used calming exercises to keep her grounded.

  Her blood pressure had risen recently. She cut back on any unnecessary activity but continued to work on the finishing details of the club from her parents’ comfortable study. Benedict always made her requests happen. The sliding glass doors had been problematic, but he managed to find a way to make it work; he always did. She would be with him soon enough and as the plane levelled off, she drifted to sleep.

  Siena had begun to feel unwell a couple of hours before landing, and her condition continued to deteriorate as the time slipped by. She alerted an air hostess but was slipping in and out of consciousness as the plane came in to land.

  ***

  Nurse Clark

  “Hello, Nick Waters…”

  “Hello, this is Nurse Clark calling from Hillingdon Hospital, we have just admitted a Siena Waters.” She was looking at an old medical card she’d found in Siena’s purse. “You are listed as an emergency contact.”

  “What…?” Nick stammered, confused. “Siena…is she okay?”

  “Yes, try not to worry. She’s going to be fine, and the baby is being monitored.”

  “Baby?”

  The nurse assumed he was in shock. “Yes, the baby is doing fine and your wife is stable at the moment, no contractions, just low blood sugar,” said Nurse Clark patiently.

  “I’ll leave now; what ward will she be on?” Nick Waters asked icily, and the nurse hesitated.

  “She’s being transferred to maternity, ask at the desk and they’ll direct you.”

  The phone disconnected abruptly, and Nurse Clark didn’t think any further about the call as she turned to assist her next patient.

  Chapter 51

  THE BRAILLE CLUB

  Braille Club, London, Present Day: The sensory suit members wear has two functions. Firstly, it covers any distinguishing marks. Gloves and booties were introduced as some members have tattoos on their hands and feet that are instantly recognisable. The second function is to give members the type of experience their bodies don’t forget. The type of experience that has them literally begging for more.

  London, 2013

  Nick

  Always a mercurial man, Nick Waters’ emotions crashed and ebbed as his brain tried to process the information. Was Siena pregnant? Calm descended over Nick as he suddenly decided what he would do. He lifted the two syringes, slipped them into his pocket, and got into his car. It was fate that his clinic wasn’t far from Hillingdon Hospital; he would be there in ten minutes. Calling the hospital, he ascertained Siena was still in Accident and Emergency. He parked his car as near to the hospital as possible and hurried through the entrance. He understood now; she had fooled him into signing the divorce papers by concealing her pregnancy. Why would she do that? Was the baby his? He doubted it, knowing early on from his first marriage that his sperm count was low.

  It was the main reason the relationship failed in the end, his first wife leaving him because he couldn’t give her a baby, but he never shared that fact with Siena. It was part of the reason he hadn’t wanted kids and was overjoyed when Siena confirmed she felt the same. The other reason was he didn’t want to share Siena. His first marriage’s failure had hurt him deeply and left him insecure and angry. But he couldn’t rule out he might be the father; only a DNA test could do that. After the hospital rang, he’d called his lawyers and updated them. He would be suing Siena, demanding DNA tests after the birth. He didn’t trust a thing that came out of the lying bitch’s mouth.

  Knowing Siena better than anyone, by God he would crush her, break her stupid little mind into a thousand pieces; he just needed to get to her. His anger ballooned as Harrison flicked into his mind. Marbella had been a trigger of some sort, he thought; Siena had been different ever since. Were they having an affair?

  The idea was repellent to him and yet it made perfect sense. Why had he not suspected earlier? He had suspected something, and his gut wasn’t usually wrong, but then she’d left him and dropped the bombshell of the divorce.

  God, she was devious. She’d made a complete fool of him. Rage blinded him momentarily as he fought to stay in control; adultery was the worst kind of pain. Angry, he had to get to Siena…visions of her deception kept playing through his mind. He rearranged his face to one of concern and anxiety, the normalcy of evil as he approached the reception desk in A&E.

  “Hi, I’m Dr. Waters. My wife was admitted earlier, and I got a phone call from Nurse Clark.”

  The receptionist tapped at the keyboard and looked at her screen as he patiently waited.

  “Yes, Mrs. Waters has been admitted. She’s being transferred shortly to maternity.”

  “Can I see her, please?” Nick implored anxiously. “Is she in labour? It’s our first pregnancy…please?”

  The receptionist hesitated then said, “Speak to that nurse over there. Tell her I said it was okay and she’ll take you to see your wife.”

  Nick Waters smiled as he turned to the nurse in question; that had been easier than he anticipated. He peeked behind the curtains to see Siena asleep on the bed, a blanket over her and was shocked at the size of her stomach. She must be almost full term, but the nurse had reassured him she definitely wasn’t in labour.

  A wheelchair at the side of the bay gave him an idea. Siena didn’t stir as he approached her, but she did flinch as the needle sank into her arm. He emptied the syringe into her bloodstream. Her eyes flew open as she stared at him in horror and shock before slumping on the bed, her body heavy and unmoving while her eyes searched the room frantically.

