Chapter 6
~Elvis�s POV~ Shae came home, a little after six. She was completely exhausted. After collapsing on the couch she began to tell me about her practice. I must admit that I found Nikolai�s reaction to our engagement very strange and I discussed this with Shae. She agreed that it was kind of weird but didn�t think it important so I let the matter drop and went to make supper. I left with the tour two days later, promising Shae that I�d visit regularly and I�d call all the time. Since following Shae-Lynn�s advice and joining Kurt Browning�s tour I had been spending a lot of time with him and his wife. They were great people and I saw at once why Shae had such a high opinion of him. He appeared somewhat curious as to why I disappeared every couple of weeks. I never missed any shows however, so he didn�t press the matter. Shae and I, well mostly Shae, decided that we�d get married soon after Worlds finished. We wanted to have a spring wedding and as that was the end of Shae-Lynn�s season it we�d be able to spend all of our time together. Buying a house was on my future wife�s agenda but she couldn�t decide where it should be. She�d been living in Connecticut for the past few years and I had been in Pennsylvania. My opinion involved a compromise. I thought that we should just move to Ontario, where we had both grown up, and be done with it. For some reason Shae didn�t see it my way. Women! *** ~Elvis� POV~ I joined Shae and Vic in Washington in time to witness their compulsory dances, which were skated beautifully. That night I made sure Shae went to bed early. I wanted her to be at her best for the original the next day. Through out their skate I got steadily more nervous. In ice dance, there was very little fluctuation in the results. If you won the original, you almost always won the free. When Victor tripped slightly in one of the footwork sections, I just about had a heart attack. As it was, I hurt poor Shania�s little hand and she started bawling so I had to hurry out of the rink. I really do believe that I was more nervous about the Free than Shae-Lynn. She had a ethereal quality about her. Generally, I was the calm one but this time she had me outdone. I spent the day pacing and by the time we left for the rink, I was so distracted that I forgot my daughter and had to go back and get her. Shae and Vic skated magically. It was the crowning moment of their career. And for once, the judges actually agreed, rewarding them with a well-deserved gold medal to add to their already substantial trophy case. ~Shae-Lynn�s POV~ I had been celebrating our win at Worlds with Tatiana, Vic, and Nikolai in a quait little restaurant. Elvis had been left out of this party and was at home keeping tabs on our daughter. Since I had to go to the washroom I was the last heading out the door of the restaurant. I turned the corner to where I had parked my car and felt arms grab me from behind. I was about to scream for help when a large hand clamped over my mouth. My reaction was fairly predictable. I bit the hand. Not the smartest move. Instead of gaining me my freedom, I was viciously dealt a stunning blow to the head. The last thought my brain registered before the world went black was how bad the hand had tasted. When I regained consciousness, I was tied to a chair. There was a dirty rag in my mouth and I seemed to be in some sort of small, dirty, cabin. My coach, Nikolai, was sitting at the table drinking a Tim Horton�s coffee and reading the newspaper. What was going on here? I began to struggle with my bonds. Why was Nikolai just sitting there? Why wasn�t he helping me? Could he be the one who had tied me up? We�d known each other for years and I considered him one of my friends. Why would he have done such a thing? These and a thousand other questions raced through my head as I continued to struggle. Hearing the commotion I was making, Nikolai looked up from his paper and grinned at me. Folding up his page, he walked slowly over to me. Kneeling down in front of the chair in which I was tied, he pulled the gag off. Then he kissed me, full on the lips, forcing his tongue into my mouth. I was to shocked to do anything other than sit there. Finally regaining my wits, I jerked my head back. �What the hell do you think you�re doing? You better not be planning on doing anything else like that! For heavens sake untie me! �I can�t do that.� �Why on earth not?� �At least, I can�t until you promise me something!� Nikolai informed me grinning. �What do you want me to promise you?� I asked suspiciously. �I don�t want you to marry Elvis. Promise me that you won�t marry him.� Now that I hadn�t expected. *** ~Elvis�s POV~ �Bring, bring!� Who on earth could be calling at this late hour? It was almost mid-night and I had just managed to coerce Shania into going to sleep. I hurried to pick up the phone before she could wake up again. �Hi Elvis, it�s Tatiana. I just wanted to let Shae know that I did manage to get the rink, so she should be there around 6 AM.� �Okay, I�ll tell her,� I paused, �When did you get home?� �Oh, ages ago,� she replied, �Around 9:00.� I felt my stomach drop about 3 feet. Where was Shae? �Okay, thanks,� I stammered, �I�ll call you back.� I hit the power button, and re-dialed the phone. �Vic, where in heaven�s name is Shae?