Nothing On You

Chapter Twenty-one

I check my phone one more time before setting it aside. Still nothing from Natalie. 

I take a sip of coffee and look back at my computer screen. I still don't totally get this email thing. Emily is teaching me but this still doesn't make sense. I scroll down in my inbox looking for an email that Adrian supposedly sent me today. I scan the screen with my eyes. Adrian Masters, Adrian Masters...Adrian Ma...

I hear a single beep, another email appearing in my box. Maybe that's the one I'm looking for. I click the email  and it opens to a video, the triangular play button in the enter of the black rectangle. I hit play.

My eyes grow wide. I'm staring dumbfound at the screen.

Izziah.

Heat begins burning behind my eyes. She's in a dingy, dimly lit room with cement floors. Chained to a rusting metal chair, she sits almost lifelessly un-moving. I can't tell if she's even breathing. Her head hangs low and her hair is messed up. She is still...My head starts to pulsate, feeling like my head is going to split in two but I can't look away. There's no way...she...Then she moves, she's crying. I hear her gasp, inhaling so quickly that she scares me, causing my heart to jolt in my chest. Her body shakes with every sob. She looks up, her brown eyes encircled in bright red. Holes torn in her dark jeans seem like blotches all over her legs, dried blood crusting over the torn flaps. Her favorite sweater is torn too, gaping holes in the dusty fabric.

"Let me go!" She yells angrily thorough her tears, her voice shaking. She jerks against the chains, kicking her legs, trying anything she can to no prevail. I can't move. My eyes stay on her. She breaks, more tears pouring down her cheeks. She looks into the camera again. My heart twists, my chest wracked with pain. It's like she's staring directly at me.

The video cuts out. 

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"Bruno, where did you see the video?" Phil asks me sitting at my computer loggedin to my email account. 

"It was right there!" I yell pointing at the screen. 

"I don't see any email here, at least not the one you're talking about. You sure it was an email?"

"Of course I'm sure! You think I would fucking lie about this?!" I shove my hand through my hair. As I pace the room, trying to tare that image out of my head. He stays silent for a moment. 

"Bruno, I don't see anything here. I don't know if you accidentally deleted it or what, but it's not here." Phil says still scanning the computer screen. I clench my fists, balling them tighter and tighter until my knuckles start to lighten. 

"Natalie has her. She hurt her and I can't do anything about it! I don't know where she is, who helped her..." I stutter, trying to find the words as the air around me becomes thick. "And I...I can't do anything." 

"We'll find her." Phil says his voice hardening. "We'll find Izzie."

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"What did you see in the video? Where there any logos? Anything that stood out to you?" Tyler asks a notebook sitting in front of him, a pen in his hand. Emily sits at my computer her fingers moving furiously over the keyboard. 

"I told you, it was too dark to see anything but her, there was some kind of dim spot light on her." I say my hand on my forehead shielding my eyes. "All I saw was the cement floor, the chains and dust everywhere. She was covered in it." I breath letting out a sigh. I walk over to Emily. 

"I'm sorry Bruno, I don't see anything yet. I'm trying to recover all of you deleted emails. I might be able to trace the email that was sent to you..." her voice trails off as she does a combination of typing and clicking. I walk back to the couch and knock back a shot, the rum runs hot, sliding down my throat. I put my head back and close my eyes. 

Iz...just hold on...I'm going to find you, I promise. 

_____________________________________________________________________________

BrunoMarsFans @BrunoMars You'll find her Bruno! 

KellySharpie @BrunoMars Are you doing ok?

SynthiaSylva @BrunoMars Just keep looking, she'll be found. 

I click off my screen setting my phone aside. I walk to my bed, kneeling down beside it. I clasp my hands together and close my eyes. "Lord," I feel warm tears start to trickle down my cheeks, knots forming in my throat. "Please, protect Izziah, where ever she is...I pray that you will give her strength so that she can hold on until she is found. Please just protect her, she knows you...please bring her back safely...Amen." I stand and then sit on my bed side, the glass-less frame of Iz and I sits on my side table. I stare at her, the smile on her face, the light in her eyes, the radiance of her smile. Her beauty is so much more than skin deep. She thinks more, cares more, loves more deeply than anyone that I've ever known. There's no one like her...no one could ever take her place.

I haven't heard anything. No new information from the cops. No new emails, no calls from Natalie. Nothing. For all I know, she could be...my thoughts halt. I can't even bring myself to even think like that. The past two years of my life have been the best years of my life, she was practically My World and I can't imagine life without her.

Lyrics unfold from my lips, my voice unsteady, wavering with every word.

All I have is this picture in a frame, that I hold close to see your face everyday...

Once she's safe...even if she's not with me...I can't complain.