This is kind of a mini-update. It's neither long nor particularly exciting but I felt I owed you something. Would you rather I post shorter, more regular updates or hold off until I feel I have a substantial bit of story ready for reading?

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 4

**In New York**

"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"

"Um, my name is Cassidy Priestly and, um, I think I'm being kidnapped."

"Young lady, it is not appropriate to prank call this number. Is there an emergency or not?"

"I, um, I don't know," Cassidy started crying, "I was at school and then when we went outside our car was there to pick us up but it was a different driver and he said to get in and our regular driver was fired and he said he's supposed to take us to our dad's house but we're supposed to be with our step-dad and now we're at a gas station and he won't let us use the bathroom together and-"

"Now listen here, it's not an emergency to go to your father's house. Sometimes adults have to change their plans. You don't call this number again unless it's a real emergency!"

With that, the emergency operator hung up on Cassidy, not understanding that the girl was panicking.

"Monica, what's your call?" The supervisor asked the operator.

"Nothing, just some rich kid who doesn't want her new driver to take her to Daddy's house."

The operator and her supervisor rolled their eyes but the next operator over interrupted, "Monica, what was her name? Was she alone?"

"What? Why?" The young woman answered.

"There's an Amber Alert out on a pair of twins who were picked up at school by an unidentified white male posing as their driver!"

"Oh, shit," Monica whispered, frantically trying to pull up the information on the last call.

**In Paris**

"Miranda," Andy spoke quietly but surely, "I'm just answering Cass to tell her they must try to get away from him and call 9-1-1. Then I'm going to call the townhouse and let them know about the text and the GPS."

Miranda kept sobbing. Her mind going over all of the reasons her daughters were taken. This is my fault. I should have stayed home. What kind of mother leaves her children during school testing? What kind of mother leaves her children at all? What was I thinking? I don't deserve them. James should have custody. Not me. I don't deserve to be a mother.

Keeping one arm securely wrapped around the distraught woman, Andy quickly sent the message to Cassidy. Watching to make sure the text went through, Andy distractedly ran the fingers of her left hand through Miranda's hair. It had always been calming to her when her mother ran her fingers through her dark brown tresses and Andy subconsciously tried to help soothe Miranda. As her phone sent the message, Andy used Miranda's to call the townhouse, waiting for someone to answer.

"Miranda?" She heard.

"This is Andréa Sachs, Miranda's assistant. Are the police there?"

"I'd like to speak to my wife," came the angry tone through the earpiece.

"Stephen, she can't talk right now. We just got another text from Cassidy saying that the driver is making them switch cars and not letting Caroline take her phone. Please, let me speak with the police."

Andy heard some background noise and then listened while Stephen relayed the information she had just shared. A new voice came on the line, "Andréa? This is Detective Benson, can you tell me exactly what information the child has given you?"

"Of course. Cass' text said that they were at a gas station, he was making them switch cars, she didn't know what car they were switching to, Caro's phone and their backpacks were being left in their car and she was going to call 9-1-1 after she sent the text."

"Is that absolutely everything? I need everything."

"Oh! Also, that she was turning on the GPS in her phone, but he knew she had it so she thinks he might take it away. Um, and that she thinks it's her dad's fault this is happening. And he wouldn't let them go to the bathroom together. And that they love their mom." Hearing Andréa say that caused Miranda's sobbing to begin again. Andy pulled Miranda in a little tighter against herself and pressed her cheek to the top of the silver-haired head before continuing, "I think that's absolutely everything. I can forward it to Stephen's cell phone and you can see it, if that would be better."

"Yes, thank you that would be the best option. Is Ms. Priestly there? We thought she was on her way back to the states."

"Yes, Detective, um, she's right here but that last text message kind of got to her. She's pretty upset right now, that's why I called. We're in the process of taking off from de Gaulle right now. We won't be there for another eight or nine hours. Apparently there's a headwind that's going to slow us down a bit. Miranda's driver, Roy, will be meeting us at LaGuardia and we will head immediately to the townhouse. Unless, of course, there's some further development?"

"I'll have a car escort you here, to the Priestly residence, from the airport. Andréa, a lot can happen in eight hours. I realize that you two are on an international flight but I would really like to be able to keep in touch in case anything…comes up."

"I'll check the phones every thirty minutes. Just make sure to call or text both of us to be positive we get it. Technically, Stephen can make decisions in Miranda's absence but it would be best if it is at all possible for Miranda to have the final say."

"I don't think, uh, well," the detective trailed off and Andy heard the background noise fading out and the quiet sound of a door closing.

Andy tensed, causing Miranda to tense, as she asked, "What is it, Detective Benson?"

"Stephen doesn't appear to be in any condition to make decisions."

"Shit," Andy cursed quietly. "Okay, we're going to be taking off in a few minutes so I have to turn our phones off. After we're in the air at a safe altitude, I'll turn Miranda's phone back on. Both of our batteries are running a little low so I'll see if I can charge mine while hers is on and then I'll switch them. Just call. If anything comes up, if there are any questions, concerns, thoughts or theories, call us."

"Thank you. I will. I just want to get these girls home to their mom."

"Me, too. Have you heard from James? Their father?"

"No, we haven't gotten in touch with him, yet."

"Did you try his wife, his manager, his mother? Please, we need to know if this is his doing. Also, I'm going to call Max, the girls' regular driver, after we can turn our phones back on." The pilot announced the impending take-off. "I have to hang up, Detective, we're taking off."

"Talk soon," the other woman said as she hung up.

Andy turned their phones off and went back to the business of calming Miranda while she waited to make the next phone call.

