Dominic coughed.

He squeezed his hands but felt nothing except his nails digging into his palm. Groggy, he opened his eyes sluggishly, the chorused voices around him sounding awfully loud. The car was empty, the drivers were out of their seats, and he could only see the night sky from the windscreen. Nadine was not beside him anymore. The door on her side was ajar while the seat she occupied was empty, cold from the breezing air.

Dominic groaned, finally turning to the voice buzzing in his ear. His vision was the best, but he could make out the suit and gear; it was one of his guards. The man helped him sit up, a firm grip on his shoulders to keep him from falling back into the chair. Another guard appeared, a bottle of water in his hand, and he passed it to Dominic, who received it thankfully.

His vision was returning slowly, but he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary on the other side of his car's windshield. There was no smoke coming out from the hood of the car, and it didn't look destroyed, so he was certain they weren't in an accident. He couldn't remember what happened in the car or how long had passed, he just wanted to know where Nadine was. He craned his head to look out the back of the car, hoping to see Nadine standing behind, but he only saw more guards.

"My. Wife." He drew out, pushing the bottle of water away when they tried to offer it to him again

"Sir, you are still..."

Dominic turned and looked at him sternly, clearing his throat so his voice didn't sound scrappy. "Where. Is. My. Wife."

The guard floundered, stepping back with a frown. "We can't find her anywhere, sir. She, Mrs Marseille, is gone."

Dominic stumbled out of the car, bracing against the metal body for stability as he looked into the night. The cars were parked oddly, their headlights illuminating the dark road for a short distance. He looked, trying to peer into the darkness, hoping Nadine would run out into the light; maybe she had wandered off. There was no way his wife was missing; he shook his head in denial. She had been by his side when he was awake, they were driving home to continue the celebrations for their anniversary. Nadine held his hand. Where could she have gone?

"Nadine!" he coughed, his throat still dry. Dominic swatted away the men that rushed to his aid and stood on his own, turning around to see if his wife was anywhere. "Nadine! Nadine!"

"Sir, she is not here."

"Do not touch me." He grovelled, his breathing turning laborious, and he staggered into the hood of the Jeep beside him. The road was isolated, thin trees loomed over them from both sides, their leaved branches stretching into the darkness. "Nadine! How can my wife disappear? Someone explain to me what is happening."

"The cars seemed to be hacked, sir. Everyone was knocked unconscious, but somehow the cars were able to come to a complete stop without any incidents. We are trying to find out what happened, but unfortunately, there has been no sign of your wife."

"Police. Did anyone call the police?"

"Yes sir. They are on their way."

"Find her." He ordered, tempted to look for her himself but he didn't even know where to start. From the time on his watch, he had been asleep for over forty minutes. Whoever took Nadine would not have walked off with her, they would have used a car. Forty minutes was a long time, especially with someone who was driving fast.

"We are looking sir, every road is being watched and cars are being checked as we speak. Sir, we have to get you back home. There is nothing you can do here."

Dominic shook his head, he didn't want to leave, but he didn't fight when a guard walked him back to his car. An unconscious part of him knew that even if he camped out on the road, his wife wouldn't come back. If there was a chance to find her, he had to get himself steadied and focused for when the detectives and police arrived.

"My phone, Evans." He peaked, looking around him for the smartphone. He felt through his pockets and jacket but came up empty. "Evan's, where is my phone."

"Here, sir." Evans passed him the phone, it had been smashed to pieces, the screen cracked, the metal bent. "We found it in front of the car like that. Mrs Marseille's phone is gone, and so is her purse and everything she had in the car."

Dominic shoved his hair back, raking his fingers through them and slamming his head back against the seat. The guards filled him in as they drove back to his house, every detail between the restaurant and the road where he woke up. Their car had been hacked; the air vents had dispensed an unknown gas into the car that knocked them all unconscious. The car's brakes were engaged by the same person and between that time and the guards waking, Nadine was gone.

Dominic wasn't sure why they smashed his phone and not that of the guards. If it was to prevent anyone from calling the police, why didn't they destroy everything at once? Nadine's phone could be traced, but they didn't destroy her phone as they did with his, they took everything and left him behind. For what?

"Evans," the guard turned almost immediately. "You have my father's number in your phone still?"

"Yes, sir."

"I need your phone then."

Evan dialled the number, passing the phone back as it rang. It didn't take long for his father to answer, worriedly asking why Dominic was calling so late in the night.

"Dad, please, I need you to listen to me very carefully. Nadine is gone, she had been kidnapped, and none of us can find her. My phone has been smashed, but I need someone to inform Nadine's family to meet me at my house and tell everyone to be on alert."

"Alright. Where are you?"

"I am on my way home right now. Please, do as I asked."

"Of course."

Dominic thanked Evans, handing the phone back to him and accepting the bottle of water. When he got home, the maids were gone, and all the lights had been turned off. Dominic looked up from the window of his car, the driveway lights were the only thing that prevented his mansion from twisting into the image of a dark home.

More lights flooded the house, and he turned to see the troves of cars driving down the driveway to meet him. Evans opened the door for him, and he walked out, stripping out of his jacket and watching the cars swerve to pack around the front of the stairs.

His mother-in-law practically fell out of the car, still dressed in the gown she wore to the restaurant. She ran to him, and he rushed towards her, catching her in his arms and hugging her tightly to him. The sobs that racked her body made him shiver, but he held himself back from collapsing into a panic. He simply held the woman, wrapping arms across her back and letting her mutter incoherently against his shoulder.

"Please explain to us what happened?" Nevaeh sniffled, placing a supportive hand over her mother's shoulder. "Have you informed the police? Maybe checked, I can't believe I am saying this, but have you checked the hospitals?"

"I have called the police, and they haven't gotten back to me on that. The road we were on is being swept for her, but I haven't heard word yet either." He stared down at Mrs Shearman and smiled at her. "Come on ma'am. Let's get you inside."

"Come Mother," Nevaeh added.

She took her mother's hand and walked her up the stairs while Mr Shearman joined him. "They have my daughter, right? Those people who have spent months threatening you."

Dominic's jaw ticked, but he nodded. "That's what I fear. I don't know what they want, but I am ready to give them whatever they ask from me. I will get Nadine back, sir. I don't care what I have to do."

Dominic sat on the steps of his house while his father-in-law went in. He sat with his hands locked behind his head, the whole day repeating tragically in his mind, everything flowing through him painfully. He couldn't understand why they could never fully reach happiness when it always seemed so close to them. Nadine was finally having her expansion after years of planning and months of work. It was there, in front of her.

"Where did they take you?"

He grieved by himself. He knew that Nadine had a strong personality and that she would fight to come back, but he didn't want her to fight and lose her life. There was no telling the mental state of her kidnappers; they could be harsh or rough with her. He didn't want to lose her.

Flashing blue and red lights captured his attention, and he looked up to see a couple of police cars roll to a stop in front of his house. Dominic stood from the stairs, watching as the men approached. The men remained at the foot of the stairs, their eyes already telling him all the information he didn't want to hear come out of their mouths.

His wife was officially a missing person.