Kidnapped

AUTHOR
~•~
She had watched from the terrace as the woman got into her husband's car and the driver drove her out of their driveway. She had seen the lady carry along with her a big suitcase. She had seen the look on the woman's face. The pain in her eyes made it evident that she wasn't returning.
Sarah smiled to herself as she watched the car run off into a distance, away from her home, away from her family.
She did not know what had happened while the woman and Ivan were away, but whatever it was, it had caused Ivan to return to his senses.
Sarah turned around and found her father standing at the foot of the door. He had a tray of coffee and fresh toast in his hands.
Sarah swallowed hard. She knew how her father could be when he caught her slacking.
"What are you trying to do? Waste our time?" He growled. Sarah maintained her remorseful expression and bowed her head.
"No, Papa. It's just…"
"Parlami quando ho risolto i problemi, non sprecare il mio tempo mentre li risolvo. Don't waste my time when I'm trying to think of solutions to our problems. Has Ian called you yet?"
It was in her father's character to make use of their native language whenever he spoke to her. She had grown far away from Sicily, far away from him, but it did not stop him from teaching her their culture and wrapping her entire life around his revenge plan.
Sarah cleared her throat and leaned out of the staircase.
"Yes. Yes, he has."
Her father raked her body with keen eyes. He took one step closer to her and stared straight into her eyes. Sarah found herself staggering backward.
"I hope you are not suddenly developing a change of heart. We have come too far, all obstacles are out of the way now. It's now or never, capisce?"
Sarah nodded eagerly.
"Yes, papa."
"Antonio!"
Both father and daughter heard Ivan call out from behind them.
Sarah stood straight, she adjusted her posture and stared at Antonio with some form of disgust.
Ivan continued to walk closer to them. He held Tina's hand while Tina held her brother's. The three of them were fully dressed for an outing in the park.
Ivan had decided to take Tina out for their father and daughter bonding, but Sarah had insisted she and Tommy follow them.
"I am your wife, I am their mother and Tommy is her younger brother. The earlier we all get used to being a loving and happy family, the better."
Ivan stood in front of Antonio and Sarah, his blue eyes danced between the both of them. He took a closer look at the tray in Antonio's hands before he spoke.
"You wanted to have toast?" He asked Sarah. She looked away from Antonio and kept her frown as her eyes landed on Ivan.
"A few minutes ago. But he had to ruin everything. He made it the way you like it instead. Where exactly did you find this man from again? Isn't he too old to be a butler? His memory is lagging terribly."
Ivan scoffed and picked Tina up from the ground, holding her in his arms as he spoke.
"I remember saying the same thing when you brought him. But what did I know? Anyway, Antonio is a wonderful butler. Whatever he did can be fixed." Ivan took his eyes away from Sarah and fixed them on Antonio.
"Can it not?" His question was directed at Antonio.
The man nodded and Ivan took the cup of coffee from the tray and emptied the cup with three heavy gulps. He took the toasted bread and handed it over to his daughter. Tina grabbed it with eager hands.

Ivan dismissed Antonio with a wave. He watched his wife look at the man as he disappeared into the corridor.
"Let's go. I do not want the park to be crowded by the time we get there…ouch! Stop it, Tina." The girl was pulling her father's blonde strands of hair.
She giggled and flashed a smile at her younger brother.
"She's seven years old. I'm surprised you can lift her. She's thin, she should eat more." Sarah said out loud, while she picked the two-year-old boy from the floor and carried him in her arms.
"You're a thin woman, it's in her genes."
Ivan replied, he walked behind Sarah while they walked down the stairs and to the front door of the house.
The driver already had the car in the driveway, when Antonio stood beside it. Sarah was the first to walk toward the car with baby Tommy in her hands. Antonio pulled the car door open for her to go in, and Ivan followed next with Tina in his arms.
The old man watched as the tinted glass windows of the car came up and the vehicle started and drove out of the driveway.
He slipped his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number. The receiver picked at the first ring.
"They've just left. Follow them closely." He spoke softly, the like went dead immediately.
Somewhere behind them, on the block of house number 30, a black Tesla revved its engine and followed the Range Rover behind.
~•~
IVAN
~•~
"Daddy, can we go to the beach if the park is crowded? You said you did not want the park to be crowded." My daughter spoke softly, pinching my thighs while she sat beside me.
"You can go wherever you want, Tee. Daddy would always take you wherever you want."
"And baby Tommy can come too, right?"
I turned to the boy on Sarah's lap. He had a sucker in my mouth while he happily played with a green action figure, pretending it was coming to attack his mother. The boy was so happy, giggling and bright, radiating energy and vigor.
I looked away from him and smiled at my daughter.
"Yes, baby Tommy can come with us too."
From the corner of my left eye, I saw Sarah turn to me sharply. She had a look in her eyes, one I did not quite understand. She soon looked away from me and placed a kiss on Tommy's forehead. The baby attempted to jump from her thighs, but she caught him before he could move.
I decided to go out with the children after I made up my mind to send Camilla away. I needed something to keep my mind away from her. The best distraction was the presence of my daughter. Tina's love would fill my heart with whatever felt missing. But when I spoke to Sarah about it, she decided to come along with Tommy. I did not refuse her, not because I could not, but because I did not want to.
The more the merrier, is it not?
I turned to Tina to answer a question she had asked, I did not hear what she said but I knew I had to say yes or no.
All of a sudden, the car came to a screeching and forced halt. I held on to Tina's chest to stop her from falling off the seat, while Sarah held on to Tommy.
"Johnny, what's going on?" Johnny was our driver, he had been for seven years.
"I don't know sir. But the road has been blocked by three cars and…"
I saw him tilt his neck to speak to us, but before he could complete his statement, a bullet broke through the glass of the window, cracking it.
Sarah screamed at the top of her voice and I ducked Tina's head down.
"Jesus Christ!" She screamed, panting heavily.
I was thrown into an instant state of confusion.
What in the name of God was happening?!
Baby Tommy began to scream at the top of his voice, while Tina's small hands held on to my black trousers.
She was shaking violently, I pressed my lips to my forehead to try to calm her, even though my heart was pounding against my chest.
"What's going on, Ivan?"
"For fuck's sake, Sarah. How am I supposed to know?"
My eyes wandered to where Johnny placed his head on the passenger seat at the front.
By God! I was supposed to move. I was supposed to have a fucking gun in my car and I was supposed to drive bullets into the heads of those that had dared to attack my family.
But I never carried guns around for no reason and I sure as hell did not think I was going to have to kill anyone when I stepped out of the house this morning!
"Lock the doors, Johnny!" I screamed out loud.
He raised his head.
"Sir?"
Irritation pricked the hairs on my skin.
"Lock the fucking doors! Goddam…"
His door was pulled open in a flash. The next thing I saw was his head falling to the chair. Blood stained the leather seats of the car, I could tell he had been shot.
"Daddy!" Tina screamed at the top of her voice.
I should have moved, I should have tried to do something, but I could not. I was frozen in my seat and only holding my daughter beside me.
My hands began to shake, the whole car seemed upside down.
The doors of the car flung open. I saw a firm hand grab Tommy from Sarah's lap, while something strong hit the back of my head.
"Daddy!"
"Ivan!"
Tina and Sarah's voices continued to ring in my ears.
I suddenly felt weak, too weak to reach out to Tina when she was being dragged from my hold.
"Daddy! Help me!"
But I could not move. I could not see her. All of a sudden, I felt…drugged.
"Ivan! Ivan!"
Those were the last words I heard before a thick blanket of darkness, a heavy dark cloud in the sky, fell on me.