A Family Stolen

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: So, I decided to go ahead and put this chapter out with chapter 1 to give you a greater feel for the atmosphere of this tale. So you know ahead of time what you're getting into, it's not going to be light and cheery (though I think that was already a given), but here's the overall tone. Enjoy.

Chapter 2 (The Scene of the Crime)

Blood was found throughout the house, and as someone that grew up in a police family, Beck was already taking photographs of everything. Being a year older than the others, Beck had joined the police force when he turned eighteen and spent a year going through academy.

Jade found this fact incredibly attractive, because he wound up also taking an extra year at Hollywood Arts mainly because he was working for Mr. Sikowitz. Sikowitz had a second, but primary job as a private investigator and had taken Beck under his wing as something of an apprentice.

That said, he allowed Beck to take part in his lectures and classes so that he could be with his friends. Of course that wouldn't last much longer since not only was everyone graduating, but Sikowitz was devoting more time to his primary work and would be leaving his teaching job within a year.

"I really shouldn't even be doing all this," Beck muttered as Jade walked up behind him. He was holding the camera at chest level, sighing at a bloody hand print on the wall behind the piano. "But the police haven't arrived yet, which I'm not sure why. Usually calls like this, especially involving a cop's family, would have all units racing to the scene."

"Yeah…" Jade tugged on the edge of her gloves and looked over her shoulder with a trembling sigh. She wasn't supposed to be there, contaminating the scene, but she wanted to help Beck for a bit before the others showed up. "What do you think happened?"

"What do I think?" Beck lowered the camera and looked at the broken piano. "Someone got into a fight, someone either got thrown into the piano or thrown over it and they touched the wall." She rolled her eyes and smiled sadly.

"No, I don't mean that. I mean…I mean what do you think happened to the Vegas?"

"If I knew, there'd be no reason for an investigation." His bluntness was irritating as hell at times, but she'd learned usually to let it slide. At this moment, however, it was grating at her nerves more than usual. Beck caught her expression and sighed. "The police will figure it out, Jade. I'm sure of it." He put his hand to her shoulder and tried to reassure her with a smile of his own; but the smile looked forced and there were notes of pain and fear in his eyes. "The Vegas will be okay, they have to be."

Jade folded her forearms over her clenched stomach and bowed her head, grimacing. "What are we going to do?" She leaned backwards against Beck as he slid a careful arm around her waist.

"We have to trust that they'll be okay. We have to trust that the police are going to do their job and find them."

"What if they don't? What if something terrible happened and the family's already dead?" Tears welled up in her eyes as the memory of the night before played in her head. "I-I can't think the last time we talked to Tori ended the way it did. I don't want it to be like that, Beck."

Beck kissed the tip of her head and a gentle sigh rolled from his lips and breezed through her hair. "Come on, let's go outside. We shouldn't be in here right now…"

"I know we need to preserve the scene-"

"That's not what I mean." His soft voice was oddly soothing, aiding to relax the flurry of emotions beating around inside her. "You don't need to be in here, seeing the Vegas' home like this…"

She nodded and let him guide her outside. "How could things get so bad?" She raised her hand to her forehead and shook her head, groaning softly. "Last night was just a misunderstanding, I know it was. Why would Tori even think-" She let out a stuttering gasp and raised her head. "No, that isn't important right now."

Hearing the sound of an engine, Jade looked to her left with hope that the police were finally arriving on the scene. When she saw Robbie's rusted, navy blue Chevy sedan, her heart sank.

He parked behind her car and hurried out of the door, with Andre climbing out of the side. "Where are the cops?" Andre asked. His voice didn't betray the panic in his eyes, his hands were trembling and sweat was pouring down his face. "Guys? What's going on?"

Robbie started to run past them, but Beck grabbed him from behind and yanked him back. "You can't go in there," Beck announced. Robbie whimpered and started to fall to his knees, his trembling hands raising to remove his glasses and cover his puffy red eyes. "I'm sorry guys, but until the police arrive, I can't let any of you go in. Even then…"

Jade's throat tightened and she looked down the road. "Where is Cat? I called her too." Robbie wiped his nose with the back of his hand and sighed.

