Chapter 5: Reflections
The whole room went deathly silent as TJ's announcement sunk in. Perhaps it was just a sick joke, but the look on TJ's face told them otherwise.
"Missing?" Zhane dared to question aloud. "How can this be?" He wondered in disbelief. 'What the hell happened in the last few months?' he thought to himself. 'Didn't we get rid of evil?'
"What happened?" Andros whispered in complete shock. Everyone focused their eyes on TJ as he began to explain what had happened.
"Ashley didn't show up for work this morning, and her car was still in the parking lot. When we arrived on the scene we found evidence to suspect that she was a victim of a premeditated act of violence. We got a fax this morning that confirmed that her step mom had escaped from prison." TJ announced reluctantly to the group.
He watched their reactions as reality set in. Andros slumped in his chair, holding his head in his hands. Carlos tried to comfort Justin while taking it all in himself. Everyone in the room knew Ashley and couldn't believe this was happening. Some of the girls started crying.
"Why?" Tommy thought to himself. Kim, Adam, and Kat asked themselves the same question.
Cassie looked like she was going to be sick. "Oh my god." Cassie gasped. "I can't believe it." She whispered, as tears began to form in her chocolate brown eyes.
"How could we not have believed her?" Andros cried out, breaking the fragile silence as his fist connected with the table. Zhane put his hand on his arm to restrain him. Andros shook it off, and Zhane went to stand with TJ.
"We should have seen it coming. All those incidents, they weren't coincidences were they TJ?" Carlos questioned fearfully. All of a sudden the once quiet room was alive as the many voices tried to come to grasp the horrible situation.
"I shouldn't have accused her of cheating on you." Cassie apologized to Andros. "And I shouldn't have confronted her, I should have trusted her." He confessed.
TJ tried to reclaim control over the room. But the worry and anxiety they all felt had taken over, and he sensed his friends getting overwhelmed. Frustrated, he yelled, "Blaming yourselves is not going to bring Ashley back! We have to stick to the task at hand, which is to get her back. That is our only concern. Nothing else!" His loud voice cut through the conversations.
"He's right. We have to focus on Ashley." Zhane declared quietly as the room calmed down. "What can we do Teej?" The former silver ranger inquired.
TJ continued on, sharing with them how they can help. "We need to gather information and figure out where Shelley has her hidden. We're going to pass out fliers and see if anything comes up."
Cassie finally looked up, relieved to have a plan of action to save her best friend. "Will there be a ransom?" TJ hesitated, afraid to answer the one question he hoped they would not ask, but not before a look of distress flashed across his face.
"Give it to us straight TJ." Tommy commanded the officer as he saw the look on his face. Clearly TJ did not want to tell them, but he had no choice but to be honest.
"We don't believe there will be a ransom." TJ replied finally. He closed his eyes, trying not to see the looks of pain in their eyes. "Why not?" Carlos asked in confusion. "I thought in most kidnapping situations, there was a ransom." Andros knew the answer to Carlos's question, but waited to hear the dreaded answer from TJ.
"That's true Carlos. But in this case, Shelley has what she wants. She didn't kidnap Ashley for money. Her motivation was revenge." He explained, trying to soften the blow.
"What aren't you saying?" Jason wondered calmly, trying not to stir up the group, as they resisted believing the terrible truth that Ashley was in extreme danger.
"I'm saying that time is of the essence in bringing Ashley back home." TJ said simply. He grabbed a stack of fliers off the counter and began walking around the café, handing them out.
Adam, Kat, Kim and Tommy were the first team out of the café. Tommy stopped by Andros's table on his way out. "We'll get her back man." He reassured the distressed Kerovian. Andros simply nodded; he didn't have the energy to do anything else. In the matter of a few minutes, the various teams were hitting the streets of Angel Grove with the fliers of their missing friend. TJ hoped they would be able to gather some information from the fliers.
Kari sat in the front of the empty store numbly, wishing she could be out there looking for her missing friend. "If only I hadn't switched with Ashley, she would still be here." She said regretfully. "And if I hadn't told that lady she was working, none of this would have happened."
"How do you know?" Her boss questioned the distraught girl as she came out of the back room. "You didn't know that lady was crazy or what would happen. It's not your fault Kari. Stop blaming yourself. I know Ashley wouldn't blame you either." Marissa consoled the younger girl.
"I just hope she's alright." Kari sobbed into Marissa shoulder, as the woman held her tightly to comfort her.
"Ashley's a fighter. It's just a matter of time until she comes back to us." Marissa declared optimistically. Her statement caused Kari to look up. "Yeah, we have to believe she's coming back." She agreed hopefully. She got up and went to fix the front display, anything to pass the time until she got off work and could go help find Ashley.
Zhane and Andros were walking around the park, stapling fliers on telephone poles and handing them out to various passerbies. Andros was quiet, too quiet Zhane thought.
"Andros, I know you're upset. But I think it has to do with more than just Ashley missing." Zhane began. He had been separated from his best friend for months, but he sensed that he was about to unravel.
"Isn't that enough?" Andros cried out in frustration. Zhane wasn't backing down as he stared down the brown haired boy. "She broke up with me yesterday." Zhane stopped walking, he was so shocked. That was the last thing he expected to hear. "And it's all my fault." Andros finished dejectedly.
Zhane motioned Andros to sit down on the bench overlooking the lake. He sat there waiting for Andros to continue. "Cassie told me she had seen Ashley leaving TJ's apartment early in the morning."
"And you believed that Ashley was having an affair with TJ?" Zhane interrupted his explanation. He just started laughing.
"What's so funny?" Andros demanded of the blond haired boy.
"I can't believe that you would believe that." Zhane said as he tried to control his disbelief. He stopped suddenly when he noticed a strange look on Andros's face. "You didn't tell her that did you?" He asked, his eyes opening wide in shock.
Andros's silence was confirmation. "Oh man. Was she mad?" Zhane asked. "Mad isn't the word I would use. It was more like disappointment, and hurt. I've never seen her look so sad. And I never thought I would be the one to make her feel that way."
"Listen Andros, it was a big misunderstanding. You two were meant to be together, I know you'll work it out. It will just take some time." He counseled wisely.
"It never should have happened Zhane!" Andros yelled. "I should have believed her, but I didn't and look what happened."
