Beca pulled the phone away from her ear and looked down at the screen.
"What's wrong?" Stacie asked as they rode in the back of the ambulance in route to UCLA Med to get Stacie checked out.
"Went to voicemail." Beca mumbled to herself. She ended the call and opened up her iMessage.
Chloe: Stacie's safe. Heading to hospital to have her checked out. Call me
"Maybe she's in the shower or sleeping or something." Stacie offered. She could see the worry begin to creep onto Beca's face.
"Yeah, maybe." Beca softly agreed. She dropped her hand to her lap and leant her head back against the cabinet in the ambulance. "So." She began, "you don't know where he took you? You couldn't hear anything? Like a freeway or ambulances or church bells?"
Stacie shook her head at each one of Beca's suggestions.
"Nothing?" Beca asked again.
"Not really. He kept the bag over my head the whole time. I didn't see or hear anything. Just the sound of what ever he was listening to." Stacie answered.
"Did you smell anything?" Beca asked searching for any information Stacie could recall. "Restaurants? Sewage? Nothing?"
"No" Stacie replied frustrated. "I wish I could."
"I'm glad you're okay Stace, I really am, but it just doesn't make sense." Beca said shaking her head. "Why would he just let you go?"
"All he said was his plan worked and then I woke up in the park and about a minute later CR was there." Stacie answered.
The ambulance jolted to a halt. The back doors opened up shortly after and the two EMT's pulled the stretcher that Stacie refused to get on out of the back. Chief Smith ordered her to follow protocol and go in for a full evaluation as any patient would have, so she agreed and laid on the small bed that she was being wheeled into the hospital on.
Beca followed behind Stacie as they entered the hospital and wound through the emergency room. She quickly dialed Chloe's number again and again the call when to voicemail. Beca stopped walking and looked up. She saw Aubrey and a doctor standing with CR just outside the room Beca presumed Stacie was in. Her feet started to move quickly. Once she reached the three she grabbed Aubrey by the arm and pulled her away.
"Beca. What tha hell?" Aubrey asked surprise filling her voice. "When are you doing here? When did you get back?"
"Have you heard from Chloe?" Beca asked quickly.
"No. She was supposed to text me when you guys got back." Aubrey replied.
Beca felt a sweat begin to form on the back of her neck. Something was definitely wrong. Aubrey noticed.
"What's wrong?" Aubrey asked.
"We got back hours ago." Beca said finally answering her question.
"She didn't text me" Aubrey said as she reached down into her scrubs and pulled out her phone.
"I tried to call her but it goes to voicemail." Beca added.
"Go check out house" Aubrey demanded.
"She's not there. I dropped her at my apartment. She said she'd rather go there because Luke knows where you guys live." Beca said recalling Chloe's words. "It was Luke by the way. Stacie confirmed it."
"Yeah, CR was just giving us the update." Aubrey answered. "Go check your apartment." Aubrey said as she sent a text quickly to Chloe demanding she call her immediately.
Beca nodded and turned back around to see why Aubrey's eyes lit up. Jesse and the other members of 72 were heading down the hallway. Beca felt Aubrey right behind her as she met Jesse in the middle of the hall. "I need you to take me home." She said quickly.
"Okay?" Jesse questioned. "Don't you want to wait for Stacie? She shouldn't be here long then we can all go back to the house like usual?" He asked. This was usually what happened when a brother or sister was brought into the hospital. The family would wait and then all return to the firehouse together.
"I can't get ahold of Chloe. She won't answer the phone." Beca said quickly. "Something's not right."
"Okay. Let's go." Jesse said as he looked between Aubrey and Beca's faces. "Theo." He called. The man appeared seconds later.
"I need you to take me home." Beca said quickly.
He didn't ask questions. He turned and headed out of the door and towards Ladder Truck 72.
"Beca please" Aubrey said desperately. "Please" She begged.
Beca knew she nodded. "I'll call you. It'll be okay." She said as confidently as she could muster to hopefully calm the blonde.
Aubrey nodded as she watched Beca and Jesse run out of the hospital and towards the truck that pulled up at the entrance.
