So this short story is for a prompt as a part of the book club 'The gemstone book club.'

I knew I was going to regret my decision, but there is no backing out now. The money is much needed to save my sister, Tina.

Me and my cousin, Miranda, peeped from the corner of the red building to see the newlywed couple exit their home, for their respective workplaces. We then stepped swiftly towards that home.

Miranda worked on picking the lock with a bobby pin. "Done," she said and opened the door.

We both went inside and began looking around the house.

"Diana, you go through that room and I will look if I can get anything useful upstairs," Miranda spoke fast motioning towards the room on my left and ran upstairs.

This is so wrong. I already regret doing this, but the time is ticking. I turned the doorknob of the room and entered.

"This room looks like a storeroom," I yelled so that Miranda can hear me while assessing my surroundings.

'I might find nothing here,' I realized and was about to leave the when something shiny in the corner of my vision caught my attention. I bent down to pick it up, and it was a magnificent diamond ring.

"Wow. This might be adequate for now," I mumbled and placed the ring in my jeans pocket. I came out the room and called for Miranda but she didn't answer.

Suddenly there was a car engine sound coming from the outside. I ran to the nearest window to watch who it was.

"Shit!" I cursed under my breath looking at the couple returning in the car.

I dashed back to the room and hid behind the door. I instantly took out my phone to message Miranda about the situation. Someone opened the door from the outside.

'Hope they don't notice,' I silently prayed. My palms became sweaty with tension.

"Honey, just a minute. The file must be on the study table," the guy spoke from the entrance and came in.

I sigh in relief when he comes in, naturally noticing nothing. Footsteps approach as he moved by the room I am in and I heard a door creaking noise.

'So the study room is beside this room,' I thought.

The guy's phone rang, and he answered, "Detective Oakley speaking."

'Shit! A detective?! I am doomed if he finds me here,' I thought, and my body shook with fear.

"Yeah, I am on it. I'll get the file and then we are good to go to the rescue place," the guy, Mr. Oakley spoke, and I heard him walk to the main door.

I peered through the door creak to see if Oakley left and he was looking here and there with a serious expression, from where he was standing.

"I'll call you back," Mr. Oakley said, glancing all around the hall and then left.

I checked my phone to see a reply from Miranda, 'Fuck! What do we do now?'

I came out the room and called Miranda.

"Diana! What do we do?!" exclaimed Miranda.

"Chill. He's gone. Come down. I found something that might serve our purpose."

"Okay," Miranda hung up the phone and within seconds she was with me.

"He didn't notice anything, right?" Miranda asked.

"I think no but we made a mistake choosing this home. He is a detective."

"Holy shit!" Miranda cursed, and she looked alarmed. "Let's get out of here."

"Yeah."

We both sprinted towards the exit and Miranda locked the door with a bobby pin.

We ran to my car where we parked it a few blocks away.

Once in the car, I showed Miranda the diamond ring I found, and she said, "Wow. This is beautiful."

"Yes. What about you? Got anything?"

"Nope. Let's keep moving."

I turned the engine on and sped up to the nearest jewellery store with the help of google maps. After arriving at the location, me and Miranda enter the shop.

"Welcome. What would these young ladies like to see?" a salesman asked us.

"We would actually like to sell a diamond ring. Is that acceptable here?"

"Certainly, this way," that guy lead us to a booth where an aged man was observing tiny shiny stones under a magnifying glass.

"Richard, they want to sell a diamond ring," the sales guy told and left us with Richard.

Richard nodded and extended his hand towards us.

I fished out the ring and handed over it to him.

He then resumed to examine it for a few minutes and eventually said, "This diamond has extremely delicate cuts and is of a very pure quality. May I ask where you bought it?"

"Um.., that ring? It's my mom's wedding ring," Miranda lied.

"I see. Financial issues?" Richard asked curiously.

"Something like that," I responded.

"Well, I could you give you $5000 for it and no more."

"$5000!?" Me and Miranda said at the same time because of the unexpected price.

Richard laughed and said, "Yes. I assume you are happy with the price."

"Yeah, very much," I said and beamed.

"Okay, come over to the counter and collect the cash there," Richard said and left the booth.

"Yes! We could save Tina from that fucker and treat ourselves with the extra money," Miranda said gleefully.

I nodded and said, "Let's go to the counter." We went there to collect the money.

After securing the money and getting into the car, I put the phone on speaker and called back the person who called me this morning saying he kidnapped Tina.

Two rings later, that person attended the call and answered, "Ha Diana, ready with the cash?"

"Yes. Where should I come?"

"No funny business, remember? No police or your precious sister will drop dead at the very moment."

"I know," I gritted.

"Get to the address I text you. Alone," he said and cut the call.

Miranda didn't like the thought of me going alone.

The address he sent was some abandoned construction space and I reached there in few minutes. Miranda stayed in the car while I took the money and stepped out.

I called him and he picked it up on the first ring. "Here already? The speed is impressive," he chuckled.

"Cut it. What next? Where should I come?"

"To your right follow the stairs to the 7th floor," he said and hung up.

I immediately followed his instructions and began ascending the stairs. When I was on the 5th floor, there were voices of few men shouting coming from the upper floors.

I increased my pace and hid behind a pillar to see what the commotion was.

"Drop the gun," a familiar voice yelled. He was facing a guy and Tina was lying unconscious on an armchair.

"That bitch didn't adhere to my directions and now her sister will pay for her mistake," the guy said, pointing the gun on Tina.

Somebody behind him shot him with a tranquilizer, and he collapsed on the ground with the impact.

The man with the familiar voice walked fast towards him and cuffed the kidnapper's hands. He later drew out his two-way radio and spoke, "The victim is safe but unconscious. Need support to move the accused shot with a tranquilizer, over."

It was Mr. Oakley! And his colleague proceeded to pick up Tina.

I ran towards them and said, "Oh my god, Tina!" Tears formed looking at my sister's state.

"Ma'am, who are you? Are you the person he was talking about?" Oakley asked, pointing at kidnapper.

"Yes. I am her sister, Diana. Thanks for saving her."

"It's our duty," Oakley smiled.

We all went to the police station to get a statement from Tina after she was conscious.

Mr. Oakley said that a person called to report an incident where he saw Tina getting abducted in the walking park and their team worked fast to track the criminal. I thanked him numerous times and explained everything to Miranda.

We decided to get the ring back from the jewellery shop and return it to Mr. Oakley. So, I went to the police station again to meet Mr. Oakley.

"Mr. Oakley, I have something to give you," I said and returned the ring.

He raised his eyebrows with surprise and looked at me for an explanation.

"We had no alternative but to steal something for the money. He demanded $2000. With the sum of the amount he demanded for, I thought it was a prank call but I heard Tina scream in the background and that's when I knew it was serious. I didn't have that much money and Miranda said she would help me and we planned this. We didn't know it was your house. I'm ready to accept the punishment," I said, feeling ashamed and guilty.

"I appreciate your honesty, Diana, and I'm letting you go. I suspected something because a faint jasmine smell came in the home when I was in there. Your perfume," Mr. Oakley said and continued, "Just so you know, that was his first kidnapping. In fact his first crime. So he must have went for a small amount." I nodded hearing him.

"Don't act on impulse next time. Take my card and contact me for any troubles in the future," he said giving me his card and went back in.

Me, Tina and Miranda then went home after that unfortunate event.

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