"It's not your fault Andros!" Zhane hollered back, trying to get through to the stubborn boy. "Come on, we've got work to do." He declared firmly, pulling Andros off the bench, refusing to let him give into his self-pity.
'So far, so good.' She thought to herself as she prepared herself for the next part of her plan. Confident in her ability to succeed, she was aiming to not only take care of Ashley but her brother as well. She figured that in a few days everyone would stop looking for the girl and assume she was dead. Shelley smiled at that thought. 'Finally, she would get what she deserved.'
'That brat has always had what she wanted. And now it's my turn. I'll have my freedom and my revenge. By the time I'm through with her and her idiot brother, they will only be a faint memory to friends and family.' She gloated to herself as she fixed dinner for her hostage.
Tuesday, 6pm
"Eat up dear." Shelley taunted Ashley as she brought down her dinner. Ashley jumped at the sound of her voice, waking out of her fitful sleep. She accepted the dinner but remained quiet, she didn't want Shelley to hurt her anymore. It would be hard enough in her current condition to escape, but Ashley still held out hope. She refused to give into the despair that threatened to overwhelm her. She watched silently as the older woman climbed back up the stairs, humming a happy tune.
Ashley finished the soup and bread and tried to get herself in a comfortable position. She was starting to go stir crazy after being inside all day. "And I thought yesterday couldn't have gotten any worse." She said to herself as she recalled the incidents of the day before. "I wonder if Andros misses me." The thought of her boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend, pushed Ashley over the edge. Tears streamed down her face as she thought about all their times together. "Why didn't he believe me?" she wondered. "What if I don't get out of here?" "Stop it!" she yelled at herself. "I've got to believe that I'll get out of here. TJ will find me." Thoughts of her loyal friend filled her with hope. "I will make it back to my family and to Andros." She promised herself. She realized she still loved him, and hoped they could work things out. The loneliness she was going through right now convinced her that she couldn't live without him; somehow they'd have to make it work.
She quickly turned her thoughts to another subject. "Why did this happen?" That question haunted Ashley for the rest of the night, and even into her dreams as she slipped into an uneasy rest.
Tuesday 9pm
TJ closed the door to his office hoping for some peace and quiet. IT was the first time he had sat down in hours. Slipping into his chair, his thoughts immediately went to Ashley.
"Where are you Ashley? His mind tried to come up with any possible location. "I will find you. I promise I won't rest until I do." He vowed to himself. He still couldn't believe this was happening, it seemed so unreal. He knew the rest of their friends were counting on him to be strong. The events of the day played through his mind; from the moment they found her car to the time they received the fax. Sitting up at his desk, he determined to continue searching through all the evidence until something turned up that would lead them to Ashley.
"Hey TJ." Lt. Gibson called in as he opened the door. TJ looked up at his partner and waited for him to continue. "The captain set up a call center for information from the fliers. They've already received a bunch of tips. I thought you might want to go and check it out." TJ practically jumped out of his chair as he quickly followed Gibson out of the office. Officially their shift had ended, but TJ knew he would be on duty until he knew Ashley was safe.
"What have you got?" TJ demanded as soon as he got out of the car and confronted the officers on duty at the temporary call center.
"Henry from Motel 7 said there was a lady there who fit that description just the other day. He said she just disappeared without paying her bill." Officer Kaplan replied, ignoring the strain in the other man's voice.
"So that means, maybe there's something still there." TJ realized. "Thanks." He quickly uttered as he grabbed his partner. "We'll let you know if we get anything else. That's our best lead so far. We've got other men checking out some of the others." Kaplan stated. TJ looked over the groups of people gathered to collect information. He noticed most of them were on the phone, which gave him reason to believe that they would find her soon.
Henry let the two officers into the motel room Shelley had been staying in prior to her sudden departure. There were a few scattered items of clothes around the floor, along with empty cartons of cigarettes and numerous other beauty products. There was nothing in plain view that jumped out to them as evidence until TJ looked in the garbage. The garbage was suspiciously empty. He figured she was hiding something; she had had time to empty the trash before leaving.
"Let's find the dumpster. I'm sure we'll find something there." TJ exclaimed as he left the motel room. He found the dumpster in the far end of the parking lot. Without hesitation he jumped in. His hard work was instantly rewarded when he found a dirty glove covered in some sort of liquid. He placed the glove into an evidence bag and they went back to the station.
Wednesday 10 am
Carlos was walking past the coffee shop on campus on his way to class. 'This is where I usually meet Ashley.' He thought as he continued on by. Ashley. Thoughts of his best friend went through his mind. He remembered the first day he had met the outgoing girl in 4th grade. He had just moved to Angel Grove, and the teacher had placed him next to her. From that moment on, the two had become close, inseparable friends. They walked to and from school together every day. Through Carlos's parent's divorce, Ashley's broken leg, soccer and cheerleading tryouts, the two were always there for each other. Even after they became rangers and after Ashley started dating Andros they were still the best of friends. Nothing could change that. As he recalled some of their favorite times, he realized he hadn't gone a day without seeing her since the day they met.
The bell rang and Carlos realized he had zoned out of the entire Western Civ class, he didn't even remembering arriving at class. Seeing as going to the rest of his classes was futile, he went to rejoin TJ at the station to see if he could be of any help.
Cassie sat on the bench and gazed out at the lake. The park was alive with people; children playing, couples relaxing. Their cheerful noises irritated Cassie. 'How can anything be happy when my best friend is missing?' Thoughts of her missing best friend brought tears to her eyes again. 'Will I ever see you again?' she reflected miserably. Shaking off her morose thoughts, she decided to focus on the positive. TJ and the entire Angel Grove police department were following the case. She was sure they would find her soon. Cassie shuddered as she thought about what would happen if they didn't. Ashley didn't deserve this fate. She deserved to be happy and grow old with Andros and their kids. That was Ashley's greatest dream. The two girls had talked about it endlessly over their years on the mega ship. 'And I helped to destroy it. How could I have done that to her?' She said in dismay as she recalled the incident a few mornings back when she had mistakenly assumed that Ashley was cheating on Andros. 'Why did I believe that? And why did I tell Andros?' Her mind cried out regretfully. Cassie shook off her self-pity and determined to start anew in her search for her best friend. 'There's got to be something I can do.' She determined purposefully.
