Chapter 247 Messages
Ari's P.O.V.
Something feels off as we pull up to Dustin and Colton's mansion. There are no cars anywhere, and the place seems empty. I get out of the SUV but don't go toward the house.
"We need to approach carefully. The twins are idiots, but if they're working with someone, this may be a setup. Dakota may not even be here," I say as I look around at the others.
"What do you want to do?" my dad asks.
"Anushka and Jordan, stay here with your family. I will not risk your lives, or Dakota will kill me. We're going to search the grounds first. Then we'll decide if it's safe to go into the house," I say, and my dad nods.
We get into small groups and begin searching the outside of the house. Xavier, Sarah, Shea, and Tyler are with me. We go to the front of the house, and I look into one of the windows. I don't see any lights inside, and the furniture is covered with white sheets. It doesn't look like anyone has been there in a while. We go around to the side and meet my dad, Benny, and a few other men.
"It looks empty from what we could see. There are a few outbuildings at the back that we haven't checked yet," my dad says.
"Let's check those. I'm beginning to think they sent the text from here, knowing that Noah would trace it. They most likely wanted us to come here for a reason; otherwise, why leave us a clue?" I ask as we head to the backyard.
"I agree, so be careful," my dad says. His group goes toward the detached garage, and my group goes toward the shed. As we approach the door, I stand on one side, Tyler stands on the other, and Xavier kicks in the door.
Pictures are all over the shed's walls from inside Dakota's house and the negotiation room. They are of all of us. How did they get these? The pictures of Dakota make me feel sick. There are more of her than anyone else, and in some, you can tell she's naked even though they're not full images. I'm going to kill them.
"We found something in the garage," my dad says. I follow him to the garage, and rage fills my body as I've never felt before. The garage has blood spattered on the walls and the floor. In the middle of it is a metal chair with a mannequin that looks a lot like Dakota, and there is a line of blood across her neck as though the doll's neck has been cut open. One of the walls has a message written in blood: Dakota is ours. It's time for you to forget she exists. If you come for us, she's dead.
"They are insane if they think we won't hunt them down. We have to get her back," Sarah says.
I see the camera in the garage, and I have a feeling Dakota is watching us. How can I give her a message without the twins realizing what I'm doing? She once told me she learned sign language when she was in high school because there was a deaf kid in one of her classes, and she wanted to be able to communicate with him. That's the type of person Dakota is, which is why I love her so much. She never wants anyone to feel left out. I had her teach me how to say one thing: I love you. I make the sign with my hand, making sure the camera can see it. She will understand what I'm saying. I love her and will do everything possible to find her.