I'm so sorry that I didn't update. My computer crashed not once but twice, and I lost a bunch of documents, this story being one of them. It wasn't very high up on the must-replace list because I had a bunch of stuff from school to re-do first. BUT, the chapter is done now, and I decided to update today instead of tomorrow as an apology. One last chapter to write, which is the epilogue.

This is the last full chapter. It's also the longest! WHOO!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Becks' POV

The plan was good; just the right amount of insanity and unpredictability combined with serious and scary shit. I was right to bring my friends in on it. Not only were they in, but they were excited too. They had hope, which – I can tell you – is the best feeling around when all you've got are missing and wanted posters.

The only one who looked less than ecstatic was Sikowitz. He had a weird look on his face, like he crapped in his pants or something.

"You alright?" I asked, slightly concerned. We could do it without him, but it would be just so much better if he agreed. Plus, he could get us out of school no questions asked.

"I suppose. But this is hardly legal, and-"

"Since when have you ever cared about legal?" I countered, cutting him off before he could express his doubt and flip the others.

He sighed, and I knew we had won him over.

LINE BREAK

One of the best things about Hollywood Arts was the costume department. It was fantastic; you could find anything you needed there. Housed in a small, dark room near the main theater, it was always packed with students designing costumes, being fitted, searching for a missing hat, or, like us, renting out a costume.

For our "student film," the costumes were mostly rather simple to find. But it definitely helped having Cat, the queen of costumes, on our side. She helped direct us to the racks we should look at for the clothes and was a wiz at picking out the right size just by looking.

Andre and I each held armfuls of clothes as she pushed us towards the dressing rooms. I pulled on a dark navy v-neck, black jeans, and a dark leather jacket, but kept my combat boots.

Andre was already waiting outside the rooms, wearing similar clothes, leaning against the wall playing on his cracked phone. Apparently his grandma had smashed it.

As Andre and I stepped out to make a quick stop at the prop shop, I caught a glimpse of Cat working on Robbie and Sikowitz. Their costumes were more complex and required a makeover as well.

They were almost unrecognizable. Cat had straightened their hair and slicked it back. Sikowitz's beard had been trimmed and combed too.

Their costumes were half finished. Sikowitz had the bottom half of a grey three piece suit on, an untucked white shirt, and a blue tie hung loosely around his neck. Robbie, on the other hand, was sitting in his boxers, which I couldn't help but snigger at. He had a black suit jacket hanging off the back of his chair. He too wore a white shirt, but he wore a black vest and grey tie. Both had expensive looking watches around their wrists, and Robbie was mumbling something to Cat as he peered into the mirror.

This was going to work. I just knew it.

Tori's POV

It had been a few day since our capture, or, at least, I estimated so. With no watch, no phone, and no windows, there was no real way to tell time. I only wore pajamas and we shivered in the cold air, but Jade had on jeans and a t-shirt. She apparently had been taken fully dressed because she had her boots too.

I was worried. Jade kept falling asleep. And when she was awake, she was usually confused. She kept forgetting what had happened and why we were there. Every time I told her, she pretended to know, but it was a shoddy act at best, and I saw right through it.

Despite her confusion, she was, for once, pleasant to talk to, curbing her harsh words and diverting the flow of conversation away from dark or disturbing topics. I think she sensed the doom looming over us. It had been days, and I knew from talking with my dad that the police would be discouraged by now. I didn't have the heart to tell Jade. She somehow also knew our chances of survival were low, even though she couldn't remember why. She knew we probably weren't getting out alive. And, I think she was trying to comfort me.

I know, Jade comforting me? Unthinkable. But death, and the fear of it, is a basic human instinct. And it's a bonding experience. I read somewhere that a lot of people who go through near death experiences together end up married.

I don't think our relationship will get that far, but, still, friends? That would be nice. She'd never admit it, but we could both feel ourselves gravitating closer. I was pretty sure that at least, our relationship would never be the same.

In one of her clearer moments, Jade sat, studying the intricate pipe work above my head and playing with something near her boot. It was one of those moments in between conversation topics when people fall into a comfortable silence. But what Jade said next surprised me.

"Do you think we're gonna die here?" Jade asked, her voice thick with worry and…fear?

"No!" I was quick to shoo away the morbid thought, but my remark sounded harsh and biting, even to my ears. "I mean, they'll find us," I said. Quietly, I whispered to myself, "They have to."

"How? We've been here for days. It doesn't look good. So tell me oh-so-perfect Tori. How are they going to find us?"

