JOSHUA BOOK 2: THE TIES THAT BIND

CHAPTER 1: ANDREA'S TRAGIC END

"All right girls; you did a great job practicing! I'll see you tomorrow! Keep up the good work!" the cheerleading coach said as the girls went and got their stuff.

Andrea was walking back from the gym to the front of the school on a brisk late-October day in 1981 from cheerleading practice. She had said goodbye to her cheerleading friends.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Andrea had said.

"Be careful going home, Andi," one of her friends named Tracy said. She had fair skin, hazel eyes and brown hair and was the same age as Andrea.

"I will," she promised and she would definitely tell her big brother Joshua that her cheerleading team said hi. She waited for Joshua to pull up, when suddenly a buff and bald man came from behind her and grabbed her.

"Hey what're ya doin'?! PUT ME DOWN!!! HELP!!!!" Andrea screamed.

Tracy overheard and saw. She ran to her best friend's rescue.

"PUT HER DOWN YOU MONSTER!!" she yelled. She tried pulling Andrea away from her attacker.

Joshua had just pulled up and saw what was going on. he rushed out of the car and ran to the rescue.

"JOSHUA, HELP!!!" Andrea screamed when she saw him.

"HEY!" Joshua yelled. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY SISTER!!!"

But the man punched both Tracy and Joshua away and threw Andrea into the back of his car. He drove away, Andrea banging on the back window for help.

"Dear God no," Joshua moaned in dread.

"We've gotta call the police!" Tracy panicked. "What'll we do?!"

"Alright, just calm down; where's the nearest phone?" Joshua asked, trying to keep calm himself.

"The nearest phone is in the principal's office. This way," Tracy grabbed Joshua's hand and they both ran to the school. It was still open as the two came into the school office. The principal was there looking perplexed as Joshua panted and drank water.

"Can I help you, Joshua?" she asked.

"Excuse me; I need a phone right now!" Joshua commanded as soon as he got his breath back. "My little sister, Andrea...she's been abducted."

"Oh my Lord, when did this happen?!" the principal asked in worry. She knew Joshua from when he was a child and she had seen him pick up Andrea sometimes.

"Just now," Joshua explained. Adrenaline and worry settled in. "I was pulling up when Tracy was trying to get the attacker off of her. I pulled with all my might but then he pushed Tracy and me away and drove off with Andrea in the back of his car."

"Here, use this phone," the principal said.

"Thank you," Joshua punched in 9-1-1.

"You have reached the Lakewood Police Department. This is Laurie Bennett, how may I help you?"

"Yes, hello; I'm calling because my little sister's been abducted. Her name is Andrea Williams."

"Your sister, what does she look like?"

"She's 4'9", slim, blonde curly hair, fair skin with blue-ish green eyes. Her birthday is May 12, 1969."

"Who grabbed her? Can you tell me what he or she looked like?"

"The abductor was 6'1", very muscular, no hair and brown eyes. He had on a black T-shirt, pants and black boots and he had a tattoo on his left arm."

"When did this happen, honey?"

"This happened five minutes ago. Please find her before something else happens!"

"All right, just calm down, sweetheart; we will get policemen on the line to find her."

"Yes, please do; thank you," Joshua said. "Bye." He concluded the call and then called his house.

Mary had just finished cleaning the house when the phone rang. Brianne and James were helping Lily and Nadia with first grade homework.

"Hello? Joshua, what's wrong?" Mary asked when she noticed her husband's voice was wracked with anguish and worry.

"Mary, Andrea's been abducted."

"WHAT?! Oh no, are you serious?! When did that happen?!" Alessa blurted out in concern.

"It happened eight minutes ago when I pulled up. some guy dressed in black had grabbed her, and Tracy was trying to get him off of her, so I rushed and tried to pull her away, but he roughly pushed us away."

James and Brianne listened in interest and concern, using their heightened  hearing from their respective categories of angel and vampire.

"What, what's wrong?" Nadia demanded.

"Did something happen to Joshua and Andrea?" Lily implored.

"Did you call the police? Are they on the case?" Mary asked.

"Yes, I did. They're acting on this case fast."

"Okay, I do hope they find Andi." Mary said to comfort her frazzled husband. "I'll see you soon. We'll pray for her okay?"

"I love you," Joshua said over the phone.

"Okay, I love you too; bye," Mary said and hung up.

James and Brianne looked at Mary's worried-stricken grave face.

"Andrea's been abducted. Joshua has already called the police." Mary said.

"Oh no," Brianne's hands flew to her mouth in worry.

"When did this happen?" James asked in concern.

"Ten minutes ago," Mary answered.

Soon after, Joshua came home grief-stricken. James and Brianne hugged their oldest son in comfort, Mary in the center stroking his red hair.

Liam came in five minutes after. He noticed that the room was somber.

"What's the matter?" he asked in concern.

"Lee...Andrea's been abducted." James said. "We have to wait for Andrea to come home with the police."

TWO WEEKS LATER

Police officer Winter Woodward and his colleague Edward Howie, who transferred from the West Highland Constabulary in Scotland, were in the attacker's home. The attacker was not around.

But what they did find was a 12 year old girl in a blue and white cheerleading outfit, fair skinned, with her light blonde locks a mess. She was covered in blood and bruises and she was lying motionless on the floor of the garage. Winter rushed over to her. It was Andrea.

The police officer shook her. Andrea did not respond. She was long gone before they could get to her. She was dead.

"Oh no," Winter groaned. "We've gotta tell the family."

Neil nodded gravely. He covered the body.