Chapter 11

Even though Jack had finally made his way around the corner, Jeanette couldn't call anything to be safe at that point. So there she sat, in hopes this man would just up and leave if he couldn't find her throughout the large house.

"Maybe I'll wait until he goes upstairs, and I'll make a run for the door!" Jeanette thought optimistically as she soon held her breath, hearing the knocking of his footsteps against the floor.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jack's shadow cast along the wall, and in this shadow, she could tell something was gripped tightly in his wrinkled grasp.

"A gun, perhaps?" she thought bitterly, her heart thumping vigorously against her chest.

As Jack remained on the first floor of the house, Jeanette realized that the only thing she could do was wait if she didn't want to risk being found. The long wait caused her painful anxiety in her chest, her breathing becoming out of control. He would for sure hear this wild breathing, but after taking a glimpse over his shoulder, he dismissed it, and kept on with his search…

~7~7~7~7~

"Eleanor, wait up!" the out-of-breath Brittany called as she tried to catch up to her jogging sister.

"We can't wait," Eleanor replied swiftly. "I have a feeling that something's horribly wrong! I don't know what yet, but something isn't sitting right about this!" she exclaimed with wide eyes. "Jeanette should've answered the phone, no problem! She's not irresponsible like this!"

"What should we do then?" Brittany asked crossly. "Dave's hundreds of miles away in New York, and Miss Miller went out with her girlfriends tonight to… who knows where! Who can we call?"

Eleanor could hear the impatient tone in her sister's voice, but disregarded it as impatient for answers. She too, wanted an explanation, and in the back of her mind, she could only wish that Jeanette was fast asleep and didn't wake up in time to answer the phone. She kept that close as an option, but a nagging feeling only told her that Jeanette would have answered, and if she missed the call, she would have returned it right away.

"Maybe we can try calling the boys! They would definitely help us out!" Eleanor figured as she stopped in her tracks to pull out her green-clad cell phone from her back pocket. "I'll try Simon first…"

~7~7~7~7~

"No way! He spent that much of your money?" the voice projecting itself through the speakers boomed through Simon's room that night.

"Incredibly, yes, he did," Simon replied angrily as he paced the floor with hands shoved in his pockets as he video-chatted with a friend three towns over. "And he has the audacity to make a joke out of it, like the whole situation is just one big comedy show!"

Simon's friend, a blonde-haired Jerry scoffed as he shook his head disappointedly. "Great, that's wonderful, but how are we supposed to road trip this summer? Funny thing; we actually need money for that!" he replied with the heaviest of sarcasm he managed to produce.

Simon snarled as he took a seat at his computer desk and shoved in his headphones to hear Jerry more clearly. "I know, I know. I'll just have to start saving up as soon as I can!" he exclaimed, sighing ever so deeply. "That damn Alvin! Ugh! What wouldn't I do to have a different brother? I know I told him he could borrow some money because he didn't have any, but he knew he went overboard spending half of mine!"

Through the webcam, Jerry bit his lip, an unsure look plastered on his face; what could he possibly say; that he understands Simon's pain? Not in a million years would he be able to; luckily, he's an only child, to say the least.

"And not to mention that Jeanette tried to take up for him!" he exclaimed in disbelief as he rested his head in his hand. "I thought she'd definitely have my back on that one…"

"Where did they go off to?"

Simon sighed with an exasperated chuckle and massaged his temples. "Jeanette went home, and as for Alvin… I don't know, and I can care less! Hopefully, he doesn't come back for a while!" he spat hatefully as he drew himself closer to the computer screen.

"Don't worry about it Si; just keep saving money until our trip; you should be fine until then!"

At this point, Simon's behavior was far from hopeful as he rested his head upon his desk, a loud thud sounding through the room.

~7~7~7~7~

With a slight gasp as she heard the voicemail's automated expression, Eleanor pulled the phone away from her ear, her eyes wide with confusion. "Britt, he didn't answer," she replied sorrowfully. "Who should we call now?"

Franticness was evident in Eleanor's voice, so Brittany rushed to think of whom else to call to keep her sister positive of the bitter situation. "Try Alvin's phone next," Brittany instructed. "Maybe he'll be some help… hopefully…"

Eleanor made no hesitations as she dialed the red-clad teen's number into her phone by heart…

~7~7~7~7~

"Damn; you'll never guess whose phone's ringing now!"

