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Jessica parked the purple Mustang in front of
the porch steps that led up to the door of the mansion. She grabbed her backpack and her keys, heading up the stairs
and through the magnificant door. As soon as the door shut behind her, Jessica threw her keys on a stand in the foyer
and ran up the stairs and down the hall to her room. Today was the day that her study room/den was finally done being
remodeled. She had given clear instructions and layouts to Sebastian and he had promised to arrange furniture and stuff
since he worked the night shift that night. Grinning from ear-to-ear, Jessica opened up the newly put-in door.
The door opened into a beautiful room. Hardwood floors lay beneath
Jessica's feet. The walls were covered in a soft sage green paint. Gauzy curtains hung from the window, the open
window allowing the gentle fall breeze billow the curtains out. Grinning, Jessica walked over the the baby grand piano
that sat near the open window. Jessica's piano music sat in a rack beside the instrument, within easy reach from the
piano bench. Two chairs that had hidden recliners in them sat in a corner with a round slab of marble sitting on a wrought
iron base for a table standing between the two chairs. Shelves painted white stood along an entire wall of the
room and had crown molding at their tops. Jessica's book collection stood on some of the shelves. Her violin also
sat on one, along with framed pictures of goofy shots of all the members in the house. Along the fourth wall was a desk
with a Dell laptop sitting on it neatly. A high-backed leather computer chair was pushed in under the desktop.
Jessica grinned as her eyes continued to gaze across the room. Then, she noticed something she hadn't before.
Sitting on one of the shelves was a clear vase that held a dozen white roses. She walked over to them and pulled the
little card from its hook. Hope this is what you wanted. I love you, Sebastain, is what it read.
Sighing happily, Jessica placed back the card. Noting that the door was still open and blocking off part of the room,
she closed it and saw a coat-and-hat stand sitting behind it, along with her black music stand.
Opening the door back up, Jessica lit some sage green and white candles that
lined some of the shelves. Watching the flames burn for a minute, she then blew them out. This reminded her that
she hadn't seen the light fixture for the room yet. Jessica looked up and saw that a ceiling fan had been put in and
had white blades. A frosted light fixture hung from it. Jessica flipped a switch that was next to the doorway
and she felt the cool air from the fan come down upon her as a soft light filled the room. Flipping the switch back
to off, Jessica went over to her piano and sat down at it. It had been ordered just to arrive in time for completion
of the room. Running her hands along its top, she opened up the piano key cover and then felt the smooth keys.
Reaching over into her music rack, Jessica pulled out her favorite, Moonlight Sonata, and began to play the mellow
song.
The notes flittered out from the open window and Sally and Tonya could hear
it from the garden. They grinned at each other and Tonya said, "I think she likes it."
Later that evening during supper, Jessica proceeded to tell the girls what
her new room looked like. "We know," Dee said as she ate another forkful of spaghetti. Jessica looked at her funny
and Poopsie offered her an answer, "Sebastian had us check it to make sure you'd like it. We gave him the OK."
She grinned and her periwinkle eyes twinkled. At that moment, Sebastian walked into the kitchen. "Hi, babe," he
said, giving Jessica a kiss on the cheek. He walked over to the sink and began to wash his hands. "Aren't
you going to be late for work?" Tonya inquired to him. Sebastian shook his head as he dried his hands on a towel.
"I've got thirty minutes to be down at the station to report in," he replied. Stopping by the table, he grinned
at his fiance. "Wanna come with me while I get around?" he asked her. Jessica stood up so fast that her chair
nearly toppled over. Sally giggled. Slipping her hand into his, Jessica lead Sebastian out of the kitchen and
down the hall and into his bedroom. She shut the door and then turned around to look at him.
"Well...?" he asked, sitting down on the bed as he began to remove a shoe.
Jessica walked briskly up to him and placed her hands against his face as she kissed him strongly. When
she broke the kiss, she opened her eyes and whispered, "Thank you." Jessica moved over to sit next to
him, but Sebastian grabbed her by her waist and tossed her onto the bed. She lay on her back and he laid down beside
her. However, he propped up his head in his hand as his elbow rested on the bed. Sebastian brused back some hair
from Jessica's face and smiled at her. Jessica looked back into his burning emerald green gaze. "I love you,"
he said quitely. Jessica grinned and reached her arms up to him. He complied and wrapped his arms tightly around
her as she did the same. "I love you too," she whispered into his ear. She felt his arms tighten around her a little
more. With his arms still around her, Sebastian looked up and kissed Jessica sweetly. "Be careful tonight," she
told him in a quiet voice. "I will...I promise," he replied. He brought his lips to hers again. As they
kissed, they got a little more into it and as Jessica began to nibble his ear, he chuckled and said, "I need to get around
and get to work." "You better take the raincheck then," Jessica said as she turned her head to kiss him once again.
A moment later, Sebastian broke free from her lips and grinned. "You better believe that I will," he said. And
he winked.
The next morning, which was a Saturday, Jessica woke up to find Sebastian
curled up against her in her bed. Reaching over for her glasses and putting them on, she looked at her alarm clock.
It read 11:00. Jessica yawned and rolled back over to face Sebastian. She then smirked to herself and leaned in
to wake him up with a kiss. But right before she could, Sebastian's eyes popped open and he wrapped his arms around
her, pulling her tight against his body. "Sneaky," he mumbled as Jessica snuggled in against his chest. "Not as
sneaky as this," she replied before tickling him in the ribs. Sebastian laughed and struggled to get away from her fingers.
He almost rolled completely over and on the floor. Instead, he got up and put on his mesh shorts over his boxers.
"I'm going downstairs to get something to snack on. What anything?" he asked her, sitting on the bed again and reaching
for her hand, slipping it in his. "Cheez-Its," she replied, grinning and giving his warm hand a squeeze. Sebastian
nodded, stood up, and walked out of the room.
Once he got downstairs and into the kitchen, Sebastian grabbed two bottles
of juice and a box of Cheez-Its to take back up to Jessica's room. He turned around from the counter to go back upstairs
and saw Tonya standing in the doorway. Her hair was disheveled and out of its usual braid. "Where you taking
that to?" she asked him inquisitively, raising her eyebrows in suspicion. Sebastian grinned and shrugged. "Why
don't you ask Jess? She asked for the Cheez-Its," he replied. Tonya only shook her head as she walked past Sebastian,
who was by then almost out of the doorway. "So, what are you doing for JED's birthday?" Tonya asked Sebastian right
before he was completely out of the kitchen. He froze in place and turned around. A look of shock covered his
entire face. "Her BIRTHDAY?" he asked. Sebastian set the Cheez-Its and the bottles of juice down on the
table. "Mm-hmm," Tonya said, nodding, her brown hair going all about. "When is it?" Sebastian asked her as he
took a seat at the table. "It's a week from Tuesday. Didn't you know it?" Tonya asked the dazed man. "Yeah,
I knew...I just forgot," he told her as he ran his fingers through his jet black hair. "Well, it's a good thing then
that I reminded you," Tonya said as she walked past him and out of the kitchen. Sebastian picked up the food and drinks
and headed out of the kitchen also.
Sebastian headed up the stairs and went into Jessica's room. "There
you are!" she exclaimed, reaching madly for the Cheez-Its. She opened up the top of the box, reached a hand inside,
and then popped a few of the deliciously cheesy crackers into her mouth. "Mmmmmmm," she groaned, closing her eyes.
"That tastes SOOO GOOD!" Jessica exclaimed as Sebastian sat on the bed beside her, twisting off the cap to the juice bottle.
"Your birthday's coming up, isn't it?" he asked nonchalontly. He then took a sip of the juice. Jessica turned
around to face him and wiped a crumb of a cracker off the corner of her mouth. She swallowed what was left in her
mouth and nodded. "Yeah, my 21st," she told him. She then reached over him and grabbed for the other juice bottle.
Jessica also took the remote off the nightstand and turned on the TV as she drank some juice. Sebastian just leaned
back against the headboard and watched Jessica watch TV and eat as he thought about what he could do for her birthday.
