Chapter 21

"Good morning," John grinned when I walked into the kitchen, "sleep well?"

"Yes," I forced a smile and didn't tell him that I spent the night watching him sleep, "did Shannon leave for work already?"

"Yeah, she wanted to be there when Steve orders breakfast." John rolled his eyes. "Would you like some breakfast, yourself?"

I was hungry but I felt a little sick to eat. "No, thanks. Too much popcorn last night." I laughed.

"We're meeting Tammie and Josh at...?"

"Twelve." I rolled my eyes at him. "I'll go get dressed then." I noticed how he was already dressed.

I found his bathroom, got washed and dressed; then I went in John's room to pack my stuff away again. I dragged my bag downstairs and handed it to John.

"Thanks," I smiled at him as he closed the front door, "I'm sorry you had to suffer watching them films." I joked.

"No problem." John raised one eyebrow and then he lowered his lips on to mine. "Come on then, we don't want to be late."

I couldn't enjoy that kiss. We were late. I didn't even feel bad about it. Something was tugging my mind but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Josh was leaning against the cinema wall outside looking desperate and worked up.

"I'm sorry we're late," I said as soon as we got out of the truck, "but don't get too worked up."

"Flo! Where's Tammie?" Josh grabbed me by the shoulders and repeated, "where's Tammie?!"

"I... I thought she was staying over at yours?" I stammered.

"No, she asked. But my parents said that no one was to come over as we were going to my nan's last night." Josh's grip on my shoulders tightened. "She won't answer her phone, I knocked at your house but she wasn't there and..." then he shook me on this last part "...no one has seen her!"

"Okay calm down!" I said prying myself free of his grip. "Let me call her."

I took my phone out of my pocket and switched it on. I had two new messages and one voicemail. One message said:

Florence this is Agents Jackson and Jones. We need to talk as soon as possible. It is better in person.

Message deleted. The second message was:

Just so you know we're not playing games ;)

And finally I checked the voicemail. I heard John tell Josh that maybe Tammie didn't answer because her battery is dead. The voicemail was from Tammie:

"Flo!" She gasped. "Help! Please! I'm scared! I'm trapped! I was at the cinema waiting for you and Josh-" she whispered in a hoarse voice "- and then they pulled up and now... and now... No! Please! Don't! Please! NO-" It went dead cutting off her scream.

"Yeah. That's got to be it!" Josh said as I froze with my phone that I nearly dropped. "Her battery's dead."

"Or... she is." The words fell from my mouth. Just like my words, I fell back reaching for the truck for support.

"W-what?" Josh went white like a ghost.

"Listen to the message" I passed John my phone. When they had finally finished listening to the horror that Tammie was in, I looked at John and said, "I need you to knock me out."

"Don't be stupid, Ryder!" John didn't hesitate to reply. "If you think knocking you out will help you find her you've got another thing coming!"

"Well," tears had begun to roll down my cheeks, "how else am I going to find her?"

"Josh, go to Florence's house and tell the Agents." John ordered Josh who looked like he was having a stroke. "Florence call them and say that you're meeting them at you house."

"I can't go home." I glared at John for even suggesting that.

"No but that way Josh can try to find out if they have any idea where she is and that's the only way they will go to your house and meet Josh, if they think they're meeting you." John said softly.

"Fine." I moaned flatly as I dialled the number that called me last night. "Hello, Agent Jones? Agent Jackson?"

"Hello Florence." They obviously had me on speaker.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?!" I took it out on them because I couldn't take it out on myself. It was all my fault. If I had stayed home with Tammie or if had asked John if she and Josh could come over too.

"That's what we wanted to talk about." Agent Jackson said calmly. "Last night,  someone called for you and Tammie answered. She said to meet at the cinema if they're not playing games."

"So they kidnapped her this morning." Agent Jones said with sympathy.

"So why didn't you stop them?!" I bellowed into the phone.

"We would have if we didn't have to chase you around, Florence." Agent Jackson answered tonelessly.

"Hey! Do not blame me because you two failed to your job. I mean, cases like these are you specialty. It's not my fault that you were incapable of being there when you're needed!" I snarled at them. "Meet me at my house."

"Fine. But Florence, you really ought to consider working with us so no one you love will get hurt." Agent Jackson said in a told-you-so tone.

"Flo," Agent Jones was a lot nicer to talk to than Agent Jackson, "I'm really sorry..."

