The Daughter

Chapter 2

Serina

I just wanted to be alone; I didn't want to hug or hear sorry from anyone else. The pain was too real. Dad and uncle John kept everyone a mere good distance from Jake and me never left my side even if I wanted him to. we sat on a bench inside the restaurant and listened to the whispers of the family and friends "hey do you want to go outside?" Jake asks. I look over to him and shrug my shoulders and nod. He stands and offers his hand to hold, but I don't take it. I know he has Jenna and I know she can get upset when me and jake act too close. I walk past him and outside to the cool April air. I watch the clouds move across the sky and feel jake behind me leaving me space to relax. "Jake." I say "Ya?" he asks almost relieved I talked. "will dad and uncle John find the men responsible?" I hear him sigh and say "They will work as hard as they can Serina and I know they will bring them to justice." I feel him closer, and his hands caress my shoulders. I shrug them off. "but nothing can bring him back Jake nothing." I say turning to him, "I know Serina, but you still have your dad, my dad and..." he paused and looked at me closely "and me you still have me." I look away and whisper low enough for him not to hear "I don't have you you're Jennas" I see him blink confused "what did you sa-" 

"Jake? Your father is asking for you" I hear Jenna's voice rise from the restaurant doors. "oh and Serina you left your bag on the bench" I make a faint smile and thank her as I take it. Jake looks back to me " will you be okay?" I nod and say " ya I'm fine... ummm tell dad I'm going home I need to be alone." he nods and heads back inside but not before he states "be careful Serina, text me when you're home safe." 

"I will Jake; I promise"I turn and head for the parking lot getting my keys out of my bag and head home and a night of depression, coming home after my grandfather's funeral. I didn't want to be in the car with my parents, it was too hard to see my father cry and he was the strongest man I knew. But my Grandfather was the man who claimed to protect me for a lifetime. I know I'll have to deal with Jacob in the morning on the drive to the school asking if I'm okay. I was alone, and I let my mind wander and come to a red light. As the light turns green, I drive forward, and a blink of blue and red lights flash in my rear view. I pull over fully aware of running my actions through my head. I didn't run the light, I stopped in time, what did I do? The police officer comes up to the window a real bulky guy and pretty scary if you ask me. "License and registration please?" I handed him my information, and then he asks, "Do you know why I stopped you?"

"No officer I don't," I say

"Well, I couldn't help but notice the paper plate on the back of the car." He points to the back. A paper plate? That's what this is for? are you kidding me? I thought to myself, "I 'm sorry officer you see-" I start to explain but he pauses me and goes back to his vehicle to run my license. "I'm so screwed," I whisper to myself, I then here tap on my car. "Could you exit the car miss please?" he asks. "Yes sir," I say then get out and shut the door. I turn to look back at the officer, and then I'm slapped with a cloth and intake a smell immediately feeling drowsy, and darkness overtakes me. 

.....

I feel movement. Bumps and revving in my ears. Where am I? I have a flash if what happened and my eyes spark open. I don't move but breathed heavily looking around seeing black and lights whizzing by fast not stopping, I hear a motor rev and the car I was in maneuvering and swaying through the traffic that I couldn't see; I blink my eyes multiple times focusing on my tightly bound hands, duct tape; red duct tape I remember the tape from my Grandfathers video. I calmed myself and stared at the front seat that had a gate guarding the driver and passenger but let in light and noise; I hear rock music flow through to the back and hushed tones of a language I didn't recognize maybe Russian, Ukrainian? I slid over to the gate looking out like a lost puppy seeing no street signs but lit dirt roads, I was a sitting duck knowing by the time my parents found out I was gone I would probably be dead and the last time they saw me would be on a video tape and a man laughing to himself saying "you should've paid the deal my brethren," the car cut hard to the left and I slammed to the car wall now over and over I swayed feeling delirious not being able to see where a was going or who was taking me there. The area got bumpy and ragged, I started to drop hope knowing I'm going to see my fate; I then heard Jake in the back of my head, "your dad didn't raise a damsel" he was right in a sense, I knew kidnap strategy and how to get out, but I'm a hostage now, in real life; I might be strong and not seem like a damsel, but I sure do feel like one now. All I knew was this not a good thing, but why me, why now, why everything?