Love's Arithmetic

X: Foreboding

Garrett wasn't sure what to make of Sylvia's violent spewing of words. He was certain that if he was within reach, she would attack him. Although he couldn't blame her, nothing in their research had said that Sylvia wore glasses or contacts. It always took a lot to surprise him, he had always in the past protected himself against such things by always doing his research. How had this little detail gotten past him?


"There's nothing that can be done about it now." He said in a chilling voice. Sylvia was causing him much more trouble than he had ever anticipated. He wasn't sure how much longer he was willing to deal with her. Even after her boyfriend paid the money to keep her alive, she would still be used as leverage, he wasn't looking forward to dealing with her.


"Nothing can be done? I can't see! How can you do this to me?" Sylvia cried, it was bad enough that she had to suffer confinement in a tiny prison cell like room, but she also had to suffer blindness.


"Nothing can be done because there is no way to access what you need." Garrett said impatiently. Didn't she understand that small fact. Unless he wanted to risk getting caught and losing everything, she was going to remain blind.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Sylvia Nicolson had had the best weekend of her life. It was good, though, to be back in her apartment building. Holding hands with Howard Hunt she opened the door with her key, but was stopped from proceeding as she inspected the damage done to her apartment. The front hall was hardly disturbed, other than a table knocked over, but the living room was a mess. It looked as though someone had searched through every bit of her life.


She felt a small fission of fear as she wondered about Caer, she had been taking care of her dog, she hoped she hadn't been in here when it happened surely it had happened after she had left. Where was her dog? Maybe Caer had taken him to her apartment for the night. Her hypothesis was stopped when she heard a whining and a scratching from the door to the bathroom.


Opening the door she discovered the dog who had been locked inside for who knew how long. The poor thing had urinated on the floor, but she didn't blame him, why had Caer locked him in the bathroom? Unless she hadn't, the people who ransacked her house had.


"Sylvia!" Howard called to her from the kitchen. "We need to call the police, immediately."


"Of course, hopefully they'll be able to figure out who trashed the apartment."


"No, come look at this." Howard sounded worried, and scared. Knowing that he was scared made Sylvia terrified. She realized what he was talking about the moment she got to the kitchen. A picture of Caer, gagged with what looked like duct tape, was lying on the counter next to a typed note declaring the words: We have Sylvia Nicolson, if you wish for her to remain alive, you will wait for further instructions.


"Oh no."


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


"Detective Crandall, can you tell us anything?" Sylvia asked as she handed the man the cup of coffee he had requested. He was a tall man, wiry and athletic. His light brown eyes watched under busy eyebrows that looked too big for his face. His mouth was small, pursed, over a large gap in his two front teeth.


He looked at her carefully before nodding his head. "There's not a lot that we know right now. Our conclusion is that the men came in here while Miss Ash was caring for your dog. We believe that they mistook her for you, thereby taking her and demanding the ransom they would have gained from you. It is rather obvious why they would target you, Ms. Nicolson, after all you are much more influential and more, noticed than Miss Ash."


Sylvia looked at the man helplessly. Her friend had been doing a favor to her and she had been kidnapped in the process. It was horrible to think of bright cheery Caer lost, scared, and helpless. She had always been so bright and funny, so optimistic. When Sylvia had confided in her that she was lonely, it had only been a matter of days before she had discovered a man that was perfect for her. Now she only hoped that she could do something for her friend in return.


* * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * *


Caer sat like a small child in time out on her bed. She had her arms crossed and was glaring at, what she thought was, the door. The handsome man had left through it in a fury after she had yelled at him and thrown her food at him. Now, she couldn't see where it had landed, but she was certain that even if some of it was salvageable, she couldn't reach it because of the horrible shackle still attached to her ankle.


That had been over an hour ago. She was now hungry and scared. What if the men decided to starve her to death because she wasn't worth the work anymore?





The door creaked open and she felt instant relief, they hadn't forgotten her after all! The terror set in when no one called out. There was no familiar taunt of 'duchess' and hardly a sound as they walked across the floor. She could make out a very fuzzy outline, but not enough to tell her who it was, except that it wasn't the handsome man. He was much more muscular than this sellout. She didn't realize the real danger until the man was upon her, crushing her down into the mattress and pressing his wide hand down on her mouth to stifle her screams.