Two Hours Ago

Anna's heart raced with terror as she caught sight of the objects held by the man who had abducted her. Unbeknownst to her at that moment, his proficiency with those instruments hinted at a disturbing history of such acts.

Facing him, Anna wrestled desperately against her restraints, but her struggles only inflicted more pain upon herself. She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks, silently imploring him to spare her from the impending ordeal. Paradoxically, her vulnerability seemed to fuel his sadistic resolve.

Lowering himself before her, he spilled his array of tormenting tools onto the cold floor. Selecting a pair of pincers, he extended his hand toward her cheek. His touch was oddly gentle, tracing her skin as minutes dragged on. Just as Anna dared to hope he might relent, he suddenly clamped down on her right cheek, the pincer biting into her flesh.

Anna's cries of pain turned into sobs, her pleas echoing in the basement's dim confines. The man's concealed grin widened beneath his mask, relishing her anguish.

Switching to her left cheek, he replicated the cruel act, each muffled whimper escaping Anna's sealed lips reverberating through the room.

Finally releasing her from the pincers, he allowed his tool to fall to the ground. Anna's head drooped, her disheveled hair veiling her face. Little did she know, this was merely a prelude to further torment.

His grasp now on a thumbscrew, he manipulated it thoughtfully, a sinister snort escaping his lips. Lifting his gaze, he scowled at Anna, irritated that she appeared to be drifting into slumber. His firm grip on her chin forced her head up, prompting a grimace from Anna.

"Don't you dare drift off. Our little game isn't over yet!" His words resonated with a deep, aggressive timbre. Letting go of her, he seized her fingers, contemplating his next move. "Where should I start?" he mused, surveying her digits from right to left.

Anna weakly shook her head, her heavy eyelids on the brink of closure. Despite her blinking, she beseeched him to halt the torment.

Ignoring her feeble protest, he pressed on, callously subjecting her to his ruthless agenda. Slotting her index fingers into the thumbscrew's cruel embrace, he tightened it mercilessly, causing Anna to scream in agonizing pain until she succumbed to unconsciousness, her fingers released from their torment only after her ordeal ended.

"Why succumb to unconsciousness when the real fun has just begun?" his voice boomed. A sigh escaped him, accompanied by an air of disappointment. "I suppose I need a break," he added with a weary tone, rising to his feet.

Collecting his arsenal of torture implements, he arranged them meticulously on the table before departing the basement, leaving behind a scene of unspeakable horror.

Now

Anna gradually roused from her slumber, fluttering her eyes open. Initially, her surroundings appeared as a blur, but with repeated blinking, the details began to come into focus.

Intense pain radiated from the bruises on her face and fingers, prompting muffled sobs to escape her. Regret and remorse flooded her thoughts.

"Why didn't I report this earlier, when I first felt that someone was following me? I saw him more than once, and I was foolish to dismiss the danger. Now it's all gone wrong. It's like living in a real-life horror movie. I should be the one who's gone, not Drake. He was my love, my best friend, the only man I've ever truly loved. How did I let this happen?"

Tears coursed down her cheeks as she wrestled with her emotions. Even after witnessing Drake's final breath, a glimmer of hope clung to her that he might somehow still be alive.

Trying to adjust her position, she involuntarily emitted a yelp, her eyes clenching shut as she endured the surge of pain. At that moment, the desire for death to claim her seemed preferable to the excruciating agony she was enduring.

The creak of the basement door pierced the air, and Anna strained to hear approaching footsteps. The man strode in, a water bottle in hand, his ninja mask concealing his identity. His black sleeves were rolled up, revealing an array of animal tattoos.

Anna's gaze fell upon these tattoos, a sense of revulsion washing over her. They sparked a curiosity about the man behind the mask. As if reading her thoughts, he removed the mask, revealing his true face. Anna's expression twitched in surprise; she hadn't anticipated such a murderer to possess such good looks. He was far more handsome than she had imagined, defying her expectations of a disfigured, ruthless figure.

Yet, his innocence seemed jarringly incongruous. Anna intuited that he might be around her father's age, and this raised questions about how he could commit such heinous acts, particularly against someone as young as herself. Did he not have a daughter or a son who might evoke empathy, preventing him from inflicting this torment?