The weekend passed quickly and quietly and before anyone could tell, it was
Tuesday---one week before Jessica's 21st birthday. That afternoon, Sebastian got off work early and made it home before
anyone got out of classes for the day. However, Daniel was already hard-at-work, keeping the grounds neat and tidy and
getting everything ready for the upcoming winter. Sebastian walked over to Daniel, who was bundling up twigs and sticks
that would be used for mulch for next years gardens. "Here, let me help you with that," Sebastian said as Daniel struggled
to get a rubberband around one bundle of sticks. Daniel smiled and said, "Thank you." Sebastian took the rubberban
from Daniel's hands and stretched it so that it finally fit around the dozen or so sticks. Wiping his brow, Daniel arched
his back and grinned. "Sally told me that Dee told her that Techno told her that Tonya told him that Poopsie told her
that Jessica told her that you worked until 5:00 today," Daniel said, looking up at the sun. "It's not even 4:00 yet,"
he added, double checking with his watch. "I know, but..." Sebastian started. He scratched his head and then removed
his sunglasses from his face, placing them on top of his head. "I need a favor from you," Sebastian asked Daniel.
With a look of puzzlement, Daniel walked over to the wheelbarrow that held many stick and twig bundles and threw the latest
on the pile. "Well, I don't know what I can do fo---," Daniel was cut off by Sebastian. "You're the only person
that I know of who could find me a dozen freshcut roses. Three white, three peach, three pink, and three red," Sebastian
told him. "Hmm," Daniel thought outloud. He pushed his glasses up on his nose and peered at Sebastian. "I
could find you that, but...well..." Daniel said, giving a quick glance up at Sebastain. "What?" Sebastian asked.
He placed a hand up on a tree branch, leaning against it. "Well, it's going to cost you a bundle, Sebastian, since they're
far out of season. Much more than what they are worth. I mean, you could just go to the store..." Daniel was again
interrupted by Sebastian. "I don't care what it costs. I want three each of peach, white, pink, and red.
And I want it freshcut. AND by 5:00. Jessica gets home around 5:30 usually on Tuesdays and I want it to be here
before she gets home," Sebastian finished, looking at Daniel. Daniel nodded. "I'll see what I can do," he said,
whipping out a cellphone. Before Daniel punched in any numbers, he looked again at Sebastian. "Be on the porch
at 5:00. And if I can find what you want, I'll be there," Daniel said. He then walked away. Sebastian could
see him punch in some numbers on the cellphone and begin a conversation as Daniel headed straight for the shed in which all
the tools were kept in. Placing his sunglasses back on his face, Sebastian walked up to the mansion and went in to wait
and see if Daniel could come up with what he wanted.
Sebastian turned off the TV. An episode of Home Improvement was just
over on TBS and it was finally 5:00. He got up and walked out of his bedroom and to the foyer. Reaching for his
wallet, which was in his lay on the phone stand, he walked out onto the porch. A moment later, a beat-up truck drove
up the drive and stopped at the porch steps. Daniel got out on the passenger side and shut the door. A few seconds
later, a man in his late 20's walked around the back of the truck. He was dressed neatly, but had on a green full apron
that had a lot of dirt streaks on it. "Did you get them?" Sebastian asked, barely able to contain his excitement.
The strange man reached into the bed of the pickup and handed Sebastian the flowers that he had asked for. Sebastian
took them and glanced them over. He leaned into their fragrant blossoms and sniffed---they smelled fresh. "How
much will it be?" he asked, looking first at the man and then at Daniel. Daniel nodded at the man, who handed Sebastian
a slip of paper. Sebastian opened it up. His eyes grew wide and he looked at Daniel. Daniel only shrugged
his shoulders. Sighing, Sebastian reached into his wallet and pulled out two crisp Ben Franklins. Handing them
to the stranger, Sebastian quickly mumbled a thank you, gave a nod to Daniel, and walked back into the mansion.
Running upstairs, he went into Jessica's newest room and walked straight
to her violin case. He opened it up and took out the violin. Gently, he set the violin on another shelf and placed
the flowers in the open case. He softly shut the case closed, watching carefully to not destroy or ruin any of the expensive
flowers. Sebastian then quickly ran out of the room and down to his to place Jessica's violin on his bed. "There,"
he quitely whispered as he walked out of the room and shut the door.
It was at that moment that Sebastian heard the foyer door slam shut and Jessica
shout out, "I'M HOME!" Sebastian walked quickly down the hallway and met Jessica as she left the foyer and went into
the hallway. He reached down and kissed her quickly. When the kiss was broken, Jessica grinned and said, "Well,
hello to you too." "Did you have a good day?" Sebastian asked her as they headed up the stairs together. "Yeah,
it was alright. I saw Dr. Moon in the Union, though. He asked me to go over the one piece I was working on and
to stop by tomorrow to go over it briefly," Jessica said. By then, they had reached Jessica's bedroom. As she walked
into the room, Jessica flung her backpack onto her bed and then walked into the new study and music room. Sighing, she
walked over to her case. "I guess that Dr. Moon is only trying to make me better," she was saying as she began to open
the case, "but I still don't like to practice. It's reall---" Jessica stopped in mid-sentence as Sebastian heard
her gasp. "What in the...?" she asked, turning around. Sebastian stood in the doorway. He only grinned and
said, "I want your 21st birthday to be special, so I'm starting early." Jessica smiled and tears of joy filled her eyes,
spilling over onto her cheeks. She rushed over to Sebastian and threw her arms around him. Sebastian held her
close. "Thank you," Jessica whispered against Sebastian's chest.
The following day came around quickly. Jessica woke up in the morning
and went to grab her violin before heading to school---only to find 21 Hershey Kisses in the formation of a heart sitting
on top of her piano. A note sat in the middle of the heart and it read, I hope that this and the next several days
prepare you for next Tuesday night. Love, Sebastian. Jessica smiled and set the card in the middle of the
heart again. Grabbing her violin, she headed off downstairs and out the door.
Later that day, Jessica was headed to her violin lesson with Dr. Moon when
she passed Sally on the sidewalk between Sand Hall and the Union. She stopped and greeted her friend. "What time
are you getting home tonight?" Sally asked Jessica after they had talked for a while. Jessica sighed and replied, "Well,
it all depends on what time I get done with my internship today. I'm supposed to meet with Dr. Marshall and Dr. Spade
and go over some of the details for projects that they're putting in next month at the museum." "Well...will it be in
time for supper?" Sally asked, tossing her blonde locks over her shoulder. Jessica grinned. "Depends on what we're
having," she said. Sally laughed and said, "I think that we're getting Chinese tonight." "Ooooohhh, Chinese.
I'll be there then!!" Jessica exclaimed. She looked at her watch and gasped, "SHOOT! I GOTTA RUN!"
"Bye!" Sally called out as Jessica dashed the last dozen feet or so to Sand Hall and her lesson.
Once Jessica entered Sand Hall, she sprinted up a flight of stairs and down
a hallway. She was breathing hard as she knocked on Dr. Moon's door. Jessica heard feet shuffling inside and then
the door opened. "Hi! Come on in," Dr. Moon warmly greeted Jessica. "Sorry I'm late!" Jessica said as she
placed down her backpack, jacket, and violin case. "You're fine, just fine," Dr. Moon replied, smiling at her reassuringly.
Jessica smiled back a thank you and then took her violin out of its case. Placing her piece on the stand that sat nearest
the door, she turned to look at Dr. Moon. "Let's tune," he said, turning on the electric piano.
Jessica's lesson flew and an hour later, she was putting away her violin.
"I've got to go to the musuem now," Jessica said as she zipped up the last zipper on the case. Dr. Moon grinned as he
held open the door for her. "Important internship work?" he inquired as Jessica walked out of the doorway. "Of
course," she replied, slinging the violin case over her shoulder. Dr. Moon nodded. "Well, I'll see you next week
then. Have a good day," he told her. "Thanks! Bye!" Jessica called out as Dr. Moon shut the door.
Jessica walked down the hall and gathered her thoughts as she geared up toward the meeting with Dr. Spade and Dr. Marshall.
The meeting at the musuem didn't last as long as Jessica thought it would.