XxXxXx
It was hot and she tasted the adhesive from the tape. Her neck hurt as it hung down. Her shoulders were burning from her hands being bound and hung on a large hook above her. She'd looked up at it for a while trying to figure out how she could get her hands free. The hook reminded her or large meat hook. It was attached to a long metal pole that was mounted into the concrete wall. The rope was only long enough that her butt barely touched the floor. Her feet were tied together and her legs stretched out in front of her, a rope snugly tied to a large pole in the middle of the warehouse. She knew it was a warehouse. It had to be. It was all grey. It had concrete floors and concrete walls. It had one window on either side of the long building and she was situated about 40 feet from one of the dirt covered windows. Where ever she was, was a place no one had been for a very long time. The dull room was beginning to darken as she sat there. Waiting. Waiting for Luke to return. Waiting for him to what? Kill her? She didn't know. Her eyes snapped open wide when she heard the car door slam from outside the building. He was back. She looked up again and grimaced as pain shot through her neck. She tried to pull her arms down as hard as she could but she couldn't budge it. She groaned as she tried. Using all the strength that she had. She cried in frustration when nothing happened. The door slammed shut and she heard the sounds of something locking and then his footsteps. They echoed through the building as they got louder and louder to where she was and then he appeared. He had something in his hand as he made his way over to her.
"Hungry?" Luke asked as he threw the bag of food at her hitting her in the face.
Chloe watched as the contents of the bag spilled out once it hit the floor.
"No?" He teased.
She didn't make any effort to communicate with him. She couldn't speak. The tape was still covering her mouth. And she didn't use her eyes. She knew they were naturally expressive but she kept them neutral. The last thing she wanted to give him was the satisfaction of knowing that she was scared of him.
He knelt down in front of her and she instinctively moved backwards trying to put as much space between them as possible. "No one will hear you scream Chlo." He said softly. "We are far far away from anyone." He revealed.
Chloe swallowed trying to remain calm and trying not to show any expression as fear coursed through her veins.
"I'll take this off so you can eat." He offered as he reached for the corner off the tape. "Okay?"
Chloe turned her head away from his hand. Refusing to let him touch her.
His hand snapped her head sharply to the left. "Why do you make me hit you?" He said under his breath.
While she was dazed he reached the corner of the tape and pulled it quickly off her mouth pulling some skin with it.
She cried in pain.
"Sorry" He said flatly. He crumpled up the tape and tossed it next to her. "Now you can eat." He said as he stood up and moved away from her. "Here's some water." He said pulling a bottle out of his back pocket. He unscrewed the top and placed it on the concrete by her feet. "I'm sorry Chlo. I can't stay with you tonight. I've got to get back into town to keep up appearances. Can't have you and me disappearing at the same time." He mused. "I'll be back tomorrow and we will get started okay?" He asked as he began making his way down the long room. Chloe watched him intently, praying that he was actually going to leave. He stopped abruptly and turned back towards her, "I'll say hi to Beca for you. I'm sure I'll run into her tonight."
Chloe began to struggle at the sound of the firefighter's name. She pulled down as hard as she could moaning and grunting in pain but couldn't free her hands. She tried to bend her knees to free her legs but that was also useless. She heard Luke's cocky laugh as he finally made his way out of the room. She stared at the French fries that spilled on the concrete next to her. She could smell them. Her stomach growled instinctively. Her mouth felt so dry as she looked to her feet. The open water bottle sitting in front of her. She was still tied up. She'd never reach either one of the things he left for her. He left them there to taunt her. To torture her. Chloe gritted her teeth and closed her eyes trying to calm herself. He was coming back tomorrow and she needed to be ready. She needed a plan.
XxXxXx
Beca's feet hit the pavement hard as she jumped down from the truck. She ran through the parking lot and towards the staircase that Chloe would have taken to get to her apartment. She took the steps two at a time, moving as fast as she could. Beca's fist hit her door loudly and quickly. "Chloe!" She yelled, praying the redhead would pull the door open. She banged so loud and so long that one of her neighbor's door opened. She didn't greet Mrs. Hansen when the old lady's head poked out to investigate the loud banging. "Have you seen Chloe?" Beca asked quickly as she continued to wail on the door. "A redhead? Have you seen a redhead around here?" Beca asked realizing old lady Hansen wouldn't have any idea who Chloe was.