If only she could free her mouth from the tape, she thought, she might be able to appeal to his conscience, diverting him from his malevolent path.

Removing the tape, he warned her, "One thing I'll let you know is, no amount of screaming will bring help to you. This building is soundproof, so don't bother trying".

The tape's removal elicited a grimace and a sigh of relief from Anna and she wiped her mouth on her left shoulder. She observed as he walked over to a table and gathered his instruments of torture.

"If you should also know, I didn't unseal your lips so you can bother me with questions. I did it so I'll be able to enjoy your screams while I torture you" his lips quirks up in a crooked smile. "And oh, I unmasked myself because I want you to see the excitement on my face when I'm torturing you. After all, you've been dying to see it, haven't you?" he smirks dropping the instruments of torture on the floor and walking back to another table.

Despite his claim that her questions were unwelcome, Anna's desperation overwhelmed her, prompting her to confront him. "Why? Why are you doing this? I don't even know you, and I doubt you know me. So why subject me to this agony? Why did you kill my boyfriend? He never wronged you. He was a kind, innocent soul. We had dreams of a life together. Why murder him without remorse?" Anna's voice trembled, her words choked with emotion. "Tell me, am I your first victim, or am I just one in a long line? Are you a serial killer, dooming me to the same fate?" Her outburst echoed in the basement.

He turned slowly, his expression contorted in response. He advanced toward her, his clenched fist revealing his tension. Anna met his gaze with disdain, unflinching as he approached.

Bending down, he seized her face and twisted it forcefully, his anger palpable.

"Learn. To. Obey. Simple instructions" he barks and let go of her.

"Or what? You'll kill me like you killed my boyfriend? Why not go ahead already? Why are you taking your time to do it, huh? Fucking do it already!" she dares him.

He threw a hot slap to her face which sent her head turning sideways. She felt a liquid drip down her mouth and she licked her lips and spat out blood. She screeched when she saw her blood on the floor. She gazes up at him and smirks.

"Is that all you've got?" She asked almost inaudibly forcing out a chuckle.

Anger boils up in his veins and the pupil in his eyes became darker.

He pulls out his dagger and slits her left jaw. Anna screams in pain.

"This suits you better" he gave a mocking laugh and clean the blood blood-stain on her thighs. "Hmm, looks sexy on you. Maybe I should try licking it on your thighs" he bit his lips and brought his tongue out.

Anna frowns in disgust and wished she could enter the hole right now.

"You disgusting pig! Don't you dare touch my body, it doesn't belong to you!" she snapped at him.

His lips curl up into a crooked smile, he used his hand to caress her exposed thighs. Anna scowls at his touch and glanced away shutting her eyes closed.

"Tut tut tut. You talk too much" he said in a bored tone and grabbed a cello tape and sealed her lips again. "It's better this way" he sighs and stepped aside. His gaze narrowed to the bottle of water on the table. "Oh, I brought that water over there for you, but I don't think you need it anymore."

He laughs and Anna shot him a murderous glare. He knew Anna was getting dehydrated, so instead of giving her water to regain her energy, he choose to use it to torment her.

Anna blinks weakly feeling exhausted as she watches him bring another small box and kept it in front of her. He took out an injection filled with a sedated drug and reached out for her neck. Anna struggles for him not to succeed with his action but she was only wasting her time since her hands and legs were still tied down.

"Relax" was the cold words he said as he slide the needle to her neck and the drug went down to her veins. In a minute Anna's eyes went blurry and she blacked out.

*Anna's Apartment*

Jay remained in a state of shock, his heart sinking as he gazed upon his lifeless friend sprawled out before him. This was a level of devastation beyond any he could have imagined. His legs quivered beneath him, his entire body trembling uncontrollably, and his vision blurred by a deluge of tears.

Every ounce of strength drained from his legs, leaving him unable to approach the spot where Drake's life had been abruptly extinguished. Nearby, Brad fought to rouse Nicole from her slumber. "Jay, call emergency services!" Brad's urgent plea fell on deaf ears, Jay's physical presence in the room belied the fact that his mind seemed to have abandoned the scene entirely.

