Chapter 3: Joanne Armstrong

AN: Thanks for all the reviews!

RPOV

The whole week, I just sat at home, not doing anything. I should have been working on my new book—the publishers wanted it by the end of the month—but I couldn't. Every time I picked up my pen, I thought about Charlotte and Gisele. Where were they? Were they safe? Were they scared? Did they miss me?

My hand dropped to my neck and I fingered my heart necklace. I had been doing that a lot lately. For some reason, when I touched my necklace, I felt like I was closer to my daughters, and that gave me a sense of comfort.

Right now, I was sitting in my kitchen in a pair of jeans and a Giants Superbowl champions sweatshirt of Emmett's. I took a sip of my coffee, then looked at the clock again. 1:03 pm. Less than two hours. I sighed and rested my head on the table. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep.

Lying on the table, I kept seeing Charlotte and Gisele in my mind, being tortured by an unknown person. He was tall, had short black hair, and a crazed expression on his face. I shuddered, opened my eyes, and looked at the clock again. 1:05 pm. Only two minutes had passed.

Sighing, I stood up and walked into the living room. Emmett was lying on the couch, reading Stephen King's newest book. He looked so adorable with his reading glasses on. He was so engrossed in his book that he didn't see my. Quietly, I walked over to him and sat on the couch with him. He looked up at me and gave me a big smile. He marked the page in his book, then closed it and put it on the floor. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me down next to him.

I put my hands on his chest and snuggled into him. He lightly kissed me on the forehead as I closed my eyes. I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, Emmett was waking me up.

"Rose, wake up," he whispered in my ear. Groaning, I rolled over and right off the coach. Luckily, Emmett was there and caught me in his arms. He picked me up and set me on the ground.

"What time is it?" I asked him.

"Two-thirty. Alice and Jasper are waiting outside for us." I grabbed my purse, and the two of us went outside. Jasper and Alice were standing next to their car with impatient looks on their faces.

"C'mon," Alice whined. "I want to get there as soon as we can and see what this woman needs to tell us." Alice and I got in the backseat while Jasper drove and Emmett rode shotgun.

"So, did you find out who she is?" I asked Jasper as he drove.

"No. There's nothing on anyone names Joanne Armstrong. Believe me, I looked."

"What if it's a trap?" Alice asked with fear in her voice.

"Then it's a trap," I said. "What else are we supposed to do? This is the only way we can possible find a way to getting our kids back. Maybe all these people want is money."

"Did you see this week's Us Weekly?" Alice asked, reaching into her bag.

"No. What are they saying about me know?" I sighed. Before the crash, I was only in magazines for taking my clothes off. Now, I was in the tabloids every week for something. Between counting down the days until Emmett and I split to criticizing my fashion choices, I was a tabloid staple. It was much harder for Bella and Leah. Before the crash, they had been nobodies—Bella had been a waitress and Leah had worked at some office. Now, after being involved in the biggest plane crash known to man, they were married to famous men and constantly hounded by paparazzi.

"Here," she said, putting the magazine in my lap. It was a picture of Charlotte and Gisele with Bella's, Alice's, and Leah's kids at our house. It was from Gisele's second birthday. They were all smiling and happy.

"So?" I said. "It's the kids at Gisele's birthday. What's the problem with that?"

"That," she said, pointing to the headline. I looked down and read it:

WHERE ARE THE KIDS?
The JAL Ten kids haven't been seen for a week. They've been missing from school, and Bella Cullen's outburst at the Brandon-Clearwater wedding has many wondering: what happened to the kids?

Oh my god. How did they find out about this? Oh yeah, my life has no privacy. I opened the magazine and turned to the article.

