Chapter 196

Chapter 54 – Gabriel POV I appear in our kitchen, and Casey and Ava are their waiting, Ava leaves Casey, walking closer to me, “Papa home,” she said happily, lifting her hands so she could be picked up. Looking at me with eyes like her mother, despite not being biologically related to either of us. “Where Momma?” she asked looking at Nonno, Victor, Marx, Saul and Rico. “Moonstar,” she said looking at Marx, he smiled stupidly at her. Facing me again she asked for Chelsea… how did I answer that? Was there a way to answer that in words she understood that wouldn’t sadden or frighten her? “Your momma is lost but we’re going to find her, mini topolino…” Nonno Sabastian stepped in thankfully. Ava took her eyes off me and looked at Nonno, “Who that?” she furrowed her brows cutely. “My Nonno,” I answered, not sure she even understood, without Chelsea to confirm. I didn’t have long to dwell on that because in came Lukas and Violet. Jamie behind them, held up by James, looking rough and stumbling over his own feet. “What happened?” I demanded, surprised that Jamie was the one to speak. He looked around, concentrating on his hand weirdly, but I could see he was trying to meet my eyes, just struggling, “We – had – class. Me – Madeline and Scarlet messed up. Asked if we could go over everything, again and again. Professor Baptiste pretty much forced Chelsea and I to have an extra practice. With them. They called said there was free open studio space, they signed up. We arrived, nothing w-was off," he paused. Jamie rubbed his hands over his face, "They were waiting outside for us, drinking something, James hung back like always, only by two minutes, not to draw attention, Lukas and Violet were waiting outside the auditorium when we entered and I felt a sharp jab to – to my neck, everything went dark. They had other human dancers waiting but dressed, we were heading to change, and Madeline and Scarlet were behind us, I don’t know – I went down instantly. I couldn’t even scream or speak – when I woke up there was Lukas and Violet. No Scarlet and no Madeline.” I rubbed my hand over my neck, remembering that pinch feeling I had. “Did you try to follow her scent?” I asked them, desperate for leads, answers, knowing Logan would be arriving soon. But with the look on their faces, I knew. They had nothing. “Sorry Boss, we – we followed Scarlet and Madeline and Chelseas’ to the underground parking garage but it just cuts off. We – Violet and I – we went around collecting CCTV copies to search thru,” placing them on the table. “I don’t need them,” I said harshly, reaching into my bag, pulling out my MacBook, booting and remotely accessing my system at the warehouse and the one at Remy’s location. Once in I started searching for Scarlet and Madeline, Chelsea as well, their car, Ames, Rian, even Samuel as my grandfather comes to pull a chair next to me, Ava still on my lap, shifting her weight away from Nonno. Still she is the one thing keeping me level headed, I even feel Max pull back as well. I pull up Kai, the interactive system I created, that helps Logan’s team that Remy can also run as well, “Hello Gabriel,” Kai greets me and everyone turns to watch me. “Kai, Chelsea is missing, kidnapped, by my sister, I need to find her.” “Where shall I look?” “USC campus, last with Scarlet and Madeline.” “Searching Boss, Gabriel.” “Who the hell – what is that?” Casey and Marx come closer, as Kai sifts thru video feeds, store cams, federal surveillance, cameras, and street and traffic cams as well. “Targets found,” Kai alerts me and begins to do a play back. “Play video consecutively Kai,” someone’s phone rings, I don’t care. The doorbell rings, I ignore it. “Gabriel, there is a caravan of people here, says his name is Logan – the Gaurdians?” Jack said behind me. “Kai, infiltrate Chelsea’s security at the gate, show me the video feed,” I instruct so I can verify for myself that it is Logan. Already familiar with Kai’s system, Toren, Dylan, Vica, Rolf, Piage and Lani all emerge from the car as Kai, uses facial recognition to confirm it’s them. When Kai does confirm, I nod at Jack, turning back to the laptop, “Play,” I tell Kai and we all watch, Jamie and Chelsea exit the suburban followed within the normal distance from Lukas and Violet. Scarlet and Madeline don’t enter straight away, they pass Violet and Lukas. They both push their hands into the pockets and the video ends, the doors shut, video feed changes and we get a frontal view. Behind Chelsea’s back, Madeline shoots Scarlet a look and the video ends again. When it comes back, it’s a different angle, Scarlet and Madeline