"Jay!" Brad's voice rang out once more, finally drawing Jay's attention away from his mental turmoil. Slowly, his head turned to face Brad, his gaze distant and unfocused. "Call the police, Jay! Tell them it's a homicide!" Brad's words were laced with urgency.

For a moment, Jay appeared as though he hadn't comprehended the command. His mind felt distant as if wrapped in a fog of disbelief. However, a flicker of awareness sparked in his eyes, and his faculties began to return to him.

Numbly, he nodded at Brad, his fingers fumbling to retrieve his phone. As he dialed the digits for emergency services, his gaze involuntarily drifted back to the lifeless form of his friend. The pungent stench of blood filled the air, assaulting his senses with a sickening intensity. A wave of nausea surged through him, and he staggered toward Drake's body.

The odor overwhelmed him, and Jay's stomach churned in response. He doubled over, retching as the repulsive scent and the weight of the situation bore down on him. His body sank to his knees, one hand clutching his stomach, the other still holding his phone, as the gravity of the tragedy unfolded around him.

"Jay! Damnit!" Brad cussed and lay Nicole on the floor while he dig out his phone from his pocket and dialed the emergency number. "Hello, there has been a homicide in Waterford Lismore close to Linton Garden block 12A...that's the little I know around here. Please hurry up" he rushed up his words and hung up the phone.

He carried Nicole in his arms again tapping her face to wake her up. He glances up at his friend Jay and he saw how devastated he was looking. To say that the death of Drake didn't touch him like his friends, he'll be lying, he's the most affected one here.

But he doesn't want to show it yet until the police arrive with paramedics and confirm truly that his closest friend was dead then he'll be convinced that this is all real. In the meantime, he's pretending to believe that his friend wasn't dead, he's in slumber just like Nicole was.

"Jay, you have to be strong, okay? We are not even sure if he's dead yet. He might still be alive you know. Let the paramedics get here then we'll able to tell" he spoke his mind to comfort Jay and make him feel calm.

"Drake is dead" Jay's voice sounded so cool and was almost inaudible.

"Don't conclude so fast yet. Let's wait until...."

"Drake is fucking dead! What?! Are you pretending to be blind now?!" Jay yells cutting Brad off. "Drake is dead!" He muffles out in tears and bows his head sobbing.

Brad opens his mouth to say something but the words weren't coming out, it was as if his voice suddenly went lost. He felt a warm liquid slide down his cheeks and his fingers trace it. It was his tears, those tears he's been holding back are spilling out now, Jay has finally made him see that this is reality and no imagination.

"No, Drake is not dead. He's just in a slumber just like Nicole is..." he was cut short when Nicole stirs up in his arms. His gaze fell to her face and she flutters her eyes open. "Babe" he calls touching her face.

"It was all a dream, right? Drake is alive and healthy right?" she asks locking gaze with him.

Brad glances away avoiding the sadness he was seeing in her eyes. His tears poured out more with that question.

"Brad, say something" her voice came out soft and pleading.

"Babe" he reached out for her cheek and held it.

"Is it true? Is Drake really gone?" Her voice trembled as tears welled up in her eyes. With a surge of emotion, she sat upright, her unwavering gaze locked onto his. "He's... he's really gone?" She repeated the question for what felt like the hundredth time, her heartache palpable. In response to her inquiry, Brad offered a slight nod.

A gasp escaped her lips, and her eyes brimmed with tears that threatened to spill over. Blinking rapidly, she fought to clear her vision and dispel the blur. "No!" The anguished cry tore from her, her fingers gripping her boyfriend's shirt with almost desperate strength.

In the grip of her grief, sobs racked her body, and her boyfriend sought to console her, his arms reaching out in a gesture of solace. Yet, her anguish drove her to push him away, her focus fixated on Drake's lifeless form. Crawling towards him, her voice quivered as she whispered, "Drake, please, wake up!"

Her grip tightened around his foot, her desperation evident in her pleas. Her boyfriend hurried to her side, urgently attempting to pull her away from the haunting scene. "Let go, Nicole," he implored, his hands clasping her waist.

