Chapter 18
Meredith’s eyes fluttered slowly open as she heard her name being softly called. She panicked as her eyes adjusted and she was unable to pull her arms apart. She looked down at her bonded arms in front of her and then turned to look around the room. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest as she began to recall the events of the past 2 days. She heard her name being called again and turned in the opposite direction as her gaze landed on a very weak and tired looking Arianna.
“Are you okay honey?” Arianna asked in a soothing tone. Meredith gasped as she took in her appearance. Arianna was also bonded at the hands and feet and her blue maternity blouse was stained with blood on her shoulder. He hair was pulled into a ratty pony tail in the back and her cheek had a large red scrap on top of a large purple and black bump. Meredith swallowed and nodded at her.
“Ari? What happened to you?” She asked. “Where are we?” she looked around the empty room again. They were seated on the floor in front of each other and there was a dimly lit lamp hanging from the ceiling in-between them. The window was all the way near the ceiling allowing her to conclude that they were in the basement of somewhere.
“We were kidnapped by Xander and Bobbie….I don't know where we are…”She said tears forming in her eyes. Just as Meredith opened her mouth to ask her another question the door to the side of them swung open.
“Well well look who's awake!” Xander said placing the items in his hand on the floor.
He walked over untying Meredith's hands and doing to same to Arianna as well.
“Don't even think of doing anything stupid….”he said to the both of them as they rubbed their wrists. Arianna looked at the door and noticed 2 large men standing in the threshold blocking the door. Xander noticed her stare and quickly glanced there as well.
“Don't worry about them, there just there to make sure you two don't go anywhere” He said as he placed a bottled water next to each of them.
“Why are you doing this?” Arianna asked softly. Xander stood up and walked over to her before kneeling in front of her. He placed his hand on her check and she quickly moved away from him. He firmly grabbed her chin in his hand turning her to face him and struggled to break free. He simply held her tighter and forced her gaze upon him.
“Because I can sweetheart. I have to power to make so many lives miserable, all because lance didn't listen to what I told him. Just think, JC will never see you or his baby ever again, Justin will never see Meredith, your families, friends will be devastated. All because of me” He said with such hate that Arianna and Meredith wanted to throw up. He leaned in to kiss Arianna and she struggled more to move away. Meredith watch in horror as he grabbed her face with both hands. When he got closer Arianna couldn't help her first reaction as she spit in his face.
“BITCH!“ he growled as he backhanded her without a second thought, instantly causing her lip to bleed and swell up.
“FUCK YOU!” She yelled back. He raised his hand to hit her again when Meredith let out a cry.
“STOP IT YOU ASSHOLE!” She yelled. His gaze turned towards her as he lowered his hand.
“I suggest you stay out of this unless you want me to shut you up too!” He snapped. When he turned back to Arianna she was starring at the wall in front of her with her jaw clenched. He once again kneeled down in front of her turning her face towards him.
“Now, I don't want to have to do that again.” He said. When she didn't respond he shook her forcefully causing her to cry out.
“Understand!?” He said. She nodded but kept her gaze on the wall.
“Good…” he stood up and left the room slamming the door shut behind him. Meredith used her hands to push her self up and she hobbled over to Arianna. The two girls held onto each other as they cried, and the door was opened once again.
“I should have figured…” Xander said. To their surprise he didn't move her back over to the other side. He simply pulled out a cordless phone and dialed before holding a finger to his lips indicating them to be quite.
“Hello Mr. Chasez! How are you this evening?”
“Who is this?” JC said as the police officer indicated to him that they were recording.
“OH you don't know who this is? Well, I'll give you a hint..” He leaned down and yanked Arianna by the hair placing the phone to her ear.
“Josh?…”she said as a sob over took her body. Meredith could hear JC’s panicked voice on the other end of the phone.
“Arianna! Baby are you all right? Where are you? Are you okay? Baby, oh God I love you so much…” JC said quickly. He heard Arianna sob and then her yelling she loved him too as Xander came back on the line.
“That's enough, now here is the deal, There is no deal. Your buddy lance fucked up big time and you all get to suffer the consequences. So sorry, bye!” Xander hung up the phone and looked down at the two. Arianna’s eyes were wide and Meredith had hers shut tight as she tried not to think about her future. Xander simply left not saying a words to the two locking the door behind him.
“Ari…you…..your hurt” Meredith said after once again looking her over. Arianna smiled and pointed to Meredith’s face.
“So are you…” She said. Meredith reached up and winced as she touched a large bump on her head. She had been so wrapped up in Arianna’s appearance and the situation they were in she didn't even notice.
“What are we going to do?” Arianna asked her voice small and timid. Meredith pulled her into a half hug also letting a few tears escape.
“I don't know Ari…..I don't know….”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JC slammed the phone down as Xander clicked it off. His eyes filled with tears looked around the room. Detective Corrance lowered his head set and turned towards JC.