At the Hammond Household.
"I can't believe this is happening." Jeff said to his father as they paced the living room hoping to hear of any news from TJ.
"Why can't they find her?" Mr. Hammond exclaimed in frustration. "What's taking so long?"
"TJ said it would take some time dad. I'm sure they're doing everything they can." Jeff declared calmly, trying to reassure the older man.
"I know. But I hate knowing she's in the hands of that evil woman. It's like a nightmare coming true." Mr. Hammond cried as he clenched his fists in anger. "I will not let Shelley kill my only daughter!" He yelled furiously. Jeff realized it was useless to try to calm his dad down.
He had already lost one sister; he couldn't bear to lose another one. He could only imagine how his dad felt, losing one daughter, and possibly a second. With a sudden insight of clarity, Jeff realized that the anger was the only thing keeping his dad from going insane.
"Come on dad. There's got to be something we can do." He said resolutely, more determined than ever to help his sister. The two men rushed off to the police station.
Thursday 9am
TJ awoke with a start to the knocking on his door. Waking up he realized he fell asleep on his desk. Stifling a yawn after a long, restless night; he called out: "Come in."
"The forensic team is back. I thought we should give them the glove and see what else the other teams have come up with. We're having a debriefing in 10 minutes." Lt. Gibson said to TJ. He noticed he was still wearing the same clothes as the night before. "Did you sleep here last night?"
"Yeah, I must have fallen asleep while looking through all the paperwork." TJ admitted as he got out of his chair.
"You need your rest TJ, you won't be able to keep this up for long." He advised his friend, as he took in the bloodshot eyes.
"I know, but Ashley's counting on me, and I know time is not on our side." He said worried. The two exited the office to grab a cup of coffee on the way to their meeting.
"Kaplan and Jones did you come up with anything at the prison?" Captain Harris demanded gruffly. Kidnapping cases did nothing to improve his rather brash personality.
"What we've found out is that she took auto shop while in prison, as well as being a regular at the gym. They also verified that she had escaped via a laundry truck." Officer Kaplan informed the Captain and the other officers.
"For Pete's sake. Is it really that easy to break out of prison?" The captain declared in disbelief.
Dr. Murphy spoke up next. "The fact about auto shop is interesting, considering that all the brake fluid from Ashley's car had been drained. The glove you found in the dumpster had the same liquid on it as in Ashley's car."
"Isn't it just generic brake fluid?" Officer Kaplan commented pessimistically.
"Not necessarily. The car is a Volkswagen Beetle. German cars have a special brake fluid only used in those cars. So it's safe to assume it's a match." Dr. Murphy confirmed.
"I almost forgot!" Lt. Gibson exclaimed urgently, causing the others to look at him curiously. "The car that tried to run Ashley down was a 95 brown two-door Honda, and it was missing a rear tail light. Maybe that car is the one that Shelley used to move Ashley."
"Put a APB out on a 95 brown two-door Honda, with a missing rear tail light." Captain Harris announced over his radio. "It just might give us some tips as to where she was headed."
"Are we sure she's not in the area?" Officer Jones wanted to know. "I don't think she would risk it." TJ offered in response. "She has too much to lose." "Why bother with kidnapping Ashley at all? Why not just escape?" Officer Kaplan asked realistically.
"The warden said she suffered from a severe personality disorder not to mention a serious case of denial. She's out for revenge; she thinks she's been wronged. The warden said he's never seen a more guilty person. Unfortunately, Shelley doesn't see it that way." Officer Jones reasoned.
"She should be considered dangerous, considering her fragile mental condition as well as her excellent physical condition." TJ warned his colleagues. That fact bothered him as he hoped Ashley was still alive.
Ashley groaned as the sunlight shone right in her face. Blinking her eyes she shrugged the blanket off her weary body. Her mind raced to figure out what day it was. She realized it was already Thursday, though she had only been gone for 60 hours, it felt like 60 days. She couldn't remember the last time she had been separated from friends and/or family for so long. Her family. Thoughts of Jeff and her dad filled Ashley with sadness. She could only imagine the anguish they were going through. All this time they thought they were safe. She jumped as she heard the door open, as Shelley practically floated down the stairs with some eggs and toast for the girl.
"Here you go darling." Shelley drawled, enjoying having Ashley has her prisoner. "Don't call me darling." Ashley grumbled as her eyes flashed with anger.
"Ah, what are you going to do about it? It seems like you're a bit tied up at the moment." Shelley laughed at her lame attempt at a joke.
"Don't worry kid, you won't be alone for long." Shelley promised as she turned to leave, and forcing Ashley to dwell on her statement.
"What do you mean?" Ashley asked fearfully. Shelley turned back to her. "You didn't think I would be satisfied only getting rid of you did you?" She taunted the girl. Ashley's heart began to race as she realized Shelley was out to get her brother.
Forcing herself to be calm, Ashley played on Shelley's ego. "Well since I can't stop you anyway, when are you going to do it?" She inquired worried.
"Don't worry, it wont' be too much longer. Hopefully your brother will join you tomorrow." Shelley announced, almost joyfully. "And in no time, everyone will forget about you two. I'll be free, and your poor father will go crazy with the loss of all three of his kids." Without another word, the woman disappeared back into the house.
"I've got to come up with a way out of here. I can't wait any longer. I will not let her hurt Jeff." Ashley vowed as she struggled to come up with a viable plan. She had to stop Shelley.
Thursday 11 am
TJ was back in his office after the meeting ended. After lunch he had planned to go through all the evidence that was collected from the motel room. He remembered one of the first things he had learned in the police academy. 'Sometimes you have to step back a bit and look for another angle to the problem.' That was the advice of his training supervisor, the legendary Captain Zambrano. He decided it couldn't hurt so he sat back to think about all the things he knew about Ashley and her stepmother. Closing his eyes, he waited patiently for the memories to arrive. He was teleported back to two years ago when Ashley had finally told them the horrible truth about her past.
Ashley was sitting on a console in the bridge talking to Deca when the others appeared suddenly. There was awkward silence, as no one knew what to say or how to approach her. Finally TJ asked a question he had to know the answer to. "How bad was it?" Ashley looked at him with tears in her eyes, but before he could regret asking it, she asked the computer, "Deca, pull up my medical files."
