by Jillian Dodd
I grab Cooper's phone, look up the number for Buddy's, and call it.
"Hey, is Darlene working tonight? Could I speak to her?"
A few minutes later, our usual waitress answers.
"Hey, this is Keatyn. I don't know if you remember me but I always used to come in and get spicy shrimp with Brooklyn."
"I remember you. He was here tonight. Told us all about how he's been off surfing."
"Is he still there?"
"Uh, no. He left quite a while ago. He met with an older woman. It seemed sort of awkward, like he didn't know her well. She didn't stay long. He ordered dinner and had a couple of beers after she left. Seemed upset. Picked at his food. Left around seven."
"That was two hours ago. Did he happen to say where he was going?"
"No, he didn't. Oh, wait. Maybe. He said something about clearing his head with a walk on the beach before he had to go deal with his other parent. Was that lady his mom? Now that I think about it, they did share a resemblance."
As she continues talking about their blonde hair and blue eyes, I whisper, "He left two hours ago."
"How would he have gotten there?" Cooper asks.
"Darlene, did you notice if Brooklyn had his motorcycle helmet with him?"
"Yeah, he did. He even mentioned how good it was to ride it again."
"Okay, thanks for all your help."
"You're welcome. Don't be a stranger."
I hang up and go back to my call with B's dad. "You probably heard part of that. He left a couple hours ago. Is his bike home?"
"His Jeep is in the garage but his bike is gone. Sounds like things didn't go well with his mother. Not that it's a big surprise. I tried to warn him. He's probably riding around, blowing off some steam."
My mind immediately flashes to Vincent's words. I'll take away everything you love.
"Remember the hostile takeover Brooklyn wanted to help me with?"
"Yeah?"
"It was announced yesterday. I fired Vincent from his own company. He threatened everyone I love and even had our dog kidnapped. I'm really worried about Brooklyn. Please call me the second he gets home."
"If you ruined everything we've worked so hard for, he'll never forgive you," his dad says coldly.
"Mr. Wright, his surfing career should be the least of your worries right now. You should be more concerned about his life."
"Are we being a little dramatic?" he asks.
My phone buzzes with a notification. I'm trying to control my temper, so I peek at it and see B's name.
"B just instant messaged me. He's okay."
"What did he say?"
I toggle over to my Skype notification.
Brooklyn: Skype me now.
That's weird.
"Um, he wants to video chat with me. Are you sure he's not up in his room?"
"Uh, I don't think so, but maybe I didn't hear him come home. I'll go check."
I run to the bedroom, sit at the desk, and power up my laptop, thankful that Aiden thought to bring it from the loft.
I bring up the program, see B's smiling face next to the word Online, and click to call him.
I'm just so thankful he's okay. He probably snuck in because he didn't want to deal with his dad. He's probably going to tell me he's sorry for hanging up on me and how awkward it was with his mom.
As the screen shows him answering, I smile.
But then my heart stops beating when Vincent's face shows on the screen instead.
He gives me a chilling smile. One that makes my whole body shiver.
"We have the dog. We have Matt," he says. "As soon as we have you, we'll commence filming."
Matt? Lacey's boyfriend in the movie?
Did he cast Brooklyn as Matt?
No. He's probably just trying to freak me out. Probably stole his computer since I destroyed my phone and he needed another way to get in touch with me.
But how did he get Brooklyn's computer?
I imagine the scene at Buddy's.
B's distracted and talking to his mom.
Someone grabs his backpack.
Although, I don't know why he'd take it to dinner.
No, wait. I do. He'd want to show his mom videos of him surfing.
I look Vincent straight in the eye. "Who did you cast as Matt?"
A smirk plays on his face. The first show of emotion I've seen. "Your boyfriend, Brooklyn, of course."
"I don't believe you."
Vincent narrows his eyes at me. The emotional mask returning.
From the corner of my eye, I see Aiden and Cooper come into the bedroom.
I pretend to adjust my laptop screen, but instead I hold my hand out past it, gesturing at them not to come any closer.
My eyes are glued to the screen, Vincent and I locked in an online staring match.
Finally, he blinks and says, "You want to see who I cast? Is that it?"
"Yes, Vincent. I need to know who my co-star is before I'll sign on to the project."
"Very well."
There are blurs across the screen as Vincent moves the laptop away from his face.
I can't make out anything until the movement stops.
Then there is a single image.
Brooklyn. Lying on a mattress motionless.
I quickly take a screenshot.
"Believe me now?" I hear Vincent ask.
"I want to talk to him."
"As you can see, he can't talk right now. He's asleep."
"Asleep or dead?" It's hard to tell. I can't see him breathing.
There are more blurs then Vincent's face. "Come home," he says then ends the call.
Tears stream down my face as I stare at the blank computer screen.
I shake my head.
I expected Vincent to kidnap me at some point.
I was prepared for it.
I didn't expect this.
What am I going to do?
Cooper clears his throat.
I look up at everyone waiting expectantly in the doorway.
"He's got Brooklyn," I say, crying hysterically. "He's got Brooklyn."
What follows is a night of complete chaos.
Fits of anger.
Calls with Garrett.
