Chapter 21

Hello readers! So, let me first apologize for my long hiatus. Blame it on the A levels and the SAT combination. In about 5 days, I'll officially be done with the A Levels and I'll be all yours! Do watch 'Spirited Away', it's one of my favourite movies and I thought I would share it with you guys. It's slightly queer, but really sweet :) I re-watched it yesterday and just died... FANTASTIC. do tell me how it goes for you!

My eyebrows knitted together tightly and I ran my fingers through my hair. This was a nightmare! Where was it? I was growing increasingly frustrated with myself, being unable to remember where I had placed it. I had been so sure... So certain... And yet, it had not been there. The results hung on a thin line, if I had failed here, I would condemn the entire cause to failure as well.

Pressing my phone closer to my now stinging ear, I grimaced at the thought. "Are you sure it's not there?"

"Yes, Mrs Grey."

"It's in the red folder..." Squinting, I tried to recall more details. "I remember sliding it into the red folder, which would be... In my locked cabinet." Unless someone had taken it?

No you fool. My inner goddess chided, dispelling all unwarranted suspicions I had.

My paranoia had taken a turn for the worse. I had even come close to blaming the unknown for a storm. "When do you need it, Claire?"

"Mrs Grey, I require the document for today's meeting at 2PM." My personal assistant responded matter-of-factly, there was a dread in her voice.

I could not blame her. My hiatus had pushed her to take center stage in a position she had no experience in. I was her puppeteer, instructing her on actions to take from the phone. I was beginning to feel slightly guilty, as I had gotten the better end of the deal. Right on cue, Gail placed grilled chicken breast with a side of an opaque black soup in front of me.

"At 2..." I looked up at the clock, "You have another 4 hours to look for it... Do you th-"

"No, Mrs Grey." She interrupted, her voice shaking with what I detected as panic. That was a first. "I've been searching all week for the file, I really cannot find it."

I was momentarily disarmed. It was unlike Claire to get into such a state of disarray. "Um... Alright. I'll think of something."

"Perhaps you could... Come down yourself to look?" She suggested meekly.

Claire knew full well the temper of Christian Grey, and I did too. I was Rapunzel, locked away in my tower for my own safety. There was a mad man out there with Ethan in hand and about to jump my bones the moment he laid eyes on me, so such a reaction was warranted. It had been four days since Ethan's disappearance and we were not at all close to finding an answer.

Christian's men had set up permanently in the extension of the house, residing with Gail and Taylor as they worked. At times, I would sneak by to watch them, their eyes fixated on blue screens with running codes and their fingers dancing across the keyboards like an artist on his palette. Except...they were not creating, they were breaking down a masterpiece a psycho had created.

Wherever that psycho was, he had been quiet for the past few days. There had not been a single pip from the kidnapper. The phone he had utilized to text me had been returned to the original owner, a granny who had misplaced it by accident. The silence put me on edge as I thought about Ethan and what could have happened to him. Kate and I had allowed ourselves to slip into a delusion that he was still safe and secure, but we had no reason to believe so.

Elliot, Kate and the rest of the Greys had returned to the main Grey mansion. Under stringent instructions from Christian, the security had tripled around the vicinity. I pitied any neophyte burglar who tried to break in now, with no doubt, he would have gotten caught the moment he even thought about breaking in.

On our front, Christian was not relenting either. He had security men posted at the lift lobbies and at the car parking zones. Additionally, Luke had a new friend Jenna, who would watch me like a hawk wherever I went when we did leave home. Of course, I had only left home once when Dr Greene insisted I come down for my sonogram check-up.

"Look, Claire, I'll think of something." Just then, the phone vibrated against my ear at an incoming call. I pulled away to look at the screen. "I'll call you again later." Then, I switched calls.

"Ana." Came the relief in my husband's voice. "I'm calling to check if you've tried the double-boiled herbal soup yet."

"What?" I asked, staring down dubiously at the bowl which contained the liquid.

"Yes, these are herbs meant to boost pregnancy nutrition... Gifted to me by some Chinese prospective partners. How is it?"

"I... Drink this?"

"Yes Ana. It isn't as bad as it looks, I tried it earlier to make sure it tasted alright."

My heart melted, "Christian..."

"How are you?"

Just the sound of his voice put a smile on my face, "Christian, I'm doing fine... The twins have been on a hunger spree."

Like water in a desert ever since the problem, Christian treated me to one of his rare laughs. "Just like their father, keep it up boys!"