So on her way home, she stopped at an out-of-the-way shop on Whiskey Run Road at the edge of town. She knew that this
Oriental food store sold plenty of fortune cookies. And the thought of maybe playing another rousing game of "In Bed"
made her smile.
Parking her along the curb of the street in front of the shop, Jessica got
out and made sure that her doors were locked. Looking at the front of the shop, she saw three Oriental men watch
out of the window. It made Jessica do all she could do to hold back a snicker---this reminded her of the shop that Mr.
Edwards, her junior English teacher in high school, always talked about. She walked onto the sidewalk and
then entered the little shop. A bell tinkled above her head as she opened the door and shut it. Smoke from cigarettes
filled the tiny shop. All this smoke clung to the dark wood paneling and to the dark burgandy draperies. Uncovered
lightbulbs made for dim lighting of the shop. Walking past shelves of food that had labels of a different language,
Jessica continued her way to the front of the store. She stood at the counter and rang a little bell that sat on it.
Standing on her tiptoes, she peered over a couple of shutter-type doors that swung easily in a doorway. Able to see
a pool table in the back room, Jessica's eyes grew wide. Maybe Mr. Edwards HAD been right about all this Chinese maffia
talk. At that moment, a short Oriental man walked through the swinging doors. "May I help you?" he asked in a
Brooklyn accent. Startled by the accent, it took Jessica a moment to answer. "Um, yeah...I need to buy three dozen
fortune cookies," she told him, pulling out her wallet from her purse. The man nodded and then yelled into the back,
"HEY! We need some life stories out here for the lady in front! Three dozen!" At this point, it was all
Jessica could muster to not laugh her butt off. The man rang up her purchase as a large man nearly seven feet tall came
from the back, carrying a large box full of fortune cookies. "That'll be twenty bucks, lady," the Oriental man said
to her---again in a Brooklyn accent. Jessica fished out a twenty dollar bill from her wallet and handed it to the man.
"Thank you," she said timidly. As she turned around to leave, she ran into a man. She looked up and recognized
it as one of the men that had been sitting at the store window. "You're not going anywhere, lady," he said, swiping
the box out of her hands and grabbing hold of her wrists. This was when Jessica couldn't hold it back any longer.
She started to laugh so hard that tears fell from her eyes. "Ohhhh," she said, laughing again. "Ok, you got me,"
she spoke up again. The men in the store looked at each other and then back to her. "What are you talking about?"
the man holding her wrists asked her. He too had a Brooklyn accent. Jessica chuckled and looked around and said,
"Okay, guys. You can come out now. Sally, Poopsie...Tonya! You got me good. Real nice birthday prank!"
"This ain't no joke, lady," the man behind the counter said. Jessica half grinned and half laughed before looking around.
The grin soon turned around into a look of "whoops".
The man holding Jessica's wrists tied them together with rope and then put
a blindfold on her. Jessica knew that the best thing to do was to not struggle. However, she wanted to when she
felt herself being pushed somewhere and then into a van. She knew that it was a van because she heard the door slide
shut and the engine start. And the van drove off with Jessica in its back, heading to the place she would next see.
Back at the mansion, the Chinese food had been delivered and the group was
munching on Lemon Chicken, Chicken Lo Mein, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Crab Rangoons, and rice. "What time was Jessica
supposed to be back?" Sebastian asked out loud. "She said that'd she be home for dinner, but she's obviously a little
late for that," Sally said before taking a bite out of her chicken dish. "Well, I'll try her cellphone," Tonya said
as she stood up from the floor of the den. Picking up the phone, she dialed the number. After a few moments, she
placed the reciever back down. "What is it?" Sebastian asked as Tonya sat back down with a frown on her face.
"She's not answering her phone," Tonya replied. "Well, let me try," Poopsie said. She closed her eyes and sat
there. After several minutes, she sighed and opened her eyes back up. The group looked at her questioningly and
she shook her head. "I can't get through...I don't know why, though," she mused out loud. This caused Sebastian
to frown as he wondered to the whereabouts of his fiance.
Time seemed to slow down and move about as fast as it does during a boring
class lecture for Jessica. She was still blindfolded in the back of a van that was driving to---who knew where.
After what seemed like forever, the van slowed to a stop. Jessica could hear the van's ignition being turned off and
felt the cool breeze from the door sliding open. Two rough hands reached for her and yanked her out of the van and to
her feet. She felt a gun poke her in the back as a voice said, "Get a move on, lady." Jessica began walking blindly.
They walked for a while. Sometimes, Jessica would stumble over what
she assumed where roots from trees and rocks. However, from being blindfolded, it was impossible to know for sure.
A little further along, she heard more voices though. It sounded like several men---all of them having a Brooklyn accent.
Once the voices seemed close, Jessica felt the gun removed from her back. However, two sets of hands grabbed an arm
each and led her into a building. They climbed up stairs and opened a door. Shutting the door, they cut the ropes
that bound her wrists and removed the blindfold and then shoved her onto a bed.
Jessica let her eyes adjust to the light that was emitted from a fireplace
and then took in her surroundings. The bed she lay on was a huge canopy bed. It had lavish bedding on it and burgandy
curtains on the canopy top. Two overstuffed chairs sat facing the fireplace that had a roaring fire in it. The
fireplace was made of stone and was along the wall across from the bed. A wood bin sat next to the hearth, but it was
empty. A short dresser stood along the wall on the left side of the bed. It had a pitcher and a basin on its scratched
and dingy top. Jessica hoped that the pitcher had plenty of water in it. Also along that wall was the door
that they had come in because the two men, who were both Oriental, were standing in front of it still. Jessica looked
at them with a wary eye. She then turned to look at the other wall. It had a desk there with a rackety looking
chair pushed in underneath the desktop. Gulping, Jessica turned back around and looked at the two men. "What do
you want from me?" she asked them quietly. She waited for a while---complete silence. But then, there was a knock
at the door. The man on the left opened it and a short Oriental woman walked through it.
The woman was absolutely beautiful. She had a symmetrical face that
was framed by short, straight black hair. Two perfect almond-shaped eyes looked intensely at Jessica. Her slender
frame was clothed in a pair of blue jeans and a white blouse. Straw sandals clad her dainty feet. After Jessica
looked at her for a moment, she asked, "What do you want from me?" The woman, instead of speaking, pulled out Jessica's
wallet from her jeans pocket. She opened it up and pulled out Jessica's driver's liscence, which had her Tequila Heights
address on it. "You live in old MacMickle Mansion," the woman's voice softly spoke with a foreign accent. Jessica's
eyes narrowed as she nodded. "One of the members in your household is the daughter of the man who murdered one of my
relatives. The debt was never repaid and the man went free. So now, we are going to take back what we own" the
lady said. Jessica gave a puzzled look and asked, "Murdered? Look here, lady...I am of no relation to whoever
you want. I just live in the house." "Regardless," the woman began, "a large debt is owed to me and my family
for that loss of so long ago. And now, we are calling it due." She snapped her fingers and one of the men came
to her side. "Send the letter to this address and make sure that it gets there immediately," she spoke sharply.
The man nodded and opened the door and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. The woman looked at Jessica
and said, "You will be held at ransom for $100 million. If the money is not recieved within one week, the members of
the MacMickle household will never see you again." At this moment, the door opened back up and the man that had left
walked back in. In his right hand, he held a syringe full of something. He handed it to the woman and the men
moved over to hold Jessica down. "OH NO YOU DON'T!" she screamed as she tried to scramble away. However, the large
men overpowered her and held her down to the bed. The woman came over and stuck the needle into Jessica's shoulder.
She pushed the syringe down and said, "Have a good sleep." And that was the last thing Jessica remembered before the
world turned black.
"Okay...sure. Alright, thanks," Sebastian said into the phone.
He turned it off and set it down. "Well?" Poopsie asked. "Dr. Spade said that he and Dr. Marshall haven't seen
her at all since she left the meeting. And that she left there at about 4:30." Dee looked at her watch and said,
"Uh, guys...it's 8:00 now." No one said anything. Instead, they all looked at each other. "That does it,"
Sebastian said, standing up, "I'm going out to search for her." "So am I!" rang out from the four girls.