As she babbled on about how sorry she was, I shut my eyes and said in my head Tam, where are you? I need to find you. When I opened my eyes, I couldn't see a thing. Tears had made my vision blurry. Suddenly I knew where Tammie was! But I didn't want to tell Agent Jackson and Agent Jones because... this was personal.

"It's such a shame, though," Agent Jones was still talking, "you didn't know about Eliza."

Wait. "What about Eliza?" A lump in my throat began to grow.

"Someone... Florence... someone... strangled her to death, on Tuesday." The words 'strangled', 'death' and 'Tuesday' hit me hard.

"No... why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it was nothing to do with you." Agent Jackson murmured. "And Agent Jones shouldn't have told you."

"Someone paid - a lot - for Grayson and Paisley's release on Sunday." Agent Jones ignored her partner.

"And I'm hearing about it now?!" I screamed into the phone. That much money was paid for two criminals to be released! God. The rich do whatever they want! "Just be at my house!" I hung up.

"So?" John asked.

I flew open the truck door, "Josh, go to my house now. John, you and I have a party to crash."

Chapter 22

"The tub?" John asked as we pulled up to Tom's house.

"Yes. The tub." I dragged him to the front door and then rung the doorbell.

Tom opened the door. He was only wearing shorts and them canvas shoes. "Oh, hey. Florence, I didn't think you were going to show. Oh, and I see you brought a... friend."

"Drop the act, Tom." I snapped. "I'm here for my sister."

"Tammie? Why would she be here?" Tom looked surprised, "she wasn't invited... just like him."

"Don't start!" I glared at Tom. "Someone is hiding her here. They kidnapped her!" I barged past him with John following behind.

"I'm sorry to hear that but she wouldn't be here." Tom said desperately.

"Then I guess you'll be sorry to hear that your girlfriend - sorry ex-girlfriend - is dead." I smirked at him as I stormed into the kitchen.

"What?" He sounded shocked.

"Yeah someone strangled her the same day that you were flirting with me." I wanted him to feel bad since he hadn't cared that she was in hospital before. "John can you take a look around. See if anyone's here, like, Tammie or Grayson or Paisely?"

"Sure." I had explained to him what Agent Jones and Agent Jackson had told me on the phone. "Just... just be careful."

Some tipsy people jumped to move out of my way as I pushed past them all and marched all the way to garden - where the alleged party was taking place - and noticed how everyone was 'so shocked' that I was there.

"Florence!" Tom ran after me. "Can't you wait until the party's over?"

"After Tammie's dead, you mean?" I hissed. My gaze fell on it. The huge shed that Tammie's trapped in. Suddenly I didn't want to go anywhere near it. "Tom, give me your shed keys."

"What? No way!" Tom stood between me and the shed. "You're being absurd!"

"Am I?" I asked in a really girly voice. "Then I guess you wouldn't mind handing over your keys?"

He looked resigned, but he went to get them. He didn't have to. There was a hidden key in the flower pot that was next to the shed. Grabbing the key, I got dirt all over my fingers, I didn't care what everyone else was thinking. The sound was thunderous. Ripping the cold metal doors open was chilling. Inside it was dark and covered in cobwebs. I shrieked as the doors slammed shut behind me.

"Tammie?" I don't know why I was whispering. Maybe, I thought that her kidnappers could be lurking nearby. "If you're here make a sound." God, I thought, please don't be dead! Please, God!

There was no sound. Except... a murmur, "Mnnh..."

I found a flashlight that was on one of the shelves. Luckily, it worked! "Tammie, if that's you, don't worry. It's me Flo. I'm going to get you out of here!"

"Mnnh!" It was louder.

I turned a corner and used the beam of light as my guide. The light led me to a pole which had a handcuff attached to it. Okay I'll be honest, my first thought was why would a pole be attached to a handcuff? But it was what was attached to the other end of the handcuff... Tammie.

"Tammie!" I said, breathlessly, as I fell to the ground.

She was gagged, handcuffed to the pole and she had a small cut - with a massive bruise - forming on her face. "Flo..." Tammie's voice broke when she was free to speak.

"Don't worry Tam." I had no clue how I was going to get her out of the cuffs. The flashlight fell to the floor and shone on her feet. Red? Why would there be- No! They had broken her ankle! Tammie didn't know it, of course, since she was in more pain by her face and the handcuffs - and probably other parts of her body. "I'll be right back."

I ran from the corner Tammie was stuck in and threw open the shed doors, they were lighter than before... or I was stronger. Suddenly... All the pieces of the puzzle fitted together.