Chapter 1

There are moments in life that are burned forever in your brain; the fuel of your nightmares that wake you up at two in the morning. It's the headline that your girlfriend is missing while staring at the hundreds of unread texts you sent her. It's the moment you feel your best friend take her last breath after taking a bullet for you. It's the moment you realize that your soon-to-be sister practically can shapeshift…and the moment she gives it away to save you. And now…it's the look of horror on that same sister's face while on the phone being told the news that one of her best friends is missing.

"Do you know when she left your parents' house?" Avi frantically says into the phone as she talks on the phone to Amber.

"Mom said Ashley left at three," Amber says over the speaker phone. "She should have been at Justin's no later than six or seven." I glance over at the clock. It's 10:30, I think with a gulp.

"Has anyone tried calling her?" Avi asks, panic rising in her voice.

"Everyone has," Amber says, her voice shaking. "Justin called her about fifty times before calling us. Mom and Dad have both tried calling and texting. I called and texted. Jared even tried. Kaley doesn't know yet...I was going to call her next."

"Could her phone be dead or not have signal?" I chime in. "Could it be as simple as her being stuck on the side of the road with no signal or a dead phone?"

"Her phone is ringing though," Amber replies and my heart sinks. "I was praying that was the case. Justin's truck is in the shop so he has been trying to find someone to drive around with him and look since she hasn't been…m-missing long enough to file a report." I hear a stifled sob on the other end of the phone.

"Why don't we drive down there?" Avi asks. "We'd take the route she would have. If she is on the side of the road for any reason, we would pass by her."

There's a pause on the other end of the phone. I notice gentle whispers in the background before Amber comes back and says, "It's better than sitting around doing nothing. Let's do it."

"Okay, call Kaley cause I'm sure she'll want to come too and we'll head your way," Avi says before hanging up the phone. She lets out a long sigh before she begins to shake with sobs.

"Hey come here," I say as I pull her close. She clutches me tightly as I say, "We'll find her. This isn't our first rodeo. We can handle this. Everything is going to be okay." I can feel her let out a sigh but she doesn't argue. She holds me tighter as I gently rub her back.

Finally, she pulls away and wipes her face. She grabs her phone and her purse off the hook on the wall before saying, "Let's go."

Fear. That's the only thing I can feel. Somehow, with every other rescue mission, I had always felt like everything would be okay. Even when I was kidnapped by Nathan, I somehow still felt peace. But as I sit in this car with Amber, Chloe, and Kaley scanning the road for Ashley's car, I feel anything but peace.

"How close are we to Justin's?" Amber asks.

I glance at my GPS. "About an hour," I answer.

"Any sign of her?" Chloe asks from the back. I simply shake my head.

"Guys, have you heard about this guy?" Kaley chimes in from the back. She scrolls through her phone, "There is this guy who's been on the loose in southern Florida. They call him the 'Arson Killer'. Apparently, he finds girls and takes them to old buildings in the middle of nowhere and sets them on fire with them inside."

"Now is not the time, Kaley," Amber snaps. "Ash is missing. I don't need to be thinking of her being kidnapped by an arson killer."

"I know," Kaley says a bit softer. "I brought it up as if we should look for signs of him. Could he have her?"

"She does have a point, Am," Chloe says. "As much as I hate to think it."

"You said he was in southern Florida though," Amber says. "We're in central Florida. Do you think he would work his way up?"

"It says in the article that each time he was further north," Kaley says. "I know it's dark but keep an eye out for signs of fire just in case. Chloe, are you packing?"

"Always," she says, patting her belt.

"I've never been happier to hear someone has a gun," Amber says nervously.

"Apparently it's the lives we live," I say bluntly. "I never would have thought I would have needed a gun in adulthood as much as I have."

"Says the person who still won't go get her license to carry," Chloe says snarkily.

"Did you ever get yours?" Kaley asks.

"…that's not important," Chloe says nervously.

"Guys," I say as I start to slow down the car.

"You should really consider getting it," Amber says to Chloe. "Just to cover your butt."

"I've never been a situation where anyone's questioned if I had a license to carry," Chloe says. "It's always been too intense for anyone to think to ask."

"Guys," I say a little firmer as I pull my car to the side of the road.

"Yeah, but you could get in serious trouble if it ever were questioned," Kaley chimes in.

"Well, it's not like I'm going to stop carrying it in the meantime," Chloe answers. "I've been fine without it and if I get the time, I will."

"GUYS!" I yell as I stop the car.

"What?!" Chloe yells back.

"I…I found Ashley's car," I mutter.