True Friends: Kidnapped - Lulu Nighthaven & Breeana Willow Vala (ebooks online reader .TXT) 📗

realise, which shouldn't take too long, we'll blackmail 'em into dropping the case."
He turned to face Rafe with a menacing look.
"You got that this time? Cause I swear to God, I ain't repeating it again."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it", Rafe muttered hastily.
The court case. The only thing Gunther seemed to care about.
"Wait…" Rafe started, "How's the British girl gonna help us get the case dropped?"
Gunther turned to face the window again.
"Her dad's a cop. Not just any cop. He's Chief Inspector Brooke, the damn cop trying to throw us in the slammer."
Rafe bit his lip, knowing that if he pointed out the fact that the police only wanted Gunther in jail and not him, he might suffer the same fate as Hodge.
About a year ago, Gunther had broken into a huge house in California. The people who lived their, unfortunately for Gunther, had a very good security system which he didn’t know about, and the police were there extremely quickly. He grabbed what he could and tried to run, but the police caught him. Rafe and Hodge had been hiding around the corner, but the police hadn't seen them. They identified Gunther and had taken mug shots, when Rafe and Hodge had ran out, creating a distraction. The three of them had run, carrying Gunther's loot between them. The police had somehow got a photo of Hodge, but not of Rafe. The hid in a cave that night, and the next day, Rafe, being the only unidentifiable one out of the three, sold Gunther's loot at a small market. He managed to get enough money to pay for three plane tickets to Alabama. Thinking that they had got away from the cops, they bought a "bachelor pad" and decided to try to settle down, for a while anyway. But, after Gunther did away with Hodge and his body had been found, he was identified by the photo that had been taken in California. The police realised that Gunther was probably somehow involved. Pictures of both of them were broadcast on international news channels. Locals who lived near the area where they had been living gave their address to the police. Having guessed what was going to happen, Gunther and Rafe abandoned their apartment and had been hiding in the warehouse ever since. One day, Rafe had gone back to see if there was any food left in the fridge. There had been a letter addressed to Gunther stuck in the letterbox. Rafe had taken it back to the warehouse. The letter was calling Gunther to court, saying that he was being accused of breaking and entering, and murder.
Gunther and Rafe had done a ton of research on the police officers who were on this case, and had discovered that they had flown in someone from the UK who was an expert on finding runaway criminals. Rafe knew that Gunther had been doing some more research on this Chief Inspector Brooke, but hadn't known that kidnapping his daughter was part of the plan.
He knew about the other three kids though. They were the kids of Becky Strife, the lawyer who was accusing Gunther.
"So, how long do you think until the parents put two and two together?" Rafe asked.
"Not long", Gunther said with a malicious smile on his face, "I've made sure of that."


Chapter 17

"Mrs. Strife-"
"It's Ms.” Becky corrected stiffly, refusing to acknowledge the connection to her ex-husband.
"Ms. Strife, would you mind recounting the last conversation you had with young Raven for us again?" Officer Davis said, looking bored and uninterested. Oh, yes, so detached. And I have to sit here explaining again and again while they twiddle their thumbs and my children stay missing! She thought bitterly, scowling at the officer.
"I had an argument with Raven over whether or not she was allowed to try and go after her friend Yasmin Brooke or not. I told her she couldn't and we fought. She stormed out as my son Joseph was coming into the house and ignored when I yelled for her to come back. I sent Joseph after her and waited outside with Mikey and Joeys friends. While we were waiting my ex-husband, Rafe Gerard Strife, came up to us and snatched Mikey, running and ducking into a pale colored old Pontiac. While I ran inside and grabbed the phone, rushed back outside and called nine one one, Joey and Raven returned. Alyssa Montgomery, Joey's cousin, explained that Mikey had been taken and before I could stop her Raven lit out like a bat out of heck. Before I knew it Joey and most of hyis friends had run after her. The younger boys came back, explaining that they hadn't run fast enough and had lost track of them. They said that the last they had seen was Joey pulling up closer to Raven but not enough to stop her."
"Uh-huh, and, Ms. Strife, how exactly did you come into the information that your husband was associated with Gunther the Gun?" The other officer, Officer Harkin, asked in a deep baritone of a voice, focused on her but more because of her thin nightgown than anything else.
"Because I am the lawyer who is helping Chief Inspector Brooke to prosecute Mr. Gunther." She said, speaking sharply, losing her patience rapidly. Her children, she thought desperately, were out there someone, alone and probably hurt! "Now, if you don't mind, I am going to go make some coffee, it has been a very trying night, Officer."
She watched silently as the officers left her home, no doubt going to file their report then walk away and forget about it. She had nothing against cops, but she knew, in her heart, that Officer Davis and Officer Harkin would file their report and that would be the end of it.
Walking up to her room with a cup of coffee she clenched her jaw and made her decision. If the police weren't going to help her get her family back, she knew someone who would. Picking up the phone from her bedside table she dialed the number for the only hotel in town and waited while it rang.
"Hello?" A tired voice said, sounding as stressed as Becky felt.
"Mr. Brooke, I need your help. Raven, Joey, and Mikey are gone, missing, kidnapped." She said swiftly, fighting back the tears in her eyes.
"Ms. Silvia, I truly wish I could help you, but my daughter, Yasmin... I got a call from my wife a few days ago, Yasmin is missing." He said gruffly.
"Oh no..." Becky let out a breath as she made the connection. "Oh, no, oh God, Mr. Brooke your daughter and my daughter are pen pals, have been for months!"