They all walked to the foyer and grabbed their jackets. "Everyone needs to grab a flashlight too," Sally said as she
tugged on her jacket. Tonya threw one to Sally and said, "You and Zarbon can come with me." "I'll run downstairs
and tell T that we're leaving and for what reason," Sebastian said. He left the group to get ready and went down into
the Cave.
"We're going to search for her," Sebastian said as his feet hit the cement
floor of the Cave. Techno looked up from the control center and asked, "For who?" "Jessica," Sebastian said.
Techno turned back to the program that he was tinkering on and said, "She's a big girl, Sebastian. I bet she went shopping
or something that women do." Sebastian shook his head. "Harry Spade said that she left the musuem at 4:30 and
Sally told her this afternoon that we were having Chinese for supper. Jessica told Sally that she'd be here. She
shouldn't have been gone this long, T," Sebastian said as he looked in a cabinet for a flashlight. "I suppose that you
are right, since you probably know her better than I," Techno said, his eyes still glued on the monitor. Sebastian found
a flashlight, made sure that it worked, and then shut the cabinet door before heading up the stairs. He got a couple
of steps up when he heard Techno call out, "Make sure you call me with an update." Sebastian nodded and continued up
the steps.
A couple of hours passed and the group had no luck. Sebastian was in
the downtown area when his cellphone rang. He flipped it open. "Yeah," he said as he drove past the many shops
and businesses. "Sebastian, it's Tonya. Have you had any luck yet?" the girl's voice came over the phone.
"None here. You guys?" Sebastian asked. "Not yet," Tonya said. "We're going to head over by campus and then
head home to see if she's there. What are you planning to do?" Tonya asked Sebastian. He replied, "I think I'm
going to go out to the east edge of town, around Whiskey Run Road and see what I find. I'll head back after that and
if I hear anything, I'll let you know." "Sounds good," Tonya's voice said, "We'll talk to you later." And the
line went dead as Tonya got off it. Sebastian flipped his phone shut and turned left onto Whiskey Run Road to head out
and see what he could find.
He continued to drive along the road, nearing the edge of town. Ahead,
he saw a purple Mustang parked alongside the curb. Sebastian slowed down and parked behind it. Putting the car
in park, he stepped out and walked up to the Mustang. His eyes widened as he saw the window sticker that said "DHCFC"
on it. And he knew that Jessica was the only person in the surrounding area to have the sticker.
Sebastian ran back to his car and pulled out his phone. He dialed the
mansion and waited breathlessly for someone to pick up. "MacMickle Mansion," he heard Dee's voice come over the line.
"DEE!" he said loudly. "Sebastian?" Dee said, confusion in her voice. "Dee, listen to me. Get everyone out
on Whiskey Run Road, eastbound. They'll see me out here with my car. And Jessica's," Sebastian said, breathing
hard. "Is JED there with you?" Dee asked. Sebastian could hear her writing down his instructions. "No,"
he replied, "but I haven't even looked in the car yet. Please do this fast. And, oh yeah...have a spare set of
keys brought out!" "I'll get ahold of everyone," Dee said before hanging up the phone. Sebastian flipped his phone
shut and threw it in the passenger seat. He then turned the ignition off and sat in his car with the door open, waiting
for the rest of the group to arrive.
About fifteen minutes later, Sally's car drove up, as did Poopsie's.
Sally and Tonya got out of Sally's car and Poopsie, Dee, and Techno stepped out of Poopsie's set of wheels. Sebastian
got out of his car and shut the door. He looked at Techno and raised his eyebrows in surprise. Dee saw him
and said, "Dumbass here wouldn't let the spare keys to JED's car out of his sight, so that's why he's here." Techno
glared at Dee, but walked past her and strolled up to the purple car. Sebastian was close behind Techno as Techno put
the keys in the lock and unlocked the driver's side door. Techno stepped back and let Sebastian open the door.
The light on the ceiling of the carr went on and illuminated its contents. Sebastian flipped the seat back and saw only
Jessica's backpack and violin laying in the backseat. His brow furrowed in frustration and he flipped the seat back
to how it had been and then shut the door. "Anything?" Sally asked him. He shook his head and leaned against the
car. "Where is she?" he mumbled under his breath.
"Hey, Sally...Look!" Tonya called out as she was walking along the other
side of the car to look for clues. She was looking up at the sign that was along the rooftop of the shop that Jessica's
car was parked in front of. Sally looked and said, "Hey...I think this place sells fortune cookies. I bet that
JED was here to buy some for the Chinese food tonight!" Poopsie cracked a smile and said, "That place kinda looks like
the store that Edwards always said that the Chinese Maffia hung out in." This brought giggles from Tonya and Sally as
Dee rolled her eyes. Techno looked at his watch and said, "Alright. It's midnight already, so we need to get back
so you girls can get to work. I'll drive back Jessica's car to the mansion." He took the keys and got in the car,
turning it on. Everyone walked to their respective vehicles and climbed in them. Soon, everyone left the scene
and headed back towards MacMickle.
Jessica's eyes fluttered open and she groaned as she rolled over. Waking
up more, she was startled from the unfamiliar surroundings. She sat straight up and looked around. And it all
came back to her. Being kidnapped, being placed in the room, the guards, the woman, and the shot of...something.
Jessica was still in her clothes from the day before and they were all wrinkled from her having slept on them. She looked
around, seeing just how old and somewhat dingy the room was from the sunlight that flitered through curtains on a single window.
Jessica got up off the bed and walked over to the window. She pushed
back the curtains and saw bars covering the panes of glass. Looking out, though, she could see miles and miles of prarie
and trees facing her. The sky was cobalt blue, as what it gets during the months of autumn, with nary a cloud in the
sky. Jessica let the curtains fall back and moved over back to the bed. She climbed on it just as the door opened
and a large Oriental man walked in. He walked closer as she scrambled up the bed and against the headboard. In
his hand was a bag, with contents unknown to Jessica. "Here are some clothes for you to change into," he said.
This time, there was no accent. Jessica looked at him warily as he sat down in one of the chairs. He scooted it
around so that he faced her. "I'll be the one to make sure that you get food, water for bathing, and anything else to
make you comfortable. Just let me know what you want for each meal and it will be made," he told her. The man
pulled out a tablet and a pen. He opened it up to a page and sat with the pen, poised, as if ready to take her order.
"Who are you?" Jessica spoke for the first time. "My name is Tim," he said. Jessica's eyebrows frowned and Tim
said, "Look, it's ok. I'm not one of the guys here who will hurt you." He got up and set the bag on the edge of
the bed and then sat back down in the chair. Jessica moved down the bed and grabbed the bag, keeping a watch on him
the entire time. She opened up the brown paper bag and looked inside. A couple pair of jeans, a few white t-shirts,
a white tank-top, some clean underwear, and a bra sat in the bag. Jessica rolled the bag back up and sat down in the
middle of the bed. "Anything I want to eat?" she asked Tim, who sat poised again. He nodded, "Anything."
Knowing that she had no other choice, Jessica said, "I'm hungry for lasagna." Tim wrote it down on his tablet of paper.
Jessica went to look down at her watch but realized that it was gone. "Where's my watch?" she asked Tim, a hint of anger
in her voice. "We want to make sure that you can't escape," he answered, "so we took it off. As well as the diamond
ring that was on your finger." Jessica gasped and looked down at where her engagement ring was supposed to be---it was
gone too! Tears filled her eyes and she looked up to Tim and said, "Please...that's my engagement ring. Just let
me wear that. Please!" A couple of tears spilled over and coursed down her cheeks. Tim looked at her and
Jessica thought she saw compassion in his facial expression. However, she couldn't tell much from the tears. "Alright,"
Tim spoke softly, "I'll get your ring for you. I'll bring it with your lasgana." Jessica nodded her thanks.
Tim stood up and said, "I'll go and make sure that this is prepared. There is fresh water in the pitcher and a towel
and washcloth in the dresser so you can wash yourself if you'd like. I will be back when your food is ready."
He bowed slightly and then walked out of the room.
