!
Tina was terrified. She had no idea what had happened. She and Rachel had been talking, joking and then all of a sudden there was a man and he had a knife and it was against her throat. They had passed him on the road and it all happened so fast. He had brushed her with his arm and she had stumbled and he had grabbed her and suddenly he had a knife.
Rachel had looked as shocked as she was, standing there staring at them, her gaping mouth resembling a fish. If the situation had been different Tina would have laughed. She didn't dare laugh now, with the knife against her throat. She could feel the coldness of the blade and knew that it was real. The power of the man's arm against her throat made her sure he could do her harm if he really wanted to. And she was pretty sure he would eventually want to.
She watched Rachel struggle to pull herself together and saw her clench her jaw to keep her lip from trembling. Tina herself felt a vague sense of numbness settle over her. It felt almost like she was watching the scene on TV, watching someone else and not herself.
Rachel bound her hands and Tina heard her whispered apology and she wondered if the shorter girl knew she was crying. She didn't think so. The tears ran freely down Rachel's cheeks and Tina was sure she'd have wiped them off by now if she knew.
When her hands were bound Tina was put facedown on the ground and that's when she started to feel panicked. She couldn't see Rachel anymore, couldn't see the man. She knew their odds were very slim now and she hated turning her back on either of them.
She heard sounds though, and it sounded like Rachel was ok. She heard no sounds of pain, no screams or cries, and soon enough she was back on her feet, standing next to Rachel, who now had her hands tied behind her as well.
They were told to walk and Tina kept her eyes open, trying to stay alert for anything, anyone that might be able to help them. There was no one. They passed no cars, no other people. It was like a ghost town.
She searched her mind for possible ways to escape, any weapons they might be able to use if opportunity presented itself. She wished for her backpack, longed for the heavy textbooks that might give them a fighting chance, but their bags had been abandoned when he'd first grabbed her. She had her keys in her pocket and she thought maybe she could use the sharp edges as a weapon but she wasn't sure how much good it would.
She glanced down at Rachel, noting that the smaller girl had stopped crying. She didn't seem to have any sort of weapon on her either. Tina thought maybe the delicate XO necklace she wore could be used like her keys, but the chances were slim and the risk was high.
They walked side by side down the road, arms brushing against each other for comfort. They seemed to walk for hours but Tina knew it was more like minutes. As they neared the main part of town, Tina knew something was going to change. It would be too risky for him to march them right through the center of town like this; too many people knew them, and they could easily scream for help or run. Her attention was pulled from her thoughts by a vehicle sitting slightly off the road, flashers on. Her heart sped up. Could this person help them? How much time would they have to warm him?
As they got closer to the vehicle, Tina felt the man's hand on her arm. "There," he said, and she was given a small push in the direction of the van. He wanted them to go toward the van? That couldn't be right, she thought. Unless…
As she stepped up behind the van, the man stepped up beside her, pulling Rachel along with him, knife at her throat. He pulled set of keys from his pocket and unlocked the back door of the van. Tina's heart sank. It was his van. There was no hope of rescue here. The man kept a firm grip on Rachel's arm with one hand and reached inside the van with the other. Tina met Rachel's eyes. The shorter girl's eyes were wide, darting back and forth as if looking for help to come out of the woods on either side of the road.
Rachel met her eyes and shook her head frantically. Tina narrowed her eyes and quirked her head to show she didn't understand. Rachel shook her head again and gestured to the van. Tina understood. She didn't want to get into the van either. She didn't want to be moved. She wanted to stay here, where there was a chance of being discovered. They didn't appear to have a choice in the matter.
The man straightened, pulling a black bag from the van. He gestured to Tina to come forward. She did so hesitantly, still unsure of getting into the van. When she was well within his reach she felt a sharp pain in her arm and looked down to see a needle being retracted. A needle? He had stabbed her! But as her mind started clouding and she was pushed into the back of the van, she knew he hadn't stabbed her, but had injected her with something instead. She fought to keep her eyes open, fought to stay alert and conscious, but she lost the fight within minutes.
!
