This is the epic moment after callbacks you've all been waiting for... Prepare for the beginning of Phase 1... I'll reveal what the phases are sooner or later. ;)

Ray POV

The Los Angeles sun shone down on the tour bus, creating grins on the faces of most tourists visiting the city. However, for the cast of Hit List, Clara, Laurel, and I, that bus trip would be a time to remember.

"This is gonna be the best day of my life!" Clara cheered, singing the American Authors' single. I chuckled, noticing a girl staring at us, although strands of long slightly curled auburn hair covered the left side of her face. Not daring to take another look back at the girl, I turned back to Laurel and Clara.

"Oh! Clara!" Laurel declared, "Let me play the music from my iPod so we can all sing to it, okay?"

"Of course!" Clara replied, basking in her sunlit glory. "These rays are doing good for my tan. Don't you think… Ray?" She burst out laughing.

"Not funny you guys," I growled, smirking.

"What's not funny about that?"

I was taken aback by her dumb query. "Are you drunk or something?"

"No!" Clara yelled, "I am not drunk! I'm just naturally crazy."

"Well," Laurel giggled, "That explains everything."

I laughed, "You literally took the words out of my mouth!"

"Are you gonna play that music or not?!" Clara demanded, leading Laurel to quickly pull out her device and bring up the music. As she was about to hit the play button, the bus came to a halt. I glanced behind my shoulder to find the girl from earlier standing, clearly revealing a prosthetic right arm. Widening my eyes, I bit my lip and peered towards Laurel, who hung onto Clara's arm like a teddy bear.

"What's going on?" Laurel whispered. Her voice shook and her breath heavy. I was scared too, but I obvious didn't show. Neither did Clara, but I questioned if she was even scared at all.

"I don't know," I replied. Fixing my posture, I leapt onto my feet and begun to tiptoe away from the girls. "I'm gonna go see what's up. Be right back."

"Okay," Clara groaned, glaring down at a frightened Laurel and trying to shake her off.

Meanwhile, I stepped down to the bottom level of the tour bus from the second to find tourists being escorted off by a masked figure in all black. I could tell it was a male by the build of his body and the pressure he forced on the innocent bystanders. Afraid he would find me, I stood my ground and hid behind a metal pole stationed near the stairs. I occasionally peeked out from the pole to find less and less people still on the bus. Once the whole floor cleared, the area revealed only the driver, tied up and strapped to his chair, and two masked figures, one: the man, and another: a young lady, also masked. Nervous, I raced back up the stairs. I was positive at least the man heard my footsteps and motioned for the lady to follow him to the second floor.

My foot touched the floor of the bus roof and I quickly motioned for all of the remaining passengers to lower themselves. There only were six girls, including me, Laurel, Clara, and the girl with the fake arm. One other had dark brown curly hair and shimmering bright blue eyes, and her friend, at least as what I could tell, had close to the same features but a lighter hair color and darker eye color, most likely grey or navy blue. They all ducked on command, fearing for their lives. I rushed back to my friends, hiding underneath the bus benches.

The duo in the masks soon reached the top of the tour bus, looking around for any signs of people. I held my breath as the girl passed me, and covered Laurel's mouth to stop her from crying out. Clara seemed confused, not nervous as she noticed the girl. She tapped me on the shoulder, and pointed to the girl, making an impression as if she knew her from somewhere. Laurel's affection transferred to me when she realized that Clara didn't react, and clung onto my arm. Attempting to get her grasp off of me, I accidentally banged my hand on the metal of the seat, revealing my location to the man. He grabbed my arm and dragged me out, forcing me to stand up. I tried to scream, but he enclose my mouth with duct tape and wrapped the tape around my wrists as well. He ordered me to sit on a bench while him and the girl continued searching. I managed to find sight of Laurel and Clara, finally fearful for not only themselves but me too. My head collided with the back of the metal bench, creating a ringing noise.

The man hurried to my side kneeling down and taking off his mask. The devilish grin I recognized from not so long ago came back into memory. The only man who at this point I would fear. The only person who I doubted would return into my life. I only thought Ashley and Allison were problems… now I had to deal with Draco Kehtarin as well. The drug dealer turned hijacker.

"Hello there Ray," Draco chuckled, "I'm back."

I struggled in my bindings, but Draco only roared in laughter. The lady took off her mask to reveal short blue hair and piercing green eyes. I shifted my eyes over to Clara, who silently gasped, mouthing the name Tiff. Although intriguing, I had to focus on getting the other girls out of my problems. I just wished I could talk.

At that moment, Draco ripped off the tape on my lips. I sighed out giant gasps, taking in all the fresh air I could. Unfortunately, the driver had pulled into an empty alleyway, so we weren't even close to the main city.

"Draco," I growled, "I'm the only one up here. It's no use looking."

"But I need to look," he countered, "If I don't find any hostages, then my task is incomplete."

