CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

Nicholas was seated in his living room, going through some documents when his bodyguard burst into the house. Because of the general unrest that day, his heartbeat seemed to stop for a moment.
'What is wrong?" He asked his bodyguard. He knew that panic could be heard in his voice, at that moment, he really didn't care.
'There is somebody at the door," the man said. Nicholas did not stop the analyze the statement as he rushed outside.
'Is something wrong?" He could hear Sarah ask.
'Come outside," he simply said and rushed outside with the body guard.
'There were cars before, they are gone," the body guard said. He was looking confused at the almost empty balcony.
'Theo!" Sarah shouted and raced outside. Nicholas followed her line of view and saw that Stephanie was holding Theo in her arms. She was just standing at one point. The both of them looked tattered.
Sarah rushed to her and carried Theo in her arms. His nephew started crying immediately. Even his tears did not sound like they used to. Nicholas put his attention to Steph as he heard her made a tired humph.
Nicholas rushed to her and held her in his arms, she almost fell down, she was clearly very weak. She looked malnourished and Nicholas wondered what they had done to them over there.
He held on to her and helped move into the house.
'Astra," Stephanie said. It was barely audible. Her voice sounded coarse.
'Astra is fine, you are not," Nicholas said and looked at her very well. He then saw blood trickling down her leg.
'What the hell? Are you okay? Do you feel pain anywhere?" Nicholas asked her but Stephanie did not say anything, she just collapsed on him.
'Get me my keys, we are going to the hospital," Nicholas said to his bodyguard. The man immediately ran into the house. Nicholas hoisted Steph into his arms and carried her to his car.
'Come on Sarah, we are all going. Theo needs to be checked out," Nicholas said to Sarah. The body guard had already come out and started the car. They all rushed inside the car.
'Oh my God! Is she bleeding? She might be losing the baby," Sarah said as she saw Stephanie. She did look like life was seeping out of her veins. It was not a very favorable look, not one that Nicholas liked.
'Hurry!" Sarah shouted at the driver. They got to the hospital fast enough and paramedics immediately came to attend to them as they screamed that it was an emergency.
'Oh my God!" Sarah shouted as they carried Stephanie from Nicholas leg. There was so much blood. She had lost a lot of blood.
'You both should stay back," the paramedics said as they rushed Stephanie inside the hospital. Nicholas felt like he was about to go crazy.
'Is Theo okay? We need to get him checked out," he managed to say.
'I will go myself, just stay this way in case there is any news about Stephanie," Sarah said. Nicholas wanted to go, but he figured that Sarah was right. He could not be in two places at once.
'Okay," Nicholas said and watched Sarah walk into the hospital.
Nicholas was nervous. He left like he would go crazy from all the suspense. He was still standing in the reception when his phone began to ring. While he was not in the mood to talk to anybody, he brought out the phone to see who was calling, it was Jared. Nicholas frowned, wondering why Jared was calling. He figured he had gotten back to the house with Astra and no one was home.
'Hello, where are you?" Jared asked. He sounded frantic.
'I am at the hospital. What is wrong?" Nicholas asked He could hear Jared moving around, he was pacing.
'What the hell are you doing at the hospital? Astra is missing. I am sure it is that bastard Ray that took her. I would have stayed, I should have, it would have never happened," Jared said. Nicholas was not sure of what he was hearing. But he did not like it either way.
'What? Calm down Jared. Please just come to the hospital, Stephanie and Theo are here," Nicholas explained. He heard Jared halt in his steps and let out a breath.
'That is a relief at least. I am on my way," Jared said before disconnecting the call. Nicholas' mind began to travel as Jared disconnected the call. Astra was gone. She was kidnapped. Jared was right she was with Ray. Seeing the state that Stephanie was in, the woman that Ray was with for years, Nicholas did not want to imagine how Astra would be. He needed to get her out of there and fast, but how. He did not even have evidence that he was the one who kidnapped her. What if she went willingly? Nicholas was not sure what to do.
It did not help that the paramedics had not returned to say anything, neither had Sarah. Jared was still on his way to giving him the full story of Astra's disappearance. It felt like he was waiting for a dead sentence at three different angles.
'What are you thinking about?" Sarah asked and Nicholas looked at her. She looked tired but relieved. Theo was looking a lot cleaner, but he was still wearing his old clothes. He was resting his head on his mother's shoulder and his eyes were dropping. The poor child was tired. He was the one that dragged her into the mess, he needed to get her out as soon as possible.
