Alrighty, another chapter coming your way.
Frantically, you gaze around the busy food court, searching for that mop of brown curls, or the sound of Bianca's giggle. But there are far too many people around now, seeing as it's lunch and everyone wants food.
"Bianca!" you call, walking briskly around the tables in the centre, your heart thumping hysterically. "Bianca! Where are you?"
You're starting to attract more funny looks from families, but you don't care. All that matters is finding Bex's daughter.
"Bianca! I'm serious! This is no time to be playing games!"
Practically running around the place, searching under tables and behind 'SALE' stands, you continue calling for her. You can only hope that she has wandered off on her own and not been taken by somebody – whether or not they're a terrorist organisation, it doesn't matter.
"Excuse me?" someone behind you says. "Miss, are you okay? Have you lost someone?"
Tears are threatening to pour out now, but you hold them back as you stare at the middle-aged man who has a chunk of thick, way brown hair dangling over his eyes.
You're about to tell him everything, but then you realise you can't trust anyone. "Oh, never mind… I just thought… oh, it doesn't matter."
He gives you a suspicious look, but doesn't push any further. "Alright… sorry to bother you, Miss." And then, to your intense relief, he walks away.
You resume your search for Bianca, scouring bathrooms, clothes stores… anywhere you can, but she's nowhere to be found.
Cursing her under your breath, you wonder if you should call Macey or Liz. But Macey would probably congratulate for getting rid of 'the pest', and Liz would freak out so much that it would make you even more nervous and scared.
And then your mind lands on the one person you never want to see again, and you know you have to call him. Still searching, you dial his number slowly, and press it to your ear.
But as it's ringing, you chicken out. Sure, you're a spy, but you don't think you can face talking to him again. You press the red 'END' button and shove the phone back in your bag.
Sitting down on an empty bench, you let the tears flow. So far, after more than an hour of searching, you haven't found any trace of Bianca. Through your sobs, you smile a little, knowing that Bex would be so proud of her little girl for not being able to be followed. And you have to admit, that four-year-old girl is one hell of a spy-in-training.
You wish you could call Bex, but she's gone where you can't reach her. She would know what to do… where her daughter would be. Actually, she wouldn't have lost her in the first place!
Sobs shake your body, as you notice your phone ringing. Without looking at caller I.D., you press the little green button and shakily say, "What?"
"Well, you called first."
You close your eyes, hating how familiar his voice is. "Yeah… but I don't need you any more." Your voice is shaky, and cracks at the end.
Zach seems impatient. "You made that clear the other day. Is that why you're crying?"
"I'm not crying?" But another sob escapes you, giving you away.
"Right… For a top spy, you're pretty bad at lying." If he were near you, you would punch him for that. "So what do you want? And don't dare say that we should talk, because I don't do 'talking'."
Frowning, you're not sure whether to tell him or not. "Umm… w-well… no I didn't call to 'talk'…"
He sighs into the phone, frustrated. "Then why did you call?"
Wiping away more tears, and sniffling loudly, you tell him, "I can't find Bianca!" And then you break down in tears again.
How embarrassing…
"You… you what?" he exclaims, clearly shocked.
When you don't respond, he asks where you are, so you choke out your location and then hang up.
Even after fifteen minutes, you're still sobbing so you know it must be combined losing-Bianca and the-fight-with-Zach grief. You feel a warm hand rest on your back. "Hey Cam, should we keep looking?" Zach asks quietly in your ear.
You nod and wipe your face, turning away from him out of pure embarrassment. You can't believe how babyish you must look right now.
Once you've calmed down a bit, you tell Zach all about your trip to the shopping mall, up until all the places you've searched.
"You don't think she left the building, do you?" he asks, saying what you haven't dared to utter out loud.
Shrugging, you suggest miserably, "What if someone took her?"
Zach looks unusually worried, and frowns a little. "The worst thing is that we don't know if we can trust the cops…"
With a defeated sigh, you scan the place again. It's far less busy than it was before, but you still see no sign of Bianca. With a pang, you remember her last words to you: "I hate you."
Covering your face with your hands, you try to think of where she could possibly be, as Zach says, "I'll call some contacts at the CIA; maybe they can do something."
While he talks to someone on his phone, you decide to get your own out. Cursing yourself for bringing such an uncomfortable bag, you rifle through all the junk. As you're pulling out your phone again, a piece of paper flutters from your bag to the floor.
