"That's okay, it will be fine too, everything will be okay," Yvonne said.
"I have to get going now. There are some things I need to do," Astra said.
"Alright then, I wish you luck. Your baby is sleeping right now, if not you would have been able to talk to him," Yvonne said.
"Yeah. I will call again, I will come to see him even," Astra said before she disconnected the call. She settled on her bed with a sigh. She felt drained from the call. She took a deep breath and then sighed before she started to pack a small bag.
She already knew what she wanted to do, she would get to Nicholas' house and then she would call Ray. She would fix a meeting and then she would go to see Ray, the GPS and recording intact. She had another plan though, she managed to get a recorder of her own, she would hide it even more that the ones they would get her. The GPS was only to get her location, and once she gets to the spot, her location would be sure. So even if they catch her with the GPS everything would be fine.
Astra was still planning in her head when her phone rang. She figured it was Jared calling her and started arranging her things faster, he was probably waiting for her downstairs. The phone kept ringing though and Astra immediately picked it, not glancing well at the person who called her.
"I am on my way. I just need a few minutes," Astra said.
"I know where you are, and I know where you are going," the voice at the other end of the phone said, it was Ray. Astra's heart beat increased massively as she struggled to breathe. Ray called her, Ray that tried to destroy her life and was currently holding a one year old and a pregnant woman in hostage because of her called her. Ray was on to what they wanted to do.
"Are you scared?" Ray asked when she did not reply. Astra could not say a word but she knew that her erratic breathing could be heard from the phone.
"You should not be scared. I will not hurt you, I would not mind hurting the baby with me though," Ray said and Astra heard a scream that clearly belonged to a child. A scream came out of her own mouth before she could contain herself. Tears rushed down her eyes before she could stop them, she didn't even want to stop them.
"Are you crying? Oh you shouldn't. What you should be doing is trying to save the baby, and your friend," Ray said. Astra's hand was shaking as she held the phone. She could barely stand, and so she sat on the bed. Her pulse rate had not decreased and it seemed like she was getting dizzy from the fear.
"I don't have much patience for children you see, nor for pregnant women," Ray continued.
"So, when should I be expecting you?" Ray asked and she heard Stephanie's scream from the background. Astra tightened her eyes in pain and more tears flowed down her eyes. It was because of her, it was all because of her. All that was happening was her fault.
"Will you let them go if I come?" Astra asked, she knew that her voice was shaky and it was give Ray a chance to exploit her, but at that point, she simply didn't care.
"Would I let them go?" Ray said slowly, with the same energy as one choosing to buy a green or a red apple.
"Oh, I don't know, depends on how much of yourself you are willing to give," Ray said and dread creeped down Astra's spine. What the hell had she gotten herself into?
"I am willing to do anything, as far as you promise to let them go," Astra said and took a deep breath. She hoped she was not making a wrong decision. She knew that it was a but reckless to make a decision at all without telling anyone in the first place, but it was an emergency and everyone would understand. Besides, she already made up her mind to set herself up as bait.
"Anything?" Ray asked from the other end of the phone. Astra took in a deep breath. She was grateful that she had called Yvonne earlier and asked of her baby.
"Yes, anything. You have to assure me that Theo and Steph will be safe though," Astra said. She was hoping that her voice sounded as confident as she needed it to be. She was already scared. She did not need him to add to her fear.
"Well, in that case, you have to meet me up at the cafe in front of your house in thirty minutes. You will be one the phone the entire time, no funny business. I will let Theo and Stephanie go and I will show the video evidence. In exactly thirty minutes, I will want you to walk out of your house and meet me in the cafe, you are not allowed to call anyone during this period. You are not also allowed to leave your house, I am outside of the cafe, and I can see you. I have eyes everywhere. If you try to contact someone then our deal is off," Ray said and Astra felt a chill go down her spine.
"What if someone tries to contact me?" Astra asked. Her voice was shaky, but she remembered that Jared was to meet her in her soon, and he might be in danger because of her.
"Jared will not be able to get to you, don't worry about your little boyfriend. Although, I would worry about your ex-husband, he keeps putting his nose where it doesn't belong. Jared is proving to be like him it seems. So, do you agree to my plan?" Ray asked. It was dawning more and more on Astra that Ray was very dangerous and that he could do a lot to her.
"You are taking too much time, you want to say no?" Ray asked and Astra swallowed. She could not seem to open her mouth, she was that scared.
"So you don't care about Theo and Steph enough. That is okay, they are not your blood. What about Yvonne and your 'baby'? Don't you care about them? I have their location in my palms and they will be gone in a flick of my finger," Ray said and Astra began to shake. She did not tell anyone about her child, not even Stephanie. She did not tell them that she had twins, but just a girl that died. Ray was not supposed to know about that, but then he did and he was already using it against her. Astra could not let anything happen to her child. She did not know what she would do to herself if something bad happened to her child.
"No! You don't have any right to touch him!" Astra shouted. She could not help herself.
"I don't? You are mine Astra, all mine. You have no right to be with anyone else. Not at all. You should be with me only me!" Ray shouted. He sounded unhinged. It was so bad that she wondered if he was supposed to be roaming. The man belonged in an asylum. Regardless of what she thought, it was too late. She had to do something of her child and her friends. She could not say no.
"I will do it," Astra said, tears rolling down her eyes.