"She'll be here, she's grieving at her apartment right now. I think Sam's consoling her." She wasn't sure Cat would be okay, especially not if she came here right now. "Andre's right, where are the police? Beck's not a full-fledged officer yet, just a private investigator's assistant, right?"

"Apprentice," Beck corrected sternly. He crossed his arms and peered down his nose at the road. "I don't understand it either, the police were called half an hour ago." Frustration shook in his voice, eradicating the former calm that had been there. "Normally they'd be here by now, especially since it's a cop's family." He slapped the air with his hand and growled beneath his words. "This would be a high profile case, for fuck's sake."

"You're telling me," someone replied. Beck flinched and Jade turned to see Cat walking with a blonde haired woman. The woman wore a pair of shades and walked with an aura of confidence. Beck straightened his posture instantly and cleared his throat. "What's up assistant?"

"Apprentice…" His lips curled into a smirk and his brow furrowed. "Rookie."

Sam Puckett, twenty-two years of age, recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Like Beck, she was just getting a start in law enforcement; but she was officially working with a police department rather than a private investigator.

Jade rarely met her, but Beck had plenty of occasions. They seemed to be competitive, if not a tad friendly. Jade didn't mind the friendly terms since Sam had her eyes on a man elsewhere.

"I've been trying to get ahold of my department to find out what's going on, but they won't talk to me." Sam put her hands to her hips and sighed as she turned her head towards her grieving roommate. "Meanwhile, I'm trying to take care of Cat. She can't even talk…"

Cat was visibly shaken, her eyes devoid of emotion or tears. Yet her eyes were just as puffy and red as the rest of her face, which was stained by tears and mascara.

Sam closed her eyes and let out a heavy breath of air. "She's been like this since last night even." Jade frowned and the others began averting eye contact. They knew the statement translated into Cat having told Sam about the fight. "I can't say I'm not surprised it happened, but I'm sorry it did. Maybe that will remind you guys to pay more attention to taking care of your friendships in the future…"

Beck nodded, giving the others a disappointed look. "Let's just try and get the police out here." Sam pointed at the camera in his hands and cleared her throat.

"By the way Beck, you need to go through the proper channels. This isn't your crime scene to investigate. Not mine either."

All of a sudden a new and greater sound filled the air. Sam twisted around partially and Jade raised her head to see a large, silver Nissan Frontier pulling up. It had four doors and tinted glass.

Jade held her breath as the truck's engine silenced and the car's door opened. To the surprise of the group, a tall, uniformed marine slowly exited the vehicle. He had thick brown hair, neatly trimmed, and a formidable build. "What's going on here?" He asked in a barking voice.

Jade walked forward, leaving the others to stand in silence, gawking at the marine with one foot raised and bent on the metal step under the truck's door. Upon closer inspection, she recognized the man; it was Mr. Sikowitz's nephew, Jason, who Cat tried to go out with a few years back.

"Oh my god. You're Jason, Sikowitz's nephew." She stopped and looked over her shoulders as the group gazed on with widening eyes. Shaking her head, she looked back to see his brow furrowing and intensifying expression. "I uh, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see Trina." He stepped away from the door and walked around his truck. He didn't look pleased to see them, but hearing Trina's name told Jade all the information she needed. With a stammer, she couldn't form the right words-but what does one say to a man like this?

Judging by the way he was staring at the group, he knew who they were and didn't appear to like them. If he was dating Trina, then the reason for that was fairly obvious.

"Jason, sir, I don't know how to say this…" She looked to the house and started to tremble. "Trina-her family-they're not here." Jason's eyebrows rose and his flat-lined lips turned into a frown. "We don't know where they are."

"What do you mean?" He looked at the house and started to approach. She raised her hand, wanting to stop him, but didn't move as part of her was afraid to go near the house again.

"You really shouldn't."