"They just will, Jade. I can feel it. I bet they're looking for us right now."

Jade scoffed quietly. "Yeah, looking for you." She said it so quietly; I had to strain to hear it. I don't think she meant for me to hear that, but I did.

"Jade-" I fumbled for words.

"Save it Tori," she spat, shifting her gaze to meet mine for the first time since the conversation began. "You don't think I haven't heard you all calling me a gank? They're your friends. Your dad is looking. My dad? Pretty sure he's in Ohio fucking some blonde bimbo."

I sighed, my voice gentler than usual, "Jade. They're looking for you too. They're your friends, even if they don't always act like it. They have been since before I even showed up. And if you didn't make it out, they'd fall apart. They're looking for you, and they're gonna find both of us."

Jade was silent and retaliated by closing her eyes. I was sure she'd fallen asleep until I hear her mumble, "Don't think this changes anything between us, Vega."

I smirked and rolled my eyes. "I wouldn't want it any other way, Jade."

Beck's POV

I sighed. Another warehouse and another bust. I threw myself into a folding chair set up in the back of the van we had been using as base. If we found them, Mr. Vega would hear us through our almost microscopic mikes he had "borrowed" and call the police. But so far, we'd found absolutely nothing, besides a few old cigarette butts.

There were only a few warehouses left, and it was late evening. With only enough time for searching one more warehouse before giving up, everyone was discouraged. The guys had been smart enough to avoid detection so far, so there was a very real possibility that they'd move location before we found them. But we tried to ignore that fact for now. We had to cling to the little bit of hope that we'd find them soon.

Cat hovered around, fixing our appearances so we didn't look haggard or barbaric. Andre and Robbie each gulped down water and ate a few bites of soggy sandwiches. We'd worked through lunch and dinner, so it was understandable.

I didn't eat anything; I'd lost my appetite. I knew if I ate something, I'd end up throwing up in a few minutes. My stomach was alight with bees. Not butterflies; it wasn't the sort of nerves that were pleasant or exciting. It was the type where you knew it was a life or death situation. The type where you knew one mistake, and boom: you're dead. Or they're dead. Or we're all dead.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, warding off a headache. Too bad we didn't have any aspirin. I sighed as I stood up. Crouching, I made my way to the door, pushed it open, and jumped down. I stretched, grimacing at my sore muscles and stiff back.

"You guys ready?" I asked, peering into the dimness I had just left. They murmured their agreements and moved to join me. Robbie, the last one out, looked forlornly at his sandwich but reluctantly shut the door.

We moved quickly to the warehouse door. It didn't look like a place that anyone would choose to stay in, but we had to check everything.

The door was, thankfully unlocked. We stood at one end of a large, open space. There were a few moldy crates scattered around, but the majority of the room was clear. Cement pillars held up the decaying roof, and the only light in the room came from the fading sunlight filtering through the dirty skylights and windows. Panes were cracked, shattered, and missing, making the room's shadows irregular and odd shaped, but shadows worked to our advantage.

It was silent, and I turned to leave, but Andre nudged me. Metal stairs led to a platform above the space we were in. Next to it, a rough office-like room stood, though it looked like it had been constructed eons ago, before the invention of smelting. There was a large window in it, overlooking the main floor, designed so the boss could see the work going on and make sure his employees weren't slacking off.

"Hey!" a man, or a teenaged guy, it was hard to tell in this light, and we were still on the other side of the room, with dark brown hair called out, now visible on the platform.

A few discreet glances were shared; this was it. It couldn't be sure, but the guy before us was most likely one of the kidnappers. That is, if Adam and Chad were the kidnappers. You could never be sure. But, after all, it was the only person who wasn't homeless or a drug addict that we'd run into all day.

"Hello!" Andre bellowed out from beside me. I looked around, but couldn't see any trace of Tori or Jade anywhere. And that was bad, very, very bad. Our plan had relied on seeing them, so we could get the police involved.

"What do you want?"

Our costumes were only a cover story, a way to get into and out of the warehouses without any trouble. We were supposed to be looking for a warehouse to rent. But the costumes gave me an idea.

"We have a business proposition for you," I improvised. "Something you could find very satisfying." He glared at us for a minute.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I work for a very important man." I pointed to Sikowitz. "He just wants a minute of your time."

"No. Go away." This was not the desired result. We still couldn't tell if it was the right person or if Tori and Jade were here.

"Please. Money is no object!" I panicked and almost blurted it out. I didn't think I sounded very convincing, but the others looked impressed at my quick thinking, so it somehow must have worked.

