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THE
PROTECTORS Sydney Smith
The PROTECTORS
By Sydney Smith
Designed to be Worthy 2015
Edited and Published by: Designed To Be Worthy 102 W.McElhaney Road Taylors, SC 29687
Copyright 2015 Designed To Be Worthy.
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. First printing April, 2015
Dedicated to
My amazing sister Abby, who is my
inspiration for Arden.
Acknowledgements:
I’d like to thank my awesome family Dave, Shawn, Abby and Hayley Smith for encouraging me to keep writing, even when it was hard. I also appreciate their proof reading and advice.
I would also like to thank Vanguard Homeschool Academy and Mrs. Wong, the director, because of the opportunity VHA provides.
Thank you to Pleasant Grove Baptist Church for allowing VHA to use their classrooms.
I also would like to thank my classmates. Lastly, I can’t express my gratitude enough to Mrs. Husman for her patience and kindness through the weeks of teaching me how to write.
Thank you all.
CHAPTER 1
Arden blinked at the bright sun. It scorched
her skin, causing sweat to trickle down her cheeks. She
wandered aimlessly around the abandoned college
grounds. Her stomach growled, so she grasped her
starving belly. What she would give for some Arby’s
curly fries.
She looked down, dreading the lonely summer
days ahead. During the last three years she had
completed all of her summer classes. Arden was
thankful for this because this year she was completely
exhausted.
She worked her butt off, preparing for her
physical therapy degree at medical school. Missing
school activities was hard, but Arden knew it would be
worth it.
Sighing, she moved sorrowfully to her old
motorcycle. The raggedy vehicle was given to her three
years ago from a secret admirer. Hopping on the seat,
Arden gripped the gas pedal and drove away, her little
bike spitting and spattering along.
When she finally reached her humble
apartment, the sun was setting. It was peaceful as the
sun shone a yellowish orange. The trees became a
silhouette while shadows swallowed the earth. After
parking her bike, Arden climbed the stairs to her room.
It was a nice quiet place, but it wasn’t far from
necessities.
Once she reached her floor, Arden slowly
walked down the narrow hallway. Everything was quiet
and the whole world seemed to be under a sleeping
spell. She turned to face her door while rummaging
through her keys trying to find the correct one.
Her eyes moved to the door. Suddenly, a cold,
sick feeling sunk to her stomach. Arden no longer felt
peaceful, instead she felt pure dread. Scratch marks
shone on the silver door handle indicating it had been
picked open.
Arden quickly examined the door and its
surroundings. A small strand of brown hair stuck out of
the key whole. The piece was longer and darker than
hers.
Taking a breath, Arden silently placed her bag
on the floor and readied herself for an attack. While
cautiously entering the darkness, Arden dared not turn
on the lights.
CHAPTER 2
The second Arden stepped inside her home, she
noticed her magazines, slightly tilted to the right. There
was also an unfamiliar aroma. It was a mix between,
mud, sweat, and gunpowder. The scent of gunpowder
flooded her mind with unwanted memories.
Peering around the corner into the kitchen,
Arden saw a small strip of light shining through a
window. Leaning her body into the room, she looked
deeper. Nothing. Her stomach twisted and turned,
making it impossible to concentrate. Then she observed
the back door. Once again, nothing; her nerves were
getting the best of her.
Then, she carefully entered the back room; a
tall shadowy figure stood there. Arden carefully
approached, her heart pounding with anxiety. He stood
in the center of the room, calm and perfectly at ease. It
crossed Arden’s mind that perhaps she was in the
wrong apartment, but she knew the truth. The closer
she got to him, the more Arden realized the shadowy
figure was the back of a woman.
Arden attacked the girl from behind, but
shockingly, the girl blocked the hold. Arden kicked at
her head, but she blocked again. Barely a second had
passed when the girl threw a fist towards Arden. She
quickly ducked, then tried to do a side kick. The girl
anticipated the move and flew out of the way, causing
Arden to lose her balance.
Arden’s heart raced in her chest. She felt the
adrenalin pump through her veins. She quickly
rebalanced herself and continued the struggle. A sheer
moment of panic struck Arden as the girl’s foot flew
toward her head. The stranger had perfect form, and
everything she did was flawless.
The darkness made it hard to see exactly where
she was, but Arden lashed out at anything moving. The
intruder seemingly did the same. A small light shined
on Arden’s face, blinding her and giving the intruder the
advantage to strike. Arden quickly threw her hands up,
sensing the throw, but it was too late. She felt an
instant pain strike her forehead. Dizziness filled her
mind, and agony flowed through her body. Arden didn’t
know if she was bleeding, but she did know she had to
keep fighting.
Arden tried to stabilize herself, but the intruder
flung Arden into the other room and struck her again.
The second blow knocked Arden to all fours. Barely able
to breathe, fear plunged into her soul, but it didn’t
matter, she forced herself to get up. She gathered all
the strength she had and continued to fight. Arden
gathered up every ounce of will power and elbowed the
girl squarely in the face.
A loud angry moan escaped the girl’s lips. Then,
to get back at Arden, the girl landed a punch at her
neck. Arden didn’t know if she could take much more
of this, she didn’t think she could make it this far. Arden
knew the girl was better, she knew it was just a matter
of time before she was finished.
Arden’s life flashed before her eyes. She
remembered her family, her friends, and any flashes of
happiness she had. Then, the girl swung her leg around
Arden’s. Her head slammed on the cold, wooden floor.
She took in a deep breath, closing her eyes as she felt
the intruder’s body pinned her down.
The intruder’s knees dug themselves deeply
into Arden’s sides. She gasped; she was beaten all over.
Her head and body screamed at her for relief, but none
came. She felt the intruder as she gripped her hands
onto Arden’s wrists and seize them tightly. She was
caught dead.
CHAPTER 3
The intruder’s grip tightened. A moan escaped
Arden’s mouth as she tried to wiggle her way out.
Arden struggled with everything in her. The burglar sat
still, patiently waiting for something. Arden didn’t know
who was on top of her, or why they were trying to kill
her. Fear struck Arden’s heart like a sword; she ached
from the intense battle.
She felt sweat drip down her face and neck.
She tried to fill her lungs with air, but the weight of the
woman on top of her made this impossible. Is this how
I’m going to die? Arden thought. She had believed she
was safe. She had thought she could finally be alone
and away from her demons. Arden had finally been
fitting in; she had friends. This was going to be her end
though; an aching pain rumbled in her gut.
She was breathing heavily, and the cold wood
against her sore head only caused more agony. Then, in
her final attempt to break free, she noticed the
stranger’s face in a streak of light. The light revealed
familiar dark brown eyes. That rounded face, and long
brown hair she knew. This was her long lost sister.
In a croaked and shaky tone, Arden whispered,
“Alex?”
CHAPTER 4
“Whoa there,” Alex said with a cheesy grin. She
stared into Arden’s dark eyes. Her mouth hung wide
open; she couldn’t believe her eyes. Her arms and
hands were trembling from the shock.
Alex toppled onto the floor and stood. She
reached her hand out to Arden, still on the floor, but
Arden ignored the gesture. She rolled over on one side
and used her left arm to push herself off the floor. The
whole time, she stared at Alex, shaking her head.
Questions flooded her mind. She couldn’t believe what
she saw. Alex stood there, completely calm, acting like
it was an ordinary day and as if nothing had happened
between them.
Arden hadn’t seen her in three years, she barely
recognized her. Alex had definitely grown up. Arden
didn’t care about that though. Why was Alex here?
There had to be a reason, and the reason couldn’t be
good. She wanted Alex out of her apartment, even if
she had to kick Alex out.
Arden could feel her blood boil, but she tried to
calm herself. “What on earth are you doing here?” she
asked, taking a pause between each word. Alex, who
had been staring at the floor, tilted her head up. She
looked straight at Arden, and then she headed to the
wall.
Alex flipped the light on, and the whole room lit
up. She leaned on the wall, placing one foot behind the
other. She crossed her arms and stared at Arden.
Arden could now see her sister clearly. Guns, knives
and other weapons covered her belt which rested nicely
on her hip. She also noticed a black and blue watch
that sat peacefully on her wrist. Arden knew it was a
communication device.
Alex seemed to scan Arden as well. It had been
three years, and she realized she must have changed a
good bit too. Alex sighed then spoke. “I need to talk to
you.”
Arden knew there was more to it. She stood in
silence, still unable to swallow the situation. Alex took
in a deep breath, and then confidently walked to the
couch. She seated herself comfortably on the chair,
leaning back into it while crossing her legs. Alex’s arms
placed themselves onto her head and she once again
spoke. “This is a nice place you’ve got.”
Arden slowly nodded, still unsure of what to
think. She wanted Alex gone. Wherever she went,
trouble followed. “I see you’re still the same old Arden,”
Alex commented, noticing her sister still examining her.
Alex sat up and placed her elbows on her knees, her
chin gently resting in her hands.
“I knew you would notice the slightest change
in here, plus I figured, why not play a little game,” she
said as she pointed to the magazines she had tilted.
And the strand of hair, she had placed it on the door
knob.
“Your game was foolish, and it scared me to
death!” Arden snapped back at her. She couldn’t hold
in the anger anymore. She couldn’t believe Alex was so
childish; one of them could have gotten killed. She
didn’t like that Alex was here; she knew it was only a
matter of time until Alex needed something of hers.
