Breathtaken (Marcus Butler)

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I leaped off the sofa as if I'd just been tasered, only one thought occupying my mind; what had happened to Caspar? All sorts of things were going through my head; maybe he'd had some kind of fit, or he'd fallen out of bed and broke his spine, or, or...

"Maybe he just dropped something," Marcus suggested, like he'd read my mind. But even his calm reassurance didn't stop our ever growing curiosity. The noise was strange. It had been like a cross between a scream and a thud. If Caspar had dropped something, it must have been right on his foot causing him to yell out in pain.

"Come on," I urged, taking hold of his hand and pulling him towards Caspar's door. I noticed I was shaking when I quickly tapped it a few times with my knuckles, calling out his name. I did this three times with no reply. Marcus and I looked at each other, the anxiety present in both our expressions. Something was wrong. Without a moment more of hesitation, I yanked the handle down and bolted inside, my breathing rate having increased rapidly. You know, they say people have a sixth sense, like maybe when they subconsciously know something has happened without actually having it confirmed. Well, I definitely had a sixth sense. With the image that I was faced with in front of me, I had every right to get so worked up about a strange noise. The shards of glass having come from the smashed window reflected every fear I'd ever had. The gentle flutter of the curtains from the outside breeze was the only thing reminding me that I had not just entered some Hollywood movie set. Either he'd been in a real hurry to get out and therefore couldn't use the front door, or Caspar Lee had been kidnapped.

*

"Erm, yeah, he has blonde hair and bluey-green eyes," Marcus spoke behind me. He was on the phone to some policeman, but I tried to blot him out. One of my closest friends had been abducted from my home. That meant that either someone had been following Caspar, or someone had been meaning to kidnap me and taken him instead. But who hated me so much that they would want to get me or my friends? I couldn't work it out. I just wanted to rewind time. Maybe I shouldn't have let Caspar stay over. I doubt he would have been kidnapped in a hotel since they have security guards and all that. Oh no; he was supposed to be moving in with Alfie today! And what about Zoe? They'd been on their first date last night! Caspar had probably been on Cloud 9. He'd have had no reason to be worried about anything, least of all his safety in my house. And yet something I couldn't quite remember I'd done had taken that all away from him. I so wish I knew what!

"Hayles, you're shaking again," Marcus whispered in my ear, wrapping his strong biceps around me from where he was standing over me behind the sofa. I kissed his hand softly.

"I just...I feel bad but I don't know what for," I confessed, feeling tears threatening to fall.

"Hey, hey, it's not your fault! Come here," Marcus soothed, throwing himself over the back of the sofa beside me. He took me in his arms protectively, my head buried in his chest as I began to let it all out. I very rarely cried, especially in front of other people. But this was serious. I love Caspar like a brother, and he could be tied up to some chair in an abandoned warehouse with a guy holding him at gunpoint for all I know.

"I know this is scary, but they'll find him, okay? We can't assume the worst right now, we don't know what happened yet," he cooed, the determination to make me feel better clear in his voice. It was the same thing he did when my grandmother died. As soon as I told him, I broke down as you'd expect, and did exactly what he was doing now. He just held me there, in the middle of his hallway, rocking me back and forth in his arms as he tried to feed me words of assurance. That had also been the day Miranda met Rob, so yeah...frankly, it was a crap day on all accounts.

"I love you," I whispered, not knowing what else to say right now. Marcus was just...indescribably perfect. Without him, I could have had some mental breakdown all those years ago. And what have I ever done for him in that way? Given him my love? It's not enough. It could never repay him for what he did. And who knows how long he's been giving me his love, since that's his 'only secret'. Maybe that's why he did what he did, why he was there when I needed him most. He thought I would realise how much I...loved him.

"I love you too, Hayley. Just trust me, okay? They'll find him," he replied, looking straight into my eyes like he knew I'd understand it better. But it was unnecessary. I've always trusted him. It's not that I'm scared Caspar won't be found, it's just I feel so guilty that somehow it's my fault he's been taken. Who else's fault could it be? But before I could dwell on that thought, my phone suddenly buzzed in my pocket, sending vibrations all through my stomach. I fumbled around, trying to retrieve it from my jeans pocket, but the position I was sitting in wouldn't allow me to. Just as I was about to jump up, Marcus quickly swiped it out of my pocket like it had just been lying on a surface, his hand gently brushing the skin above my hip bone. He then passed it to me, a sympathetic look on his face. At first, I didn't know what to do; he'd never touched me there before and it had caused a weird tingling sensation, not to mention the fact I was incapable of doing something so basic that he'd had to help me.

"Thanks," I blushed, quickly taking my phone from his outstretched hand to distract me. I pressed the home button, illuminating the screen and revealing the text. But to my surprise, it was from an unknown number. Quickly, I unlocked the phone, eager to identify my mystery messenger. I scanned across the lines, but once I reached the end, I didn't stop or look up. I just stared at the last line, and suddenly my body paralyzed, causing me to drop the phone altogether. The sound of it thudding against the carpet brought me back to my senses.

"Babe, what's wrong? What did it say?" Marcus asked, bending down to pick up my discarded iPhone. He didn't wait for my reply; he just unlocked it and read the text aloud.

"I know where your friend is. The only way to save him is to pay up. Sunday, 8pm, Brighton Park. You better be there with £2000 in cash, no more, no less, or let's just say he won't exactly have a pleasant end. And don't even bother looking for him, or you'll come to an unpleasant end too," Marcus recited solemnly. The moment he stopped speaking, an eerie silence fell across the flat. My body was trembling. Caspar was in the hands of some fricking lunatic!

"Listen to me, right now," Marcus commanded, his hands either side of my face so I was forced to look at him, "No one is going to hurt you, not while I still live and breathe." I could see the pools of tears forming in his eyes, and I knew he meant every word he was saying.

"Stay here, alright? I'm gonna have to take this to the police," Marcus said, taking his arms from where they were comfortably placed around me and jumping up to his feet.

"No, no, don't! They might hurt Caspar if they find out! You can't," I cried, fresh tears already spilling from my eyes. Yes, I was terrified, but I had to protect him from the kidnappers as much as I possibly could. And there was only one way to do that; somehow...I needed to get two grand.