When you bend down and pick it up, you realise it's the letter Bex wrote to you. Just for some comfort, you read the whole thing again. Seeing Bex's familiar handwriting calms you slightly.
But your heart-rate quickens again as you read one particular sentence.
'And remember, her weakness is her hair, and the fact that she adores little shortbread biscuits.'
And then it clicks! That store that Bianca and you passed as you came in…
"Can we go in there? Pleeeease?"
"Not yet, Bee, we'll go later, okay?"
It was a confectionary and food shop! That sold shortbread biscuits!
"Zach!" you call out excitedly. "Zach, I think I know where she is!"
He looks up from his phone conversation, startled. "I gotta go, but send those helpers, okay?" he tells the person on the other end before hanging up.
"Where is she?" he asks, his eyes wide.
You grab his forearm and drag him all the way back to the part of the shopping mall where you came in, without bothering to explain.
About one hundred metres away from the store, you see that familiar bunch of curly brown hair and relief floods you. "Bianca!" you call out, and she turns around.
You love the grin she has on her face as she points towards a huge, multi-coloured lollipop. "Looook, Auntie Cam! Can I get that?"
But just as you're about to reach her, it all goes wrong again. Someone dressed in a dark trench-coat comes out of nowhere and sweeps Bianca up into his arms, his large hat covering his identity.
"Bianca!" you scream, sprinting towards her, but it's too late. The man takes off with the little girl firmly in his grasp.
You hear her shrieking, which only makes you run faster, and you know that Zach is right behind you. "Go left! Cut him off! I'll follow!" you order to him, and he nods and follows your instructions.
Pushing past other shoppers, who look on in astonishment, you keep your eyes trained on the dark-clothed man. You repress a smile of happiness because you know Bianca is struggling and kicking and generally making it as hard for him as she possibly can.
Just as you're about to lose sight of him, someone jumps out of the shadows and knocks you down. "No! Bianca!" you scream, desperately trying to get away from your attacker, but they hold you tighter.
You land a blow to the side of their neck, but they don't release you. They have you in a choke hold which is restricting air from flowing to your lungs. With all your might, you kick upwards at the attacker and catch their stomach with your knee.
Satisfied at hearing a loud "Oof!" from them, you try to run, but they grab your ankle, causing you to trip and fall on your face.
Blood spurts from your nose, but you ignore it and block the blows now coming from the attacker. They catch the side of your body with a powerful kick, and you swear you hear a few ribs break.
Blinded by pain and blood, you tackle them back to the ground and take a chop at their throat again, but they don't let you go.
Screaming erupts from all the civilians around you, and you feel as if you're about to black out. You force the attacker's arms onto the ground, so they can't move, and you hold them there. Just when you think you can't hold on any longer, someone comes to your rescue.
It's the man from earlier. The one who asked if you were okay. He gives you a quick grimace, and takes over your position. Whipping out some handcuffs from somewhere, he locks them on the attacker's hands.
"Thankyou!" you call back at him, already sprinting off in the direction that Bianca and her kidnapper went.
There's another scene up ahead, and more relief courses through you as you see that Zach's backup has arrived, and has now apprehended the kidnapper.
You run towards Zach, blood still pouring from your nose, and fling your arms around his neck. Hugging him tightly, you whisper in his ear, "I'm so sorry! I… I shouldn't have turned my back! And I'm sorry I didn't tell you about… before."
He hugs you back, equally as firmly.
Then you remember. "Where's Bianca?" You pull back from Zach and scan the scene, seeing no sign of her.
But then a gentle tugging on your shirt causes you to look down. Those eyes – still as gorgeous as ever – are staring up at you with a mixture of apology and love.
"Bianca!" You lift her up and hug her tightly, never wanting to let go.
She's become part of your life now, and you wouldn't change anything.
You release slightly her when she says quietly, "Auntie Cam? You're getting blood on my shirrrrt!"
Laughing, Zach hugs the both of you, saying, "Bianca-Sandwich!"
You get lost in a world of happiness.
Next chapter will be the last… I'm kind of sad about that. Is that normal?
I like this story. Maybe not how I wrote it, but the whole idea of it.
If you like it, please review and tell me! Or if you hate it, ditto!
~Jen