CHAPTER 5
Alex sat back into her chair, looking very
uncomfortable and uneasy. She moved her eyes around
the room, avoiding eye contact with Arden. She would
glance down from time to time, checking her watch
while waiting for someone to speak. At last, Alex got up
and walked to the door, looking annoyed and inpatient.
Arden walked to her and stared into Alex’s eyes
as she sought some answers.
“You know why I’m here,” Alex said as she
turned to face her sister. Arden was actually surprised
with the seriousness in her tone, and the sadness that
covered her face. Arden, unmoved by the words, still
glared, not saying a word.
Alex sheepishly staggered back to the chair and
sat down once again. She leaned back, trying to get
comfortable, but still looked uneasy. Arden seated
herself nicely on the couch and motioned for Alex to
continue in her explanation.
“Mom and Dad are on a case,” Arden rolled her
eyes; she could have guessed this was coming. As if she
didn’t notice Arden’s rude gesture, Alex continued.
“They can’t help me, and I need your help with this
one,” Alex said, desperation lacing in her tone. Arden
couldn’t believe it, no way. She had given up crime
fighting for good, and she was NEVER going back.
Arden stood up with rage coursing in her and
stalked to the door. She yanked it opened, holding her
hand out for Alex to leave. She would never go back.
She wanted to kill Alex. Arden couldn’t believe the
nerve Alex had in showing her face again.
“You don’t get it do you?” Alex asked as she
stood up harshly, obviously not giving up. She walked
to Arden, scowling, and spoke again.
“I need you. It’s Sally; she’s been kidnapped. Her
parents need our help to find her.”
CHAPTER 6
Arden glared at Alex. It couldn’t be, not Sally,
she…she couldn’t be. She hastily went toward Alex,
grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her slightly.
“You’re lying. You’re just saying that to get me to go on
this wild goose chase, just for it to end in some stupid
prank!” She yelled, tears threatening her eyes.
Alex calmly stood, staring into Arden’s eyes.
Then Alex spoke, steadily. “You tell me, Sherlock, am I
lying?” There was a pause between them, and Arden let
go of Alex’s shoulders. Arden looked at the ground,
thinking about what to do. She knew Alex wasn’t lying,
it was written all over her face. She promised herself
that she would never go back, but… it was Sally. Sally.
“Look,” Alex spoke as she walked outside the
door, “I need your help. I can’t do this alone.”
Arden’s eyes and body moved to squarely face her
sister. Arden knew Alex could handle the case; after all,
they had been raised to solve crime. Their parents were
the most famous and beloved detectives, or was it
spies, in the world. If anyone could solve this case,
Arden knew Alex could. At the same time, she couldn’t
let Sally be alone out there. She took a deep breath.
She looked at Alex, who was rubbing her lips together,
clearly anticipating negative response from Arden.
Then, she spoke her decision: “Let’s go rescue Sally.”
CHAPTER 7
On a backroad in the middle of the country,
Alex’s black 1970 Cadillac ripped through the highway.
Leaves and dirt flew behind them. Alex nodded her
head to the beat of the music which hadn’t stopped
playing since the moment they left Florida. She sang
and hummed along while thinking about what had
happened.
She hadn’t seen Arden in three years, and it
almost felt unreal to be with her again. She chuckled to
herself as she remembered the shock on Arden’s face
when she realized it was her, Alex. They had been
driving for two full days. They were now on their third,
but going strong. They had been working fervently and
quickly on making calls, examining case files, and
studying patterns.
Since they had begun working, they had
discovered that there had been 5 missing girls in the
past months. Each girl had red hair and was
somewhere in her twenties. Arden had called Sally’s
parents. She asked them if Sally had been acting
strangely, or if anything stood out to them. However,
everything was in order, and they couldn’t think of
anything. Arden tried to hide it, but she was obviously
discouraged.
Alex glanced over at Arden and scanned her;
she couldn’t believe how much she had changed. Arden
had put red and black highlights in her hair, which nicely
complemented her brown hair. She was wearing a light
cream colored sweater with her jeans, and black high
tops and a black beanie hat completed the outfit.
Arden was intently studying her computer,
going over anything that might possibly stand out. She
had gone over everything at least a thousand times. It
worried Alex how hard Arden was working. She had
barely eaten or slept at all since they had been gone.
Alex knew this was important to Arden, but she didn’t
want her to work herself into the ground.
Then, throwing her hands in the air with
frustration, Arden looked over at Alex and picked up
one of her cd’s.
“You really need to change your music choices.
Chicago, really?” Arden put the cd back, and gently
rubbed her temples while closing her eyes, trying to
relax.
“Chicago, yes, and all my music is awesome,”
Alex said loudly, trying to scare her older sister. She
was offended that Arden could say such a thing. Alex
turned the volume nob up, and then she sang the lyrics
to “Inspiration” as loudly as she could. Arden looked at
her, annoyed. She shook her head and mumbled
something about how Alex was unbelievable.
Shrugging, Alex ignored her and commented.
“Besides, you’re not supposed to be judging my taste in
music; you’re supposed to be on your little computer
doing nerd stuff.” Alex flicked Arden’s head with her
thumb and forefinger. Arden turned to her, frustrated.
“I’m getting into the police system to find out all I can
about the missing persons in the last month.”
Alex laughed. Arden couldn’t take a joke, she
was way too serious. Alex had never been accused of
being the smart type. She was good at picking locks and
fighting, but not at school, which was just a torture
chamber for teens. Arden, however, was the honor
student. She was a little genius! She could solve huge
algebra equations in her head and breezed through
without even a struggle in any subject. This drove Alex
crazy because it wasn’t fair that Arden was so smart.
However, she was happy that someone would
understand those big words.
Arden broke the silence, not realizing Alex’s
depth of thought. “It says here that all the victims went
to a movie the night they disappeared.” As she spoke,
Arden pointed to the computer screen. Alex squinted
her eyes at Arden and then looked back at the road.
Alex wanted to study the files, but there was no
way she was going to risk it. This car was her baby, and
no one could drive it, and no one could hurt it. She
loved it so much she had given it had a name. The
second she bought it, the car was referred to as
“Spidey,” named after Spider-Man, of course.
Alex’s mind jumped back to the present, where
she saw Arden looking out the window, lost in concern.
Alex understood how much Arden loved Sally. They had
been best friends for a long time. A touch of guilt
threatened Alex’s heart. She knew it was almost mean
to bring Arden along on this case, but Alex knew it
would be just as wrong not to bring her along.
Alex’s mind jerked into panic when she thought
of what might happen if Arden got hurt. Alex could
never live if something like that were to happen. She
hadn’t slept for the last few nights because in her mind
she had been examining every possible situation and
some way to escape it. Alex would do anything to see
Arden and Sally safe; it didn’t matter how much it cost.
“Hey, check it out!” Arden said excitedly.
Alex jumped, not expecting the loud burst of
enthusiasm.
“What?” she asked as coolly as she could.
“Each victim had seen a specific movie.”
“You said that already,” Alex said, feeling very
let down.
“I know I did, but guess which one.” Arden
continued, still excited.
“Oh, don’t tell me…um...Veggie Tales,” Alex
said, waiting for the reply.
Arden, however, was not amused. Captain
America: The Winter Soldier.
The car slammed on the brakes, causing them
both to jerk forward. Alex was so excited. She couldn’t
wait to see that movie. She loved the Avengers, and
Captain America was her favorite, no need to mention
how cute she found Chris Evans.
“Why did you do that?” asked Arden, smacking
her sister on the back of the head.
“Hey!” Alex said as she evaded the rudeness.
She continued back on the road, ignoring Arden’s
question. Arden knew the answer to her question, but
she wouldn’t say it. Arden had already brought up her
obsession with movies a thousand times.
They drove a little ways further, both thinking
about their journey ahead. Arden closed her laptop and
leaned on the door, staring out the window. Alex
glanced at Arden every so often to make sure she was
alright. Alex had stopped thinking about the case and
now her mind was focused fully on Captain America.
She couldn’t think about anything else. Well, she was
also thinking about ice cream and pizza. She grunted as
she felt her stomach growl. Her tongue licked her lips as
she imagined a giant bowl of chocolate ice cream with
Oreos on the side.
Her mind came back into focus as her eyes
examined the Philadelphia sign in the distance. She
gently tapped on Arden’s shoulder, her eyes trained on
the road. Alex felt a sick feeling creeping into her gut.
This might have to be her first case alone, and what if
she couldn’t solve it? What if she couldn’t save Sally?
CHAPTER 8
They arrived in Philadelphia about 10:00 o’clock
that night. They pulled into a quaint hotel outside the
city. Their room was on the second floor, and it had a
beautiful view of the city. Alex immediately ordered
pizza; her stomach couldn’t take it anymore. Arden was
busy unpacking her suitcase, which held mostly
computers and other technical things. Alex sat herself
comfortably on the bed and ate to her heart’s content.
Meanwhile, Arden examined her knife
collection, insuring herself they were ready to use.
She’d given up guns long ago, and she didn’t plan on
using them again. Memories of that horrific night
consumed her, but she swallowed hard and pushed
them aside.
Because she had given up guns and she knew
she still would need some sort of weapon for self-
defense besides her fists, she bought a few throwing
knives and stars. She was feeling very un-easy about
this whole thing, especially since she hadn’t practiced
with these potentially lethal things. Doubt spread
through her, but she had to do it for Sally as long as she
didn’t die first from Alex’s rambling and sarcasm. Alex
had barely spent a moment in silence over the last
three days. She sang constantly, at least when she
wasn’t eating.
