Where in the world is Victoria Strader? Part 2 (CD for OCW)

[Deleted]

Chapter Two

Somewhere Above the Atlantic
October 11th, 2021

Meghan Kelser, better known as Meghan Strader, sits in one of the eight seats (four on each side) as she watches her brother, John Nash Strader, stand at a table on the private jet cleaning weapons. They ranged from his trusty Desert Eagle to ‘Suzie,’ the sawed-off shotgun he taught Victoria how to use when staying with him. Tamika is also watching John as Jake and Cara sit together, her head on his chest.

“John, did you need to bring all those?” his twin sister asks. “Shouldn’t we let the authorities handle the situation?”

“Well, Meeks, if I had any faith in them, I would say ‘yeah, let them handle it,’ but what the fuck do they care if a Canadian-American citizen has gone missing?” His question was rhetorical, and Tamika knew better than to reply. “I have the Liverpool charter of the Brothers of Mayhem awaiting our arrival. Spike the President says he has his boys’ ears to the ground. There are some rumblings on where she could be but nothing concrete yet.”

“I am down to do whatever is needed, uncz, but that Greek gash better stays the hell away,” the venom drips from Cara’s lips. Meghan closes her eyes for a moment and then looks over at her daughter.

“Carebear, enough of that. Victoria cares about Atara, and yes, she’s been insufferable towards us but if she wants to help in a way that can do good, we are going to let her,” Meghan says, hoping to appease Cara enough to let herself think. “John, something tells me this might have something to do with the Kazoka branch of the Yakuza family tree.”

John puts down Suzie as he pulls up two base stock KG-9’s and places them on the table. He grabs a cloth he has nearby on the table, wiping his hands as he sits down. He opens his arms and, as he looks down and brings his arms back in to be folded across his chest.

“That’s possible, but I think it has something to do with her father. Maybe it’s time to tell everyone what we found out, yeah?”

Meghan sighs as she stands, stretching, before she walks over and sits at the table with John, turning to face her sister, daughter, and future son-in-law.

“The long story short is dad knew who Victoria’s dad was, put it on Ryan, and when Cara was born right after, he made sure you two girls would be far from Knox’s family and their association with the Yakuza crime syndicate. Plus, dad had the Bandido’s as well. It was misguided, but I understand why dad did what he did and the sacrifice that was made,” the last few words crackled in her throat as she was fighting back the tears. Her relationship with the old man was strained, and a bullet in his head earlier in the year made it so it would never be fixed. “So this could also be the Knox family.”

“Wait, why would Matthew Knox’s family want to hurt Victoria? Atara told the English authorities they pistol-whipped Victoria,” Tamika says, trying to put the random puzzle pieces in the right spots.

“It’s important to remember none of this is her father’s fault. He can’t control his family, and out of everyone, no one should know that better than us,” she says, trying to save Matthew any undue hatred ‘cause as deep as this family can love, they hate just as deep. “Knox’s uncle and his nephew have a penchant for women of south Asian descent who they help take in any way they can, and the Kazoka produces killing machines and wrestlers but not before Diogenes has his… way.”

Meghan’s eyes close, and the look of disgust is smeared across her sharp features. Her icy blue eyes flutter back open as she can feel the eyes of her siblings and child on her. A sigh escapes her crimson red lips.

“Wait, would he want that with his blood? He truly is that sick and twisted?” A nervous Cara asks her mother.

“I’m not going to spill Matthew’s background, that’s not my place, but I don’t think so. If anything, he wants her to be whatever Matthew ‘failed’ at being. Whatever that might be,” she says, answering any follow-up questions. “I just know if that’s who did take her. John and I are going in and getting her. Meeks,” she says softly as she turns to her baby sister who has been silently listening, albeit for the earlier question, “you and the kids are going to stay back and make sure this big girl is ready to go,” she says referring to the lear jet.

“You got it, Megz,” she says, the loyal soldier and sister she is.

“Cara, I want you to stay with your aunt but keep a presence on social media. If this thing turns bloody, I want you three out of the authoritative and enemy crosshairs. You two understand that, right?” The stern motherly tone is unmistakable as Cara begrudgingly nods for her and Jake, who sits in silence wondering how the hell this family gets through a day without some type of drama or lawsuit.

“Alright, we are landing in a couple of hours ladies and gent,” John points out, “and we should get some rest. Who knows how long this is going to take.”

The feeling on board was solemn, but there was hope. There had to be, Meghan doesn’t know what would happen if Victoria is harmed, or worse, and she wasn’t about to find out.



Diogenes Knox Estate
England
October 12th, 2021

“This son of a bitch…”

Victoria wasn’t given much of a chance to adapt to her surroundings as her uncle from hell (she would forever refer to him as) was putting her through a ridiculous amount of physical tests pushing her to limits she was even aware she had. She is standing hunched over, hands on her hips, catching her breath and undefined pink tracksuit with monitors hooked up to pads all over her body. Rory, the guard that was stationed to her, was quite nice to her though, and being the smart woman she was, she was nice back to him. He hadn’t used his position of power to do anything amoral and was the one that made sure she stayed hydrated during this first round of tests.