I rolled my eyes, "What time will you be back?" I hated when he left, especially during this time. But it had been necessary for Christian to straighten up some work.

He sighed slightly, "In a while baby, I need to run over to Grey Publishing for a matter."

"Oh?" Claire's request came to mind. "Would you mind doing me a favor?"

"Of course, Ana. Anything for you." Came the typical Christian response.

"Claire needs help locating a file for an important meeting... Do you remember the one I carried when we met the wedding planner at Starbucks?"

"The one with the lion crest in the front?"

"Yes!" It was so like Christian to notice every picayune detail of mine. "I remember putting it in my glass cabinet, it has to be there, I'm sure of it... Could you.."

"I got it." Christian promised, "Alright, I'll see you in an hour or so."

"I miss you. Thank you." I whispered to him abashedly as Gail fluttered by with a smile on her face.

"Same here, I miss you even when I'm with you."

"Christian!" I scolded, laughing at this corniness.

"It's true, Mrs Grey... And I'll prove it when I'm with... Or in... You later."

"Christian!" I hooted, in complete disbelief.

"Alright alright, I love you baby. See you in a bit." He blew me a kiss over the phone and hung up. "Bye."

The moment I put down my phone, I had to lean back and take deep breaths to clear the flush in my cheeks. Christian really knew how to press all the right buttons, even when he was miles away.

Turning my attention back to my lunch, I stared at it dubiously. There was no way I could drink something this black... What was in it anyway?

"Ana!" Luke yelled, bearing strong similarity to my dad. His head popped out of Christian's office and he sauntered over to me, folding his arms.

I looked up at him in confusion, "What?"

"I'm under specific orders to stand here until you finish that soup."

I sighed, exasperated. "You've got to be kidding me." I was going to torture my husband in just under an hour, kinky fuc*ery was beginning to infuse itself in my sexual play. I could turn the tables around as well and that seemed to shock and turn on Christian Grey at the same time.

"Come on, Ana. It's for the.."

"TWINS! I got it I got it." I roll my eyes at him and press the bowl to my lips. "How about I make you a deal?"

"How about no." He folded his arms and shook his head at me. "I'm not gonna drink that, I might end up pregnant with Christian's babies."

I roll my eyes at him once more and tasted the soup, "Hey!" I was surprised. "It's sweet!"

It was Luke's turn to roll his eyes, "As if Christian would let you drink anything disgusting."

"That's true." I retorted, finishing up the drink in a snap. "I could drink that any time, just let Gail know." I laughed, taking the bowl to the sink.

"Alright, now I get to return to my actual job." Luke stuck his tongue out at me.

I looked at him in mock horror, "You're not my baby sitter?"

He narrowed his eyes and waved at me, "Mrs Grey, I find that immensely insulting as I am a full time bodyguard! Well, goodbye child, I've got to bring home the bread and butter." Luke swiveled on his feet and retreated into his office, waving his fingers at me.

"Since you live here Luke," I called after him, "That's a moot point."

"Since Gail brings home the bread and butter, that's a moot point." He argued, leaving the door ajar behind him.

Rolling my eyes at him, I began to wash the bowl and the other dishes in the sink. Christian was about an hour away, and with the whole pregnancy thing going on, I literally had nothing to do. Christian made sure of it. Walking about the kitchen, I noticed that Gail had recently gone shopping...Maybe I should make a snack for my delectably gorgeous Christian Grey. Searching through the fridge, I finally decide what to make.

"HEY GUYS!" I holler into the emptiness of the house. It echoes back at me for a split second before I hear doors opening and closing.

Gail is the first to pop out of the laundry room, slight worry etched into her eyes. They softened into a sweet smile, "Oh Ana, you didn't have to!" She sauntered out of the room and put freshly folded clothes by the ground. "I could've done it."

I grinned back at her, "I just wanted to do something for the lot of you."

"ALRIGHT!" Luke punched a fist in the air of victory. "TIRAMISU IS MY FAVOURITE!"

"Tiramisu is Christian's favourite as well." I pointed out. "Call the rest."

At his word, the IT boys still present in the vicinity and the other guards streamed in to get a piece of tiramisu, clearly in need of a good break. I stepped back and leaned against the fridge, cradling my belly at the thought of feeding my newborn children their first meal. I could just imagine Christian with one of our sons on his hip, prudently feeding him baby food.

Christian would make a perfect father, he just did not know it yet.

"Hey hey, save some for Christian." I piped up as a few of them went for their second round.