"Of course Ashley." Deca replied, obeying the yellow ranger's command immediately. The others settled into their chairs to view the screen while Andros simply sat on the console next to her and wrapped his arms around her in silent comfort.
"Ash, you don't have to do this. I was just curious." TJ said trying to stop the brunette from reliving those terrible memories.
"It's okay Teej. I need to get this out." Ashley admitted quietly as she continued to hold onto Andros' hand for support.
It was a heavy silence that filled the bridge as they waited for the next entry. "This makes all our problems seem so petty." Carlos thought to himself as he turned to look at his best friend, who he had respected for many years, and more so now.
"How did she do it?" The question slipped out of the black rangers mouth, breaking the silence.
"How did I what?" Ashley inquired a bit confused.
"How did you get through all that to be the person that you are now?" Carlos asked in astonishment. Ashley was one of the nicest and most supportive people he knew, and her loyalty and determination made her a great teammate as well.
"I had the loving support of my brother and father, which is why we're so close now. But I had my share of counselors too." Ashley commented.
"There's a bunch more, but we don't need to see all of them." Ashley decided as fatigue eventually began taking its toll on the yellow ranger.
"How many times were you in the hospital Ash?" Cassie asked from her seat.
"I don't know for certain, but I'd say in four years I was in the emergency room 15 times I guess." Ashley acknowledged thoughtfully.
TJ's eyes snapped open as he remembered about the files aboard the mega ship. Maybe they would reveal something that would help break the case open. He ran to the Captain's office to tell him he was following up on a lead, and he raced out of the station to the Dojo.
Adam had just finished up class when TJ arrived breathless at the Dojo. Dismissing his students, he turned to his friend. "Are you alright man? How's the investigation?" He asked quietly as he led him into the main office.
"I just had an idea. I need to get a hold of Deca, do you have any idea how I can contact the galaxy rangers?" TJ asked directly.
"Maybe Tommy knows how." Adam said thoughtfully. He ran out to where Tommy was just starting class. He whispered to him and they exchanged places as Tommy went to help TJ.
"If you go to my house, Kim should still be there. We have a special radio that we use to contact them." Tommy advised the police officer. TJ shook his hand in gratitude and hurried off to the Oliver's house.
"TJ, come in. Tommy called to let me know you were coming." Kim said as she opened the door for him to come in. "The radio is in the basement." She declared as TJ followed her down the stairs. "Here you go. Just push this button and it will contact the mega ship. Just wait for someone to answer." She explained to him. "Good luck TJ." She said as she left the officer alone.
TJ pressed the button and waited impatiently for the mega ship to respond. Seconds ticked by, but it seemed like hours to him. Suddenly a voice came back at him. "This is Kai. Go ahead."
"Kai, this is TJ. I need to get on to the mega ship. It's of vital importance." He told his friend urgently. There was a brief pause before Kai spoke again. "Deca will teleport you now." In a familiar rush, TJ was enveloped in a haze of colored light and teleported away.
"What is it TJ?" Kai said as soon as he appeared on the bridge. TJ looked around at the ship that had been home to him for two years. A sense of longing overcame him as he remembered all the times he had spent there with his teammates. Snapping back to reality, he noticed the other galaxy rangers had joined them. "Ashley's missing." He declared a bit abruptly. He didn't feel like going through the whole story again.
"Do you think Trakeena or Scorpius has anything to do with it?" Mike, the Magna Defender questioned the former blue astro ranger. They all waited on full alert to see if their evil enemies were behind this.
"No. Nothing like that." He said to their relief. Kendrix and Kai let out the breath they had been holding. Maya however was not doing as well. After all Ashley had been her predecessor, and had become quite close to the new yellow ranger. Tears began to fall from the Mironite's eyes. Mike noticed it and went to comfort her. TJ glanced around at the new group of rangers in amusement, noticing the closeness of certain friendships. 'Just like we were.' He thought, before quickly getting back to the matter at hand. 'And we will again, once we get Ashley back.'
"But I think Deca might have some information that might help us find her." TJ said hopefully.
"What is it TJ?" Deca inquired. "Can you bring up Ashley's old medical files?" He commanded the ships' computer. A few seconds the file was brought up on the screen. The galaxy rangers let him alone to do his research as they went back to their daily duties.
"Let me know if you need anything." Leo, the red ranger told him. TJ just nodded as he sorted though the file. The red ranger turned to join his teammates in the holding bay.
December 12th, 1985, four year old Ashley Hammond admitted to Angel Grove Hospital with second degree burns."
"March 19th 1986, Ashley rushed to AGH with a broken collarbone."
"Ash, you don't have to do this. I was just curious." TJ said trying to stop the brunette from reliving those terrible memories.
"It's okay Teej. I need to get this out." Ashley admitted quietly as she continued to hold onto Andros' hand for support.
"July 4th, 1986 Ashley admitted to AGH with burns from a fireworks related incident."
"We were up at Hangman's Island and Shelley had gone out and left my brother and I with two teenagers who were staying next to us. They let me set off some fireworks and they misfired and I burnt my hands." Ashley stated matter of factly.
TJ stopped after this entry. Could she be at Hangman's Island? He had no other leads but figured they should go out there and check it out. Thanking Deca, he quickly teleported back to Angel Grove and back to the police station.
"Hey Johnson!" Captain Harris called to his rookie officer as he reentered the station. "We got a witness saying they saw a brown Honda heading west on Route 41."
"Route 41?" He said aloud. "The only place that road goes to is Hangman's Island." Gibson supplied to his partner. TJ almost stopped breathing. The pieces were starting to fall into place. Finally, there was reason to hope.
"Does that mean anything?" Captain Harris questioned hopefully as he saw the expression on TJ's face. They desperately needed a break on this case. They were in the crucial time crunch now. Every moment was vital to rescuing Ashley.
"Ashley's family had a summer lake house out there. There was an incident there about 14 years ago." He said completely stunned by the turn of events.
"I think we should go check it out." The captain demanded urgently as the group hurried out to their cars and tore out of Angel Grove and headed towards Hangman's Island.
A/N: Thank you for your patience with this chapter, it took a long time to write. I hope all the police scenes don't bore you. Again, please review. There will be one more chapter, and then the third part of the series.