Fighting his restraint, Nicole fiercely pushed him aside, the force causing him to stumble and crash to the floor. Ignoring his presence, she surged forward, her arms enveloping Drake's motionless body as she pressed her tear-streaked face against his chest, seeking solace in the last semblance of his warmth.

"Drake please don't die. Wake up and talk to me. I promise I won't cut your balls off anymore. I won't even tease you, you'll be the one to tease me all the time. Please don't die, wake up, please!" She cries out jerking his body.

Tears streamed down Brad's face, his sobs unchecked and unrestrained. Moving towards his girlfriend, he gently wrapped his arms around her, offering whatever comfort he could amidst the overwhelming sorrow. Meanwhile, Jay had been quietly weeping in his own solitude, lost in his thoughts. Suddenly, a jolt of realization shot through him, and his head snapped up.

"Anna," he murmured aloud, drawing puzzled glances from Nicole and Brad. The name hung heavy in the air, laden with concern and urgency. "Where's Anna?" His voice was laced with worry as he rose to his feet. Darting through the living room and into Anna's room, he scanned the surroundings with frantic eyes.

Anna was nowhere to be found. He pushed open the bathroom door, his heart pounding, but there was no sign of her there either. His gaze darted around the room, and it landed on the table where their phones lay.

A sense of realization dawned upon him, his mind racing to connect the dots. With determined steps, he approached the table, his fingers trembling as he picked up both Drake and Anna's phones. His lips moved silently, piecing together the puzzle. "This wasn't a random act... It's a murder case, and the phones were left untouched."

His grip tightened on the phones as he made his way back to the kitchen, his thoughts racing and a sense of urgency propelling him forward.

"Did you find her?" Brad asks and Jay shook his head.

"I only found their phones. Do you think the murderer must have taken her too?" Jay asks.

"It looks like it. Now we don't even know if he took her dead or alive" Brad groans and Nicole sobs even more. "Babe please don't cry" he whispers and pulled her to his chest.

"The cops are taking too long to...." Jay's sentence was cut short when they heard a siren closer to the house. "They finally made it" he scoffed and went to open up the door.

Stepping out of the car, a group of five law enforcement officers emerged on the scene. Among them were a female police officer and four male counterparts. Accompanying their arrival was the timely appearance of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team, who arrived in an ambulance. The ambulance disgorged two female paramedics and one male paramedic, gripping a wheeled stretcher as they followed the police officers.

Positioned midway to the staircase leading up to Anna's doorstep, two of the police officers stationed themselves. Meanwhile, the female police officer and two male officers, along with the paramedics, ascended the steps to where Jay anxiously awaited their presence.

"Hello, I'm Sergeant Alice, and these are my colleagues, Liam and Jack," the female officer introduced herself while looking up at Jay. Her gaze held a mixture of concern and professionalism. "We received an emergency call from this vicinity. Are we at the correct location?"

Jay met her gaze, his expression grim. "Yes, you're in the right place. My friend was murdered in this very house. I'll show you," he replied, leading the law enforcement team inside. The group made their way to the kitchen, where Drake's lifeless body lay.

A gasp escaped Sergeant Alice's lips upon seeing the gruesome scene. "My goodness! This was a brutal murder," she exclaimed, her shock evident. Her attention shifted to Jay and his companions, her features reflecting a mix of sympathy and determination.

As the EMS team swiftly approached Drake's body, their expertise came into play. "Officer, this incident transpired several hours ago," the female nurse informed the sergeant. Her voice carried the weight of experience. "Based on my assessment, I'd estimate it occurred during the early morning hours, approximately 11 to 12 hours ago."

"What? Does that mean they were attacked in the middle of the night?" Brad asks.

"90% positive" she replied.

"Damnit! Such an evil monster!" Jay cussed.

"Please take his body to the morgue" Alice instructed the paramedics and assigned Jack to go with them.

"You over there" Alice called Brad's attention and he gazed up at her. "You mentioned 'they' when you commented, was it more than one person that was murdered?"

