Limerence Turns Ugly

Chapter 15

        "Sorry! The number you dialed cannot be connected for the moment, please try again later." Joey tried to call Rabbit but it go into voice message. She just got her phone from one of the gangsters after pleading for it since morning and the guy finally gave in with all her noise and let her use the phone for a while.
        "Why can't I call her? Did you fiddle with my contacts or something?" Joey asked.
        "What? No, why would I? I'm not free that anyway" A man walked towards her with annoyance.
        "But..." Joey show the phone to the man.
        "Maybe she had off her phone, or..."
        "Or...what?"
        "We didn't catch her, don't give me that look," He shook his head with exaggeration as Joey's fierce gaze scared him.
        "O...Kay..." 

        Squirrel wanted to wait for Rabbit to read the paper that was inside the box together since she couldn't bring herself to do it alone. She had been waiting for her for hours now since they last talked on the phone. She tried to call Rabbit again, but there was no answer and she gave up calling after three tries. That last conversation they had on the phone was this morning, but It's well past dinner time now and Rabbit wasn't back yet. She started to doubt  about George's identity and mumbled to herself without realizing.
        "Oh, I shouldn't think too much" she comforted herself after a moment and look at the time on her phone,"she said she is coming back to the hotel, but...that's almost eight  now!"               

        Squirrel's stomach started to growl and she decided to have a quick dinner in the hotel. After finishing her dinner, there was no news from Rabbit yet and Squirrel grew even more anxious about the safety of Rabbit and decided to wait for her at the hotel lobby.

        When she got out form the lift and walked towards the main lobby of the hotel, she saw a girl with a casual outfit was also sitting on the couch and kept looking at the happenings outside through the huge glass window. The girl turned her head and met Squirrel's gaze as she went to sit beside her. She greeted Squirrel politely, 

          "Hi,"
        "Hi, waiting for someone?" Squirrel smiled and placed her phone on her lap with the screen facing up.
        "Yeah.You too? " The girl shifted her glance from the events outside to Squirrel.
        "Yeah, I'm waiting for my friend," Squirrel took a peep at her phone's screen. Still nothing.
        "Oh...here for a vacation?."
        "Yes, but it's more like an adventure to me," Squirrel said with a hint of sadness in her tone.               "Welcome to Paris," The girl extended her hand, "I'm Gwen by the way"
       "It's a beautiful place." Squirrel said and shook her hand, "I'm Squirrel"  She took out her phone and looked at the screen for the second time now.
        Gwen noticed Squirrel's behaviour and asked, "You look worried. Something wrong? Can I help you?"
        Squirrel was surprise that her uneasiness was so obvious on the outside, "I do have a little problem,"  Squirrel started slowly, "Are gangsters here in control or...?"

        The girl was shocked about Squirrel's question and asked, "Why? Did they caused you any trouble?"
        "Nothing. Sorry," Squirrel forced a smile to cover her anxiety.
        "I'll help you if you are facing any problem. It's okay,"
        Squirrel hesitated for a second and said, "My friends were caught by a gang, and the other one hasn't been back for hours,"
        "What??! Then you must report it to the police now."
        "But--"
        "They threatened you??"
        "I'm not sure about that and I'm not sure if she is gone or just coming back later than she said."
        "Is it over 24 hours yet?"
        "Nope, just since this morning."
        "I see...I'm sure she's fine. If she still isn't back by tomorrow, contact me," They exchanged their phone number and noticed a local police badge poking out from Gwen's pocket.
        "Thanks. You're a police? "
        "Yeah, how you--" She notice Squirrel's gazed on her left pocket and smiled while pushing the badge deeper into her pocket. "Can I know more about your friends? It's a serious problem!"