"Mrs Grey, this is phenomenal." One of them praised, I flushed and thanked him.

Which reminded me... "How is the cracking down coming along?" I inquired in the absence of my husband, something forbidden as Christian had felt it would worry me. He was right, it would.

The man's smile faded and he put down the mini tiramisu glass, giving me a sigh, "We're really trying ma'am, we're close..."

That made my eyebrows furrow, "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yes ma'am, but it also means trouble." He left traces of the threat before me, unaware that this information was supposed to be kept like poison away from children, where I was the child.

Luke was a distance away, chatting with a few other colleagues. I only had a few minutes. "Trouble?"

The man nodded and scratched at his growing beard, little stubs that proved he had been working hard. "We have to get close enough to nail the perp without him realizing we're sneaking up on him. If he picks up that we're onto him, he could vanish off the surface of the earth... We'd be left with a dead end."

That made absolute sense, but it did pique my interest. "So how are you going to do it?"

"It's not simple, but we're working as a team. We're using a few accounts, mostly old granny accounts or little children accounts." My eyes widened at his confession of a federal crime. "These accounts are our cover, as we trace the sites the perp used." The man's eyes lit up with passion for his job, "We use these fake accounts for chat rooms, login passwords, everything, that would lead us to the perp."

"And when you find him?" I was breathless.

"We download all his details and trace his location."

"Wow." I muttered under my breath, realizing the power of the men before me. Christian really knew how to pick them.

There was a 'ding' of the elevator and Taylor stepped into the foyer. He was dressed in the sleek black suit he had left in this morning, but his tie had been loosened. Taylor's eyes scanned the area, hawk-like.

"Hey Taylor, " I waved, his eyes flashed to mine. They were cold and steel-like, revealing nothing. "Where's Christian?"

"Mrs Grey, he apologizes, he had to step out for a meeting into the evening." Taylor conveyed smoothly, nothing amiss at all.

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion, "That's unlike him not to call." And unlike Christian not to have Taylor by his side.

Taylor nodded, "It cropped up. Please excuse me, Mrs Grey, I need to brief the men to understand their progress."

"Go ahead." I replied, my maternal instincts kicking into overdrive as I realized something huge was up. There was more to this than Taylor was revealing.

But I had zero chance trying to pry information from Taylor. He was a professional, and the moment the curtains were down, nobody but Taylor himself could lift them up again. Hence, Christian had entrusted pretty much his whole life and secrets into Taylor's loyal and trustworthy hands. He was the man for the job.

"Men, please meet me in the main office right now. All of you." Taylor commanded, his voice weighing with authority. I watched them disperse. "Mrs Grey," Taylor softened as he spoke to me, "Please have some rest, Mr Grey demanded I see to it."

Play along, Ana! My inner goddess instructed.

"Of course," I chuckled, "Even apart from me he baby sits me."

It managed to crack a half-hearted, troubled smile from Taylor. "I'll check on you later, Mrs Grey." Taylor then turned, stalking in the direction where the group had headed.

"Taylor." I called.

His head whipped back, slightly alarmed.

"Tiramisu?" I lifted the cake in the air.

Taylor broke into a smile, "Thank you Mrs Grey, I will help myself later. Anything else?" I shook my head and he nodded, turning back towards his mission.

Spidey-senses tingling! My inner goddess spat, whacking the fire alarm over and over.

Something huge was up. I knew it. But Taylor was keeping a porcelain calmness, trying to prevent me from finding out. But I needed to know, I could not be kept in the dark. My eyes trailed after them as the door closed, wondering if I should follow them and press up against the office door.

Sure, sneak up on over twenty trained body guards, I'm sure they won't catch you. My inner goddess rolled her eyes at my ignorance.

I groaned inwardly. She was right, they would catch me even before I made it to the office. The gear work in my brains spun. If only there was a place nearby where I could watch it all! Then it hit me. Walking quietly, I made my way to the place Luke had shown me once before.

Gingerly, I pushed open the door to the room with all the cameras and stepped in. My eyes searched through all the cameras until I found the one I wanted; Taylor standing in the middle of the security boys and the IT boys, about to start. "Volume volume!" I whispered to myself. A Deja Vu moment.

I fumbled with the control board until the sound came up for all the security rooms and with speed, turned the volume down. Geez. I was going to get caught if they came to check out the racket I was making. How had Luke focused on a single screen? Trying my luck, I touched the screen I wanted... Yes! Touch screen. I could almost hi five my high tech husband.

