C358 Was She Taken

Jack's voice came through the phone. "Sarah, it's me. Jack. Ben's friend." Sarah frowned slightly. She eased her foot off the accelerator and slowed the car. "Jack?" she asked. "How did you get my number?" There was a brief pause."Ben gave it to me." Sarah nodded slowly. "Alright. Is something wrong?" Another silence followed. This time it lasted longer. Finally Jack spoke. "Miss Sarah, I actually need your help with something."

Sarah glanced at the road ahead. "My help?" "Yes." His voice sounded nervous. "I know this is sudden, but I'm right behind you. Could you stop for a moment? I just need a few minutes of your time." Sarah frowned. Behind her? She looked into the rearview mirror. A black vehicle was indeed following her. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. "What do you need help with?" she asked. "It would be easier to explain face-to-face." Sarah hesitated. Normally she would have refused. But Jack was Ben's friend. Besides, she wasn't completely defenseless anymore.

Her eyes drifted toward the passenger seat where her gun rested inside its case. After a few moments she sighed. "Fine." She pulled over near the side of the road. A few seconds later the black vehicle stopped behind her. Sarah stepped out of her car. The evening air was cool. She watched as Jack exited his vehicle and approached her. At first glance everything seemed normal. But then she noticed something. Jack looked tense. Very tense. His eyes kept moving around. Almost as if he was worried someone would see him. Sarah frowned. "Jack, what's going on?"

Jack stopped a few steps away. Then suddenly he pulled out a gun. Everything happened so fast that Sarah froze. Her eyes widened. The smile disappeared from her face. "Jack..." His voice turned cold. "Don't move." Sarah instinctively glanced toward her car. Toward her own gun. Immediately Jack raised his weapon. "If you take one more step," he said sharply, "I will shoot." Sarah's heart began pounding. For several seconds neither of them moved. The situation had changed too quickly. This wasn't a joke. This wasn't a misunderstanding. The gun in Jack's hand was very real.

Sarah slowly raised her hands. "What are you doing?" Jack looked conflicted for a moment. Then he shook his head. "You don't need to know." "Jack, Ben is your friend." "I know." "Then why are you doing this?" Jack's jaw tightened. "Because I was ordered to." Sarah felt a chill run down her spine. Ordered? By who? Before she could ask another question, Jack stepped forward. "Get in the car." Sarah's expression darkened. "No." Jack raised the gun slightly. "Get in."

Sarah looked around. The road was almost empty. No pedestrians. No nearby shops. No witnesses. Slowly she realized she had no choice. Jack pushed her toward his vehicle. Once she sat in the passenger seat, Jack quickly entered from the other side. Sarah looked for an opportunity. Any opportunity. But before she could react. The butt of the gun struck the side of her head. Pain exploded through her skull. Her vision blurred instantly. The world spun. Then everything went dark.

Several hours later... Sarah slowly opened her eyes. Her head throbbed painfully. For several moments she couldn't understand where she was. The smell of dust filled the air. Old metal. Rotting wood. She blinked several times. Then panic hit her. Her hands were tied. Her legs were tied. She was sitting on a chair inside a large abandoned warehouse. Not far away Jack sat on a wooden crate. The gun was still in his hand. The moment he noticed her waking up, he stood. "You're awake." Sarah tried to pull against the ropes. "Jack." He didn't answer. "Why are you doing this?" Still no answer.Sarah looked around desperately. The warehouse was huge. Dark. Empty. And far from help. The real fear settled into her heart.

Meanwhile... At the Wood Residence. Night had already fallen. The lights inside the house glowed warmly. Dinner had long since been prepared. Yet Sarah and Samantha still hadn't returned. Kelvin checked the time again. Then sighed. "Maybe they're still training." Tracy sat beside him. She looked worried. "But Sarah does not train." Before Kelvin could answer, the front door opened. Everyone immediately turned. Samantha entered. Alone. Ben smiled. "Look. One of them is finally here." But Tracy immediately noticed something. Only Samantha had entered.