Where are the children of the JAL Ten? That is the question many are asking. The adorable faces of Charlotte, Gisele, Emily, and Olivia Cullen, David Whitlock, and Evan, Bryant, Ryan, and Maribel Newton have been absent from the streets of Los Angeles this past week. Most weeks, the smiling faces of these beautiful children greet passerbys. Rosalie and Emmett Cullen, a tabloid staple themselves, are always seen walking around downtown LA, going out to eat, or treating their two daughters, Charlotte (also known as Lola) and Gisele (also known as Gigi) to ice cream. Edward and Bella Cullen, a normally private couple, have been photographed a lot more often these past few years with their twin daughters Olivia and Emily. The bronze-haired girls, along with their parents, are regular visitors to the aquarium, the zoo, and the Disney store. Jasper Whitlock and his wife, heiress Alice Brandon (now Whitlock) have been seen with their son, David, whenever they go out. With an heiress for a mother and one of the highest paid actors as a father, David Whitlock is one of the wealthiest babies on the planet. Leah Newton and her four children are regular fixtures at the Eagles practices and games, the team their father and husband plays for.
This past week, however, no one has reported seeing a single one of these children. Of course, some say they could just be resting after an exhausting weekend (Cynthia Brandon and Seth Clearwater were married on Saturday, an event which all the children were part of.) Sources, however, suspect something else.
"Something's not right," kindergarten teacher Kristen Bosworth tells Us. "Lola has never missed a day of school before, yet she was absent this entire week, her mother claiming she was sick. That would be believable, if Nancy Pollard, Evan's first-grade teacher and Heather Manapaulos, Bryant's pre-school teacher, weren't told the same thing. I mean, how are we supposed to believe all these children have come down with some illness that makes them unable to attend school for an entire week? It's just not likely."
Tess Allemandes, close friend of Cynthia Brandon, tells Us exclusively about a disturbing scene at her friend's wedding. "Everyone was having a great time dancing and drinking. Cynthia was spinning on the dance floor with her new husband when Bella Cullen came bursting through the doors. Apparently, she had left for a minute. She runs into the middle of the dance floor, screaming her head off, before collapsing. Her husband, who is totally gorgeous by the way, came over to her and was whispering something to her. All of the other people from the plane were by her and she said something bad, because after that, they all left. It was weird."
Eyewitnesses at the hotel say they saw Bella and Edward Cullen, along with Alice Whitlock, bringing all the children of the JAL Ten to a hotel room. No one saw them go back to pick them up.
"Something fishy happened in that room. That's all I'm going to say," Ms. Allemandes says. Whatever happened there, Us hopes the LAPD find out soon.

"Are you fucking with me?" I asked Alice.

"No. That's what's on newsstands today. People all across the country are going to think we did something with our kids. Either they think we killed them or dumped them. Can it get any worse?"

Just then, my phone rang. I looked at the number and saw it was my brother, who I had recently started speaking to. Why was he calling me now?

"Andrew, what do you want?" I asked him, trying to keep my voice calm.

"What the fuck is with this article in Us Weekly, Rose?" he asked. I sighed.

"I don't know—Alice just showed it to me."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Is it true? I mean, I haven't talked to my nieces in two weeks."

"Andrew, what kind of question is that? Do you honestly think Emmett or I would ever let anything happen to Lola or Gigi?"

"Sorry," he said. "I had to ask. So can I talk to them?"

"Er, they're unavailable at the moment," I said, trying not to lie to my older brother. He was the only person in my family who actually spoke to me. If he found out what was really happening, I would lose him too.

"Why the hell not? It's like three o'clock over there, so they can't be sleeping."

"They—they—"

"Just tell him the truth, Rose," Emmett said, reaching over the seat and giving my hand a squeeze.

"Okay. Andrew, you can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. You have to promise."

"Okay, I promise."

"Do you promise not to tell the police or FBI or any other law enforcement?"

"Yes, I promise. Just tell me what's going on, Rosie. You're scaring me."

"They're gone," I whispered.

"Gone? As in dead?"

"I don't know. Someone took them at Seth and Cynthia's wedding. We got a note, saying we had to follow their instructions if we ever wanted to see our kids again. Then, at the beginning of the week, we got another note with a picture. They had our kids bound and gagged and the note said to meet this woman at 3 pm today."

"Rose, you have to go to the cops!"

"No! They said they'll kill them if we do that!"

