Free Arranged by the Stars by Kamy Chetty

man who
had given up everything to make sure he had the best
education.
    He heard tapping on the
front door, then footsteps moving closer. The soft curse didn’t
register in the unsympathetic room. His gut clenched as he heard
Ash’s voice in the distance. “Kieran, are you here? I called the
hotel and you weren’t answering. She’s stable. Sara is―” Ash was
getting closer.
    The pressure against his
neck was painful. Mr Olive man didn’t like the idea of guests.
Kieran tried to turn but couldn’t. “Why don’t you leave her out of
this?”
    The man in charge came
closer and leaned over. He took a switchblade out of his back
pocket and pressed the switch that made the blade shoot out with a
loud clack. Hoping to intimidate he touched the tip with the point
of his finger. “The boss wasn’t impressed with the delay in his
delivery this month. I think we need something to sweeten the
deal.”
    At the mention of a
delivery for the month, Kieran knew this was a lot more serious
than he’d anticipated. He tried to think through his options, but
Ash’s footsteps were getting closer. These men didn’t look like the
type who would negotiate. “I can give you what you want. Leave now
and take what you want.”
    The man in charge gave
him a mouthy grin showing off his gold fillings. When he flexed his
muscle as he placed the tip of the knife on the desk, Kieran
noticed a tattoo that resembled a scorpion. “That’s a tempting
offer that I won’t refuse. I will leave. With the girl and I
promise to be in touch.”
    Kieran tried to turn and
see more of his captors but all he remembered next was the thwack
and darkness.
    *****
    The first thing he saw
was the big clock. Four thirty. His fingers touched the sore part
of his head and when he looked down at them, he saw sticky redness.
He wasn’t sure what they hit him with, but the waves of pain and
nausea were intermittent.
    The office had signs of a
struggle. Ash wouldn’t have gone quietly. His groan echoed in the
empty room. Where would they have taken her and who would know? Who
was in on this? Jessie? Latha? He knew his father wouldn’t be
involved but he needed to make sure.
    His heart raced, as the
foundations of his world came apart. Ash had to be safe. He would
never forgive himself if anything happened to her. They’d taken his
cell phone and cut the wires on all the phones in the office. For
crooks, they weren’t the smartest. He looked around for his car
keys. Gone. They were trying to slow him down. It would have been a
great tactic if he had known where to go.
    His skill set was simple.
He was trained as a doctor and when he failed at that he developed
a patient management system, which doctors now used. Geeky stuff.
Put him in an office with a computer and software programming, and
he could kill things. In the real world, he was
crippled.
    With a chest full like
titanium implants, it hurt to breathe. His hands twisted into fists
so tight, he felt pain. He had to find her. Whatever it took, he
would find her. His first two moves were communication and
mobilisation. After he got a car and purchased a cell phone from a
local store, his next stop was the hospital.
    Even as he opened the
door to his father’s room, he knew that however he asked the
question, it would sound like he was accusing someone he cared
about of being a drug dealer. It would result in pain. His parents
were sound asleep. They had put an extra bed in his father’s room
for his mother who had refused to leave her husband’s
side.
    His father’s breathing
was deep and his heart rate was slowly settling. All good signs to
a quick recovery.
    His mother stirred and
woke when she realised he was in the room. “Kieran, it’s early,
what are you doing here?” Julie rubbed her eyes.
    Anil stirred and then
settled back to sleep. Kieran sighed wondering how he could ask the
question on his mind. The question that could save Ash.
    “ Is that
blood on your shirt?” Julie was at his side