Long Island's Rising Popstar

Chapter 12: Opps

"We need to find Mariah Dillard."

The search started immediately. The Fresh King was not going to let his family get taken from him, and even if they were safe, they would have reached out right after the fight with Eczavier. Before his phone died. But now he had no choice but to charge it and begin planning a way to get to Mariah.

"So you're sure you didn't see anyone here?" Luke asked the boy who had been keeping watch over the house while Fresh and his family were gone.

"Nope." Justin replied plainly. "They never came back."

Jaelen cursed under his breath. "Why would she even kidnap them? They didn't do anything."

"We don't know what happened." Luke corrected.

"But it's a possibility, right?"

The hero sighed. "I don't know. We don't know anything for sure. Just... Stay calm."

Fresh scoffed. "How can I stay calm when my whole family is gone and I don't know where they are?!"

He turned to Tammy in a state of despair, collapsing into her arms.

The girl embraced him, rubbing his back and trying to soothe him of his anxiety. "We're going to find them." She said confidently. "Don't worry."

"Where do we go from here?" Nancy inquired.

"For now, back to Harlem." Replied Luke. "Plenty of people are gonna gossip, and somebody will know where the councilwoman is."

"But... isn't Eczavier there?" Tammy pointed out.

"No way to tell. He could be here, looking for Jay."

"Nah. He knows where my house is. I mean, everybody does. He's gonna expect me to be hiding anywhere other than here."

"That doesn't make this place safe either."

"Nowhere is safe for me." Jaelen said sadly. "I wanted to make the world a better place, and now I'm making it worse for everyone."

Justin put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Hey. Don't say that. You are making the world better, one song at a time. Eczavier's the one screwing everything up. I mean, he interrupted your show and threatened you. Everyone's on your side."

"Are they? You saw what I did for Cottonmouth, and Eczavier is gonna spread the word about that eventually."

"He's the one who got you into this mess. Trust me, the blame is on him."

The Fresh King sighed. "What are we gonna do when we get to Harlem? And how are we gonna avoid ECZ's gang?"

"You underestimate me." Luke Cage said. "I know Harlem. I've lived there all my life. If there's anyone who's gonna help you get away from them, it's me."

"I mean, what choice do we have?" Tammy reminded.

Jay shrugged. "I guess you're right." He picked up his fast-charging phone and raised an eyebrow. "I just got an anonymous email with a YouTube link."

"A video of what went down at the concert?" Nancy suggested.

"Recording's not allowed there. Ugh, I really hope this isn't a virus..."

The rapper clicked the link and instantly regretted it.

"What is it?" Justin asked curiously.

"It's... oh no... a diss track from ECZ. Called Outtie."

"How do you know it's a-"

"It says 'Jaelen Diss'." He rolled his eyes. "What could he possibly have to say to me?"