  Bitch, bitch, bitch had been singing through his mind, but the reality of seeing her had him transfixed. He knew that he could never let her go again. He would take her home where she belonged. He was a doctor after all; he was perfectly capable of looking after her and of delivering the baby when it came. He could do a DNA test himself; confirm the baby was his—and if it wasn’t…he could deal with that too.

  When the porter arrived to take Siena to the maternity ward, he was confused to find the bay empty.

  Chapter 52

  THE BRAILLE CLUB

  Braille Club, London, Present Day: The special guest sat trembling in the chair while his security team remained on high alert just outside. The zone selection had raised a few eyebrows. Guy took a deep breath as he slipped on the Patron’s mask; it was the only way to ensure his special guest’s security.

  London, 2013

  Benedict

  Benedict was pacing; the plane had landed, so what was the delay? He had expected Siena an hour ago but she hadn’t
appeared. Finally, some people seemed to be coming through from the flight but she wasn’t among them. Increasingly frustrated, he approached a couple and asked if there was a delay with the flight.

  “There was a medical emergency with a pregnant lady,” they replied, and Benedict’s heart almost stopped.

  “Are you sure? What happened? I think that’s my partner.” Benedict was gripping the couple, and they looked frightened.

  “That’s all we know, sir,” they replied as Benedict took off at a sprint towards airport information.

  Siena had switched her phone off for the flight, and it seemed to take Benedict forever to establish with the airport staff he was, in fact, her partner. He needed to know what hospital she’d been taken to. His mind struggled to keep his panic under control. Finally, Hillingdon Hospital was confirmed, and Benedict raced to his car. He buzzed to get through to the maternity ward, and that’s when he started to get scared. He quickly established Siena wasn’t there; she should have arrived earlier but it appeared she had left the hospital. Benedict went straight to A&E and heard the story repeated, although it was only at this juncture Nick Waters was mentioned.

  Benedict felt his blood run cold. “Why was Nick Waters contacted?”

  The receptionist looked at her computer. “Nick Waters is listed as an emergency contact,” she replied.

  Benedict felt his heart start to thud, he understood now. They had thought of everything it would seem except updating Siena’s medical card.

  He told the receptionist to call the police. Alarmed, she just stared at him.

  “Call the police. My partner may have been abducted by her ex-husband, and she may be in real danger.”

  Alexander was a doctor; could he cut through the red tape? He made the call. Guy was next on his list. Benedict knew the CCTV would be essential. He made a second call as he waited for the police to arrive.

  “I understand what you are saying, sir, but could it be possible Mrs. Waters just got up and left?” the young constable asked.

  “Why would she do that? She has no means to leave, no car, no mobile phone, no money,” said Benedict calmly. “Her name is Siena Green, not Waters. She is divorced now.”

  The policeman looked confused. “The hospital has her registered under that name.”

  “Yes, I believe they took her details from her medical ID card, which hadn’t been updated. It was the hospital who called Mr. Waters to alert him of Siena’s whereabouts. The nurse I spoke to took him to the bay where they were keeping her. She confirmed Siena was there at that time, asleep.”

  Benedict could feel his frustration growing. As the minutes slipped by, his concern for Siena increased. Missing now for over an hour, he knew it was serious. The thought made him feel sick. His mind refused to think about the babies, but he felt in his bones they were in terrible danger.

  “Look, she was afraid of her ex-husband, and she’s seven months pregnant with twins. Her ex didn’t know anything about the pregnancy, and I can only surmise he wasn’t happy when he found out. We’ve got to find her,” said Benedict with urgency in his voice.

  “We will, don’t worry.”

  Benedict swung round to see Guy and relief surged through him. Things changed when he arrived; he took control without stepping on anyone’s toes. He let the police do their job while quietly approaching the hospital staff, asking the one question that no one else had.

  “How did Nick Waters get a heavily pregnant woman out of A&E without anyone noticing?”

  Silence met his question.

  “Think about it; someone must have seen something,” he said to the staff as he patiently went over their statements.

  “Wait, there was a lady in a wheelchair, I saw a man pushing her, when I passed them earlier…yes, with a blanket over her.”

  “Was she pregnant?”

  The doctor thought about it.

  “Yes. Yes, she was. I didn’t connect it because of the blanket, but now that I think about it, I’m sure she was.”

  “You said you passed them; what direction were they going?”

  “They were heading away from A&E, but I’ve no idea where he was taking her.”

  This was their first positive break and Benedict jumped up in excitement. “Let’s go and look,” he urged.

  “Benedict, please sit down,” said Guy gravely. “You must bear with me; I need to get the facts.”