Pacing with worry.
Calls with my family.
Uncontrollable crying.
A call to B's dad.
As if I wasn't already feeling guilty enough, his dad flat-out blamed me.
Yelled at me.
I tried to explain, but it didn't matter.
And it doesn't.
He's right.
It's all my fault.
By three in the morning, Damian and Peyton have fallen asleep on the couch, Aiden is pacing across the living room floor, and I'm sitting in a chair across from Cooper trying to convince him that I should do exactly what Vincent wants me to do: go home.
My phone rings with a call from Garrett.
I quickly grab it off the coffee table and answer with, "Did you find him?"
"No, we haven't. I'm sorry," he says.
By this time, I'm done crying. I'm just straight pissed.
"How am I supposed to believe that you'll be able to keep anyone I care about safe?"
"I can only do so much, Keatyn. Brooklyn refused security the whole time he was in Malibu. And, believe me, we tried to talk some sense in him. We even did as you asked and watched the house and followed him wherever he went."
"Were they watching him today?"
"Sort of."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Brooklyn called the cops on them a few hours before he left for dinner. My men were at the police station getting things sorted out."
"Why would he do that?"
"I don't know. Did the two of you fight?"
"Yes. He was really upset when I told him I wasn't coming there."
"You were planning to?"
"Yeah. He wanted me to go with him to meet his mom. When we found out about Kiki, I called him. Begged him to reschedule. Told him i
t wasn't safe. He wouldn't listen to me. Then I suggested that it could be a set up. That's when he hung up on me."
"We located his mother and interviewed her."
"So it wasn't a set up?"
"No."
"What did she say?"
"That they talked. That she was so excited to see him but that it was more awkward than she imagined. I think she had grand images of the little boy she left rushing into her arms."
"Do you know the real story?"
"Brooklyn's father said she's bipolar. That, back then, the disease wasn't as widely understood. They diagnosed her with depression but she wouldn't take her medicine. When she didn't, she was all over the place. Crying for days, then, the next, getting dressed up and maniacally shopping. She'd have fits of anger, too. In one of those fits, she pushed B down the stairs. He was fine, just a broken wrist, but that's when his dad knew he had to do something. He had her charged with child abuse, filed for divorce, and got the court to issue a restraining order."
"That's sad. But I can see why his dad just let him think she left. It was easier than trying to explain everything else. We have to find him, Garrett. As soon as I get off the phone, I'm heading to the airport. I'll see you soon."
"No, you won't."
"I won't see you?"
"Keatyn, would you like me to use every resource I have available to search for Brooklyn?"
"Yes."
"Then I need you to go back to Eastbrooke."
"I can't go back there."
"Yes, you can."
"But everyone knows who I am. I'm still the one Vincent wants. I can't put Eastbrooke in that kind of danger. I can't go back!"
"We successfully kept everything off social media. Vincent would've already gone there if he believed you were there. It's safe. That's why we sent you there in the first place. And I can't do my job if I'm worried about you. I need all our manpower focused on finding him."
"But you have the police. I sent you the screenshot."
"Keatyn, the screenshot doesn't really prove anything. You didn't get any photos of Vincent. Had you recorded the call it would be a different situation. We would have some proof. All we have is a photo of a young man lying on a mattress. It doesn't prove he was kidnapped. It doesn't tell us who kidnapped him. It helps that his dad believes you and reported him kidnapped, but since there is no proof of that either--"
"What kind of proof do they need?"
"They interviewed the staff at the restaurant. No one saw a struggle. No one saw anything or anyone remotely suspicious. The police see a young man who is upset with his father and didn't come home. Now, the fact that his motorcycle is still at the club helps us a little, but the police work at their own pace."
"I thought you had guys following Vincent. Where the hell is he?"
"We don't know."
"What the fuck, Garrett? How can you not know?"
"Our men report that Vincent has been in his home since you fired him."
"We know Brooklyn is with Vincent. So, if Vincent's home, someone got Brooklyn and took him to Vincent. They're probably in his house! Go get him!"
"We tried that. I called in a favor with the police. Got them to agree to question Vincent. They went to his home, but Vincent didn't answer."
"So they just left?"
"The police can't search a property without a warrant unless they have just cause. When they looked in the windows, they reported seeing a room trashed in a way that indicated a struggle. They suspected Vincent might be hurt, so they broke the door down and went in."
"What did they find?"
"Nothing."
"Did they search for clues?"
"They didn't. But after they left, one of my guys may have had a look around. He came up empty. There wasn't one shred of evidence that would suggest he was obsessed with you or your mom. No photos. No magazines. Nothing. Which is a bit unusual in cases like these. Do you remember anything from your video chat? Did you see anything or notice any details that could give us a clue as to where he was. What about sounds? Could you hear a city? The ocean?"
"When he swung the laptop around I saw a blur of colors and images. Pictures, I think, on the walls."
"That would make sense. Wherever he's holding Brooklyn is his base. The place where he keeps his obsession hidden from the outside world."
"Like a secret apartment or something?"
"Yes, and we've got to find it. If we find it, we'll find Brooklyn. We're meeting with a judge in the morning to request a warrant to search all of his properties."
