From the Cosmos. [gxg]

xxx. witch-hunt.

Mr. Schultz leapt out of bed. "What do you mean, kidnapped?"

Marisol sniffled, looking up from her spot on the ground. "I was on a facetime call and she suddenly fell asleep. I could see a man carrying her away through the camera. I took a screenshot."

"Show me the picture," Mr. Schultz said.

Marisol patted the space around her, only to realize that she had dropped her phone earlier. "I left it downstairs," she said, shooting up from her sitting position. She ran downstairs, hearing three sets of footsteps hurrying after her.

When she grabbed her phone off the ground, it was cracked, though not bad enough to ruin the screen. She had just unlocked it when the Schultz family ran up behind her, looking over her shoulders. Her hands shook as she opened her photo album and pressed on the picture.

The photo was exactly as Marisol had seen. The phone was on the ground, looking up at a man dressed in a suit, Colette slung over his shoulder. Because of the angle, it was hard to make out his facial features. In the bottom left corner of the screen was the small window that Marisol's own face was in, her eyes wide and panicked.

Nevada plucked the phone from Marisol's hands and zoomed into the photo. A glint of recognition sparked in their eye, though they still looked at Marisol. "Did she seem to recognize this person? Were there any names?"

Marisol blinked a few times. "It was hard to hear, but she definitely said a name. It was Seaburn? Sea-something."

"Cesar," Nevada said, narrowing their eyes at the phone, "I knew the greasy slicked back hair looked familiar. He's one of the bodyguards that Rosie Richards brought to our house."

The pieces clicked in Marisol's brain. The face did seem familiar, but she couldn't place it in her moment of panic. Nevada, observant as ever, had recognized him. "We have to tell somebody," Marisol said, "Like the president or the FBI."

Mr. Schultz sighed, "We can try submitting a tip, but who knows when they'll get to it? They get thousands of tips a day."

"I'll try submitting one anyway," Nevada said, "Better to do that than nothing." They tapped a few times on Marisol's phone before handing it back. They ran up the stairs towards their room, where they kept their laptop.

Marisol agreed, though she didn't think much would come out of it. She glanced over at Mr. Schultz, who looked deep in thought.

"What if the government planned this?" Marisol asked, "What if Cesar is carrying out orders?"

Mr. Schultz shook his head. "No, that's too risky. Besides, President Richards obviously wanted Colette to go through with the publicity stunt. Can you imagine how awful it would look if she disappeared the night before the executive order was to be signed?"

Marisol couldn't help but agree, though a lot of things didn't make sense. Why would Cesar kidnap Colette right before the executive order was signed? The bill would give him the ability to practice magic publicly without any legal repercussions. If anything, he should want Colette there.

"There's a military base a few hours away," said Mr. Schultz, "We can go there, try and see if they can get us into quick contact with the government. Otherwise, I don't see any other options."

"Let's go then," Marisol said, "We have to do everything as soon as possible, before he can get her far."

Mr. Schultz nodded. "I'll change and then we'll leave. Pack anything you might need. Make sure to bring your phone as evidence." He hurried upstairs.

Marisol looked at Mrs. Schultz, who stood nearby, silent.

"Are you coming?" Marisol asked.

Mrs. Schultz shook her head. "Nevada and I will stay here, in case anyone comes looking for you. Give me your phone number though, to keep me updated." Mrs. Schultz held out her cellphone, which Marisol typed her number into. When she was done, Mr. Schultz walked down the stairs.