look at each other, are only four steps behind Chelsea and Jamie, each lifting their hands quickly both holding syringes, and they inject both Jamie and Chelsea at the back side of their neck. I was growling, shaking, all I saw was red. “Papa… Papa…” Ava called me, pulling me from my haze. Lips shaking, eyes watery, “Momma hurt?” she looked at the screen, then back to me. Chelsea didn’t scream out loud and neither did Jamie, one minute they were standing the next they were practically rag dolls. Madeline and Scarlet didn’t even bother with Jamie, they just pulled Chelsea along and the video cuts off. But it changes back to video feed right off my parents’ property. A black limo with tinted windows, no plates, stops; Madeline and Scarlet get out, but wearing different clothes, their faces appear confused… upset. Chelsea! I tried reaching for her again. “That is all Gabriel. I have also tried facial recognition for each and every person who would have had a grudge against you, to help. No one came within a 30 miles radius of Chelsea, USC or your current location.” “What next Gabriel?” Kai asked waiting. Chelsea… please… nothing. I knew she wasn’t being hurt but the silence between us was slowly taking me under but I wouldn’t give in, not yet. “Kai, I want you to run facial recognition on Alphas and Betas and any woman I’ve had a sexual relationship with,” I rested back looking for the crack, the mistake someone made. “Gabriel, I could-” Marx is interrupted by Jack followed by Logan and members of his crew. I quickly fill him in on what information we’ve gathered which isn’t much. Then I turn back to Marx, “what were you saying?” He clears his throat, I can have 10 of my guys that know Chelsea’s scent from when she visited, I can have them head our way but looking out for her scent,” He offers and I nod grateful he walks away, already on his phone. Logan steps up, again, “if we could get a scent of Chelseas I’ll have my trackers out looking as well, also give me the places where she’s been in over a week,” he says, I nod. “Casey show Alpha Logan to our room so he can catch her scent,” they turn immediately heading for the stairs. “Momma up?” Ava asked pointing to where Casey followed by Logan and his people went. I reply as Jack comes down, holding a blood donation kit, sitting by Jamie, “No momma isn’t up there,” I reply and realize Jacks going to test his blood, see what they used to drug Chelsea so quickly. . . . What the hell were Madeline and Scarlet thinking!? James asks over the link just as my phone rings. “Boss, I’m looking at the video feed Kai worked up, and when they inject Chelsea, Madeline reaches for her left hand, it’s not picked up on the sound but Lee,” she mentions her interactive system that is custom made like Kai, “let me zoom in and she looks at Chelsea’s ring finger and says ‘she isn’t wearing it,’ then they drag Chelsea out,” Remington tells me, Lee sending the video to Kai and I watch and she is right, Madeline was angry Chelsea wasn’t wearing the ring. I play it back again, while Madeline checks for the ring, Scarlet had already put some of Chelsea’s weight on her body, so it wasn’t just about the ring, the plan based on Scarlet’s behavior was to take Chelsea all along. Where is the ring? Max wonders, so I standing with Ava in my arms, climbing the stairs three at a time, running straight to our room, to Chelsea’s drawer in our closet and see the ring on top her jewelry box. I slink back relieved, optimistic that since they – whoever they are – have Chelsea but not the ring that it would give her more time. Because even if she couldn’t die… no one knew that. Even if she died there, her body would come back in the same place. Taking the ring, I leave our room heading to my study, opening my safe and putting it in another smaller safe. Locking up I leave my office. Heading back downstairs, I try Chelsea once again, but still have no response, tense, but I’m hopeful. After my stunt at the Alpha Summit, if the Alphas are involved, they won’t move Chelsea. They know I’ll track her face, scent, everything, I think encouraged, but not confident. Them - the Alphas -  knowing I can pop in and out of places I know that they’ll keep her one place, they won’t move her to keep me guessing, that would leave a trail, leave her scent in places, no they’d keep her wherever she was now, I just had to find her. I would find her, but I had to remain calm, no rash decisions. Still… something didn’t sit right with me, why wasn’t Chelsea reading Madeline and Scarlet’s’ mind, how could she know they were walking behind her, and not read their minds?