"Technically, I own some of those properties now, right? The business ones?"
"Yes, we've already scoured the county records and have compiled an extensive list of both personal and business real estate holdings."
"You have my okay to search anything owned by the company. He is obsessed with making the movie, so it would make sense that he might do it somewhere there's already a set."
"We'll start searching the company's properties now. On one condition."
"What's that?"
"You go to Eastbrooke while we do."
"And if I don't?"
"I quit and you can let the police handle it."
"You're not serious."
"Oh, yes. I am. And just so you know, if you decide to accept my resignation, even with your family connections, it would be at least 24-48 hours before you could get another firm on board. Do you want to lose that time?"
"No."
"Then here are my terms. You and Cooper are going back to Eastbrooke. You will give me seven days to find Brooklyn before you threaten to come to Malibu. And you promise that during those seven days you will not set foot off campus. No getting your nails done. No pizza dates. Nothing. I will be sending additional guards to the school's entrance. They will be under orders not to let you leave. Am I clear?"
"Seven days is a long time, Garrett! Why don't I just come home? I'll let Vincent find me. Take me to where Brooklyn is. You can rescue us both."
"Keatyn, I can assure you it would not be that easy. A simple case of kidnapping would quickly escalate into a hostage situation."
"Then get some special forces to come in the middle of the night. Kidnap Vincent. Save us."
"I'm wasting precious time right now, Keatyn. You know my terms. Seven days or I quit."
"What if you don't find him in seven days?" I ask, hating that the words even came out of my mouth.
"Then we'll do it your way." He sighs. "Look, Vincent has been planning this for months, maybe even years. I know seven days seems like a long time, but it really isn't in the scheme of things. You said Vincent told you that he has Matt, right?"
"Yes."
"So, in a warped way, Brooklyn has agreed to play the role and signed a contract. Vincent won't hurt him until he has you. That's the main reason I want seven days. If Vincent gets his hands on both of you, his plans will accelerate. And when they do, I can't guarantee that either one of you will survive. If you want to keep Brooklyn alive, you will give me seven days."
I nod, knowing that he's right. Vincent will keep Brooklyn alive until he's able to redo the movie his way.
And he can't do that until he has me.
I let out an audible sigh. "Fine. I agree."
"Thank you. I'll keep you posted every step of the way."
As I hang up, Cooper says, "What did you just agree to?"
"We're going back to Eastbrooke," I say.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4TH
My guilt.
9:30am
Aiden wakes up when I get out of bed.
"You go back to sleep. I'm going to check in with Garrett."
"I'll get up too. I want to hear if there's any news."
I throw on a robe and go out into the living room, where Cooper is already up, dressed, and on the phone.
"No news," he says as Peyton and Damian wander out in matching robes.
"You know, Cooper. I promised to go back to Eastbrooke, but I never promised to go to cl
ass."
"Not go to class?" Aiden asks. "How's that going to work?"
"I'll sneak onto campus, but I won't check in. I'll call the school and say that I'm staying with my family and will be there later or something."
"Will you just sit in your room all day?"
"I'll just sneak in with Damian and stay with Cooper. I can't go to class. I don't even have my uniforms. They're all at my loft and I can't go back."
"You can wear mine," Peyton suggests sweetly. "My parents are meeting us at school with all our stuff."
"It's not just that. I don't want the other students to know I'm back. I can't deal with that right now. I can't deal with homework or teachers. I'll go crazy. Besides, it's silly. I'll be going back to Malibu in six days."
"I thought it was seven?" Cooper asks.
"Seven started yesterday."
"Technically, when you agreed to seven days, it was today."
"Fine. Whatever. It's silly to go to school for even a few days when I know I'm leaving."
"It will give you something to do," Aiden suggests, kissing my nose. "Keep you busy. And it won't be bad. The first two days of classes will be getting back into the swing of things. We won't have homework. There's a basketball game on Friday night and a dance. Saturday we'll hang out and watch football. It will help pass the time."
"Brooklyn is lying on the floor somewhere, helpless, Aiden," I snap. "I'm not going to a damn high school basketball game and pretending I give a shit about it."
Aiden gives me a glare, gets up, and walks out of the room.
Cooper watches him go and says to me, "I'd like you to be enrolled in school. If you want to pretend to be sick, you can."
"Thanks. Um, Cooper, can I talk to you in private?"
"Sure, let's go downstairs to the lobby."
"That's not exactly private."
"Why don't I take my brother and Damian down to the restaurant for breakfast?" Peyton offers.
I give her a hug and say, "Thank you."
"We're all trying our best to help you get through this," she says quietly. "Especially Aiden."
Her words just add to my guilt.
And my guilt is piling up higher than the Empire State building.
They clear out and Cooper sits on the edge of a chair. "Shoot."
"I can't do it. I can't wait seven days. We need to come up with a new plan to present to Garrett. Or I just need to go myself. I'm stronger than Vincent thinks I am. I'll attack him when he doesn't expect it, like you taught me to. It worked on the guy in the club. Or I could take a gun, a knife, and some pepper spray."
"Keatyn, he'd check you for weapons. And a wire. And trackers. He's not stupid."
