It Was Supposed to Blossom

CHAPTER FIVE

??? POV

I lowered my fist and tilted my head to the side. Yep. This was definitely the famous Ryan Higa. Hopefully I could figure out who to call for the ransom. This was such an easy target. Grinning triumphantly, I searched through his pockets until I found his phone. There was a passcode on it, but it was easy to figure out. It was his birth year, one-nine-nine-zero. I looked through his contacts and found the number one on speed dial. 

"Lilly?" I cocked my head. Who was Lilly? Lilly...a cousin? A sister? As far as I knew, Ryan only had a brother...wait. Lilly. Lilly. Lilly Singh! On YouTube since 2010...eleven million subs...definitely Lilly Singh. Don't they have many fans of them together? (wink) 

I clicked on the number and waited until she picked up. They were pretty close, weren't they? So...

"Hello? Ryan?" A hesitant, hoarse voice answered. Bingo! 

"Is this Lilly Singh?" I asked, trying to mask my voice.

"What? You're not Ryan? Who are you?" Her voice rose higher in alarm. This was unmistakably the famous Lilly Singh.

"I have Ryan with me. If you want to see him alive, leave two million at the warehouse on 22 Main Street. Call the police, and I kill the boy on the spot. Hear me?" I cut the call quickly, put the phone in my pocket, and smile to myself. 

"Boys!" I call, and Luis and Kelvin run out. We carry the unconscious boy into the truck, clamber in, and speed off in a spray of gravel. 

Lilly POV 

I stared at the phone. What was that? I answered because I thought Ryan was calling to...you know. But it was some kind of stranger. Did he really kidnap Ryan and call for ransom? 

I had no idea what to do. I forced my frozen fingers to dial Shawn's number. "Shawn?" I ask when he picks up on the second ring. "Is Ryan with you?" 

"He went out alone to the convenience store a while ago," answered Shawn confusedly. "A long while in fact. I tried to call him but his phone is shut off."

I was shocked. "He called me just now. But...it wasn't him. The person said...he had Ryan, and asked me to leave two million at this warehouse on 22 Main Street. If I called the police, he would kill him. Shawn, what do I do?" I heard the panic in my own voice. 

"Calm down," Shawn told me. "I'll meet you at the warehouse, ok? And I will bring the police, and we'll stop the kidnappers together."

"What about the ransom?"

"Don't give them any money!" He said fiercely. "Also, don't go in without me, ok? I'm going right now."

"OK. See you." 

"Bye." He killed the call.

I immediately got up, put on my jeans and a leather jacket, grabbed my keys and my phone, in case anyone made contact, and opened my door when I thought about it. What if they really killed Ryan because I didn't give any money? I would never forgive myself. 

I went back to my bedroom, opened my drawer and took out an envelope. I just got paid for a brand deal with Coca Cola. With some savings, it just about amassed to a couple million. Shoving wads of dollars inside the envelope, I grasped it tightly and left the apartment.

It took ten minutes to get to the warehouse, and Shawn wasn't there yet. I waited and waited, but he still didn't come. I fretted. What if they were doing horrible things to Ryan inside, and when Shawn came, it was too late? I simply could not risk it. 

Quietly, I managed to work open the lock chained onto the door with a hair pin, pushed open the giant door, and crept in. Luckily, my high tops made little sound as I moved across the concrete floor. I finally came to a large, dimly lit room. As silently as I could, I peeked round, and saw Ryan, gagged on a chair, arms and legs bound with rope. He was surrounded by beefy, tough-looking men. And the pain and terror in his eyes was unmistakable.

Without hesitation, I ran inside.