Thank you so much for the reviews :) x

Chapter 25: Race Against Time

Rachel hadn't really been thinking when she'd grabbed her car keys and coat, storming out of her office after telling Kim to call the police and Bianka's mum.

She was sure that Kim had put two and two together and made the possible link between her brother and this Christopher character described by Michael.

Rachel was more than certain that this was his doing, even if they had no concrete proof, as of yet. But for Rachel, when it came to her brother, and what he was capable of, just a possibility was enough to act. Especially where one of her student's welfare was concerned.

Rachel didn't really know what she was doing as she began to drive, opting for a main route out of town.

All she had in her mind was that she needed to save Bianka. Rachel did realise that she was probably walking straight into Christopher's trap. He would know her well enough to presume that she'd go after a child, a child who was under her duty of care. And it was a given with Christopher, that he would have been willing to take a chance anyway. So the more Rachel thought about it, the more she realised that this had to be part of his plan.

It was only by sheer luck that Rachel spotted a worn out van parked outside a local shop, with a young girl she recognised to be Bianka sitting in the front. Rachel squinted as she scanned the vehicle, ice crashing through her veins when her worst fears were confirmed. Perched in a passenger seat, was Christopher himself, elbow resting on the window with a smug look on his face.

Rachel gulped as she reached into her pocket, grateful to find her phone stuffed in there.

She cursed under her breath, hands shaking as she clicked on Kim's contact. Just with hopes that she would pick up.

"Hello, Kim. I'm -''

"Rachel. What the hell are you playing at?"

"I couldn't just leave Bianka, Kim. Especially not when my brother's involved."

"We should be leaving this to the police. You're walking straight into his trap. He's doing this, to get to you."

"Please Kim, just listen to me for a moment."

Rachel heard her friend sigh and craned her neck to catch sight of the vehicle.

"Look it's a white van, tell the police. Registration number L831 UKF. I'm going to follow them."

"Rachel, think about this -''

"Kim, I've got to go."

Rachel ended the call and shoved her phone back into her pocket, realising that she needed to hurry if she was going to keep up with them. Bianka's dad had returned now, and they were driving away.

Even as she followed them down the street, Kim's words were circulating in her mind. You're walking straight into his trap. He's doing this to get to you.

And what Rachel feared was, that Kim was completely and utterly right.

….

Eddie wasn't really one to go through his contacts and delete people who he no longer spoke to or saw. And given that he hadn't changed his number in the past year or so, he had subconsciously kept Kim Campbell's number on his phone.

He only seemed to remember this however, as his phone began to ring - luckily in the midst of a free period. Eddie frowned as Kim's caller ID popped up on the screen, mind automatically jumping to the worst case scenario. Was something wrong with Rachel?

He pressed the answer button as soon as his brain had kicked into gear, pressing the device to his ear.

"Kim? What is it?"

"Eddie. It's Rachel," his stomach dropped as Kim paused to sigh, and he automatically stood up, fully ready to approach his boss and explain that an emergency had popped up, "I think she's in trouble."

Trouble.

"Trouble?" Eddie repeated the word which was now hounding his brain, "what kind of trouble?"

"A student didn't turn up to school this morning. Her own father… abducted her. But the thing is, Eddie, Christopher was with him. With Bianka's dad. Rachel's gone after them."

Eddie's stomach plummeted further and the bile began to rise in his throat. He stayed silent as his hand dropped, hence dropping the phone from his ear. He didn't take notice as Kim called out his name, once, twice, three times.

All Eddie could think about as he made his way to the headmaster's office, was that he should have been there. He should have been there to talk Rachel out of this, to help her through it, to calm her thoughts.

But he hadn't been, and now she was in danger. Eddie just knew that he wouldn't forgive himself if anything happened to her.

….

Rachel took a deep breath as she brought her car to a halt, just out of sight from the van. She closed her eyes for a moment, allowing her head to roll back against the headrest. Exhaling slowly, Rachel knew that she couldn't do much to prepare herself for what Christopher could be planning. What he could do. What damage he could cause.

