Kidnapped (Book 1)

Training

             After arriving home, I was greeted by my dad who sitting at the kitchen table. His head was down reading some files from work. His forehead was wrinkled and his nose was scrunched up in confusion. His warm blue eyes were distant when he glanced up at me. There was a sadness in his eyes that couldn't be ignored. I wasn't expecting him home so early today from work.

         "How was school today?" He said, trying to hide his emotions from me.

           "What's wrong?" I asked, knowing when my dad is upset.

          "Oh, it's just work. I was assigned to a new case and it's very stressful." He said as he continued to glance at the files spread across the table.

            Even when my dad wasn't a work, he was working. He was one of the best detectives I knew and he has dedicated so much time to the police department. My dad being too invested in his job is one of the reasons that my parents aren't on good terms. My mom was always stressed about his job and never seeing him. If my mom gave my dad a choice between her and the job, I honestly couldn't tell you which he would pick. He loves them both so much.

         "Why is it stressful?" I asked, sitting down at the kitchen table with him.

           "This monster has been kidnapping girls from ages eleven to sixteen around this area. This guy leaves no trace whatsoever. We haven't found any bodies, so we don't believe he has killed them, but where they are being held is unknown." He frowned.

           "Wow, that's terrible." I gasped.

              I never understood how someone could kidnap or kill someone, even if they deserved it, which I'm assuming these girls didn't deserve to be kidnapped. These terrible crimes were all over the news and it makes me sick thinking about a person kidnapping young girls like that. I wasn't necessarily worried, but it did make you think more about it. These terrible crimes were happening in my town.

            "I need you to be extra careful because this guy has been taking girls from around here. If you notice anything weird, you need to tell me." He said, giving me a stern look.

             "I'm always careful, Dad." I smiled, trying not to show the sudden worry that my dad caused.

            "You have self-defense soon. We're about to leave, so go get ready." My dad said as I kissed him on the cheek and went to get changed.

           I have been in self defense since I was a little girl, something I had to deal with since I was a police officers daughter. My dad said that he would always make sure I had the abilities to protect myself and I guess now with this guy on the streets self defense wouldn't be a bad idea. Before I knew it, it was time to leave and I got into the car with my dad. We drove to the police station where they had private secessions for people who wanted lessons.

          My instructor was Kyle Olive. He was a close friend of my dad and our family. He was thrilled to train me, because we were so close. He was still young when I first started my lessons. I remember he first started to be my only trainer when he was nineteen and I was thirteen. He was new to the police station and had gotten close to my dad. After a while, my dad didn't want anyone training me by himself or Kyle. Kyle had become close to our family and was like the older brother I never had.

           I was in my training clothes which consisted of black elastic shorts and a purple sports bra and a tank top. My hair was in a ponytail but it was still past my shoulders in length. My dad said he had to return the files and fill out some paper work while we trained. I walked into the padded room where all the training was held. I couldn't help but smile when I saw Kyle. His back was to me, which was the perfect opportunity to scare him.