"I don't know if the second person was murdered or not. The second person I'm referring to is the deceased girlfriend and she's the owner of this house" Brad answered.

"Where is she then?" Alice asks.

"We don't fucking know! Ain't you paying attention to what he was saying? You must find her, stop wasting time and go find her!" Nicole yells angrily. She couldn't help but transfer her aggression and pain to the cop.

"Babe calm down" Brad whispers beside her holding her shoulders.

"You have to calm down and restrain yourself from certain words, ma'am. By the way, I haven't introduced myself to you two. I'm Sergeant Alice together with my colleagues Liam and Jack. I'll like to take your names and your statements" Alice said.

"I'm Brad and she's Nicole" Brad introduced.

"Brad she doesn't get it, Drake is dead and Anna is missing! Her life might be in danger right now, now isn't the right time for silly introductions!" Nicole vents out.

"If I don't get any information from you guys, how do you expect me to find your missing friend?" Alice encountered back.

"What would you like to know to help you find her and the murderer who did this?" Jay asks.

"Every possible information that connects us to finding the murderer" she replies.

"But we don't know anything about who he is, we got here this afternoon to find one of our friend is dead and the other missing. We are still in shock right now, asking us questions we know nothing about will lead you to nowhere" Brad said.

"Do you guys have a clue on who might have killed your friend here and kidnapped the other? I mean, were there any funny incidents you might have witnessed or your friends must have told you before this incident?" Alice asks.

"Not at all" Jay replied.

"What about you two?" Alice asks staring directly at Nicole and Brad.

"I don't think so..." Nicole answers with uncertainty in her tone of voice.

"There was" Brad replied and all heads snaps up at him.

"There was?" Alice asks again to be sure she heard right.

"Yes," Brad answered while Nicole stared at him with wide eyes.

"Okay, tell us what occurred before today," Alice said and brought out a notepad.

"Yesterday morning at the coffee shop, we were all having a cup of coffee when Anna said she has something to tell us. Then when we asked what it was, she said someone was stalking her-"

"Stalking her?" Alice asks with furrowed brows and Brad nods.

"Yes. We didn't believe her when she told us that, we made fun of her and even told her that she was hallucinating and needed to see a therapist not knowing it was a real thing. Because we didn't believe her and made fun of her, she left us that morning and never hang out with us throughout school hours" Brad narrated.

"Did her boyfriend believe her?" Alice inquired.

"Not really. But during our conversation, he said Anna has told him about someone stalking her, and he has even witnessed her screaming on one occasion here in her house, but he never found anyone that was stalking her" Jay answered.

"If Anna was mad at you guys yesterday, then what was her boyfriend, what's his name again-?" Alice pause for an answer

"Drake" Brad answered.

"Yeah Drake, what was Drake doing at her house in the middle of the night?" Alice asks and Nicole rolled her eyes.

"Drake was at Anna's place before midnight. He went over to apologize to Anna and set things right with her. I believe things turn out so well that's why he spent the night with her and then this tragic thing happened" Nicole explains and began sobbing. "How I wish we had believed her then none of this would have happened" she muffles out and Brad hugged her.

"It's okay babe" Brad whispers to her, patting her back soothingly.

"I'm so sorry for the loss. My team and I will do everything in our power to find your friend. For now, you need to exit this house, it's now a crime scene. Do you know if she's with her phone?" Alice asks.

"No, I saw both of their phones in her room" Jay responded.

"I guess the grotesque didn't allow her to take anything along with her, I wonder where he/she must have taken her to. Please I need the full name of both of your friends and most especially a picture of the missing one" Alice said.

"Anna Greg and Drake Lambert. Here's a picture of Anna" Nicole replied and handed her phone to Alice.

"Thank you. Which of you knows where the deceased parents live?" Alice asks.

"We all do but I'll go with you while my friends will stay behind," Jay responded.

"Good. Liam will go with you right away to the deceased house while I get my team to do their job here and see if there's going to be a trace of the murderer" Alice said and Liam nods and led the way out. Jay glances back at his friends.

"Here's Anna's phone, you know what to do with it. I'll see you guys later" Jay said handing Anna's phone to Nicole and she reluctantly collected it from him.

