Okay, so this is a really, really short chapter. But my story definately needed an update. So here's chapter 14. Enjoy! And don't forget to keep sending me reviews!
Chapter 14:
Ranger stared at the floor without movement. He was like a statue. I on the other hand could not stay still. I fidgeted with the pocket in my sweater and paced back and forth the room.
"So," I prompted Ranger, unable to handle the silence, "What should we do?"
"Well let's think about this." Ranger finally said, his gaze turning to my face. My hands shook with fury. How could he say something like that? Morelli needed our help and we couldn't just ignore him.
"What's there to think about? We should be out there looking for him instead of standing here!" I exploded.
"We have no idea where he is. We should contact the police before we start anything." Ranger said evenly. His comment pissed me off further.
"What's wrong with you? We only have six hours! We don't have time to phone the police! By the time they find him he'll be dead! And it'll be all my fault!"
"Stephanie, calm down,"
"No! Look if you're not going to help me then I'll go and find him myself!" And with that, I quickly marched out of the room and into the elevator. I was putting the key in the ignition of one of Ranger's SUVs when someone started pounding on the door. It was Ranger.
"What?" I asked rolling down the window a teensy bit.
"Let's take the truck." I jumped out of the car and followed Ranger into his truck. I had barely gotten my seatbelt on when Ranger exhilarated out of the garage.
"So where do you think we should look first?" Ranger tossed his cell phone at me.
"First call the police and let them know what happened. We'll have a better chance finding him if we have they're help. I've already got Tank, Lester, Bobby, and Hal out looking for him too." Batman's quick on his feet.
"'Kay," I dialled the phone and retold Mueller's message. Right after I hung up, Ranger pulled the truck into a parking spot on Stark Street.
"I've heard from some people that Mueller was hanging around here." An hour of investigating passed and we still had no leads. I was growing more frightened every minute. My cell phone shrill ringing snapped me out of my trance.
"Hello?"
"Five hours." And then the phone disconnected.
"He's not here! Where could he be?" I screeched at Ranger who had been listening attentively to the brief conversation.
"Come on," We returned to the truck and sped off. I tried to clear my mind but picture of what could be happening to Mueller plagued my head. I silently prayed for Morelli's safety. I prayed for all our safety. Mueller was a very scary man and there was no telling what he'd do.
Five hours slipped into four hours, and four hours to three. The hourglass in my head was losing its sand quickly. Each minute I grew more anxious and more worried. I scanned through the list of possible locations they could be hiding in my head. Each was more unlikely than the next. I blew out a sigh to try to calm myself. Think Stephanie, think! My cell phone rang once again. I checked the clock before I answered, knowing what the message would be.
"One hour. Better hurry, or you're boyfriend here might disappear forever. Good luck!" Mueller cackled and hung up. My body was covered in goose bumps just thinking about it. I looked over at Ranger. His eyes glowed with determination. Despite his cool demeanour I knew he felt as scrabbled and scared as me. Ranger was always better at masking his emotions. Ranger's cell phone rang and my heart stopped waiting for a response. I watched him absorb the information he was given before he disconnected.
"Did they find him?" I asked hopefully.
"No. Lester says he's checked every back alley and every dumpster in Trenton and Morelli's no where to be found."
"Every dumpster and back alley in Trenton," I mimicked. The light bulb in my head finally went off.
"Did Lester check the dump?" I asked without missing a beat. Ranger stared at me, his face registered in recognition. He quickly dialled Lester's number to find out. I shook nervously waiting for the answer. Ranger disconnected the phone.
"No," I inhaled a big breath of air. I had forgotten to breathe. As Ranger drove to the dump, I stared at the clock. When we finally arrived to the dump there was only a half hour left. My gaze turned to the piles of garbage covering the landfill. Somewhere behind those piles was Morelli, waiting to be rescued. And somewhere, waiting for me behind those piles, was a monster preparing to destroy me.