A loud yawn echoed throughout the room as Spencer began to stir awake to the sound of high-pitched laughter flooding the room. Slowly, he rose from his slumped position on the couch, lazily stretching his stiff joints as his mind flickered to life. Blinking through bleary eyes, he instinctively looked towards the clock that hung beside the TV, wondering how long he had been asleep. However, the moment he did so, any semblance of sleep he still possessed disappeared completely as he was met with the sight of the hour hand resting at eight.
In an instant, he was off the couch, eyes wide as he realised just how late it was, and how he hadn't yet prepared anything for Lily's dinner. As quickly as he could, Spencer grabbed the shopping bags he had left discarded on the floor and raced into the kitchen, all the while thinking of what he could quickly make. Yet just as he placed the shopping onto the kitchen counter, at the sight of the elephant plushie that could be seen peeking out, he came to a sudden stop.
Gradually, Spencer started to remember what had happened. Lily had gone to the zoo with Gemma, who had promised to sort out lunch and dinner for her. Remembering this, he was quickly flooded with relief as the pressure and tension in his body began to drain. However, such relief was short-lived. Without warning, and for reasons he couldn't explain, Spencer was assaulted by a spike of anxiety. Only as he started to sluggishly put away the previously forgotten groceries did he begin to recognise the cause. It was eight o'clock in the evening. Yet aside from the low murmur of the TV, the apartment was eerily silent–something that shouldn't have been the case if Lily was home like she was supposed to.
Starting to grow panicked, and hoping he was mistaken, Spencer gave a loud shout as he walked out of the kitchen and towards her room down the hall. "Lily? Are you here, princess? Are you hungry?"
However, no matter how much he shouted, he was met with nothing but silence. And it was in the face of such silence, as the worry inside him grew stronger and stronger, that he flung open Lily's door. What greeted him was a light pink room, filled with stuffed toys and crayons scattered all along the floor, and which, to his horror, was completely empty, devoid of any sign of Lily. It was a sight that forced Spencer to accept the crushing truth that Lily wasn't here.
Doing his best not to devolve into a full-blown panic, Spencer quickly pulled out his phone and began to call Gemma. As the phone rang, he tried to reassure himself that he was worrying over nothing, that they were probably just running a bit late. Yet upon hearing the string of beeps, which felt like sucker punches to the chest, as the phone disconnected, such reassurances did little to soothe his growing fear.
"Alright, alright, let's calm down," Spencer muttered to himself as he started to pace wildly across the apartment. "Everything's probably fine! I'm just panicking over nothing… But what if it's not? What should I do?"
After only a couple of seconds of anxious thinking, Spencer decided to call the police, believing they would know best what to do in this situation. However, just as he was about to dial 911, his phone suddenly came alive with a ring. For a second, Spencer's eyes lit up with hope, convinced it was Gemma, calling to inform him about where she and Lily were and when they would be back. Unfortunately, that hope was soon dashed as he looked down at the caller ID and, instead of Gemma, saw a string of numbers he had never seen before. The moment he saw the number, the unease that had been simmering inside Spencer surged into full-blown dread, for reasons he couldn't explain. Tentatively, he lowered his free hand and answered the call, hesitantly raising the phone to his ear.
"Hello? Who's this? Gemma? Is it you?" He asked, voice tight in confusion, praying it was her, that she had simply lost her own phone and was borrowing someone else's. Alas, such a hope was immediately destroyed as he finally received a response.
"No, this isn't Gemma, I'm afraid." A deep male voice he had never heard before said with an unsettling chuckle that left the hairs on his neck standing to attention.
"Who is this?"
"Who I am doesn't matter. Only that if you ever want to see your daughter again, you will do exactly what I say." The moment those words were uttered, it was as if a bomb went off inside Spencer's head. He stood there motionless, trying to come to grips with what he had just heard.
"Wha–what did you just say?" He eventually murmured, failing to keep the quiver out of his voice.
"You heard what I said, Mr. Moorcroft, and I really don't enjoy repeating myself. Your daughter is currently with me, and if you ever want to see her again, you will follow my instructions to the letter. Do you understand?" The unknown man replied in a tone so indifferent that it was as if he were discussing the weather.
Again, Spencer stood frozen, shock gripping his very being as he tried to process what was actually happening. He wondered for a moment if this was some sort of practical joke, payback from Gemma for how he had acted earlier in the day. Yet, as the silence stretched, he knew deep in his soul that this wasn't a joke, that it was really happening. And it was then, with such a realisation, that his shock swiftly transformed into a burning anger.
"You fucking bastard! Who the fuck are you! How do you know about my daughter?"
"Wow, you really are slow on the upkeep, aren't you? I just said I had your daughter, and your first instinct was to swear at me? Clearly, not the sharpest knife in the drawer are you?" The man joked, seemingly impervious to the raging fury directed his way.
Upon hearing the nonchalance and ridicule in the man's tone, Spencer wanted to erupt in anger and let loose the torrent of curses resting at the back of his throat. But he didn't. He held himself back, tamping down on the rage that flowed through him, for he knew the bastard was right. If there was even a one per cent chance he had his daughter, he couldn't risk provoking him. So, before he replied, he drew a long, steady breath in an effort to regain some desperate semblance of composure.
"How do I even know you have Lily?" He exhaled slowly, forcing the words out through gritted teeth, voicing the most pressing question he possessed. "For all I know, this could just be some kind of scam or sick joke."
