Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything.

"Hi there!" Taylor smiled brightly at the receptionist.

"Do you have an appointment with somebody?"

"Uh, no." Taylor was beginning to feel a little embarrassed. "Can I talk to April O'Neil, please? My name's Taylor Monroe. She'll know who I am."

"Hold on." The receptionist pressed some buttons on her phone and waited for a few moments. "I'm sorry, Miss O'Neil doesn't work for Channel 6 any more."

"What? Since when?"

"Since two days ago. I'm sorry your time's been wasted, miss."

Taylor left the Channel 6 building, her head in a whirl. Why would April quit a job she was so dedicated to, a job that she loved?

What if she's been telling her colleagues what she told me? That story about the vigilantes being her pets? Nobody would believe that.

What if somebody had believed her?

Taylor had read articles about the 'subway incident', including eyewitness accounts of shadowy figures attacking members of the Foot clan. What if April had told the wrong person she knew the vigilantes, pets or not?

Taylor sat on the nearest bench, dialled a number and waited for a response.

Please let it be the right one...

"Yeah? Who's this?" The voice was tense, rough and suspicious. Taylor swallowed.

"I'm Taylor. Can I talk to Leo, please?"

"Taylor? April's friend Taylor? How'd you remember the number?"

"I've got an eidetic memory. Look, April isn't at Channel 6 any more. Has Leo tried calling her again?"

"Her phone's been off since last evenin'."

Taylor looked anxiously around her, just to check nobody was listening, before saying nervously: "Is...is April in some kind of trouble?"

To be continued…