A dull ache circulated his entire head as he slowly, but assuredly came-to. His entire body gave off a radiating pain he only wished would vanish as he struggled to move. His eyes were moist, which only blocked him to take a gander at his new surroundings. The floor beneath him bounced every now and then, and a bright light shone through the tinted windowpane; the moon, he figured. As the tears from his eyes stroked his face, clearing his vision, he staggered to his feet, only to stumble back to his bottom. Surely, he would have caught himself, but his hands were detained… with handcuffs. With that realization in mind, he jerked his arms about to free his hands, panic getting the best of him.

"Damn…" he mumbled under his breath as he examined the new area. Everything was coming back to him; the suspicious van, the eerie men, and not to mention, that pill they forced him to take. He could recall the entire event, however, he couldn't pin point on where he was at that moment. As he gazed around, analyzing his surroundings, he came to the conclusion that, "I must be in that van…" he thought fearfully.

As the ride proceeded, he heard a clatter of mumbles coming just in front of him. Separating him from the clatter was a thick steel wall with a square cutout blocked off with vertical bars, each evenly spaced out from one another. He swallowed hard, the feeling of being in prison worrying him, sweat beginning to line the sides of his face.

The chatter in the front filled the entire van;

"This phone has been ringing off the hook ever since we picked him up!" Darrell exclaimed through a fit of chuckles as he turned down a deserted highway heading south.

Craig smirked as he picked up the phone and twirled it in his long fingers. "He must be popular at school. He has fans, perhaps?"

"Just one number calling him, though," Darrell replied as he took the phone from Craig. "Some girl, I guess. It must be important."

Alvin narrowed his eyes in thought as he pressed his ear to the window. "Who could be calling me?"

For a moment, he assumed it was Jeanette, possibly checking to see if he made it home all right, or maybe one of her sisters just to call and say, "Hey". Even though he presumed each Chipette, he couldn't figure just one.

As Alvin pondered who could be calling, without warning, the van jerked to the left, thrust to the right and drove into a roadside ditch, busting a headlight on impact. The jerky movement slammed Alvin against all four walls of the van, dazing him just momentarily.

"Damn it!" Craig fumed as he pounded his fists against the dashboard. "The stupid ball-joint broke again! This old ass van will be the death of me!" and with that, he and Darrell carefully exited the van to see how bad the damages were.

For Alvin, a moment of relief swept over him as the men left the van. He figured it would buy him some time to answer his phone they obviously did not want him to have. How typical, he thought as he attempted to reach his confined hands through the bars, but to no use.

"This is perfect," he mumbled mockingly. "I'm held captive, and I can't even reach my cell phone. This has to be the best day of my entire life!"

But Alvin was far from giving up. Painfully, he forced his arms through the bars, tearing parts of his skin as he did so, but he trudged on. His face grew red with unbearable pain that only gave one the notion that Alvin could tolerate high doses of agony. The phone continued to ring as it – now – was just in his fingertips. All he had to do was flick it in his hands and it'll be his again. His hands quivered as they struggled to reach his phone and out of the pain his arms endured as they tore alongside the bars. Just as he managed to get the phone in his sweaty-palmed grasp, the door on the driver's side opened wide, practically jolting Alvin's heart from his chest. He pulled back, only to find that that handcuffs were caught between the bars.

"Hey Craig, could you get me the jack from the back?" he called as he thoughtlessly reached into the van, just passing Alvin's grip on his phone to grab a screw from the cup holder. The backdoors to the van opened wide, and with a bit lip and closed eyes, Alvin waited to be caught.

~7~7~7~7~

"Brittany!" Eleanor exclaimed as she pulled at her blonde hair in frustration. "Alvin didn't answer!"

Her speech was shaky as she began to pace the sidewalk anxiously, her eyes directed to Brittany. "Britt, something isn't right…" she spoke in monotone, her voice dead of its once lively vibrancy.

Her mind raced as she exchanged glances with Eleanor and the phone gripped ever-so tightly in her hands. "J-j-just try one more time," she instructed fervently as she took Eleanor lovingly by the shoulder. "It's Alvin, remember? He probably ignored the call as a joke. He'll pick up this time, for sure!"