"Well, will you at least let me fly out there to help?"

"No, Andrew. Stay in Rochester. Trust me, you don't want to get involved in this mess. I have to go—we're here. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay. Love ya, Rose."

"Love you too." I hung up my phone as Jasper pulled into the parking lot of the Old Windsor Church. Edward's Volvo pulled in next, followed by Seth's truck. Emmett helped me out of the car, then took my hand. The ten of us walked through the old church doors into a big room. There were pews everywhere and an altar in the front. The windows were all either dirty or broken—it looked like nobody had been here for years.

"Hello?" Bella called out. There was no answer.

"Hello? Anybody here?" Leah asked. Again, there was no response.

"This must be some kind of joke," Emmett muttered in my ear. I nodded in agreement.

"Well, it looks like we're the biggest suckers alive," I said, fighting back my tears. "I guess they're gone."

"Let's get out of here," Bella sighed. "There's no one here." Everyone nodded in agreement. We all turned and were about to leave when we heard a faint voice.

"Are you the JAL Ten?" I turned back and saw a woman, about forty years old, standing in front of the altar. She had shoulder-length red hair and was in a black dress with heels. She had a black cape on over her dress.

"Who wants to know?" Jasper called bravely.

"I am Joanna Armstrong. I believe you are looking for me. Follow me if you seek answers and explanations." She turned around and went through a door on the wall behind the altar. Carefully, I pulled Emmett and the two of us followed her. Everyone else followed us.

Joanna led us into a room in the back of the abandoned church. This room looked like it didn't belong in the building—it was new, decorated, and clean. On the walls, there were tons of pictures. Pictures of planes, islands, and us. On a table, I saw a bunch of magazines. On each of the covers, there was something about the JAL Ten. This felt weird.

Joanna took a seat at her desk and pulled out a folder. She opened it and pulled out a sheet of paper, then looked up at us.

"Ms. Armstrong," Edward said, "We were told to come here and find you. We were told you could tell us how to get our children back."

"I can," she said softly.

"Please, can you tell us how?" Bella pleaded. "I need to get my children back."

"The man who took your children, I work for him."

"You work for him?" I asked.

"Well, I've done work for him. He is a cruel man who delights in causing others pain. He sent me this today," she said, handing me the sheet of paper.

Jo,
Tell them the amount, then have them wire it to the account. When it is done, call me so I can off these brats.
J.

"He's going to kill our children!" I screamed.

"Quiet, Mrs. Cullen," she said sharply. I shut up. "Yes, he plans on killing your children. He wants money from you all, but I don't know what for, and I don't know why he is targeting you ten. I've always gone along with his schemes, but I draw the line at harming children. I'm going to tell you something that will allow you to rescue your children."

"Really?" Alice gasped, digging her nails into Jasper's arm.

Joanna nodded. "My boss has taken your kids to an island. Not a normal island, either. It is almost impossible to get there. You cannot just hop on any plane and land there. You need to follow special instructions. You all spent over 90 days there. Yes, I know you are lying about where you actually were," she said, acknowledging our confused faces.

"But, how do you know all of this?" Cynthia asked.

"I know many things, Mrs. Clearwater. Now, in order for you to get to the island, you all need to go. If one of you decides to back out, it will not work."

"We understand. We all will be going," Emmett said, daring someone to say they were out. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Excellent. Now, tomorrow evening, Qantas flight 421 is flying out of LAX to Australia. That is your only hope of getting to the island. I have you tickets here." She reached back into the folder and pulled out ten airline tickets.

"How—why—"

"No questions, Mr. Whitlock. We have very little time. Now, you all need to return to your homes and back a bag for your trip. I'd bring anything you cannot live without—I don't know if you all will return."

I felt a shiver go down my spine when she said that. I remembered the danger we encountered during our last stay on the island—I had multiple guns held to my head. I had sworn I'd never go back, yet here I was, planning a return trip.

