Chapter 36

Jack woke up to discover that he was in an abandoned warehouse. He tried to get up, but realised that his hands and legs were bound. His vision was still a bit blurry due to the substance that knocked him out.

"Help!" Jack called out.

At that moment, Andrew walked in.

"G'day, Jack." he said, smirking. "Surprised to see me?"

"You did this to me?!" Jack asked angrily. "Why, mate?!"

Andrew laughed before snapping, "Why?! I'll tell you why!"

"Go on!" Jack said.

"Because I want revenge against Donna!" Andrew admitted. "If she just did what I said, then I wouldn't have hit her!"

"But why kidnap me?" Jack asked.

"Because you defended her, mate!" Andrew yelled. "I hope you enjoy your stay here because until Donna comes back to me, you're staying here."

Andrew then walked away.

"JERK!" Jack screamed as he tried to break free, to no avail.

The next morning was Monday. Pippa had spent a sleepless night trying to figure out where Jack went off to as he hadn't returned home since storming out of the house the previous afternoon. If only she knew where Jack really was.

"Morning, Pippa." Sally said as she came downstairs.

"Good morning, Sal." Pippa said wearily.

"Did Jack come home?"

"No, he didn't." Pippa replied. "I'm now really starting to get worried."

"We should go to the police." Tiegan suggested.

"Tiegan, the police won't file a missing person report if they've been missing less than 24 hours." Pippa said, before she started to yawn.

"Pippa, get some rest." Tiegan said. "We can look after things here."

"I could use the rest." Pippa said.

Just as Pippa was about to make her way upstairs, the phone rang. Sally answered it.

"Hello, Summer Bay Caravan Park? I'll get her for you." Sally said, before turning to Pippa. "It's Mrs James from the department."

Pippa took the phone from Sally.

"Hi, Helen. Listen, I have a major problem that we need to address." Pippa said. "Yes, it concerns Kerri AND Jack for that matter. It turns out that Kerri is pregnant with Jack's baby. What do you think we should do about it?"

While Pippa was on the phone, Sam came downstairs.

"Where's Jack?" he asked.

"He still hasn't come home." Tiegan replied.

"Thank you very much, Helen. Alright, bye."

Pippa then hung up the phone.

"What did Mrs James want?" Sally asked Pippa.

"She wants to hold a meeting with Kerri, Jack, myself and Kerri's new foster family to try and come up with a solution on what to do." Pippa responded.

"How do you think it'll go?" Tiegan asked.

"I really don't know." Pippa said, looking concerned.

Later that morning, Selina decided to go to Yabbie Creek to get her hair dyed. She hadn't told Irene what she was doing. Selina walked into Gia's Hair Flair and sat in the waiting room before a hairdresser approached her.

"You hear for a haircut?" he asked Selina.

"No, I want to get my hair dyed." Selina replied.

"Someone will be with you shortly."

Selina waited five minutes before she was called up.

"Hi, I'm Nicole. I'll be doing your hair today." the female hairdresser told Selina.

Selina sat in the chair as Nicole placed a cape over her.

"What colour should I dye your hair?" Nicole asked.

"Burgundy." Selina replied.

"I think we can make it work." Nicole said, smiling.

After an hour, Selina was now sporting burgundy coloured hair.

"What do you think?" Nicole asked her.

"I LOVE it!" Selina said.

"I'm glad you love your new hair colour." Nicole said.

Selina managed to smile.

Meanwhile, Andrew was giving Jack some water.

"It'll keep you hydrated." Andrew told him.

"Are you going to hurt me, man?" Jack asked him.

"No, mate." Andrew said. "As long as you do what you're told, you have nothing to worry about."

Jack struggled to free his hands, which were now starting to hurt.

"Can you loosen these ropes?" Jack asked him. "They're too tight."

"That's the whole idea." Andrew said. "I'll be back."

And with that, Andrew was gone. Jack growled in frustration.

That afternoon, Tiegan arrives at Stephanie's to find her shaking.

"Steph, what's the matter?" she asked her friend.

"Some lowlife vandalised Louis and Corey's headstones." Stephanie said, her voice quivering.

"You're joking!" Tiegan said angrily.

"I just got off the phone with Louis's mother and as soon as she told me, I felt sick." Stephanie said.

"Who does that?!"

Stephanie started to cry.

"Come here, sister from another mister." Tiegan said, pulling Stephanie into a hug.

"It's so unfair!" Stephanie sobbed. "Louis and Corey didn't deserve this!"

"I know." Tiegan said softly.

Stephanie continued to sob as Tiegan hugged her.

At Pippa's house, she is in the kitchen when the phone rings again. She answers it.

"Hello, Summer Bay Caravan Park?"

"Pippa, I have Jack! He's nice and secure with me at the moment, but that could change in an instant!" a muffled voice responded.

"Who is this?!" Pippa demanded.

"If you want Jack to have a safe return, tell Donna Bishop to withdraw $20,000 from her bank account. If she doesn't comply, Jack will be hurt!"

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! RETURN JACK TO ME, RIGHT NOW!"

Andrew hung up the phone before turning to Jack, who now had his mouth covered with silver tape.

"Looks like Donna better follow through with her promise." he told Jack before ripping the tape off his mouth.

"You won't get away with this!" Jack snarled.

Andrew just laughed before walking away.

NEXT TIME...
- Donna realises who kidnapped Jack and is determined to save him at the cost of her own life
- Irene goes ballistic when she finds out that Selina dyed her hair
- Stephanie and Tiegan receive some news from Melissa