.


TRAPPED

Chapter Two


"Sounds like a plan," Alex concluded with a broad smile, stacking the pieces of paper in front of her as she stood and gave Katheryn a quick embrace before turning to leave. "I'm leaving the center in your hands for the rest of the day. See you at C.D.'s later tonight?"

"Absolutely," Katheryn agreed and watched as Alex took her leave, pausing to see another car arriving in her place seconds later. Molly traced a brief path across the grassy lawn before reaching the concrete walk that led straight to the building.

As Katheryn watched, her thoughts wandered. It would be great to finally begin the investigative end of the H.O.P.E. center's operation within the coming weeks. Alex agreed it was an excellent idea. And with Trent and Carlos' help, Kath knew they could make a go of the project.

A stream of gunfire suddenly whizzed past the center, pulling Katheryn out of her thoughts as she immediately and without hesitation broke into a sprint out of the center and overtook her best friend to the ground as the car drove past them and out of sight. As the two women gathered themselves back to their feet, they both looked down the street anxiously but saw no hint of the assailant to be found.

"Are you all right?" Kath panted, brushing the grassy remains off of herself and then Molly.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Molly replied shakily.

Katheryn quickly dialed Trent's number into her cell phone.

"Trent Malloy."

"Hey, Trent. It's Kath."

Trent could tell by Katheryn's uneasy voice that something wasn't quite right. "What's up?"

"Molly and I almost just became victims of a drive-by at the center."

"Are you and Molly okay?" Trent asked, concern sweeping through him as he moved from his brand new office desk in steady route for his jacket drooped over the chair against the wall.

"Yeah," Katheryn was quick to assure him.

"Thank God," Trent uttered, immediately relieved.

Carlos continued eyeing Trent curiously from the loft area he had just completed furnishing, wondering what his best friend's sudden disturbance was all about as he angled the chair to face the sofa. Displeased with the arrangement, he finally gave up and joined Trent downstairs in time to hear him say that he was on his way.

Meanwhile, Kath bid her quick goodbyes and hung up, turning to Molly with shock suddenly overcoming her as she saw the blood stain on her arm. "Molly! You're hurt." She quickly dove in and caught her as she weakened beneath herself.

"It's just a crease." Molly fought the drowsiness she suddenly felt, steadying herself back on her own two feet and insisting she was fine.

"Let's get you inside," Katheryn insisted, putting an arm around Molly and helping her into the center.

By the time Trent and Carlos arrived at the center, Katheryn had patched up the wound on Molly's arm the best she could with the first aid kit, arguing that she should see a doctor.

"What can I say?" Molly scoffed with a barely detectable smile as she pulled her sleeve down over the bandage. "I guess some of your gusto is wearing off on me these days."

"Not funny." Katheryn closed the first aid kit with a touch of anger, glancing up as the guys slipped inside Alex's office space where the girls still were.

Trent took one look at the first aid kit and Molly, his eyes widening with concern even more as he noticed the blood-soaked bandage lying on the table. He turned to Katheryn. "I thought you said everyone was okay?"

"I did," Kath sighed. "That was before we realized otherwise."

Trent bent over and pressed a kiss on Molly's forehead, his hand gripping her shoulder gently. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Carlos too gave Katheryn a knowing look, thankful to still have her with him and sighed. "What happened out there?"

Katheryn, with an intense exhale on her lips, forced herself up and away from the chair she occupied to gaze out of the window behind Alex's desk. "It happened so fast. It was all quiet and then I heard gunfire. I rushed outside to protect Molly. And then it was over."

"You didn't see a license plate number or anything?" Carlos asked, and Kath shook her head. Carlos then returned to his thoughts, remembering Katheryn's near brush with danger last week. "I wonder if it's connected somehow."

"What's that?" Trent inquired.

"This and that brick that got thrown through your family's kitchen window."

"Brick?" Kath asked with a raise of her eyebrows in surprise. "You mean you guys actually figured out what hurt me?"

