Hi! First of all, thank you all so much for all of the reviews. And I know I'm kind of being mean to Jade, especially in this chapter. It's not that I have something against her character, because I don't, that's just how the story is working out, unfortunately.
Also, I posted a new *blind* poll on my profile concerning this story and who the kidnapper should be. It would be great if you could check it out :) Results won't be revealed until the story is finished.
So anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
By the time Beck had arrived, half of Hollywood Arts was already present, dressed in old clothing, prepared for the search.
Andre, Cat, Robby, and Jade were standing with a small crowd of students. They were looking over the bridge at the calm waters below. Beck pushed his way through the crowd until he was standing by Jade's side. It was then that he saw it.
Tori's car was half submerged in the lake. It had apparently rolled several times before coming to a stop on its left side. The windshield was completely gone and the front half of the car was crushed. If anyone had been in the car, there was very little chance of them surviving.
Cat was crying; Robby was trying to sooth her. Even Jade stood there silently, her face very somber. All of them were quiet as the sickening feeling of fear overcame them.
"It's something else, isn't it?"
Beck turned. Andre had come up behind him. Beck shook his head. "Unbelievable," he murmured.
"The good thing is they don't think anyone was in the car. If someone was, they would have needed help getting out; they would have been trapped in the car. By the looks of the car though," he added, "I'd be surprised if someone would make it out even with help."
"Why would someone ditch her car?"
Andre shrugged. "Why would they kidnap her in the first place? There's no reasoning to any of this." They both turned their gaze back to the car. "Her parents received a ransom call this afternoon," Andre said.
"So they know she's still alive?"
"No. They refused to let the Vegas talk to Tori, which is why they've organized a search team. The police think the kidnappers may take the ransom money Friday and skip town, with or without following through with their end of the deal. They're debating whether to even pay the ransom since there's no proof Tori is alive."
"That seems pretty risky," Beck commented.
"It's just an idea. They're getting details worked out now."
Suddenly, a detective approached them. "I need a group to search the western part of the woods and especially alongside the lake. If you find anything at all, report it immediately. Got it?" The group nodded. "Alright. Head out."
The room Tori woke up in was dark. There was only one window which allowed a small sliver of the setting sun in. She tried to sit up, but couldn't; her wrists and ankles were bound. She wasn't sure where she was, or who was or wasn't with her, but at that moment, she knew she had to escape. She also knew she didn't have much to lose. She did the only thing she could think of. As loud as she could, she screamed for help.
For a full minute, Tori screamed and struggled against her bonds. Suddenly, the door burst open, the light was turned on, and she found herself staring down the barrel of a gun.
"You – shut your mouth before I shut it for you. You don't need to be drawing attention to yourself," a man's gruff voice said.
More footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. A moment later, someone very familiar stepped out of the darkness and into the room.
"You! You kidnapped me?" Tori asked incredulously. She shook her head. "I always knew there was something crazy about you."
Her captor ignored the comment. "Don't worry. We'll be getting rid of her soon. Tori," he said, turning his attention back to her, "how nice to see you awake. We were starting to worry about you."
"You? Worried about me? I doubt it."
"Of course we were worried." The man with the gun smiled. "We wouldn't want to overdose the money."
Tori narrowed her eyes. "My dad is a cop. You won't get away with this," she said.
"Ah, but we will. And as long as you don't pull something off like you just tried to, you'll live to see the day we make our escape. " The gunman glanced at his watch before turning to his accomplice. "We've got to get going. What should we do with her for now?"
"We're probably pretty safe with gagging her. I don't think it'll be necessary to drug her again." He turned to Tori. "Right?"
She nodded silently.
"Good. Now hurry up; we're going to be late."
The city-wide search lasted several hours. By the time they were finished, they had crawled through bushes, pushed their way through branches, and even gone knee-deep into the cold, mucky water. Robby got an allergic reaction after getting bit by an unidentified insect and Jade had broken out in a rash after her encounter with poison ivy. In the end, they had come up with a single earring, an old sweatshirt, and a bracelet – nothing to bring them closer to finding Tori.
"Well, this was a waste of time," Jade said. She scratched furiously at her skin. "I swear, if those kidnappers don't kill Tori, I will when I get my hands on her."
"Jade, no one made you come here. Quit complaining," Beck snapped.
"There's got to be something here, or at least somewhere close. They couldn't have dumped her car and not left anything behind," Andre said.
The five friends stopped at the riverbank and took a seat. The sun had set, and the brilliant shine of the full moon lit the sky. One by one, stars became visible.
"My mom always told me all of the stars in the sky represent angels," Andre said. "All of the angels in Heaven can be seen as they watch over those of us still on Earth."
"Let's hope one of the angels is watching over Tori," Beck said.
For a long moment, they sat there in complete silence, lost in thought. Suddenly, Cat pointed up at the sky. "Look! A shooting star. Make a wish!"
Beck's gaze went to the evening sky as he wished with all his heart that Tori would come home soon.
Tori woke up to the sound of a door slamming shut, followed by arguing – very loud arguing. But instead of hearing two men's voices, she heard a man and a woman's voice. She sounded furious.
"I told you fifty grand or we walk. That was the deal!"
"Twenty-five thousand is better than what we were going to get - nothing," the man's voice replied.
"I knew going into business with you was a bad idea," the woman snarled angrily. The door slammed shut again, and all became silent.
Tori shook her head. She was definitely in the middle of something more than a kidnapping job. It almost sounded as if they were working for someone.
She tried to shift her sitting position. The process that should have taken a few seconds took several minutes. She sighed and allowed her gaze to go to the window. The moon was fully visible now, its bright light flowing across the floor. From where she was sitting, Tori could see a single star.
The sky was midnight blue. The moon and the stars were the only things lighting the sky. The air was cool and the night calm. It was perfect.
"It's so beautiful out here," Tori said.
"I knew you'd like it." Andre smiled. "Hollywood Arts students come here a lot on the weekends. I come here when I need to chill out, take a break from things."
"It's definitely a great place to relax," she replied. She sighed. "There are so many stars."
"I know. My mom used to tell me all of the stars in the sky were angels up in Heaven, coming out to watch over us all."
"That's an interesting way to look at it."
They lay on the blanket in silence for a long time, enjoying the moment. Suddenly, Tori broke the silence. "Look – a shooting star."
"Yeah. Make a wish."
Tori grinned. "Aren't we a little old for that?"
Andre returned the grin. "You're never too old to wish on a shooting star."
Tori sighed. Wishing upon a shooting star truly did seem cliché and childish to her, but she did know something that could never be outgrown, and never failed her.
She closed her eyes and silently prayed.
It was nearly midnight by the time Beck finally made it back to his home. He took a shower before going straight to bed, only to be interrupted, once again, by the telephone.
"Ugh, go away," he groaned. He didn't answer it, and a moment later, his phone went silent. He sighed and closed his eyes. Less than a minute later, his cell phone went off again. He snatched it up and answered it. "Hello?"
"We need to talk."
"Jade, it's so late. We should talk tomorrow."
"No. We can talk about this now. I'm sick of Tori being the center of attention all of a sudden. And you – why would you –"
"Jade, hang on. Someone else is calling."
"Don't hang up on me, Beck Oliver, or –"
He switched to his other line. "Beck here. What's up?"
"Beck, something terrible just happened! Are you awake?"
He rolled his eyes. "Of course, Cat, or I wouldn't be talking to you. Now calm down and tell me what happened."
"Tori's parents called. The police found a body."