It's only taken me...3 months to update :p Better late than never they do say. I just hope all the readers and reviewers haven' forgotten about though I can't blame you if you have! Anyway would love it if you would leave a comment. I'll update sooner though that won't be too difficult considering how long I've taken. Anyway here's chapter 29:
Chapter 29: A Tale of Terror
Ryan's head shot up and Seth and Summer looked at each other with wide eyes. Suddenly everyone in the started screaming and shoving to escape from the club.
"Marissa," Ryan said under his breath heading into the huge mass of people. Seth grabbed hold of Summer's hand and tried to follow Ryan.
"Marissa!" Ryan shouted over all the screaming, realising that really it was pointless. But that wasn't going to stop him. Knowing that she couldn't have gone far he tried to scan over people's heads as he got pulled along. He ducked down as a series of shots rang over his head. He looked behind him and spotted Seth clinging onto a tearful Summer.
"Coop!" Summer screamed. "Oh god what if she's hurt!" she suddenly thought to herself. She buried herself into Seth as shots were fired. Seth frantically looked around. He spotted Ryan but he couldn't see Marissa. They got dragged along with everyone, aiming for the exit. There's was a series of terrifying screams as a girl nearby fell to the ground shot in the chest. Seth kept her eyes fixed on her, not quite believing what he was seeing. But before he even had the chance to think about going to help her she was obscured from his sight as he got dragged away. He felt like he was in some horror movie. The sort that he would make snide remarks about how unreal it all was. It would never happen in real life, except here he was living in it.
"Coop!" he heard Summer still calling out Marissa's name in vain. He held her tightly as she almost fell over, knowing she would be trampled on if she did. He lost sight of Ryan and decided to just concentrate on getting himself and Summer through the nightmare alive. He shielded her as more shots were fired. He looked at the faces of the people surrounding him. Faces full of fear. At least he had Summer. He felt sick knowing that Ryan and Marissa were out there alone.
Ryan eventually found himself getting squeezed out through the door. He ran out and through the crowds of fleeing people. The feeling of the air on his face when he realised he was outside was one of the best feelings he had ever felt. He looked through the crowds just hoping, praying that she was out safely.
"Marissa!" he called out again thinking she might be able to hear him out there. He shoved through all the people and looked back at the door as Seth and Summer emerged. They barged their way towards each other just thankful that they were alive. But right now Ryan wasn't thinking of himself.
"Thank god you're ok," Seth shouted breathlessly over all the commotion. "When I lost sight of you…."
"We need to find Marissa," Ryan cut in knowing that every second counted. He grabbed Seth's arm who in turn pulled a shaking Summer along with him. Ryan suddenly had visions flashing through his mind. Visions of Tijuana. He shoved through the crowds outside the Bait Shop having severe déjà vu. That time she was alright in the end, so she'll be alright this time too, he tried to convince himself. Though last time he was almost too late. What if this time there was no almost? Just a too late.
"Marissa!" they all called out. Summer took out her cell and phoned Marissa. The phone rang then there was a loud crackling noise. Summer moved the phone away from her ear a bit.
"Coop!" she called down the phone before it suddenly cut off. "There was crackling then it went blank," Summer told Seth and Ryan. "What does it mean?"
"I don't know," Ryan replied not liking the sound of it. He just hoped that it wasn't her ear piercing scream that they all heard. Police cars and ambulances arrived as people continued to spill out of the club. Summer suddenly let go of Seth and ran over to a police officer.
"You've got to help us!" she said to him desperately. "We're looking for our friend, Marissa Cooper. She's tall, 5'9", thin, wearing a black dre…"
"I'm sorry miss but until things calm down we really can't search for individuals."
Summer was about to argue with him when a message crackled through his radio.
"I'm on it," he replied to the message. He signalled a group of armed officers who ran around the side of the building.
"I'm sorry ma'am," he said before following the others.
"Oh you will be," Summer said clenching her fists.
"Hey Summer let's keep looking. She's got to be here somewhere," Seth said gently. "I just hope she's alive," he morbidly thought to himself.
"Kirsten sat up as the credits of the film rolled down the screen. Sandy pressed the stop button and was about to turn the TV off but froze when he saw the image on the screen. The Bait Shop.
"Breaking news. Terror has broken out at the popular club The Bait Shop. Here's Elaine Gibson with more."
Sandy and Kirsten looked on in horror as the image of screaming people and ambulances appeared on their screen.
