Paranoia // Third Book To The Lucky Series

Chapter 38

Jughead and I run as fast as we can into the Jones's residence. There is no way they got away with JB. No way. I mean how did they manage to get her. "Jellybean! Jellybean!" I scream helplessly.

"Jellybean!" Jug yells helplessly as we search the house for any sign of the girl who seemed to just be here.

"Jellybean!" FP screams. There is no response. Instead just silence. The soft noises of our panicked states as we run around looking for her. She couldn't of just disappeared. I mean who could have even gotten in here.  

"Dad," Jug says as he moves towards the dinning room table. We follow as he lifts a letter from the surface.

"What the hell is that?" FP asks.

"'I invite you to play a round of Gryphons and Gargoyles,'" Jug reads, "'The outcome of which will determine Princess Jellybean's fate.'"

"Hey," Gladys says as she joins us completely confused at our panicked state, "Why is the door wide open?What's wrong? Where's JB?"

"She was taken," FP says weakly as I turn to glare at the mother in the room. It was her gargoyle who lead us on the goose chase. Her monkey causing this problem. 

"By the Gargoyle King," Jug says harshly as he glares at his mother, "and his loyal servant, Kurtz." 

"We have to find that son of a bitch," She says harshly.

"Find him?" FP asks, "He's outside in the back of my cruiser." Gladys scoffs looking to FP.

"Then drag his ass in here!" She yells. FP scrambles with Jug to get Kurtz as I search the rest of the living room. I attempt to find something that would give us more. Nothing no struggle, no trace. She just vanished. FP and Jug make their way in with Kurtz dragging him and a chair into the living room. They tie him up despite my concerns on how the sheriff kidnapping someone would look. Gladys beats him while digging for answers. It seems to be more of a waste of time then anything. He doesn't want to budge.

"Where the hell is my daughter?" Gladys screams loudly, "Tell me or I'll kill you right here, right now."

"Where are you keeping her, Kurtz?" FP asks firmly. Kurtz smirks widely.

"With an associate," He says, "Being very well taken care of." Gladys moves away from him as she grunts in frustration. The poisons sound leaving her lips could have been intimidating if her weakness wasn't showing through her teeth. Any wrong move and they could kill JB. Or at least cause her some harm. 

"He's not gonna tell us," Jug says in defeat. I sigh as trial my fingers across my mouth trying to think of a way around this. I sigh. Only one real way remains here.

"Accept the invite to play," Kurtz says with a slight laugh, "Let's see if you can bring Jellybean home." Jug drags the lot of us into the kitchen. I watch the family carefully. 

"He's crazy," FP says as he rubs his jaw, "How can we believe anything he has to say."

"I've played this game enough to know that guys like Kurtz are completely devoted to the Gargoyle King and his rules," Jug says, "If we play and we win, we can get Jellybean back. I'm sure of it." We all nod in agreement. But Jug's eyes fall on me. "This doesn't involve you-you don't have to play if you aren't comfortable."

"I'll play for you," I say looking up to him, "I know what this means for you and your family. That matters more to me right now." He smiles widely.

"We'll agree to your terms," He says looking to Kurtz, "We'll play."

"Of course you will," Kurtz says smirking, "except the murders daughter here. She has no business here. She can't play." I look over to Jug frantically. "Further more she can't be called for assistance or tell anyone else. She'll be left out of this or will join the princess."