"Nope," Carlos chuckled wryly. "We just decided to give it a nickname."

"Very funny," Katheryn rolled her eyes.

Trent sighed, pacing away from them to gather his thoughts. "First you, Kath, and now Molly. Whoever is to blame for this is really getting me angry."

"Yeah, make that two of us," Carlos chimed in and turned to the girls. "Why don't you both bunk at the Malloy's until this thing is over?"

"Carlos, that's one of the places we were attacked. Like that's safe," Katheryn concluded sarcastically, taking a deep breath as she began to feel that no place was safe right now.

Carlos nodded and returned to his own thoughts also, knowing Kath was right. But he also knew they couldn't be alone. "Kath, I know you can handle yourself, but you and Molly shouldn't stay at home on your own. If this guy is after you both, you should put him off track by not being there at home."

Kath shrugged, feeling hopeless. "I know you're right. But still, it's like we're being stalked now. Once, it could have been some kid throwing a rock. But being shot at takes this to another level entirely. How are we supposed to trust we are safe anywhere? He could be after any of us for all we know."

"I agree with Carlos," Trent broke through firmly. "How about your apartment Carlos?"

"I'd love to have you both," Carlos didn't hesitate to reply but then remembered, "But I don't think I have the room for everyone." Carlos' face broadened into a light chuckle. "And I don't think you girls want to sleep on the couch I have."

"What do mean?" Kath retorted. "That couch is comfy."

Carlos cleared his throat nervously. "I guess only tall people would understand." Kath punch him on the arm. "Alright…only we would understand…as tall people."

"What about Alex's place?" Molly inputted with a slow smile, looking from Trent to Carlos then to Katheryn.

"That's a great idea," Kath agreed and crossed to Alex's desktop phone, reaching for the device to dial Alex's home phone number. "I'll ask her right now."

Meanwhile, Trent and Carlos slipped out of the room and back into the center's foyer, both of them subjected to their own thoughts. It was Carlos who chose to break the silence first.

"Kath's right, Trent. What if any one of us is a target?"

The two men paused at the door in unison, Trent slipping his hands into his jeans pocket with a glance back towards the room they had just left. "Yeah. I know what you mean."

"Shouldn't one of us stay with them?"

"As much as I'd like to you," Trent sighed, "I'd like to get a head start on catching this guy."

"Yeah, me too," Carlos nodded and turned as he heard Katheryn telling Alex goodbye and hanging up the phone.

Katheryn was standing before them seconds later, a smile barely on the edge of her lips. "Alex said she'd love to have us over. So, which one of you will be going with us back over to our apartment to pack our bags."

"I will," Trent quickly spoke up, drawing perplexity from his best friend who gave him a direct glare in response. "Calm down there, Romeo. You and I both know what Butch said."

"Yeah. I remember." Carlos rolled his eyes away from Trent, ambling over to Kath, stopping once to turn around and point his finger in Trent's face to say, "You owe me one." He gave Katheryn a quick kiss and farewell before he was out of the center and in route for his Durango, leaving Kath somewhat confused.

"Now, what was all that about?" Katheryn interrogated as she and Trent walked to their vehicles, Molly trailing them from behind.

Trent smiled. "Oh, Butch just wants some help around Uppercuts to cover our first week of rent since we haven't gotten our first case yet."

"I see," Kath chuckled, tossing a duffle in the passenger seat of her ruby Corvette before boarding the little beauty and cranking the engine. "See you at the apartment."

Trent waved and smiled as Kath drove away, seeing her off safely before he turned his attentions to Molly who stood behind him waiting as he turned around. He wouldn't admit it, but she startled him somewhat. Molly's quick apology made that all seem like it had never happened though as the two found themselves locked eye to eye for a brief moment.

Trent chuckled softly, a smile spreading across his face. "Isn't very often these days we get to be alone together."

"I know," Molly agreed, reaching her hand to subtly slip it into Trent's by their sides. "But we are now."