� �Whoa, slow down. She isn�t home yet?� �No, do you know where she is?� �No, she and I went in opposite directions. I went with Tatiana, and Shae went with Nikolai.� �I�ll call you back.� I said again, more urgently, slamming the phone back onto its hook. I dialed yet another number. The phone rang and rang There was no answer. Fear raced through my heart as I remembered Nikolai�s reaction to our engagement. He had been acting strangely ever since. Was he responsible for Shae-Lynn�s disappearance? I picked up the phone again, and dialed another number. �911 emergency.� �I think my fianc�e was abducted.� I gave the police all of the necessary information. They said that they�d get a search party together, and that they�d be at our apartment in about an hour. I paced back and forth on the carpet, not knowing what to do. I hit the button on the answering machine. Maybe Shae had called and left a message. The tape rewound Slowly, and I began to hope that Shae had called saying she�d be out late. But she hadn�t, it was just James calling from the downtown hotel where she and David were staying with the rest of their tour. Shae had invited them to stay for the three days they had off and Jamie was confirming that they would be arriving tomorrow around noon. Upset, I dialed the room number. A very sleepy Jamie answered. �Hello?� �The plans are cancelled.� �Why?� �Shae-Lynn�s missing!!� I wailed, going into a state of mass hysteria. �What!?!� �She�s gone, I don�t know where. Nobody does. But I think that Nikolai kidnapped her. I can�t reach him, and Vic said that he was around Shae after they left the restaurant.� �Why would Nikolai take Shae,� James wondered aloud, �They were friends weren�t they?� �He�s been acting really weird ever since we got engaged,� I explained, �Maybe he�s jealous.� �Maybe,� She agreed, �Are you at your house?� �Yes.� �Sit!� She ordered. �Okay��� I was confused. What was James doing? �Are you sitting?� �Yes�� �Good. Now stay! I�ll call you back in two minutes.� True to her word she did call me right back. She began babbling about the tour and I slowly felt the desperation, anger, anxiety, and loss seep from my body. I suddenly realized that this had been Jamie�s plan all along. �You can stop now. I�ve calmed down.� �Good. It took you long enough,� She sounded exasperated, which I felt was somewhat unfair. We�d only been talking for 35 minutes. �David and I will be there in 2 minutes.� She assured me. �Huh? I thought it was a forty minute drive?� �It is. We�ve been driving since I hung up on you.� I couldn�t think of anyway to respond to that. *** ~Elvis�s POV~ �Elvis, we think we�ve found her.� That was the best news I�d heard all week. �Where?� �Nikolai has a cabin just outside Oakland. We have reasons to believe that he has Shae there.� �Oakland?!?!? That far?� �Yes. We�re sending several patrol cars up there to investigate. Would you like to come?� �Absolutely!� I left Shania with James and David, and hurried to the police station. I�d spent a lot of the past 2 days there, just going home for showers and clean clothing. I hopped into one of the patrol cars, and we were off with lights flashing and sirens blaring. It took us just over an hour to reach Oakland where we recruited a few more patrol cars and an ambulance. I hoped to God that we wouldn�t be needing it. We reached the cabin and the police did their classic �we know you�re in there so come out with your hands up� routine. Running out of patience, I jumped out of the cruiser and rushed to the door. I kicked it open despite pleas from the police to be careful. At first it seemed empty and then I saw my angel. She was lying, bound and gagged in a corner. A policeman behind me called out that there was no sign of Nikolai, but by that point I was beyond caring. I rushed to the corner and cradling Shae-Lynn�s head in my lap untied the ropes. I pulled the gag from her mouth and kissed her gently. Tears began rolling down her cheeks and she threw her arms around my neck. I tried to stand up, but she wouldn�t let go. Giving up, I scooped her up and carried her to the ambulance and waiting policemen. Once Shae was under the light in the ambulance, I noted that her face was bloody and bruised. Her cheekbones were even more visible than usual and she certainly looked as the she could use a good meal. The rope had chafed her wrists and they looked like they had been bleeding at one point. I felt fury at Nikolai building. How dare that man treat my angel in this horrible manner? * * * ~Shae-Lynn�s POV~ Back at the hospital in Newington, they wheeled me into a small private room. I leaned back against the pillows and tried to get a bearing on the events of the past hour. Elvis sat down beside me and I changed position so that my head rested on his chest. �Did they find Nikolai yet?� I asked and he shook his head. I hadn�t really expected them to find him anyway. He�d probably left the country by now. I closed my eyes and was just about asleep when a sudden bang startled me. Jamie smiled from outside the now wide open door and skipped in carrying my crying daughter. �We came right away! I�m so glad that you�re all right. Shania was a little angel while you were away. Are you guys still going to get married this year? How were the Worlds? I haven�t talked to you since you got your gold medal. You must tell me everything about the experience!