His eyes narrowed, but he still motioned for us to come up.

Adam's POV

They were far away, but I knew I recognized them. Though they could barely be seen, their voices were familiar. Honestly, they were idiots. Did they not realize I'd seen them twice? Once at the play and once in the parking lot. And there was that other time, but they didn't know about that.

What did they think we were going to do, just give back the girls we kidnapped? I wasn't exactly sure what we'd do, but that definitely wasn't it.

But, apparently, they were naïve and trusting, so they approached as I returned to the office we had set up in.

Chad was leaning back in a metal folding chair, balancing it against the wall behind him. He had a napkin messily tucked into the neck of his shirt and was eating a roast beef sandwich. The juices ran down his hand as he bit into it, dripping down, only to be caught by the flimsy off-white material.

He stood up when I entered, putting down his sandwich and wiping his face. "What's going on?" he asked, throwing the napkin down onto the table.

I walked past him, to a rusty file cabinet where the stolen gun lay. "I need you to do something."

He looked at me, eyes laden with worry as I handed it to him. I whispered the plan quickly to him, and his worry increased exponentially. But he understood and nodded when I was done explaining. I patted his back as he set off towards another door in the back of the office. "Good man."

As soon as Chad left, the others walked in.

I sat down in Chad's place, picking up my own sandwich. I could see them clearly now, just as they could me. I smiled. "So, let's hear this proposition of yours."

They looked calm, but small little ticks showed of the nervousness they kept suppressed below the surface. I took a big bite of my sandwich and started chewing, a broad grin spreading across my face. Oh, how I despise those of less intelligence. They make it much too easy.

The tan one, Beck, I remembered, spoke. "We heard some rumors that you had some girls. My boss here," he gestured at a man behind him, "would like to buy them, provided that they're not injured or anything." I recognized the old guy too. He was some teacher or director or something at their school. Crazy dude, or so I'd heard.

I stood up and paced toward the back wall, near the door. Facing away from them, my hands behind my back and the picture of complacency, I said, "I'm afraid I can't help you there, Beck."

They murmured behind me, and I swiveled around, my grin even bigger now. "What, did you forget that I knew you?" Their faces contorted at the pained realization of their ignorance. They dropped all pretenses and got straight down to it. Beck rushed at me, grabbing me by my collar.

"Where are they?" he shouted, spitting in my face as he spoke. I calmly brought one hand up to my cheek, wiping the spittle off. This only infuriated him more, as he slammed me into the wall, repeating his question.

One of the members of the group, who I know realized to be a girl dressed as a boy, put a hand on his shoulder. "Beck! This isn't going to help with anything."

He shrugged her hand off, practically shaking with anger. "Why not? I think getting rid of some of the scum of the earth is a great way to help," he sneered. The African American boy behind them seemed to agree.

"He has a partner, remember? We have no idea where he is or whether he has them or not," she rationalized. "We need him, to find Tori and Jade."

Beck listened to her, reluctantly. He set me down and turned to walk away.

Then, two loud bangs rang out through the air, followed by a scream. I couldn't help myself; I laughed. A dark, evil chuckle came out of my mouth, and Beck turned, only one step away, and launched a hard punch strait into my face. My head snapped back, hitting the wall behind me. Blood rushed out of my nose as he closed the distance.

He started punching me, over and over again. I doubled over after one punch directly to my stomach. I think someone was screaming, but it didn't matter to me. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the unused syringe from the day we kidnapped the girls. I measured it the other day; it was an inch and a half. I straightened slightly, and as Beck went in for another punch, I stuck it into his side.

His fist fell short and his hand immediately went to his side. Stunned and clutching at the needle sticking out of his stomach at an awkward angle, he wavered and the girl rushed to catch him as he wavered. I escaped out the door, but I heard shouts behind me. I knew that needle wouldn't be enough to make a clean getaway; it would just surprise him. But the twists and turns of this old warehouse might confuse them.

I ran down the stairs behind the door, and reached the room where you could see the girls below, but I didn't stop to look. Somebody was screaming; one of them was still alive. So I kept running, through one of the numerous doors in the room, down a metal staircase, around a corner and through another door to another hallway and another staircase. I heard another shot and smiled, but I leapt over a box and continued sprinting.

After about a minute of running, I reached the door. I flung it open, ready to enjoy the view, expecting to see two dead bodies and Chad waiting by the door. What I saw instead, shocked me.

