Chapter 6The Warehouse
Piper pulled the Jeep slowly into the school parking lot. The lot was nearly vacant now. She looked around in hopes of seeing Paige somewhere near by. No such luck. She turned down and followed the sidewalk to the park, hoping Paige might have gone there. Parking near the curb she got out and started to search the near by empty benches and tables.
"Paige!" She turned to see a group of girls standing under one of the pavilions. "Hey, any of you seen Paige?"
One girl looked up from the circle, shaking her head then joining back into the conversation.
Frustrated Piper walked further into the park. "Paige!" She called out again.
"She's not here."
Piper turned to see a Kyle standing there. She smiled a little at him. "Do you know where she went?"
"You don't know?" He raised his eyebrow. That bad feeling he had earlier started to creep its way deep inside his stomach. "Some guy picked her up, he said you sent him."
"Leo?"
"No, this was a different guy. He use to go to school here last year I think. Charlie something."
Piper felt her heart sink. She fought the fear off for now, she knew she had to keep it together, at least until she found Paige. "Do you know where they went?"
"No. Is something wrong?" Kyle stepped closer to her.
"I hope not. Thanks for your help, I'm going to see if I can't find her."
"I'm coming with you." His voice let Piper know there was no arguing with him.
"Ok. Maybe you can help me find his car." Piper and Kyle got into the car. She lifted up her cell phone. She hated to call Prue, but she knew she'd better. Slowly she dialed the numbers. "Prue, hey it's Piper."
One the other end Prue was standing in the kitchen making sandwiches. "Hey, did you pick her up. I bet she was pretty pissed."
"Well, not exactly. Kyle said she left earlier. Prue, Charlie picked her up."
"What!" Prue dropped the knife she was using to cut the bread in halves. "What do you mean he picked her up?"
"He told her that I said to ride with him. I'm looking now to see if I can try to find his car."
"I'm calling the police. Keep your phone on, and let me know if you find her. Prue hung up with Piper and quickly dialed 911. "Yes, this is Prue Halliwell, I need to speak with detective Curtis." After a few moments of muffled shuffling on the other end she heard a guy's voice on the other line, but it wasn't Curtis.
"Officer Trudeau here."
Prue hesitated, it couldn't possibly be him. "Andy?" She asked, almost hoping she was wrong.
"That's me." He got quiet for a second on the other end. "May I ask who this is?"
"Yea, um, Andy it's me, Prue. Look I really need to talk to detective Curtis."
"I can tell him you called, he's in a meeting right now, something about an attack earlier today."
"That's what I needed to talk to him about. Phoebe was the one who was attacked today, and I think the guy who attacked her has Paige."
"Oh, Prue, I'm so sorry. Why don't you come down here, you'll need to fill out a report anyway."
"Ok, we'll be down there in a few." She hung the phone up as she sprinted up the stairs to Phoebe's room. "Pheebs?" She asked as she pushed the door open.
"Yea." Phoebe looked up from a book.
"We have to go downtown. I think Charlie kidnapped Paige." She walked out down the stairs, there was no time to wait.
Phoebe started to follow but stopped when she heard her cell phone ring. She picked it up from the nightstand and looked down to see a number she knew all to well. It was Charlie. With a shaking hand Phoebe hit the talk button. "Hello."
"There's my girl." Charlie smiled on the other end. "I was afraid you wouldn't answer."
"Where's my sister?" Phoebe blurted.
"You're sister's here. You know she is looks so much like you when she's sleeping."
"What did you do to her?" Phoebe was trying to sound more confident than scared.
"Nothing, yet. I just gave her something to help calm her down." Charlie looked at Paige who was lying on an old couch in the abandoned courthouse. Blood was starting to dry on a pretty bad gash on her forehead.
"If you hurt her, I swear…"
"Now, now, you aren't in the best place to threaten me are you?"
"What do you want?" She checked the doorway to make sure Prue wasn't listening.