"We'll join you there soon. Please do all you can to comfort them, especially his mom" Brad replies, and Jay nods and exited the house.

Alice excused herself and put a call through to the CSI in her department to get over here ASAP and she hung up afterward. While Brad held Nicole's face in his palms trying to help calm her nerves.

"Babe, I know this is hard for you to cope with right now, but all I need is for you to be strong. Please be strong for me, if not for me, for Drake's mom and sisters. You can't break down in front of them, this was why Jay went ahead of us to prepare your mind before you meet them. Please babe" Brad pleaded and tears formed in her eyes yet again.

"I can't, I'm so weak, heartbroken, bittered and so sad. This is just too much for me to bear, Brad. Why us? Why our friends? Why Drake of all people? He was so kind, sweet, loving, jovial, caring, hard-working, and the list goes on. He was too good to have left the world so soon. Why would anyone take such a cool-headed guy away from the Earth without even letting him enjoy the fruit of his labor, why Brad?" Nicole sobs and Brad was at the brim of tears as he watches his girlfriend weep.

"I know he's been such a good guy and my best friend too. He doesn't deserve to die, and even if he's to die, it should have been someday, not now, not anytime sooner either. But still, we have those we need to comfort, we can conceal our tears and the pains while we are with them. They matter most right now than we do. What will his sick mother do? We need to give her hope to continue living" he said and took her hands and held them.

"She needs you most right now, Nicole. Please, don't give up all hope yet even though you're feeling that way" he continues and she nods and hugs him. "With God's help we'll get through this, I promise" he whispers to her.

"Guys, how are you doing?" Alice's voice interrupted their moment of comfort and they let go of each other. "Losing a loved one is not always easy. I've passed through this stage before when death took my only sister, it was such a terrible experience. She was also murdered by a serial killer-"She paused and forced out a sad smile when Brad and Nicole glance up at her in surprise.

"After the incident, I couldn't help but join the CSI to terminate anyone who calls himself a serial killer. So don't worry, I'll get to the bottom of this, I promise you. I'll get that bastard and make him pay dearly for taking your friend away" she continues.

"Please do. And please don't let her kill my friend, Anna, if not, I don't know if I'll be to cope with two big losses" Nicole sniffles.

"I'll do my very best. You should give your friend's mother a call. Do they live in this city?" Alice asks and Nicole shook her head.

"No. Faraway from here, England precisely" Nicole answered.

"That's far away. You should put a call through now to know if they can make it down here tonight" she advised.

Nicole's agreement was silent, her focus solely on navigating through Anna's call records. As her eyes scanned the list of missed calls on Anna's phone, a growing sense of unease settled over her. The gravity of the situation became starkly evident in the ten missed calls from Anna's mother, five from her father, and three from herself.

With a dry throat, Nicole swallowed hard, attempting to moisten her parched mouth. Taking a steadying breath, she murmured to herself, "Stay composed, Nicole," while stealing a glance at Brad, who offered an encouraging nod.

Summoning her courage, she dialed Anna's mother's number, the rhythmic ringtone echoing through the tense air. On the second ring, a voice came through on the other end, laden with concern and relief. "My baby, where have you been? I've been frantic with worry. I've been calling repeatedly this morning, but you haven't answered. Are you alright?"

Nicole's heart raced, her grip tightening around the phone. Drawing in a deep breath, she exhaled sharply, her voice carrying a mix of apprehension and resolve. "Good afternoon, ma'am. This isn't Anna. It's Nicole, her friend."

A palpable silence greeted her words, leaving Nicole questioning whether the call had been abruptly disconnected. She lowered the phone from her ear, glancing at the screen to confirm the call was still connected. Placing the device back against her ear, she inquired tentatively, "Ma'am, are you still there?"

"Ye..yeah. Why are you with Anna's phone? Where is Anna?" She asks, trembling. She felt her heart pounding in her chest. She knew something was wrong, but she prays it isn't as bad as she dreaded.

"I'm afraid this is bad news, ma'am. Your daughter has gone missing. Your presence is needed here" Nicole broke the news to her.

Silence, deafening silence was all she got as a response.