Rescuelander Page 2

  Scott replied, “Yeah, I did. Didn’t think much of them, though.”

  “Well, I heard a knock at the front door earlier today. I went to answer it, and when I did, there was no one there, apart from some letters made out of sticks. The letters L and S. Then an hour or so later, as I was leaving to go into town to the supermarket, I opened the door to be greeted with the letters L and S being broken up into a million little pieces, and the letter X next to it. I think someone is trying to warn me about something.”

  Scott looked at me, stunned at first, before bursting out laughing. “Oh, Letticia, your stress levels about your parents visiting must be at an all-time high. I’m sure it was nothing, just your imagination playing tricks on you.”

  “Really, Scott, that’s your answer? My overactive imagination? Well, so be it. And don’t think you are getting any loving tonight, not here or in my dreams.” I rolled over away from Scott in a huff. He tried to put his hand on my back, but I shrugged it away. I wasn’t really angry with Scott; he was right, I was stressed about my parents’ visit, and extremely tired after my half a day of cleaning. The odds of getting any loving in my dreams was also at an all-time low; I had not been able to bring Scott into my dreams for over a month now. I was not sure why, apart from the fact that maybe we had not needed to dream anymore, as we had now found each other and were where we were meant to be in reality—much to Scott’s disappointment, so he had admitted to me a few days earlier. Scott was starting to miss our little escapes from reality in the form of my dreams.

  Life, however, was just busy, and it was not about to slow down anytime soon with the welcoming visit from my parents the next day, and the creative stick exhibition that had opened up outside my front door, which would be revealed in the coming days.

  The next morning, I awoke feeling calm and relaxed as my eyes slowly opened. I snuggled down beneath the covers to find every bit of warmth I could in this cold Scottish winter climate. It took me a good minute or two to realise that today was the day my parents were arriving from Australia. When the thought finally crossed my mind, I bolted upright in a state of panic. I quite easily could have jumped out of bed at that very minute like a tornado ready to pick up any crumb or foreign object that was out of place in Swans Cottage, and in all fairness I was halfway out of bed and the eye of the tornado had already formed to a category six, until something weakened it back down to a category two, in the form of a very handsome Scottish man who had somehow slid his hand down inside my flannelette pyjama pants. There was no sexy black lace nightie this time because one, it was far too cold at this time of year, and two, I could turn Scott on no matter what I wore. He loved me for me; I really did find the guy of my dreams—literally.

  As Scott’s hands moved down further, I could feel this tornado weakening even more, to at least a category one, with just the slight chance of a rainstorm on the horizon. And it was about to cause a lot of moisture down below in the eye of this tornado.

  Scott pulled me back in towards him in a spoon-like position. His hand was still hovering in the eye of the tornado region, working its magic. He slowly pulled down my flannelette pyjama pants and slid himself right on in. It was safe to say this tornado was well and truly dissipated, and all its power had been handed over to the man who was now kissing my neck ever so slowly and whispering in my ear, “It’s going to be okay, Kevin and Olive are so easygoing, I’m not sure why you are so stressed out, Letticia.”

  I stopped moving and looked over my shoulder at Scott in shock. This category-one tornado was gaining momentum again, and it was about to become a full-blown category six! Who in their right mind talks about one’s parents when they are making passionate love with their significant other.

  “Really, Scott? Kevin and Olive? You want to talk about Kevin and Olive now? Well, newsflash, weather report at 7:00 a.m. has just come in—this tornado has just arrived in the Sahara desert, meaning, if you don’t get my drift, that it’s completely and utterly dry now, and ready to destroy whatever is in its path.” And with that said, I pulled up my flannelette pyjama pants and rapidly rotated my hard round arse out of the bedroom, down the newly renovated hallway, and into the kitchen, where I proceeded to make myself a cup of Scottish Blend tea with a splash of Scotland’s finest organic milk, along with one or two traditional Scottish shortbreads. I did contemplate opening up a can of Grant’s Premium Haggis but chose otherwise. There was not much choice of breakfast anyway after my shopping choices yesterday.

