Chapter 13: Kick.
Zachary's POV
"Where the fuck is she?!!!" I ask my friend Troy who works with the FBI.
"Calm down." He tells me over the phone.
"Don't give me that bullshit. Valarie is missing, for all we know she could be dead." I yell, running my fingers through my hair.
"We're working on it. She's off the radar. We can't find her." Troy says and I almost run my car off the road.
"It's been a week. She could be dead for all we know." I yell, trying to control my emotions.
"Zachary put yourself together. We're gonna find her." Troy says before hanging up.
"Fuck you." I tell him before I throw my phone out the window.
***
I knock on the door three times as I wait.
The door opens and Courtney stares at me and groans.
"What are you doing here?" Courtney whispers, adjusting her silk robe before stepping out of the house, joining me on the cold porch.
"Where is Valarie?" I ask her, folding my arm awaiting her response.
"What? How am I supposed to know?" She fires back.
"Don't act like you don't know she's missing. You've had it out for her since High School." I yell in her face.
She slaps me across the cheek.
"Yes, Valarie and I rarely got along, but I would never hurt her. You really have some nerve insinuating that I did something to her." Courtney says, livid.
"I'm just at a dead end." I say, pausing. Tears well up in my eyes and I find it hard to breathe.
"Zach, are you good?" Courtney asks, staring at me.
"I'm not good. She could be dead, Court. My Valarie could be dead. What am I gonna do?" I ask, sobbing.
Courtney pulls me into a warm hug and I cry on her shoulder while she pats my back.
Her front door opens and I raise my head up to see who it is.
"Hey babe, you never came back to bed." Adam says before he stops dead in his tracks as he stares at me.
I pull away from Courtney and I clear my throat.
I walk to my car, get in and drive away.
***
"Where were you?" Sabrina asks with her arms crossed.
"Where do you think?" I clap back.
"I know you were out looking for that girl." Sabrina tells me, rolling her eyes.
"Don't you fucking talk about her." I yell.
"What's going on Zach? You're different." Sabrina says, yelling.
"Oh, I'm sorry I can't be here with you watching the real housewives of Beverly hills, but my friend is missing. Get your head out of your fucking ass." I scream in her face and I see tears well up in her eyes.
Sabrina sniffles and I roll my eyes.
"Hey, come on. I didn't mean that." I tell her trying to pull her towards me. She resists and hits me with her arm before she walks away.
I let out a tired sigh and I sit on the sofa.
***
Valarie's POV.
"Get up." Heather says, kicking my side.
I use my elbows to sit up as my hands and legs are tied.
"We're changing location. It seems your one true love Zachary has been looking for you." She says laughing.
She pulls a knife out of her pocket and approaches me.
I stop breathing for a second.
In anticipation for what she is going to do to me. Heather cuts through the ropes that hold me bound.
"Let's go." She says before she pulls me up.
I can barely stand, my legs are numb.
"If you won't walk, I'll drag you to the car." She tells me, letting go of me.
I drop to the floor so hard that I feel like I have broken my ribs.
Heather starts dragging me towards the door, the concrete floor scrapping my body. She keeps pulling me until we are outside. This is my first time seeing the outside world since I've been kidnapped. She stops dragging me and opens up her black van.
"ON THE GROUND NOW!!!" I hear someone yell. I can't see who it is as I am lying face down on the floor, unable to move.
"Shit." Heather says as she reaches for the gun on her hip. I hear a gunshot and Heather falls to the floor beside me.
"GO, GO, GO!!!" I hear the voice talking again.
Heavy footsteps approach us and I think the police are here.
Yay.
"Took them long enough." My subconscious snides.
I feel someone pick me from the ground, but I can't open my eyes. I'm far too tired.
***
"Oh, good heavens. Thank God." My mother says as my eyes flutter open.
"Where am I?" I ask her.
"You're in the hospital. You were kidnapped." She tells me, holding my hand.
"Who would want to kidnap me?" I ask her, sitting up.
"Only God knows." She tells me, shrugging.
"Who are you?" I ask her, pretending as if I've lost my memory.
"Y-you don't know who I am?" She asks, her voice breaking.
"I've never seen you in my life." I say, removing my hand from her tight grip.
"Valarie?" She says, shocked.
"How do you know my name?" I ask her, moving away from her, acting like I'm scared of her.
"I am your mother. I gave you that name." My mother says, full on sobbing now.
"You don't remember me? My child doesn't remember her own mother." She laments to herself.
She gets up from the chair and leaves the hospital room in tears. I make sure that she is out of the door before I burst into laughter. Minute's later, she comes back with my father.
"Valarie?" My father calls out for me.
"Hm." I hum.
"Who are you?" I ask him, trying so hard not to break character.
"Valarie, I know you're pretending. Stop being so mean to your mother." My father tells me and I start laughing.
"So, it was all a lie?" My mother asks and I nod, still laughing.
"Damn, she slow." My subconscious chips in.
"You're so childish." My father says, chuckling.
"I learnt from the best." I tell him.
"Well, that's a relief. I'm going to pick up the food. Vince, don't leave this room." My mother tells us before she picks up her purse and leaves the room.
"Wanna play some chess?" My father asks me.
"Dad, I have a pierced lung and broken ribs. Multiple stab wounds and a terrible headache. So, no... I don't wanna play chess." I tell him.
"Push through it kid." My dad says as he drops the board on the bed.
"I'm calling CPS." I tell him and he lets out a loud hearty laugh.