Freeze (The Jewel Project #4)

3.2|| Runaways

With more confidence than he felt himself capable of, Sam ran down the street, across the park, and towards Christine's house. A stitch immediately dug into his side and the cold air had his lungs burning, but he didn't care, just pressed on, feeling the need to make sure Christine was either safe or gone. Because only then could he start thinking properly, decide what was to be done.

He reached Christine's door and rang the doorbell, fighting the need to bang his fist against the poor piece of wood. Please be home, please be home, please be home...

The door opened and the professor's moustached face glared at him. "What do you want?"

"Sorry," Sam panted. "Is Christine in?"

"It's a school day, young man. My daughter already spends enough time with you. I think it is about time you let her focus on her schoolwork."

"So she's in school?" Hope loosened the vice around Sam's heart.

"Yes, of course she is."

A long breath escaped Sam's lungs and his heart could finally beat properly again. At least until Tina appeared in the doorway. The worried look on her face put the giant frogs in his stomach back in motion.

"It's okay, Dad, I've got this," she said quietly.

The professor flinched and turned to his eldest daughter. He seemed to approve of whatever silent exchange went between them because he threw a 'good day' to Sam over his shoulder and retreated inside the house.

Tina watched him disappear and hugged her cardigan tighter around herself. "What happened, Sam?"

"Is Christine really in school?" he asked desperately.

"I don't know," she whispered. "I haven't heard from her in days. I know she was supposed to go to a sleepover, but she hasn't answered any of my text."

Sam banged his fist against the jamb. Tina jumped back.

"I'm sorry," he said, trying to keep in another punch at an inanimate object, but the hurt inside him was morphing into anger just so it could become more manageable.

"You know something, don't you?"

"No, and that's the thing. She and Angie are both gone. I hoped you knew something."

She shook her head slowly, her hazel eyes growing wider with each shake.

He swore under his breath, making sure she wouldn't hear him because he didn't want to freak her out even more. He finally had his answer, and even if he'd expected it, he wasn't aware of how much he'd hoped until he lost it. This was it. The moment of truth. He had to do something.

"Stay inside," he said to Tina, his voice strong and confident. "If you need to go out, call one of us."

"I'm sure that's not really--"

"I think Christine and Angie were kidnapped. You need to stay safe. Okay?" He fixed her with the most serious gaze he was capable of and she finally nodded.

The moment he got her confirmation, he whipped around and headed back towards his house. His chest ached, his breathing was erratic, but his steps were firm. He had to focus, he had to come up with a solution.

How? You have no idea where she could be. Yes, true, but logically, if someone wanted something for him, they'd call. Why hadn't they called when it happened, then? That was a pretty good question and the one that scared the crap out of him. Why hadn't anyone called yet?

Like a given, his phone started vibrating in his pocket. He took it out, hoping against hope it was Christine. It wasn't. It was a private number. And that's when Sam knew he'd finally get his answers.