103. The Rescue.

[Luke]
"Hey, hey, hey she's calling again." I announced as I picked up my phone.
Crystal had only let me listen to Claire's voice for a few seconds, I barely even had time to ask her how she was doing but I was glad that I had proof of life and from how she spoke, it was obvious that the baby was doing well too.
My mother had come through for me.
She had always told me that she would look after me, even if she was gone and I felt bad for doubting that for a second.
They'd tried to trace the call earlier but the location had been scrambled, proof that she was working with very qualified and experienced people.
Erik had found Claire's location but we wanted to hear what Crystal had to say before moving in and bringing Claire back home.
"The call is untraceable, don't try to trace it again." Someone whispered
"Don't argue with her, just agree to everything she says." Liam tapped me at the back and stood beside me as I placed the call on speaker.
"Hello." I spoke hurriedly.
"Your highness, I'm glad you could answer my call, hope I'm not catching you at a bad time." Crystal said, her tone mocking.
"Please just let me speak to Claire." I gritted my teeth and put my pride aside as I pleaded with her.
"Is my money ready?" She asked, ignoring what I'd just said.
"Yes, it's all ready, cash like you asked." I lied but I kept my voice breathless so she would think I was really desperate.
The truth was I really was desperate though, I was desperate to have Claire in my arms and I wasn't ever going to let go of her.
"And the helicopter?" Her voice dipped to a whisper as she asked and I frowned slightly.
Something wasn't quite right.
"It's ready." I lied again.
I suspected that Crystal wanted to double cross her associates and run away with the money and it made me a little scared because Claire would be caught in between whatever it was that she was doing.
"Good, you've been very cooperative Luke and for that I'll let you speak to your dearest but of course for a very limited time." He said and chuckled.
"Of course, I'll take it, anything, please put her on the line." My heart began to beat faster as I waited to hear Claire's voice from the other side of the phone.
The phone went silent for a while and I could only hear the clicking of heels on the floor and the sound of opening and closing doors.
"You have thirty seconds to speak to her." Crystal's voice came through and then my world calmed as I heard Claire's voice.
"Luke." She called out softly and my grip tightened around the phone.
"Sweetheart, darling I don't have much time, are you okay?" I asked hurriedly.
"Yes, I'm fine, but Luke, I—" Her voice broke as she spoke and I knew that she was crying.
"Don't cry, my love, I'm coming to get you, you'll be fine, you'll be okay, I promise, I'm sorry for not coming sooner but I'm coming, I'll get you soon."
"I know, I trust you, I'm waiting for you, come soon." Her voice sounded weak. "There's three of them, it's Crystal, a man and my father's ex—"
"She's done." Crystal snatched the phone from her and barked into the phone.
"No, no, no, heaven's no, Crystal, I beg of you, I just need a few more min—" Before I was done, the phone line went dead and I cussed loudly.
"Fuck!" I screamed and yanked onto my hair roughly.
"Calm down." Liam was by my side in an instant.
We'd all heard the conversation that just played out.
"She was fucking about to tell me something."
"Yes, she said they were three." Liam said.
"Yes, her father's ex… something and then the phone was taken from her." Erik mused out loud.
"I think now is the perfect time to bring her father in." Liam said.
"Her father?"
"Yes."
"How are we even going to explain this?"
"From what she said, it seems he has something to do with this besides he's a businessman, he's not a stranger to the world of enemies."
"Fine, but we'll never get him here in time, I need to get her back asap."
"We can't rush into this Luke and you know that, or it could be dangerous, initially we were only expecting Crystal and Sir George, now that there's a third person involved, we have to find out who the person is, we don't know what he or she is capable of right now." He said and I sighed.
"You're right."
"I know it's hard but please calm down." He patted my back and I nodded.
"We are going to need cash though, a lot of it and a helicopter." I said.
"But I thought we weren't giving her anything?" He frowned at me.
"Yes, we aren't giving her anything." I said and his face registered his understanding and then he nodded his head.
"I've got it, I'll take care of the cash and helicopter, you take care of Claire's father and find this third person." He said.
"Alright, I've got it." I picked up my phone and went outside for some air.
Mr Hamilton was a very reasonable man but it was clear that Claire was his weakness, he'd trusted me to take care of her and I felt bad that I'd failed him.
I dialed his number as I filled my air with lungs, after a few minutes, the call was connected and he picked the call almost immediately.
"Prince Luke." I could hear the excitement in his voice and I imagined him with a big smile on his face and I felt worse because I was about to wipe that smile completely from his face.
"Good day, Mr Hamilton." I said.
I hope it was, because it's about to turn dark.
"How lovely to hear from you, Luke, what seems to be the matter?"
He was a straight to business kind of man and that was why it had been easy for me to talk to him about Claire in the first place.
"I'm sorry, Sir but I haven't called to give you good news."
"What is it?" He asked, his tone turning serious immediately.
"Claire has been kidnapped." I informed him immediately and I held the phone away from my ear, expecting a slew of cusses to follow.
"Who took my child?" He asked in a very cold manner and my respect for him grew.
"We've been able to pinpoint her location and we're going to rescue her soon but we—"
"Soon, why not now?"
"We only know two of the perpetrators, one is after the ransom, the other is after my child's life while the third is unknown and their intentions too." I responded.
"You need to bring my daughter and granddaughter back home in one piece, do you hear me?"
"Of course, Sir, I'd surely bring them back safe but she mentioned something when we spoke on the phone that prompted me to call you."
"What was that?"
"She said the third person was your ex- something, the phone call ended before she could say anything else." I explained.
"My ex…" He thought for a while before he added quickly. "I'll be there in a few hours."
.
.
[Claire]
I wasn't drugged anymore after my second conversation with Luke, Crystal seemed more on edge and she was arguing with Eve and the other man a lot.
They seemed to want to carry on but she was asking for more time but they were getting really impatient as the hour went by.
I prayed that Luke would find me soon because I had no idea what they wanted to do to me.
I felt very weak and my head hurt badly. I was bleeding from the corner of my lips and also from the side of my head where Eve had hit me with a bat.
The only person who hadn't hurt me was the man but he creeped me out the most, he was always watching me like a psychopath, his eyes never leaving my belly.
I felt better after speaking to Luke but as they argued, their noise was hurting my head and I could barely make out what they were saying over all the noise.
I suddenly felt dizzy, a little lightheaded and I soon passed out from exhaustion.
I woke up a while later to someone pouring water on my face.
"Shush, be quiet or we both die." Crystal said, cutting the ropes off my hands and my legs.
I stared at her in confusion as she lifted me slightly from the chair when my hands and legs were free.
She helped me to my feet and I nearly fell because my legs could barely hold me up.
"Come on girl, I'm trying to help you and myself, you have to try to walk." She said and I steadied myself on my feet.
She took me past a secret route, we walked for a while down a dark tunnel and just as we were about to walk out into the light, a gunshot ran out behind us.
"Where the fuck do you think you're going?"