Forgetting Archer ✔

Chapter 23

Debbie's POV.

"This is your last chance to confess, Miss. Steele," the male detective looking a little older than me with dark brown hair and green eyes told me.

"Confess what?! I am telling you I had nothing to do with that? I haven't even seen him in months. The last time I spoke to him was before my grandmother's funeral when I broke up with him, why won't you believe me?!" I screamed frustrated and tired.

He stood up shaking his head. He pulled out a radio phone and I rolled my eyes. "Bring in the evidence."

"Evidence? What evidence?" I asked curiously as a man entered with a familiar briefcase that looked damaged.

"This was found at the scene of the crime with your fingerprints all over it and not only that," he said before he put on a pair of gloves and opened it. I was stunned to see that it was the gun that Archer gave me along with the bullets but some were missing. "The gun that was shot and the bullet found in his chest had your initials on it."

"Anyone could've done that. It was just a gun with my initials. The case was destroyed so obviously the person didn't know the code and busted it open."

"That's what I thought too, but then we checked the security camera footage and found this," he said, opening the laptop and playing a video of a woman with red hair shooting at something, my mouth fell open unbelievably. "This is a woman, with red hair. And I am sure you resemble this very much."

"I am being framed!" I declared then I looked at the time the footage was taken. "Look, I wasn't even in L.A at that time. You can check the flight records, I was in New York for the entire December," I announced with a little hope.

"Okay, I’ll have someone call and check," he said before he left me alone to dwell in my thoughts.

How could this be happening? Who would want to frame me? What have I done for them to go this length? And also, Parker was dead?

A few minutes later, the detective returned with a scowl. "Seems like you were telling the truth, we gave the airport you departed from and landed in a call and they both confirmed that you were indeed out of the country."

"Thank you, can I go home now?"

"No. We have the right to keep for at least 24 hours to see if we can obtain any more evidence to support your claim."

"I was out of the country! What more evidence do you need?!" I screamed at him. 

He motioned for a police officer to come in. "Take her to a holding cell and let her get one phone call."

"I am an innocent pregnant woman with rights. When my boyfriend finds out about this, he will sue the whole department," I threatened them as the man gently took me out of the room.

He brought me to a table making me take a seat while he grabbed a phone. He gave me the phone and I grabbed the phone from him and dialed Archer’s number as the detective sat across from me in the chair giving me a suspicious glare.

The phone went to straight voicemail twice and the third time I turned to the detective. "Are you familiar with Agent Nate Saunders?"

"Yes why?" he asked.

"I need to talk to him," I stated with a bad attitude.

He scoffed. "How do you know him?"

"Just let me talk to him. I have a right to a phone call, right?" 

He rolled his eyes and took out his phone dialing the number. "Hello, Agent Saunders, there is a female by the name of Debbie Steele here in my custody who requested to talk to you."

He handed the phone to me. "Nate."

"Debbie, why are you in Detective Storms custody?"

"I have been framed," I went to explain to Nate what happened and he suggested to call Archer so I told him that he wasn't answering so he said he'll be there in a few minutes.

"Take her to the holding cell," Detective Storm ordered but I refused.

"I have the right to be comfortable. I am not going into a cell, like a criminal. And if anything happens to me or my baby, I’m in your custody." I reminded him, sassily folding my arms.

I didn't know how long I was there for, but I smelt something very awful and suddenly had the urge to sleep. I tried to stay away but I fell asleep and when I woke up, I was being carried by someone. I looked up to see an unfamiliar face.

"Who are you?" I asked softly. The person didn't reply and I looked to see that I was in an empty parking lot. "Put me down," I ordered the man but he didn't listen so I began trashing against him trying to fight my way out but he threw me against a car, and his hand back connected with my face blacking me.

*********

Archer's POV.

When Nate busted through the door of Grayson's at 1 am in the night while I was staring out of space on their couch, I knew something was wrong.

"Debbie called me from the station an hour ago but when I showed up, the whole department was knocked out by chloroform and she went missing," he informed me hastily and I flew up out of the couch in horror.

"What?!"

I didn't wait for a second more before I grabbed my shoes and keys heading to the car with Nate following me. "Where are you going?"

"To find mywife," I replied loudly.

"But she could be anywhere, I have all my men searching the country for her. She hasn't been gone for too long," he assured me and that only angered me.

"She's out there with some creep, all alone and pregnant. She might be starving right now or even in pain or….” I gulped not wanting to say it. “I shouldn't have left her, I’m so fucking stupid. This is all my fault!" I yelled pulling at my hair before driving my fist into the side of my car multiple times.

I didn’t feel the pain, all I felt was anger.

"What the hell?!" Grayson yelled from behind me pushing me away from the car with such a force that I fell to the floor helplessly. Holding my head, I did something I haven't done since I saw Debbie almost alive on the hospital bed 5 years ago.

The tears just fell from my eyes involuntarily as I gritted my teeth in anger. This is all my fucking fault. I screamed at the ground.

"What happened?" I heard Missy's voice from behind me rubbing her hand in a circular soothing manner trying to calm me down but all I could think about was my Debear. 

"Someone kidnapped Debbie," he informed her and she flew to her feet immediately.

"What?! Then why aren't we looking for her? Who would do that? When?"

"Missy calm down-"

"Don't tell me to calm down! She's out there with some psycho, God knows what they're doing to her now. And you're just standing here doing nothing?!"

"There are over 40 highly trained professional trainers, including the police force looking for her as we speak. We'll obtain information in less than 24 hours."

"That's not enough," I growled standing to my feet trying to think of all the people who would try to ruin us but no one came to mind.

Think Archer! Think!

"Corabella," I said out before I began pacing the garage. "How could I be so slow."

"Nate, get your men to find the whereabouts of Corabella Patterson immediately. If I am right, Debbie is wherever she is."