Chapter Three

Tyler's POV

"What are we going to tell Carla?" My words come out numb and slow. I don't sound like myself. I don't feel like myself.

"The truth" Jerry mutters pacing again.

"She'll kill us".

"You both deserve anything she throws at you" she's going to fucking kill us right here in this house. I ponder over that as we wait. That's all we've seemed to do these last four days. Wait. Hope. Procrastinate. Wallow.

We managed to get the footage from Annie's cctv far sooner than I expected. It wasn't even an hour before Mark, whoever the fuck that is, called back.

We gather around the desk as he speaks on loud speaker.

"Someone's working from the inside. The original files were saved to the server and had been replaced with a loop recording for forty minutes looping three minutes to make it look like no one had come and gone.... Can you teams call me?".

"Sure Mark" Jerry puts the phone down immediately calling Mark back on teams. A guy, probably around my age with a buzz cut flashes on the screen our eyes meet and for some reason I swear I recognise him, but from where, god knows and I don't have the patience to think about it right now.

"Hey.... Oh who are they?"

"My son in laws. Tyler and Callum" I almost want to laugh that we are his son in laws now.

How long have I waited to hear that? The acceptance that I never knew I wanted or needed. Son in law.

My chest squeezes as I realise he's truly accepted the fact that we're together, Zach and I. And Callum and Violet too it seems. I look to him for a moment then back at the screen. Son.

Finally I am his son.

I have a dad.

Fuck Zach will kill you for thinking like this.

"Nice to meet you. Uh so yeah. The originals were kept on the server so obviously someone wanted a copy but didn't have enough time to download and delete. I'm just going to screen share the cctv feeds from December second at 12.16. As you can see Zachary is walking along the front of the building he enters. Has a chat with one of the lower reception staff before jumping into the first lift on the right hand side. I'm just going to change the feed.... There you go this is the internal lift ones cctv he rides straight up to the third floor which is Dr Greenes offices. Jumping out he waves to the receptionist, I believe is named Bridget.... Jumping to hallway cam one and you see him walk down the hallway to Dr Greenes consultation room. He helps himself into the room, without knocking. Let me just jump to the other files here.... Give me a second. These files I had to barter off the doctor. She said they are private and confidential files only recorded for the purpose for personal protection if she was attacked.... There you go. As you can see Violet Stephenson was with the doctor for around eighteen minutes before Zach turn't up. If you watch he helps himself into the room at 12.30 and they leave just over a minute later walking back out into the hall. I'm just going to jump back to the other files..... there you go they walk hand in hand down the hallway past the receptionist into the waiting lift. This is external parking lift one out of one they rode down and immediately exited the lift walking toward Miss Stephenson's car. As you are about to see Zach is attacked whilst Violet's back is to him. Mr Henry Cambers is holding what we perceive as a loaded gun with a silencer on it to Zach's temple. Assailant one grabs Violet as she is talking and she manhandles him to the floor" we all watch avidly as Mark outlines the important parts of the cctv that he's probably watched multiple times. My stomach is knotting as I watch them being abducted in broad day light "as you see Violet, Miss Stephenson willing goes with Mr Cambers but your son. Zach does not".

"She went because of him" I say to no one. She went because they hurt him, threatened him. She's an idiot.

"Uh, well yes I agree Tyler. She went because she was given no choice but the court of law will argue she went willingly".

"Yes well. Either way she didn't go willingly did she? So have this sent to Officer Kind and Judge Kinford. I want the warrants out for these men's arrests and I want my son home within the week".

"Sir. Do I have permission to hack the personal tracking chips?".

"How did you know about them?" I ask him looking through the screen. Who are you Mark?.

"I made them" it's like a light bulb flicks in my head. It's been nine years but shit. Is that Hanson? He was but a kid when we decided to get these chips.

"Mark Hanson?" He nods cautiously. Fuck.

"You hired him?" I say turning to Jerry livid.

"Everyone deserves a second chance Tyler".

"Oh of course everyone does. How do we know it's not him?" The things this man has done with the information these chips give. I want to pull the man through the screen and punch his fucking face but I can't.

"Mark did his time and has been helping people since getting out of jail. This isn't him Tyler. You can trust me on that".

"Trust you? I trust you as much as I trust him".

"You have permission Mark. Find my son" Jerry closes down the teams call then and I can't help my outburst.

"He's a fucking criminal. Do you now how many people he stole from?".

"I know everything, I was his lawyer. Tyler he isn't like that anymore. He's changed".

"No one changes" I poke his chest with my finger. You haven't changed I want to say but I don't. I can't.

I don't want to awaken that person inside of him.