Rachel had felt an overwhelming sense of panic when she saw the van. She was afraid for the owner, afraid he might get hurt trying to help them. And then when the van's owner was revealed, her panic grew stronger. He's taking us away, she realized. He's going to load us into this van and then the chances of us ever being found are slim to none. She knew once they were in that van, it was as good as over. This man could take them wherever he wanted and do whatever he wanted to them and no one would have the first clue of where to even start looking for them. She did not want to get in that van.
She was determined to fight if she had to. They weren't far from town now, she could see the lights from Main Street and she thought that maybe if she screamed loud enough she could draw some attention to them. She only needed a few seconds, if she could distract him for any length of time then maybe he would decide they weren't worth getting caught and let them go.
That changed when Tina gasped sharply and Rachel saw the needle go into her arm. Tina stared at the man in shock and he picked her up slightly and put her in the back of the van. Rachel thought she would fight him then, but one look into Tina's dazed eyes told Rachel all she needed to know: Tina had been drugged so she wouldn't fight back.
The man turned to Rachel and she tensed, but she did not run. She would not leave Tina, not alone. She opened her mouth and screamed, as loud as she could. A sharp blow to the face stopped her short and she stood dazed for a moment until she felt the needle pierce her arm as well. She opened her mouth and screamed again, even as she felt herself being picked up and thrown in the van beside Tina. She screamed louder and stopped only when the doors were closed, throwing the van into pitch black darkness. She shook her head trying to clear the cobwebs from her brain. It was no use. Her head was laying on something soft and her eyes grew heavier, even as her brain formed one last coherent thought. Someone, please, help us.
!
Puck felt something was off when he got to school Wednesday morning. He couldn't say what is was, not for sure, but the atmosphere was different, felt different. He shook it off and headed to his first class.
Rachel wasn't at her locker, he noted as he passed it, and he wondered if she and Tina were rehearsing again this morning. He had called to see if she needed a ride to school, but she hadn't answered her phone. He figured she either had a ride or her car was fixed.
He doodled on the side of his notes during health class and headed down the hall to Spanish with Schue when the classes changed. He took his seat in the back beside Mike, nodding to Mercedes as he passed. There was an unfamiliar face at the front of the room, a substitute teacher. Puck exchanged a look with Mike. Did this mean no glee club after school? Schue never missed glee and he missed teaching his classes even less. It was sure to be a much-debated topic at lunch.
A few minutes after the teacher introduced herself and started class, a light tapping on the door interrupted the lesson. The principal's secretary poked her head in. "I'm sorry to interrupt," she said. "I need Mike Chang, Mercedes Jones and Noah Puckerman to come with me, please."
Puck shot a quick glance at the other two, but neither seemed to know what was going on. He shuffled to his feet and grabbed his stuff, ignoring the curious stares of his classmates. He heard Mercedes and Mike behind him as he followed the secretary down the hall to Principal Figgins' office.
They were led past the waiting area and directly into the principal's office and the mystery of Schue's absence was solved right away. Their teacher was standing beside Figgins, who was seated at his desk. They both looked worried, Schue more than Figgins. A glance around the office showed the rest of the glee kids, minus a few members. Quinn was seated in front of Figgins with Santana and Brittany, and none of them looked like they knew what was going on either. Matt stood beside Artie and Finn in the corner, talking quietly. The only ones that seemed to be missing were Rachel, Tina and Kurt.
"Guys, come on in," Schue said when he saw Puck standing in the doorway. "I know it's a little crowded but we'll have to make due."
Puck made his way behind the Cheerios and came as far into the room as he could. Mercedes and Mike followed him and they turned their attention to Figgins. Neither he nor Schue said anything. They seemed to be waiting for something.
Several minutes later the office door opened again and Kurt came in, followed by two people in police uniforms. Puck cast an uneasy glance around the group again. Were they in trouble? Had someone done something? And were they going to try to pin it on him, like they did with the stupid glist?
Figgins and Schue exchanged looks with each other and then the cops before looking at the kids in front of them. Schue sighed and stepped forward.
