Song: Dive by Ed Sheeran

Chapter Seventy-three: You need to control your temper

>>>>Zane's POV<<<<

There were police officers everywhere. Some were looking around for any leads, while some were questioning her mum. Most guests had arrived, but she had told them that it wasn't a really good time and of course, this was already on the news. A missing girl on thanksgiving.

"Where have you guys been? It's 4pm." Shane asked when we got there.

"We've been trying our luck looking around." I replied as I settled on the couch.

"Tell me who this Jaxon guy is."

"He's a guy that is obsessed with her." I deadpanned.

"You should talk to the police about that."

"Talk to the police about what? Do you have a lead on this investigation?" A police officer walked up to us.

"Yes actually." I nodded as I stood up to talk to him. "There's a guy named Jaxon that has been stalking her for months now. We think he might have taken her."

"I see." The officer said as he started jotting things down. "His surname?"

"I don't know."

"Do you know where he lives?"

"I know nothing about him."

"Mm hmm. Who are you?"

"I'm her boyfriend, Zane Rivers. I have a picture of him though." I turned to Rev. "Open CeCe's blog. She hasn't taken anything down yet."

Rev did what I told her and showed the officer the picture of Charvi, Jaxon and Jayden. "Who is the other boy?"

"He is Jayden. Jaxon's brother."

"When was this taken?"

"I'm not sure. It was posted on the blog a few weeks ago."

"Do they have any emotional attachment?"

"None at all. They just met a few months ago."

"Do you know where he usually goes?"

"Yes. To a restaurant called Tate's."

The officer nodded. "I'll take some of the officer's there now. Don't worry we won't stop looking for her."

And neither would I.

Shane went with the officer who turned to go talk to Cherry's mother who was already crying and begging them to bring her back. Shay was there comforting her.

"What do we do now?" Zahra asked.

"You guys should go back home to your families. They must be worried by now."

"But we're worried about Char." Leyla said.

"The officers are on the case."

"Are you sure we shouldn't be doing something else about this?" Kai asked.

"Yes. I'm sure."

"Okay." After finally persuading them, they greeted her mother and left. Well, all except Xander.

"I know you. And I know you're not just going to do nothing, so what next?"

I didn't bother arguing because he was right. "First we go to Tate's, then we look for Jayden. I'm sure he knows something and I am going to force it out of him."

"I'm coming too." Rev said.

"I don't think-"

She cut me off. "Don't bother trying to change my mind about it."

I sighed as I grabbed the car keys and left the house with Xander and Rev.

****************************

"Charvi Brooks, a 17-year old girl, was reported missing this morning. They said she had been kidnapped since last night. The cops seem to have a lead on this investigation. They said that her kidnapper is a man that goes by the name of Jaxon. They went to the station and went through their database for him, but he is not registered as a citizen of this town. They don't know anything about him or where to find him, but they won't stop looking for him. The family of the-"

That was the news reporter on the television that everyone seemed to be watching in Tate's. Rev and Xander were looking around to see if they'd see anything useful. I walked into the office of the owner. He was going through some papers on his table. I cleared my throat to indicate my presence. He looked up.

"May I help you?"

"Yes please. I am looking for a guy. One of your customers. Goes by the name-"

"Jaxon." The owner cut me off.

"How do you know?"

"He was one of my regular customers and now he was just announced to be a kidnapper. I think I'm smart enough to piece it all together."

"Okay, so have you seen him lately?"

"Now that they are looking for him. I doubt he'd be out in the open."

"You're right. Have you seen his brother?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know who his brother is."

"Oh. I'm sorry to bother you. I guess I'll just be going then."

I turned around to leave, but then stopped. "Do you have cameras?"

He nodded. "Can I look at some footage?"

"I do-"

"Please. I really need to find her."

He hesitated. "Follow me."

He led me to the door behind his office. It was a tiny room with a CCTV monitor at a desk.

"It's a tiny restaurant and we don't really need the cameras so it's not much."

"It's okay. Where does all the footage go?" He pointed to a tiny cabinet.

"Thank you. If a boy and girl come and ask for Zane please direct them here."

He nodded and left. I sat down and got to work.

After hours of going through endless footage with Rev and Xander that joined me a while after I had entered. The only thing we got was that Jaxon hadn't been in the store for weeks and Jayden was last seen yesterday morning. Apart from that, there was nothing suspicious or unusual going on.

The owner of the store entered. "You kids better go home. It's getting really late and I'm closing up."

"Isn't it too early to close up?"

"It's Thanksgiving day."

We nodded. "Thank you for your help."

"It was my pleasure. I hope you find her."

We left his office. The restaurant was pretty much empty by the time we left. I dropped Rev at her house, and Xander already left because he brought his own car. When I saw there were a few officers still there, I walked in. I should probably tell them about the location.

"Hello Mrs. Brooks."

