Paternal Bonds Shattered

Disclaimer: Do I need to say it? I don't own iCarly

A/N:

Chapter 33 (Phone Call)

Elderly Amelia Rann sat in her recliner, sipping her coffee. It was a warm night, and her two bodyguards, Brick and Chuck, raided the kitchen fridge. She was the one who received the manuscripts that Hector would come pick up. She was one of Hector's closest workers. She knew he had a suspicion that he was at the end of his rope, but he wasn't sure about it at all. She knew, though, that if Freddie were to go looking for him, he'd probably end up coming here first.

"There's nothing in here," Brick said as he eyed the practically bare refrigerator. He wondered why Amelia didn't bother buying any food. Truth be told, she bought mostly pantry food. "Did we even need to come over tonight?"

"Yes," Chuck replied. Amelia had called them with the thought that Freddie was going to come by. She'd been contacted by a hotel manager where Hector was staying a few days and told that Freddie and two others paid a visit to him and might be catching a flight to Arkansas. Now was the biggest time for Brick and Chuck to be there. Although, the old woman proved to be very strong in her own respect. If she couldn't handle herself, they would be surprised. It was Hector who hired them anyway. "If she needs anything, we are to make sure those needs are met."

"She's formidable in her own right, I don't think she needs us." Amelia rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee once more. So far, nothing was happening. There was nothing to be worried about. She walked to her front door and peered out the window next to it. Narrowing her eyes, she saw Freddie walking down the street. Henry and Jake were with him. So he had come after all. Once they reached the door and knocked, she opened it after waiting for a second. Chuck and Brick peered out of the kitchen. Chuck sighed as Brick had a piece of bologna hanging from his mouth.

"Hello, how may I help you men?" Amelia asked sweetly. She had a cell ready for them downstairs, along with a pack of rats she was going to prepare to empty out in case anyone thought to escape.

"Hey, I don't know if you know me, I am Freddie Benson."

"Oh! You're the one with those lovely manuscripts! Yes, come in, come in!"

"Thank you, ma'am." Amelia turned around and let them in, looking up at her two bodyguards and motioning them to go back into the kitchen. She didn't want Freddie to suspect she was anything more than a sweet old lady. "I was wondering if you have any idea where Hector Puckett is."

"Hector? The man that picks up your manuscripts?" Freddie nodded as she rubbed her chin. No, she hadn't any idea. However, she did think he moved to a really big mansion somewhere recently. "No, I don't know where you could find him."

"Oh, I see…" He really hoped she might know something about this elusive man, maybe she might have something else. Anything else would have been helpful to them. "Well, do you have anything that might help?"

"I wish…" Freddie looked at Jake and his father with a frown, they might have to turn their investigation elsewhere. Although, Freddie wasn't giving up anytime soon, as he had other questions for the lady. "You know, I've read some of your writing, I think you are fantastic."

"Thank you ma'am." Amelia walked over to the end table and grabbed a pen and paper. So far, he didn't seem to distrust her. "We're looking for him because we want to discuss his daughter who is missing."

"I see, well I do hope she is found." She began writing down a phone number, perhaps allowing him to contact them just before she killed them. They wanted to actually hold them hostage for a few days, and then kill them. "I remember this, he gave me a phone number to contact him with. Here you are." Freddie smiled as his eyebrows rose, this was the closest he'd come to finding Sam, it was perfect.

"Thank you very much!" Henry and Jake walked with him to the corner of the room as Freddie quickly pulled his phone out. If this was a true number, he would hope to talk to Sam at least. They didn't see Amelia walk away to the kitchen.

In the mansion where Sam was being held in her cell, she knew that Gibby, Jeremy, Nevel and Valerie were behind the door. They had nothing better to do than be down there. "Why did you do it?" Sam asked with a shivering sob. "Why did you hurt my little girl? What did my babies ever do to you!"

"They annoyed me with their cries," Jeremy said with a low growl. Gibby and Valerie looked at each other and frowned, surely Jeremy wasn't that pathetic. Then again, in all these years, he never appeared to possess any good qualities. "You know they found your son's bones, right?" Sam gasped and her eyes widened. Valerie closed her eyes and Gibby looked away. "He deserved what he got, believe me. When you piss me off, you know you're going to be punished."

"You're a cruel bastard!"

"You're not the first to say that," Gibby said quietly. Jeremy would have smacked anyone to say something like that, but when it came to Gibby, he didn't mess with him. Some might call him a coward, some might call him smart, but he really wanted to do all he could to avoid confrontation with Gibby.