  I needed to calm down before Polly and Leah woke up, so I decided the only way to do so, that would not require Scott’s help, was to watch an episode of Outlander and get my Jamie fix for the day.

  This was short-lived, however, as a few minutes in I was interrupted by James arriving to pick Sophie up. They were still both in the everything-revolves-around-each-other stage of their relationship and very loved up. They had yet to have their first fight. Don’t get me wrong, Scott and I are still very much in a passionate and loving, out-of-this-world relationship, but it’s somewhat different, and I guess we are on more of a mature level than James and Sophie, who do not have the same responsibilities as Scott and I do.

  Before James had even stepped foot inside, Sophie was there to greet him. James picked up Sophie and swung her around as he kissed her good morning. Anyone would have thought they had been apart for a year or so and not only one night, after James left Swans Cottage after dinner last night.

  As I sat watching them, drinking a cup of Scottish Blend tea and dunking a shortbread into it, I realised Scott was right. Why was I being so hard on him? More than anything, at that very moment I wanted Scott to come and pick me up swing me around and kiss me good morning, just as James had done to Sophie moments before. Instead I got a very annoyed-looking Scott, dressed in his work uniform, who walked straight past me as he went to grab a shortbread from the packet sitting on the kitchen bench for his breakfast, and then grabbed a can of Premium Haggis from the pantry for his lunch with much disgust upon his face. He collected his car keys and bag and headed off to work, without a single glance in my direction, or a single goodbye kiss, let alone a single word to me.

  I had never seen Scott so annoyed or upset with me before. I had been in a funny place the last few days, and in all fairness, I had not been very nice to Scott, and I was now feeling rather down and guilty.

  Scott, James, and Sophie had now all left, leaving me alone in the kitchen with my thoughts on how I had treated Scott. There was only one thing to do in a time like this: unpause Outlander.

  I managed to almost get a whole episode in before Polly and Leah come rushing out from their bedroom as if it was Christmas morning. “Grandad and Grandma are coming,” they both yelled at the top of their lungs.

  I had to pause the last five minutes of Outlander—not that it really mattered since I knew what was going to happen, after watching it so many times before. I had lost count of how many times I had even watched this particular episode.

  “Yes, girls, Grandad and Grandma will be landing in Scotland just before lunch.” We had organised James to pick them up from the airport, him being our very own personal Uber driver and all. James had fitted into the King/Little clan like he had been a part of it forever, and there was no denying how much in love with Sophie he was. It looked like Sophie and I had both found ourselves hot Scottish heartthrobs to call our own; however, I wasn’t sure I had a very tight grip on mine at the moment. I’d sent a text to Scott to apologise for my behaviour over the last few days but had yet to get a reply. Scott was normally good at replying to my texts in a timely manner, but not this morning. Whatever point he was trying to get across, it was working.

  After checking my phone for the one hundredth time with still no reply, I decided to switch it off and forget about it for a while. I still had to get the girls’ lunches packed and get them off to school. I needed to focus and complete this task without the distraction of my phone.

  Chapter Four

  After sch
ool drop-off, I arrived back to Swans Cottage with one thing on my mind: getting back in front of the log fire for a few hours before my parents arrived. I was dressed in my lazy clothes—a comfortable pair of trackies and hoodie—well suited for pottering around Swans Cottage.

  I stepped over the pile of sticks that had yet to be cleaned up from the front doorstep and proceeded to walk in the direction of the couch, which was conveniently situated in front of the fireplace. I decided to focus on applying for some catering jobs online for the next hour or so, as I had promised Scott I would. So with great difficulty, I kept my phone turned off.

  My master plan was cut short, however, when Sophie and James returned home from their breakfast date. James didn’t stay long, though, as he had a few things to do at university before he headed off on his first Uber job for the day, which was to pick my parents up from the airport. James also offered to pick the girls up from school that afternoon and surprise them with my parents in the car. It was such a lovely idea of James’s that I just had to agree. This left just Sophie and I at home for a few hours together. We decided to watch Outlander from the very beginning, as Sophie had pointed out only days earlier that she had never seen the series. I was not at all shocked at this statement, after witnessing the same scenario in my coma dream.

