A.N: Happy Wednesday! Thank you for the review Charr! Love ya! This is very much an explaining chapter with less progress than I'd like but it had to be done. Sorry it's short. Also, please read the note at the bottom. Thank you for reading and reviewing in advance, I hope you enjoy! Xxx
Chapter Eight
The Benedict Home
It was later that evening, after a dinner of pasta and tomato sauce, that the entire Benedict family, including Ridley, sat down to discuss the Anya situation. By this time it was dark and snowing heavily, but inside the house it was warm and lit up by a roaring fire and candles. Saul had dragged the couch closer to the fire, despite Karla's protests and bundled her in two thick woollen blankets to ensure she wouldn't get cold. Trace and Ridley sat opposite, curled together on an armchair. Victor took up his usual position of leaning against the fireplace wall, arms folded, mouth set firmly in a straight line. Uriel and Will sat cross legged towards their parents, with their backs to Ridley and Trace. Xav was still upstairs. He had come down for dinner and had returned to his room without seconds or pudding. Yves was sat by his father's feet, his mother running her hand across his hair. Zed was in his father's armchair, checking his phone as a distraction.
It was Victor who broke the silence.
"We've looked up Wallace Newberry. He died thirteen years ago. The name was an alias. So it's not him that's kidnapped Anya."
"So Karla's free? She's not in danger anymore?" Saul questioned, his arms wrapping around Karla's waist and pulling her against his chest. She gave a shuddery sigh and curled against her husband.
Victor nodded. "The FBI believes so. Now as for whom kidnapped Anya, we've no clue. The school has been scrutinised and we are currently running fingerprints and bullet markings."
"You found fingerprints?" Ridley asked.
"Yeah, baby, we got them off of shell casing we found." Trace kissed Ridley's cheek and she smiled sympathetically at Karla.
"We think," Victor began, "that whoever hit you on the mountain with the rock, is the same person or working with the person that took Anya. Do you guys have any idea as to who that was?"
"Saul checked the records. His name was Drake…Drake Jett or something like that." Karla murmured quietly.
"Karla, if I could look into your mind, I could possibly try to find Karla using your link to her and honing in on her mind. I'm assuming you've spoken with her telepathically, have you read her mind at all?"
"Yes to both. Do you think it would work?" Karla asked eagerly. Saul caught her hand and she looked up at him, squeezing his hand. Saul looked concerned, tightening his arm and bringing her closer. He did not like the idea of Ridley rummaging through his soulfinder's mind, regardless of her intentions.
"Probably, please don't be too upset if it doesn't work though. I will try my best."
"No, no, Karla I did not spend years with you building up your shields and protecting your mind to have them taken down just like that!" Saul protested and Karla looked up at him, cupping his cheek.
"But darling, this could find Anya-"
"You're sick anyway honey, you have a fever and- what are the side effects?"
"A headache, stomach ache at the worst."
"Have you ever done this before?"
"Yes I have and it did work." Ridley looked very calm, Trace grinning proudly at his soulfinder's capabilities.
"Saul?"
"Karla, no, honey, I-I," I don't trust Ridley, baby, please, trust me on this. It might not work, she could do something to you-
This could save our daughter! I have to try my darling. Karla stood and crossed the room to Ridley. "Please, we'll go upstairs."
"Okay," Ridley smiled gently and followed Karla to the stairs, before turning back. "I'll take good care of her Saul, promise."
As they disappeared, Trace turned to his father angrily. "What do you have against her? You're supposed to be happy for me!"
"Nothing, I just get this feeling off of her. This flicker of danger and I don't want Karla in danger." Saul ran a hand across his face. "I can't have her in danger, I love her too much, Trace, and you know that"
"I sense it to," Will spoke up and Trace glowered at his brother.
"Shut up Will you don't know anything!"
"No you don't know anything!" Zed yelled. "Our sister is nine years old. She has dyslexia. She is missing. Some bastard is out there touching and hurting her, Trace and all you care about is our opinion of your soulfinder. Well, I'm sorry, but there are more important things in life right now than you!"
"What would you know about love?" Trace snorted, "You'll probably never find your soulfinder, and if you do, she'd kill herself."
"Trace!" Saul warned.
Zed said nothing but a tear rolled down his cheek.
"You gonna cry now baby brother? Is that what you're going to do? You're pathetic."
"Trace!"
"And you! Married to mom for all these years and you can't even stand up for yourself. You're weak. Grow a pair old man; order the old bitch about for once. Might stop her whining for once if you shoved-"
"Saul?" Karla said tentatively. She'd never seen him so angry or afraid. Ridley left her side to join Trace. Saul turned to his wife and his heart broke. She was crying, eyes wide, arms wrapped around her stomach. "I heard shouting."
"Sweet-"
"It didn't work; Ridley's thing." she sounded so indifferent to what she had just heard. "You were right, it made my stomach and my head hurt. I'm sorry I doubted you."
Saul was trembling. "Apologise to your mother." He growled and Trace said nothing. He took Ridley's hand and pulled her away. The front door slammed. Saul turned back to his wife and held out his arms. She flung herself into them, hugging him tightly. "It'll be okay my darling, I promise, we'll get Anya back, I swear to you my darling, beautiful wife. I won't let anything hurt you now."
"Saul, why's he so angry?" her voice was hoarse, muffled against the softness of his jumper.
"Because he's blinded by love darling, all he can see is Ridley and that blocks out everything else." Karla pulled back to look up at Saul.
"But you don't get angry at the boys or Anya or Duke or Shelly or-"
"Maybe it affects Trace more than me darling, but you know how protective I am of you?" Karla nodded. "It's because you're precious to me, like Ridley is to Trace. I think he's scared sweetheart."
Karla turned to Victor. "What now?" she asked.
He shrugged and checked his blackberry. "We wait mom, and hope something comes up."
"Okay my darling, bedtime I think. You need sleep." Saul brushed her hair behind her ear and stroked her cheek.
"So do you," she whispered, but Saul didn't hear.
A.N: I'm guessing right now you want an explanation for Trace and Ridley and everything. So I'm going to try and spell it out. I'm sorry if you get confused by this.
Trace:
I want you to imagine being completely alone in the cold and in the dark and lost and scared. Then someone comes along and says I'm going to be with you forever and I'll never leave and I love you. That is how Trace feels. That is why Trace is more concerned with Ridley rather than Anya. Also, Trace is being a meanie to everyone basically. I want you to remember that although Ridley can control minds, this may not be applicable to Trace yet. He is as Saul describes blinded by love. I'm sorry if I broke you're heart.
Ridley:
I want to get away from the whole soulfinder is bad but turns good. This isn't Ridley. She has a mission and intends to stick with it no matter the cost. She really doesn't care about Trace and I want to make this clear; anything nice and sweet is all an act. She's a bitch. Don't forget that.
Everything else:
Anya is not involved in this chapter for a good reason. I expect you guys must be tired of Anya crying and wanting Saul and Anya is featured a lot in the next chapter so yeah, she was having a break today. Also Anya is close to both her parents, she just associates protection and danger with her father. Because Saul is so protective of Karla and Anya and the boys, she has only ever known safety and standing behind her mother and watching. She automatically looks to her dad for protection and that is why she looks to him so much.
Saul is overprotective of Karla because he, like Trace, is blinded by his love for Karla. If the house was burning, he'd get Karla out first, because she is as Stirling describes "his number one priority". Sorry if that bugs you. It will change, significantly.