The Charming Redhead Lady

chapter 33

They sat in silence. "Do you think she will be okay?" Jenny asked to no one in particular. "She will don't worry. She is a strong girl, nothing can shake her." Dauph was hoping that the words will give him strength too. He was worried about her, and silently made a vow to rearrange Derrick's face when he finds him.

Just then Mr. Mason and Jack arrived. Jenny filled them on what they found out. "So what do we do?" Mr. Mason started punching his phone. "I'm going to track her car." Everyone looked at him. "What do you mean? Did you put a tracker on her car?" "Every child of mine has a tracker in their car." Jenny widened her eyes. "Dad! That is called stalking. How could you? We are grownups you know." Mr. Mason snorted. "Just because you are adults and independent doesn't mean I can't know your whereabouts." Jenny made to retort back but Jack held her gently, and she shut her mouth, looking at her father reproachfully. Just as Mr. Mason was typing something, a call came through. He looked at it. "Weird, it's an unknown number." Jenny, who had been quiet, spoke up. "Take it dad, and put it on speaker. It might be important." Mr. Mason did just that, and said a hello. Without answering back, the voice said, "is it Mr. Mason?" "What the-"Dauph couldn't finish his sentence as Sheena clamped his mouth shut with her hand, making some shushing sounds. Everyone eyed him, so he decided to keep his mouth shut. "Yes it is. Who are you?" "I'm the one holding your daughter. So do what I say and no harm shall happen to her, understand?" Mr. Mason gulped. "Why did you take her? What did she do to you?"He spoke in anguish. The woman in the other side laughed evily. "She did alot of things, but that's not what I called you for right now. I want one million dollars in cash in one hour, to be delivered at the Fox street near the yellow pole. Put the money in a brown bag. And be sure, do not include the cops. She will just get hurt." "How can i be sure it is really my daughter you are holding?" The woman laughed, before saying, "you want proof? Well for one, she is missing, as not found anywhere. And as for a second proof,"she remained quiet, and typing sounds could be heard, and Mr. Mason heard a ping on his voice, before she continued, "i think the image i sent you is a proof enough." After a slight pause, she added, "Remember, in one hour. And no cops." With those words, she hung up.

Everyone gathered arround to see The image that was sent. It was Ruby, sitting on a chair bounded and gagged. She looked unconcious and equally vulnerable. The sight was heart wrenching. The group was filled with silence, before Dauph broke it. "I think I know the person who called." His voice held bitterness. Everyone turned to him, suprised. "You do?" He nodded his head. "Her name is Camille. I used to date her before I met Ruby. But I broke it off with her, and she took it hard." "So you mean to say...all my daughter is going through right now is because of you? Because of your sick twisted girlfriend?" Mr. Mason spoke up, anger in his eyes. He was advancing towards Dauph. The latter hung his head. Jack and Jenny both stopped him. "Dad, how do you know it was because of her anger, how do you think she would have known Ruby? Also Derrick looks like is in on it too, how do you think he knew the girl? For all we know, all this could be Derrick's trick." The words might have made sense to Mr. Mason as he stopped. Jenny turned to Dauph, with hope on her face. "Did that Camille know Derrick?" Dauph shook his head, before adding,"I don't think so. As far as I know, Camille loved interacting with people of higher social status." That seemed to keep everyone in thought. "Let me try to locate her. Maybe it will shed some light." Dauph said, before moving away to talk with someone.