"There's no easy way to say this, guys," he said, exhaustion evident in his tone. "Rachel's fathers called and reported her missing late last night. Tina's mom called the police shortly after and reported her daughter missing as well."
No one said anything. It was so quiet Puck could hear each of his classmates' breath catch in their chest with the news. Missing. No way. Rachel and Tina? No way. Had to be a mistake.
One of the cops, the male, stepped forward. "Rachel Berry never came home last night. Her fathers called her cell phone and, after repeatedly not being able to reach her on it, they discovered the phone in her room. They believe she forgot it when she left for school yesterday morning. They said it's not like her to not check in and they're very worried."
The female cop stepped forward. "Tina Cohen-Chang also did not come home last night. Her mother called her cell phone several times and was sent straight to voicemail each time. She also says it's not like her daughter to not come home."
"The last time anyone has seen them was after school in glee club practice," Schue said. "We were the last ones to have definitely seen both girls. Anything you guys can remember would be helpful," Schue said, gesturing to the kids.
They looked at each other hesitantly, not sure what to say. The female cop stepped in again. "If you can tell us anything, it would be helpful," she said kindly. "Did they have plans to go somewhere? A shopping trip? To the movies? Did they mention going straight home?"
Puck stepped forward slightly, clearing his throat. "Uh, I can help with that," he said hesitantly, glancing at Schue. The teacher nodded encouragingly at him. "I was supposed to take Rachel home and help her study. Her car's in the shop so I offered her a ride. But after glee Tina had asked Rachel to practice their duet some more and Rachel didn't want to turn her down. They were going to practice in the auditorium and Tina said she'd give Rachel a ride home afterwards."
The male cop turned to him. "What time was this?"
Puck hesitated. "Right after practice. About…4:30? I think."
Schue nodded. "Practice ran a little short that day, we usually practice until 5:00, but we didn't yesterday. 4:30 sounds about right."
The cop nodded, making notes in his notepad. "What happened then?"
"Uh, Tina said she was going to her locker and she would meet Rachel in the auditorium. Rachel and I talked for a few minutes and then I left."
The female cop looked up from her notes. "You left first?"
"Yeah. We were talking and then I left. She was still there."
"Did she follow you? Had she started to leave?"
"No. She was still there. I turned as I was walking out the door to say something to her and she was still standing in the same place, laughing. She hadn't moved."
"What did you do next?"
"I went out to my car and went home."
"Which doors did you use? Did you see anyone in the hallways, anyone in the parking lot?"
"I used those doors," Puck said, gesturing to the front doors near Figgins' office. "I didn't see anyone in the hallway. There were a few cars in the parking lot but mostly on the other side, by the practice field. There was a little red car parked near mine but that was it."
"Tina drives a red car," Artie said helpfully.
The cops made more notes. "And you didn't see Tina at her locker or at her car?"
Puck shook his head. "No. I didn't see anyone from the time I left Rachel til the time I left. No one."
The cops nodded, their faces blank. "Did anyone else see Rachel or Tina after glee club? Did anyone hear from them? A phone call, a text, anything after practice?"
Puck's stomach sank as he watched his classmates slowly shake their heads. He was the last one, that they knew of, to see Tina and Rachel and he knew next to nothing. This just didn't make sense. Missing. How could they be missing? The word sounded so wrong, there was no way. These cops had to be mistaken.
"Could they have gone somewhere?" the female cop was asking. "Could they have gone somewhere and not told anyone? Somewhere they didn't want anyone to know about?"
"Could there have been a party? Somewhere they would get in trouble for going? A boy?"
The club shook their heads unanimously. "There's no way," Finn spoke up from the back of the room. "Not Rachel and Tina. They're not like that."
"Could they have run away?" the male cop pressed. "Gone off on their own?"
"You're not listening," Santana snapped. "They're not like that. Either of them. They wouldn't do that."
"These are good girls," Schue interjected softly. "Straight A students, involved in extracurriculars, good families. It would be completely out of character for them to have done this on purpose."
The female cop nodded, making more notes. "We understand, we just have to cover every base at this point."
