Chapter 4

"Come on," Frank said, "Let's get back here." They all rushed behind an overturned table as the voices stopped at the door. The knob started to turn before another voice told the person to stop.

"There's nothing that we need that's going to be in there," it said, "We need to check on our visitor anyway. She'll be wondering what's going on." Both voices were heard laughing as they started to move away.

As soon as the voices faded, C. J. stood up, "Great, they must be talking about Vicki. I knew I shouldn't have let her go alone. This always happens."

"Always," Joe asked, glancing at her, "Are you sure that you aren't exaggerating?"

"Nope," C. J. replied, "Every time, she always seems to find trouble. I'm not at all surprised that this happened. It's just like Vicki to do this. She never thinks before running into a situation." C. J. walked to the door and listened carefully before opening it slowly. The hallway was empty once again, "Where should we look first?"

"If I remember correctly," Frank said, "I would go down the other way. That area over there was probably mostly destroyed by the fire."

"That's right," Joe said, "I remember too now. What I really want to know is why they took her? Did she see something that she wasn't supposed to?"

"Who knows and who cares," C. J. said, "We need to help her either way. I don't know who these people are, but they are now officially on my list. She might not even be in this building."

"There's no other place that she could be," Joe said, "except for the woods and this place, there's nowhere to hide anyone. I bet she's in here. Those people we heard were headed this way." C. J. followed Joe as he headed in that direction, Frank right behind her.

All three of them were on the lookout on their way through the hallway. There was a chance that someone would walk out of a room and spot them. Even though it was a big risk, they had decided to do it anyway, but not at the cost of getting captured themselves.

From a room a little farther up, the three could hear angry voices yelling at each other. One was unmistakably a girl, but they couldn't place the other, "What is going on today," she was saying, "First I get attacked and now I end up in this dump."

"Patience," the other voice said, "You'll find out why we need you soon enough. Now, I don't want you going anywhere while I'm gone okay?" The person laughed, "Although I don't know how you could."

The door began to open slowly as Frank, Joe and C. J. quickly hid in another room. Luckily, the person walked past them and they piled out, "Come on," C. J. said, "Quick, before that guy gets back." C. J. was in the lead when she pulled the door open, "These guys obviously don't think that anybody else is here." She pushed it open, but was startled when it was pushed back into locking position.

"Vicki," C. J. called, "It's C. J. Frank and Joe are here too. Let us in."

"C. J," Vicki asked, "Sorry, I didn't know what to think when that guy left just now. I'll get out of the way. I thought he was coming back. I didn't know what to think." The weight lifted and they could push the door open. Vicki was standing there, holding a small knife in one hand.

"That didn't take you very long," C. J. said.

"Does it usually," Vicki asked, smiling at C. J, but ignoring Frank and Joe, "I only had a few minutes to check the place out, but I'm sure someone else was in here. When I came out though, no one was on sight."

"Let's get out of here," Joe said suddenly, "I think I hear someone coming down the hallway." All four of them ran to the door and headed up a ways before stopping at a door in front of them. It led them to outside. The sound of footsteps behind them had faded away.

"This is too strange," C. J. said, "I thought that this place was deserted. Who were those people?"

"I'd rather not say," Frank answered, "I thought it was deserted myself. Let's get away from here now. I don't want to deal with these people right now." Right then, Frank looked down as his cell phone started ringing.

He picked up, "Hello…oh, hi Callie, what's going on?" He listened for a few second, ignoring his brother's looks of disgust, "We're on a case, you should stay in Bayport until we get back. Don't come up here…No, I don't want you coming…Okay, bye."

Joe stopped his faces of dislike and turned to his brother, "Why do you put up with her? All she ever does is get in the way all the time."

"Never mind," Frank said, "All I know is that I don't want her up here right now. Good thing I didn't tell her where we are. She would have been heading up here on the next flight."

"Yeah," Joe agreed, "Who wants her hanging around and giving us a hard time about leaving her out of the action?"

Frank glared at Joe, knowing how much his brother and Callie didn't get along. Vicki and C. J. exchanged a knowing glance, "I'd have to agree," Vicki said, "I can't even stand my sister, how would I stand anybody else coming up here giving us a hard time?"

"We'd better be going," Joe said, "We're going to be here for a while. I want to find out what is going on. Frank and I should find a hotel."

"No," C. J. said, "Why don't you stay at Vicki's house? She owes you something for scaring us back there. She almost made us think she had gotten caught. I don't think your parents would have any problems with that, would they? And this I believe is yours." C. J. produced her friend's driver's license. Vicki didn't look back at C. J, but nodded silently, taking her license back.

"Number one," Vicki said, "I do not get caught that often. And two, we don't live far from here. My parents wouldn't have any objections and I do owe you two. Okay, you can stay with me. Just watch out for my sister, she's not very nice to anyone I know."

They accepted her offer and walked back to their rental car and climbed inside. Vicki and C. J. left and returned later in Vicki's red convertible, "Follow us," Vicki said, "It won't be long."