"I know your stressed Tyler. They will be home soon I promise" promise? Like he promised to love his child yet beat him?.

"You and I both know that everyday they are there. Everyday he has Violet he's doing unspeakable things to her. And you I both know Zach loves to hard not to retaliate. He will get himself killed and he will do it without thinking. I'll never see him again Jerry. I need him. Don't let this happen".

"I'm aware..." he sighs holding my shoulder " look I know you don't trust me, and I know why but I wasn't the one that left it four days before asking for help" we stand staring each other off. It's me who breaks eye contact when someone knocks at the door. I step back falling in to the chair I was sitting in previously. Mother fuck what have I done?.

"Come in darling" Carla opens the door with a huge smile on her face talking in that animated voice she has "Liz is here darling, dinner is ready" That is until she looks between the three of us. Then that smile drops. Her eyes shuttering like Zach's do.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you had company" the clever woman that she is she looks between the three of us suspiciously. Her eyes lingering to long on me. The only person in this room that can't hide shit.

"Don't worry about that dear. Is there enough for two more?" Jerry talks to her as if nothings wrong. How does he do that?.

"Where's Zach and Violet?" She asks coyly.

"They didn't come dear just these two".

"Alright, I'll dish them some dinner too".

I wait until she's left the room and then wait a few minutes more to know she isn't stood outside.

"Are you fucking kidding me Jerry? How do you expect me to sit there across the table from both of my mothers and lie".

"You will keep your mouth shut until they've had dinner" my teeth grind at his demand.

Dinner is a tense affair. I barely touch the tangine Carla has prepared. I've barely touched anything for days. Zach is missing. Henry has him. Henry has her. I want them home, need him home. Callum sits next to me tapping his foot furiously. It's gets so bad that I have to place my hand on his thigh to stop Carla from staring. Because she stares, that's all she has done.

"Come sit down dear" he motions for Carla to stop cleaning the table. I don't lift my gaze to hers, I don't dare look her in the eye. I am not a good liar. Not like Jerry. And then there's my mother sitting next to me chatting away about her coming weekend away.

"I do not want to sit Jerry. I can feel the tension between the three of you?".

"I need you to sit dear".

"Why?".

"Come.. there that's better isn't it?" Jerry turns to look right at her, closing the rest of us out. "I have some bad news and I need you to stay calm dear" Carla looks at him with a slack mouth and though she remains silent I can see the emotions building. She's so much like Zach "Darling Zach and Violet have been missing for four days darling".

"What?" She sits up straight in the chair as her hand flies to her chest "what did you just say, because I swear it sounded like you said our son is missing".

"He is dear".

"No! No, no, no. How? When?".

"Henry Camber took them on December second".

"Four days ago. He's been missing for four days and you've kept that a secret from me? Jerry Arthur Henderson. How could you keep such a thing from me? My baby is missing and you think I didn't need to know. How dare you?" She stands abruptly shouting her words at Jerry and I almost feel sorry for him, I almost confess that it was me that had kept this a secret but he stuns me with what he says.

"I'm sorry dear, I thought maybe they eloped I didn't think it was this serious. Please forgive me dear" liar, fucking liar. How did he learn to lie through his teeth like that? My own leg starts to jump up and down. I only know because my mother places her hand on my

leg as I did for Callum.

"You need to find him Jerry. I need him home" she sniffs as tears start to fall down her cheeks. Leaving wet track marks. Her face looks like my soul.

"Why didn't you tell me Tyler?" My mother whispers to me. And I can't bring myself to turn to her. I know what will looking back at me. I can hear the hurt in her voice that I didn't divulge something so important.

"We'll be leaving" I say when I've had enough of watching Carla ball her eyes out into Jerry's lying fucking chest.

"No you won't. It's not safe for you to go home. The two of you can stay in Zach's room".

"There's no need Jerry. We'll go home" I say as I stand up fully intending to leave this house. To leave my mothers so I don't have to sit and lie to them, so I don't have to keep up with Jerry's concocted version of the truth.

"Enough of your bullshit. Your staying here end of discussion son" Jerry gives me that look. The one he normally gives Zach.

"With all due respect sir we would like to stay at home just incase they come home" Callum fights my corner, our corner standing next to me, his hand brushing my fisted one.

"No! I don't have enough man power to search for the four of you. You'll stay here where you are safe, you've seen how easily they covered their tracks. I won't have the four of you taken. I don't need to worry about the two of you too. Just stay. Do as your told. That's an order".

"I agree Tyler, I don't want you to go home" my mother pulls at my arm. Jerry and I stare each other down even though I know I won't win. I won't go against him. I know the price we will pay if I do.

"Looks like we are staying Callum".