She gave me a small smile. "How are you Zane?"

"I'm okay, it's Cherry I'm worried about."

She put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure she is okay." She said, probably reassuring herself more than me.

I turned to the officer that was standing at the door. "I know where she was last."

That caught the attention of almost everyone present. 

Shay's brows creased, "Why didn't you mention it before?"

"It doesn't matter." Her mother said. "All that matters is that they may find my baby girl."

"Where?"

I showed him the location. "This is where she said she was going last night. Where she went that she didn't return from." He started gathering people with him to go there. 

"I'm going with you." I said.

"Me too." Shane said as he locked eyes with me.

All the cops got in their cars and followed Shane and I to the hour away gas station. It was a nerve wracking journey, but I was willing to make it for my Cherry.

When we got there, it was probably already 9pm, but I wasn't paying attention to my phone. I showed them the convenience store. And they headed there. This time the store sign showed closed, but we could see through the blinds that the lights were on.

"Open up!" One of the officers banged the door. "Open up in the name of the law! Or we will enter by force."

We heard shuffling from the other side, and a different guy than the one from today opened up. He wasn't as big, but was still muscular.

"What is going on?" He asked.

"We have gotten information from a source that a victim may be held captive in this destination."

"You have?"

And for some reason, the man's eyes glanced at mine for a brief second. He may have been part of the people on the other end of the CCTV monitor. 

"Yes, and we have authority to search this area." The officers walked into the store and went everywhere. They looked around and then some stopped at the back door I was suspicious of earlier. They tried to open it, but it was locked.

One of the officers turned to the man and asked, "The key. So we won't have to open it by force." 

The man reached into his pocket and pulled a key out. He handed it to the officer. The officer used it to open the door and looked through. There were stairs that lead down. The officer turned to the man. "You'll have to come with us sir." He turned to another officer. "Stay with this kids while we search down."

"I'm coming."

"You've led us here. That is enough. We cannot have kids around during an investigation."

They started down the stairs with the store manager leading them.

"I'll have you know that I am not a kid. I am an adult." Shane scoffed as he rested his back against the wall. "It is not polite to argue with a cop so I am letting it go."

We waited and waited in tension-killing silence for about 15 minutes. The cops returned upstairs without Cherry. "It is just an ordinary basement. She must have gone somewhere else after coming here."

"But-"

The officer ignored me and turned to the man. "Apologies for the disturbance sir." The man just nodded at him. The officers started heading out the store, but I turned to look at the man. He was smirking at me. I don't know what got into me, but I lunged for him. I pushed him against the wall and grabbed his collar. "Where is she?! I know she's here! I know you have her! Let her go now!" 

The man didn't say anything, but he had a menacing smile on his face as Shane and an officer pried me off him. I knew she was here, but I couldn't search this place without a permit. The man dusted his shirt. "You need to control your temper." He said smoothly.

I was ready to jump for him again, but Shane and the other officer dragged me out of the store. "You need to calm down." Shane said.

I struggled and pulled myself out of their grip. I smoothed my clothes. "How can I be calm when I know she's somewhere down there all alone in the hands of some maniac?"

"But the cops have searched. She is not there."

"They are missing something. I know she's there."

I turned back to where the officer was apologizing to the man for my behavior.

"We won't let him come back here. Don't worry. He won't be of any disturbance to you anymore."

The man nodded and with one last glance at me, entered the store. The officer walked up to me. "Look boy. I know the pain you're going through, but you cannot just attack innocent citizens."

"I swear to you that he is not innocent."

"You are hurt now and you are stressed, but I cannot allowed this. You cannot come back here and disturb the peace of this young man. If it makes you feel any better, we will send a few of us back here tomorrow morning to search the area."

"Tomorrow? Tomorrow is too far. She's been missing for a whole day."

"We won't be able to see anything in the dark, so searching is pointless."

I nodded to the officer and Shane led me back to my car. I was going straight home so he'd have to deal with disappointing his mother. I feel bad for giving them false hope, but I had a strong feeling that she was somewhere around here. 

Maybe I'm just clinging too much to the last place she was. She might not even be anywhere near here. Maybe I should just leave the cops to handle it. It was their job after all.

I headed home, hoping that my Cherry was okay wherever she was. When I got home, my parents were in the dining room. An untouched Thanksgiving dinner all over the table just for us. When my mother saw me, she got up from her seat and came to engulf me in a hug. My father came too and patted my back. "We saw the news."

"We're so sorry darling."

I didn't answer because I was already crying my eyes out. I cried into my mother's shoulder. Tears for the love of my life. Tears for my beautiful, but probably scared Cherry. Wherever she was I really, really hope she was okay. I need her to be okay. What was I supposed to do now?

*********************

Dun dun dunnnnn! I'm just messing around. So, how did you like the chapter?

Please vote, comment and share. Thanks and Toodles ;)