Chapter 164: Captor

Chapter 164: Captor
Third person

Valerie's blood ran cold as she stared at the picture attached to the message. It was a picture of a small boy, no more than two years old. 

The fact that he was a spitting image of Lucas Stone had goosebumps erupting all over her skin—same blue eyes, jet-black hair, nose, lips, jawline…

Val's heart rate increased. Her son was truly alive?

“We’re heading to the hospital; Mr. Stone said we're meeting him there?” Elliot asked, his hands already on the ignition.

Valerie nodded absent mindedly and he started the car.

She felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through her veins as she stuck her head outside the window. Breeze hit her face but it did nothing to calm her. She knew that she had to lose Elliot, and fast. 

As the car moved through the city, she spotted a convenience store up ahead and made a split-second decision. "I need to stop and get some water," she said suddenly.

Elliot frowned and glanced at the bottle of water sitting in the middle of the car compartment. Valerie’s eyes followed his line of sight and she noticed what he was staring at. 

Her cheeks would have flushed with embarrassment if she wasn't so anxious right now. “I just need to move my legs,” she added.

Elliot pulled up in front of the store, his eyes peeking at Valerie from the rearview mirror. She was acting weird, he thought.

Once the car stopped, Val stepped out, glancing around casually as she made her way into the store. Elliot followed.

Taking a deep, calming breath, she began browsing the aisles. 

Val picked up a bottle of water and stared at it for longer than usual, longer than needed. All the while, her peripheral vision watched Elliot—the way he kept his eyes on her like a hawk.

At this rate she wouldn't be able to get away from him.

Just then, her savior showed up—a young lady, about her age, who seemed to be interested in Elliot. 

“Uhm, hello. Any idea where the shower gels are?” she grinned, a grin that screamed ‘You're hot and I'd like us to hook up.’

The gruff-looking bodyguard glanced at the woman, wanting to ward her off and tell her that he doesn't work here, and so she shouldn't ask him questions.

Valerie took that as her cue to escape. She spotted a back door, partially hidden behind a stack of crates. Without hesitation, she made a beeline for the door, slipping out into the alleyway behind the store.

She took off in a sprint, her heart pounding in her chest. She hailed a taxi, jumping in and slamming the door shut behind her.

"Where to?" the driver asked, eyeing her in the rearview mirror.

Val took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. "The old warehouse on 5th and Main."

The driver nodded, pulling away. She leaned back in her seat, her mind reeling. 

Her son… Her son… A boy?

He was alive… Her heart pounded with both excitement and dread. Why was Matthew doing this? Why was he telling her about her boy now?

What does he want?

She pushed her thoughts aside and tried not to think about it. Her son was alive, and that's all that mattered.

When the taxi pulled up to the warehouse, Valerie's heart skipped a beat as she climbed out. She paid the driver his fare and he left. 

Once alone, her eyes roamed the building loomed above her, its abandoned facade seeming to whisper secrets in the wind.

She stepped onto the sidewalk, her palms rubbing her arms to soothe the goosebumps all over.

The warehouse seemed to stretch on forever, its shadows casting long, ominous fingers across the ground.

That feeling of dread coursed through her again, but she brushed it off immediately.

She took another deep breath as she got closer, steeling herself for what lay ahead. Whatever it was… her son was definitely worth it. She reached the creaking door, pushed it open and stepped inside.

A wave of fear washed over her as she moved deeper into the warehouse, her pulse quickening. Cobwebs hung in every corner, and dusty, fallen chairs lay scattered amongst what she assumed was rat droppings.

"Hello?" she called out, her voice echoing off the walls.

There was no response. 

When she stepped on a dusty book, dust riled up, causing her to cough and then cover her nose with her left arm. 

Val kept moving. “Hello… Matthew?”

Still no response.

A bat flew from nowhere toward her. She screamed and shielded her face, her heart drumming against her chest. Her scream had pierced through the eerie silence, sound waves of her voice bouncing back over and over again. Had she come to the wrong place?

Just as she turned around, a hand, holding a napkin, suddenly clamped over her mouth, pulling her back against a hard chest.

Valerie struggled, trying to break free. But her captor—whoever it was—was too strong, holding her in a vice-like grip.

Before she had a chance to struggle properly, she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. Her vision began to blur, and her limbs felt heavy and unresponsive.

The last thing she remembered was the feeling of being dragged away, her captor's grip firm around her waist.

And then, everything went black.