Deadlock

XLV

Vaughn realized things lke these couldn’t just happen in coincidence. He started to be alarmed and his concerns worsened for the three of his friends.

“WHAT?! Where are you?” Vaughn knew something has really happened. He hoped Jake and Rob are now in their mansions enjoying themselves after their victories over the thugs they fought with, but when he heard Nikki said Emily is lost, he knew he was wrong. 

“At the Van Tassel mansion.” Nikki whispered.

“I’ll be there.” Vaughn hung up the phone. He looked at Nate and said, “Let’s go to the Van Tassel mansion, I’ll explain in the car.”

♥♥♥

“Emily’s gone and Nikki called me to ask where Jake is. She knows something, she knows Emily is with Jake and if Jake is with Rob, it means something must have happened between the three of them. But with the situation we saw earlier, it is likely that something have had happened to them.” Vaughned explained to the quiet Nate.

“I just cant believe that someone can beat those two. They were great fighters Vaughn, they’re the best and they were beaten bloody and who knows what monsters took them.” 

“They’re great fighters indeed, but not anymore if there were thousands of those monsters. I’m sure it took lots of them to bring those two guys down. And considering that Emily was there, it’d be a lot harder for them indeed.”

“We’re at the mansion Vaughn. Get ready!” Nate stated.

The two young lads walked out of the car. Vaughn saw Nikki first standing on the stairs not very far from where they parked the car. She looked, he noticed, really anxious. He went out to meet her without bothering himself from waiting for Nate. But instead of a nice hello, Nikki approached him with a furious look.

“What the heck is wrong with you? I tried to ask you where Jake’s at and you just hung up on me. URGH JERK!” She breathed. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I AM RIGHT NOW? I DON’T KNOW WHERE EMILY IS AND HER GRANDFATHER KEEPS QUESTIONING ME!”

“What’s happening here?” Nate, taking a breath after running a good 10 meters from where he parked his car, asked.

“Whoa, calmed down there lady, it’s not my responsibility to answer to you.” Vaughn bit back as if he didn’t notice Nate’s question or even his presence. 

Nikki flared even more. She knew she was dealing with a jerk but she still couldn’t bring herself to control her emotions. She wanted to hit him so bad. But even before she could land her fist on Vaughn's face, which she wasn’t expecting would hurt or even land at his face at all, Nate caught her hand and grinned at her.

“I didn’t know Emily’s friends are this tough.” Nate played at her.

Nikki took her arms back and shot him a death glare. “I’m her only friend idiot.” 

“Okay, whatever. Tell us what you know Nikki Simm.” Vaughn called. “Why did you ask me where Jake was?”

“I don’t know, because you’re his friend?” Nikki still pissed forgot the seriousness of the situation. And when she finally realized it, she sighed and told them everything, or maybe not everything. ”All I know is that Emily will supposedly meet Jake today. And then early this evening, Butler Lee invited me here and I was then constantly interrogated by the Chairman. And you don’t know how scary he is.”

“Why were they meeting, Jake and Emily I mean? As far as I could remember, those two weren’t really that close.” Vaughn trying to penetrate Nikki’s mind could only ask her more questions.

Nikki remembered how the other three friends of Jake are still ignorant about Emily’s relation to Jake. Still thinking twice of whether to tell them the truth, Nikki could only stare at nowhere. She obviously didn't knowhow to deal with this.

“Wake up Simm!” Vaughn called, impatient. “Tell us about it, now!”

“Nothing. They just became friends. Look here jerk, tell me where’s Jake at?!” She yelled.

Nate moved between them. “Look you two, stop shouting okay?” He looked at the both of them and then focused on Nikki. “Ms. Simm, we don’t know where Jake is. We tried to find him at the park somewhere but we only found his phone and so is Rob’s…”

“Rob’s there?!” Nikki gasped.

The two were surprised at her reaction. Vaughn, still suspecting, said nothing. Nate managed to blurt, “We have to go tell the others now. This is serious.”

And off they went to tell the others.

♥♥♥

Nikki led Vaughn and Nate to where she left the adults earlier. She brought them to the Chairman’s study room. In there they met the Chairman Van Tassel and the Van Garrettes; Henry, Rob’s dad, Anne, Rob’s mom and Marie, Rob’s grandma. They moved to pay respect to the adults.

“Who are you?” Asked the old Van Tassel after seeing the young guys utterly unconcerned of the seriousness of the talk between them. He looked at them with skeptical eyes as if he didn’t see Nikki with them.

“Oh, Nathaniel, Vaughn.” Marie Van Garrette called. She walked to give the three young people a hug. And she already knows Nikki, as an explaination to why she’d done it. When she was done, she faced the Chairman Van Tassel. “Oh William, these two are Robert’s friends. This brown haired young man is Nathaniel Pierce while the blonde one is Vaughn Harrison.” Explained Marie. 

“Are they the sons of the famous Pierce family and the Harrison clan?” Wondered the Chairman.

“They are indeed. But I wonder why these young men are here.” Henry Van Garrette interrupted as if being quiet would be a mistake. He turned to them and said, “And where’s Rob? I thought he was with you?”

Jake and Vaughn looked at each other sending signals as to who would speak. After a long pause, Vaughn decided to tell them what had happened. “Something terrible has happened.” Vaughn told them about what Nikki said. He told them about how Emily and Jake are supposed to meet today, and the text message Rob sent them. How they thought it was just some silly fight against gangsters they usually have as boys. They went to the place where Rob wanted them to go and found out Jake's cellphone and Rob’s destroyed. He told them that it’s impossible for Jake and Rob to be beaten so badly to bleed like how they saw a moderate amount of blood on the streets. He said it’s as if they have dealt with bigger and more skilled opponents and a good number of men had captured them, which is more likely a hundred. And they concluded that Rob, Jake and Emily are together somewhere.

“Are you saying… that my granddaughter was kidnapped?” Chairman Van Tassel asked miserably.

“Robert, my Robert…” Anne Van Garrette muttered. Henry moved to assist his wife.

And then after considering the thought of the kidnapping, Chairman Van Tassel snapped. He thought he actually lost Emily because he thinks she ran away. And now, she might be somewhere, captive by dangerous people who might hurt her anytime. He felt bad, worst as it is. He wanted to do something and he knew there's nothing he can do.

♥♥♥ 

In a small dark room, two young men were held captive. There were no lights inside the four walls and only a window was open. The small window was the only thing that gave in the illumination from the moon. In the room were only a wooden chair and a small drawer that stand as if also a table. On the dirty cold floor were two young men lying unconscious. Both were still breathing, but none was sane enough to realize how in danger they are. Both were bloody and they had their clothes torn.

♥♥♥

It was a normal sized room lighted by a small desk lamp. It was as if it was owned by a woman before. It has a desk mirror where combs and other lady stuffs are placed. Below were drawers. The white sheet bed was clean and properly placed. In the middle of it was a young woman, sleeping like a princess who hasn’t waked up for a hundered years. A princess as if waiting for her prince to come and save here. She was on her blue hoodie and pants. She looked as if she wasn’t touched, so peaceful like a non breathing corpse… except that she’s breathing of course.