Hi everyone here is the next chapter. The story starts to really take off from here. Thanks for the reviews! Amber

Chapter 11

Mollie was at the L'Enfant plaza with her class. They had visited the US archives. She was in the same group as Ben. It was nice really. He had a really cool mind. He loved computers as much as she did. He played piano, liked the same music, and played soccer. The content was boring but it was a nice break. They were eating lunch at L'enfant Plaza Mall at the food court. She was distracted thinking about what had happened after the family had sorted out the bully thing.

Mollie crossed her legs. "So why were you two so quiet at dinner?"

Frank sighed, nothing got past her. "Your mom and I are working a very difficult case."

Mollie tilted her head. "The serial thing? The six teenage girls found dead."

Frank opened his mouth to deny it but Mollie stopped him cold. "Mom has been on the news for that for the last two weeks with that Ned Nickerson guy. It's obvious."

Frank stopped the current course of conversation in its tracks. "Speaking of precautions. Let's review our safety measures. If we say please don't hurt my family. What do you do?"

Claire and Cami said simultaneously. "Hit the ground because you are going to shoot."

Jackson said. "Emergency one word text is PEP. We only text that word if our life is in danger."

Mollie nodded. "If we are talking to you and are life is threatened we find a way to say red pepper, if we are talking and it is not life threatening but can't talk just use pepper. If we text Pepper it means help but not life threatening."

Callie nodded. "That's right. Your dad and I had to use these very codes once for our safety. Besides us, your grandparents, Joe, Vanessa, and your cousins nobody else knows these code words."

Mollie whined. "Mom! Dad! You've drilled it home for years. We have tons of possible scenarios in our heads."

Frank ruffled her hair, which she leaned out of. "Just always be diligent and careful. If something happens don't panic and be smart."

Callie kissed Cami then looked at the rest of her children in turn. "We know you'll be smart. We just love you all so much."

Jackson grinned. "We know mom."

"I have my field trip to the US archives tomorrow as well as the US Museum of Natural History." Mollie rolled her eyes. "So boring!"

"But you'll get to see Ben." Jackson wiggled his eyebrows.

Callie raised an eyebrow. "Who is Ben?"

Mollie blushed. "He's in my class, he plays soccer for the boys team, and he's nice." She uncrossed her legs and stuck her tongue out at her brother for good measure.

Frank asked. "Last name?"

Mollie crossed her arms. "Benjamin Culpepper DOB is October 8 of the same year as me. His parents are both surgeons at George Washington University Hospital. He has two sisters one is Jackson's age. The other is older in Upper School Happy?"

Frank chuckled at her frustration. "Honey we aren't trying to be invasive but, we need to know who your friends are. That's for safety reasons. Plus if this kid pulls anything. I'm your father."

"Dad, his grandfather was a 2 star general in the marines. I don't think you have anything to worry about. We're only friends."

"They do study club every day after school. He walks her to the car." Jackson said snickering.

Mollie's eyes darted to her brother. "Don't you think grandpa, grandma, Uncle Sam, or Auntie Ethel would have noticed!"

Jackson rubbed his hands together. "You walk behind a group you clever sister you. His sister is in my class and told me. She said that you asked her brother to walk behind a group."

That did it. Mollie shrieked. "I'm going to gag your mouth shut and lock you in your closet you little!" She leapt from her chair to chase her brother, and the twins leapt from theirs.

You could hear Jackson, Claire, and Camille run up the stairs chanting. "Mollie and Ben kissing in a tree!"

"SHUT UP!"

She decided to come clean. "My brother blabbed last night at dinner."

"Blabbed?"

"You know...like what your sister did to you last week with your parents. Your dad then gave you the birds and the bees lecture. I got that same talk from my mother last night. She was cool about it. Brought up that she has known dad since middle school...blah...blah. Believe me that's a good thing."

Ben squeezed her hand he was going to reply but Abby was quicker. She was beside his best friend, Zach. Abby gaped wide-eyed. "That had to be so embarrassing! I would have murdered my brother if he did that."

Mollie took a bite of her salad and chewed thinking. "It wasn't embarrassing or awkward. Mom was nice about it...dad. He looked a little shell shocked. The twins and Jack were relentless."

Ben chuckled as he popped a french fry into his mouth. "I can just imagine."

"We can go walking around the mall a bit. We have a whole hour and a half before check-in." Zach said.

"Let's hit the bathrooms before we go." Abby said.

Ben grinned. "Selfie first guys." He held up his phone. They posed. He checked the display. "Great."

Mollie squirmed. "I don't have to go. I hate public bathrooms."

Ben handed his phone to her. "Here forward the picture to us."

Mollie took it from him happy to oblige. Ben lingered a bit. He took her hand and squeezed it. Mollie smiled at him. He walked down the corridor. She stood outside the doors of the bathrooms. The hallway was empty except for the janitor. Mollie forwarded the picture to their group with ease. Suddenly she felt strong arms around her. The hand on her mouth had a cloth. She didn't get a chance to scream. Her vision turned black.