The Arrangement Factor (ARRANGEMENT SERIES #1)

Chapter 75

Daniel's POV

We arrived at the location Noah provided, finding him in the woods, desperately searching for some clue.

Exiting the car without waiting for Alex to fully brake, I hurried to Noah. "Where are they?" I demanded, and his expression soured.

"I followed them until they reached here. Suddenly, a truck appeared out of nowhere, blocking my way, and their vehicle vanished. I couldn't trace them. I drove a bit further into the forest and discovered Sarah's phone lying along the roadside," Noah explained, his voice tinged with both frustration and sorrow.

"FUCK!" I exclaimed, kicking a rock at the roadside.

Alex stood by my side, and soon the officer and Mr. Anderson joined, questioning Noah.

"I was shopping in the mall for... something when I spotted Mia and Sarah. I rushed down to meet them, took the lift, and saw them being pushed into a minivan by two men. They appeared unconscious. I followed the vehicle until the driver realised I was tailing him, and he managed to lose me," Noah rapidly explained, eager not to waste any time.

"You found Sarah's phone here?" Alex inquired.

Noah nodded. "Then why the hell are we standing here? We know she's around here somewhere. Why aren't we searching the area?" Alex shouted, frustration evident.

I was losing my composure with each passing moment, and I knew he felt the same. Our love for our girls fuelled our anxiety over their safety.

"Sir, this is a jungle, and it's already evening. We can't venture in without a forest officer. Plus, we don't even know if the girls are inside or if the kidnappers dropped the phone as a distraction and moved farther ahead," one of the officers explained.

"I don't give a fuck if it's evening or night. For me, it might as well be the fucking apocalypse. I'm going in there to search for any clue about my girlfriend and sister. You can waste time fucking around or go find the vehicle's trail for all I care," I shouted at the seemingly ineffective officer, frustrated by the delay instead of a focused search.

Alex supported my decision. "Yes, I have a feeling they're here. I don't know; it's just a hunch. We're going in, and if you want to wait for your crew, be our guest." And so, we drove into the forest.

Deep within the woods, frustration set in as I began to doubt our decision, wondering if the officer was right and we wasted precious time. The thought of our girls out there, scared and waiting for us, intensified my frustration. I stopped the car, stepped out, and kicked the tire in frustration, only to hurt my toe.

"Fuck, Alex, I fucked up. I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to them. What do we do, Alex? How do we find them?" I spoke to Alex, who was gazing into the darkness beside me.

"Alex!" I shouted. "Are you even listening to me?" My frustration grew as he continued to ignore me, aggravating the situation.

"Shut the hell up, Daniel," Alex retorted, still focused on something behind me.

I turned, but there was nothing remarkable to capture my attention when the life of my girlfriend hung in the balance.

Facing him again, a car pulled up behind us, and I saw Noah and Mr. Anderson stepping out. Why were they here? Why couldn't they have followed the police's directions to cover more ground? I was about to lash out when Noah spoke.

"I think you guys should come here." He stood a bit further into the forest, gazing in the same direction as Alex. When did he move?

Growing angrier with each passing minute, I yelled, "Noah, we're not here to admire the forest; we're here to find our damn girls!"