Once he was gone, Jessica went to the door and turned the doorknob.
It was locked. She had figured that it would be, but she wanted to be sure. Turning back around, Jessica walked
over the bed and opened the bag to pick out her clothes for that day. A t-shirt and jeans was going to have to be good
enough for that day.
Sebastian woke up in the morning laying on Jessica's bed. He had walked
into her room near 1:00 that morning, worrying about where she was. Eventually, he had curled up on her bed and fallen
asleep. Stretching out, Sebastian sighed as he straightened the quilt that he had slept on top of and put the pillows
back in order on the bed. He then walked out of the room and down to the kitchen to get something to eat.
In the kitchen, Techno was sitting at the table, reading the paper and eating
a bowl of Cheerios. He looked up as Sebastian walked in and he immediately frowned. "You look like you didn't
get much sleep," Techno said as Sebastian walked over to the fridge and took out the jug of milk. "I didn't," Sebastian
replied in a monotone voice. He took down a glass from the cupboard and poured a glass of milk. Sebastian then
walked over to the table and sat down in a chair. "In fact," Techno began, "you look like you could use a shave too."
Sebastian looked up at Techno. Sebastian's face, where it wasn't covered by his goatee, had stubble on it. His
bloodshot eyes had huge, sagging bags underneath them. And his clothing, which he had worn yesterday, was wrinkled.
Sebastian sighed and took a drink of milk. Techno frowned once more
and then went back to his paper and Cheerios. "She'll be found," Techno said. Sebastian nodded his head and got
up to go down to his room. And once he was in his room, he laid down on his bed and went straight to sleep.
It was the afternoon of that day. Tonya and Sally were looking through
web pages on the internet to try and find any information that might would help them find their missing friend. Around
4:30, the doorbell rang. It rang three times before Tonya sighed. She muttered, "I guess no one else can get it."
Tonya then headed downstairs and into the foyer to answer the door. She opened the door and saw a rather large Oriental
man standing there. Tonya's eyebrows raised and she asked, "May I help you?" The man pulled out a letter and said,
"I have this letter addressed to this address and was told to deliver it to this address. Am I at the right address?"
Tonya nodded and took the letter. "Thank you," the man said before walking back down to his delivery van. Tonya
shut the door and headed back up the stairs to open the letter with Sally.
"Who was it?" Sally asked when Tonya walked back into the room. "I
dunno...some dude," Tonya replied before she sat back down in her chair. "He gave me this, though," she said.
Tonya pulled out her pocketknife and slit open the envelope. She pulled out the letter and started to read it to herself.
"Oh, shit," she said quietly, the letter dropping from her hands to her lap. Sally turned around to face her friend.
"What is it?" Sally asked Tonya, who, by now, was completely pale. Tonya said nothing, but instead handed the letter
to Sally. Sally scanned the letter and her eyes got big. "Oh my gosh," she said. She then stood up and told
Tonya, "I'm going to go give this letter to Techno. You comin' with me?" Tonya nodded and followed Sally out of
the room. They went down the hall and down the stairs, walking to the Cave to give Techno the biggest clue to the disappearance
of Jessica.
Jessica had changed into the clean clothes and had even washed her face and
hair with the water that Tim had given her. She sat on her bed and waited for her food and ring to arrive. It
seemed like an eternity, but Tim finally came back. He carried a silver tray and sat it down on the desk. Tim
then turned around and looked at Jessica. He nodded and said, "Good. I see that you've made use of the clean clothes
and the water. Your food is on this tray and so is your ring. I will remain in the room until you are completed
with your food." He went over and sat in one of the chairs again. Jessica climbed off the bed and sat cautiously
in the rickety chair that sat at the desk. She removed a silver lid from the tray and hot steam escaped.
The aroma of hot lasagna drifted up to her nose and Jessica closed her eyes
as she inhaled the smell of the delicious food. She then looked down and saw her ring sitting on the tray next to her
plate of lasagna. Quickly, Jessica took the ring and placed it back on the proper finger. It glittered in the
now-strong sunlight, which caused Jessica to smile. Her smile was soon changed into tears when she thought of Sebastian
and wondered as to what he was doing to find her. Jessica sniffled some and turned her attention to the food.
Picking up the fork that sat next to the plate, she used it to cut a piece of lasagna. She took a bite and tasted the
savory dish. It was good, the tomato, meat, pasta, and cheese combining perfectly. Jessica took another bite,
this time placing a bit more of the food into her mouth. And soon another bite...and another. Ten minutes later,
she was done and was wiping her mouth on the cloth napkin that had been sitting on the tray.
"Are you finished?" Tim's voice broke into her thoughts as Jessica finished
cleaning off her plate. Sitting down the fork, Jessica stood up and moved back over to the bed. She nodded, so
Tim placed everything back on the tray and went to leave. Before he went out through the door, though, he turned around
and asked, "Is there anything else I can get you?" "Something to drink, please," Jessica said quietly. Tim raised
his eyebrows, as if to ask what she wanted to drink. "Grape juice, please," Jessica told him. Tim nodded and opened
the door to walk out of the room. Just before he shut the door, Jessica whispered, "Thank you." She watched as
Tim looked up at her and nodded slightly before shutting the door behind him.
It was nearly supper-time at the mansion, but no one there was paying attention
to the time. Everyone was gathered downstairs, even Zarbon and Alec. "What'd you find out?" Poopsie asked as Techno
sat down. "Hold on a second," Techno replied. He took some papers from a folder and then said, "This afternoon,
we got a letter delivered to the mansion. Tonya recieved it and her and Sally brought it down here to me. Apparently,
it's a ransom note for Jessica's kidnapping." Sebastian's mouth dropped open as Techno said this. "That means
that she's...," Sebastian said, trailing off. Techno looked at Sebastian and said, "Yeah, she's still alive, I'm guessing."
Sebastian sighed and leaned back in his chair. Techno took this opportunity and passed out the sheets of paper that
he had. "Here's a copy of the note. This way, you all can read what it said," he said as he passed the sheets
over to Sally, who passed it to Tonya, and so forth and so on. "ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS?" Dee exclaimed once
she got her copy and had started reading it. "Is this right?" Alec asked, "It says that we have to send the money by
Tuesday!" Techno frowned, looked at the subdued Sebastian, and then said, "Alright, you guys. Would you calm down?
We got to get a plan together and get Jessica. AND, we must tell the police about this." "I'll notify the department
tonight," Alec spoke up. He reached for Poopsie's hand and gave it a squeeze. Techno nodded and replied, "That's
fine. But we've got to come up with something for the girls to do, too. Any ideas?" There was silence for
a bit as everyone looked at their copies of the ransom letter. When no one said anything, Techno spoke up again.
"I'm going to look up things. Anything related to this death mentioned in the letter," he said, trying to get the group
started on a plan. Sebastian, not being able to handle it anymore, stood up suddenly and grabbed his jacket from a nearby
couch. "Where are you going?" Techno asked him. "I've got to go try and find out what happened and where she is,
T. Don't try stopping me," Sebastian said as he walked past the table. Techno stepped out and stood in front of
Sebastian, blocking his path to the stairs. "You shouldn't go alone," he told Sebastian, his voice holding a firm edge
to it. Sebastian glared at Techno and the looked out over the group of people. "Well, then why doesn't anyone
come with me?" Sebastian asked, glaring again at Techno. No one answered the angry man, who's eyes flashed in an anger
stronger than they had seen in a long while. "Sit back down, Sebastian," Techno said, his voice cool and calm.
Sebastian glared at Techno and said, "I'm not going to just sit down and wait for anything to happen. I've got to do
something!" "You will NOT jeporadize Jessica's life by going out and possibly setting off the people who have her OR
getting yourself killed!" Techno told Sebastian, who was by now seething. "Now," Techno began, "give me your keys.
I don't want you leaving." Sebastian looked at the group, who all looked at him with pity and with sorrow. He
then looked up into Techno's eye before throwing his car keys down onto the floor. Sebastian then walked off and up
the stairs and out of sight. Techno sighed as he picked up the keys off the floor. He then turned around and looked
at the house members. "Any ideas?" he asked them.
