Chapter 18

"What are we going to do now? Astrid murmured as Hiccup held them close. The detective had left not too long ago after Hiccup told him off.

"Everything is going to be alright," Hiccup told himself more than her but Astrid just sobbed more. "How can you say that Hiccup?!" She asked back. "Your parents are with the police at our home and there hasn't been any news about a ransom at all!" She swallowed a sob. "Hiccup, I'm afraid! The kids are probably scared out of their minds! Nuffink needs to eat every few hours! And... And... Zephyr... I just... You heard the detectives in the hospital. The first 24 hours are key to finding missing children!" Hiccup just hugged her and rubbed her back as Astrid broke down. He wanted to break down too but he had to be strong for his partner and the kids.

The couple had been comforting each other so they had most likely missed the commotion going on outside the room. That was until the same detective from before came back in, though this time he seemed somewhat harried.

"There has been a development..." The detective uttered which got both Hiccup and Astrid's attention. "If you would come with me please,"

The couple was led out of the interrogation room and down a hallway to a nondescript door. Once the detective opened it they could see two more people in the room. The room also sported what seemed to be a two-way mirror and Astrid was shocked by who she saw in the interrogation room on the other side. "ERET?!" She questioned aloud as she looked between the people and the room and the mirror.

"Ms. Hofferson. Mr. Haddock. I'm sorry to ask this of you but we are in a precarious situation right now." One of the people uttered. Hiccup noticed the badges and surmised that they must be detectives as well, or probably even higher ranking. Astrid however was looking at the person who spoke with a confused look. Said person decided to elaborate further.

"Mr. Eretson came into the precinct not too long ago screaming that he had information about your children. The only problem was that he stated that he would only speak to you Ms. Hofferson,"

"That's absurd!" Hiccup interjected. "Do you know what he's done to Astrid?! He nearly killed her and you want to put them in a room together?!"

"I'll do it," Astrid spoke up as a look of determination was seen in her eyes.

"Astrid!"

"Hiccup, I have to do it. He might know where our kids are. We'd be wasting time if I don't talk to the bastard and time is something we don't have a lot of right now." She uttered while giving Hiccup a peck on the cheek. She then turned back towards the detectives and asked. "Is there any advice you can give me?"

"You're a civilian, normally we wouldn't allow this but as you said. Time is of the essence. We'll be right here. If anything drastic occurs to you we can immediately jump in." One of the men answered.

"So all I have to do is get him to talk, right? No good cop bad cop thing? I'm free to approach this how I want?" Astrid asked just to be sure.

After confirming everything with the detective Astrid was ready to enter the interrogation room housing Eret. A uniformed police officer escorted her while a worried Hiccup stayed behind in the small room with the two-way mirror. "You should probably have a First Aid kit at the ready," Hiccup told the three detectives as the door to the interrogation room opened and Astrid stepped inside.

"Your partner will be fine Mr. Haddock," One of the other detectives assured.

"The First Aid kit isn't for Astrid," Hiccup relayed just as Astrid, before Eret could even utter a word, kicked the metal table separating them into his gut, causing the man still seated in the chair to actually skid back a few inches.

"Where the fuck are my children?" Astrid asked in a low but menacing tone.

"Astrid! Astrid! Wait please!" Eret wheezed out as he tried to get his bearing and pry the table away from his person. "I had nothing to do with taking them!!!"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the mirror, the shock from the detectives to Astrid's actions was clearly visible. One even looked ready to burst out the door and put a stop to it entirely if not for the next words out of Eret's mouth.

"I know who took them though! JUST LET ME EXPLAIN!" Eret uttered as Astrid seemed to be getting angrier and angrier.

"ERET! ERET!" A heavy-set woman pounded on an apartment door with urgency. However, the wooden door that had seen better days in the dingy apartment building didn't buckle which only infuriated the woman more.

"Oi! Lady! The dude's not home!" One of the disgruntled neighbours opened the door to yell at her. "Go somewhere else you damn broad!"

"Don't you dare talk to me like that!" The woman shouted back only to get the neighbour's door slammed in her face.

"Damnit! Damnit! Damnit!" The woman yelled as she stomped back down the stairs as the elevator was out of service. She reached into her purse and pulled out a flip phone, a dark blue Motorola RAZR, and furiously stabbed the button to the contact list. It rang four times before a rather annoyed voice on the other end picked up.

"What do you want Mrs. Hofferson?" Eret asked.

"Eret are you at the casino again?! I told you to stop gambling if you ever want to get Astrid back. She hates that sort of thing!" Mrs. Hofferson uttered as she heard the telltale sound of the slot machines in the background.

Astrid's mom could hear the scoff from the other end of the line before Eret muttered "And leave the lap of luxury she's in now?!" the man shot back. "She'd rather be with that skinny cucumber of a man than her soulmate!"

"Eret darling, she's only staying with that guy because of those damn kids. But all will be resolved soon," Mrs. Hofferson vaguely said which had caused Eret to pause before asking "What do you mean?"

