Chapter 181: Chapter 181

The car drive off in high speed. The man considered this the most dangerous job he had ever done and praised himself for coming out of it successful.

He had never had to abduct a child before and that too in the presence of her parents.

He wouldn't say the parents were careless. How could they have known that their child was not safe in their own premises? The child had wandered out and he had been keeping watch over the house for close to a month now and felt that he knew the grounds. He had not expected to kidnap the girl that day but luck had been with him and it was though his spirit had called out to the girl and the girl had stroll down to his path and he could not believe his luck.

He had called her and she had refused to come close to him at first,then he had said he was friends to her dad and mum and where could he find them?

She had relaxed then and trusting as the child that she was had pointed towards her mum and dad, while her attention was diverted, He had carried her. 'Let's go to mum and dad, okay?'

She had squealed with playful laughter and it had touched him but he had a job to do else his life would not be worth a penny and another would be here the next instant to do the job. So, his conscience would not have accomplished anything other than his death but he had confidence that the child would not be killed. He had not been given details but he felt that she might be used to demand a huge Ransome seeing that her parents were wealthy or kept safe somewhere but away from her parents.

While the abductor was driving away with Josephine, she asked, 'Where are we going?'

'To see your parents'.

'But we have left the house where my parents are'.

He thought fast because he didn't want her to start howling. He did not want any unnecessary disturbance on the way or check ups.

'We are playing hide and seek. You know what hide and seek is, don't you?'

'Yes', she said gleefully. I play it all the time with my parents, especially with mum but we do it inside the house or outside in the gardens. We do not drive to anywhere'.

'Well, this is a special hide and seek game played by adults', he smiled at her and she returned his smile innocently. 'I decided to play this game with you because I don't believe you are a baby. You are a big girl now, aren't you?'

Josephine was happy to be referred to as a big girl by this uncle who was her parents' friend and did not ask any other questions to the relief of Mattias.

Then, 'How long are we going to drive for? Are you sure my mum and dad will know where we have gone and where to find us?'

'They surely will. Don't worry'. But Josephine was starting to get bothered and tired of this particular game.

' I do not want to play this game anymore. I am tired already and I want to see my dad and mum'.

Mattias patience was begining to wear off.

'Shut up girl. I am taking you to your real father and as for your mother, it is her decision where she would rather stay, with you or with her husband'.

She did not understand what the man was saying, all she knew was that she wanted to go back to her parents.

'I want to go back. Take me back to my parents. I do not like you and do not want to stay with you anymore', she had started whimpering and all his attempt to pacify her were fruitless. He knew that she would soon start crying really loudly any moment and then what was he going to say if at any check point they ask the problem with the child?

He stopped the car and got a gag and gaged her mouth.

She started hitting her fists on the car but it didn't make much impact because of her age.

Mattias passed through pathways, rather than Broadway's. He had not brought support because he had not known he was going to kidnap her that day.

The girl was being more of a nuisance than he had originally given her credit for.

Whole he was looking for the easiest way out of Lake District, Jason had called the police and intimated them about the lose of his daughter. The case of a missing person was taken serious only after twenty four hours or at least twelve hours of the missing person was a close relative' but they took this up immediately because of the history they had with Jason and the fact that the person was yet a child and could not have simply run away.

He could give neither the description of the abduction' nor the vehicle he came in which made the search harder but all the check points were blocked and all cats leaving the District was searched but all through that day, none with a child of Josephine's age and semblance was found because they were given her picture - the most recent which she had taken on her birthday a few weeks previously.

Jason himself ran wild where he was searching for his daughter. He had not known that Richmond would still make good on his promise to take their child away.

He was to be released in two years on parole for good behaviour and he was going to ruin it by kidnapping his daughter just to spite him?

They had been extremely careful the first year and very vigilant but as the months passed, the anxiety over his threat had wanted. It still disturbed Jason but not as much and now that Nancy was pregnant again and needed no such stress as this, he had struck again.

He drove and drove looking into any car he came across especially the ones leaving the District but his efforts were fruitless. He did not know what to say to Nancy. He was tired of this hide and seek game Richmond was playing with them and their emotions.

He was going to go the following day to the prison where he was being held and confront him. True he may not have done this himself but one of his free henchmen must have done it under his instructions.

And for him to have carried it out as successfully as this, he must have been keeping vigilance on the house and it's inhabitants.

He shuddered to know that someone, s ruthless stranger had been keeping watch in his mansion and his family and he had had no inkling whatsoever. He must have grown very slack.