3rd Person POV

(Several Minutes Earlier)

Chad took the gun, gulping down air as he slowly made his way to the boiler room storing the girls. He didn't know what to do. What could he do? If he didn't kill the girls, Adam would probably kill him. If killed Tori, he didn't think he could go on himself.

He mulled over the thoughts, but he couldn't come to a decision before he reached the door. He opened it, the gun at his side. The girls inside the room stared at the gun, fear clawing at their insides, screams just waiting to be released.

It was too late to go back, wasn't it? Chad knew the truth. He knew what he had to do. He raised the gun.

The shots resonated in the air, a looming knell, a beacon for Death. Jade's eyes widened as her unchained hand moved agonizingly to a hole in her chest. She winced, placing light pressure on the gushing wound.

Tori's screams haunted air thick with apprehension. The future was written clearly in Jade's eyes. Chad could see it too. He made a decision and raised the gun a second time.

"Forgive me."

He whispered the words softly; Tori almost didn't believe he had said anything at all. Jade started coughing up blood in the background.

He pulled the trigger and fell to the ground, blood cascading from his head. Tori squeezed her eyes shut, wishing, as she had found herself doing often since her kidnapping, this all to be over. She didn't want to look at her dying friend or at the corpse of her misguided captor. She didn't want to see the room she was still locked in. She didn't want to remember anything from the past few days. But this wasn't a dream; she closed her eyes, clenched them tight, clicked her heels three times.

It was no use. She opened her eyes to see the same damn room and the same damn situation.

She started to hyperventilate. Sucking air in and out, but it still wasn't enough. It was like she was breathing for Chad too.

A raspy voice came from the other side of the room telling her to shut up before erupting into coughs again. She tried to calm herself, but the door hit the wall, and Adam appeared.

In the room up above, the rest of the Hollywood Arts Gang struggled to find out which way to go. They had rushed into the room, finding it too late to follow Adam. Cat tried the first door, revealing a piece of plywood blocking the way. The next was a closet.

By this time, they were desperate. Andre, Cat and Beck scrambled around the room, followed by the slightly slower Sikowitz.

Robbie stood by the window, unmoving. One by one, they each realized his silent solemnity and gravitated towards his heavy presence. Cat started bawling, Robbie joining soon after. Tears appeared in Andre's eyes too, even Sikowitz's, but Beck stood tall and stern.

His eyes were dry, blank even, but his mind was racing. He jolted suddenly, startling the others, but their attention remained transfixed on the unfurling scene below. He ran towards a door at random. The universe must have finally been listening to their prayers, because it just so happened to be the right one.

The others, however, were transfixed to the characters below.

"What the hell did you do?" Adam screamed, in shock. Though he belittled him, Chad was still his friend. (His best and only friend.)

He shouted profanities in agony, feeling something pierce the tough meat of his heart. Well, pierce wasn't really the right word for that. Something ripped into it, biting and clawing and scratching, and he felt something more than calm or anger for the first time in a long, long time.

Adam rushed forward; fumbling for the gun still resting in Chad's slowly cooling hand. He picked it up, dropped it, and picked it up again.

He aimed it, staring down the barrel with a sudden calm and methodical mentality that scared Tori. She knew he would have no second thoughts. His hand shook, and he took a moment to stabilize it.

Beck grew ever closer, but thick walls blocked them and there was no way he could reach them in time, especially when he didn't know the way.

Tori braced herself for death, taking a deep breath and shutting her eyes, though this time they weren't scrunched. When she opened her eyes, she knew she was ready and looked back at Adam with a different calm.

His mouth twitched, his finger moved towards the trigger, but Tori kept his gaze.

But, without warning, his eyes flooded with pain, and he fell forwards, almost on top of Tori.

A pair of black scissors stuck out of his back, thrown by the forgotten player in the room. The one who, of course, could handle them expertly, even when on the brink of death.

Andre collapsed, breathing out a sigh of semi-relief, leaning on the window with one arm and resting his head on the cool glass. He let the tears come, and come they did.

Beck finally reached the door to the room, and he pushed it open. It smashed against the wall, the noise alerting Tori to her rescue, and she burst into tears. He started towards her, but the rest of their friends appeared, having followed his trail of open doors. He, instead, went off to tend to Jade.

Sikowitz held back, calling the police. Robbie and Cat stood in the center of the room, giving both of them some space. They observed Jade carefully, waiting for any change in behavior.

Andre embraced Tori. His shoulder grew wet, as did the top of her head.

The sobbing stopped and the room grew quiet. The coughing had ceased.

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Hopefully, the epilogue will be out to you guys next Friday, if not before.