He stopped in front of the doorway and turned white as a ghost when peering inside. Soon this mountain of a man started to tremble. "What happened?" His voice rose fearfully and he leaned in, calling Trina's name and calling for her family. It was only a few seconds before he hurried inside, only to return looking frantic and grave. "No…No…Where are the police?"

"We're waiting on them." Sam popped some gum and took another step forward. "But if they don't show up, I'm about to secure the location myself. Even if I shouldn't."

It wasn't long before Sikowitz himself showed up-much to Jade's surprise and annoyance. He shambled towards them, looking grim and defeated. He wasn't wearing his typical teaching wardrobe, but a brown blazer and long brown slacks, with a blue dress shirt and solid brown tie.

"I um, I've got some bad news." Sikowitz ran his hand through his hair and slid it down his back. "I've been listening to the police channels. They're being told that the call is 'unimportant' as 'Captain Vega has only taken his family on vacation'."

"What?" Jade raised her voice and took a step forward. "That's bullshit! Why won't the police come? They're supposed to investigate something like this." Sikowitz bore a deep frown and Jade turned to look at the others. They were growing frantic and enraged, concerned that the police were being told to ignore the matter.

Thinking fast, Jade turned to Sam. "Do you know anything about this?" Sam's eyes were wide and she looked to be just as shocked and horrified as the rest. "You said your department hasn't told you anything, right?"

"That's correct."

Sikowitz shut his eyes and Jade's heart started to sink. "I am sorry," the man remarked, "Officers are just now being told there is no investigation in this matter."

"What about Detective Malone?" Jade furrowed her brow, feeling helpless and scared. "Surely he'd investigate."

"Yeah, I'm not sure what's going on there. I haven't heard anything about him through the radio channels. I suggest finding him…" Jade furrowed her brow and Beck raised his head, giving a contemplative hum.

"Sir?" Beck started to smile. "What are you saying just now?" Sikowitz shrugged and swept his hands out from his waist.

"I'm saying that I'm a private investigator. The police don't want to investigate, okay. If somebody were to bring the Vega's disappearance to my attention, per se, I might be able to take that case."

Miles away, in a dark location somewhere deep underground, the Vega family members were seated in what looked to be a prison cell. Holly and Tori leaned sideways against the back wall, facing each other and sobbing frantically while on their knees.

David looked like a bloody corpse leaning against one of the bars of the cell, his left eye was swollen shut and blood gathered above his eyebrow and caked in the corners of his lips. His knuckles were bruised and bloody, and his right hand was gripping firmly his limp left arm.

Trina knelt in the center, looking more battered than her father. Her eyes were fierce and heated, and she was breathing heavily at the figure standing in the shadows on the other side of the cell. "Let me out of here," she hissed, "And fight me one on one, fucking asshole."

She was weak from the fight before, and just as exhausted as her father. Her hair was covered in blood and matted in multiple places, leaving streaks of blood like a paintbrush wherever it touched. Her flaring nostrils had a cut on the right, and her trembling lips oozed with pus.

Her eyes were blackened, her face purple, and her arms and legs were covered in welts.

On the other side of her, a fifth family member lay motionless on the ground. He was still breathing, but just as savagely beaten. The man had been shot, and then operated on by the captors to have the bullet removed: A sign that whoever was holding them was keeping them alive for whatever reason.

What Trina hoped was that they would last long enough to get out, or at least to be rescued; but the fear she dared not show was that rescue would not arrive.

A large and heavy hand reached out, grabbing ahold of the bars in front of her. David huffed and puffed as he struggled to turn himself towards the captor. "Don't…" His chest bounced as he coughed. "Don't fucking touch my daughter."

"Not a lot you can do," the captor replied. The man's face came into view; it was just the guard. His smirk sickened Trina and enraged her all the more. "Our leader would love to have you out of that cell, bitch." She roared and scurried forward, grabbing the bars tightly and pulling herself up to the guard's eye level.

"Say that to my face, asshole."

Tori cried out and extended her arm. "Trina, don't!" The guard's smirk grew and he mocked her with a laugh.

"Listen to your sister, whore."