"They may be coming for us," Nevel muttered. The group looked at him curiously as he lifted his head up and sighed. "You remember that time five months ago? That video…I uploaded it…"

"What?" Jeremy screamed out in agony. This was bad, very bad. If anyone caught that, they would know it was Hector and try to find him. "Why the hell would you do that!"

"I don't know…" Valerie and Gibby were shocked, they never guessed Nevel would be the one to give them away. "I guess, I just got tired…"

"Shit man! You don't know the crap you just unleashed!" He was about to attack Nevel when his phone started going off. Valerie jumped when it went off, as it was very loud. She snapped for him to answer the phone, so he did so. "What?"

"Hello, I would like to speak with Hector Puckett," the man responded. It was Freddie, but the group hadn't heard his voice in so long that they hadn't recognized it. Jeremy chuckled and slowly shook his head.

"He isn't here right now, who may I ask is calling? Maybe I can give him a message."

"Yeah sure, my name is Freddie Benson."

"Freddie?" Valerie smiled and Gibby gasped. Nevel didn't really react. He knew Freddie would probably find that video, so he knew why Freddie was contacting them. Sam bowed her head and her arms shook, tears dripping down her cheeks. She couldn't believe it. Freddie must know she was okay now. Would he be coming for her? She still loved him, she still yearned for him. Would he really be coming to save her?

"How the hell would he figure out Jeremy's number?" Gibby asked with a raised eyebrow. Valerie shrugged and closed her eyes in thought.

"The only one to know Jeremy's number is that woman in Arkansas," Valerie replied quietly. "Hector gave his number to her so she could contact him whenever manuscripts were ready for pick up." Had Freddie realized that the woman had the number? Had he finally realized where Sam was? Oh god, salvation felt so close.

"Suicide," Nevel spoke quietly. The others looked at him as he sat down against a nearby wall. "That's what this is, it's suicide. He's throwing it all away, and for what? For Sam?"

"Let me talk to him!" Sam cried out as she stood up and placed her hands on the door. Valerie looked over while the others scowled in her direction. "Please! I want to talk to Freddie!"

"Like hell we're letting that happen," Gibby said as he kicked the door. Sam yelped and took a step back. He still wasn't good to her. Valerie quickly grabbed Gibby's arm and looked into his eyes.

"Please, let's just humor her," Valerie begged. Why deny Sam the right to talk to the only man she still had even the slightest bit of faith in? It wasn't fair, it wasn't right. "She still loves him, Gibby…let her talk…" Gibby frowned and looked over at Jeremy, who was holding the phone hesitantly. He didn't want to do it.

"Just put it on speaker so she'll hear his voice at least." Jeremy sighed and flipped the speakerphone on. Valerie knocked on Sam's door and the girl moved closer. This seemed the best it was going to get for now. "No talking either."

"Jeremy, think I don't know it's you?" Freddie asked with slight anger in his tone. Jeremy frowned and stared at him. Valerie smirked and crossed her arms. She knew Jonah finally got in contact with Freddie and briefed him on the situation with Jeremy and everybody. "You still sick?"

"No, I've been healthy for years," Jeremy said with a dangerous growl. He didn't like people knowing he was involved in all this crap. "So, why you calling?"

"I think you know why. Does anyone care to explain that video?" Jeremy narrowed his eyes and glared at Nevel, he was going to have to have a serious talk with him. How could he be so damn stupid? "Don't try to play dumb either, you know exactly what I'm talking about. By the way, there was a body found a few miles from my mansion…care to explain that as well?"

"Wait, what?" Jeremy looked over as Nevel rolled his eyes and groaned. Valerie smirked, though quickly frowned when Jeremy glared at her.

"Remember that kid you dumped there a few years back?" Nevel asked with narrow eyes.

"You're going to pay for that," Freddie said quietly. "You're going to pay for everything you have done. In fact, I know someone that would just love to talk to you, Jeremy…and you especially…and nice to hear your voice, Nevel."

"Thanks…your sarcasm is duly noted."

"Now, are there any other surprises? Is she pregnant again?"

"No she's not," Gibby replied quickly. They didn't want that happening again, it just wouldn't be right. Freddie was surprised to hear Gibby's voice. Of all people, Gibby being there was just something he'd never expected.

"Wow Gibby, you're there too? So why are you guys there? Why hold her for ten years, why hurt her?

"Revenge. We hated the things she did to us, and we thought she deserved to be punished. It just went on and on, the hole getting dug deeper and deeper."

"So…let me get this straight, see if I got it." He was completely calm, his voice not rising the slightest bit. He was going to be as respectful as possible. "You fucking assholes decide to torment her because she was mean to you?" Gibby and Nevel looked at each other and frowned, he hit the nail on the head for Jeremy at least.