� Thankfully, at that point James was interrupted when her boyfriend arrived, red faced and panting, at the door. �I�m really sorry. I tried to stop her but she disappeared from the waiting room while I was asking the nurse for a sedative! James�s kinda excited about seeing you safe, Shae.� David explained between breaths. Elvis stood and took Shania from Jamie, who was now bouncing up and down in a corner. Handing my baby to me he collapsed in his chair with his head in his hands. It wasn�t difficult to understand why as James had started to sing loudly. Something about praising the lord. David was still standing in the doorway, blushing. Finally he got his act together and, walking across the room, clamped a hand over James�s mouth. At first she struggled but gradually she started to quiet. When she seemed to have calmed down he released her. �If you ever do that to me again I won�t marry you.� Jamie hissed icily. Now that perked me up. This was definitely interesting! �I�m sorry. Can we talk about this later? Our friends are looking at us strangely!� David pleaded. �What was that James,� I inquired, �That �I won�t marry you� thing? Since when were you going to marry him?� �Caught!� Jamie said blushing, �Me and my big mouth!� �Tell all!� Elvis added, clearly as intrigued as I was. �Well� two weeks ago I asked James to marry me�� �And I said yes of course!� Jamie interrupted. �And you didn�t tell me! I can�t believe you didn�t tell me!� �Well we were going to, but we didn�t want to interfere with your wedding by announcing our engagement.� said Jamie seriously. �I told you I was getting married right away!� I whined, �But I suppose you do have a point.� �Hi everyone!� Vic said quietly as he entered, �Sorry it took me so long to get here but the traffic was really bad.� �How is she?� he inquired. I opened my eyes. �You don't have to talk about me like I'm not here!� Vic turned back to me. �Okay, how are you?� �I don't know. Talk to Elvis.� At that point a doctor came in. He shooed everyone out before performing a brief check-up. He then left to do some tests and allowed my friends to back in the room. We had barely been talking for 15 minutes when he returned. �Well Miss Stojko, you seem to be fine. You�re dehydrated and suffering from exhaustion and shock but this should all be cleared up in a day of two. None of the cuts are serious enough to require stitches and should heal cleanly. No permanent damage done.� �Yeah!� James exulted from the doorway. �Now don�t start that again!� I warned her, � I can�t take it!� They decided to keep me overnight to make sure that I didn�t go into shock or anything. After kissing my daughter goodnight she left with Jamie. Elvis flatly refused to even consider leaving. �No way. Absolutely not. And you have to promise never to scare me like that again.� �I�ll do my best.� Vic drove me and Elvis home the next evening in his mini-van. James and David followed behind in their car. They were going to spend the night at our house, in part to take care of Shania so that Elvis and I could relax and in part because they couldn�t find a hotel room. Lying in Elvis�s arms that night, I closed my eyes and sighed contentedly. I was back with the man I loved. The nightmare was finally over. * * * ~Elvis�s POV~ Jamie and David settled onto the foldaway bed in the living room. After moving Shania�s crib into the same area as my two friends, I joined Shae in her double bed. I hadn�t been asleep for very long when I was awakened by Shae-Lynn�s screams. She was sobbing, though obviously still asleep. My darling did seem to have a problem with nightmares. �Shae,� I called gently, shaking her arm, �Shae, wake-up.� I didn�t want to wake her up too suddenly, but I hated to see her suffering. Finally her eyelids fluttered open. She seemed to be in a daze. Her eyes were wide and she looked terrified. �Elvis,� she whispered, crawling into my arms, �Where�s Nikolai?� �He�s not here, hon,� I soothed, �You were only dreaming. �But he was here,� she sobbed, �I swear he was here!� At that point Jamie and Dave burst in. Obviously I wasn�t the only one who had been disturbed by Shae-Lynn�s cries. Seeing her friend, tousled and tearful, Jamie was very concerned. �What happened?� she asked urgently. �Shae just had a bad dream. She�ll be OK.� �In that case, we�ll go back to bed and leave you two alone.� Said David, shooting a pointed look at Jamie. �Alright,� his girlfriend conceded, putting her arm around his waist and walking slowly out of our room, �Call us if you need anything.� I turned my attention back to Shae. She seemed to be much calmer now. Snuggling down in the blanket, she clung tightly to me as she fell asleep. I lay awake, considering the events of the past few days. I was furious with Nikolai, and I knew that if I ever saw him again I would not be able to resist the urge to punch him in the face. I promised myself that justice would be done. No one could hurt my beautiful fianc� and get away with it. Nikolai was going to regret his actions. With this happy thought in mind, I pulled Shae closer to me and drifted off to sleep.
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