Eleanor looked on with uncertainty written on her face and deep in her heart. She couldn't explain to her older sister what she was feeling; her notions were strong that something unknown and terrible was unfolding. However, to settle Brittany's nerves, she dialed the number once more…

~7~7~7~7~

"Wait, the jack's right here!" a voice spat, putting newfound hope in Alvin.

All three doors slowly closed, darkening the van, the glow of the phone shining in Alvin's face. He squinted his eyes to shield them from the light, but through narrowed eyes, he could see the name; Eleanor. A relief-filled breath escaped him as he answered the call, his hands still stuck between the bars, making the talking a little difficult.

"Eleanor?" he whispered frantically as he pressed the phone tightly to his ear.

"Alvin!" she exclaimed happily as she exchanged thankful glances with Brittany. "You have no idea how happy I am that you answered!"

The nervous Alvin didn't reply right away, and the only thing that could be heard was his off breathing. "Listen, Ellie, I-I-I can't be on the phone for long…"

"You don't sound too good, Alvin," Eleanor felt the need to mention. "Is everything okay?"

"Ellie," Alvin began in the lowest whisper possible as he felt the van jerk underneath the jack that lifted it off its passenger wheels. He paused yet again, wondering if he should worry Eleanor with his off-the-wall story. "I-I-I'm over a friend's house, and they all passed out for the night," he lied effortlessly. "I just want to keep my voice down so they won't wake up."

There was no hiding it, something was definitely off for Eleanor; she knew Alvin more than imaginable that he wouldn't respect that fact that his friends were sleep; he would be the first to wake them up, looking at it as a joke. Yet, she let Alvin's words pass behind her.

"Okay," she replied. "But… is Jeanette okay? I called the house, and she didn't answer o-o-or return the call!"

Alvin slightly gasped, his stomach beginning to do outrageous backflips. The urge to vomit suddenly settled, however, for he soon thought that it was just him these goons were after, and Jeanette was just someone in the way of that. "She's fine!" Alvin spoke with full confidence. "I walked her home, and made sure she was okay and everything!"

Eleanor breathed a sigh of relief as a content smile made its way upon her calm face. "Alvin, you can be such a sweetheart… rarely, though…"

Alvin mustered a chuckle to keep the blonde shorty from worrying. "Ha, thanks…"

"That was his comeback?" Eleanor thought sickeningly. "Surely, he would have made fun of me for being so damn worried!"

Caught off guard by the conversation, Alvin hadn't anticipated on the doors to the back opening again, the men catching sight of the insubordinate Alvin having access to his phone.

"Hey!" Craig spat as he jumped into the back, taking Alvin by the nape of his neck and slamming him to the van's floor. "How'd you get your phone?"

"Get away from me!" Alvin shot a rebuttal angrily as he kept his phone near to his chest.

Now hearing this only increased Eleanor's anxiety.

"Alvin, what's happening?" she asked frantically as she pressed the phone tighter to her ear. "Alvin, can you hear me!"

All the blonde could make out was reckless struggle, the men's voice carrying through her ears, and before long, an ear-splitting cry that was evidently Alvin's coursed through her body, and suddenly… nothing, the phone cutting off the conversation…

~7~7~7~7~

Brittany gazed upon her sickened sister as she pulled the phone away from her ear. Her face was drained of its peachy color, and her entire body convulsed only slightly.

"Brittany," she whispered as she took her sister tightly by the arm. "S-s-something's wrong…"

"Like what?" Brittany spat frenziedly as she shook Eleanor to and fro. "Eleanor, what did Alvin say? Where is he? What did he say about Jeanette?" she questioned fiercely.

The words choked Eleanor to the point of wheezing, her eyes growing bloodshot. "Brittany, someone has Alvin! He's in trouble! There were men in the background trying to take his phone away from him!"

It wasn't long before the blonde began to sob hysterically, the perimeter of her face drenched in tears as she Brittany held her.

"What's happening, Brittany? I want answers!"

"Ellie, I want answers too!" Brittany admitted full-heartedly as she snatched the phone away from her distraught sister. "But you're forgetting someone else you can call!"

Wiping her tears away, Eleanor placed a finger to her chin in thought, her mind disorganized from the crying. "Who?"

"Your boyfriend, silly!"

**I know not much has been going on in these past chapters, and I want to apologize about that. But it'll get better in the next couple of chapters or so! I promise!**

**Chapter 12 coming soon**