Basically, Alex annoyed Arden to no end. Arden
couldn’t wait to be back home, alone and she was
exceptionally uneasy about the case. What if she made
the same mistakes? What if Sally was already dead?
Arden jumped. A sudden loud noise blasted from Alex’s
ipod, which came on at full blast.
Being raised as a spy haunted her. She hated
how she had been forced to train hours at a time, how
her family had moved from place to place, never
settling into a real home. When she was ten, her
parents had tied her up and put her in the trunk of a
car, forcing Arden to work herself out. It had taken her
four hours. She hated all of it, all of spy life.
Alex, on the other hand, was her parents’
favorite. She did whatever they said. She did whatever
they did. She got herself out of the trunk in 15 minutes.
Alex could pick a lock in less time than it took to say,
“pizza.” It was so unfair. Arden let her eyes fix upon
Alex, who sat on the bed planning something in her
head.
Arden sighed as she remembered Sally. When
they were kids, Sally would choose to play with her.
Sally never seemed to mind the other kids talking
behind their backs or making fun of them. Even when
Arden’s family moved, Sally kept in touch. Arden didn’t
like it, but she was going to be there for Sally.
CHAPTER 9
Arden’s mind wandered to the first time she
met Sally.
+++
Arden stood alone in the hall way, scared out of
her mind. This was her first time in a real school. Her
stomach ached as she saw other high school students
rush to class, leaving her alone. She looked around as
she saw different class rooms, but she just didn’t know
which one to go to. She looked around for help from
any one.
Then a girl with red hair and freckles
approached her. She was wearing a cute, short, blue
dress with a white shrug. She was very tall and skinny;
in fact, she was one of the prettiest girls Arden had seen
in a long time.
“Hi, my name’s Sally Klass. What’s your name?”
She reached her hand out to shake Arden’s.
“Arden Smith,” she muttered.
She shook Sally’s hand, but continued looking at
the floor, scared to make eye contact. Arden felt sick to
her stomach, and she wanted to run and hide in a hole.
“Hey, are you lost?” Sally asked, smiling.
Arden wanted to cry. She didn’t know what to
do; it was her first day, and already she seemed to be
acting like an idiot. She still stared at the ground, barely
hanging on. She felt a lump in her throat forming as
tears threatened to gush from her eyes.
“Well, I’m lost, Sally said with a laugh, “so I was
wondering if you wanted to find where on earth we’re
supposed to go.” Arden looked up to see Sally’s
beautiful smile. For the first time, Arden smiled back at
her.
“Great, how do they expect us to find anything
around here since there’s no map,” Sally said
sarcastically, causing Arden to chuckle. She looked so
ridiculous as she made funny faces pretending to be
crazy. They wandered around the school until they
found the principal’s office. “I’m sure they can help us.
Oh, hey,” she interjected, “I’m having a birthday party
this Saturday, you want to come?” Arden was so
shocked by this request she just stood there like an
idiot.
Sally laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll see you
then, oh, and don’t worry about gifts; I don’t want any.
I’m making every one not bring me one,” she smiled.
She then went into the office’s double doors to ask
where they should go.
+++
Arden felt the memories disappear as she came
back to the present. Sally’s birthday was the best thing
that had ever happened to her. Sally would always sit
by her at lunch. Sally became more and more popular,
but it didn’t matter. She always hung out with Arden,
no matter what.
CHAPTER 10
Arden could tell Alex was a little uneasy about
the case. She kept eating and humming to herself, but
that didn’t fool Arden. Who wouldn’t be worried, with
five missing girls in the last month; that’s not normal.
No one knew what they were about to face.
The two sisters had always helped their parents, and
the four of them had made a great team. Her mind
wandered back to the fun times when she was a
teenager. She and Alex had crazy stunts. Alex was
always jumping into things without thinking, but Arden
was always there to pull her back. Together they solved
the crime cases they were given. They were little cases,
like who stole the chocolate bar, but fun cases,
nevertheless. This was their first big case and doubt flooded
Arden’s mind. Alex seemed so calm, but then Arden’s
gaze strayed to Alex’s hand which gently patted her
watch.
Looking back at her sister and the pizza, Arden
asked, “Is it good?”
Alex’s mouth was full, but she nodded. Arden
reached her hand into the box and pulled out a hot
piece of pepperoni pizza. She took a bite; delicious
flavor filled her mouth. Arden had no idea she was so
hungry. She took three more gigantic bites. She looked
up to see Alex smiling at her. Arden could just hear Alex
saying, “I told you so,” but actually, Alex made no peep.
Alex pulled out the case file, and examined it
carefully. “I think our first step should be to head to
Sally’s job,” Alex said as she pointed to the movie store
in the file.
Arden nodded, knowing that was their only
possible move right now. Arden opened her laptop to
see if she had missed anything, knowing that even the
smallest detail could mean solving or not solving this
case.
As she scrolled over the same article again, a
hand closed her laptop. Alex stared at her, then shook
her head. “You need sleep; we can work on this in the
morning.” Alex walked to the fridge and placed the
nearly empty pizza box neatly on a shelf. Slowly, she
climbed into bed, pulling in one foot after another.
Arden finally surrendered to the will of her
sister and did the same. The bright lights that
surrounded them were replaced with utter darkness.
As Arden closed her eyes, trying with everything in her
being to sleep, Alex spoke quietly saying, “Arden, we’re
going to save Sally.”
CHAPTER 11
Alex and Arden had both set the alarms for five
the next morning. They ate a quick breakfast and
rushed themselves to get ready for the day. They both
wanted to get an early start on the case. As they
walked over to the exit, Arden spoke with a smirk, “Oh,
don’t tell me we’re going to ride in your old excuse for a
car.” These words cut Alex, but she ignored her sister.
Sensing Arden’s embarrassment over being so
hateful, Arden spoke again. “Well, it’s better than my
beat-up, old motor cycle, that’s for sure.” Alex stopped
cold in her tracks. Her heart ached inside her. She felt
anger, and sadness fill her soul. Without saying
anything, Alex went toward Spidey.
As the two walked towards Spidey, they heard a
man shout, “Alex!” Alex didn’t move; she left her hands
on the keys which were slightly tilted in the car’s lock.
She immediately recognized the hurtful deep voice of
the man.
A tall, muscular gentleman with sandy blond
hair sprinted toward them as he again called out Alex’s
name. He was a little out of breath when he reached
them, but a huge grin decorated his face. His beautiful,
sparkling blue eyes smiled at them, yet Alex stood
stone- faced. She wasn’t going to fall for those eyes
again. The nerve he had to show his face to her. Anger
and malice welled up inside her, and feelings she didn’t
know existed swallowed her whole.
He stood calmly with his hands on his hips
which were touching his big, green, poofy coat. “Alex, I
haven’t seen you in ages. How’ve you been?” He
greeted, grinning at her.
Oh, how she missed his smile, his kindness, his…
She stopped herself. No, he was not to be trusted. She
would not let him get away with what he had done.
Alex folded her arms crossly. Without saying a
word, she dared him to continue.
He looked to the side and licked his lips. He was
clearly regretting his decision to come. “So, who’s
this?” he asked, pointing to Arden and trying to make
the tension disappear. There was a moment of silence,
and then Arden reached her hand forward. “I’m Arden
Smith, Alex’s sister.” Arden was stupidly smiling, giving
Alex an “oh my gosh, he’s cute” look here and there.
The two shook hands, and he smilingly said, “I
should have known. You two could be twins. I’m Sam
Morgan.” Alex swallowed. She remembered the first
time she had heard that name.
A new trainee had signed up to go on a murder
case. He had no idea what to do. Alex remembered
trying to teach him how to interrogate someone. Every
time he opened his mouth, Alex burst out in laughter.
He was so friendly and fun to be around. His
insecurities made him even more special.
He had a nervous twitch where he would rub
his hands over his messy hair. It was so endearing;
every time he did it, Alex had to smile. Going on cases
together had been so much fun. Sam always had her
back. They were a good team.
She remembered one time when they were
hanging off a building...
Alex spoke to him in a trembling tone. “If we
die, it won’t be your fault. I could never have asked for a
better partner.”
Sam spoke in a quiet tone saying, “Alex, I’m
sorry. I’m so sorry, … but I can’t.” Alex readied herself to
catch him if he let go. However, a loud noise from Sam
filled the air. She couldn’t breathe the smell was so
rotten.
Alex wanted to laugh at this memory, but the
last case they had worked together weaseled itself back
into her mind. She realized the three of them had been
standing there in awkward silence. Arden tossed
glances at Alex, wishing her to speak. Alex couldn’t do
it; she couldn’t let go of what had happened.
Sam checked his watched and then looked up in
the sky. “I should get going; it was nice to meet you,
Arden, and nice to see you, Alex.” He waved goodbye
and jogged to the hotel door.
Alex could feel Arden’s cold stare; however, she
ignored it and hopped into Spidey. She shook her head
to refocus and tried to concentrate on the day ahead.
They had to find Sally.
CHAPTER 12
The drive to where Sally worked had been a
quiet one. Alex had once again played her music as
loud as she could, but Arden could tell Alex was ignoring
it. Arden readied herself for her first interrogation in
three years.