Soon, all the screens merged to form the single camera I had wanted. The volume was perfect. Now all I had to do was wait. Crossing my arms, I bit down on my lip in suspense.

"Alright, alright, someone close the door." Taylor instructed, completely serious.

"What's the matter, T?" Luke piped up, clearly alarmed by Taylor's mood. I often forgot that Luke was a bodyguard himself.

Taylor squeezed his eyes shut, his cool demeanor cracking on the surface. Pressing his nose bridge sharply, he shook his head once, "Code Blue."

There was a pause of silence. What did that mean? Then the whole room erupted into questions and demands, too many for me to hear any at all. Taylor put a palm up, his eyes flashing authority, "Silence. You know protocol, Mrs Grey cannot know."

Me? I paled.

"He was taken in Grey Publishing building at approximately 1328, along with a Mrs Claire Timber."

Christian. My heart fell. Claire? I shook my head at the harsh reality. My body numbing as I stood rooted to the ground, paralyzed. I could feel my soul detaching from my empty vessel, leaving me to find... Christian.

"Me Grey had asked me to wait in the car as it would only take a while, it was a lapse in my judgement." He looked guilty, and Luke stepped forward to give him a reassuring pat. "We all know this was a possibility, we were getting too close to the perp and be needed more leverage. It is a high chance that the perp was after Mr Grey all this while."

"So now what?" Someone asked.

Taylor's lips pulled up at a corner, "Sam, could you please tell them what we did the other day?"

A small sized man, pretty much my age, rose up from his seat. He adjusted his spectacles, "We installed a tracking device in all of Mr Grey's cufflinks and the base of his shoes." There were some nods of appreciation and grunts of awe. "Actually, most of Mr and Mrs Grey's items are fitted with tracking devices, for security purposes."

"Then let's get on it." Another IT man voiced, "We can catch him within the next two hours."

"What about Ana?" Luke sounded uncomfortable. "She should be told."

"No, Luke. You know the protocol Mr Grey signed himself, Ana cannot know a thing. Until we get him home safely, he had an emergency meeting that called him overseas... To Taiwan... And his phone battery died. This is an order, Luke. There is no room for discussion."

Suddenly, the phone in my pocket vibrated. I lifted it out hoping to see a text from Christian, only to find a text from an unknown number. "The jigs up, meet me at the address below at 4PM today with 10 Million USD. Bring no one or leave with no one."

Don't do it, Ana! My inner goddess pleaded.

My feet started moving, and then I started running. I was furious. This bastard thinks he can mess with me and mess with my family? There was no way in hell he was going to triumph over me. I stalked into my bedroom and texted back "I don't f***ing have 10 million sitting around the house."

There was an immediate response, "We know you wouldn't have 100 million lying about the house, but I'm pretty sure you know where the 10 million is."

Bloody hell. We? And how would they know that. Ugh. Gritting my teeth, I charged into Christian's closet and removed the Van Gogh painting on the wall to reveal our cash safe. When Christian had first introduced me to it, I had burst out laughing at the absurdity of the location. But I was glad my husband trusted me enough the share it with me. There had been exactly 10 million in this safe, for emergency uses.

Tapping in our anniversary number followed by my social security number, the safe squeaked and opened. I grabbed one of Christian's gym bags and started loading in the absurdly large single notes. Soon, I was done, and tossed it over my shoulder. I grabbed a handful of Christian's cufflinks and jammed it into the bag, then slipped on a pair of jeans and stuffed a few more in my pocket. I had to make myself trackable.

The men were probably still having a debrief in the main security office, I would be able to slip out effortlessly without getting caught. But they would soon find out I was gone and they would come after me. But there was not enough time. If my math was right, Luke would find me before I even got the bastard to meet me. I had to let him know. Grabbing a piece of paper and a marker from Christian's desk, I scribbled on it : LUKE, ONLY COME AFTER 4PM. TRACK ME. TRUST ME. IM SORRY.

He would find this first when he came looking for me. I had to trust him too. It was time to go. My inner goddess cowered, refusing to move. I had no time to waste. The bag was heavy, but I was sure I could I it. Heaving it onto me, I made my way downstairs. I was right, there was no sign of security anywhere. Taking a peek at the surveillance cameras, they were sprawled all over the security wing, drawing up plans and tapping on their computers. I caught sight of Luke, monitoring the developments of a few IT men.

This will end today.

Please review (: Sorry for the long wait. Hope it was worth it!