The whole room went deathly silent as TJ's announcement sunk in. Perhaps it was just a sick joke, but the look on TJ's face told them otherwise.
"Missing?" Zhane dared to question aloud. "How can this be?" He wondered in disbelief. 'What the hell happened in the last few months?' he thought to himself. 'Didn't we get rid of evil?'
"What happened?" Andros whispered in complete shock. Everyone focused their eyes on TJ as he began to explain what had happened.
"Ashley didn't show up for work this morning, and her car was still in the parking lot. When we arrived on the scene we found evidence to suspect that she was a victim of a premeditated act of violence. We got a fax this morning that confirmed that her step mom had escaped from prison." TJ announced reluctantly to the group.
He watched their reactions as reality set in. Andros slumped in his chair, holding his head in his hands. Carlos tried to comfort Justin while taking it all in himself. Everyone in the room knew Ashley and couldn't believe this was happening. Some of the girls started crying.
"Why?" Tommy thought to himself. Kim, Adam, and Kat asked themselves the same question.
Cassie looked like she was going to be sick. "Oh my god." Cassie gasped. "I can't believe it." She whispered, as tears began to form in her chocolate brown eyes.
"How could we not have believed her?" Andros cried out, breaking the fragile silence as his fist connected with the table. Zhane put his hand on his arm to restrain him. Andros shook it off, and Zhane went to stand with TJ.
"We should have seen it coming. All those incidents, they weren't coincidences were they TJ?" Carlos questioned fearfully. All of a sudden the once quiet room was alive as the many voices tried to come to grasp the horrible situation.
"I shouldn't have accused her of cheating on you." Cassie apologized to Andros. "And I shouldn't have confronted her, I should have trusted her." He confessed.
TJ tried to reclaim control over the room. But the worry and anxiety they all felt had taken over, and he sensed his friends getting overwhelmed. Frustrated, he yelled, "Blaming yourselves is not going to bring Ashley back! We have to stick to the task at hand, which is to get her back. That is our only concern. Nothing else!" His loud voice cut through the conversations.
"He's right. We have to focus on Ashley." Zhane declared quietly as the room calmed down. "What can we do Teej?" The former silver ranger inquired.
TJ continued on, sharing with them how they can help. "We need to gather information and figure out where Shelley has her hidden. We're going to pass out fliers and see if anything comes up."
Cassie finally looked up, relieved to have a plan of action to save her best friend. "Will there be a ransom?" TJ hesitated, afraid to answer the one question he hoped they would not ask, but not before a look of distress flashed across his face.
"Give it to us straight TJ." Tommy commanded the officer as he saw the look on his face. Clearly TJ did not want to tell them, but he had no choice but to be honest.
"We don't believe there will be a ransom." TJ replied finally. He closed his eyes, trying not to see the looks of pain in their eyes. "Why not?" Carlos asked in confusion. "I thought in most kidnapping situations, there was a ransom." Andros knew the answer to Carlos's question, but waited to hear the dreaded answer from TJ.
"That's true Carlos. But in this case, Shelley has what she wants. She didn't kidnap Ashley for money. Her motivation was revenge." He explained, trying to soften the blow.
"What aren't you saying?" Jason wondered calmly, trying not to stir up the group, as they resisted believing the terrible truth that Ashley was in extreme danger.
"I'm saying that time is of the essence in bringing Ashley back home." TJ said simply. He grabbed a stack of fliers off the counter and began walking around the café, handing them out.
Adam, Kat, Kim and Tommy were the first team out of the café. Tommy stopped by Andros's table on his way out. "We'll get her back man." He reassured the distressed Kerovian. Andros simply nodded; he didn't have the energy to do anything else. In the matter of a few minutes, the various teams were hitting the streets of Angel Grove with the fliers of their missing friend. TJ hoped they would be able to gather some information from the fliers.
Kari sat in the front of the empty store numbly, wishing she could be out there looking for her missing friend. "If only I hadn't switched with Ashley, she would still be here." She said regretfully. "And if I hadn't told that lady she was working, none of this would have happened."
"How do you know?" Her boss questioned the distraught girl as she came out of the back room. "You didn't know that lady was crazy or what would happen. It's not your fault Kari. Stop blaming yourself. I know Ashley wouldn't blame you either." Marissa consoled the younger girl.
"I just hope she's alright." Kari sobbed into Marissa shoulder, as the woman held her tightly to comfort her.
"Ashley's a fighter. It's just a matter of time until she comes back to us." Marissa declared optimistically. Her statement caused Kari to look up. "Yeah, we have to believe she's coming back." She agreed hopefully. She got up and went to fix the front display, anything to pass the time until she got off work and could go help find Ashley.
Zhane and Andros were walking around the park, stapling fliers on telephone poles and handing them out to various passerbies. Andros was quiet, too quiet Zhane thought.
"Andros, I know you're upset. But I think it has to do with more than just Ashley missing." Zhane began. He had been separated from his best friend for months, but he sensed that he was about to unravel.
"Isn't that enough?" Andros cried out in frustration. Zhane wasn't backing down as he stared down the brown haired boy. "She broke up with me yesterday." Zhane stopped walking, he was so shocked. That was the last thing he expected to hear. "And it's all my fault." Andros finished dejectedly.
Zhane motioned Andros to sit down on the bench overlooking the lake. He sat there waiting for Andros to continue. "Cassie told me she had seen Ashley leaving TJ's apartment early in the morning."
"And you believed that Ashley was having an affair with TJ?" Zhane interrupted his explanation. He just started laughing.
"What's so funny?" Andros demanded of the blond haired boy.
"I can't believe that you would believe that." Zhane said as he tried to control his disbelief. He stopped suddenly when he noticed a strange look on Andros's face. "You didn't tell her that did you?" He asked, his eyes opening wide in shock.
Andros's silence was confirmation. "Oh man. Was she mad?" Zhane asked. "Mad isn't the word I would use. It was more like disappointment, and hurt. I've never seen her look so sad. And I never thought I would be the one to make her feel that way."
"Listen Andros, it was a big misunderstanding. You two were meant to be together, I know you'll work it out. It will just take some time." He counseled wisely.
"It never should have happened Zhane!" Andros yelled. "I should have believed her, but I didn't and look what happened."