"Your children are being held in a camp on the island. It was previously blown up, but it has been rebuilt and reinforced. You will need these," she said, pulling out ten ID badges, "To get in. In this folder, I have maps, plans, and all the information you will need to rescue your kids. Now, you need to make sure you are on that plane tomorrow. If you miss the flight, the next opportunity to gain access to the island is a flight to China in six months."

"We understand," Seth said quietly. "Thank you for all your help." We all got up and turned to leave.

"One more thing," she said. We turned to look at her. "Please be careful. My boss is a very dangerous man. He is not above killing an innocent child. If he sees you approaching the camp, he will murder your kids. And remember, nothing is impossible on the island."

"Thank you again," Leah said before taking Mike's hand and leaving. Emmett and I walked out of the church and climbed into Jasper's car. As Jasper drove us back to our house, I kept thinking about Charlotte, Gisele, and the island.

********

(Anything in bold is not being narrated—it is a third party observer, watching the scene but also knowing the thoughts of all the characters.)

Joanne Armstrong watched as the JAL Ten left her room in the back of the abandoned church. That meeting had gone better than she had planned it—they hadn't suspected a thing. Once she heard the three cars drive off, she pulled off the wig, the fake nose, and took out the contacts so her eyes were their natural color.

Then, she walked over to the table and picked up her cell phone. She dialed the only number programmed in the phone and waited for him to pick up.

"Did they come?" a gruff voice asked.

"Of course they did."

"Did they recognize you?"

"No," she said, wiping off the makeup that made her look older than she actually was. With her clean face, she looked like she was 26, not 40. "They didn't suspect a thing. It also helps that everyone thinks I'm dead."

"Wonderful. Did you play the part well?"

"J, who do you think you're talking to? I was amazing. They actually believed that I was trying to help them. They never suspected I was trying to get them back on the island."

"Are they coming?"

"Yes. I gave them the plane tickets, the IDs, everything. Once they're back on the island, I don't know how long it will take them to get to you."

"Well, maybe you should come back to life to help them out. After all, they do trust you."

She smiled. "True. Well, send the boat to come pick me up and I'll be there. I can't believe your plan actually worked."

"I know. It's wonderful."

"What are you going to do once they arrive?"

"Get the revenge I've been waiting to get for seven years."

"J, are you sure it's a good idea involving their kids? I mean, they're innocent in all of this."

"They are the products of lies. They lied about what happened. They lied about you. How can you just accept that?"

"I can't. You're right. I'm with you one hundred percent, J. I'll see you when you get here and give you all the information you need."

"Okay. Bye, J."

"Goodbye, Eva."

Eva hung up the phone and went around the room, packing her things. Her ride would be here soon, and she needed to be ready to leave right away. After all, she had been "dead" for the past seven years. Coming back from that was going to be fun.

Meanwhile, a tall man with dark hair was standing in a room filled with large cages. In each cage, there were two kids. He walked around, observing each child. The eldest girl with the blonde curls and the eldest boy with brown hair were huddled together in their cage. He could see the tears falling down her face, and it made him happy.

"Hello, darling," he said, kneeling in front of the cage and looking at her.

"Leave her alone!" the little boy said, standing up.

"You're a brave little guy, aren't you, Evan?" The man reached his hand through the cage and dragged his finger down Charlotte's arm. She shivered and a few tears fell from her eyes.

"I said leave her alone!"

"Sit down before you get yourself hurt again."

"Then leave Charlotte alone!" Evan shouted again. Sighing, the man picked up a metal stick next to him and pressed it into Evan's arm. The effect was instant: Evan dropped to the floor, twitching. Charlotte started screaming and crying. The other children in the other cages were screaming with fear as well. J pulled the stick back, and Evan stopped jerking. He was shaking as Charlotte crawled forward and held him in her arms.

"Now, we don't want to get shocked again, do we, Evan?"

Evan, still shaking, shook his head no.

"Good. Well, it's time to eat, everyone." The man walked around, placing bowls of food in each cage.

"Why are you doing this?" a small voice asked. He turned around and saw little Olivia, her big brown eyes staring at him.

"Because I can."

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