When they arrived at Movie Kingdom, the two
hopped out of the car and headed toward the quaint
shop in front of them. As they neared the door, Alex
moved in close to Arden. “You question the managers
while I check around the place.” She spoke so quietly
Arden almost missed it.
Once inside the shop Alex disappeared around
back while Arden rang a silver bell which rested neatly
on the front desk. An old lady wearing a blue flowered
dress came to the desk. A man, equally old and wearing
khaki pants and a green striped collared shirt, followed
slowly behind her.
The woman smiled at Arden and motioned for
her to speak. “I’m a friend of Sally’s, and I was
wondering if you knew exactly when she disappeared.”
Arden spoke as clearly as she could, making sure they
could hear her. The women looked slightly confused but
answered anyway.
“A week ago. Who again are you?” Edith asked.
The man, who was Bill Peterson, stood in the corner
leaning on a wall and in a daze. Arden Edith just
watched him out of the corner of her eye. Sally had
mentioned her bosses; she had said they were nice, old,
and kind. She never really talked about them. She only
made a remark here or there.
“I’m an old friend. Her parents asked me to
come,” Arden answered.
“Oh, I see.” She took a pause and then said with
a sigh, “It really is a shame, all these young ladies going
missing. It’s so peculiar…” Her voice trailed off, as if it
was focusing on something completely unrelated.
Arden could tell this was going to take a while.
She glanced at the bottom of the woman’s dress. It had
mildew on the hem. She concluded the lady must have
been in a basement or a food cellar. Then she noticed
Billy had the same sooty mildew on his shoes and khaki
pants. Must be their home or where they keep the
movies is damp, Arden thought, trying to focus back on
the questions.
However, Arden could hear Alex’s voice in her
head. “Well done, Sherlock, you’ve noticed mildew on
their clothes. Try to find something useful, won’t you.”
Arden hated that name, Sherlock.
“Sally did go see that movie,” Edith said
breaking Arden’s thoughts. “You mean, The Winter
Soldier?” Arden asked, making sure to cross all her t’s
and dot all her i’s.
“What, oh no, that movie always gets canceled
on a certain night and…” She paused as Arden’s showed
surprise.
“What movie did they see?” Arden asked, moving
closer to the desk.
“A mystery film. It’s about a haunted house and
a young detective...oh, what’s her name, uh… Nancy,
Nancy Drew was the movie.”
“Nancy Drew.” Arden repeated. There was a
long pause as Arden’s mind wandered to the case.
Nancy Drew was a new film, but it wasn’t supposed to
be out yet. She hadn’t remembered reading this on the
case file. She and Alex had triple checked it, so she
couldn’t understand how they had missed it. Then they
heard a loud crash from the other side of the store.
All of them ran around the corner to find Alex
holding about six movies in one hand and a whole row
on the floor.
Alex smiled with embarrassment; her face was
turning redder by the minute. She gently put the
movies she was holding back on the shelf, all the while
smiling at Edith and Billy. Edith was not amused. She
crossed her arms and scowled at her so harshly it
almost made Arden laugh.
“Excuse me, what are you doing?” Edith asked
curtly.
“Oh,” Alex said with a hoarse tone. “I was, uh…,
looking for a very particular movie.” Alex glanced at
Arden, pleading for help, but Arden just chuckled. Alex
had gotten herself into this mess, and she was going to
be getting herself out. Alex stood in silence, not
knowing what to say, so she just stood there smiling like
an idiot. Finally, the manager kicked them out, yelling at
them. Arden couldn’t catch a word of it because she
was too busy laughing her head off at her sister.
CHAPTER 13
The two walked to Spidey. Arden couldn’t stop
laughing. She thought she was going to have an
accident. Alex, however, was humiliated. “You get out
of here, ya little she devil!” mocked Arden as she
quoted the words Edith had said.
“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up… it wasn’t funny,
though,” Alex said, trying to act cool, but clearly still
feeling uncomfortable.
“I can’t believe after all this time, you’re still the
same. You never think,” Arden said as she opened the
car door.
“Why didn’t you help me?” Alex asked. Arden
was surprised by the spite in her voice.
“You got yourself in, and you can get yourself
out,” Arden said coldly.
Alex then answered as coolly as she could, “It
was pretty cool though. Did I look like Ethan Hunt in
Mission Impossible.” She gave Arden a wink and a
smile.
“Why does everything have to be movie related
to you? I was working while you were playing!
Arden could tell Alex was ready to punch her,
but she didn’t care.
Alex let out a laugh, quipping, “You, getting
good information, please. I found out, while you were
having your little heart to heart, that the movie they
were actually seeing was...”
“Nancy Drew,” Arden interrupted, staring Alex
down. Arden couldn’t be more pleased with herself.
She was more capable than Alex gave her credit.
Alex stiffened up, and scowled at Arden.
“You had to do it, didn’t you? You just couldn’t
resist.”
Before she hopped into her seat, she
responded, “It felt good.”
However, when she sat down, she heard Alex
mumble, “God, help me to not kill her.”
CHAPTER 14
They drove in silence for a while, neither one
feeling like talking. Alex was still furious with Arden,
and she wasn’t going to let it go that easily. It was
almost noon, but for the first time Alex wasn’t hungry.
Breaking the dead silence, Arden spoke. “So,
what’s up with that Sam guy?” Alex could tell she was
trying to be casual about it, but it didn’t work.
“Nothing,” was all Alex could muster. The
incidents of that day had been too much to handle.
“Oh, come on, spill it,” urged Arden as she
turned to her and gestured for Alex to speak.
She sighed, and repeated, “It’s nothing.”
Now frustrated, Arden demanded to hear the
story. Alex was so angry she pulled over to the side of
the road. “I said nothing, quit being so noisy. You’re
always like this, always in other people’s business,”Alex
yelled. The words came out so harshly it amazed her.
She could tell Arden was hurt by the rebuke, but she
kept talking. “You haven’t been a part of my life for
three years, and now you suddenly care. NO! I’m not
going to trust you this easily, you don’t deserve it,”
voiced Alex, releasing the last of her frustration and
anger. It felt good, but she also felt slightly guilty.
She continued, “Do you know how much I
missed you? Huh? Do you know how badly it hurt never
to hear from you? You never once called or wrote, and
I wasn’t even sure if you were alive.” She spat these
words at Arden as she shot out of the car and slammed
the door shut.
Arden, just as angry, followed her.
“You never wrote me either. You didn’t stick up
for me when I was with Mom and Dad,” she screamed
with malice.
These words ripped through Alex, but she
refused to back down. “I thought you would come
back, but, oh! You had to make a point and be
dramatic, as always,” snapped Alex even though she
wanted to stop fighting. She just couldn’t control her
tongue. One last burst pushed out of her as she asked,
“Do you know who sent that motor bike to you? Huh?
Any guesses? Me, that’s who,” she said. Alex could tell
her words surprised Arden.
“You? You gave me the worst bike in history!
You expect that to make up for everything?” Alex
asked. She rolled her eyes in disbelief at Arden. She
was being absolutely ridiculous. Alex couldn’t take it
any longer; that is why she had lost it.
CHAPTER 15
The two faced each other in cold silence after
that tirade. It sent shivers up Alex’s spine to think what
she was about to admit, but before she could stop
herself, she blurt it out.
“I was chasing Scar Face,” she gushed. Tears
stung her eyes as she spoke. She saw all the hatred
vanish from Arden’s eyes. Alex drew in a deep breath so
she could continue the explanation. “I was so close to
catching him. I had him, for you,” she said. She moved
in closer to Arden, who showed concern and surprise.
“Sam and I were on the case. We had Scar Face
cornered. Sam knew how important this was to me.
But…,” she paused, unable to continue. The memory
was punching her in the gut. She felt a lump form in her
throat. Sadness swooshed over her like a plague.
“Scar face got the drop on me….and he had me
at gun point. He demanded that Sam put down his gun.
I screamed at Sam to shoot,” she said and then paused.
However, her next words came out differently. They
carried no sorrow. They held anger. Bitterness grew
inside of her as she finished, saying, “Sam let him go,
and … we were so close, and he let Scar Face go. I
haven’t talked to him since. Now you know why,”
breathed Alex, so angry that she missed the complete
change in Arden.
Alex slowly walked back to her car. She sat
uncomfortably in her seat. Arden did the same. Neither
said a word for the rest of the ride.
CHAPTER 16
Back at the hotel Arden was finishing up the left
over pizza from the night before. Still, neither one had
spoken. They both kept to themselves and worked on
separate things. She was still swallowing everything
Alex had told her. She was ashamed at the way she had
treated her sister. She was older, and it was her
responsibility to behave better; however, Alex had been
a jerk. Plus, she had been a complete idiot. She
continued to fight with herself.
Arden was still too angry to admit her false
attitude, but she didn’t care. Alex sat quietly on her
bed pretending to be reading her Bible, but Arden could
tell she was in her own little world; Alex hadn’t turned
the page once since she had picked it up.
Arden watched as Alex placed her Bible on the
nightstand. Curious, Arden watched as Alex pulled out
her computer and examined her computer screen.
“What’s up?“ Arden questioned as she moved
to her sister’s side. Alex sighed, “I’m ordering movie
tickets for tonight since we need to get in somehow.”
Alex continued working, but Arden just stood there,
confused.
“Why did you bring me on this case?” Arden
asked while looking directly into Alex’s eyes.