"I'm here at the Bait Shop where you can see there is complete chaos. It is thought to be an armed burglary . Many shots have been fired in the premises though it is not yet clear if there have been any fatalities…"
Sandy and Kirsten looked at each other on this word. They both got up and ran to the phone. Sandy grabbed it and frantically dialled Seth's number. It eventually stopped ringing as Seth picked up.
"Dad!" he shouted over all the noise.
"Oh thank god you're ok! We just saw a report on the TV. Are the others ok?"
"I'm here with Ryan and Summer."
"What about Marissa?" Sandy asked urgently.
"We don't know where she is. We've looked everywhere. We think she might be stuck inside. We just…we don't know what to do."
"Stay there," Sandy shouted down the line. "I'm coming. And keep your phone on."
"Ok," Seth replied before hanging up.
"What's going on?" Kirsten asked him urgently.
"The boys and Summer are fine but they can't find Marissa."
"Oh god, if something happens to her while she's in our care I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself."
"Hey hey we don't know that anything's happened to her. I said they shouldn't have gone," he said angrily under his breath.
"When did you say that?" Kirsten asked him.
"I'm saying it now. I've got to go." He gave her a quick kiss and ran out the door, grabbing the keys on the way out.
"Be careful," Kirsten called to him as the door slammed shut. She returned to the couch, her eyes glued to the television.
"I'm sorry sir but you're going to have to move back."
"Okay, but we can't find our friend, she might be in there," Seth tried to protest as a police officer cordoned off the area just outside with tape.
"Look you don't understand…"
"Seth, Ryan, Summer!" Seth turned away from the officer as he heard his dads voice.
"You guys okay?" he asked as he rushed over to the three teens.
"Yeah we're fine," Seth replied. Sandy looked around at the crowds of people gathered behind the tape. He noticed the armed police officers surrounding the building.
"I've been trying to get that officer to tell us what's going on," Seth said pointing to the officer hovering just on the other side of the tape. Sandy stepped in beside Seth.
"Excuse me officer?" The cop turned around.
"How can I help you?" Seth just stared on and threw his arms out.
"Sandy Cohen," he flashed his business card. "Look we think our friend might still be inside and we want to know what's happening. Is everyone out of the building?"
"No one has appeared for a while but we are pretty certain that the burglars are still in there."
"Pretty certain!" Ryan asked him, unimpressed. "That's it? My girlfriend could be in there hurt or worse and you're just pretty certain?"
"I'm sorry but if we act too quickly then they could escape. We have officers surrounding the premises ready to go in but we have to be very careful." Suddenly a voice boomed over a loud speaker.
"This is Orange County Police. It's over, you're surrounded. Give up your weapons and show yourselves."
The whole place fell into an eerie silence as everyone watched and waited. Summer slipped her hands into Seth's and squeezed it tightly. Suddenly a voice boomed out from inside the building.
"We're not giving up that easily. We have five hostages and if you want them out alive then you better do what we want. I don't think it would be too good for Orange County Police Department to have the blood of five young people on their hands."
Murmurs erupted through the crowds.
"You don't think…" Seth said knowing that they were all thinking it.
"Seth don't. For all we know she's trying to find us in the crowd," Sandy replied though Seth could tell that he didn't believe this.
"Now start by removing your officers from the back of the building."
"We are officers of the law of the United States of America, show yourselves, give up the hostages and we can discuss an agreement."
"You don't understand," the eerie voice replied from inside. "Remove your officers from the back and no one gets hurt. And don't try anything. We're watching you."
"Retreat from back. I repeat all officers retreat from back," an officer said into his radio. A few officers appeared from round the side of the building. The whole crowd fell silent again. Summer could hear her own heart beating in her chest.
"What's going on?" she whispered to Seth.
"I don't know," he replied. Suddenly a boy of about 19 came stumbling through the front door. An officer ran over to him as he collapsed to his knees, shaking with fear. He lead him away and to an ambulance. Ryan noticed himself holding his breath just waiting for Marissa to come through the door, to run in to his arms and tell him everything was going to be ok. He just wanted to hold her.
Kirsten sat on the edge of the seat not able to take her eyes off the screen.
"One hostage has been released but no one knows what it's going to take to get the other four out alive. The police are coming under pressure to cope with the demands of the criminals obviously wanting to keep the body count to a minimum."
The screen suddenly went back to the studio.
"Looks like we're taking a break from that," the news reader said, slightly caught off guard. "We'll go to Laura for a quick look at the weather and will return to the scene at The Bait Shop."
All Kirsten could do was pray that they would not be counting Marissa's body. The worst part of it was that none of them knew what had happened to her. They didn't know if she was outside in amongst the crowds, being held hostage or….
No one knew.
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