  Before we turned on the first episode, Sophie confronted me and asked straight out if Scott and I were okay, adding she could feel the tension between us the last few days. I assured her all was well, and that we were both just exhausted after the Swans Cottage extension, and a bit stressed out with trying to be ready for when my parents arrived. At that moment, I looked over at my phone, and my willpower almost gave in. I was about to pick it up and turn it back on, check if Scott had replied, but Sophie had just pressed Play on Outlander, and the sound of Jamie Fraser’s voice distracted me from my phone obsession.

  I sat there half watching Outlander and half rereading the journal I had started to keep about my dreams. It was refreshing to sometimes look back over it and try to come up with more conclusions on why this was happening to me.

  We were halfway through the first episode and Sophie was already hooked. Her eyes were glued to the screen, and she didn’t even notice me get up to put the jug on, or Brysen and Bonnie turn up. They both came straight into the kitchen to chat to me while we left Sophie to her newfound obsession. Brysen had a concerned look on his face, while Bonnie looked to be supporting him, her arm linked into his and a look of empathy upon her face.

  “Are you two okay?” I asked before even saying hello. Brysen got right to it. He never was one to hide or hold things in, just like his father; however, not today, his father was holding everything in. Shame he couldn’t have taken a leaf out of his own son’s book today. He knew how important open communication was to me.

  “Well no, it’s not okay, Letticia. We have just come from my mother’s place, and she has obviously been drinking. She had a guy with her I have never seen before. They were acting very strange. Bonnie and I didn’t stay, we had to get out. I’m worried about her. She’s up to something. This guy she was with? He looked like he was up to no good, either.”

  I looked at Brysen and could see pain in his eyes. This was his mother he was talking about. Children should never feel worried for their parents, it’s the parents’ job to make their children feel safe and secure, which his mother was not doing a very good job of with Brysen.

  “Oh, Brysen, I think leaving and coming here was the best idea, especially if she is drinking and socializing with a random guy.”

  Brysen agreed. “Well, we have band practice anyway, so I’ve just come to pick up my bagpipes.”

  “Are you all prepared for your parents’ arrival?” Bonnie asked, trying to change the subject.

  “As ready as I will ever be,” I replied.

  “Well I must say, I have never seen Swans Cottage looking so spick-and-span,” Bonnie joked.

  “Well thank you, Bonnie, I hope it stays that way,” I said.

  After Brysen and Bonnie left for band practice, and I finally sat back down with Sophie, who had not moved an inch the whole time, I continue watching Outlander with her; however, I was once again interrupted by a knock at the door.

  “Don’t worry, I will get it,” I teased, as Sophie did not react in the slightest to the knock.

  I turned the doorknob and opened the door quickly, not wanting to let the warm air escape from inside, thanks to the well-lit log fire. I was surprised once again to be greeted by nobody. I did, however, know from past experiences to look down at my feet, and there it was—the creative fairies had been at it again. This time they had made an arrow out of sticks, pointing in the opposite direction towards the driveway. My gaze was drawn in that direction, and no sooner had I looked up, I saw a strange, unfamiliar van parked in our driveway. My gut-feeling was not good. I backed myself up until I was inside, and slammed the door shut and locked it without another moment’s thought. Sophie, still oblivious to the situation unfolding around her, continued watching Outlander, until I grabbed the remote and turned it off unexpectedly.

  “Hey, what did you do that for?” she asked, sounding annoyed.

  “Outlander can wait, Sophie. I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but we have something more important on our hands.”

  “Like what?” Sophie asked, confused at such a statement coming from me.

  “Like a possible home invasion, or a possible robbery. I don’t know, Sophie, but there is a random van parked in the driveway, after we just got a random knock at the door with nobody on the other side.”