"It's not your fault Andros!" Zhane hollered back, trying to get through to the stubborn boy. "Come on, we've got work to do." He declared firmly, pulling Andros off the bench, refusing to let him give into his self-pity.
'So far, so good.' She thought to herself as she prepared herself for the next part of her plan. Confident in her ability to succeed, she was aiming to not only take care of Ashley but her brother as well. She figured that in a few days everyone would stop looking for the girl and assume she was dead. Shelley smiled at that thought. 'Finally, she would get what she deserved.'
'That brat has always had what she wanted. And now it's my turn. I'll have my freedom and my revenge. By the time I'm through with her and her idiot brother, they will only be a faint memory to friends and family.' She gloated to herself as she fixed dinner for her hostage.
Tuesday, 6pm
"Eat up dear." Shelley taunted Ashley as she brought down her dinner. Ashley jumped at the sound of her voice, waking out of her fitful sleep. She accepted the dinner but remained quiet, she didn't want Shelley to hurt her anymore. It would be hard enough in her current condition to escape, but Ashley still held out hope. She refused to give into the despair that threatened to overwhelm her. She watched silently as the older woman climbed back up the stairs, humming a happy tune.
Ashley finished the soup and bread and tried to get herself in a comfortable position. She was starting to go stir crazy after being inside all day. "And I thought yesterday couldn't have gotten any worse." She said to herself as she recalled the incidents of the day before. "I wonder if Andros misses me." The thought of her boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend, pushed Ashley over the edge. Tears streamed down her face as she thought about all their times together. "Why didn't he believe me?" she wondered. "What if I don't get out of here?" "Stop it!" she yelled at herself. "I've got to believe that I'll get out of here. TJ will find me." Thoughts of her loyal friend filled her with hope. "I will make it back to my family and to Andros." She promised herself. She realized she still loved him, and hoped they could work things out. The loneliness she was going through right now convinced her that she couldn't live without him; somehow they'd have to make it work.
She quickly turned her thoughts to another subject. "Why did this happen?" That question haunted Ashley for the rest of the night, and even into her dreams as she slipped into an uneasy rest.
Tuesday 9pm
TJ closed the door to his office hoping for some peace and quiet. IT was the first time he had sat down in hours. Slipping into his chair, his thoughts immediately went to Ashley.
"Where are you Ashley? His mind tried to come up with any possible location. "I will find you. I promise I won't rest until I do." He vowed to himself. He still couldn't believe this was happening, it seemed so unreal. He knew the rest of their friends were counting on him to be strong. The events of the day played through his mind; from the moment they found her car to the time they received the fax. Sitting up at his desk, he determined to continue searching through all the evidence until something turned up that would lead them to Ashley.
"Hey TJ." Lt. Gibson called in as he opened the door. TJ looked up at his partner and waited for him to continue. "The captain set up a call center for information from the fliers. They've already received a bunch of tips. I thought you might want to go and check it out." TJ practically jumped out of his chair as he quickly followed Gibson out of the office. Officially their shift had ended, but TJ knew he would be on duty until he knew Ashley was safe.
"What have you got?" TJ demanded as soon as he got out of the car and confronted the officers on duty at the temporary call center.
"Henry from Motel 7 said there was a lady there who fit that description just the other day. He said she just disappeared without paying her bill." Officer Kaplan replied, ignoring the strain in the other man's voice.
"So that means, maybe there's something still there." TJ realized. "Thanks." He quickly uttered as he grabbed his partner. "We'll let you know if we get anything else. That's our best lead so far. We've got other men checking out some of the others." Kaplan stated. TJ looked over the groups of people gathered to collect information. He noticed most of them were on the phone, which gave him reason to believe that they would find her soon.
Henry let the two officers into the motel room Shelley had been staying in prior to her sudden departure. There were a few scattered items of clothes around the floor, along with empty cartons of cigarettes and numerous other beauty products. There was nothing in plain view that jumped out to them as evidence until TJ looked in the garbage. The garbage was suspiciously empty. He figured she was hiding something; she had had time to empty the trash before leaving.
"Let's find the dumpster. I'm sure we'll find something there." TJ exclaimed as he left the motel room. He found the dumpster in the far end of the parking lot. Without hesitation he jumped in. His hard work was instantly rewarded when he found a dirty glove covered in some sort of liquid. He placed the glove into an evidence bag and they went back to the station.
Wednesday 10 am
Carlos was walking past the coffee shop on campus on his way to class. 'This is where I usually meet Ashley.' He thought as he continued on by. Ashley. Thoughts of his best friend went through his mind. He remembered the first day he had met the outgoing girl in 4th grade. He had just moved to Angel Grove, and the teacher had placed him next to her. From that moment on, the two had become close, inseparable friends. They walked to and from school together every day. Through Carlos's parent's divorce, Ashley's broken leg, soccer and cheerleading tryouts, the two were always there for each other. Even after they became rangers and after Ashley started dating Andros they were still the best of friends. Nothing could change that. As he recalled some of their favorite times, he realized he hadn't gone a day without seeing her since the day they met.
The bell rang and Carlos realized he had zoned out of the entire Western Civ class, he didn't even remembering arriving at class. Seeing as going to the rest of his classes was futile, he went to rejoin TJ at the station to see if he could be of any help.
Cassie sat on the bench and gazed out at the lake. The park was alive with people; children playing, couples relaxing. Their cheerful noises irritated Cassie. 'How can anything be happy when my best friend is missing?' Thoughts of her missing best friend brought tears to her eyes again. 'Will I ever see you again?' she reflected miserably. Shaking off her morose thoughts, she decided to focus on the positive. TJ and the entire Angel Grove police department were following the case. She was sure they would find her soon. Cassie shuddered as she thought about what would happen if they didn't. Ashley didn't deserve this fate. She deserved to be happy and grow old with Andros and their kids. That was Ashley's greatest dream. The two girls had talked about it endlessly over their years on the mega ship. 'And I helped to destroy it. How could I have done that to her?' She said in dismay as she recalled the incident a few mornings back when she had mistakenly assumed that Ashley was cheating on Andros. 'Why did I believe that? And why did I tell Andros?' Her mind cried out regretfully. Cassie shook off her self-pity and determined to start anew in her search for her best friend. 'There's got to be something I can do.' She determined purposefully.