In response, Spencer was met with nothing but deafening silence. For a second, he feared that he'd gone too far, that somehow his question had angered the man. A thought that left him terrified to death, as he grappled with what the man might do if he truly had his daughter. However, just as he was beginning to once again panic, unsure about what to do or say next, a voice broke through over the line. A voice he instantly recognised.
"Daddy?" In an instant, whatever control Spencer had over his emotions shattered as he heard the faint, timid whisper of his daughter's voice from the other side of the phone.
"Princess! Oh god, Lily, is that really you? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Relief flooded his chest upon hearing her voice and knowing she was okay. Yet the comfort it brought was fleeting, soon replaced by overwhelming terror as it confirmed one horrifying fact. The man had been telling the truth. Lily was with him; she had truly been kidnapped.
"Princess! Oh god, Lily, is that really you? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Relief surged through him at the sound of her voice—fragile, but alive. Yet the comfort was fleeting. Terror quickly took its place, sharp and consuming, as one horrifying truth settled in: the man hadn't been lying. Lily was with him. She had truly been kidnapped.
"Daddy, I'm scared," Lily said with a choked sob that shattered Spencer's heart and nearly brought him to tears.
"It's ok, it's ok, Princess! Everything's going to be alright. I just need you to be a little brave for me, ok? Can you do that for me, sweetpea?" He said softly, his voice gentle yet steady in an effort to soothe his daughter, earning him an almost silent hum in agreement.
"Don't worry, Princess, you're going to be back home before you know it."
"Well, that all depends on whether you do exactly what we say, now doesn't it, Spencer?" The kidnapper suddenly said, replacing Spencer's daughter with a voice filled with mirth.
Upon hearing the unknown man once more, Spencer was again overcome by a burning anger, one that this time he failed to keep completely under control. "You bastard! I swear, if you harm even a single hair on her head, I will fucking kill you! You hear me!"
Unfortunately, his threat didn't have the reaction he hoped, as the kidnapper burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter that lasted for close to a minute. "Phew. Sorry about that. But if you think I'm going to be intimidated by the threats of a fired mail clerk, you've got another thing coming." Spencer froze.
"How did you know I used to be a mail clerk?" He asked, unable to keep the unease and fear out of his voice.
"That doesn't matter right now. Just know, we know more about you than you could possibly imagine. So, are you going to do what I say, or am I going to have to show you just how serious I truly am?" With that, Spencer could hear the man walk away before, moments later, the sound of his daughter's voice came back through the phone.
"No! Please no! Don't hurt me!" Lily wailed in a terrified tone that made Spencer sick to his stomach. Her cries and screams were so loud and harrowing, Spencer knew he would never be able to forget them.
"Wait! Stop! I'll do whatever you want! Please! Just don't hurt her." Spencer immediately started to beg, devoid of any trace of his previous aggression. "Please, I'll do whatever you want! Just don't hurt my daughter. She's all I have left!" He shouted into the phone as his nails dug firmly into his palm, drawing. At that moment, it truly hit Spencer just how helpless he currently was, unable to do anything but beg for his daughter's safety. It was a level of helplessness he had never felt before.
"Don't worry, I won't." The man said, his daughter's voice no longer able to be heard. "That is as long as you don't give me a reason to. Now, do we understand each other?"
"Yes! Absolutely! What you say goes." Spencer immediately replied. Despite the man's now clearly smug demeanour, Spencer couldn't find it in himself to be angry. He was simply relieved that nothing was going to happen to his daughter.
"What do you want?" he cautiously asked when the man didn't reply. "Is it money?"
Again, the sound of raucous laughter echoed from the phone. Thankfully, this time it didn't last nearly as long as his previous outburst. "No, no, nothing as benign as that, I can assure you." The man stated in between chuckles, his words only deepening the unease Spencer felt in his gut.
"All I'm going to need you to do is a couple of jobs for me. After that, your daughter will be returned without a scratch on her pretty little head."
"...What kind of jobs?"
"All in good time, Spencer. After all, I don't want to ruin the surprise. So, what do you say?"
Spencer exhaled a long, defeated sigh. He knew, just as the kidnapper did, that he didn't really have a choice. Not if he wanted to ever see his daughter again. His hands were tied.
"Alright, I'll do it. Just please, don't hurt my daughter." Spencer was forced to grit his teeth upon hearing the sound of his voice, hating how weak and pathetic he sounded in that moment.
"My god man, you're like a broken record. What do you take me for, a monster? I've already told you. As long as you do what I say, she will be completely safe."
"Alright," Spencer replied, trying to get a hold of his emotions. "What do you want me to do?"
"Right now? Wait. In about a day, I will give you a call with instructions for your first job, instructions you will follow immediately and to the best of your ability, as shitty as that may be. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal," Spencer uttered through gritted teeth.
"Perfect!" The kidnapper cheered, "Oh, this should go without saying, but don't even think about doing anything stupid like getting the police involved. Not if you want to see your daughter again in one piece. Because trust me, we will know if you do." His menacing threat hung in the air as Spencer was left speechless, unable to say a word.
"One last thing. If I were you, I would make a little visit to Saint Rivers Hospital. We left you a little present." And with that ominous note, before Spencer could even process what was being said, the call came to an end.
"Hello? Hello? What do you mean? What present?" Spencer asked in frantic worry, and as a growing sense of dread overcame him. Yet no matter how many times he asked, no answer came, only the mechanical beeping of a disconnected call.