Disclaimer: I do not claim to own the Dragon Ball series or any of its related topics. Dragon Ball is the property of Akira Toriyama. In respect to its creator, this fan fiction is created for entertainment purposes only, and is not part of the official story line. The plot is mine and any other characters you do not recognize. No reader/reviewer is authorized to release/post/translate this story anywhere else without my permission.

A/N: If you'd check the date of when this story was published and completed, you'd note that this story was written some time ago. Therefore this story no longer accurately reflects my current and preferred writing style. This story remains up in this site for archival purposes. It is highly unlikely that I will make revisions and proof-read the story, and in no means will I add or delete chapters. I do so, I will give a warning at the start of each chapter if it was ever revised.

Please read and enjoy, and reviews are always welcome.

Chapter 11

The Call

Bulma, Vegeta, Goku, Chichi and Yamucha walked down the empty hallways of the now abandoned hotel. They had been walking around for half an hour and still no sign of any of the workers or the killer. Half an hour ago they had found out that Paolo was the killer. But now another question had popped into the victims heads. Why is he doing this?

"Where the hell can Cori be?" Vegeta growled in frustration. He couldn't stand the suspense anymore. He's scared. But not for himself, but for Bulma. He had glanced at her ever so often just to make sure she's safe. He's scared that the killer may jump out of nowhere and stab her just like it did the old Mrs. Richmond. That scene was being played all over again and again on his head. What if it had been Goku who had come up to Paolo? His only friend could've been killed. But what if it had been Bulma? He shook the thought away again and again, but it still played over and over on his head. He couldn't loose any of his friends, especially Bulma. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Vegeta?" Goku called, he had been calling for his attention for the last five minutes. His friend had been thinking again. He's probably thinking about how to get them out of there.

"What?" Vegeta asked in a near whisper.

"Do you know where Cori's office is?" Goku asked.

"No idea." Vegeta said.

"What's that room right there?" Chichi asked as she pointed to a brown door on the end of the hallway.

"Maybe we can find a phone there." Bulma stated.

"Right." Vegeta agreed as they continued walking straight to the door.

Bulma looked back to see a gloomy Yamucha, who continued following them.

"Something wrong Yamucha?"

"What kind of a stupid question is that?" Yamucha snapped. He stooped as he saw Vegeta's angry look from behind her. He shook his head and apologized to Bulma. She forgave him and they walked side by side to the awaiting door.

The remaining victims on the main lobby quietly sat down and watched the storm. It had been quiet for quite a while and it had worried them to no end.

"What if they left us?" Marron asked, panic growing in her voice.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP MARRON!" 18 screamed. Marron had been complaining, and she understands why, but it had bugged her to no end.

"18." Krillen shushed. Krillen looked around. Launch sat quietly sobbing on Tien's chest. Their friends are never going to leave them. Goku, Chichi and Bulma will not allow it. But Yamucha and Vegeta can sometimes be very unpredictable.

"What's that noise?" Tien asked from out of the blue.

"What noise?" 18 asked panicking, but Krillen held her down. They suddenly whipped their heads towards where they think the noise had been coming from. The white door from where they had came from earlier, opened slowly. The door creaks, sending chills up and down their spine.

Marron got up from her seat and went to the farthest couple, that's away from the door. Krillen and 18 did the same and went up to Launch and Tien. They silently watch as a shadow emerged from the other dark side of the door. They screamed so loud that it echoed in all the places in the hotel.

It was Paolo.

His face was stained in red blood and on his right hand, he held a sharp kitchen knife. It glittered on the darkness because of the red stained blood that continued dripping to the carpeted floor. He slowly advanced towards them, making the whole group ran away from him.

But Paolo did not run away from them, instead he gained speed and continued walking after them. The group ran out of the main lobby and straight to where their friends had dispatched their horrific journey into the hotel.

They continued screaming and running down the empty hallways, while Paolo continued laughing and walking faster towards them.

Krillen lead everybody to a familiar room. The buffet room. Satisfied that they had finally lost Paolo on their run they walked around the room. Maroon held onto 18 and 18 held on to her. Launch an Tien kept glued to each other. Wile Krillen bravely walked all by himself in the dark room.

Thunder and lightning, that came from outside, frightened them more. 18 sobbed and so did Marron and Launch. But they sobbed oh so quietly to refrain loud noises that can lead Paolo straight to their new hiding place.

"Great!" Tien whispered. "What if the guys returned and they didn't find us there?" Tien whispered to Krillen.

"I don't know." he whispered back. "But the most important thing right now is that we're all safe." he stated and Tien nodded in agreement.

"How are we going to find them?" Launch asked, finally talking.

"I don't know." Krillen stated.

"Do you know where they are, right now?" she asked him. Krillen shook his head and sent a disappointed look towards her.

"I don't know," he whispered. "But they're probably looking for Cori and a phone." he answered reassuringly. Launch nodded, accepting his answer.

"It's Cori's room!" Chichi announced happily, as they all entered the dark room. The only thing that kept them from seeing things around is because of the lightning outside.

"Great." Yamucha said as he too entered. "Now we can look for a phone." he said as he started searching for anything that involves communication. The rest did what Yamucha had started doing. They looked around for anything that did involved communication.

"Right here!" Bulma announced happily as she wiped the tears from her eyes. She took the brown cordless phone out of it's hook and pressed the 'talked' button and dialed 911. Everybody looked at her with hope in their eyes as she placed phone on her ears.

Her smiling face turned back to it's usual scared and frightened face. The others looked at her with worried eyes, not wanting to know what had disappointed her. Bulma held back tears that had threatened to fall. But the tears fell anyways. She silently sobbed and held up her hand over her mouth. She held her breath and looked up to her friends. Chichi had started crying. Yamucha's face twisted into a frightened and pain look at the same time. Goku was staring on the ground and Vegeta. The hope on Vegeta's eyes had disappeared.

"The lines were cut." she managed to choke out.

Chichi started sobbing and Goku held her close to him. Yamucha was shaking his head, not wanting to believe that it was true. He grabbed the phone from the crying Bulma and continued and tried to call 911. Vegeta stood, keeping himself calm as he watch Bulma sob. She held her face in her hands and continued crying. He tried holding back tears. But found it not necessary so the only thing he can think of that can calm Bulma and himself down is that if he held her close.

And he did. He went up to her. Took her hands away from her face and let her sob on his chest. Bulma placed her arms around Vegeta's sweaty neck and cried on his chest. Vegeta placed his arms around Bulma's waist and buried his face on her blue hair.

Yamucha leaned against the wall to control his balance and he slowly slid down to the floor. The group's sad faces turned into frightened faces when they heard the door that lead them to the office, creak. They whipped their heads towards it and saw a dark silhouette entered the room.

"PAOLO!" Vegeta screamed in pure rage as he held Bulma protectively. Paolo smirked and entered the room, revealing his blood stained knife.

Chichi and Bulma screamed. Yamucha stumbled to get himself up to his feet. Paolo ran towards them, holding the knife into the air that was aimed straight to Chichi. Chichi screamed, frightened. Her life will end. This whole sentence raced again and again in her head. But before the knife made complete contact on her. Somebody had pushed her out of the way and instead slicing into her fragile body it sliced into something more thick and rough. But it did the damage. Blood spilled and Chichi watched from the ground as her beloved had been stabbed on his side. Paolo withdrew the knife that was embed in his victim's side.

"GOKU!" Chichi screamed as she watch Goku dropped to his knees and completely dropping to the floor with a harsh thud.