Puck sat back in his chair as the cops conferred quietly with Schue and Figgins. He almost wished Rachel did have a secret boyfriend that she ran off to meet and drug Tina with her. He wished they had run away and not told anyone. Those options were much preferred over the conclusion they were all drawing now.
His attention was drawn away from his thoughts when another cop entered the office and whispered something to the cops. The male cop's face hardened and the female cop glanced back at the kids. Schue looked worried.
The male cop came forward. "I'm going to give you guys my card. If you think of anything else, please let us know immediately."
"Wait, that's it?" Quinn said, standing up. "What about Rachel and Tina? What about our friends?" she demanded.
"We're doing everything we can right now," the female cop soothed. "We've got some new information now and we have a place to start."
"A place to start?" Puck snorted. "I didn't know anything!"
"It's better than nothing," she assured him. "It's more than we had before." The cops withdrew to the hallway and the glee kids looked at each other helplessly. Brittany turned and put a comforting hand on Puck's arm. He fought the urge to shake her off when he saw the concerned look in her eyes, a look mirrored by the rest of the group.
"Kids, why don't you head back to class?" Figgins suggested. They all looked at him in disbelief. None of them could even fathom paying attention in class now, let alone actually learning something.
Schue stepped forward. "It's for the best, guys. I'll keep you updated if we hear anything. I'm going to cancel practice after school."
"Mr. Schue, no offense, but I think we all need practice," Artie spoke up. "Even if we don't actually practice. I don't think any of us will want to go home for awhile."
The rest of the kids spoke their agreement and Schue nodded. "Ok, guys, we'll meet in the choir room like normal. Head on back to class. I'll see you later."
!
By lunch the news was everywhere. The cops had sealed off the auditorium and were going through it with teams. Someone said a dog had even been brought in. The glee kids sat at their normal table, joined by Santana and Brittany, trying to ignore the gossip raging around them. It wasn't easy. Rumors and speculation flew, everything from the girls going to the mall to getting abducted by aliens.
Puck sat quietly as the group tried to keep the conversation light. He should have insisted he drive Rachel home last night, should have insisted she keep their plans, Tina be damned. He shook his head, instantly feeling guilty. He should have stayed, watching them practice, Rachel loved an audience. He should have done something.
Puck glanced up, feeling a light touch on his arm. Quinn. "It's not your fault," she said quietly.
"You don't know that," he mumbled.
"Of course we do," Mercedes said strongly. "Look, any one of us could have done things differently yesterday. Any one of us could have stayed with them or invited them somewhere with us. We didn't. We can't change that now."
"Wish I could."
"We all do," Brittany said. "I wish I had invited Rachel and Tina over to watch my cat to see if it opened my diary. Then they'd be here."
Santana patted her shoulder comfortingly. "We can't change anything now, Britt."
"There's no point thinking about what we should have done differently," Kurt spoke up. "We just have to hope that they're ok and that they're safe."
The conversation quieted and Puck glanced around the table. Everyone was shuffling their food around their plate, not really eating. Puck watched them for a full minute before he shoved his chair back and stood up. "I'm out of here," he said. He heard them protesting behind him and heard Finn tell them to let him go. He appreciated that. He headed to the locker room and changed into his practice clothes before heading out to the track to run laps.
!
By the time glee practice came around, the kids were glad for an escape. Puck walked into the choir room to find he wasn't the first one there.
"And then he asked if Rachel and Tina ran off to Vegas to get married," Mercedes was saying. "Can you believe that mess?"
"A freshman asked me if they ran off to marry the Jonas Brothers," Kurt said in a bored tone. "I considered telling her yes just to see what she'd say."
Santana spotted him standing in the doorway and nodded to him. "Hey."
He nodded back, moving from his spot against the doorjamb. "What's up?"
"Everyone's been bombarding us with questions all day," Mike explained. "Some of them are just ridiculous."
"Where have you been?" Quinn asked.
"Laps."
Santana crinkled her nose in disgust. "Explains why you smell like a sweat sock."