The nosy old woman shook her head and disappeared behind her door, shutting it with a loud bang.
Beca took a step back from her door and forcefully connected the heel of her boot with the wood. It flew open quickly and began to shut after it hit the wall. She stopped it with her hand and rushed inside her apartment. "Chloe!" Beca yelled as she moved through her apartment quickly. It was empty. No sign of her girlfriend. Everything was just as it had been left two days ago. "Fuck!" Beca yelled as she made her way back to the door. She reached into her pocket and pulled her phone out again. Beca tried to call Chloe again as she pulled the door closed as much as she could after having destroyed the lock and part of the frame when she kicked it open. She continued down the hallway towards the staircase.
"Beca!"
She heard Jesse calling her loudly. Beca disconnected the call and ran down the steps just as fast as she ran up them. Her feet came to a sudden stop at the bottom. "Where did you get that?" Beca asked as Jesse stood with Chloe's suitcase at his feet.
"It was tossed in the bushes." He said pointed towards the shrubs that outlined part of the apartment complex. "Did you just call Chloe?" He asked.
"Yeah, how did you" Beca began to ask.
"Call it again." He said interrupting her.
She lifted the phone again and waited as she stared at Jesse. She was just about to ask why she was doing this when she heard it. Ringing. It was a faint sound but it was definitely ringing. Beca moved around trying to follow the sound. She ripped the top off of a nearby trashcan and tossed it on its side in effort to empty the contents. The phone skidded to a halt on the concrete, her face lit up on the screen briefly before it changed to a missed call.
XxXxXx
"Tommy?" Barbara said softly. "Can you hear me? Tom?"
He heard the familiar voice. His body felt heavy and he didn't have any energy although he felt like he'd been sleeping for days.
"Can you open your eyes sweetheart?" Barbara asked.
He barely had the energy to comply. It felt like he was trying so hard but everything as still dark.
"That's so good Tommy." The woman sobbed happily. He hadn't opened his dark brown eyes but he was slowly blinking. He could hear her and he was trying to do what he was told. "Your grandpa is here too Tom. He wants you to open your eyes."
It took all his energy but he finally cracked an eye open. The harsh light causing him to shut his eyes quickly and with little effort.
"Oh thank God" Barbara said looking up at the ceiling.
"Tom. I know you can hear me. Just rest son." The man's deep voice instructed.
Tom nodded slightly and swallowed a couple of times trying to find his voice.
"Wh" he stopped suddenly. "Wh" he tried again after a few more swallows to try and lubricate his throat. It didn't work and he didn't try to speak again.
"Here sweetie. It's water. Just a sip" The woman said.
He felt a small tube on his lips. He opened his mouth just enough to take the thin plastic between his lips. He sucked and coughed as the water flooded his mouth.
"Oh there. There." Barbara said as she grabbed a tissue to wipe up the liquid that escaped his mouth.
After he caught his breath he was able to slowly open his eyes. He let his eyes adjust slowly to the light. Things were blurry and bright as he tried to be patient. "Where am I?" He asked his voice thick and cracking.
"You're in the hospital honey. You were hurt in an explosion." Barbara explained. She looked up to her husband. "Can you go get a nurse and tell them he's awake?" She asked the man.
He nodded and left the room after giving Tom a squeeze on the ankle.
Tom was able to open his eyes all the way. At least what he thought was all the way open. She was still blurry but he recognized his grandmother. The woman who raised him. "How?" He strained to ask.
"How?" She repeated.
"Survive?" He managed.
"How did you survive?" She asked.
He nodded.
"A firefighter pulled you out." She answered. "From everything I gathered, you're very lucky to be alive dear."
He sat quiet. Thoughts racing through his mind.