A few days passed and there was no more word on what had happened to Jessica.
The girls had all spent every evening and night combing for clues around the city and online. They had even checked
out the Oriental food shop that Jessica's car had been parked in front of, but within a few days, it had been closed up and
abandoned. No one knew anything it seemed and all leads were trailing off cold.
Finally, it was Saturday afternoon and Sebastian walked through the front
door and into the mansion. He had spent the day at work, but he hadn't really been there. Most of the time, he
just sat at his desk idlely, his eyes holding a fixed gaze, looking into open space. When co-workers would walk by his
desk, they'd all just look at him. Some would try to talk to him, but as soon as they started to say something, they
stopped and moved on past Sebastian's desk. Even Chief Humphrey left him alone.
As Sebastian shut the door behind him, he turned around and looked at the
foyer. His mind turned back to times that he and Jessica had stood there...together. The laughs, the kisses, the
looks of love passed between the two of them. Sebastian sighed and threw his keys onto the phone stand that was against
the wall. He then opened the closet door and grabbed a hanger to hang his jacket up. Sebastian slipped the jacket
on the hanger and reached up to hang it back on the pole in the closet. It was then that a boot fell out from the stack
of shoes on the closet floor. He bent over to pick it up and realized that it was one of Jessica's black boots---the
ones that she would wear when it was muddy out and she had outside work to do. Sebastian felt his eyes sting with a
few tears and he tossed the boot back into the closet, shutting the door.
"Hey," Alec's voice came from the hallway near the foyer. Sebastian
looked up and saw Alec standing there. "Hey," Sebastian mumbled his reply. Sebastian then looked at Alec with
searching eyes. Alec frowned and shook his head. Sebastian just nodded and began to walk past Alec and head to
his room. But as Sebastian passed his friend, Alec placed a hand on Sebastian's shoulder and said, "Don't worry, man.
We'll get her back." Sebastian only nodded again and then headed off down the hall and to his room.
The days passed slowly for Jessica. She wasn't sure of which day was
which soon and spent most of her time either sleeping or talking with Tim. Tim---he was now her only mean of conversation
and socialization. They talked of many things: families, school, relationships...anything that Jessica could think
of, they talked about. She wondered when he got the time to sleep, he was in her room so much.
"What day is today?" Jessica asked Tim when he came in that morning.
"Saturday," he replied quietly, sitting himself down in the chair he had been sitting in the past several days. Jessica
nodded and went over to the window to look out of it. After a minute or two of silence, Tim asked her, "What are you
thinking about?" Jessica sighed and looked over at Tim. She then moved over to her bed and sat down on it.
Jessica propped up some pillows against the headboard and leaned back against them. "About my friends...about Sebastian,"
she told him. Tim looked across over at Jessica and nodded his head as he settled into the chair. "I miss them,
Tim," she told him after another few minutes of silence. "What would you all have done today?" Tim asked her.
This caused Jessica to grin and she told him, "Probably sleep in. And then get up and eat a late lunch. After
that, who knows? We usually all just do our own individual thing---I usually wait for Sebastian to get home from work
and then we go out for a date. He probably would have taken me to a new restaurant or out on a picnic. And then,
we would have went to either see a movie or to lay on a blanket underneath the stars and talk." Tim grinned as Jessica
smiled more.
All of a sudden, the door burst open and the beautiful woman that Jessica
had not seen since her first hour in the room came in. "TIMOTHY!" she said in a harsh tone towards Tim. He stood
up and moved back over by her. The woman then came over to a stunned Jessica and stood in front of the bed. "Your
roommates are not complying with our wishes," she told Jessica, "so we will be holding you under close scrutiny in case someone
tries to get you out of here." The woman then pulled out a needle and syringe from her shirt pocket and slowly walked
closer to Jessica. "ANNA! NO!" Tim shouted as he strode over and took hold of the woman's, who Jessica now
new as Anna, wrists. He pulled the syringe out of Anna's hand and squirted it out onto the floor. "YOU FOOL!"
Anna cried out. Two big Oriental man came in from the hallway and dragged Tim off of Anna. "I will NOT have you
talking to her like that!" Tim groweled at Anna. Anna frowned and glared, first at Jessica, and then at Tim. "You
are beyond foolish, my brother," Anna said. She then slapped Tim across the face hard. Tim didn't blink but only
looked back at her, the red on his face not only from the slap but also from rage. Anna looked at one of the big men
and said, "My brother is not allowed to be in here for the remainder of the time!" With that, the two big men started
to drag Tim out of the room. Jessica stared after Tim and he looked back at her, his eyes holding promise to them.
It was at that moment that Jessica knew that she would live through this ordeal.
It was Saturday evening and Sebastian woke up from a nap. He had tossed
and turned most of the time, but he did finally get a little sleep. He slowly swung his feet out of the bed and placed
them on the hardwood floor. Standing up, he went over and into his bathroom. Sebastian flipped on the light switch
to his bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror above the sink. Even he was surprised at how haggard he looked.
Stubble from the past few days was in place around his goatee. Bags hung under his bloodshot eyes. And his emerald
gaze was now dull and saddened. Sebastian sighed and turned on the faucet. He cupped his hands under the cold
water and then splashed it up on his face. The water made his skin tingle and he felt more refreshened then he had in
days. Grabbing a towel from a nearby towel rack, he dried off his face and then combed out his hair before tying it
back from around his face.
Sebastian walked out of his bathroom and sat at his desk with a piece of
paper and a pen. He began to write a letter when there was a knock at his bedroom door. "Come in!" he called out.
The door creaked open and Tonya's head popped in. She looked at Sebastian and said, "We just got a phone call."
Sebastian felt his heart plummet into his belly. He gulped and asked, "Is she...?" Tonya nodded. "It
was from the station. They caught a guy they think might have something to do with the crime. And he's saying
that she's still alive," Tonya told him. Sebastian started down at the sheet of paper on his desk. Tonya watched
as Sebastian's shoulders began to shake as he wept. "Thank God, she's still alive," she heard Sebastian whisper as the
tears flowed freely.
Jessica sighed and rolled over in the bed. She was trying to sleep
but that's all that she had been doing since yesterday, when Anna barred Tim from the room. Except for when her food
was brought to her, she had no one to talk to and nothing to do except sleep or just sit. Even trying to sing all the
songs she knew by heart didn't last very long. But now, in the twighlight of Sunday evening, she just lay on the bed. It
was then that she heard something. Jessica sat upright and looked around the dimly lit room and saw nothing but the
shadows cast by the evening sunlight that filtered through the window. Sighing, she laid back down, looking straight
up at the top of the canopied bed.
Suddenly, Jessica heard what she thought was a whisper. She strained
her ears and listened---nothing. But there it was again, this time louder! "Jessica!" she heard Tim's voice whisper
softly. "Tim?" Jessica called out loud, looking around the darkening room. Tim walked out of the shadows of a
corner and put a finger to his lips to signal her to talk quietly. Jessica crawled off the bed and went over to stand
by Tim. "What are you doing here?" she whispered to him. Tim said nothing, but instead, he handed her the clothes
that she had worn on the day that she had been kidnapped. "Put these on. I'm getting you out of here!" he whispered
softly to her. Jessica's heart pounded from fear and excitement---she was going to be free! "Turn around, please,
until I'm dressed," Jessica told Tim before heading off around to her bed to change into her clothes.
As soon as she was back into her clothes from last Tuesday, she went over
to Tim and tapped him on his shoulder. He turned around and said, "I've already had the guards called away from your
room. They think that you've already escaped and headed to the west, towards Colorado." "COLORADO?" Jessica whispered
loudly. Tim shushed her and replied, "We're out in Western Kansas. I have a car ready in a town about 5 miles
east of here where you can drive back to Tequila Heights. A phone is in the glove compartment, so if you need to
reach anyone, you can. Money is also in the car so you can fill up on gas when you need to." Jessica smiled, her
eyes filling up with tears. She stepped closer to Tim and gave him a hug. She could feel from his body react and
new that he was surprised. But he hugged her back quickly. As Jessica removed her arms from him, she whispered
to him, "Thank you." Tim smiled briefly and nodded. "Let's go," he said quietly.
