48 Hours

Hour 3

Hour 3:
Ryan's POV

Corey finally got the address 2 minutes ago just after 2 am, it's now hour three, we're following the instructions and heading over to the location now, I offered to drive but they have decided I'm probably not in the right place to be doing the driving, they're probably right but I'm not going to admit to that, but anyway Meyer as we are now calling him is driving, I'm giving directions, Clark as he has been renamed and Corey are gonna try and grab a quick nap in the 15 minute drive over there, we just got into the car so it's now just down to getting there and waiting for the next text, which I really don't enjoy, I don't get this, we have a time limit but we run on this shitbags timer so how do we know there's any chance we're even gonna get them back, I'd die for Chloe in a heartbeat but this isn't dying for her, this is trying to find her in a hopeless game of cat and mouse, for all I know she's already dead, but I swear to god if he even touched a hair on her head I will hunt him down and ensure he dies a slow and painful death, end of story

* * *

We finally arrive at 2:21 am and I'm starting to lose it, just waiting isn't something I'm good at

"What the hell is this I mean if we're working at his speed then how do we know we even have a shot?" I ask finally having held it in for a lot longer than I thought I'd manage

"This guy wants to prove he's smarter than us, he wants there to be a chance we could do it otherwise he'd get no satisfaction from a win" I really hate it when Corey talks like he's a shrink

All of our phones go off and it's this A person again, I feel like that's supposed to be a clue, but what kind of clue? I'll say something later for now I need to read this

"She should've picked me over you so now you're all stuck in this little game" Meyer reads

"In the park across the street under the bench you'll find the tape with my next instructions on it" Corey reads

"This challenge is one for Ryan to solve, how well do you really know Chloe? We're about to find out" Clark says and I gulp

This ones mine, but it's fine, how well do I know Chloe? Better than she knows herself, she's said so herself on multiple occasions, so let's just hope that's true

"I'll be watching and waiting, so I hope to see you there" I continue, wait this creep can see us? Or he can see the park at least?

"Let's see if you can get his one done a little faster because you're already late have fun idiots ~ A" we all read together, I genuinely think we might be in an episode of pretty little liars, I feel like I'd be Emily, I even like the same gender as her so....wait that's inappropriate in so many ways and so far off topic, come on Ryan I know you're sleep deprived but pull yourself together, Chloe's counting on you

"So does that mean the girls are nearby if he can see the park?" I ask

"Not really, he could have left them or he could have people watching for him or he could have cameras or...." But I wasn't interested in letting him finish

"Okay Corey we get it, there are lots of ways that he could be watching us that would leave the girls miles from here" I cut him off

"So have we decided this is one guy then?" Meyer asks

"I think so, but I'd say he has some goons helping him" clark replies and we all nod in agreement

"What did he mean she should've picked me over you, which she and which you?"

"It's not necessarily about someone they've dated is it? It's someone they've rejected" Corey says

"Yeah but it sounds like someone scorned like after a bad breakup" I point out

"Sarah's not done any of that, she doesn't have any ex's, I was her first boyfriend and I swear no ones made any advances on her" Clark says

"What about Austin last summer?" Meyer recounts

"That was a joke" Corey points out for Clark

"Didn't Jake make a pass at her a while back?" I ask

"Come on Jake isn't even close to capable of this and he and Paris are happy, plus that was so long ago but I do see your point, they don't even need to have been aware of this for it to have happened, we might not have even heard about it, you never know" Clark points out

"Either way let's get to that park" Meyer says and we hurry over there

* * *

We're finally at the park and we grab the package that's attached to the bottom of the bench, we rip it open and find one of those old style tape players

"Play it" I say

"What here?" Corey asks not so sure

"Good point, in the car" I say and we head back to the car

* * *

We finally get back to the car and the second all the doors are closed Meyer hits play and a muffled voice that is using some sort of modulator comes out

"So you've gotten this far but that's not quite far enough, here's the clue and Ryan this one is for you, where is Chloe's favourite place to go when you two have a fight? Head there to her spot as she calls it and you'll find the next lead along with the proof of life I expect you seek" the voice says and then when it stops Meyer stops it

"Where does she go?" Corey asks hurriedly

Oh god where is it, wait I know I remember now she likes the drive and then there's this old tree she has our names carved into with a big heart around them, she says it reminds her how much she loves me and that she was probably overreacting to begin with, we rarely have enough of a fight that she leaves but when we do she's usually back before its dark so I don't go looking for her, I let her have her space, I'll only go and get her if it's getting dark because I don't like the idea of her out there alone in the dark

"I know where it is, or at least I know how to get there, I can't remember what it's called" I tell them

Meyer throws me the keys

"You can drive then" he rushes

"Okay" and with that we switch sides and drive off into the night to find the spot