Lifeless (Book II)

Hostage

The moment he parked his car Alex jumped into the passenger's side, the left side of his face bleeding.

"Jesus, Alex, what the hell happen to you?" Max asked in alarm.

"He showed up, threatened to kill me if she didn't leave with him. He took her and only heaven's knows what he might be doing to her." Alex replied. His entire expression had grown cold. Only complete anger consumed him, as Max watched the way his fisted hands shook.

"So what do you want to do?" Max muttered.

"Find her, I don't care what it takes, I didn't go this far just to lose her again." Alex replied.

Max nodded and pulled out of the drive way, he didn't know just where exactly they were going all he could do was keep on driving. After a while Alex let out a sigh and leaned his head back closing his eyes.

"What happened last night Alex?" Max questioned.

"I told her the truth."

"And?"

"She believed me, not only that, she kept having this dream about a safe and a manila envelope, turns out it's the same safe that is in the old bakery. She even knew the combination to the lock. No one knows that code except her and her father." Alex whispered.

"Wow." Max replied.

"I need to get her back." Alex said with a frustrated growl.

"Look, what we can maybe do is contact the police, but not have them approach them just yet. Let them investigate a little further, they might be able to find out what is it that they are hiding."

*****

Just then Alex's cell phone vibrated and he quickly took it out in a rush hoping that it might be Victoria.

"Vicky?" he blurted out.

"No, it's me Jenny? I work for you Mr. Jewels," came a thin female voice.

"Excuse me?"

"Look just listen okay...Grace is in trouble, you need to get her out of that house." She muttered.

"Where are you, and how do you know that?" Alex asked gripping the phone.

"Long story, just get her somewhere safe," she replied.

"We need to meet up, I need answers." Alex said.

"Coffee shop, about two blocks from the bakery, I'll meet you there." She replied and ended the conversation.

Max and Alex quickly headed towards the coffee shop, and climbed off the car. A slender girl with long brown hair sat inside waving them over.

"You Jenny?" Max asked.

She nodded and motioned for them to follow her into a small booth near the end of the coffee shop.

"Talk." Alex growled.

"First of all, calm down, I don't need your attitude." She snapped.

Max bit down a grin and crossed his arms in front of him trying to act serious.

"Can you please tell us what you know?" Max asked kindly.

"And you are?" she asked arching an eyebrow at him.

"I'm Max, Alexander's best friend." He replied.

She stared at him for a long moment, her lips in a thin line while her eyebrow knitted together. Finally she looked away and out the large window.

"Please," Alex then said trying to calm his tone of voice.

"A day ago Grace and I broke into your house, she was trying to prove that you were innocent, She didn't believe what the media printed out about you. So we went over to your house just to snoop around. I never once expected for her to break in, our intention was just to follow you around. But once we broke in...we found information, private information about her past life.

"We know all of that, Vic...Grace already told us." Max cut in. Jenny nodded and then let out a sigh.

"The girl in the picture, it's not her is it?" Jenny asked.

They both shook their head no at the same time.

"She's your Vicky...right?" Jenny then said to Alex. Alex looked up to meet her eyes and nodded pain filling his expression.

"I knew it," she whispered to herself. "The moment I saw that picture in the newspaper I knew something was up."

"So why do you say she is in danger, what information do you have that is of value?" Max asked.

"After we fled the house, I went home, Grace insisted that she would go home and demand answers, but I never heard from her again. I got scared and so around midnight I went to her house. I circled it and then threw a few rocks at her window but she wouldn't answer. I knew deep down my gut was telling me that her supposed family was hiding something so I avoided calling her by phone much less walking up to her door."

"So then what happened?" Alex asked.

"I heard her parents arguing, her father knew she was at your place, he shouted something about him having you tracked every second of the day. I think that's how that false news got out about you. That man has been making sure that you didn't get anywhere near her. The one thing I cannot understand is, how did they let her work if he already knew you were the owner."

"No, word about me owning the bakery hadn't gotten out until the opening day, I think he was unaware of who I was until the story of Victoria and I spread once I moved to Journey." Alex spoke on a low tone.

"Maybe, but the most terrifying thing I heard him confess was a murder, I think...I think Vicky might be next. I couldn't quite hear the whole argument, but he mentioned something about a cabin and how it all went wrong there." Jenny sighed. "Look, I know she is in danger, and we have to do something about it."

They sat there, each of them trying to come up with a scheme to save her life.