Chapter 3
1994 Words
Paul and Anna drove around town and passed the Maverick Manor.
“What’s his problem!” blurted out Anna.
“People change, Anna. We both know this. We haven’t seen him in years.”
She shrugged. Something didn’t sit right with her, and she was going to figure out what it was.
“Remember last time you went headstrong and snooped around, and you got hurt real bad,” he said, touching her side, and she sighed.
She had a scar from her armpit to her hip and a couple of stab scars around her ribs. She got deep into the Martel case and went rogue to bring the crime boss down. The case was finally solved, but the cost was not the greatest.
She fought for her life for six months in a hospital bed. If Paul hadn’t caught on to what she was doing so quickly, she would have been dead.
She knew Paul meant well, but her curiosity got the best of her, and she wanted to know why Xander was so cold hearted now.
“You might not like what you find,” Paul said, raising an eyebrow, and she sighed.
They pulled up to the station and walked inside.
“Simone! Woods!”
“Yes, ma’am?"
“A call came in. I need you two to go down to the Hardy Industries plant. There was a break-in, reported.”
Anna gave Paul a knowing look and smirked.
“Alright, we’re on it,” said Paul, and they walked outside.
“Well, maybe this place won’t be as boring as you thought,” breathed Anna, opening the door, and Paul laughed.
“So it seems.”
She laughed as they got into the cruiser and headed down the road.
*****
“Allison!” exclaimed Kirsten, walking into the editorial room.
The editorial room was as big as all the other classrooms in the school, but this one had three large desks, computers, and file cabinets aligned against the wall. There were bulletin boards on the walls, and Allison tacked many clippings and notes to them.
“Kirsten, hey, so are you ready to start your first non-cheer-leading class?” she teased.
Kirsten smiled and walked toward her.
“My Aunt is not happy, but it’s time to figure out what Kirsten wants. Not living in my mom’s and aunt’s dreams.”
Allison nodded and grinned.
“So, what are we working on?”
Allison smiled and waved her over to her computer. She opened a file, and Kirsten saw that it was about the Hardy and Maverick corporations.
“So, I’ve been working on a story about a top-secret project between these two companies and the military. Some sort of weapon called Project A and Project T.”
“Maverick is all over the papers, more than Hardy. What does this have to do with the Hardy’s?” asked Kirsten.
“I actually got this file folder from Mr. Hardy’s office from the plant last night.”
She pulled out a manila folder and handed it to Kirsten. She looked it over and scowled.
“Allison, you could have been seriously hurt or caught, or worse."
“I was careful, and I didn’t mess anything up and looked as they left it.”
Tom and their friend Pete walked into the room, and Tom smiled at Kirsten.
“Hey.”
“Hi.”
“Not to cut this short, but there was a break-in at the Hardy plant. Come on,” said Pete with a grin.
He was dark-skinned with big brown eyes and a devilish smile. Kirsten looked at Allison with concern, and Allison shook her head.
“I promise you this wasn’t me. I used my dad’s security badge,” she whispered.
Kirsten bit her lip and only nodded.
*****
Anna and Paul pulled up to the Hardy plant, and Paul chuckled.
“I’ll stay here and question the security guards while you go inside,” he said, and she smirked.
“What, don’t you like fertilizer?”
He laughed and shook his head.
“No, I don’t like your boyfriend.”
She scoffed, got out of the cruiser, and walked into the building. As she walked down the smelly hallway, she overheard a conversation.
“Sir, there is no security footage. It seems as though someone interfered with the feed,” said a security guard.
She walked into the room, and Justin and the security guard had their backs turned to her.
“It must have been an inside job. Find out who was here last night,” Justin said, running his hand through his hair.
“Yes, sir.”
The security guard turned and saw Anna.
“Sir, law enforcement is here.”
She heard Justin sigh a heavy sigh and saw him.
“Listen, I know that…”
He turned around and stopped.
“Anna?” he exclaimed.
She smiled, walking toward him, and he swallowed hard.
“Actually, it’s Simone. I’m on duty,” she purred.
He chuckled and ran his fingers over his desk.
“Now, Mr. Hardy, why would someone want to break into your office?” she asked curiously.
“Well, that part, I am not sure about because nothing was stolen,” he stated.
“Hmm.”
Justin led her into his office, and there were file cabinets turned over and papers and file folders everywhere. His desk was scattered with papers and folders, but it looked like someone was looking for a file because there was no sign of vandalism. Her eyes trailed to the floor, and she saw something shiny, like an ID card of some sort.
“Sir!” said the security guard, and Justin and Anna turned to him.
“You may want to come and take a look at this,” he said seriously.
“Excuse me, Ms. Simone,” he said and left.