“Don't worry, its a scaring tactic he'll call back..” With that said he turned back around to the other agents. JC looked around the room slowly as his eyes fell on Lance. He felt bad for him in the beginning, and he knew he shouldn't but he held a lot of animosity towards him at the moment. Xander was the reason his wife and Meredith where missing, but he couldn't help but feel anger every time his vision landed on Lance. Why didn't he say something earlier? Why would he keep something like this a secret? JC pulled his eyes away in order to calm his thoughts. He knew he was upsetting him self over something out of his control, but he couldn't help it. Arianna was out there with some psycho and if that wasn't bad enough, so is Meredith. Glancing around once again he watched Justin rub his hands over his face. Justin had been tearing him self apart since he found out. The last thing him and Meredith had done was fight. She had left the room to go talk with Arianna because of a fight she and Justin had. JC watched as Justin reached up to wipe his puffy eyes. He didn't bother wiping his tears away more, he knew they wouldn't stop until Arianna was back to wipe them away for him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One week had gone by and no phone call. People were beginning to loose hope that Xander would call back. Every cell phone, every hotel phone and every house phone imaginable had been tapped by the FBI. Justin and JC had hardly slept or ate with in the past week, causing their families and friends to worry about them more and more. JC couldn't care less. He was unshaved, UN-showered and very disoriented. No words could comfort him, no person and amount of sympathy. He walked slowly into the meeting room he had grown a real distaste for and sat in the chair at the far end of the table. Slowly others pilled in some carrying coffee or food with them. Everyone said something to him, ‘Hello’, ‘How are you’, ‘Don't worry’. Nothing was phasing him, and nothing mattered to him. He didn't flinch when the door opened and Justin came running in waving his phone. JC looked up slowly and watched as one of the agents grabbed the tape recorder and Justin turned his phone on speakerphone after they clicked ‘record’. Everyone sat silent as the chilling voice ran loud and clear out of the small device.
“I've decided to give you another chance, here is the deal. I wont kill either of them if you follow my simple instructions. I want a black brief case dropped off at the Food Lion parking lot on Center Ave in Tallahassee. You will carry the brief case to the back of the store where you will see a black SUV with the trunk open. You will place the brief case in the trunk and shut it, then proceed to turn around and leave immediately. I want 750,000,000 in cash and no less. Do not involve the police, don't bring anyone with you but your self. I strongly suggest you follow these rules exactly, or you'll be receiving a body, and it wont necessarily be Meredith or Arianna’s….” The message ended and everyone turned to look at JC. He was gagging at what he had just heard and Justin was quick to be at his side. He looked around the room and grabbed the garbage pale across from him just in time for JC to empty his stomach into it.
“So what do we do?” Justin asks as JC stands to get a cup of water.
“We do what he says!” JC says quickly. “ I will not let anything happen to those girls if I can help it!”
“Look JC, I understand your concern but its not smart sending one of you alone in there. We'll have an unmarked police car there obviously, we'll get undercover agents to pose at stock boys with convenient timing, and they'll throw out the garbage or take smoke break while your out there…this could be our chance to catch him.” Detective Corrance said while bringing his coffee cup to his lips. JC shook his head and Justin spoke before he had a chance too.
“JC’s right, he's not dumb he WORKED in the FBI, he'll know a set up when he sees it!” Justin said. JC walked back over to him taking a seat next to him and nodded in agreement.
“I don't think its a good idea to not have anyone there…We could CATCH him!” Julie said while walking in the room. “We send new agents he doesn't know and he wont notice a thing!” she said.
“And risk getting Arianna and Meredith killed! NO! I wont do it!” JC said. Justin nodded in agreement and the two stood. Placing his hands out to stop them Heart sighed and turned towards Corrance.
“I think they're right, maybe in this case if we do what he says, he'll give at least one of the girls back..” Heart said. Corrance looked around the room and sighed himself before sitting at the table.
“I think its a mistake to do so, but whatever its your choice…”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Justin sat in his hotel room flipping through channels. He was exhausted mentally and physically. His mother had been there with him the whole time and that provided little comfort. He knew that no matter how bad things where for him, they were 10x’s worse for Meredith and Arianna. JC was crumbling slowly, but he wasn't loosing hope. Justin knew if he never saw those girls again things would never be the same, he knew JC wouldn't be able to even breath without Arianna, and he didn't think he wanted to find out if he could without Meredith. They had all agreed since Xander called his phone, he would be the one to make the drop. He was contemplating telling Corrance to have agents there. His heart and mind where pulling him in to different directions. He knew it was the right thing to do to have people there to back him up, but he also knew Xander wasn't stupid. Crazy yes, stupid no. He, much like JC didn't want to chance having Meredith or Arianna’s bodies come back to them in a bag. The image alone was enough to make Justin go through with it, without agents. The shrill of his cell phone brought him out of his thoughts and he quickly ran to get it.
“Hello?” he said breathlessly.
“Well, Hello there Mr. Timberlake, I trust you got my message….” Xander’s evil voice sounded.
“Yes, I'm going to do it.” Justin said. He heard Xander laugh and he wanted to punch him right through the phone.
“Wise choice Mr. Timberlake. Now I have another question for you.”
“What?”
“Is she as tight as I think she is? You know, your girlfriend…” Justin almost through the phone into the wall at that sentence.
“You son of a bitch! Don't you Fucking touch her!” He yelled causing a loud pounding at his door. He walked over opening it and Lonnie stood confused and worried. Justin silenced him and pointed to the phone mouthing ‘Xander’. He nodded and stood silent.
“What? I can't have a little fun? She's hot dude, you sure know how to pick them. I just wanted to know if she was as good as she looks…I heard you two go at it like rabbits” Xander’s laugh was heard again and Justin gritted his teeth trying not to explode.
“Xander, your getting your fucking money, Leave. Her. Alone.” He said trying to get his breath back under control.
“I guess I’ll find out later…I’ll let you know how it goes…” Xander said.
“Don't you FUCKING go near her! DO you UNDERSTAND ME!” Justin screamed, but it was too late. Xander had hung up and Justin was furious. He grabbed his room key and darted down the hallway. He pushed the elevator button until he heard the dig and quickly got into it. He flew out of the small area once the doors opened and he shoved the door open. All eyes turned to him and Justin walked directly over to Corrance.
“Send everyone you have, I want this mother fucker caught, and I want his fucking head on a God damn platter.”
Number of reviews: 16
Print:
Chapter or Story