Destined By Fate

Chapter 21- Something Is Wrong

Kendall's POV

I immediately leave the school building and know the first place I have to go. I have to go see if his mom is still home and ok. I go there and see her car is still in the driveway. I peek inside and it seems to be untouched. I knock on the door and she answers quickly.

"What are you doing here?" She asks rudely.

I don't take it personally. I know why she is always on edge.

"Listen, I know you hate me and you don't trust me but Anthony was taken from school today by someone claiming to be his father and he left all his things at school. Something is very wrong." I tell her on the brink of tears.

She instantly breaks down and I have to scoop her up in my arms and bring her back inside so she doesn't bring attention to us. Who knows who is watching? I shake that creepy feeling off and do my best to hold it together while his mom is falling apart.

"Oh God they took him!! They took my baby!!" She screams and cries.

"Listen, everything is going to be ok. We are going to find him. I won't rest until we do." I tell her honestly.

I will be damned if I let someone take him away from me.

"Why do you care?! I thought you hated him?" She says.

I am not going to let her know that I know everything yet.

"I could never hate him. He was my best friend and he still is. I lost him once and I will NOT lose him again!" I say determined.

She smiles at me through her tears. "What do we do next?" She asks me.

"I think we have to wait to see if he contacts us. I am not sure who took him or what they want but they are messing with the wrong people." I tell her.

We sit there trying to make conversation waiting to hear something from Seth. Suddenly her phone rings startling us both. It's from a blocked number.

"Baby is that you?" She answers hysterically and puts it on speaker phone.

"Yeah mom. They made me call you. They have been watching us for a year. They have known where we were since then." He tells her.

Suddenly a voice with a strong Russian accent gets on the phone.

"Listen, we know where you are. We have known for a while but we are not worried about you. We know your husband is still alive. But they are hiding him a little too well. We kept thinking he would slip up eventually and come to see you but he never does. Give us his location." They demand.

I look at Seth's mom and I can tell she is freaking out internally.

"I don't know his location. He has never told us." She says shakily.

"Liar!!!" They scream.

"No, no I swear they won't tell us. I haven't seen him in 6 years. I thought he was dead too." She says crying.

"Listen here bitch. You find out his location by noon tomorrow or I slit your son's throat."

We both gasp at that and the water works start as the guy hangs up.

"No! No! Seth!!" I scream but it's no use.

We both cry hysterically for several minutes. I try to pull myself together. I need to think clearly. I text my mom telling her I am staying at Julie's house tonight. I need to be here for Seth's mom and to help think of a plan. Then I start asking Mrs. Tarantino questions.

"Can you get ahold of Mr. Tarantino?" I ask her.

"No, he calls from an unidentifiable phone number once a month. He tried not to make anything look suspicious. We have moved all around the country trying to escape these men but we always would get information from the Feds that they were tracking us again. These men are good. Every time they think they have caught them and try to bust them they come up empty handed." She tells me.

"Is there another government official that you can contact?" She looks at me suspiciously. I am sure she is wondering how I knew anything but now is not the time. Then all of the sudden it's like a light bulb went off.

"I know who I can call that will get ahold of him." She says as she starts looking through her phone frantically for the number.

She talks to the person on the other end of the phone explaining the situation. Within a few minutes she is getting a phone call.

"Justin, oh God they have our boy!!" She cries hysterically.

"I don't want to give them your location but I have to save our son!" She says frantic.

"Denise I know. I am going to text you my address. This is my real address please give it to them. I am going to let them take me. I can't do this anymore. I am tired of running and tired of putting you in danger. I love you and will always love you. Tell Seth I love him too." He says solemnly.

Mrs. Tarantino sobs uncontrollably for a few moments before telling him she loves him too and hanging up with him. A few seconds go by and the phone dings with the address. Huh. He is in Texas. No wonder Seth wanted to go there after graduation. He wanted to be closer to his dad. They knew which state he was in even if they didn't know the exact location. So now we have to sit here and wait for the phone to ring so we can tell them.

We stay up talking all night knowing we both can't possibly sleep. I admit to her that Seth told me everything and she figured it was a matter of time before he did. But she also knows that it wasn't anything that we did that led them to us. She tells me more about what his father did to these Russians to piss them off so badly, now that the cat is out of the bag. He apparently got some Russian leader in a lot of trouble and he was put in prison for life. Some of his supporters and people that worked with him are the ones that have been seeking revenge on Mr. Tarantino.

"They aren't going to rest until he is in prison or dead. They left him thinking he was dead once. Now they are going to make sure they finish the job." She says as she sobs. I do my best to console her.

"Thank you Kendall. I am so sorry I treated you badly and didn't think we could trust you. I was wrong. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here with me." She says.

I just smile back at her and tell her "it's been my pleasure."

At some point we must have nodded off while sitting at the kitchen table because we wake with a startle as the phone rings loudly in our ears. Mrs. Tarantino answers it quickly and puts it on speakerphone. Before she even has a chance to say anything they ask, "Do you have the address?" They ask gruffly.

"Yes. It's 13789 10th Avenue, Galveston, TX 77550." She says shakily.

"Smart lady. Tell him that he had better not try to pull anything funny like have the Feds ready to pick us up. He had better be alone. Once we figure out he is alone, we will let the boy go." The man says cryptically.

"Wait. That's not what you said..." she tries to say but he hangs up.

"Oh God, what if they lied and they kill them both!!" She screams and cries.

"Stop. Don't think that way." I tell her.

"Please call your contact and have them let your husband know not to have anyone there to try to intercept the men. We have to hope and pray that they both make it out ok. We can't give up yet." I tell her desperately trying to believe my own words.

She does as I say and calls her contact to let Mr. Tarantino know that he needs to be completely alone so they will let Seth go.

"What now?" She asks me.

"We just sit and wait until we hear something." I tell her. "That's all we can do."