Alex took a deep breath and then answered,
“Well…” Alex paused as if thinking out what would be
the best way to speak, without causing another blow up
between them.
“When I found out your friend was in trouble, I
figured you might want in.” She shrugged, and then she
muttered something so quietly Arden almost missed,
“Plus, I need your help.”
Arden looked off into space since she couldn’t
imagine why on earth Alex would ever want her help.
“You know of my past right?” Arden questioned. Alex
looked up, almost shocked by the question. “I let one of
the most dangerous serial killers go, and I froze,
allowing someone to get killed…I…,” Arden peeped.
Alex raised her hand, shushing Arden. “I trust
you Arden. You won’t make the same mistakes again,”
she assured.
The words didn’t comfort Arden. Her sides
began to ache, and she felt as if someone was choking
her. She was terrified of what they might find as they
continued searching for answers to Sally’s whereabouts.
She looked down, barely able to control her emotions.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alex staring at
her. “I’ll never forget what he said, ”Arden added as she
parroted, “ ‘Run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch
me; I’m the scar-faced man.’ ”
CHAPTER 17
Alex ignored her sister and moved to a brown
bag which she had hidden in the closet. Alex pulled out
a box of wigs.
“What are you doing?” Arden asked as she
moved to the bed.
“We are going to dress the part. In the file it
says only red heads get kidnapped,” informed Alex.
Arden was horrified. There was no way they
were purposely going to get themselves kidnapped.
“You’re crazy, there’s no way that’s going to work!”
Alex looked up at her and then spoke saying,
“This is our only lead. If we don’t take this chance now,
we’ll miss the movie!”
Arden shuffled back to her bed. She knew Alex
was right. After tonight, the movie wouldn’t be
showing for another three days, and time was slipping
away.
Alex tossed her an auburn wig and motioned for
her to get ready. The movie was in one hour. Arden
knew she had to follow along with the plan, even
though this would probably get them killed.
CHAPTER 18
They arrived at the movie theater just in time,
but Arden scowled. The wigs Alex had dug up were
embarrassingly fake.
“Why on earth do we have to do this?” she
begged with a frown while glaring at Alex. Arden would
get her revenge on Alex later.
“One: because it’s fun. Two: because we have
to, and three: because I like making you suffer,” Alex
quipped. She had pointed a finger for each number she
had counted. She walked away with a loud laugh of
victory. It made Arden sick.
As soon as they entered the building, two
ushers wearing red, broke into laughter. She knew they
looked hilarious. Apparently, they looked so hysterical
one usher fell over. Alex didn’t seem to mind, but
Arden was ready to damage her sister.
Arden leaned in close to Alex’s ear and
whispered, “I’m going to get you.”
CHAPTER 19
The movie itself was terrible; the graphics and
actors “stunk,” to put it in Alex’s words, and nothing out
of the ordinary happened. It had been a normal movie,
besides the laughs that escaped people’s mouths when
they saw the duo. Arden had been plotting a revenge
plan from the second they sat down.
Alex recalled that the girls had disappeared
from somewhere in the alley behind the theatre. Arden
tried to convince her once again, that this was a bad
idea. Alex shrugged and reminded her that they both
knew Taekwondo and that nothing could possibly
happen. Arden had a sudden rush of fear when they
trekked the long, dark alley.
There were trash cans and rotten pieces of food
lying everywhere. It was a typical alley, the perfect
scene for a horror film. The only light was the full moon
above them. Arden felt shivers run up and down her
spine.
Alex stayed completely alert. She walked at a usual
pace, trying to act as normal as possible, humming “Eye
of the Tiger” while her eyes were searching, glancing
back and forth. Arden hadn’t seen her concentrate that
intensely since they had watched Lord of the Rings.
Arden slowly followed behind her. It worried
Arden that Alex could look so cool and calm. Men in
black jumped out from behind the dumpsters, from out
of nowhere, grabbing both of them before they could
react.
CHAPTER 20
Arden was yanked back so hard she felt dizzy.
She looked up just in time to witness Alex racing toward
her. Alex’s knife landed a strike on the man who had
grabbed Arden. Arden admitted to herself she was out
of practice, but at that moment, she had to try
something.
Another man popped out of nowhere. He
headed straight toward Alex. A new sense of courage
swept through Arden, something she hadn’t felt for a
long time. She jumped in front of him and side kicked
him in the gut. She heard him yell out in pain, but it
didn’t matter. Next, she elbowed him in the face,
knocking him out.
A man with tuff hands grabbed her from
behind. He had her in a military hold, and she was
losing her oxygen and beginning to feel light headed.
Then, without hesitation, she threw the man over her
body, causing him to crash to the cold ground. She
finally noticed Alex punching and striking like crazy.
Then, with one final attempt, Alex kicked the man who
had seized her right in the chin. He flew back; he was
out cold.
“Next time I say it’s a good idea to get
kidnapped and ask what could go wrong, tell me I’m an
idiot,” Alex said as she and Arden exchanged a look of
gratitude. Just then, a man came from behind them
and knocked Arden out cold.
Alex screamed as she headed toward the man.
A surprise caught her; a rough hand grabbed her from
behind. He threw her into a dumpster, knocking her
unconscious.
CHAPTER 21
Alex awoke with a sharp pain in her head. She
felt dizzy and weak. Her throbbing head made it hard to
concentrate. Gasped for air, she turned to her left side
and forced herself to get up. She couldn’t remember
the last time she felt so sick to her stomach. She was
seeing doubles and triples of herself.
Alex couldn’t understand why or what she was
seeing. She almost fell over from the dizziness, and her
breathing had increased significantly. Her heart was
pounding out of her chest from fear and pain. She
blinked, trying to see clearer. Then it hit her: she was
trapped in a room of mirrors. Everywhere she turned,
she saw only herself trapped in a black room with only a
small light shining above her. Panic engulfed her, but
she refused to give in. She blinked up at the bright light
shining down on top of her. Discouraged at not finding
anything, she stared back to the floor.
She reached up and touched her head which
was bleeding slightly. She looked back up and scanned
the room carefully. Even though she was confused and
sick, her only thought was to escape and find Arden.
She couldn’t believe they had gotten caught. If Arden
was hurt, she would never forgive herself. Mistakenly,
she had thought it was a simple case; she assumed Sally
had just gotten lost or run away for some stupid reason.
This, however, was turning into a dangerous and deadly
situation.
Her mind went back to the problem at hand.
Questions filled her mind and she asked herself, “Where
am I? Where is Arden? Can I escape?” These thoughts
consumed her. Then, she noticed a slight movement in
the corner, or what she believed to be a corner. She
stared at it for several moments, yet nothing changed.
She was beginning to think she was going crazy and
seeing things. The light flickered intensely.
Alex froze. She knew someone or something was
trapped in here with her and she had no way of escape.
CHAPTER 22
Alex didn’t make a sound; she slowed her
breathing, almost to a stop, something her parents had
insisted she master. She wanted to turn around to face
what was in the corner, but she knew she couldn’t. Any
movement now would give her position away, plus she
knew staying still was her best defense if it was a deadly
animal. She waited several seconds, and nothing
happened. She thought once again, perhaps, she was
over-exaggerating, and that everything was actually
fine. Right when she was about to move, a figure
jumped out of a dark shadow at her. She jerked to the
right, barely able to digest what had just happened.
Standing in front of her was a man, or what
seemed to be a man, wearing a long black robe and
peering from a ghostly white face. She could only see
two yellow eyes glaring back at her. He let out an evil
chuckle as he grabbed his knife.
Alex stared at the figure, unsure of what to do;
she knew she was too wounded to fight. The previous
leap to the right had almost caused her to pass out.
She searched the room for any ideas or
something to protect herself with. When he lurched
forward with an evil glare, she defensively dropped to
the floor, flat on her stomach, with a loud thud. Then
she paused for a moment as a thought came to her.
Without another pause, she kicked as hard as she could
at one of the mirrors.
Glass shattered everywhere. She curled into a
little ball, covering her face from flying glass. “Arghh!”
the man screeched as he lifted his arms to cover his
face from the debris. When the glass stopped falling,
Alex glanced up to find the man huddled in a corner
stunned.
“I can’t believe that worked,” Alex thought. It
shouldn’t have, but it did. In some ways it was a
completely stupid thing to do, but it was the only thing
that had come to mind. She noticed a small hallway
through the broken mirror. The man was still
completely stiff; he seemed too scared to move.
She shrugged and walked toward the hallway. There
were doors on every side. It almost seemed to be a
doctor’s office or something. Confused, Alex asked,
“Where on earth am I?” Then the terrible thought
struck her, “Where is Arden?”
CHAPTER 23
Alex wandered aimlessly through the building.
As she searched, she found a small gun along the way. It
made her feel more confident, but she was still nervous
and scared. What started as a room of mirrors changed
into a doctor’s office of endless doors, all locked.
In exasperation, she finally kicked one down,
but instead of finding another room, she found herself
on a beach. This was becoming stranger and stranger.
Where on earth could she be? Arden could be
anywhere. She might not even be in this building, a
thought which had never occurred to her until that
moment; however, if she was in here, there was no way
she was going to find her while wasting time walking
aimlessly around.
She sat down on the sand and placed her head
in her hands. “God, I don’t know what to do…Please
help me,” she cried, a small tear escaping and falling
down her cheek.
She had finally gotten her sister back, and now
Arden was wrapped in potentially serious trouble. She
thought of her phone.
