Part II
2 hours later…
Loud banging erupted from downstairs, violently echoing throughout Mick's apartment. Forcing his eyes open, he pushed off the door to his freezer and lifted himself out. He slipped on his clothes and ran downstairs. The security camera indicated that it was Josh, Beth's boyfriend of one year, a man Mick had immediately taken a disliking to.
What does he want?
Mick unlocked the weighty front door to reveal a very distressed Josh staring at him. His hair was disheveled; a lopsided tie and his bloodshot eyes were accompanied by red edges. His right hand was still raised in a knocking position. Josh immediately composed himself, readjusting his tie, smoothing out his hair.
"She's disappeared." He simply stated, "Beth, she's gone missing"
Mick's eyes narrowed in realization, his hands clenched into fists, muscles bulging, he always lost his cool when it came to Beth. He had to compose himself as much as he could before he was able to speak.
"When did you find out that she disappeared?" Mick asked.
"I called her this morning and no one answered, then I called Buzz Wire, but they said she hadn't come in yet and-" Josh was cut off by the ring of his cell phone.
"Excuse me", he said. Josh flipped his cell phone open and held it to his ear.
"Hello?"
"If you ever want to see your girlfriend again, pay a visit to number ten". Said a deep emotionless voice, then the line went dead.
"Who was that?" Mick asked impatiently, as he leaned against a wall.
"I have no idea, but I think it was the person who kidnapped Beth. It sounded like a man, a really deep voice," answered Josh, lost in thought.
"What did he say?" asked Mick, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen.
"He said that if you ever want to see your girlfriend again, pay a visit to number ten. What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Mick scribbled down the words and held them up so he could re-read them.
If you ever want to see your girlfriend again, pay a visit to number ten. Number ten what…
"Beth's apartment" said Mick, understanding the meaning behind the riddle. "He wants us to go to Beth's apartment"
"Well, what are we waiting for then?" asked Josh, his eyes now wide with realization as he opened the front door.
"I think that you should go to the office and see if you can track down the number, find out if anybody else has gone missing lately, call me and let me know what you find" Mick said in a tone that left no room for argument. Josh was left standing speechless in the corridor, watching as the last glimpse of Mick's coat disappeared through a door.
Minutes later, Mick arrived at Beth's apartment; he picked the lock and cautiously stepped inside. Mick searched the entire apartment but found nothing.
A perfect crime scene, of course he wouldn't leave anything behind, he could have walked in straight through the front door- what's that.
Mick had walked into the living room, a flash; something reflecting off a smooth surface caught his eye. He walked to where it had come from. He closed the front door; a note was pinned to the back of the door, held in place by a knife. Words sprawled across the page, scribbled as though in a hurry, excess ink dripped down the page, morphing various letters together.
A wise old owl lived in an oak
the more he saw the less he spoke
the less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?
Do not tell a soul that your know of my appearance,
For I shall be aware of any interference,
Simply do what I say, and swear that you will obey
And the path will be clear, but be warned; any hesitation could lead to devastation.
A building stands alone, surrounded by a home
As time flies, people say their goodbyes,
Three people at the end of a gun,
If you intend to save each one,
Let's just say you better run,
For the timer has already begun.