*********************************************


Joey Strife

“Raven?” Joey asked, trying not to worry when she didn’t answer, didn’t so much as blink, just stared across the room blankly. “Hey, Mikey, you ok over there?”
“Yeah, I’m ok, but Yasmin is asleep.” Mikey said from Joey’s right. Taking a few deep breaths Joey tried to sort out what had happened since Mikey had been snatched. One; Raven and Joey had been taken. Two; they had found out that Yasmin was their other kidnap victim. Three; Raven had found out that Gunther had killed her parents and was her uncle. Four; Joey had realized that Gunther’s friend was his dad. Five; Raven had gotten quiet and pensive, thoughtful, maybe even gone into shock for all he knew.
Looking around Joey tried to figure out how to get out of the cages but couldn’t find any way. Throwing himself back he yelped, hitting his shoulder on something. Turning around he saw a lock that would be used on a usual dog cage and grinned before he realized that the lock was to the back wall and unlocking it without getting the crate to move would be useless.
His grin faltering Joey looked at Raven and frowned worriedly. “Hey, Rave, I think I found a way out.” He whispered, trying to be loud enough for him to hear but not so loud that Gunther and Rafe would hear his clearly.
When Raven didn’t respond and continued to stare at the wall across from them his frowned deeply, reaching through the bars he touched her shoulder. He should have known better he told himself later, this was Raven, and you didn’t surprise Raven.
As his hand started to retract from the cage when he realized his mistake her hands caught his and jerked him forward, twisted his arm and slammed it against the bars hard, twisting it until a loud crack sounded, signally that she had accomplished her act, breaking his arm.
“Crap!” He yelled before swearing and yanking his arm from between the cage bars, cradling it in his other arm against his abdomen. “Raven, what the heck is up with you? Why did you break my fricking arm!”
Shaking her head Ravens eyes seemed to focus in on something behind him before clearing and looking down at his arm. “Oh, no….crap, sorry, Joey, I didn’t mean to, it’s a knee jerk reaction.” She mumbled, taking deep breaths.
“Yeah, sure, whatever.” Joey grumbled, glaring at her and remembering why he had tried to get her attention. “Anyway, I found us a way out, kinda.”
“How?”
“Turn around and feel the back of your cage until you find what feels like a dog cage lifting lock. Yes, ok, now, with the wall behind us as well as the locks we can’t really get out unless we make a horrible amount of noise. And –“
“And noise equals Gunther and Rafe which equals no escape and the risk of one of getting hurt.” Raven finished for him calmly, looking thoughtful again. “Let me think for a bit, go ahead and let Yasmin and Mikey know what you’ve found out and everyone needs to try and think of ways for us to get out safely.”
“On it, Sis.” He said, turning and explaining his idea to Mikey, asking him to wake up Yasmin so he could tell her what their plan was. Grinning to himself, Joey thought about being home again, seeing his mom, taking a shower. Unable to stop himself Joeys face broke out into a huge smile. Soon, if- no not if, when- when their plan worked, they would be home again!