One day ago; The Runaways

Beck was always one to keep his cool. He didn't know, though he didn't mind as much as another may have, how many times he'd have to stress this fact to another, to himself. It was more of a constant reminder to his own self in a panicked situation, sounding like a broken, annoying record as it frequently replayed in his mind. He had lost his collected demeanor once on this wretched island already, and it took everything he had to keep himself under control now, even though he knew in his heart that it was useless. Witnessing Cat get shot and Brent fall, dead upon the sand, was ebbing away at him, ripping him apart at the seams like he was some sort of ragdoll, and he was finding it harder and harder not to give himself the same fate at the Australian who had just risked his life, in which in the end, ultimately did not do anything but deem him to his unfair and unexpected death.

Now, with the gun prodding directly above his heart – the only thing between weapon and skin, his sopping wet plaid shirt and tank top clinging to his drenched skin – he was beginning to fear that his fate would evidently be the same, and if that had happened, then so would Cat's (who was already on the brink of following Brent's footsteps), and Jade's. And he, if it was the last thing he was going to do, would never let that happen. If only, he thought as he held his hands up to his shoulders in a surrender, he had a weapon to use himself, then, he supposed, the outcome would most likely deem different.

"Think you can really get away, eh? Oh, Vince's gonna love this." The male said tauntingly, the heels of his feet kicking at Brent's unmoving side as he subconsciously moved forward, the gun pressing firm at Beck's torso. "Got Mr. Fluffy-Hair, dimples back and a new girly. Bet my pay will double."

Frozen in his place, the rain running down his olive toned complexion furiously, as if he was standing beneath a shower or a hose, Beck said nothing in reply. His hands were trembling in anger, not out of fear, and his heart was pounding in his chest anxiously – if he could just grab the gun, he would, but it was a dangerous move and his life was already on the line; he didn't want anything like what happened to the other male, to happen again, because, who knew the outcome? It could be worse, better, or exactly the same as if it had been not even a good ten minutes ago. And he didn't want to leave Jade to defend to herself, he could already hear her sobs as she took in the loss of her brother, his situation and Cat's wound.

It was too much of a risk.

"What's the matter, handsome? Cat's got your tongue?" He drawled with a sickening cackle, his smirk sinister and threatening as he prodded him with the gun once again, causing him to stumble back a few paces.

"Put the gun down man, he let us go." Beck finally managed out through clenched teeth, his anger clear in his voice. However, before the other man was deemed to speak once again in retaliation, in which he hadn't moved the gun, four shots rounded from directly behind him. Each bullet hit the man in the chest in separate areas, though all close by, one piercing directly where his heart should have been and the others in various other sections of his burly torso. He stepped out of the way in a movement so expeditious he should have gotten whiplash, and the shot man fell upon the terrain beside Brent's body, revealing another man behind him, stout and petit. He shrugged his brows at Beck and tossed the gun at his chest, in which he caught with both of his hands.

"Take the gun and leave." The stout boy told him, his accent Southern and thick as he spoke. "Quickly now."

"You killed him" Beck deadpanned, neatly tucking the gun underneath his shirt and into the back of his pants, "one of your own, for us. Why?"

"Now who's to say that I was ever one 'a them?"

Jade, her pale face stricken with tears, approached at his side, one of Cat's arms around her shoulders and her own arm holding the girl up by her waist – the much smaller girl seemed to have been a dead weight, but conscious, grabbed Beck's arm to hoist herself steadier. He did not more out of the way. "You mean you don't work for them?" She asked the man, voice thick with tears; he was surprised she was openly crying, but then again, he did not blame her.

"I am, but I ain't. I'm letting you live 'cause it's fair, you already lost one lad." He explained to the trio, gesturing over his shoulder with a jerk of his thumb. "Just don't let us see you again, hear me? I won't let you live a second time."

"Bu-"

"Don't forget to apply pressure to her wound" He said, before shouting "Now GO!"

They did not need to be told again.

Present; May 28, 2010.

Vega Residence, Los Angeles California, 9 A.M

"I won't stop searching until my daughters and their friends are found!" He slammed his fist upon his kitchen table, shaking everything atop of it, with a look of pure rage upon his features.