"Eret don't worry! Look, just meet me at the old elementary school building on 43rd street. You know the one that got shut down in the 80s. Soon my baby girl will come to her senses and be with her soulmate. You'll see!"

"SO MY MOTHER HAS MY KIDS?!" Astrid was foaming at the mouth. "I knew it!"

"Well... uhm... not exactly," Eret uttered. "It's a bit more... complicated,"

"Then uncomplicate it!" She shot back. "I swear I will snap you in two if you don't tell me already where my kids are!"

"Just to put this on the record. At that point in time I did not know your kids were kidnapped." Eret held his hands out in surrender as he spoke to Astrid. "The cops found me as I was exiting the casino,"

"Go on," Astrid growled low tone while tapping her foot impatiently.

Eret had stepped off the bus which stopped closest to the abandoned school building and walked the rest of the way. When he arrived Mrs. Hofferson was already waiting for him by the rusted gates. Weeds, ivy and garbage littered the area surrounding the condemned building. To say it was not the best area to take a stroll in was an understatement.

"Finally!" Mrs. Hofferson exclaimed. "What took you so long?"

"My license got suspended remember," Eret hissed. "So it's public transportation or I don't show at all."

"Whatever. Now I can finally clue you in on the plan to get Astrid back." Mrs. Hofferson continued after brushing off Eret's last comment. "You see, I thought of the perfect solution."

Eret frowned and then asked "This hasn't anything to do with those missing kids, right?" When he received no answer from the woman he took a step back and asked "What did you do?!"

"What do you mean? I'm getting you your soulmate back just like you wanted," She answered non-chalantly while Eret blanched.

"Are you out of your mind?! I'm on probation! Do you know what happens if I get caught?!" Eret exclaimed.

"Don't get your underwear in a bundle," the older woman scoffed. "The only person they would suspect would be my daughter since I used her account to pay for the whole thing,"

"Basically, my nail stylist has this bad debt," Mrs. Hofferson continued, not even noticing the look of horror that was slowly setting on Eret's face. "A bonus for me is that she's blond and from a distance people could mistake her for one of my daughters. So I paid her off. She got half the money to pay off her debt than to grab those bastard children and the other half when she delivers them to us here,"

"ARE YOU CRAZY?! WHY WOULD YOU KIDNAP CHILDREN!" Eret shouted.

"Will you keep it down!" Mrs. Hofferson slapped his cheek. "I'm doing you a favour here. My poor daughter has been babytrapped by that rich bastard and his family. The only reason she's not leaving him is because of those damn brats. We get the kids, we get Astrid back. She might spend some years in jail because I framed her but... oh well. The brainwashing she's under should wear off by then. I mean, think about it. No sane person shuns their own soulmate to go popping out kids for some markless scum!" Now that Mrs. Hofferson was on a rant she didn't stop. "Just think about it. You raise those brats while she's in jail. Show her you're a good provider and once she's out she'll come running to you."

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Eret uttered. "That is the most... the most illogical plan I've ever heard!"

"There's no fucking way I'll take part in this plan!" Eret announced. "I want Astrid, not her damn brats! What even makes you think I'd raise them?!"

"Yes, well you don't really have a choice now do you," Mrs. Hofferson calmly raised a brow. "This is what you signed up for when you asked for my help in getting my daughter back. I even went through the trouble of sticking that damn GPS on their car without being seen."

"Anywho, looks like she's here," Mrs. Hofferson told Eret as they watched a faded black Honda with chipping paint and rust pull up. A blond woman wearing a hoodie got out of the drivers seat but the passenger door also opened and the two saw a balding man step out as well.

"Who's he?!" Mrs. Hofferson asked as her eyes narrowed at the man that looked like he hadn't showered in more than a day.

"My boyfriend, he wants in," The woman stated.

"That wasn't part of the deal!" Mrs. Hofferson angrily uttered. "Anyway where are the kids."

"Don't worry, those screaming brats are fine, for now," The man uttered. "But the deal just changed. We want three times what you were going to pay my girl otherwise no kids,"

"Are you insane?! I don't have that kind of money!"

"Then get it you old hag!" The woman exclaimed. "Ugh, you are so annoying. DO you know how many times I wanted to shove nail polish down your throat! You think we wouldn't find out whose kids I grabbed? Get their damn parents to pay the money if you can't. I don't care. I'm not kidnapping the grandkids of one of the richest families in the city for a pittance!"

"I will do no such thing! We had a deal! Honor it!" Mrs. Hofferson shot back.

"Gina chill," The man uttered. "There's two of them here. We only need one to deliver a message,"

"What are you..." But Astrid's mother never got to finish that sentence as a gunshot rang through the air and she dropped down to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Eret was frozen on the spot as he stared at Mrs. Hofferson's now lifeless body. The greasy guy approached and soon the barrel of the gun was directed straight between Eret's eyebrows.

"Now sonny, you're going to be good and send our message for us aren't ya?" The man asked as he cocked the gun. "Now you listen real good,"