"And who do you work for?"

He grinned. "Myself."

"Yourself? Not for her…" I acknowledged the blue-haired girl, "Or Allison…"

"Don't mention Allison again or Preston will die you b****!"

I held back several tears hanging onto my eyelids. "What have you done with him?!"

"Nothing yet… but I have someone helping me out with him. I tell you… the Anderson family is tough to break, but my trio is easily fixing that."

"If you dare hurt my brother or Mitch…"

"Oh… Mitch is another time. After he figures out you're dead, then he'll deteriorate on his own."

"You do know you're revealing your plan to me."

"But I'm not telling you where I plan to take you after this tour. I bet you we'll have the best of fun." Draco scooted next to me on the bench, taking my hand in his. "Now, Ray, where are you friends?"

"Friends?" I started to panic, wondering where my friends actually where. Where was Fia… or Carter… or Jerome… or any of Team Crafted...?

Draco sneered. "I saw your tweet about coming on the tour bus with… what were their names… Clara and Laurel?"

"They left early," I retorted, giving Draco a look.

"Are you so sure?" the girl's high-pitched voice squeaked, pulling out both of my friends from under the bench. The girls with the curly brown hair exited their positions as well. I could only hope for the girl with the fake arm to get out of the bus alive.

"You four," Draco commanded, talking to my friends and the other girls, "Sit down and tell me your names."

Clara rolled her eyes, which gave Draco a clear sign. "You. With the red hair. Go first."

"Clara," my friend responded.

"Last name?"

"Why would I tell you?"

"Tiff," Draco turned to the blue-haired girl, "Tie her in the tape, please. For all of our sakes."

"On it!" Tiff replied, covering Clara's mouth and wrists with the duct tape.

"Next," Draco announced, looking to Laurel. Laurel instantly shriveled back, scared out of her wits. "Your name?"

"Laurel Sylvester." My friend whimpered before hugging onto Clara's arm, but Tiff slapped her face. Laurel had no choice but to sit where she was and allow Tiff to tie the tape around her wrists.

"And yours?" Draco acknowledged the girl with the darker hair.

The girl bit her lip and hastily said what she was required. "Elizabeth Rivers, sir. Please don't hurt me."

He refused to reply, only glimpsing over towards Elizabeth's friend, "Your name?"

"Margaret."

"Last name?"

"It's very long. I'd rather not say." There was something suspicious about Margaret, but I couldn't place my finger on it.

"Alright then. Thank you so much girls." He put on a fake grin, making sure Tiff bound the rest of the girls' hands together before continuing a last search.

"I found another one!" she declared, pulling the girl with the fake arm from under a bench.

"You're very clever," Draco told the girl as she sat down. Tiff bundled her wrists with the tape, not being very careful around the fake one. "Your name?"

The girl refused to speak.

"Your name?" Draco requested once more. He paced to the girl's spot on the bench, ready to strike her until...

"Rose Athens."

"Why does that sound familiar to me… Oh yes… because the Athens family owns the largest company in all of South Africa! It's so popular that it wound up in the United States!"

"How do you know that?" Rose demanded. Her face turned bright red as Draco begun talking.

"Cause I just do. I know everything about everyone. Like…" Draco searched the group, spotting me and lifting his index finger, placing it on my chest, "Ray… I know that your brother has been receiving phone calls from my partner in crime, Miss Lia."

"Lia is your partner?!" I snarled.

"Uh huh. And she's got something in plan for him, don't you worry."

"You'd better not touch him or else…"

"I won't… yet." Draco burst out laughing. On the inside, my emotions were so fired up that they could instantly break through the tape, but physically, I felt weak and feeble. I glanced to Clara, worried for me and all the teasing from Draco. Sensing an attack from my friend, I shook my head, which signified for her not to fret.

The hijacker walked around the second floor, a shining grin on his face. "I will only allow one person to leave, the only one I don't need! Eenie meanie meinie, you!" Draco pointed to Laurel. Laurel shook nervously, and Tiff forced her onto her feet. As our friend was escorted off of the bus, she called out, "Ray, Clara! I'll get help!" And with that, Laurel vanished down the stairs.

I sighed, letting a single tear fall. Who knew… that on such a special day… someone like Draco and his partners would ruin it by keeping me hostage on a tour bus without any explanation? Where was Preston? Was he safe or had he been caught by Lia? Where was Mitch? Had he succumb to my darkest fears already? Had he forgotten about us? When Laurel left, she said she would help, but I doubted she would. No one would help. All hope was lost.

Ray, Clara, Elizabeth, Rose, and Margaret are stuck on a hijacked tour bus run by Draco and his assistant, Tiff?! When will Mitch and Preston find out? What's up with Draco and his plans for Ray's family? And what's happened to Fia?!

Find out next time... No... I'm not doing that again...