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Ten minutes later he came back, with a sad look on his face. "I talked to someone who knew her. Apparently she cleared her apartment yesterday, and had been telling her friends that she was going to move out of the country. She hasn't been seen since." He paused, before asking,"did you manage to track that phone call?" Jack shook his head. "It was made from an unregistered burner phone, which was turned off immediately after it placed a call to us. There is no way to track it." Everyone was somber from the news. Suddenly Sheena brightened up. "Mr Mason, you said that you could track her car?" Mr Mason nodded. "Let me just do that." As he was heading away, Dauph called them. "Wait! I have a suggestion." Everyone looked at him, interested. "Let us split. After we locate Ruby's car, me and Jack will head there, Jenny and Sheena should go and alert the police, and Mr Mason should prepare the money. Then if the police come with you, you will track the person who will make the pick then follow them. Ruby's car might be dumped somewhere else, so its better if we get to search at multiple places." Everybody thought it was a good plan and they started to split. That was when Jenny made her way to Dauph. "You know, i think Ruby is very lucky." Dauph looked at her, puzzled. "I mean, you care alot for her. She is so damn lucky to have you." She tiptoed and kissed his cheek, then, without waiting for an answer she was on her way with Sheena.

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Ruby woke up, but her eyes were still heavy and she was feeling woozy. After some effort, she was able to open them a crack. She looked around. She was in unfamiliar place, and as far as she could see, it was dark and damp. She did not remember how she arrived there and when she tried to, her head hurt a lot. Unable to keep herself conscious enough, she again fell into an unconscious sleep she could not fight against.

After sometime Ruby woke up again from her drugged state, and this time her sight was more clearer, and her head had lessened it's pounding. When she looked at herself she was strapped into a chair with some belts, on her chest, her stomach and her legs. Her arms were also strapped at her sides. She still did not remember how she got there, but regardless, she struggled with the bounds, which did not even budge to her effort. She looked at her surroundings, and started to notice things that she didn't the first time. Like the fact that the walls looked old and decaying, the windows were completely boarded up with boards. There was also an old table and a chair in front of her. She was facing the room, so she could not see the door. She tried again to remember how she had reached there. The last time she remembered was...
Suddenly she was cut off from her thoughts when someone entered the room. And the voice made her memory come crashing back...

"Finally sleeping beauty awakes." The voice was of someone she knew. He came in front of her, and only then did she recognize him. It was Derrick. "You!!" Her voice did not come out as the way she wanted it due to her weakened state. He chuckled before sitting on the chair in front of her. "What am I doing here? How did i get..."realization dawned on her. "You drugged me." He smiled at her, then pointed a finger at her. "You got it now, you smart, smart girl." "What do you want from me?" Derrick shook his head. "Put it this way..."he paused for a moment thinking, before saying,"it's what I don't want from you." He grinned ruefully at her.
Just then footsteps were heard coming their way. Derrick stood up and went to check. Faintly Ruby could hear a hushed conversation before someone entered the room again. This time it was a distinctive click of heels on the floor. Only when the person sat in front of her did she knew who it was.

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"Hello Ruby." Her fake sugary voice was charming as always. "Camille." Ruby answered her stiffly. Camille smiled at her, taking in her look. "I see that you have settled comfortably,"she said with a sneer. Her beautiful face was contrary to the contempt and hate that reflected out of it. "Why am I here?" Camille laughed. "Honey, you know why you are here." Ruby looked at her coolly. "As a matter of fact, I don't." Camille's face turned ugly momentarily, before she pulled on her fake smiling face again. She scooted closer to Ruby. "You are here because you just don't understand, do you Ruby? I told you to stay the hell away from Dauph. He is mine, whore, mine!!" Her eyes were wild and excited, dangerous, making the hairs on the back of Ruby's  neck stand. She shook the feeling off. "If you insist. But if he was yours, why is he then with me? Why not you?" Camille's face turned ugly, as she snarled. "We are just having momentarily misunderstanding. We will go back together. But it is not possible until you get out of the picture." That dangerous look was back in her face, and it scared the hell out of Ruby. Camille stood up. "I'll be going now. The next time we see each other, um let me see,"she pretended to tap her chin thinking,"might be...never." "What are you going to do to me?" She smirked at Ruby. "I will do nothing to you....yet." She smirked again and left the room. Ruby could not help having a bad feeling, like something bad might happen, but she shook it away.

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What do you think might happen to Ruby?
How many readers are about to go out with sticks on fire to hunt out Camille??😆😆
Well, good luck on that.

See you on the next chapter! But please don't forget to VOTE, COMMENT and SHARE the story!!