Hi everybody,

Thanks SO much for the great reviews. I loved hearing from you guys.

About this chapter…. It actually turned out to be a lot more dramatic and dark than I thought it was going to be, hence the rating change. It's pretty sad and really dramatic, but it's probably going to be the worst chapter and then it gets better. I don't want bad stuff happening to Izzie all the time, that would suck.

This chapter also has some language issues in it, but that's all. Please read and review, and I will reply.

Thanks

phoenix

It had only been hours since night had fallen, but to the young man sitting in the car, it seemed like years. He had hardly ever taken his eyes off the dim light in the highest window. It was still glowing steadily but weakly, as though it might burn out at any moment. He prayed in wouldn't, for he knew that as soon as the whole house was dark they would have to make their move. Though he knew that it must happen at sometime or another, he found himself wishing that maybe, just maybe as long as the light stayed burning, they would just have to give up and go home.

But he knew that wouldn't happen.

And so he just waited and prayed.

His partner, a tall man with thick dark hair, a deep voice, and eyes that seemed almost black, turned to him and said, "Nearly 2 am. It's almost time, I bet."

He didn't take his eyes off the window. "Yeah."

"Well," the other man mumbled, digging into a bag that lay at his feet, "you know what to do."

He held out a roll of duct tape and a pair of handcuffs. The young man hesitated for a second, but then he took the handcuff and tape like it was no big deal, trying his hardest to keep his hands from shaking. But his partner noticed his nervousness and began to laugh, a chilling deep chuckle. "C'mon, you're not getting soft on me, are ya?" He punched the young man's shoulder.

"Course I'm not," he replied. "Just wondering how much longer we have to wait here."

"Shouldn't be too long," his partner grumbled. "But you got no idea how much we all have bee waiting for this. This girl, ever since she was born- she's about the most important thing to this company at this point. So-" he pointed his finger threateningly at the young man, stabbing the air, "you better not mess it up."

He shook his head, sending his unruly blonde locks into his face. As if on cue, the light switched off, and the partner smiled a sly grin. "Let's go."

The door was, as they had requested their asset, left unlocked. The house was silent and peaceful, with the safe atmosphere of a seemingly perfect home. But there was one person still lying awake, his eyes staring at the ceiling, his mind racing with the knowledge that his family was never going to be the same after tonight, that tonight his little girl, his Izzie, would be taken away from him, into a world where she would be left scared and alone. Christopher Williams, the seemingly perfect father who had just spent the last three weeks watching his colleagues plan his own daughter's kidnapping, was still lying awake. He waited and waited helplessly for the shock of the moment when his two lives would collide, leaving chaos and tragedy.

Just down the hall, Isabelle lay sleeping, her lips pressed in a sleepy smile, deep in a dream. No one but her would ever see what her eyes were seeing of dreamland. But wherever she was, whatever she was seeing, it wouldn't last for long.

The sound of her front door opening awakened her sleeping ears. She looked around drowsily, but everything was invisible in the dark. The next thing she remembered were strong arms grabbing her, shattering her dreamland back into reality. She screamed, a scream that woke the house.

"Shit," snapped her captor in her ears, and she could hear her parents frantic footsteps pounding down the hall. The lights switched on, and she could see her mother's terrified face staring at her.

"Mom-" she choked out, but in one swift movement the man holding her threw her back against the wall and hit her mother hard with one strong blow, and she crumpled to the floor unconscious.

"Mom!" Izzie screamed, tears flooding her vision. All she could see was her father standing in the doorway staring at her. She felt cold metal on her wrists and the click of handcuffs. "What the hell are those for?" her father screamed.

"Just a precaution," the man grumbled.

"Dad," Izzie screamed. "Dad, what's happening?"

The young man stood in the corner, helpless. There must be something he could do to stop this. His mind was racing. But he just stood still.

"It's gonna be okay, Izzie, I'm so sorry baby, it's gonna be okay," the father whispered, trying to console his terrified daughter. But she was only left more confused and scared.

They shoved her out the door into the hallway. "Don't hurt her!" the father's voice yelled frantically after them, and his daughter turned to look at him with those terrified, innocent eyes one more time. His heart broke and he sank to the floor. He should have been prepared for this. He had known this had to happen, ever since the day she became his daughter. But that still didn't make it right.

Izzie closed her eyes tight. She felt as though her entire world was crashing down onto her shoulders, to heavy for her to bear. The next thing she knew she was outside, and the rain came cascading down onto her face, plastering her hair onto her cheeks. They threw her into the back of a car and the last thing she remembered was the sharp prick of a needle biting her neck before she collapsed into darkness.