Sarah was nowhere to be seen. "Samantha," Tracy asked, standing up, "where's Sarah?" Samantha froze. Only now did she realize her sister hadn't arrived yet. All day she had been distracted. Distracted by Faith. Distracted by guilt. Distracted by the argument with Sarah. Now a feeling of unease appeared inside her chest. "S-Sarah?" Kelvin frowned. "Isn't she with you?" Samantha shook her head. "No." The room suddenly became quiet. Tracy's expression changed. "What do you mean no?" Samantha swallowed. "She left training before we even started." Ben sat up straighter. "She left?"

Samantha immediately pulled out her phone. "I'll call her." The call began ringing. Once. Twice. Three times. Inside the warehouse, Sarah's phone suddenly lit up. Jack's eyes widened. "What?" The ringing echoed loudly. He rushed forward. "Why didn't you tell me you brought your phone?!" He grabbed it from Sarah's pocket. Samantha's name flashed on the screen. Without hesitation Jack switched the phone off. The ringing stopped. Samantha frowned. The call had ended unexpectedly. She dialed again. This time it went straight to voicemail.

A cold feeling settled in her stomach. She tried again. Voicemail. Again. Voicemail. Now everyone was standing. Kelvin's face became serious. Tracy's hands began shaking. Samantha lowered the phone. "Dad..." Her voice trembled. "Something's wrong." Kelvin immediately took out his own phone. "I'll check the vehicle tracking." Tracy hurried closer. "Please." Her voice was already breaking. "What if something happened?" "What if she went into labour?" "She shouldn't have been driving alone."

Kelvin quickly called the vehicle insurance and tracking company. After a few rings someone answered. "Good evening, sir. How may we assist you?" "This is Kelvin Wood." "Good evening, Mr. Wood." "I need the location of my daughter's vehicle immediately." "Registration number is CH 214-768." "Certainly, sir. One moment." Everyone waited. The silence felt endless. Finally the operator spoke again. "Sir, we have located the vehicle." Kelvin immediately asked, "Where is she?" There was a pause. "Sir... the vehicle is stationary." "What do you mean stationary?" "It appears to be parked on a roadside pavement."

Kelvin's expression darkened. "For how long?" The operator checked. "Approximately two hours and seventeen minutes." The room went silent. Kelvin's heart sank. "Are you certain?" "Yes, sir." "Send me the exact location." "Immediately, sir." The call ended. Tracy grabbed his arm. "What happened?" Kelvin slowly lowered the phone. His face had gone pale. "Sarah's car has been parked in the same place for over two hours." Samantha's heart dropped. "No..." Ben stood up immediately. "What?"

Kelvin turned toward the family guards. "Prepare the vehicles." Then he looked at Samantha. "I'm going there." Samantha wiped tears from her eyes. "I'm coming too." Kelvin nodded. "Let's go." Twenty minutes later... Several vehicles arrived at the location. The headlights illuminated the roadside. Sarah's car sat exactly where the tracker indicated. Alone. Silent. Abandoned. Samantha rushed forward before anyone could stop her.

She pulled open the driver's door. Empty. The passenger seat. Empty. The back seat. Empty. Nothing. No Sarah. No phone. No sign of where she had gone. Samantha's breathing became erratic. "No..." She turned around desperately. "No, no, no..." Kelvin searched the surrounding area with the guards. Nothing. Not a single clue. Then suddenly Samantha remembered something. The conversation she had with Sarah. The people following them. The warning from Alicia to be careful. The Harris Family. Tears began streaming down her face. "Was it them?"

Her voice cracked. "Was it really them?" She dropped to her knees beside the road. The tears came uncontrollably now. "Dad..." She looked up at Kelvin. "Someone took her." The fear in her voice made even the guards go silent. Kelvin felt genuine terror. His daughter hadn't disappeared. She had been taken.