Rachel just tried to keep her thoughts focussed on Bianka, and getting her to safety, rather than the implications of this scenario for her.

Steeling herself as she stepped out of the car, Rachel reached for her phone once more, knowing that she needed to inform Kim about their location. At least then her friend could let the police know. At least then she would have backup.

Rachel knew that Kim was worried about her. That was evident throughout the entire conversation on the phone. She knew that was more so because Christopher was involved than anything. But Rachel also knew that she had to do this.

Under any circumstances, she would jump through hoops to help a student, but now, with her brother playing a part; Rachel would never be able to forgive herself if something did happen to the young girl.

Her hand shook as she stretched it out to knock on the door. It was as simple as saying there was no turning back now. You're walking straight into his trap. Yes, a trap practically in the middle of nowhere, with no one to help for a good twenty, thirty minutes before the police arrived.

Rachel gulped as the door swung open, bringing her eyes up to, sure enough, her brother.

"Hello Rachel," he smirked, "so you did come? I didn't think you'd fall for this after your little encounter with Adam."

Rachel just knew that she couldn't show Christopher how anxious she currently was. Once again, she had to push all thoughts of Adam and this whole scenario to the back of her mind, and focus solely on Bianka.

"Oh Christopher, don't even go there. And I'm here, because you have taken a student under my duty of care."

"Taken," he scoffed, "you make it sound like we've abducted her. The kid's with her dad for christ's sake."

"Yes, I'm perfectly aware of that. Her father who, lawfully, isn't allowed anywhere near either of his children."

"It's all law this, law that with you, isn't it? That'll be why you got poor Adam banged up."

"Just… let me in, Christopher."

He smirked - an evil smile which caused bile to rise in Rachel's throat.

"It would be my pleasure."

...

"Gary, why don't we take her back. Hm?" Rachel whispered to Bianka's dad, hoping that Christopher would be too wrapped up in cutting her a second slice of cake to notice.

"That's not going to happen. I want to make her mum pay just as much as Christopher wants you to."

A chill went down Rachel's spine at Gary's words - there would be no getting through to him. This reminded her far too much of the Adam situation. Because like Gary, he'd had a motive in all of this, on par with Christopher's.

"Dad, what are you talking about?"

All the background noise fizzled out as Bianka's voice made Rachel refocus on the present. The young girl was her priority here, Rachel would do anything to keep her safe at this point. Or any of her students for that matter.

"Just be quiet love."

Rachel was sure that Bianka was going to say something else to her father. But both of their jaws dropped as Christopher turned around with a substantially sized knife in his hand, waving it in Rachel's direction.

She couldn't help the way she inhaled sharply, but then, how were you supposed to act when someone was pointing a knife towards you.

"Bianka, get out!"

The words were automatic, Rachel's first instinct was to protect her pupil as Christopher inched the knife closer to her own throat, resting it lightly against her skin. Rachel couldn't even think of herself when she was being held at knife point.

"You do that Bianka," Christopher moved the blade temporarily, waving it in the girl's direction before returning it to its previous position, "and you'll be front seat to the killing of your beloved head teacher."

Rachel tried not to whimper, tried not to be scared - she didn't want to show fear to Bianka. But she realised that they were past that point now.

"Dad!" Bianka cried, looking to her father as a way out, "I want to leave. I want to go home."

"No can do princess," Gary commented, walking the length of the caravan as he did so, "I said I was going to make your bitch of a mother pay, and this is how we're going to do it. It's time she found out what it feels like to lose something."

Rachel hoped that Bianka hadn't caught on to Gary's way of thinking, but with an audible cry - Rachel knew she had. All she wanted to do was reach out to Bianka, at least wrap an arm around her to give her some form of comfort. But Rachel thought better of it, she couldn't exactly help the young girl if Christopher slit her throat open, could she?