He glared at her. "I showered first, Lopez."
"If you say so."
He threw her another glare and when everyone else looked away, she sent him a small smile. He tried to give her one back. Out of everyone here she knew him almost as well as Finn did. Of course she knew he showered first. And what it meant when he went to run laps.
They engaged in idle small talk, sitting close together and not spread across the room like they usually were. When Mr. Schue came in, they quieted immediately.
"Mr. Schue, have you heard anything?" Artie asked hopefully.
Puck could tell from the look on Schue's face that he did in fact know something. And it didn't look like it was good.
Mr. Schue leaned on the piano in front of the kids. "Yeah, guys, there's some news. First, they found Tina's car. It was here at school, locked up tight. The good news is there was no sign of a struggle, no evidence of injury or anything like that. The bad news is that they weren't sure if the girls had ever made it there." He got up and started pacing the room. "There was no sign of struggle in the auditorium, nothing out of place. They brought a dog in and he picked up a trace scent and led them to Tina's car. So they're pretty sure the girls made it there last night."
"But they didn't take the car?" Finn said slowly. "Why would they not drive home?"
"Could be any number of reasons," Mr. Schue said. "They're having Tina's mom come down with the spare key to see if the car will start. They think maybe they had car trouble. And since Rachel didn't have her cell phone, she wouldn't have been able to call anyone."
"But Tina has a cell phone," Brittany pointed out helpfully. "I've seen her use it. It's really cute."
Mr. Schue nodded again. "They're not sure of anything at this point. They're just speculating. However, the dog picked up their scent trace from the car also. They followed it down the road a few miles and they found something."
Everyone leaned forward, waiting to hear the answer. "What, Mr. Schue?" Puck asked hoarsely. "What did they find?"
Mr. Schue looked down, composing himself. "They found backpacks. Two of them. They won't say for sure, but I get the idea the police think they belong to Rachel and Tina."
Puck felt as if the wind was knocked out of him. There was no way…if the backpacks were Rachel and Tina's….then where were the girls?
"What else?" Quinn said mechanically. "There's something else?"
"They followed the scent further down the road, just outside of town," Mr. Schue said in a soft voice. "It ended just off Main Street. There were fresh tire marks just off the side of the road and they think…well, they're not saying much right now."
"They think they were taken," Artie said, disbelief evident in his tone.
"What else did they tell you, Mr. Schue?" Finn asked quietly.
"They haven't told me anything, guys. But Rachel's dads are keeping me updated. They know how special she is to all of us and they know how worried about the girls we all are."
"She has to come back," Santana said. "I mean, she's Rachel."
"And Tina," Artie piped up.
Santana nodded. "And Tina. This is just…wrong."
Mr. Schue nodded. "I know, guys. Just remember, there's nothing definite yet. So far they're just missing. And maybe not even that. There's still hope." He took a deep breath and looked each of his kids in the eye. "Guys, I know this is hard, but we have to be here for each other, more now than ever. And if any of you need to talk, I'm always here and Ms. Pillsbury is too. We've gotta be strong and just have faith right now. That's all we can do."
Puck stared around the room at his friends and wondered, silently, if maybe there was something more they could all do. "Mr. Schue," he asked tentatively. "Is there…I mean, should we be looking for them? Out where the backpacks were found? Maybe they're still there somewhere…" he trailed off, not wanting to think about what it would mean if the girls were still out in the woods.
"Rachel's dads asked the same thing," Mr. Schue said. "The police are taking dogs through there right now and they don't want anyone else on the scene in case there's evidence to preserve. They promised to be thorough but told Rachel's dads they could organize something when they're done if they want to."
Puck nodded. "Tell them I'm in."
"Me too," Matt chimed in. One by one, the rest of the glee kids volunteered to join the search. Artie volunteered himself and his family to help make food and provide refreshments for anyone who participated in the search. Mr. Schue nodded, his eyes suspiciously bright, and promised to pass the information along to Rachel's dads.
Puck sat back in his chair and wished he could do more to find his friends. Where are you, he wondered. Where are you?