She reached to her pocket, and to her joy she
found it was still there. “What if Arden still has her
phone? I can track her on the GPS,” she said aloud.
Alex’s fingers immediately got to work.
She didn’t know exactly what she was doing,
but at that moment in time, she felt like she could fly.
Alex discovered Arden’s location; it was through the
wall of the beach room.
She opened a door which she found on a far
side. When she entered, she saw Arden tied down and
lying on a table. A man with two surgical knives was
headed straight toward Arden. He was going to kill her!
CHAPTER 24
Arden awoke, scared out of her mind.
Insidiously, panic grew inside of her. She was barely
breathing. She looked around only to find her hands
and feet cuffed to a table. Her mouth was gagged with
a rag, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t
move.
She looked around the room; obviously, it was
an operation room. The horrific truth struck her: she
was tied down to an operating table! Just then, a man
with big black glasses and wearing a long doctor coat
walked in. In his hands he held two surgical knives.
Arden squirmed in terror, but it did no good.
The man let out a laugh and then slowly came closer
and closer to her, holding the knives, ready to cut into
her flesh. Arden could feel the coldness of the blade
touch her forehead. She closed her eyes, hoping to
wake up from this nightmare.
A loud scream echoed in her ears. She opened
her eyes to find Alex hitting the man on the head with a
hospital pan.
“Arden, are you ok? What were you thinking?
You can never do this to me again, do you hear, or I’ll be
the one who is tying you up,” Alex said as she gently
released Arden.
“A hospital pan, really?” Arden said with a
smirk, but also with complete gratitude, in her voice.
“I know, who knew, right?” Alex said, quoting the movie
Tangled.
Next, Alex helped Arden up from the table and
said, “Come on, we better find Sally and get out of
here.”
Chapter 25
Arden was so confused, plus her head hurt.
However, she noticed a blood splotch on Alex’s hair.
Worry rushed through her. “What’s that?” she asked as
she moved in to touch the spot. Alex winced and
moved away. “It’s just a little cut, I’m fine.”
Alex walked out of the room holding her head.
They entered a strange tunnel where cobwebs and
spiders dangled from the ceiling and a misty stench
filled the air; however, it seemed fake. Arden could tell
that Alex was so focused on getting out that she didn’t
seem to notice. The deeper they got into the tunnel, the
more Arden knew there was something wrong. The
walked they walked, the more strange and weird things
became. Arden trudged on, ignoring her feelings.
Alex stopped dead in her tracks. “Shhh. I can
hear some people,” Alex whispered to Arden. Arden felt
her sickness return. Sweat dripped from the roots of
her hair down onto her face. She glanced
at Alex who seemed perfectly calm. Alex turned to face
her and stated: “On my mark, break down this door.”
CHAPTER 26
Before Arden could speak, Alex had already
broken through the wall. She yanked out her gun, and
pointed it toward the group of people. To Arden and
Alex’s horror, it was just a crowd of teens in Halloween
costumes.
Alex’s felt her face turned beet red. She
couldn’t believe she had just pulled her gun on kids,
teenagers. Arden stood dumfounded with her jaw wide
open.
“Sorry, must be the wrong party,” Alex said,
placing her gun back in its leather holster and putting
both hands up in surrender.
They both slinked toward a table in the corner.
As they moved, Arden pointed to the surgeon that had
hovered over her on the operating table. Reality struck
both of them. This was all some sort of game, a prank.
As they stared at the surgeon as a man came around
behind them. “Aaah!” shrieked Alex as he tapped her
on the shoulder.
“Thanks for bloody nose; can’t you take a joke?”
He pushed past them and walked to another table.
At last, the girls sat down at a table while the room still
glared at them.
“A fun house?” Alex said placing her head in
between her hands. “Rrrr,” she groaned. “Could this
day get any weirder?” This meant they weren’t any
closer to finding Sally; they were once again at a dead
end.
“It’s all a game. None of this was real,” Arden
asked, looking around.
“I can’t believe this. I just shattered a mirror,”
said Alex, “knocked out an unsuspecting man, and drew
my gun on a lot of innocent people.” Alex looked up and
shook her head. “I do not enjoy making an idiot out of
myself.” She hid her head in her hands again, this time
in shame.
Alex felt Arden’s cold hand touch hers. “Maybe
we can speak to the manager,” she suggested. “Surely
he’ll know a thing or two.”
Alex popped her head back up. She nodded and
the two headed for the back.
CHAPTER 27
They entered a room which was at the back of
the dining center where they saw a man in a detective
costume. He was lying on a table with a knife in his
back. Fake blood gushed from his back onto the floor,
leaving a nasty puddle.
“Um,” Alex said, poking the body, “could you
please come back to life just for a second.” No
movement. She looked at Arden, hoping for advice, but
none came. Arden was totally creeped out; she
couldn’t imagine poking this guy. Her sister was insane.
“Please,” Alex urged. Alex shrugged her
shoulders in defeat. She was getting ready to speak to
Arden when the man popped up. Alex jumped
backwards, gripping onto a desk behind her. A high
pitch squeak left Arden’s mouth. Her heart was beating
a thousand miles per hour and she thought she was
having a mini heart attack.
“What is so important?” the man asked,
annoyed, and then with a bit more concern he added,
“Are you not enjoying yourselves?” He peered at them,
searching for an answer.
Both girls froze in shock, and it took them a
moment to regain their courage.
“Look,” Alex said stepping forward, “we’re
looking for our friend, well a few of our friends. Can you
tell us if they’re here?” She reached inside her leather
jacket and handed him the pictures of the five missing
victims.
He scanned them over before he leaned back in
his chair. “I’ve never seen those women before, but
sometimes a group will go to a storage hanger,” he
suggested. The two exchanged a glance. He spoke again
saying, “Um… I’m sorry are you not happy with your
deluxe package.”
Alex titled her head up, as if something had just
clicked. “I thought that was just for better seating,” she
whispered.
Arden knuckled her on her shoulder. “You did
what?” she whispered angrily.
“I know; it was stupid, plus it cost me five extra
bucks.” Arden shook her head.
“Is that all” he said, “I need to get back to my
job.” He handed them the address to the hanger and
then curled back down into his fetal position.
They left the haunted house as quickly as
possible. Dirty glances flew from all corners of the
room, but the two tried to ignore them.
Once they were outside, Arden spoke, asking,
“Do you think we’ll find anything at the hanger?” It was
already getting dark and by the time they got there, it
would be past 1:00 AM.
“It’s our only lead. We’d be fools not to take it,”
Alex said as she jumped into Spidey and turned on “Eye
of the Tiger.” Arden followed, the song annoyed her,
but she was slowly getting used to it. Plus, after almost
facing death, she was just happy Alex was okay.
CHAPTER 28
They had been driving for about 30 minutes.
Neither one of them spoke. Alex had turned off her
music. Arden surprisingly wished the music would
continue.
“Arden,” began Alex. The sudden noise caused
Arden to jump. “I’m sorry for the way I treated you, you
know when we talked about Sam, and all the things I
said?” Alex said and paused. Arden couldn’t swallow
what she was hearing. Alex’s words showed true
remorse. “It was wrong of me. I thought I was gonna
lose you back there,” confessed Alex as she took a deep
swallow.
She continued, “I couldn’t live with myself if
something…,” but she couldn’t finish. Alex tried to hide
it, but Arden could hear her sister was choked up. She
even thought that she saw a tear slither down her
cheek.
To be honest, she felt the same way. The things
they fought about, the things they always fought about
seemed so little and stupid now. Being tied down,
unable to move, was the most terrifying thing Arden
had ever been through.
To be honest, there was nothing that came
close to the feeling of relief when she saw Alex coming
to save her. “Me too,” Arden whispered quietly. She
felt Alex glance at her, and then as if to completely
change the subject, Alex mocked and added, “The
motor cycle I got you was pretty awesome. You’re just
so stupid you didn’t notice.” Arden laughed at the
sudden change in the mood.
“Well, you’re the jerk that that never shuts up,”
Arden said as she flicked Alex in the ear. Alex smiled,
but continued driving. Arden loved Alex, even the way
she could always find humor in anything. Even if what
they might uncover at the Hanger could be devastating.
CHAPTER 29
They arrived at the hanger a few minutes after
their little chat. Alex reached behind her seat and
pulled out two small flashlights. She waved one at
Arden before tossing it to her. “We’ll need these,” she
said as she jumped out of the car. Alex gave Arden a
concerned stare while she strolled to the gate.
Fencing enclosed the whole hanger area; it was
locked up tight with chains and padlocks. Alex paced
back and forth for a bit, scanning the fence and its
surroundings. Without further hesitation, she jumped
on the gate and climbed over to the other side. She
truly looked like Spider-man climbing a wall.
“Piece of cake,” she said through the chain link
fence. Smiling, she threw her hands to her hips. She
nodded her head and motioned for Arden to do the
same.
Arden rubbed her stomach nervously. She
hadn’t done this since she was little. How was she
supposed to magically do it again after all these years?
She sighed and gently placed her foot in the weave of
the chain link. She took a deep breath and climbed.
She could sense Alex secretly laughing at her.
Arden admitted to herself that she must look ridiculous
mumbling, “Alex just jumps over the fence as if it’s
nothing, and here I am, taking my sweet time.” She
finally reached the top. Slowly, she swung her leg over.