Just recently, an accurate 10 minutes ago, police officer and father David Vega had called in Mr. Harry Jenson to his home for an immediate meeting with the executive of California Rescue, no matter how early it was in the morning to be doing such. He taken off of work, and in his place was another trusty officer in which could do the service well – he was far too unfocused to be doing his job, with both of his daughters missing because of a reported plane crash and with no idea if they, or any of the people (their friends) on the plane had survived at all. He was stressed: a looming cloud hung about his head, hell, the entire Vega household, and he was not about to give up the search for his daughters, in which they had been trying for the past thirty two days.

"Mr. Vega, I'm sorry but…by the odds, there's no way they would have survived that long, on their own." The other man said with a frown. David's glare was enough to send another man cowering, however, the one who he had willingly let into his home did not falter and remained staring at him with the same expression he was giving all night: pity, sympathy.

"How long will it take to put up another search party?" He asked through clenched teeth, pointedly averting his gaze to stare outside of the windows – he wouldn't allow his eyes to travel to the stairs leading to their second story, where his wife would be, where she had been for the last thirty two days, saying nothing, doing nothing but the necessities. It was also where his daughter's rooms would be, and as a father, he hadn't had the heart to walk past them, knowing his precious children were…possibly, dead. He'd been sleeping on the living room couch; he didn't dare step a foot on any one of those stairs. He just couldn't.

"About…about another month."

David snapped his gaze back at Mr. Jenson in utter shock and fury. "Another month to put up just one god damn search party?"

"We have other things to be concerned about as well, Mr. Vega." Mr. Jenson said with a sigh, adjusting his glasses. "But, perhaps we can find a way to put up a small one in about a few days time. I'm afraid we can't offer many volunteers."

"Then I'll just have to find some, won't I?" He asked him with a grimace, rubbing his hand over his face in exhaustion, a severe migraine beating at his temples. "The parent's – their parents would agree to come along with us, they could willingly help. Will you take part too?"

"You know I just simply can't, Mr. Vega. I have other things to do – as much as it's tempting. This case is far over done, we've searched everywhere for these teenagers. I'm not willing to waste my time."

In a movement so quick, something he had learned from various training systems due to his job at the Police Department, he had the man backed against the kitchen wall with his hands fisting the collar of his clean button down shirt, face contorted in absolute disbelief. He was sure that if he was a cartoon, his face would he as red as a tomato and his ears would be steaming. "You think that looking for my daughters and a bunch of teenagers is a waste of time? Bullshit!" He snarled; this was admittedly, the angriest he had ever been in a long while. "My wife is a mess, I am a mess – their parents are a mess; they could be on the brink of death! And you don't want to 'waste your time?'"

"Well, what you say it that way…" Jenson said sheepishly, prying the other mans hands off of his shirt collar and removing himself from the wall. "I'm afraid my statement still stands. Just be happy, Mr. Vega, that I'm allowing you to send yourself and a rescue team out for the second time."

"Any trained professionals that you can reserve for me?" David asked as he turned around to stare at the other man, wiping his hands on the front of his jeans. He hadn't meant for that attack to happen, but he had no control.

Jenson heavily inhaled through his nose, gathering his items from the kitchen table. "The most I can give is five, without disrupting our other case. Expect them here tomorrow morning, free of charge." He paused at the front door, turning around to stare at the other man standing within the kitchen who had not moved from his spot; he looked slightly exasperated. "This is a lost cause case, Mr. Vega – this will be the last chance you get. If you cannot find these teenagers…" He trailed off, shaking his head, "then we're deeming them all deceased. We've searched everywhere we can."

"How long do I have, Henry?"

"It's Harry." Said Jenson with a roll of his eyes, "and you have as much time as you need – but when your crew backs out, that's it. If you can find this kids when we couldn't, God Bless."

"There's no if about this situation," David replied with a confident tone lacing his voice, "I will find them."

Had to work on a lab report (that's half of my grade, and due tomorrow and I JUST started it) all day today so sorry if this seems a bit…eh. I was tired, but still, I wanted to get this chapter up because I said at some point in an A/N that I was going to be uploading chapters daily. So. Yeah.

But what's done is done, and so is this chapter! So, I hope you liked it! I kind of really wanted to add things that are going on in California when the entire group is…away, just so you guys can get an insight of it, if that makes sense. It's going to have a major part later on (: I can't tell you what though!

Preview;

"Jade? Everything is going to be alright, okay?"

"You're seriously telling me this when Cat was freaking shot and Brent's…dead…and I feel like I've been dying because of this stupid disease or whatever the hell it is for the past 15/16 days? Really Beck? Nothing is going to be alright! Nothing is okay!"