Two Words

"Zack, I will drive all night and day to get to you if you need me, ok?" I say firmly. There is a long pause from the other end of the line before Zack speaks again.

"I need you."

After saying our good-byes, the line goes dead. I frantically scourge the room for paper and a writing utensil. Settling for a pen and an unused napkin, I quickly scribble a note to my sleeping friend.

Hey,

Some emergency came up. Don't

worry, I'm fine, but I have to leave

early. I'll try to make it back for the

rest of the weekend. I'll call you. I'm

SO sorry. You are getting the best gift

ever, k?

Mads

I block out all thoughts of what could have happened as I grab my car keys and purse and rush out of the apartment suite. I ran like a maniac to the elevator doors, pressing the down button again and again. After five seconds of waiting, I decide it's taking too long to arrive and rush towards the stairs. I run down the stairs, skipping steps, jumping over railings, anything I need to do to reach the bottom floor. Once I make it down those sixteen stories, I race out to the bus stop. Checking my watch, I realize that it is 12:15. The bus won't be here for a while, so instead of waiting around like an oaf, I run to the train station.

Let's just say that maybe wasn't the smartest thing to do. See, I've never really been at the top of my gym class and I was already pushing my luck with running down the stairs. I was bound to make contact with the ground at some point. Thirty minutes of attempted running and about fifty falls later, I finally make it to the train station. Out of breath and probably looking like a crazed lunatic, I approach the ticket counter.

"I…need…a ticket…to Boston…right away." I manage to get out between pants.

"Alright," the lady in uniform says as she gives me a strange look. "Let me see what if we have anything available."

"Available?!" I screech. "It's almost one in the morning. What idiot travels the train at one in the morning?!" Realizing I've managed to insult myself and act like a total bitch to the poor lady, I shoot her an apologetic look.

"Right…well I'm going to need you to calm down." She says as she begins typing on the computer. "Our earliest train for Boston is at five a.m. You are welcome to wait if it pleases you."

"Thank you." I sigh as my hopes are crushed. Five is too late, I have to get home sooner. I sit down at a nearby bench, wondering what to do. A train leaving when I need it to would be too easy. And we all know that my life isn't too easy. Suddenly, an idea sparks in my head. It's a small chance, but I can't give up hope.

Rummaging through my purse, I pull out my cell phone. Pressing my speed dial, I call up London. I'm about to hang up after the third ring before a rough voice answers, "Hello?"

"Hey London. It's me Maddie." I say quickly.

"Maddie? What are you doing up? It's…okay the little hand is pointing to the-"

"I need help." I cut her off. It could take fifteen minutes for her to figure out the time. "I'm in New York City and I need to get to Boston ASAP. Do you have a plane here? Our your own train? Our something?!"

"What are you doing in New York?" London asks, sounding baffled.

"London please!" I yell, immediately regretting losing patience. I would be just as confused if I were in her shoes. "I'll tell you when I get back okay? Just…could you help me get home?"

"My planes at Boston." She replies. My heart drops, defeated. "Where are you right now?"

"Train station." I sigh.

"I can send one of my drivers to pick you up?" she suggests.

"That sounds great. Thanks London. I don't know what I'd do without you." I reply, utterly grateful.

"Okay, I'll call `em up and then get back to my beauty sleep. Not that I actually need it." she replies, satisfied at her solution.

"Alright, bye. Thanks so much" I reply and hang up.

After thirty minutes of fidgeting and bouncing in my seat, a man in a tuxedo with tired eyes arrives. My guilt of having London wake him up this early is forgotten as I think of my goal; getting home to Zack. "Madeline?" he asks.

"Yes, that's me." I respond as we quickly make our way to the small limo that is my ride. "Do you mind if I drive?" I ask, when he opens the passenger door for me.

"Um…sure. I guess that'd be okay." He replies and sits down in the passenger seat. He must realize as much as I do that he is in no condition to drive. But my real reason for wanting to drive isn't because of his tiredness. It's because I want to get home as quickly as possible. And that means…speeding. Yes, Madiline Fitzpatrick is actually going to break a rule, a law nonetheless.

Quickly making my way out of the parking lot, I start down the street. Managing my way through traffic (does New York ever sleep?) I find myself on the highway. Luckily, my driver is out cold, so no complaint comes from him as I go 85 in a 65 mph area.

As I'm driving the reality of the situation comes back to me. I don't know what's going on, how to fix it, and most importantly, if Zack's okay. This thought makes me practically floor the pedal. Wary of cops though, I decide to slow down. After a couple of hours, I turn off the highway. Driving through the familiar streets, I shiver. It seems so eerie at night.

I pull up to the Tipton and rush up the front stairs to the lobby, tripping numerous times. I enter the building to see Carrie talking frantically to Mr. Moseby, Cody pacing the floor, and London sitting on the couch.

"Maddie!" Carrie exclaims, the first to notice me. "I thought you were in New York?"

"I was. Where is he?" I ask, my hearting beating a mile a minute.

"I don't know! One minute he was in his room and then….he was gone." She replies, tears falling from her eyes, as she sits down on the couch next to London. "We've got to find him!" she yells frantically.

"What…what happened?" I manage to choke out, barely over a whisper.

And then Cody says the two words that could practically make my heart stop.

"Brad escaped."

Hey guys! I know, I'm really mean. Okay two things. One, you know that big snowstorm hitting the NE in the U.S.A right now? Where there is a record breaking 4 feet of snow? Yeah, I'm in that. And I haven't had power in days!!! Ugh, it was terrible. So that is the reason for the late update. And I also think that this chapter is a lot shorter than my others, but I'm not sure yet. I haven't checked. But I'm really excited for the next one, so that's probably going to be out in a couple of days. And I don't have school till Tuesday, so I'll definitely get it out before then. You have my word :) Thanks for all the reviews! They are amazing and I appreciate every single one. They encourage me to write. No joke. This morning I checked my email, and I had a review saying "more more". So I was like "Okay!" and wrote this as soon as I was done reading that. So yeah. Lol. I know this wasn't my best writing, but I was in a rush. Hope you guys like it though. And thanks, as always.