“Can you go any slower?” Alex prodded. Arden
looked down to see Alex shaking her head. Arden knew
she was out of practice, but she also realized they had
to get moving, so she climbed down a little faster and
jumped to the bottom.
Alex chuckled as she passed her on her way to a
building. Arden relentlessly followed. She was sore
from being tied up, but finding Sally was the only thing
that mattered right now. Arden would find her
whatever the cost.
CHAPTER 30
While they crept through the empty hanger,
their flashlights lit up the darkness surrounding them.
Arden stumbled along, feeling sick to her stomach. She
wondered if she would ever get the hang of this.
Alex moved cautiously. She held her gun
straight in front of her, her flashlight held underneath
her weapon. Arden could tell Alex was trying to act
strong, but she knew Alex was also pretty shaken up
over what had happened. She kept Arden in her sight.
Arden vaguely remembered Alex thanking God in the
car for keeping them safe.
Once again, Arden’s mind had drifted, but when
Alex stopped dead in her tracks, Arden strained to see
why Alex didn’t move. Arden had no idea what was
going on. She couldn’t move, no matter how hard she
tried because fear had gotten the best of her.
“If Alex is scared, I should be terrified,” she
thought. She sneakily glanced around the empty
hanger. She saw nothing, nothing but the darkness of
the night.
“There’s nothing here,” said Alex, finally taking
a deep breath and turning to face her sister, “nothing at
all, just another dead end.” Alex muttered the last part.
Arden could tell Alex had no idea what to do. They had
been there three days, and they were no closer to
finding Sally than the first day.
Arden began feeling a pit in her stomach.
Hopelessness weaseled itself inside her. Even the police
couldn’t find these girls, and they had been searching
for a month. How could she and Alex expect to come in
and find them in only a few days? They were amateurs,
newbies, beginners. Arden felt as if she was drowning,
her oxygen being yanked from her.
“It’s hopeless,” Arden whispered, looking down,
enraged that those words even came out of her mouth.
Alex looked up at her with a start; she could sense
Arden’s disapproval. Arden glanced up again only to
find Alex smiling down at her.
This made Arden furious. How can she be
smiling? Sally was out there and here’s her clumsy,
movie addict, sister smiling. It took everything in her to
refrain from punching Alex as hard as she could. Alex
walked toward her, and she knelt down, grinning kindly.
“Arden, you’re my big sister, and I love you, but
stop being such a drama queen,” she said as she stood
right back up and glanced around the hanger once
more.
Alex placed her hands on her hips and calmly
stated, “We should go back to square one. Let’s head
to the hotel and rethink what we know.” She headed
toward the exit gate, seemingly calm and collected.
Alex turned around to check on Arden, who still
hadn’t moved and said, “Come on, you lazy one, get
over here. If you want to help Sally, you need to learn
to persevere. To keep moving forward no matter what
obstacles are in your way.” For the first time, Arden
finally realized Alex had grown up. She truly did care
what happened to Sally, and she was going to do
whatever it took to find her.
Arden stared back at her sister, still unable to
digest all the events of the day. Alex turned around. At
the gate once more, she flew around and darted away,
running for her life.
CHAPTER 31
Alex rushed past Arden, screaming at her,
“Move it!” Arden turned just in time to see three
Doberman pincers racing toward them, snarling and
barking.
Arden fled as fast as she could. Amazed at how
fast she could actually run, she passed Alex, who was
heading toward the other gate. The three dogs were
right on their tail. Arden didn’t dare look back. Their
barking and howling was getting closer and closer. Her
heart was pounding so hard it hurt. As she ran, sweat
covered her face and stung her eyes.
She reached the fence and without hesitation
leaped over to the other side. Surprisingly, the sound of
barking and growling was now far away from her.
Unfortunately, the dogs were chasing Alex
around in a circle. She looked petrified, and she was
breathing so heavily Arden thought Alex would pass
out. Still, it was a hilarious sight to watch.
Escaping the dogs, Alex leaped over the fence,
falling straight on her back. She was so exhausted she
couldn’t speak, her face quite covered in sweat, and
she was red all over, but she was safe. Arden couldn’t
hold it in any longer; she burst out laughing. She gave
in to her laughter because Arden had never seen Alex
that whipped.
Alex glared at her briefly because she was too
tired. She tried to stand but fell to her hands and knees.
Arden couldn’t stand either; she was laughing too hard.
When they reached Spidey, Arden’s tears were
streaming down. She could tell Alex was embarrassed,
and Arden felt bad for laughing, but she just couldn’t
stop. Then she realized that Alex didn’t seem to mind
too much. “Maybe Alex wants me to be happy,”
thought Arden randomly, “and she purposely trapped
herself with the dogs just for my entertainment.”
They drove off in the car heading toward their
hotel. The ride was a quiet one, and the two of them
thought the same things: where is Sally? Is she still
alive?
CHAPTER 32
When they arrived at the hotel, Arden went
straight to bed. Although the day had been long and
terrifying, Alex couldn’t sleep. She rested her back
against the headboard.
Different emotions surrounded her. “All this
time I have been trying to be brave and strong for
Arden, yet I was horrified. When we were at the hanger
I could barely breathe, I was so scared. At the fun
house, my hands trembled with fear,” Alex mused.
She thought about Sally and what could have
possibly happened to her. “She could be dead!”
thought Alex, wanting to think the best, but, at this
point losing hope momentarily.
She reached in her pocket and pulled out her
phone. Her fingers glided over the contacts list. She
wanted so badly to call for back-up. They needed their
parents’ help. At the same time, Alex knew better. Her
parents were busy on their own case. She sighed and
placed the phone back where it belonged.
She glanced at Arden, who was sleeping. She
was shivering from the cold air streaming out of the
vent. Quietly, Alex took her blanket and placed it over
Arden’s body. With nothing better to do, she whipped
out her computer.
The light from the computer screen reflected in
her eyes. She read about the theatre. It had originally
been a part of the Underground Railway and was,
therefore, packed with secret tunnels. Her eyes
widened as she read more. Movie Kingdom held a
charity there twice every week.
She swung her jacket over her shoulder. Alex
flipped the light switch on. When the room
immediately lit up, Arden moaned from the sudden
burst of light. Alex didn’t care.
Alex shook Arden until she knew she could hear
her. Protractedly, Alex spoke: “Arden, I …know …where
Sally is.”
CHAPTER 33
Their feet carried them quickly out of the hotel
and into Alex’s car. Arden was in a fog from sleeping,
but she was slightly embarrassed to ask what was going
on. She had no idea what Alex could have found, but
whatever it was, Alex was dead set on it.
She looked at Alex. She was so concentrated,
it was almost frightening. She scowled at everything.
Her eyebrows were narrow. She didn’t turn on any
music or state some random movie reference. Arden
was scared.
“So where are we going?” Arden asked as
casually as possible.
Alex turned to her, almost annoyed and said, “I
can’t believe we didn’t think about this; you’re the
smart one.” Arden felt offended by the comment but
listened to Alex’s words.
“The theatre, it all started there, everything,”
she spoke, pausing, making sure she had Arden’s full
attention. “The website says it’s only open on Friday’s
and Saturday’s. All the other days are given up for a
charity.”
Arden, completely confused, asked, “So what?
There are a lot of charities. That doesn’t matter.” Alex
shrugged, obviously annoyed and slightly angry.
“Look, Sherlock, the charity is Movie Kingdom,”
voiced Alex, “sound familiar? That’s Sally’s job. You
can’t tell me that’s not a coincidence. Plus, there are
tons of secret passageways in the theatre.”
Arden, still confused, studied her sister’s face.
It was starting to make more sense. “What do you
mean, there are secret passageways? Wouldn’t they
have closed them all up by now?”
Alex sighed, frustrated. “Look! You’ve got to
trust me on this one. I know this is it.”
Arden held her thoughts. She wasn’t sure she
could trust Alex, but it was the only thing that could
possibly make sense. Besides, her instincts told her the
same thing.
CHAPTER 34
They arrived at the theatre at around 4:00 AM.
Alex readied her guns whereas Arden gripped her knives
tightly. When they reached the entrance, Arden stood
watch while Alex picked the lock. They crept through
the abandoned theatre.
Left-over popcorn littered the floor and the
smell of cotton candy filled the air. They held their flash
lights tightly and Alex laid her other hand gently on her
gun, ready to draw. They both kept alert ready for
anything.
There was nothing in any of the main theatres
or in any of the balconies. Arden wondered if Alex
hadn’t really found anything new; maybe she had just
made up this new lead to keep their hopes high.
The two went back to the lobby, Arden more
disappointed and hopeless than before. “Alex, give it
up,” she sighed, “we can’t do this. We need help.” Alex
stood in silence, examining the movie posters that
dressed the wall.
Arden sat down on one of the big red chairs and
placed her head in her hands. She didn’t want to give
up. In fact, she had never given up on anything like this
before, but there was nothing they could do. They were
a couple of college kids; what did they think they could
do?
“Alex, … we tried,” Arden said in a calm tone.
She didn’t want to quit, but she just didn’t know
what to do next. Alex’s head dropped, as she stared at
the floor. “I know there’s still something,” she said,
pausing as she turned to Arden. “I just don’t know
what.” Arden stepped towards her sister, opened her
mouth to speak, but closed it.
She shoved Alex aside and studied a movie
poster. It was the Nancy Drew movie. Arden moved
her fingers along the rim of the picture. She felt a dent
on one side and pushed her finger into it. A loud snap
reverberated.