"I want to talk, to you and only you. Meet me at the warehouse behind the old police station. I know you know where that is." He smiled as he thought back to the many times he and Phoebe had made out in his car there.
"Fine, don't hurt her, please."
"You show up here alone, and I promise your precious little sister will be fine." He hesitated a little. "No cops Phoebe. If I see even one, you'll never see her alive again. I'll be waiting for you." He hung the phone up and smiled, almost as if he were proud of himself.
Phoebe walked downstairs to see a very irritated Prue waiting by the door. "Come on Pheebs, we need to go." She held out Phoebe's jacket waiting for her to grab it.
"Prue, I think I'm gonna stay here, just in case he brings her back." She prayed Prue didn't see through her lie.
"Are you sure?" Prue watched. In a way she thought that might be a good idea. On the other hand, if he did show up that would leave Phoebe there, to face him.
"I'm sure. If he shows up here, I'll call you, I promise." She hugged her sister and watched as Prue walked out and got into her car.
She watched until Prue's car was out of sight. She put her jacket on shut the door behind her. She was barely halfway down the road when a car slowed down beside her.
"Phoebe?" Cole asked as he stopped his car by the curb. "What happened?" He quickly got out and started inspecting the bruising on her face.
"Long story and I don't really have time to explain." She continued to walk.
"Can I at least give you a ride?" He asked. He knew deep down something wasn't right.
Phoebe thought for a minute. "Only if you promise to drop me off. I can't tell you what's going on right now, but I promise I will later." She watched as Cole hesitated to answer her.
"Fine." He opened the door and waited for her to get in. Closing the door behind her he got in and sat behind the wheel. Following her instructions he slowly started out toward the old police station.
Prue walked through the glass double doors. Almost instantly she spotted Andy. He looked so goofy in his cop uniform.
"Prue." He motioned for her to come over to his desk.
She smiled as she walked over to him, stopping in front of his chair.
"I talked to Curtis, he's got officers out now looking for Charlie's car. I'm fixing to go out now."
"Can I go with you?" Her eyes pleaded with him to say yes.
He looked around to see if anyone had heard her. It looked as if no one did so he motioned for her to lean closer to him. "I'm not suppose to, but Paige is like a sister to me too. You can ride with me only if you promise to stay in the car at all times." He knew he couldn't tell her no, he never could.
"I promise." She whispered back to him.
"Meet me on the corner." He got up and walked away. Prue waited for minute before following his lead.
Piper and Kyle turned down another side road. "Where are they?" Piper looked over to Kyle who was looking intensely down every alley they passed.
"He wouldn't hurt her, would he?"
It was then Piper realized Kyle was just a child. He was the same age as Paige. She felt the fear inside her again as let the reality in his question sink it. "I hope not."
She continued driving and looking. Praying silently to herself that everything would be all right.
"This is close enough." Phoebe waited as Cole slowly pulled the car up to the curb. She could see the top of the old warehouse from there.
"Let me go with you."
"I can't Cole."
"Look, I'll stay out of sight, I promise."
"Cole please, just trust me." Phoebe got out and started down the alley. Her heart raced so hard she thought it would pound right out of her chest. Turning the corner she saw Charlie's car sitting right beside the light pole. She took in a breath as she walked up to the old doors. She pushed one of the opened and shivered at the creepy creaking sound it made. She felt an uneasy feeling as she walked through the abandoned hallways.
"That was fast."
She turned to see Charlie there. He reached up and took off his sunglasses revealing bruises of his own under each eye. "You know, I think you broke my nose." He slowly walked closer to her.
"What do you want?" Phoebe watched as Charlie walked closer, directly in front of her now.
"You." With that he threw a punch that blasted Phoebe in the face. She heard the bones crack and knew instantly her nose was broken. She dropped to a knee as she clasped her hands around her face, trying hard to stop the bleeding.
"A nose for a nose bitch." Charlie smiled as he grabbed her by the hair, pulling her with him down the hallway into an empty office room. Pushing her forward he let go of her long enough to turn and push the door. An evil smile swept across as the door closed behind him.