Ransom

8

Robert knew he had to hold some of the facts back from Chas, that he couldn't tell her everything. As the curtailed truth hesitantly tripped off his lips, Robert saw the horror form on her face.

"Is this some sort of sick joke?" Chas demanded when Robert fell silent. No way could what he'd just said be true, it just couldn't be, she refused to believe it.

Chas' response infuriated Robert, did she really think he could joke about such a thing? As horrifying as the truth was, Chas was going to have to accept what was happening and deal with it, like he was having to do, "No. No of course it's not!" Robert's voice betrayed his iritation. "Someone is holding Aaron somewhere, demanding money for his safe return. I'm trying to get the money together, I'm ..."

"Trying! What do you mean trying?" Chas screeched hysterically, trying wasn't good enough. They had to have the cash in their hands now, ready to hand over when they were told to.

"Could you get your hands on that amount of cash at the drop of a hat?" Robert knew damn well she couldn't.

"Yes! If I had to... of course I...I'd find a way! " Chas felt panic stir in her chest, she was beginning to realise it wouldn't be that easy. "We... we need to tell Cain." Her brother would know what to do, he'd get the money and she didn't care what he had to do to get it.

"No! The less people who know the better." Cain was the last person Robert wanted involved, he'd quickly realise there was more to Aaron's kidnapping than he was letting on, and worse still he'd try and take control of the situation. Robert didn't think that was a good thing, not for Aaron and certainly not for him.

"He needs to know. I need him him to know and more importantly Aaron need him to know." Chas had not one ounce of trust or faith in Robert but she believed wholeheartedly in her brother. If anyone could get her son back safe Cain could, he loved his nephew, would do anything for him, he would move heaven and earth to help him.

Desperate to keep control of things Robert knew he had to somehow talk Chas out of telling her brother, "Chas..."

"He's on his way." Chas declared with an air of finality. She'd texted Cain after speaking to Bob, she'd known that there was something going on, but never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined this nightmare. She'd told Cain she needed to see him asap and knew the minute he read the message he would be right over.

Robert could only shake his head in despair, the situation was rapidly deteriorating, and his turbulent emotions were making it hard for him to think. He truly didn't know what his next move should be.

/

Something had woken Aaron, he wasn't sure what exactly, he'd been in so deep a sleep he'd been slow to regain his senses. Aaron suddenly realised it had been the door shutting. The creep had obviously been in to check on him and he'd slept right through it! He didn't like how that made him feel, vulnerable and... well he was just so annoyed at himself. He wanted to be in as much control of the situation as he could be even if it was as little a detail as being aware of his captors presence.

Could he hear voices? He was certain he'd just heard someone talking. There it was again, a muffled sound... something he knew could only be a voice. Yes there was definitely a conversation going on the other side of the door. Aaron held his breath and strained to hear the faint sounds. Was his captor on the phone because he could definitely make out one voice. No there was two voices he was sure, but the second one barely registered with him. It was soft, low... Robert? Was it him? Had he come to check on things? To check on him? Suddenly Aaron was convinced that it was Robert out there. He sat upright and started shouting towards the door, "Get the fuck in here you bastard. Come on I dare you to show your face. I dare you to look me in the eye. Come on you prick, you sick twisted piece of shit..."

All the time Aaron was raging at the closed door, he was yanking angrily at the handcuff that secured his arm to the floor. He'd not expected it to budge, well it never had when he'd tried to loosen it before. So when he felt it give a little it threw him, had him stop shouting. It was pitch black, he couldn't see a thing but he knew the handcuff wasn't as secure as it was intended to be. How stupid was he? If he'd worked harder on it before he would be free of it by now. Aaron's spirits lifted a little, suddenly there was a glimmer of hope...

The door was opening and Aaron held his breath in anticipation. A part of him wanted Robert to appear another part of him dreaded seeing him. He wanted to tell him what he thought of him, he wanted to spit some venom his way. But Aaron knew seeing Robert would hurt, that the pain could prove overwhelming. He was scared his emotions would get the better of him and he didn't want to give Robert any cause to laugh at him, to belittle him again.

As light spilled into the room the now familiar figure of his captor stepped into view, seeing he was alone Aaron's anger ignited again. "Where is he? Tell the bastard I want to see him, tell him to get the fuck in here now!"

As Aaron waited for the man to reply he heard a door close. It had to be Robert leaving. "You coward". Aaron bellowed wanting to make himself heard. "You fucking coward." Robert didn't have the balls to face him and that made Aaron even more determined to get in his face, to get up close and beat the shit out of him. He'd make every blow count, do a proper job of it... then leave what was left of him to rot in some godforsaken hole.

"You're going to have to wait. Robert's a busy man. He's got things to do, people to see... " Shields smirked as he added "...ransom notes to write!"

Aaron opened his mouth ready to vent at the other man but quickly thought better of it. He told himself he would be ready for Robert the next time he came, and he didn't want to say anything that might make his captor in anyway suspicious.

As the door shut and darkness again fell around the room Aaron set to work on the handcuff embedded in cement. He was on a mission now, hell bent on freeing himself before Robert returned... the bastard wouldn't know what hit him.

/

Cain had arrived within minutes giving Robert next to no time to prepare himself mentally, he was going to have to think on his feet. He'd listened quietly to a tearful Chas' garbled version of events, then he'd been uncomfortably aware of Cain's now murderous gaze settle on him.

"Well?" Cain snarled menacingly, he wanted to hear what Robert had to say, Chas was bordering on hysteria and he needed the cold hard facts.

"They've sent me a photo. texts...

"A photo? "Robert hadn't mentioned that before, "Show me" Chas demanded, " I want to see it."

Robert glanced at Chas before meeting Cain's gaze "I don't think that's a good idea."

"No." Cain agreed, Chas might need protecting but he didn't, he held out his hand, Robert had five seconds to hand him his phone or he would take it off him,

Robert hesitated only briefly before reaching in to his pocket for his phone, he hurriedly opened the picture file and tapped on the heart-wrenching image of Aaron before handing it to Cain.

Cain felt a mix of emotions on seeing his nephew, horror, fear... guilt, he'd sworn he wouldn't let anyone hurt him ever again. "You should have come straight to me!" Cain thundered.

"I was told not to tell anyone, I..." Cain was now tapping at the phone, "What're you doing?" Robert already knew the answer to that and a sense of dread gripped him, the shit was about to hit the fan. As Cain read the messages Robert waited nervously for the penny to drop, when Cain visibly tensed Robert knew it had.

Cain glared at Robert, his temper soaring dangerously with the realisation, "You know who's got Aaron!"

TBC