'What did the doctor say about Theo?" He asked instead. It was a much safer topic.
'Oh, he said that he was a bit malnourished and there was little scratches on his body that he treated but he will be fine. He just needed food and rest," Sarah said and Nicholas was relieved. He took in a breath he did not know he was holding. He needed to get that bastard Ray, he was causing too much pain to his family and the people he loved. Nicholas could not tolerate that.
'Did you hear from Astra and Jared?" Sarah asked and Nicholas sighed. He was not sure he wanted to tell Sarah what happened, he did not want to worry her, but he was also sure that she would find out eventually.
'Jared called me, Astra is missing," Nicholas said, not missing a breath. Sarah frowned and held her son just a little tighter.
'What the hell? I am sure it is related to how Stephanie and Theo are back. The bastard took her," Sarah said. She sounded very angry, which was a bit weird since Sarah did not like Astra at all. It seemed that much had changed with time.
'I am waiting for Jared. He will give us all the details," Nicholas said.
'I am trying not to overthink. Anything could have happened," he continued.
'You are right," Sarah said.
'And to think Steph was asking about her. I figured she knew something was wrong with Astra," he said.
'Yes, what about Steph? Have the doctors said anything yet?" Sarah asked and he shook his head.
'Why not? It has been a while," Sarah asked. 'We should talk to the nurses and ask," she continued.
'We should," he agreed. They went on to ask about her with a nurse.
'We rushed her here. She our friend," they told the nurse.
'She is still in the woods to be honest. She lost a lot of blood and she is pregnant. I cannot be sure if she will be fine. You have to be patient," the nurse said.
'We are at the reception then, we will wait," Nicholas said and walked with Sarah in that direction.
'You should sit down. Theo is already asleep," he told his cousin. Sarah sat down and placed Theo on her thigh.
'Jared is wasting a bit of time. It has been a while. I am hoping nothing happened to him too," Sarah said and Nicholas frowned. Leave it up to Sarah to think the worse.
'He will be fine," Nicholas said and sat right beside her.
'Nicholas! Sarah!" Jared shouted when he got into the clinic. Nicholas was already dozing off but immediately became alert when he heard Jared's voice.
'Jared, what took you so long?" He asked. The younger man shrugged.
'Long story, but that's not important now. How is Stephanie?" Jared asked
'We have not been allowed to see her, she is still with the doctors," Sarah said and Jared sighed. He reached out to touch Theo's hair and feel his smooth face.
'Thank God the both of them are home though," Jared said. He looked too calm for someone that was frantic over the phone.
'What about Astra? What happened to her?" Nicholas asked. Jared took a deep breath.
'I left her at her place to pack a few clothes and that I would be back in a bit. By the time I came back, I called her line severally and she did not pick up, at first the line was busy and then it was switched off, she was talking to someone at first," Jared said.
'I went up to her room and realized that she was packing and then she stopped. Her bag was not half way filled yet. But I still saw some odd things. Someone was there after Astra and before me. Her books were scattered even her table, I wondered why she would be looking for books for an overnight trip," Jared continued and Nicholas nodded. It did not make much sense.
'So I called you to say she was missing, and I immediately suspected Ray. I went on to ask the doorman if he saw her. The door man told me that she got in and went out like one hour later, that it was not so long since she left that I came. And she left and came in on her own. But he noticed something weird when she was leaving, she didn't talk to anyone. Astra was usually very chirpy and happy, and she always greeted him, but she didn't when she was leaving. He also said that he watched her a bit that she went into the coffee shop. I know the place so I went in myself, asking around a bit I discovered that Ray was there, he was on call throughout and that Astra came to meet him there and they left together," Jared continued. Nicholas was nodding as he listened to the story, and the wheels in his head were turning.
'This is what I think happened. Nicholas called and decided to strike a deal with her. She was to exchange her freedom for that of Sarah and Theo. Astra agreed, but she probably asked for evidence, that was why she was on phone for thirty minutes, to get Stephanie and Theo to your house. He kept her on the phone for so long so that she could not call anyone else, not even us, which was very brilliant. After he told her to meet him in the cafe and she did. He probably had the place surrounded. She could not run, and so she walked to meet him the cafe and they went together," Jared said.
'It seems like you have figured everything out," Sarah said. She was smiling.
'Knowing what happened is good, but we need to get Astra out of there, as soon a possible," Nicholas said and they all agreed.