At the Hammond Household.
"I can't believe this is happening." Jeff said to his father as they paced the living room hoping to hear of any news from TJ.
"Why can't they find her?" Mr. Hammond exclaimed in frustration. "What's taking so long?"
"TJ said it would take some time dad. I'm sure they're doing everything they can." Jeff declared calmly, trying to reassure the older man.
"I know. But I hate knowing she's in the hands of that evil woman. It's like a nightmare coming true." Mr. Hammond cried as he clenched his fists in anger. "I will not let Shelley kill my only daughter!" He yelled furiously. Jeff realized it was useless to try to calm his dad down.
He had already lost one sister; he couldn't bear to lose another one. He could only imagine how his dad felt, losing one daughter, and possibly a second. With a sudden insight of clarity, Jeff realized that the anger was the only thing keeping his dad from going insane.
"Come on dad. There's got to be something we can do." He said resolutely, more determined than ever to help his sister. The two men rushed off to the police station.
Thursday 9am
TJ awoke with a start to the knocking on his door. Waking up he realized he fell asleep on his desk. Stifling a yawn after a long, restless night; he called out: "Come in."
"The forensic team is back. I thought we should give them the glove and see what else the other teams have come up with. We're having a debriefing in 10 minutes." Lt. Gibson said to TJ. He noticed he was still wearing the same clothes as the night before. "Did you sleep here last night?"
"Yeah, I must have fallen asleep while looking through all the paperwork." TJ admitted as he got out of his chair.
"You need your rest TJ, you won't be able to keep this up for long." He advised his friend, as he took in the bloodshot eyes.
"I know, but Ashley's counting on me, and I know time is not on our side." He said worried. The two exited the office to grab a cup of coffee on the way to their meeting.
"Kaplan and Jones did you come up with anything at the prison?" Captain Harris demanded gruffly. Kidnapping cases did nothing to improve his rather brash personality.
"What we've found out is that she took auto shop while in prison, as well as being a regular at the gym. They also verified that she had escaped via a laundry truck." Officer Kaplan informed the Captain and the other officers.
"For Pete's sake. Is it really that easy to break out of prison?" The captain declared in disbelief.
Dr. Murphy spoke up next. "The fact about auto shop is interesting, considering that all the brake fluid from Ashley's car had been drained. The glove you found in the dumpster had the same liquid on it as in Ashley's car."
"Isn't it just generic brake fluid?" Officer Kaplan commented pessimistically.
"Not necessarily. The car is a Volkswagen Beetle. German cars have a special brake fluid only used in those cars. So it's safe to assume it's a match." Dr. Murphy confirmed.
"I almost forgot!" Lt. Gibson exclaimed urgently, causing the others to look at him curiously. "The car that tried to run Ashley down was a 95 brown two-door Honda, and it was missing a rear tail light. Maybe that car is the one that Shelley used to move Ashley."
"Put a APB out on a 95 brown two-door Honda, with a missing rear tail light." Captain Harris announced over his radio. "It just might give us some tips as to where she was headed."
"Are we sure she's not in the area?" Officer Jones wanted to know. "I don't think she would risk it." TJ offered in response. "She has too much to lose." "Why bother with kidnapping Ashley at all? Why not just escape?" Officer Kaplan asked realistically.
"The warden said she suffered from a severe personality disorder not to mention a serious case of denial. She's out for revenge; she thinks she's been wronged. The warden said he's never seen a more guilty person. Unfortunately, Shelley doesn't see it that way." Officer Jones reasoned.
"She should be considered dangerous, considering her fragile mental condition as well as her excellent physical condition." TJ warned his colleagues. That fact bothered him as he hoped Ashley was still alive.
Ashley groaned as the sunlight shone right in her face. Blinking her eyes she shrugged the blanket off her weary body. Her mind raced to figure out what day it was. She realized it was already Thursday, though she had only been gone for 60 hours, it felt like 60 days. She couldn't remember the last time she had been separated from friends and/or family for so long. Her family. Thoughts of Jeff and her dad filled Ashley with sadness. She could only imagine the anguish they were going through. All this time they thought they were safe. She jumped as she heard the door open, as Shelley practically floated down the stairs with some eggs and toast for the girl.
"Here you go darling." Shelley drawled, enjoying having Ashley has her prisoner. "Don't call me darling." Ashley grumbled as her eyes flashed with anger.
"Ah, what are you going to do about it? It seems like you're a bit tied up at the moment." Shelley laughed at her lame attempt at a joke.
"Don't worry kid, you won't be alone for long." Shelley promised as she turned to leave, and forcing Ashley to dwell on her statement.
"What do you mean?" Ashley asked fearfully. Shelley turned back to her. "You didn't think I would be satisfied only getting rid of you did you?" She taunted the girl. Ashley's heart began to race as she realized Shelley was out to get her brother.
Forcing herself to be calm, Ashley played on Shelley's ego. "Well since I can't stop you anyway, when are you going to do it?" She inquired worried.
"Don't worry, it wont' be too much longer. Hopefully your brother will join you tomorrow." Shelley announced, almost joyfully. "And in no time, everyone will forget about you two. I'll be free, and your poor father will go crazy with the loss of all three of his kids." Without another word, the woman disappeared back into the house.
"I've got to come up with a way out of here. I can't wait any longer. I will not let her hurt Jeff." Ashley vowed as she struggled to come up with a viable plan. She had to stop Shelley.
Thursday 11 am
TJ was back in his office after the meeting ended. After lunch he had planned to go through all the evidence that was collected from the motel room. He remembered one of the first things he had learned in the police academy. 'Sometimes you have to step back a bit and look for another angle to the problem.' That was the advice of his training supervisor, the legendary Captain Zambrano. He decided it couldn't hurt so he sat back to think about all the things he knew about Ashley and her stepmother. Closing his eyes, he waited patiently for the memories to arrive. He was teleported back to two years ago when Ashley had finally told them the horrible truth about her past.
Ashley was sitting on a console in the bridge talking to Deca when the others appeared suddenly. There was awkward silence, as no one knew what to say or how to approach her. Finally TJ asked a question he had to know the answer to. "How bad was it?" Ashley looked at him with tears in her eyes, but before he could regret asking it, she asked the computer, "Deca, pull up my medical files."