“How much more of this are you going to make me do?”

“As many as I tell you to do, my dear niece, now stop asking questions. You will not like the consequences,” the words seem to slither off his tongue like the devilish serpent he most certainly is.

“You are already basically torturing me and keeping me from everyone I love; what could you possibly do?” she snaps back.

“While you are technically right, currently that Greek woman that has defiled you walks around, harm-free,” he says without even looking up from his notes that has been going over with a man of Japanese descent with gang-style tattoos all around his neck. “It would be a shame for a Greek tragedy to occur, even though they do make for exquisite operas.”

“Atts…”

Her health was one thing, but risking Atara’s health was something she wasn’t willing to do. She may have said before she was taken that she could see herself falling in love, but it may have already started to happen. Her thoughts went to her mom, who she knew would be moving heaven and hell right now if she could.

“Mom must be worried sick. She’s so protective of us. The only one besides Uncle John who actually thinks Atty is good for me.”

Victoria looks around her room, trying to find anything that can help get her out of this awful place. She felt the worst was yet to come, and while she prided herself on being strong, she did not want to see what tests would be coming in her future.

“Did Knoxxy go through this? Or, well, it sounds like he had a longer leash if he could hook up with mom. I’m not sure if I am beyond surprised or slightly relieved it’s not the man I thought it was, but it takes Atts calling him daddy to an even weirder level.”

Atara Themis. She left things so raw and open, and Victoria had no idea how Atara was handling everything and couldn’t imagine what she was going through. She had to get word to her.

“Think Victoria… how can you get word to Atty when you have zero clue where you are… and have no phone?”

Her glasz eyes lit up.

“Rory! He keeps his phone in his suit pocket. Hold on babe; your Dove is coming.”

Victoria walks up to her door, giving it a couple of knocks and puts on her game face.

Click.

The sound of the lock opening fills her ears like sweet choir music as the large henchman assigned to guard her door enters the room. He’s definitely one of the more intimidating ones, his coal-black hair was cut short, probably military background, but the Japanese gang-style tattoos were also foretelling of another experience. He must have been a father of a girl as he seemed to have a soft spot for the captive and had been treating her well.

“What can I do for you, Ms. Strader?” He politely asks the guest.

“Ok, Vee, you got this.”

“Would you be able to get my sink working right? I don’t have many comforts, but the drip isn’t helping me,” she says with a small smile. He simply nods, taking off his suit jacket after locking the door and placing it over a chair as he heads to the sink in the bathroom attached the what would be a master bedroom in an average home, leaving her standing there by his jacket. She casually slips her hand inside, pulling out the man's Samsung phone. She drops it under her pillow quickly before joining him.

“Just don’t notice it gone. Please god…”

After a while and being satisfied with his work, he leaves her alone, and once she hears the lock click, she pulls out his phone. She takes it to the light, and holding it at an angle, she can see the unlock pattern left by the residue on his fingertips.

SWIPE SWIPE SWIPE

The screen opens.

“Please, please, please answer Atara. Please.”

In haste, she calls her girlfriend’s phone number. After ten seconds, the line finally clicks with an answer.

“Poios einai agnostos?” the honey rasped voice answers, slightly annoyed at the unknown number.

“Atty, babe…”

“VEE?! Pou eísai?! eísai kalá?! Peristeri mou,” she says, forgetting that she is speaking Greek.

“My Greek isn’t that good yet,” Victoria says with a smile that Atara is sure to hear in her voice.

“Dove, where are you? Everyone is looking for you, and I am scared. Are you ok?”

“I can’t talk long. I stole this phone from a guard. I don’t know where I am other than it’s a gaudy looking mansion of some type, and my dad’s brother owns it,”
Victoria says very quietly, knowing time is borrowed.

“You don’t know your dad, Dove,” she replies quickly.

“It’s a long story, but you have to get ahold of Knoxxy; he’s my real dad, and his creepy older brother has me held captive. He’s running tests on me,” the sadness breaks Atara’s heart. Yes, she has one and Victoria has been lucky enough to see it.

“Ok, I am calling the authorities, Dove,” she says, almost not listening to what Victoria said.

“No, Atty, he threatened to hurt you, and he will hurt me and move me. He’s smart. You can’t tell anyone except my mom and… dad. Please, Atty, I am sorry about the way things were left. I-“.

“Dove, enough. Later. I am going to call him now. Be safe, please?” Victoria hears the plea in her voice, and it warms her heart and breaks it all simultaneously.

“I gotta go, I have to erase the history of this call. Please, hurry. I will see you soon, love”.

“Peristéri mou.”

Victoria no sooner closes the phone app after erasing the phone call than she hears Rory unlock the door.

“Ms. Strader…”

Victoria turns with a deep breath and gives him a small smile, and hands him the phone.

“I couldn’t get into anyway,” she lies to the man, hoping it buys it as he sighs and looks her over.

“Don’t do something like this again; I can’t hide it from Mr. Knox,” he says quietly but also with a bit of intimidation. She nods her head as he slides the phone in his pocket, and to her relief, he doesn’t check the phone, not that it mattered. She was only thinking of one person.

“Oh, I miss her.”