  Benedict slumped down, barely concealing his impatience. Guy meticulously questioned the staff in his quiet and efficient manner. He revisited the bay, looking for signs of a struggle, puzzled that there weren’t any. The sheets suggested Siena had been dragged; he noted the position of the bed. It had all taken time, the interviews, writing everything down, establishing a time line.

  Finally, Guy turned to Benedict. “My guess is she’s still in the hospital somewhere but we should check the CCTV just to be sure.”

  Benedict leapt to his feet, happy to be doing something positive. Guy’s computer skills and a helpful member of hospital security meant they were soon analysing the hospital entrance/exit footage. Guy’s timeline helped enormously, and they clearly saw Nick Waters enter the hospital. Benedict froze as he studied the image, his body shaking with rage. They spent the next thirty minutes sifting through the footage, Benedict’s anxiety climbing with every minute.

  Chapter 53

  THE BRAILLE CLUB

  Braille Club, London, Present Day: Once a month, ten members are selected at random and invited into the cube, centrally located within Caligo and in full sight of its clientele, therefore members must disguise themselves to enter. Guy never ceased to be amazed at their ingenuity; if he didn’t already know who they were he’d never have recognised them.

  Hillingdon Hospital, London 2013

  Nick

  Nick had no intention of leaving the hospital. It hadn’t been easy manoeuvring Siena into the wheelchair. Lowering the bed, he put the chair up tight against it, having taken off the arm before doing so. He pulled her over the bed onto the chair with his arms around her upper body before swinging her legs around.

  He was sweating as he positioned a pillow below her shoulders to rest her head on. Although Siena’s body was immobile she was acutely aware of what was happening to her. He knew he would never be able to move Siena into his car. Drugged and heavily pregnant as she was, she would be impossible for him to move unaided. No, he just wanted a room somewhere where he could work on her, and he knew he didn’t have long before the drugs would start to wear off. He moved away from A&E and its hive of activity and was now walking down a corridor, when he saw a sign for a disabled toilet, which wasn’t ideal, but the door was lockable, and it would accommodate a wheelchair; he turned towards it.

  Nick looked for signs that Siena had regained her mobility. He hadn’t wanted to take any chances so he’d put duct tape over her mouth as a precautionary measure once he got them both inside and locked the door. It had been in his boot, discarded there months ago after he’d had to pack up her things; how fitting. He’d used it to secure her hands and feet to the chair. He had to get this bit right.

  Hypnosis worked on the principle your patient was relaxed and receptive; Siena would be neither, but he had planted many subliminal keywords that would help him to put her under. Siena’s unconscious mind would still be active, and he started to go through the process, using his persuasive hypnotic power words. Nick was under no illusion; this was his only chance to get Siena back. Under hypnosis, she’d do it willingly…he was sure of it.

  Siena must have lost consciousness for a while and recoiled at the sight of Nick Waters looming over her. She continued to struggle against her restraints. She tried to speak, but nothing happened. Her eyes wild, she looked down and saw her hands taped to the chair. Unable to see her feet because of her stomach, she tried to move them and moaned again in fright when she couldn’t.

  “Siena, I am here to help you, like I helped you with Leo. I want you to relax. We are on the boat, both of us, you
remember. I am with you, and you’re safe, you’re always safe with me. I will never harm you; I love you,” said Nick’s hypnotic voice as he took her through the early stages of hypnosis. He didn’t have time to put her in the deep trance-like state he wanted, but he was finally happy she was under. Siena’s body remained slumped in the chair as her breathing slowed, and her eyes became heavy and blank.

  “Do exactly what I say and don’t make a sound. I am going to take the tape off your mouth, and then I will loosen your hands and feet. Close your eyes if you understand.”

  Siena slowly closed her eyes. Nick was confident the drug had now worn off and Siena was under his control. He pulled the tape off her face, smiling as she winced in pain, but she didn’t call out. He repeated the process on her hands and feet.

  “I’m going to take you back to your bay soon and of course you’ll confirm, should anyone ask, that you came with me of your own volition. The hospital will take care of you and so will I; we’ll be seeing a lot of each other, Siena. You are completely safe with me and will be coming home with me soon, I promise. Do you understand?”

  Siena nodded her head as he made her memorise his new home address, his smile broadening. The real hypnosis work would begin when she came to his clinic. He would be able to get to the truth then, cut through her lies and act accordingly. He had a plan, one that would involve him planting thoughts deep into the recesses of her memory. She would come back to him voluntarily. They would try again, and there was nothing that bastard Harrison could do.

  “I’m taking you back now. You won’t remember anything except it was good to talk to me. I am going to be around now. Remember you do not like Benedict Harrison—in fact, you hate him. He frightens you and wants to do you harm.” He smiled. “I am your friend, Siena, and you are happy to be with me. When you look at me, you feel safe and secure. You want to be with me. You are happy to let me take you home.” It was going to be so easy, he thought; it was how he’d got her the first time.