Together, they snuck out of the room and headed towards a door that was now
a fire escape. The house was so old that there was no alarm at the door and they slipped out unnoticed. Quickly,
they began walking east and away from the remaining bit of daylight. Nothing was said between the two of them as they
kept walking for a time. After awhile, Jessica asked Tim, "How close are we?" He pointed towards some lights ahead
and Jessica new that he was pointing towards the town that had the car in it. This quickened Jessica's pace some and
they hurried towards the town.
As soon as they were inside town limits, Tim pulled Jessica over to the side
of the main road and over by where a car was parked. It was a rusting blue Ford four-door. "The keys are in the
ignition," he told Jessica as he opened the driver's side door. Jessica went over to by the car and looked up at her
friend. Tim looked down at her and grinned. Jessica smiled too. "I can't thank you enough, Tim, for what
all you've done for me," Jessica said as she stood somewhat near the car. Tim, who stood with his hand on the door of
the car, replied, "I just wish I'd done it sooner. My sister's an evil woman and I don't want to be a part of her plan."
Jessica nodded her agreement. She then headed towards the car to get in it when both her and Tim heard a rustling in
the bushes by the car.
Tim looked at Jessica and she looked at Tim. The sound of a gun going
off sounded and Jessica felt a bullet rip through her lower left leg. She cried out in pain and dropped to the ground.
"TIM! GO FOR ME! GO GET HELP!" she screamed out as she tried to drag herself away from the car. Tim jumped
into the car and started it up. He then floored it and sped out of the hidden area as bullets flew towards the speeding
car. But he kept going and escaped, driving eastward and out of the small town. Anna and some men with guns came
out from the bushes and went over to Jessica. Blood was pouring from Jessica's wounds. She looked down and could see
that the bullet had exited, leaving a good sized hole on the front of her leg. The men came over and picked her up off
the ground. Jessica made sure she didn't put pressure on her leg because she knew for sure that the damage was there.
Anna came over to Jessica and slapped her in the face, adding insult to injury. Jessica glared back at the woman, but
said nothing. "My brother is foolish. He won't make it alive out there because he cannot survive without me,"
Anna said. She then glared at Jessica one more time before saying to the men, "Put her in the van and take her back
to the house." The two men carried Jessica over to the van and threw her in there. Jessica's leg landed on a board
and a corner of the board caught her wound, causing Jessica to cry out in pain. Her world then grew black as the pain
became too much to bear.
Sebastian sat down on his bed and started to take off his shoes. Jessica
had been gone for six days now and even the contact the police had found didn't have much information except that she
was alive. But that was Saturday and it was now Monday.
He had worked the night shift last night and had just gotten home from the
station. He got around and into his black shorts and then climbed under his cool sheets on his bed and laid his head
back against the pillow. Just as his eyes closed, there was a knock at his door. Sebastian sighed and climbed
out of his bed and went to answer his door. Opening it, he was surprised to see Techno standing there. "You'd
better come downstairs, Sebastian," Techno said. Sebastian knew by Techno's tone of voice that it was about Jessica.
"Let me put some clothes on, T, and I'll be down there in a minute," Sebastian replied. Techno nodded and went back
down the hall and to the Cave. Sebastian threw on a t-shirt and then meandered out of his room and to the Cave.
Once he reached the floor of the Cave, Sebastian saw a tall Oriental man
sitting in a chair by the main table. Techno was sitting in a chair near him. "Sebastian," Techno began, "this
is Tim. He knows where Jessica is." Sebastian's eyes grew wide and he looked from Techno to Tim. The stranger
had a white bandage wrapped around his left hand. "What happened with that?" Sebastian asked Tim, indicating at his
hand. "I was shot when I tried to help Jessica escape from my sister's capture," Tim replied, wincing slightly as he
touched the bandage. "Oh no," Sebastian whispered, "was she shot?" Tim looked at Techno and Techno said, "She
was. But, in the leg. She should be okay and alive." Sebastian sank down into a chair and sighed a sigh
of relief. "Dodge City is the nearest city to where your fiance is at, Mr. Lewis," Tim said. "I suggest that a
plane be flown there with all who are going to get her out and then rush to get her. Tim's already drawn me a map of
where I need to go and has given me directions from Dodge to where the house is at," Techno told Sebastian. He tossed a couple
pieces of paper on the table and Sebastian could see that it was a map and some directions. Sebastian nodded and said,
"I'll go wake up the girls." Standing up, he walked out of the Cave and up the stairs, hurrying as fast as he could.
Jessica woke up and felt pain shooting up her left leg from right below the
knee clear up to her hip. She rubbed her eyes and then looked down to her leg which was in a cast. Instead of
in the room she had spent six days in, she was now in some sort of hospital room in a hospital bed. She looked down
at her body and saw one of those ugly hospital gowns on her. However, Jessica didn't mind because the pain in her leg
was still excrutiating.
The door to the hospital-type room opened and Anna and what appeared to be
a doctor walked in and shut the door. Jessica tried to get up but her arms were in restraints, as was her uninjured
leg. "You aren't going anywhere," Anna told her. The man then walked in front of Anna and told Jessica, "The bullet
the went through your leg shattered the bone and ripped up muscles and blood vessels. We were in the OR for three hours
before we got you patched up. You'll be fine, though." Jessica sighed with relief that she was to live...for now.
"If you'll excuse us, doctor," Anna said, standing up from the chair that she had sat down in. The doctor nodded and
walked out the room, shutting the door behind him.
"Where am I?" Jessica said flatly as she glared at Anna. "You're in
a hospital, of course," Anna replied, walking closer to Jessica's bed. Anna then took advantage of the restraints that
kept Jessica back and slapped Jessica across the face. "You tried to run away from my capture," Anna said. She
then slapped Jessica again. Fuming mad, Jessica hocked up a loogie and spit it out at Anna. It landed on Anna's
right eye and she wiped it from her eye. She then balled her hand into a fist and punched Jessica across her jaw.
Jessica heard bone crunch as Anna did this and knew that her jaw was now broken. "As soon as you get out of here, I'm
going to make life a living hell for you. And it's going to be for the rest of your life, because you are NEVER going
back to Tequila Heights," Anna told Jessica, the venom in her voice clearly evident. Anna then walked out of the room,
leaving Jessica alone to figure out a plan of escape.
Everyone was down in the Cave, except Alec, who was at work, and Zarbon,
who was upstairs keeping Tim company in the den. "I think that we're all ready to go," Tygress said as she flicked her
tail back and forth. The three other superheroines nodded their heads in agreement and made sure that they had their
phones and anything else they would need across the state. "Do you have the directions and the map that Tim made?" Techno
asked Abra. She nodded and pointed to the napsack on her back. "I'm ready to go whenever you guys are," Sebastian
said as he reached for his backpack. The superheroines looked at each other and then at Techno. Techno frowned
and looked over at Sebastian and said, "Um, Sebastian...look. I just want them to go by themselves. They'll get
Jessica outta there and bring her back. But you need to stay here to help keep Tim company while I work the control
board while they're out." "But..." Sebastian began before Shani placed a hand on Sebastian's arm. "Don't worry,"
she began, "we'll get her out quickly and get her back here safely." Sebastian looked down at Shani and his shoulders
drooped, showing submission. Shani then turned around and said, "Well, guys. Since Techno's too CHEAP to use a
plane, stand over here so I can teleport us to Dodge." They four superheroines stood together in a circle, huddled close.
They grasped hands and Shani's eyes closed. And just like that, they were gone. Techno went over to the control
center and said, "Go on upstairs, Sebastian. I'll let you know if anything happens." Sebastian nodded and headed
back upstairs.
The four superheroines popped up outside the Dodge City limits, in just the
area that Tim's map had described. "Dude, I'll never get over how cool it is to travel like that," Patti said, grinning.