"Lucas is going to be so happy you're awake. He's been here every day." Barbara said as she gently stroked his short brown hair. "And Chloe. She's visited you a couple of times."
"Chloe" Tom winced as the word came out to loudly from his dry throat.
"Yes dear. She's a very pretty girl." Barbara said with a wink. "I thought she was your girlfriend."
Tom shook his head. He cleared his throat. "Beca?" He asked. "I need to talk to Beca."
The nurses rushed into the room and began examining him. His grandmother was moved out of the way as they shined bright lights in his eyes, took his vitals, checked his reflexes, listened to his lungs, asked him questions and poked and prodded at him.
"Who's Beca?" Barbara whispered.
XxXxXx
Beca followed Amy through the police station. "What are you going to do? What's the plan?" She demanded.
Amy paused at the desk, making eye contact with an officer who was talking to a man.
"It's a 2001 Buick LaSabre. This morning I pulled into the In and Out on Jensen and was in the restaurant for like 3 minutes. I just ran into pee and yeah I left the keys in it but that doesn't give someone permission to steal my car." The man said with a thick southern accent. "I've been here all day. Why can't you guys find my car?"
Amy rolled her eyes at her fellow officer as she listened to the man's story. She rifled through the latest incoming tips quickly looking for something that pointed to whereabouts of Luke or Chloe.
"Amy seriously." Beca demanded. "He's not going to just let her go like he did Stacie. Don't you see? That's the plan that worked. We came back and he grabbed Chloe. He didn't need Stacie anymore so he let her go. He won't let Chloe go. What the fuck are we doing right now?" Beca asked as she looked around the front of the police station.
"Beca please. Calm down." Amy said as she turned back to her friend.
"Calm down?" Beca asked. "You want me to calm down?"
"Please" Amy said gently. "We will find her."
"Chloe was taken from outside my apartment complex. She's missing and you want me to calm the fuck down?" Beca shouted. She felt Jesse's strong hand on her shoulder. She immediately shrugged it off.
"I hope they care more about your Chloe than they do my Buick." The man said in poor taste. It didn't sit well with Beca as she turned to glare at him.
"What the fuck?" Beca said angrily at the middle aged man.
He put his hands up in defeat and took a step away from the fuming brunette. "I'm just saying" He said as he back peddled.
She lunged for him. Throwing punches in his direction. She didn't get too far. She felt Jesse wrap his arms around her waist and pull her off her feet turning her in the opposite direction from the scared man.
"Put her in room 3" Amy said pointing down the hall. Theo ran in that direction and opened the door as Jesse carried a kicking and screaming Beca towards the private interrogation room.
XxXxXx
"Hello, Samantha dear, I hope your feelin' finnnneeee! And it won't be long until I'm with you all the time. But until then, I'll spend my money up right down to my last dime, Cccaaaallin' Baton Rouge. Oooperator, won't you put me on through. I gotta send my love down to Baton Rouge. Huuurrrry up! Won't you put her on the line, I gotta talk to the girl just one more time. Caaaaaallllinn' Baton Rouge. Sweet Baton Rouge. My Baton Roooouuuuge. Oh oh whoa ho whoa oh." Luke sang loudly as he pulled into the parking spot at the grocery store. He hadn't heard the song before he stole this car. But the CD was in the player and came on every time he started the car. Country music wasn't usually his preference but he had to admit this song was catchy and upbeat. He liked. It didn't take him long to have it memorized. He looked out the windows to make sure it was safe to exit the vehicle. After he didn't see anything suspicious he stepped out of the car. He locked it and walked around to the side. He opened the small brown door that hid the gas cap of the sedan and placed the keys in. He shut the small door and continued walking away. He pulled his leather gloves off and slid them in his back pocket as he approached his motorcycle. Luke tossed on leg over and centered the bike balancing it with both legs. He pulled the single key from the pocket of his jeans and started up the black motorcycle he loved so much. He kicked up the kick stand and sighed disappointingly as he pulled away from the grocery store, the song still stuck in his head but with no way to listen to it right now.
AN: Sup guys. Leave me your comments and reviews. I love them all. Probably way too much :)