  Sophie looked at me like I had lost the plot, and at that very moment, I wished that was all it was. But I knew I hadn’t; I knew this was not good.

  Sophie, on the other hand, unaware of the creative stick artwork we had been finding on the front doorstep for the last few days, thought nothing of it, and proceeded to open the front door.

  “Sophie, you can’t go out there, are you crazy?” I said in a panic.

  “Letticia, get a grip, it’s a van in the driveway, no doubt dropping off a parcel or something. Let’s just go suss it out so I can get back to my Jamie Fraser.”

  I went to grab Sophie’s arm to pull her back inside, but it was too late, she had already gone out the front door and was out of arm’s reach. It was freezing outside, so I grabbed both our winter coats, which were hanging up by the door, and slipped on my boots over my woolly socks. I also grabbed my journal is case anything interesting was about to happen, and because it was raining, I stuffed it into my shoulder bag and slung it across my body.

  I ordered Sophie to wait up. She was halfway down the stairs of the veranda when she stopped and waited for me. I threw her coat to her to put on, along with her boots.

  “Thanks, Mum,” she teased.

  “Hey, if we are going to die, I would rather die warm,” I said half-jokingly.

  “Come on, Letticia, stop being such a pussy and come get your mail delivery from Postman Pat, would you.” Sophie laughed.

  “Postman Pat had a red van and a black cat, Sophie, and I see neither. Do you?” I said, fully serious. Sophie grabbed my arm and dragged me over to the unoccupied van.

  “I’m going back,” I said to Sophie once we had almost reached the van. I was in shock all of a sudden, scared to breathe. Everything felt like it was going in slow motion, and silence filled the air, like the calm before the storm.

  “Hello, anyone there? Can we help you?” Sophie said, hoping to get an answer from someone, but no reply was given. So Sophie repeated herself. “Hello, I said can we help you? Are you lost?”

  We walked around the van twice, trying to figure out what was going on. Sophie led the way as I followed, frightened, behind her. We stopped alongside the sliding door on the side of the van, both looking dumbfounded and unsure what to do next, when all of a sudden, the door slid wide open, and out jumped two people with black balaclavas covering their faces. They grabbed us both and pulled us inside before sl
iding the door shut again, then pushed us onto the floor of the van, both of us hitting our heads hard enough that we blacked out.

  When we came to, we could feel the van was moving—and we were now tied up.

  “What is happening?” Sophie asked with fear in her voice.

  “I have no idea, but none of this would be happening if you had just listened to me in the first place, Sophie, and stayed inside,” I replied, annoyed and in pain, my head throbbing.

  “Oh, so this is my fault now, is it?” Sophie said angrily.

  “Yes, pretty much, it is,” I replied.

  We both went silent for the next few minutes, not willing to accept responsibility for the situation we now found ourselves in. During the silence, I reached into my pocket, looking for my phone to text Scott like I had always done when I was in trouble, which come to think of it, was quite a lot. Poor Scott, he really did put up with a lot of drama that involved me being the main instigator.

  I fumbled around and checked both pockets, confused as to where my phone was, until I remembered it was switched off and sitting on the kitchen bench. It was then I decided to be the bigger person and break the silence first. “Sophie, do you have your phone on you?” I asked, frightened to hear the answer, which I knew was going to be a big fat no. I remembered seeing it plugged in and charging back at Swans Cottage while Sophie was engrossed watching Outlander.

  “No, I didn’t think about grabbing it to investigate a random van in the driveway,” Sophie replied smartly.

  “Well then, we are completely and utterly screwed in that case,” I replied before going back into silent mode.

  The van we now found ourselves in had completely blacked-out windows on both sides. The only window uncovered was the back window, so at least we could see where we were going. We were unable to see or hear our two captors, who were oblivious to what we were doing in the back from what I could tell. They were both up the front in the driver and passenger seats, a built-in divider separating the two sections of the van. There were no seats in the back, Sophie and I had been chucked into the rear of an empty panel van with nothing but a few empty, discarded takeaway food bags and what looked like an empty bottle of whiskey.