"And as much as I'd like to keep it that way," Trent reluctantly pulled away from the pristine moment, "we should probably stay close to Kath."

Molly exhaled sharply, disappointment heard on her vocal cords. "After this is all over, we should take a trip or something."

Trent's smile preceded him as he slipped over to Molly's car and opened the door for her, allowing her to get in before he shut the door securely behind her and waved his goodbyes, returning to his Stingray to follow the girls home.


It didn't take Trent and Carlos long to dive into investigating this matter after they made sure Katheryn and Molly were settled into Alex's apartment for the night. They paced Thunder Investigations for at least half an hour, their shoes wearing down as they strode back and forth until they finally felt like giving up. Nothing that came to mind seemed to answer the hundreds of questions flowing in and out of their minds by the second. With one answer came another matching set of questions. And with each question came more confusion. They had no leads whatsoever. It almost seemed crazy to even dare to wish they'd meet with this culprit again to have a chance at identifying him. But one thing they knew for sure is that if trepidation was what the culprit intended on dispersing, they had been successful so far. That said, when a knock sounded on the doorframe leading downstairs to Uppercuts, the guys were more than happy to have a moment away from their raging thoughts as they were beginning to feel helpless.

"Nothing?" Butch questioned, crossing his arms as his voiced boomed throughout the large area. Trent shook his head. "You know this reminds me of the time I was tracking a mysterious jewel thief."

Carlos lifted his head towards Butch curiously. Trent on the other hand was more cautious towards the spinning of this tale.

"You see," Butch continued. "A lady by the name of Alice Devin asked me to track down whoever it was that was stealing her jewelry. But there didn't seem to be any evidence whatsoever. After the first night of staking out her house and nodding myself insane, I found her necklace tucked under the doormat at her front door." Butch chuckled. "That lady was thrilled. Couldn't stop telling me her thanks. But then she asked if I caught the thief. I told her no and that I was sure she had just misplaced it. She refused to believe me. So I staked out her house three more nights in a row. Came up empty each night. I was about ready to tell her off when I realized each night I had caught a wink of sleep for at least thirty minutes. At my most vulnerable point, that old cuss took advantage and came right in."

"How did you know?" Carlos inquired, having been swept right into the tale.

Butch smiled to himself and slowly replied, "Because not a word of this is true."

"What do you mean?" Carlos demanded while Trent was on the edge of laughter.

"Maybe all these little things that keep happening is a distraction to draw you in. Like my story. While you were caught up in it, you didn't realize someone had come in behind you there." Butch paused, pointing towards the door where Tommy stood, grinning from ear to ear.

Carlos refused to believe that Butch's story was entirely fiction. But he understood the point well. He had learned that lesson many times while as an officer. Perhaps he could brush up on those skills some as it appeared.

Tommy stepped forward in between the two tired PIs. "You didn't show up at the dojo today, Trent. What's going on?"

"Molly and Kath were nearly hurt in a drive-by," Trent explained.

Tommy's eyes widened. "Are they okay?"

Trent nodded. "Yeah. They're staying with Alex tonight. Just to be on the safe side."

"Good thinking. Well, I'll see you at home, Trent."

"See ya," Carlos called out as Tommy slipped out of the office.

They could hear Tommy's quick steps descending the outside steps when what felt like some kind of explosion softly shook the street corner.

"What in the world?!" Trent barely spoke as all three men rushed out into the night, quickly hurrying down to the street to see licking flames rolling up into the sky from a nearby car alongside the street and Tommy Malloy lying lifeless on the sidewalk a car-link away.

"Tommy!" Trent shouted, charging over to his brother. He lifted Tommy's head off of the concrete sidewalk and checked his pulse. "Tommy! Wake up! Tommy!"

Sirens wailed in the distance as a fire engine stalled to a stop seconds later, streams of water pouring over the intense flames while paramedics descended upon the scene. Tommy was barely awake by the time a paramedic made his way over to them. They treated him the best they could before an ambulance arrived and took him to the hospital with Trent still by his side the entire time.