Trina sneered back, her body growing hot with anger. She built up the saliva in the back of her throat and spit at the guard. The man instantly reeled back while her family gasped in shock.

"You cunt." The guard hurried away and Trina crossed her arms, and turned her back, proud of herself. David began to shake and cough while Holly stared in horror past her.

Soon a metallic noise erupted and Trina spun around to see the guard had returned. He opened the cell door and grabbed a fistful of her hair before she could react. "Teach you some respect." Tori screamed while David tried in vain to move.

Her muscles were too strained to fight and the guard yanked her back with greater force than she could defend against at that moment.

He threw her to the ground, causing her head to strike the steel floor. She rolled her eyes back and groaned. "Please no!" Tori extended her hands, bawling as the guard's shadow fell over Trina's body.

She felt her body jump as the guard slammed his foot into her side. Another strike forced her to roll into the nearby wall. "What's that? Guard dog's all bark but no bite?" Trina slid her eyes to the side, looking into the guard's murderous gaze as he leaned over her. "Too bad I can't kill your bitch ass right now, you're worthless. I don't get why you're even alive."

A guttural groan left her trembling lips and she moved her eyes away. "Don't. Care." It was painful to speak, and far more painful to move. She was used to hearing insults hurtled her way, so he could talk all he wanted.

His fist came crashing down against her jaw, the sound of his punch echoed off the walls. Her head throbbed and the headache she already had seemed only to grow worse.

"Spit on me again, bitch. Spit on me again!"

Just then a voice came over what sounded like an intercom. Trina's body went cold and her eyes grew wide when she heard the speaker. "No…" Her heartbeat started to race and nausea swirled like a storm in her stomach. If she had the strength to scream, to run, she would do so.

"That's enough," the speaker said. His voice bore a note of rage, yet there was a calmness to him as well. "I'm not paying you to beat them senseless. You're supposed to just watch them, make sure they don't get out of their cell."

Trina grabbed at the ground, trying to feel for any cracks that she could use to pull herself away; but it was all solid flooring. Tears welled up in her eyes as the guard reached down and grabbed her by the hair.

"But boss, the bitch spit in my face."

"I don't give a shit. Anything happens to her prematurely, I'll be sure to do something worse to you. Or did you forget I have cameras everywhere?"

"What's the point of holding them if we can't have a little fun with em?"

"They're not for you to touch." The man put emphasis in his voice, which came across a stern warning. Trina whimpered as his words filled her ears like poison. Mucous and blood drained from her nose as she struggled to breathe.

The guard cursed and flung her onto her back, forcing her a jolt of pain throughout her body. He started muttering while dragging her towards the cell. "Stupid bitch. Boss's favorite, I'll bet. Probably wants you to himself."

Trina withheld the urge to scream, her eyes filling with terror and her heart collapsing from the anguish.

The guard yanked open the door and pushed her inside. As she lay sprawled out on the ground, Tori and Holly rushed over to her, taking her in their arms. David, once more, tried in vain to move and could only shake and cough.

There you go. You have an idea of some of those that will be looking, the police have already been told to ignore the matter altogether. I wonder why? Why do you suppose that is, and why has Detective Malone fallen silent? What do you think? Is he involved? Could he be the fifth family member locked up in that cell? Who is this boss? Could he be someone from the family's past?' Judging by Trina's reaction, what do you think? Could there be history, or could she just simply have become hit by a bout of fear in that instant? Stick around...It may be a couple days before the next update, since I just got a new job and all that. Give me your thoughts on the chapter and on the questions, as well as thoughts about the future. Hope to hear from you

IMPORTANT FYI: Just so you know, we're not going to see the family being constantly tortured or anything whenever they appear, because I don't think that's necessary for the reader (Though you see a bit of that in this chapter because it is important this time...we also get the first glimpse of our antagonist). If we see the family in the future, it's probably going to be for important moments or milestone moments. Whether or not those moments are escape attempts, trying to console one another, or well anything. So just to be clear, this is not a torture thing nor is it going to be...