"Our families were murdered, thank you very much!" Jeremy shouted angrily. "We were forced to stay in once we got involved!" He was still sore over the loss of his own father, that's why he loved how Sam didn't get to have a father like his. Jeremy sighed and rubbed his forehead. "So, we heard Carly's an actress now, is that so?" Sam lifted her head up and smiled, she was glad to hear that Carly had gone on to become something great.

"Yeah, and she's never stopped thinking about Sam. Neither have I." Sam closed her eyes and sighed slowly, they never forgot her. "Anyway…Valerie, you there as well? Haven't heard your voice yet…" Valerie's eyes widened and the others looked at her, she hadn't wanted to talk for various reasons. "Come on, say something."

"Y-Yeah I'm here, what of it?"

"Your daughter is doing extremely well in school." Valerie smiled with pride as Jeremy's face darkened. Freddie was taunting him, it was evident. "Vanessa's her teacher, she teaches fifth grade now. So I hear. I think Veronica works for a modeling agency and Victoria wants to teach art."

"Wait, I thought they were dead!" Jeremy exclaimed. He had never been told they were alive, he just assumed Kane and Ted lost their lives in that big gas explosion. He looked at Nevel and the others, then narrowed his eyes. "You lied to me!" This had been Valerie's proudest moment, when she and Gibby managed to convince Nevel to tell Jeremy that the attacks on the family had been successful.

"Um, are you married yet, Freddie?" Valerie asked with a smile. She wanted Sam to know as much about Freddie as possible, she wanted Sam to be filled with that hope that Freddie was the man she needed, the man she wanted.

"No, there's only one woman for me, and you guys have her. The little girl that I've adopted, dumped in the same place as that boy, would be my blood daughter as well if I were married." Jeremy frowned and Sam's eyes lit up, was her daughter with Freddie? "You bastards are going to pay."

"We're not afraid of you," Nevel said with a scoffing laugh. Freddie narrowed his eyes and chuckled.

"Right, you should be afraid of me. You don't know what position you stool pigeons are in. I want to find Sam and I will do anything to find her, tearing down whatever is in my way. I'm going to tear down Hector, and if you fuckers are in my way, then I'll take you down too. I have no trouble hating you flunkies."

"Hey, we are not Hector's flunkies."

"Yes. Yes you are. Now let me talk to Sam." Jeremy laughed and shook his head, there was no way he was letting that happen. "I said let me talk to her." Sam grinned and quickly moved to the door. Oh god how she wanted to speak to him. "If you don't let me talk to Hector, then I'm going to make sure you guys are punished worse than what Hector's going to receive when I get my hands on him."

"Just let her talk," Gibby said while looking at Jeremy. Jeremy frowned and rolled his eyes. Sir Gibby had spoken. Valerie took the phone from Jeremy and carefully walked into the cell where Sam was.

"Hey Sam, you have a visitor, sort of…" Sam tentatively took the phone and spoke into it, tears fleeing her eyes.

"F-Freddie, is that really you?"

"Yeah, I'm here Sam. I'm here."

"Oh god…I wish you were right here with me. I want you with me so badly."

"Sam, I'm going to get you out of there. I promise you. Stay strong Sam, stay strong and believe in me. We will save you." Sam slowly nodded her head and wept for the first time in so long. Valerie wanted to see her safe for so long, this seemed all too good to be true. Hell, she could feel Jeremy's seething glare on her.

"Too bad Freddie fell into Hector's trap," Jeremy said as he walked into the cell and tore the phone away from Sam. Sam gasped and grabbed at the phone just as he hung up. Valerie glared at him and he flipped her off, knowing he couldn't do a thing to her with Gibby right behind him. "That lady in Arkansas works for Hector, she'll easily take him down."

"No!' Sam shouted. Valerie's eyes were wide and fearful, was all truly lost?

"Get them," Amelia said with a grin as her two bodyguards attacked both Henry and Jake. She would handle Freddie personally. He looked at her just in time for her to shoot him down with a gun. He shouted out and fell to the ground. "Get their phones! Quickly!" They were going to put a tracking chip on the phones, so they could monitor if they ever tried to call anyone.

"Gladly, boss," Chuck said while removing Henry's phone. "What do we do with Benson?"

"I'll take care of his wounds." Being a retired nurse, she could easily deal with him. They didn't want to kill the men yet, not just yet. "We'll throw them in the dungeon downstairs. He made a bad mistake coming here trying to find his beloved Sam."

The trap. Now I need to get cracking on the rest of this XD