Chapter 2

Paige McCullers hadn't had any contact with Caleb Rivers until it happened.

She'd kept in contact with Emily, they exchanged emails every other day and Paige was kept up to date with all the drama in Rosewood. She knew that Alison and Hanna had both been arrested for Mona's murder. She knew that Spencer and Toby had been having problems. She knew about Aria's relationship with Andrew Campbell.

But she hadn't spoken to Emily in nearly a week now. That's why she immediately started to panic when Caleb rung her. She had been sitting on the sofa in the living room in her parents' house in California; it was still her parents' house never hers, her home was wherever Emily was, when the phone rang. Her father answered it.

"Paige." He passed her the phone, "It's a boy. Caleb." Hearing Caleb's name immediately made her panic. Why would he be ringing her?

"Caleb?" She questioned. "What's up?" She heard him take a shaky breath, as if he was trying to hold back tears.

"It's the girls. They got arrested five days ago. Accessories for Mona's murder…" He paused as if he was trying to find a way to tell her the next part.

"Oh my God. It's A isn't it. They've been set up." She asked him hysterically. It drew a worried look from her mom who was sitting opposite her.

"Yes. But Paige it gets worse. They were all being transferred to another prison. Emily, Han, Spencer and Aria. The van was crashed and someone's taken them. A." Paige gasped, on the edge of tears.

"We've been tracking A and it looks like Tanner finally believes us. We've tracked the van and we're on our way there now." Paige had already reached for her laptop that was resting on the coffee table and had started looking for flights.

"Ok, Caleb I'm coming back to help. I'm looking up flights now."

"Paige I didn't contact you to panic you but... I thought you had a right to know." Paige nodded as if he was sitting next to her. "

"I know Caleb. But I never should have gone not with A still after them it was wrong of me to leave Em. I love her." Caleb coughed awkwardly.

"I get it. I'll ring you if anything else happens, when's the next flight?" Paige continued scrolling through flight details. "I can get one to Harrisburg airport in 5 hours. I'll book myself on that and get the train into Rosewood. I better get packing. Ring me if anything happens. Bye Caleb."

"Yeah, bye Paige see you soon."

As soon as she put the phone down her mom and dad both looked at her. "Flights?" Her dad questioned. Paige nodded as she absentmindedly started tapping her details to book.

"Yeah, Em's been taken. By somebody who's been after them for nearly two years now, A that's what they call themselves. She needs me there for when they find her." Paige decided that the straight up honest approach was probably the best idea now. Her mother let out a strangled sob.

"Paige." She said. "No! If there's a kidnapper in Rosewood the best place for you is here." Paige shook her head and pressed submit on her ticket.

"No mom. You don't understand. I knew about A and I left. Besides I've brought a ticket now it doesn't matter." Her mom continued to protest but it was her dad's reaction that surprised her the most.

"Maria." He told his wife. "Paige is eighteen now, she can do what she wants."

Paige just nodded at her dad, "Thanks. I'm going to pack."

…

Six hours later Paige was sitting on a plane. She was still in shock about the girls. Caleb had rung her again just an hour before she left for the airport. He'd told her that A and the girls weren't with the van but they had found another location and were on their way. She found out that 'they' included Ezra, Toby, Tanner and Spencer's parents.

The plane was full and unfortunately she's ended up in the middle of the plane with a small child behind her kicking her chair. She tried to calm herself down before she turned herself around and took a swing at the small boy.

Just five more hours and she'd be in Harrisburg. Just seven more hours and she'd be in Rosewood and hopefully Em would be in her arms.

…

Spencer sat with her hands trying to block out the siren that had been blaring for the past ten minutes. After attempting to escape Charles had locked them back to their rooms. With Emily held at gunpoint they just did as he said. As soon as they had gone back the sirens had started. Punishment.

She tried to block out the noise by trying to think of something else. Toby. Her parents. Even Melissa. But whatever she thought about the noise of the sirens still seemed to bleed through and ruin it. She had her reserves about hope. It was a dirty four letter word that bred nothing but eternal misery. But at the moment it was all she had. She had to hope that Toby would find her. That A would find somebody else to torture and leave her and her friends alone.

This was her last thought as she felt a searing pain in the back of her neck and the whole world around her went black.

…

After ringing Paige for a second time Caleb sat back in the Hastings off roader and took in his surroundings. They had been following the police cars on a dirt road for nearly half an hour now. They seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. If anything this made Caleb even surer that they were heading towards the right place.

He cast a look at Ezra Fitz, his old English teacher who was sitting next to him. The older man seemed to look more frazzled with every passing second that he didn't have Aria next to him. He was sure he looked the same. He was scared for Hanna, worried about what A might be doing to them. If he ever got a hold of A he would tear it to shreds before he even had a chance to process what was happening in his sick mind.

He smiled at Ezra in what he hoped was a reassuring way before turning back to the window and continued to watch the trees pass by.

'I'm coming Hanna.' He thought.