The Bad Girl's Good Side

Chapter 30: Who's this?

Chapter 30: "Who's this?"

"Okay, so Tristan," Alejandro catches Tristan's attention from across the table. "When and where was Luther last seen?" He chews on the lid of his marker as he analyzes the white board where all the notes have been stuck on.

It was yesterday when we found out that my mother had been kidnapped, and we all agreed to take immediate action to try and figure how to outsmart Luther and rescue my mom before anything happens to her.

"Malibu. A week and a half ago." Tristan answers him with a clenched jaw.

"He's moving with a plan," Henry states. "It's like he's slowly making his way to LA on purpose. He's been leaving tracks on purpose so that we may think that we know his every move."

"That makes sense," Jordan agrees. "That's why we've been able to trace each city he's been in."

The room falls silent as each one is consumed by their own thoughts. Tristan has his fist clenched beneath his chin as he carefully scans the white board for some hidden clues. Alejandro and Henry ad rummaging through the hoard of papers on the desk while Chase and Jordan, are being Chase and Jordan -- playing rock, paper, scissors.

They sure do know how to release pressure.

My mind travels to my mom and how she is coping. Is she being tortured and abused? Are they feeding her? Is someone taking advantage of her? What will Luther do with her if we don't find her on time?

All these questions continue to cloud my mind, increasing the rate of my heartbeat and I feel my blood race up and down my body. I rhythmically clench and unclench my fists as I try hard not to hyperventilate, and I also trying to focus on my thoughts on only finding her alive and okay, not anything else that would be traumatizing. My mind races to dad, and how he is handling the absence of his wife. Is he and the police finding a lead? Will we also be arrested if they find out that we're involved in all of this?

"Okay," Henry's voice manages to retrieve me from my thoughts, and all heads turn to hear what he has to say. "Have any of you noticed any weird behavior by one of your peers on campus?" He asks us.

"You do realize that it's hard to notice when there are thousands of people on campus, right?" Jordan states the obvious for all of us.

"Okay, but haven't you maybe seen anyone who's always in the same place as you and seem to be following you around?" Alejandro is the one to ask.

Have I seen such behavior? I barely pay attention to my surroundings and mainly focus on revelant things and people in my life.

I try to think about any strange people that I might have spotted. And then it hits. . .

"Stanley." I whisper.

"Who?" Alejandro asks.

"Stanley." I say out loud this time so that everyone may hear.

"Stanley?" Henry's eyes almost bulge out of their sockets. "He's here in LA?"

"Yeah," Tristan answers for me. "She saw him a few weeks ago."

I nod. "The same day I got my new car. He also attends UCLA," I add and I almost regret saying what I said when I see Tristan's body go tense at the mention of that day. "Do you think Luther is using him to spy on me?"

"Of course he is," Tristan growls. "He literally turned on us when Luther held you captive. So I don't doubt that he's in on this plan again."

"Okay, I'm lost," Alejandro speaks. "Who is this Stanley guy?" Confusion masks his face.