**In New York**

Cassidy stood in the bathroom, tears dripping off of her young face as she stared at her phone. What should I do? I can't leave Caro out there alone any more but I haven't saved us yet. Cassidy turned on the GPS in her phone and stuck it in the waistband of the back of her skirt, pulling her school sweater over it. She washed her hands and face and stalled for a moment, hoping someone else would enter the bathroom and she could ask for help. It was too early, though. Half past four on a weekday afternoon did not make for crowded gas stations. I hope Mom and Andy know what to do. The eleven year-old left the bathroom and headed toward her sister in the parking lot.

"Give me your phone," the driver said roughly as Cassidy got nearer to him.

"Oh! Shoot! I left it in the bathroom! I'll go get it," Cass took a step backward.

"Stop! You left it in the bathroom?" He clarified.

Cassidy nodded, eyes wide. The large man narrowed his beady eyes at her, thinking about what to do. He came to some sort of internal conclusion, "I think you are going to stay right here with us. You should really be more careful with your things, girl." He grabbed her arm again, moving her next to her twin. "Don't move." The intimidating adult walked around to the front of the car and proceeded to wash the windshield with the provided washer.

"Cassidy Priestly," Caroline whispered quietly, "I can not believe you would be so irresponsible as to leave our only means of communication inside a gas station restroom. Now what are we supposed to do? How is Mom ever going to find us?"

"Caro, chill out! It's in my skirt, I stuck it there so he wouldn't know I still had it. I was afraid he'd try to take it away from us and I was right. I turned the GPS thingy on so they could track us. Just make sure it doesn't show from the back when you get a chance," Cassidy whispered back. She knew her sister was prone to panicking so Cassidy had to make absolutely certain she stayed calm. She had to protect Caro and find a way out of the situation. That was what big sisters were for and she was the big sister – even if it was only by minutes.

"Okay, I'll check as soon as I can."

"Shh," Cass answered, hearing his steps coming closer.

He seized Cassidy's left arm and Caroline's right arm as a battered gray sedan pulled in front of them. "Here you go, they're your brats now." He shoved the girls hastily into the backseat, closing the door quickly behind them. The new driver had the front windows down and chuckled when the man stuck his face in on the passenger side. "So, where's my paycheck?"

The laughter was gone as quickly as it had come and the woman in the front seat looked sideways at the girls before carefully answering, "I believe Ms. Priestly pays her employees twice monthly on the fifteenth and thirtieth. I'm sure you'll get your check next week," she ground out.

Ms. Priestly? Both girls thought at the same time. The intense eye contact between the sisters served for conversation. They knew for certain that neither of these people worked for their mother and they were pretty sure they didn't work for their father either. No one called her Ms. Priestly. The danger they were in was suddenly very, very real.

**Over the Atlantic**

Andy had not yet been able to plug her phone in as she was loathe to let go of the shivering editor but she knew she had to. "Miranda, I'm going to plug in my phone and get my laptop so we can work through this. What can I get for you while I'm up?"

"Please," Miranda whispered, "I can't. Please."

"Okay, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. Watch me, okay? I'm going to stay right here next to you while I get everything set," Andy said soothingly while sitting up to reach for her messenger bag.

"No!" Miranda said emphatically. She looked up into Andréa's surprised eyes and realized she had nearly shouted. "We are about to take off, Andréa, and you could be injured if you are not seated during lift off." Miranda delivered the sentence so ardently, the younger woman simply nodded and leaned back to stay next to Miranda.

"You're right, of course, thank you," she quietly answered.

It seemed that Miranda's sobbing had stopped for the moment but Andy still did not let go of her. She kept up the rhythmic stroking of Miranda's hair with her left hand and held her phone in her right hand. Miranda, too, kept a tight grip on her cell phone, feeling as though it was the only connection she had with her daughters. Well, the phone and Andréa. As the aircraft sped faster and faster down the runway, Miranda's right hand gripped Andy's thigh tighter and tighter. Only when they were finally leveling out in the sky did she release the other woman's leg, rubbing a bit where she had held, as if realizing how tightly she had squeezed.

"I've never enjoyed taking off," the editor admitted. Her brain was clearly scattered.

"Mmm, I'm not exactly surprised," Andy answered while keeping one hand on Miranda's leg and stretching for her messenger bag. She rummaged through the bag for her cell phone charger and her laptop, power cord and charger for Miranda's phone as well. "Miranda? Where's your phone? I need to plug our phones in to charge."

"Why not?"

"What?"

"Why are you not surprised? Here, take my phone, though I see no outlets near us and I will not be parted from those phones just now," Miranda said, glancing at the objects in Andréa's hand. She quickly glanced again, tilting her head as she really looked at the other woman's phone and then her face.

"I'll explain later," Andy begged, turning bright red and praying Miranda didn't question her more just yet.

"Indeed."

The women fell silent, both standing and looking around for somewhere to charge their devices. As Andy headed back toward the kitchen area, her phone beeped at her. Looking down at the screen, she felt Miranda at her shoulder. At the same moment, the women saw that the battery was alerting them of its lack of power. Thinking about where one might find an outlet on a plane like that one, Andy thought she could check the kitchen.

"I don't really want to spend the flight sitting on the floor in here, but I'm sure there will be outlets in the kitchen area, Miranda."

"If that is the only area with outlets," Miranda answered threateningly.

"Can you just check the bedroom? I'll plug my phone in here so it doesn't die but can you just see if there's anywhere else?"

"Plug your phone in and come with me; you are holding both devices right now."

Andy did as she was told and headed into the bedroom with Miranda.

tbc

So…shorter or longer, which would you rather?