Shaking her head, but grinning, Abra pulled out the map and looked at it and the directions. "Looks like we're supposed
to go about seven miles north of here, which will be two miles north of a small town, and we'll reach the house that JED's
supposed to be at," she said, looking out at the open blue sky. "Well, that means we'd better get there. I'll
fly us," Ty said. Abra and Patti went over by Ty, but Shani didn't. "C'mon, Shani!" Ty called out, looking over
at what Shani was staring at. "You guys, I got the feeling that JED's not at that house," she told them, facing herself
even more towards Dodge City. "You think that she's in Dodge?" Patti asked, going back over to where Shani stood.
"Yeah, let me try to connect," Shani said She closed her eyes and tried to reach Jessica's mind.
Jessica opened her eyes---she thought that she had heard a voice! "JED!"
she heard Shani call through to her mind. "Shani?" she asked out loud and in her mind. "FINALLY!" Jessica heard
Shani's voice come clearly through this time. "I'm in a hospital. A bullet shattered my leg up pretty good, but
I'll be alright. Be careful, they've got heavy security at my door. You guys will have to figure out a way to
get in here! I'm in room 205, I think I heard them say!" Jessica thought in her mind to Shani. "We'll think of
something---hold tight," Shani replied back in Jessica's mind. And then, there was silence once again.
Shani's eyes opened back up and she grinned. "She's at the hospital,
but they've got heavy security. She's alive and well, just got shot pretty bad in her leg. Any plans to get her
out?" Shani asked the group. "I say that you teleport us into her room and then we'll get her out of there!" Ty said
loudly, walking with Abra over to where Patti and Shani stood. Shani nodded her head and said, "Sounds good. Let's
go." So they all stood in a circle once again and Shani teleported them to the room in which Jessica was at.
Jessica sat there for a few minutes after Shani had talked through her mind
to her and waited for anything to happen. All of a sudden, her four superheroine friends were standing in a circle together
in Jessica's hospital room. "GUYS!" Jessica called out, a colassal smile on her face. "JED!" they all shouted.
They ran over and hugged Jessica, who tried to hug them back in spite of the restraints. "Ooo, careful guys...my jaw's
broken now, too," Jessica said as someone accidently bumped her face. Shani frowned and asked, "How'd that happen?"
"By me," Anna's voice sounded from behind them.
The four superheroines turned around and faced the woman. "Who are
you?" Patti asked Anna, a scowl appearing on her face. "I'm holding Jessica for capture since one of her roommates'
dad killed one of my relatives with a meat cleaver," Anna spoke up, "and you are NOT taking her back. No one from that
house will ever see her again!" Dee bust out laughing and said, "Did you guys hear what she just said?" The other
superheroines giggled and Abra replied, "Oh, we heard." A look of confusion and then fear came across Anna's face and
she bolted for the door. But, she was soon stuck in place and couldn't move. "Nice job of the powers there, Shani,"
Ty said, critiquing the usage. Shani blew on her fingers and brushed them against her chest. "Not too bad if I
say so myself," Shani said, her periwinkle eyes twinkling. Ty went over and took a bandana and gagged Anna so that she
couldn't scream for help. As Patti undid the restraints on Jessica and helped her up so she could stand on her one good
leg, Abra called the the mansion and hung up quick. "T's going to call the police department here and have them come
out to get this woman," Abra said as she flipped the phone shut and placed it back into her pocket. Ty then picked up
Anna and placed her in the bed that Jessica had been in and put the restraints on her. "That'll keep you till the cops
get here," Ty told her as she doublechecked the restraints. "Someone's gonna have to stay here, though. I can't teleport
so many people at once!" Shani explained to the group. Patti grinned evily and said, "Oh, please. Leave me!
I'll be JUUUUST fine." Abra and Ty giggled, and Shani just shook her head. "Ready to go back?" Shani asked everyone
minus Patti as they gathered in a circle. Jessica grinned and replied, "More than you'll ever know." And with
that, Shani took Abra's and Ty's hands and they all disappeared, leaving Anna in the hospital bed for the police to find her.
In a matter of a few seconds, they all arrived back into the Cave.
"TECHNO! I've never been more glad to see you!" Jessica cried out when she saw the man. Techno just grinned and
nodded. But Jessica reached over and hugged him, much to everyone's, including Techno's, surprise. "Sebastian's
up in your room, waiting," he told her once she let go. Jessica's eyes lit up. Techno handed her a pair of
crutches and nodded towards the steps, signaling for her to go. Jessica grinned and took the pair of crutches and headed
slowly up the stairs.
It took her a few minutes, but she got up to the second floor of the mansion
and to her bedroom door. It was open a crack and she pushed it open further with her crutch. Walking in, she saw
Sebastian looking out the big bay window. Tears filled Jessica's eyes and she sniffled. Sebastian turned around and
saw her. Wordlessly, he went over to her and placed his arms around her. And together, they cried.
It was evening by the time that Jessica had got dressed and around and was
ready to come down and talk to people. She was surprised, but happy, to see Tim sitting in the den with the rest of
the group. Once Jessica got settled with Sebastian's arm securely around her shoulders, she told them of her entire
ordeal. "I'm forever grateful to Tim because he risked his life to save mine," Jessica said, giving her friend a smile
of thanks. "So, what was that woman, Anna, talking about with the meat cleaver?" Sally asked Jessica and Tim.
"It was my father," Dee spoke up quietly. "Your father? But you always just called him 'The Bastard'," Tonya said,
frowning. "Exactly," Dee explained, "because he WAS a bastard. He beat this guy to death with a meat cleaver at
an iron factory once upon a time and it just happened to be this family's relative." Jessica frowned and asked her,
"So THIS is why I was captured?" "I'm afraid it was, Jessica," Tim said quietly, "but my sister had no right to do that.
That matter was settled years ago---she just chose to not ever give it up." Jessica's eyes filled with tears at the
thought of her capture and imprisonment and started to get up.
"I think I'm going to go to bed now. I'm pretty tired and I still hurt,"
Jessica said as she balanced herself on her crutches. Dee looked up at her, but Jessica smiled and waved her hand in
the air, "I don't blame you, Dee. You had no idea that this would happen. No one did." Sebastian got up
with Jessica and followed her out into the hallway. "Set those things down," he told her once they got near the stairs.
Jessica gave him a puzzled look, but set them down against the wall. Sebastian then put one arm around Jessica's waist
and another under her legs and picked her up in his arms. She squealed and placed her arms around his neck. Their
faces were now close and she leaned in and kissed him solidly. "I love you, Sebastian Lewis," Jessica said to him softly.
Sebastian looked deep in her eyes and saw the love burning in them. "I love you too, Jessica," he replied before heading
up the stairs and to her room, carrying her the entire way.
Jessica woke up the next morning and noticed that Sebastian wasn't in bed
beside her. However, there was a card leaning against the pillows that he normally used. It read, "It was take
me longer than eternity to convey to anyone what you mean to me. Happy 21st Birthday, sweetheart! I love you,
Sebastian." Jessica grinned and set the card back down as a knock sounded at her door. "Come in!" she called out.
With that, the door burst open and everyone from the house, including their guest Tim, waked into her room. Sebastian
carried a tray with food on it, including a blueberry muffin that had a single lit candle stuck in it. As they moved
the muffin over to Jessica, everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to her. Jessica grinned and blew out the candle, and then
everyone clapped. "Thanks, guys!" Jessica said, smiling at everyone. The girls all looked at each other and giggled
as Sally stepped forward and said, "We got you this a couple of weeks ago. Hope you like it!" She took a package from
around her back and handed it to Jessica. Ripping the paper off, Jessica revealed a frame. And inside that frame
was a cariciture of Sally, Tonya, Poopsie, Dee, and Techno! Jessica giggled and said, "Thank you! I love it!"
Everyone laughed and headed out of the room, telling Jessica "Happy Birthday" as they went out the door. Sebastian stayed
behind, though, and shut the door after everyone had left.
Walking over to Jessica's bed, Sebastian sat down on it and took Jessica's
hands in his. He grinned and said, "Ready for what the day holds?" Jessica nodded and said, "I think that I know
a great way to start out this day, though." Sebastian's eyebrows raised in question. Jessica pulled him close
and kissed him, starting off her birthday in the way that she knew was perfect and special.
***THE END***
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