"Of course Ashley." Deca replied, obeying the yellow ranger's command immediately. The others settled into their chairs to view the screen while Andros simply sat on the console next to her and wrapped his arms around her in silent comfort.
"Ash, you don't have to do this. I was just curious." TJ said trying to stop the brunette from reliving those terrible memories.
"It's okay Teej. I need to get this out." Ashley admitted quietly as she continued to hold onto Andros' hand for support.
It was a heavy silence that filled the bridge as they waited for the next entry. "This makes all our problems seem so petty." Carlos thought to himself as he turned to look at his best friend, who he had respected for many years, and more so now.
"How did she do it?" The question slipped out of the black rangers mouth, breaking the silence.
"How did I what?" Ashley inquired a bit confused.
"How did you get through all that to be the person that you are now?" Carlos asked in astonishment. Ashley was one of the nicest and most supportive people he knew, and her loyalty and determination made her a great teammate as well.
"I had the loving support of my brother and father, which is why we're so close now. But I had my share of counselors too." Ashley commented.
"There's a bunch more, but we don't need to see all of them." Ashley decided as fatigue eventually began taking its toll on the yellow ranger.
"How many times were you in the hospital Ash?" Cassie asked from her seat.
"I don't know for certain, but I'd say in four years I was in the emergency room 15 times I guess." Ashley acknowledged thoughtfully.
TJ's eyes snapped open as he remembered about the files aboard the mega ship. Maybe they would reveal something that would help break the case open. He ran to the Captain's office to tell him he was following up on a lead, and he raced out of the station to the Dojo.
Adam had just finished up class when TJ arrived breathless at the Dojo. Dismissing his students, he turned to his friend. "Are you alright man? How's the investigation?" He asked quietly as he led him into the main office.
"I just had an idea. I need to get a hold of Deca, do you have any idea how I can contact the galaxy rangers?" TJ asked directly.
"Maybe Tommy knows how." Adam said thoughtfully. He ran out to where Tommy was just starting class. He whispered to him and they exchanged places as Tommy went to help TJ.
"If you go to my house, Kim should still be there. We have a special radio that we use to contact them." Tommy advised the police officer. TJ shook his hand in gratitude and hurried off to the Oliver's house.
"TJ, come in. Tommy called to let me know you were coming." Kim said as she opened the door for him to come in. "The radio is in the basement." She declared as TJ followed her down the stairs. "Here you go. Just push this button and it will contact the mega ship. Just wait for someone to answer." She explained to him. "Good luck TJ." She said as she left the officer alone.
TJ pressed the button and waited impatiently for the mega ship to respond. Seconds ticked by, but it seemed like hours to him. Suddenly a voice came back at him. "This is Kai. Go ahead."
"Kai, this is TJ. I need to get on to the mega ship. It's of vital importance." He told his friend urgently. There was a brief pause before Kai spoke again. "Deca will teleport you now." In a familiar rush, TJ was enveloped in a haze of colored light and teleported away.
"What is it TJ?" Kai said as soon as he appeared on the bridge. TJ looked around at the ship that had been home to him for two years. A sense of longing overcame him as he remembered all the times he had spent there with his teammates. Snapping back to reality, he noticed the other galaxy rangers had joined them. "Ashley's missing." He declared a bit abruptly. He didn't feel like going through the whole story again.
"Do you think Trakeena or Scorpius has anything to do with it?" Mike, the Magna Defender questioned the former blue astro ranger. They all waited on full alert to see if their evil enemies were behind this.
"No. Nothing like that." He said to their relief. Kendrix and Kai let out the breath they had been holding. Maya however was not doing as well. After all Ashley had been her predecessor, and had become quite close to the new yellow ranger. Tears began to fall from the Mironite's eyes. Mike noticed it and went to comfort her. TJ glanced around at the new group of rangers in amusement, noticing the closeness of certain friendships. 'Just like we were.' He thought, before quickly getting back to the matter at hand. 'And we will again, once we get Ashley back.'
"But I think Deca might have some information that might help us find her." TJ said hopefully.
"What is it TJ?" Deca inquired. "Can you bring up Ashley's old medical files?" He commanded the ships' computer. A few seconds the file was brought up on the screen. The galaxy rangers let him alone to do his research as they went back to their daily duties.
"Let me know if you need anything." Leo, the red ranger told him. TJ just nodded as he sorted though the file. The red ranger turned to join his teammates in the holding bay.
December 12th, 1985, four year old Ashley Hammond admitted to Angel Grove Hospital with second degree burns."
"March 19th 1986, Ashley rushed to AGH with a broken collarbone."
"Ash, you don't have to do this. I was just curious." TJ said trying to stop the brunette from reliving those terrible memories.
"It's okay Teej. I need to get this out." Ashley admitted quietly as she continued to hold onto Andros' hand for support.
"July 4th, 1986 Ashley admitted to AGH with burns from a fireworks related incident."
"We were up at Hangman's Island and Shelley had gone out and left my brother and I with two teenagers who were staying next to us. They let me set off some fireworks and they misfired and I burnt my hands." Ashley stated matter of factly.
TJ stopped after this entry. Could she be at Hangman's Island? He had no other leads but figured they should go out there and check it out. Thanking Deca, he quickly teleported back to Angel Grove and back to the police station.
"Hey Johnson!" Captain Harris called to his rookie officer as he reentered the station. "We got a witness saying they saw a brown Honda heading west on Route 41."
"Route 41?" He said aloud. "The only place that road goes to is Hangman's Island." Gibson supplied to his partner. TJ almost stopped breathing. The pieces were starting to fall into place. Finally, there was reason to hope.
"Does that mean anything?" Captain Harris questioned hopefully as he saw the expression on TJ's face. They desperately needed a break on this case. They were in the crucial time crunch now. Every moment was vital to rescuing Ashley.
"Ashley's family had a summer lake house out there. There was an incident there about 14 years ago." He said completely stunned by the turn of events.
"I think we should go check it out." The captain demanded urgently as the group hurried out to their cars and tore out of Angel Grove and headed towards Hangman's Island.
A/N: Thank you for your patience with this chapter, it took a long time to write. I hope all the police scenes don't bore you. Again, please review. There will be one more chapter, and then the third part of the series.
