Saving Grace

47

What do you mean he's gone? Who is Nicholas?"

I punched in Godric's number; put the phone to my ear.

"There's something I didn't tell you, Grace. And I need you to promise you won't get mad."

"I can promise I will get madder if you don't tell me."

I gulped, heard the desperate ringing of my mobile when another noise caught my attention – another phone, its deep metallic shrill leaking into the street. I frowned.

"Is that – "

"Home phone," she said.

I pressed my lips together.

"Here, take this. Tell Godric that Nicholas took Scott and to get over here as fast he can."

I threw the cell into her shaking hands and ran for the house. That home phone never rang. There was no way it was a coincidence.

"Hello?"

A deep, amused chuckle echoed across the line.

"Hello, Mr Downing."

I paused, swallowed the lump in my throat.

"It's you," I said.

"Yes, it's me."

His voice wasn't how I remembered from that night on the street – it was clear, concise. Every pause and every breath was meticulously planned, as if he knew something I didn't.

"Where is he?"

"Oh, your brother? Why, he's right here."

A loud, agonising scream pierced the air, punctured the fragile line. My muscles tensed, jaw locking, colour draining.

"What do you want?"

"Well, right now, I want to play a little game with your big brother." Another scream rang out, desperate and fractured, like a broken mirror. "It looks like he's losing."

"Fuck you," I growled through my teeth. "You didn't take him just to torture him. You want something. So just tell me what it is and I will give it to you."

"So direct," he chuckled. "All you youngsters, always so impatient. Where's the fun in all this?"

"This isn't funny, Nick."

"Nick? Oh, darling, I'm afraid you have got me all wrong."

I paused.

"Well, if you're not Nick, who are you?"

"You may call me Albert." He paused. I felt a smile curling up on his twisted lips. "Think of me as the other side of Nick's proverbial coin."

I thought about the file, the abuse...

"Fine, Albert. What do you want? Why are you doing this?"

"Well, Mr Downing, I'm doing this because you and your little girlfriend have caused me quite a lot of trouble these past few months and I need to put an end to such trouble before things get too out of hand."

The front door swung open and Grace burst through it, phone clutched to her ear.

"I'm afraid I don't understand," I said, meeting her eyes. "And I understand even less what this has to do with my brother."

"Well," he said. "Let me put this simply, shall I?" Albert took a deep breath and I watched Grace frantically scribble in my textbook, sat on the kitchen counter. "You and Grace will go the fridge," Albert demanded. "On it, there is a set of co-ordinates I left you under the Santorini magnet. You and your sweetheart will get in her car and drive until you find the abandoned house where I am holding your brother. You will not be armed. You will not call the police. You will come alone, and when you arrive, you will give me Grace and I will graciously give you your brother."

Grace tucked the pen into her pocket, met my eyes, held up her sign.

DON'T MAKE ANY DEALS – GODRIC.

I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip, tasted blood.

"And what if I can't do that?"

"Then I strongly encourage you to go outside and look in your mailbox."

I furrowed my eyebrows, felt my lips part ever so slightly. Oh no. No, no, no. I burst into the front yard, ripped open the letterbox, and saw my brother's mangled ear left to rot in the summer sun. I gasped, stumbled backwards until my knees gave way and my throat closed over.

"Your destination is about a four and a half hour drive from Grace's house. I've decided to be lenient and give you five hours to get here and give me Grace before I take your brother, disappear, and start mailing you the trophies from our little game of Ling Chi." Albert paused, and I heard the sick grin curl in his lips. "I'll see you soon, Mr Downing."

He hung up.

© A.G. Travers 2018