Chasing Astrid Malone

32. DINNER DATE

Tristan

"Where is she?" I towered over Cam, sitting on the couch. Rage like I've never known coming off of me. He didn't even make eye contact with me, he just sat there with his head in his hands. "What did you do to her? I swear to God, Cam, if you've hurt her I'll kill you." His head shot up, finally looking me in the eyes, with a look of hatred or disgust.

"I would never hurt her, I'm trying to protect her! It was you that sent the cops here wasn't it?" Protect her? From what? Me? I looked to his friend who shrugged his shoulders at me. "Damn right I sent them here. I came here looking for information from your friend and heard Astrid's phone ring when I tried to call. I know you have her phone and I'm not leaving this house until I've searched every inch of it to find her." He cocked an eyebrow at me and smirked.

"Trust me if she was here, it wouldn't be by force and I'd be up in the guest room with her now. She's not here, search away." I didn't even realize I was doing it until it was done, I punched him and waited for him to retaliate. Nothing. He held his jaw and looked up at me with wide eyes. "You think hitting me is going to help you find her?" I was about to hit him again, it might not help but it couldn't hurt to try.

"STOP!" Dan shouted and I froze to look at him. "Just tell him what you told me, Cam, obviously he cares about her too. This is so fucked up." Dan yelled at Cam, who continued to look at me with hatred. "Tell me whatever it is before I use your face as a punching bag."

Cam huffed and pulled a phone out of the couch, Astrid's phone. I knew he had it. "Explain now!" He's keeping something quiet and I'm sick of it. I ripped the phone out of his hands as he was turning it on. As the notifications started coming in I saw my missed call along with a few from a Blocked number.

"If that rings let me answer it. Unless you want to be the reason Astrid dies." Cameron rubbed his face where I hit him and got up and walked to the freezer grabbing frozen corn and putting it on his face. "Start talking, Cam."

Astrid

Hours have passed and whoever locked me up in here hasn't made an appearance. I've seen some rats and that's about it. My bladder threatening to burst has lit a new fire in me to get myself out of this. Sitting in my pee would be my luck today.

I've watched plenty of crime tv and I've never seen anyone zip-tied to chains. Whoever did this, and I'm hoping it wasn't Cameron, is an amateur. The fear of someone coming back is subsiding and my fight or flight instincts are kicking in. I started taking my shoelace out of my shoe. I saw this done on YouTube once and I'm hoping it works. I slid the shoelace through the zip tie and placed one side in my mouth, and held the other side with my other hand. I started flossing it back and forth hoping to break the zip tie.

After a while of this and no sign of breakage, I dropped the shoelace and started to cry. By now I'm sure my mom must know im missing, someone must be looking for me. My family is far from wealthy so I'm sure this isn't about money. For the first time since I woke up here, I started to scream. "HELLLLP, SOMEONE HELP ME!..." I was too afraid to make noise until now, but maybe someone nearby will hear me and send the police.

The door flew open and a man in all black came barreling in. I couldn't see his face under the Halloween mask he was wearing, but I could tell he was angry. "Please don't hurt me.." I begged. He stood in front of me looking down but didn't say anything. "Please let me go, I haven't seen your face. Why are you doing this?" He rubbed his thumb against his other four fingers in the universal symbol of money.

"I need to pee, please. Is there a bathroom I can use?" He shook his head no. He was holding a roll of duct tape and it took me this long to notice. He came in here to shut me up. What is he waiting for? The longer he stands there and stares, the more fear courses through me.