Alex leaned in closely, helping Arden yank open
a door. A tunnel filled with cobwebs and spiders
appeared. They exchanged a glance; neither one knew
what they had gotten themselves into.
CHAPTER 35
The musty scent of the passageway filled the
air. Arden, who was leading, came across an old,
banged-up, wooden door. Alex tapped her on the
shoulder, motioning for them to go in. Arden did as she
was told but didn’t want to enter the room.
It seemed cleaner than the tunnel, but the smell
was worse. Decay and filth surrounded them. Alex
moved her arm over her nose to cover the stench.
Arden stood still as she examined the room.
She shined her flashlight around the room. In the
corner she noticed a closet and near the closet, there
was no dust.
She coughed quietly to catch Alex’s attention.
Arden nodded her head in the direction of the closet.
Just then they heard a low, muffled cry. Quick
strides carried them to the closet where Alex posed
along one side of the door and drew her gun. She held it
up to her face. Arden had targeted the door handle and
readied to fling it open whenever Alex commanded.
Alex nodded her head in a rhythm counting softly,
“One, two, three!”
Arden whooshed the door open. Immediately,
Alex hopped in front of the door way, gun and flashlight
pointing into the room.
Huddled in the corner five girls cowered in
tears, terrified.
CHAPTER 36
Tape sealed the girls’ mouths shut and their
hands were tied behind their backs. They weren’t hurt,
as far as Arden and Alex could see, only scared.
However, they all reeked of sweat and filth.
Arden and Alex walked toward them. Alex
placed her gun back in the holster and drew out her
knife to untie the girls while Arden dropped to her
knees in front of Sally. Sally let out a weak yelp of
gladness. The two old friends embraced. Arden looked
up at Alex, who had finished untying the last girl.
“Thank….you…so…much…,” was all Sally could
mutter through choked tears. Arden tried to calm her.
Alex was comforting the others as well. Arden stared at
Alex: she was so kind and caring. Tears fell down
Arden’s cheeks, and she was barely able to hold it
together, but not Alex. Alex was strong. Alex held the
girls’ hands, caressing them and saying calming words
like, “You’re safe,” “No one’s going to hurt you,” and
“We’re gonna get you home.”
Arden hadn’t realized how tender-hearted Alex
was until that moment. Arden looked at Sally, who had
finally caught her breath. “It’s good to see you, mate,”
Arden said with a smile.
“We need to leave,” Alex said, startling them.
Alex helped the girls up as she spoke. “We
can’t,” she added, “stay here; these girls have to get
out, and we need to call the cops...” Before she could
finish, they heard footsteps coming through the
passageway.
CHAPTER 37
The kidnappers had returned. Alex immediately
moved in front of the group and yanked the closet door
shut, but it was too late. Two figures, enraged, saw
them and ran toward them.
Alex caught a glimpse of their faces: it was Bill
and Edith Peterson! She faced Arden in utter shock and
disbelief.
Alex yelled back, “We’ve got to get these girls
out of here!”
“What about the Petersons?” Sally questioned.
Confused by the questions, Alex shook her
head. Sally spoke again saying, “They’re in the corner.”
Alex tilted her head slightly to peer out a crack in the
door. Sure enough, they were there.
“I guess the jig is up,” a gruff voice said. “Alex,
Arden, I know you’re in there,” he spoke sternly. “Tell
you what. I’ll let these innocent girls go if we can have a
little chat.” He spat his words at them.
“Sally, get the Petersons and the others out of
here.” Alex ordered.
Alex and Arden exchanged a last glance. They
both knew what they had to do. They opened the door,
giving themselves up.
CHAPTER 38
Sally and the others ran up the stairs, leaving
the four behind. Alex and Arden evenly spaced
themselves out; Alex had Edith, and Arden had Bill.
“This was too easy,” the man stated, walking
around Edith and holding his dagger to one side. “All I
had to do was dangle some bait in your way, and here
you come.”
“Who are you?” Alex broke in. She hated being
taunted, and she disliked whoever was doing it even
more.
“I’m surprised you don’t remember me. I’m
even…hurt,” he said as his words slithered like a snake
off his tongue.
“Alex, I am disappointed. I thought for sure you
would recognize him,” he continued as he pointed to
Edith, and then nodded his head. Edith reached her
hand under her neck, yanking off the mask. It wasn’t a
woman at all. It was Sam. Betrayal washed over Alex,
causing her to stumble, almost crumbling to her knees.
His eyes were no longer kind and trusting, but dark and
evil.
The older man laughed insultingly. Then, he
unveiled his true identity by saying one small phrase,
“Run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me. I’m the
scar-faced man.”
Alex glared at him. Swiftly, she turned to
Arden, who looked like she’d been shot in the chest.
Arden crumbled, dropping to her knees.
Alex darted for her, but was stopped by Sam’s
cold, wicked hand pulling her back into his arms. He
wrapped his arms around her and placed his head on
her shoulder. He whispered things in her ears, taunting
her.
Scar Face slithered to Arden, circling her like a
vulture ready to devour his prey. Arden couldn’t move.
Alex kicked and jerked trying to pull herself away from
Sam, but he only tightened his grip, making it difficult to
breathe.
“Arden, Arden, Arden. I dare say, I can’t believe
you fell for it,” he ridiculed, circling her. “I thought for
sure you would be finished, but you had to do it. You
just had to save poor, old Sally,” he gurgled, leaning in
close to Arden’s ear as he whispered the venomous
words.
“Sam, this isn’t you!” Alex butted in. She
couldn’t take any more. She couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Oh, yeah?” he growled back. He sliced her
belly with the blade of his knife. Astonished, she
screamed in pain, only to be punched in the stomach by
Scar Face.
“I’m afraid we must be going,” he growled as he
ran toward the stairs. Sam threw Alex to the ground,
causing her to groan once more. She faced him,
sadness consuming her like a disease. He ran to the
stairs, unmoved by the gesture.
As they reached the top of the stairs, Scar Face
turned around. “You can’t catch me. I’m the scar-faced
man”… he shouted once more, adding, “and your
parents seemed to have forgotten that.” Alex flew up,
at these words.
She looked at Sam. He chuckled while she
listened to him spit, “Your parents are as good as dead.”
He added cruelly, “They vanished into the darkness. No
trace. No sign. No nothing.”
CHAPTER 39
Arden was so shaken up, she missed half of
what happened next. Flash backs of police and
ambulances appeared in her mind. She remembered
seeing families reunite and knowing Sally was safe and
sound once more. She recalled the EMT’s stitching up
Alex and the police taking her statement. Arden
remembered it all. They were back in Alex’s Cadillac
and going well over the speed limit down the highway,
but nothing mattered.
She was relieved to see Sally safe once more,
but Scar Face was back. Recalling the last time she saw
him, she closed her eyes tightly as tears flowed freely
down her cheeks.
+++
She stood face to face with Scar Face. It was
Steven and her that time. Steven had done everything
she had ever asked of him; he was a good friend. Arden
loved him, his sarcastic jokes, and the way he
understood her. She had wanted more than anything
to bring Scar Face to justice. Arden wanted to prove to
her family that she was good enough, a good spy.
Stephen and Arden poised against Scar Face.
She remembered steading her gun, ready to pull the
trigger when out of nowhere a flash of light and a puff
of smoke exploded in the room. She couldn’t see
straight and she felt herself fading into sleep, but she
fought it.
Coming out of a daze, she saw two blurry
figures a few feet in front of her. One was Scar Face
and the other was Steven! Scar Face held him tightly, a
gun to Steven’s head, daring her to shoot him. Arden
could only see blurry shapes, but she decided to take
the shot.
She steadied her gun and fired three times. A
horrific laugh filled the air. To her horror, she saw Scar
Face standing there, tall and unharmed. Steven lay on
the ground, motionless. She ran to him and threw
herself over the body, sobbing uncontrollably. Then
Scar Face bent down and whispered his famous words.
+++
“Arden? Arden snap out of it,” interrupted
Alex’s words, yanking her out of the past. She hadn’t
realized how long they had been on the road. Arden
looked at Alex, hoping she had some answers, but then
she remembered Sam. She knew it had to hurt more
than anything in the world.
“They’ve got Mom and Dad, so I’m going after
them,” Alex announced bleakly. “I can drop you off if
you want, but…”
Arden interrupted, “I don’t care what we do,
but I’m coming with you. We’re going to go after Scar
Face and Sam together.”
The sisters exchanged a sympathetic but
encouraging look. Alex reached her right hand to the
radio to turn on music and pushed the gas pedal as hard
as she could.
About the author
I’ve always loved my stories, high
action books, and movies. I grew up in Papua New Guinea; it’s an island above Australia on the map. We lived there for ten years before returning to the states, which involved a huge learning curve and culture shock, but all the same, my love for mysteries and high action stories grew.
As far as I can remember, I’ve always loved to write. When I was about 6 or 7, I remember writing little short stories and giving them to my mom to read. Even today, I constantly have stories spinning in my mind. Maybe one day they’ll all become a book.
“An action-packed mystery with
great family dynamics.”
–Shawn Smith
The Smith sisters, Arden
and Alex, race against time
to rescue their missing friend
Sally. They endure kidnappings
and a visit from an old enemy.
“Intense, suspenseful; you
won’t put it down.”
–David Smith