Here No More

Chapter 8

I opened it to find two papers not one. They were both written by computer.

The first one simply said,

Don't you dare cross me.

While the second one said,

You better stop that girl or your little secret won't be a secret any longer. If I were ever caught, you are going down with me. If you think that because you are an elder, you can scare me then think again. I know all the bad things that you have done.

An elder! What do the elders have to do with this? Wait... That means that one of...one of them is helping the kidnapper, one of them knows him.

I sat on my bed speechless and terrified. One of the people who should be protecting us is leaving a psycho kidnapper on the leach. But which one?

Which one of them is helping him? How could I know which one?

I lied down on the bed and started thinking until it hit me.

Billy!

He gave me the letters, which means that he took it from one of them.

I took my phone and called him but there was no answer. I tried again but there was still no answer.

Where are you, Billy? Where are you?

My phone buzzed, I thought it was a text from Billy but it was a blocked number.

Could it be the kidnapper?

I opened it.

I warned you but you didn't listen. Face the consequences.

What does that suppose to mean? Was he... Was he following me? But even if he was, he wouldn't know what Billy gave me. Adam was outside and didn't know then how did he know?

Except if Adam was the kidnapper.

No... No, no, no, it can't be him. It had to be someone who was following me. Maybe it's Charlie, he was acting weird today but it can't be Adam. It won't be Adam.

I called Billy again but there was no answer. Why? Why isn't he answering?

I started going up and down the room deep in thought. Now, I have two choices, either I go to Billy or Adam.

I was in a conflict with myself. Choosing Billy was the right thing, the safe thing but it also means that I trust him to Adam. Choosing Adam was what I want to do but my mind is stopping me.

I took a deep breath and decided to do what I wanted the most.

Talk to Adam and tell him everything.

I called Adam, he picked up shortly, finally, someone picks up.

"Hey sunshine, miss me already"

"Meet me by the river"

"What's wrong?"

"Tell you when we meet"

Then I hung up, put the letters in my pocket and went to the river. As usual, I arrived before him. The wait was killing me. I went to the river and a tear fell from my eye as I remembered the day dad died in.

When I received the news, I was simply broken. I shoved everyone away even my mother who had the same grief and ran here. I liked that place because it's away from everyone. We have a park, which has tall trees in the end. Behind those trees, there is the river. I sat here crying for hours until someone gave me a handkerchief. I looked up to find Adam and Dany smiling but with tears in their eyes. They spent hours sitting with me without a word. We just cried and found consultant in each other's company.

"Where are you, Dany?"

Suddenly, there was a cloth around my neck. I am losing my breath. I can't breathe. Someone... Someone is chocking me. I tried to resist but there was no use. No... No, I don't want to die before I find Dany. I don't want to die. I promised to find her... I promised.

Tears started falling from my eyes. This is the end. My end will be on the hands of the man that I swore to find. Sadly, he found me first.

"NANCY!!!"

The cloth around my neck loosened a little then it fell with me on the floor as my murderer ran away with Adam behind him.

I started coughing while trying to catch my breath again.

I am alive... Thank God, I am alive. And it's all because of Adam.

Adam, how could I have ever doubted you?

After a few minutes, Adam returned, breathless.

"Nancy," he cried as he ran towards me.

"I am fine," I said as I sat properly, "I am fine"

He hugged me tightly and I hugged him back.

"I was so scared," I found myself saying.

"It's OK," Adam said while smoothing my hair, "I am here now, it's OK"

We remained like that for a while until I calmed down.

"What happened?"

"I don't know, I was waiting for you then I felt a cloth around my neck"

"That bastard," he said, "I ran after him but I tripped over a branch or something"

"Weren't you able to see his face?"

"No, he was covering it"

"At least I have the cloth that he tried to kill me with"

"Do you think that would benefit in any way?"

"No, but it's here"

"C'mon," he said standing up and offering me his hand, "Let's go to the station"

I stood up but before we moved he said, "Nancy, why are we even here?"

I stood silent for a moment then said, "I have been hiding things from you"

He raised an eyebrow, "excuse me!"

"Until now I was sent two threat messages from a blocked number, one after the hit and one when I returned home"

"And why haven't you told me this?"

"I... I don't know"

"Is there anything else?"

"Yes," I said putting my hand in my pocket to get out the letters... They were gone.

I searched as a maniac but they were gone, "where are they?"

"What are you looking for?"

"The letters... They are gone"

"What letters?"

"The letters that Billy gave me when we went to him today"

"Billy gave you letters?"

"Yes, but I can't find them"

"Nancy, I can't understand, why haven't you told me all of this before?"

"Billy told me not to tell anyone," I said still searching everywhere but without use.

"It's me, Nancy"

"He told me not to tell anyone even you," I shouted.

Oh no! What have I just said?

"Of course," he said in anger and disappointment, "Billy said that and Billy's words are rules"

"No, Adam, I didn't mean it that way"

"You have said what you mean, Nancy," he said stepping away, "you have said what you mean"

Then he turned around and left, "Adam, Adam, please don't go, Adaaam"

He left as if I wasn't talking, he left me cursing and hitting the floor.

Why? Why didn't I tell him in the first place? Why have I said those things? Why was I so stupid?