After they were gone, she walked over to the ID quickly and picked it up. There was a picture of a blonde girl who looked somewhat familiar. Allison Saunders. It was Tom and his girlfriend’s friend. She slid the card into her back pocket.
She looked at the desk and saw a bunch of papers on the plant, but then she saw a single sheet of paper that said a proposal for a military experiment called Project A. She heard footsteps and acted as though she was studying the room.
“Sorry about that,” said Justin, and she turned her gaze on him.
“Apparently, one of my employees who works during the day was working late last night,” he noted.
She nodded and looked at him thoughtfully.
“We need the name of that employee for our report, and I can start my report, Mr. Hardy.”
He nodded and didn’t believe this particular employee would try to plot against him. The man was one of his highest-paid employees. Anna realized how Allison got into the plant, and her dad must work for Justin.
“Please go through all of your papers and things and make sure that nothing was stolen. We will be in touch,” she said, handing him her card.
He looked at it and smiled.
“So, is this your actual cell number?” he asked.
“Good day, Mr. Hardy,” she said with a smile and walked out of the office.
He smiled, watching her leave. She intrigued him.
********
The kids were told to leave when they got out to the Hardy plant, so they went back to the school.
“So, Kirsten, are we still on for studying for the history exam?” asked Tom, putting his arm around her shoulders.
Kirsten looked at him and smiled.
“Of course.”
She looked at Allison and Pete.
“You guys coming too?”
Allison was at her computer typing away and didn’t look up.
“I’ll meet you guys there, I just need to type up the rest of today’s findings.”
“Okay, but don’t be too late,” said Pete.
He knew that when she got into writing for the school paper, she would work on it nonstop unless one of them was there to bring her back to reality. Tom and Kirsten nodded, and the three of them left her in the editorial room.
********
Allison finished her typing and clicked save. She closed the file, logged out of her account, and turned off the computer, looking out the window. It was already dark outside. She looked at her watch and sighed.
Her friends were probably done studying and had already gone home. She stood and was about to bend down to pick up her backpack when a hand and a cloth came over her face. Frantically, she flailed her arms and knocked her things off her desk. Shetried fighting as hard as she could, but the room got blurry, and then everything went dark.
*****
“You know, it’s really weird Allison hasn’t shown up yet,” stated Pete, looking at the coffee shop entrance.
“Yeah, you’re right,” said Kirsten, and she grabbed her phone.
“Let me call her. She must have lost track of time again.”
She dialed Allison’s number and waited. There was no answer.
“She didn’t answer.”
“I’m sure she just went home, probably thought we left already,” said Tom, and Kirsten and Pete gave him a worried look.
“Come on, let’s go home. We will see her tomorrow,” said Tom.
*****
Tom pulled up to the house, walked in, and saw Paul in the kitchen.
“Hey bro, late night?”
He looked worried.
“Yeah, we were waiting for Allison, studying at the Claw, and she never showed up.”
Paul gave him a puzzled look and raised an eyebrow.
“And she wouldn’t answer her phone.”
Paul could tell he was really upset and worried.
“I’m sure you will see her at school tomorrow.”
He only nodded and went upstairs. Paul pulled out his cell and sent Anna a quick message.
"Hey, my brother came home and said his friend Allison never showed up for study group. Check in with it tomorrow?’
A few moments later, his phone buzzed.
‘Sure thing. Night’
‘Night.’
*****
Anna opened her eyes, hearing her phone, and she grumbled.
“Simone,” she croaked.
“Simone, we have a missing child reported. Allison Saunders. Her father just called and said she never came home from school yesterday,” said the sheriff.
She blinked her eyes a couple of times and looked at the clock on the wall. It was five-thirty in the morning, an hour before her alarm went off.
“Okay, I am getting up,” said Anna groggily and hung up the phone.
She pulled her pants and shirt on, put her thigh holsters on, and slid her pistols in. She brushed her teeth, braided her hair, pulled her socks on, and ran down the stairs. She opened the fridge, grabbed a couple of protein drinks, threw them in her bag, and pulled her boots on. She slid her knife into the sheath and headed out the door.
******
Tom and Kirsten met each other at school, and they had worried looks on their faces.
“Hey, did you hear from Allison last night?”
Kirsten shook her head. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they walked into the school and headed to the editorial classroom. Suddenly, Kirsten gasped as they reached the door.
Allison’s things were thrown everywhere. Her backpack was by her desk, and her cell phone and belongings were scattered across the floor. She looked at Tom, horrified, and he swallowed hard. He pulled out his phone and dialed his brother’s number.
“Woods.”
“Bro, you guys need to get to the school immediately. Allison has been kidnapped!” he cried.
- Writer
