Return to the King

Chapter 6

Antonio's POV

It had been about ten hours since Amelia was taken. We have been searching high and low. No one took a break. No one even took their attention to any of the responsibilites that were needed to be done when people came looking for us. Everyone was locked in with the hopes of finding out any information about finding her. Something to point us in the right direction. Fred was cramming with a doughnut sticking out of his mouth. Alex was on the phone with Nia trying to figure out if someone with suspicious wounds had come in, but it was a bust as well. Maurice was searching for his contacts in order to figure out something on his end. They confirmed there were several abductions in neighboring towns and kingdoms but nothing struck in the Larson Kingdom. He convinced them to search other kingdoms and cities and to report back to him as soon as possible with any information they could find.

"Guys, I got something!" Fred screamed as he stood up from the laptop he was working on. We gathered around his laptop and he sat back down fixing his posture. He began typing again at a rapid speed and we tried to keep up with what he was saying.

"Okay, so I got the GPS on Amelia's cell phone. I can backtrack a little bit, but in the end it doesn't come up with too. It just really tells where she has been. So far, from what the computer is showing us, she was in a neighboring town. I am surprised she wasn't that far from us though. She was in the kingdom of Jackson. From what her phone tells me, when she left Matthews Kingdom she ported here for a bout a month. She resided in a town called Magnisa. She frequented this resident. According to the database, her phone kept pinging off from mainly two different locations. However, I will go to the one where she was every night, which is here," Fred said as he pointed to the computer screen. "She was at a residents house by the name of Tracey Saunders. Tracey owns a three-bedroom apartment. She was looking for a female roommate to help with the rent when Amelia came into the picture. I am guessing they came into a contract for Amelia to stay there for a while. Tracey has a teenage daughter by the name of Lisa Saunders. She lives with her mother as well. Now as for the other location that Amelia was at during the day, it was at this location called Helping Hands. Owned and built by a man named Alvin Green. He helps the community. Now, after searching for what I could get about both him and Tracey, there is no criminal background for them both. Tracey was born in this town and has never left. Her ex-boyfriend, who is the father of her daughter, also doesn't have a criminal background. Both are squeaky clean background."

"What was she doing here though? I thought she wanted to travel." Alex said as he stood up from his hunched over position.

"That is what she said before she left."

"Well, those questions I actually can answer. If you look at the news reports which I can show now," a bunch of news articles popped up on the screen showing that shelters and homeless people, people in need of care, organizations that are changing the way of living and helping the lives of others received an anonymous donation from someone in order to give back to the community. " You cannot tell me Amelia is not involved in this because well, in each of these towns, Amelia was there for along period of time and then she was off to the next town. So far she was doing well in each town that she went to. Even though this is good news as to what she was doing in her spare time of traveling, news of her disappearance is not getting better, but this is all the information I can get." Fred said as he slightly twisted his upper body to face us.

"What do you mean Fred?" I asked as I crossed my arms over my chest.

Fred turned back to the computer screen and fixed his glasses before continuing,

"Alright.... there are no cameras in this town so I cannot actually see where she has been. I can only go off the locations of the phone. Unless there is something else. I hacked into Tracey's phone. Her text messages stated that her and Amelia had an appointment to go dress shopping. Trace was taking her to a club since, apparently, Amelia was leaving the town next week."

"She was leaving already? Where to?"

"That, Maurice, is not stated in the message. However, Amelia told Tracey that she had to handle some business at Helping Hands with Mr.Green. She never did state why she was going there to Tracey."

"What about Green?"

"That I can actually get to. Alvin texted some woman by the name of Diane that a generous donor had given them a lot of money in order to start a new place and build the program even more. They were going out to have dinner that night."

"I would guess the donor was Amelia. Is it possible he knows who she is and set up a chance to kidnap her for more money? Even though this guy doesn't have a criminal history, we need to look at all possibilities," I said while looking at the others.

"We can assume all we want but we can't go into this mans establishment and hassle him because if he would have gotten wind that we we were even onto his case, he could have her killed." Maurice said as he stroked his chin.

"However, since this did happen in the neighboring kingdom and this is the Queen we are talking about, we need to get their attention as well. Even if it is on short notice."

"Alex is right." I stated while frustratingly running my hands on my face. "As unfortunate as it is, we do need some more leads."

"Well, that I can give. So, Amelia on Friday night headed to some place called-"

"I remember actually. She texted the incoherent babbling text she sent. The one I had sent you to figure out exactly what she was saying."

"Exactly. After that, her phone says that she left the place around 4:30 that morning. She was tracked on a road that was leaving the town. Her phone did stop for about ten minutes and then it started up again. By then, her phone stopped in the location of the woods. That stop was for about twenty minutes. From what the phone was giving off, she then started moving west. The phone put her back on the road and that's when it stopped pinging from there. It stopped pinging there maybe 30 minutes after the phone call you guys got.

"What?"

"There's no other way I can track her right now..." I could hear the sorrow in his voice. He lowered his head as if he were beating himself up, but it was not his fault. Thanks to him, we got some information that we needed more than anything. It was literally better than nothing.

"Okay, so here is what we could start with." Alex stated as he began to pace. "Antonio, you need to go see the king and tell him exactly what happened. I know we were supposed to keep this in house, but unfortunately, we can no longer do that. This is a matter of life and death in a kingdom. They need to know. Maurice, we need to get to the last location where Amelia's phone pinged off. Maybe something there can tell us something that the phone couldn't. She could have left a clue or another way to track her and we just don't know it yet. Also, someone needs to find this Tracey Saunders woman. She could probably tell us something that we don't know about what happened at the club."

"Actually.... that might be a problem as well."

"Fred?" Maurice questioned. Fred went back to the computer and clicked on his keys. What popped up on the screen was a voice recording box. He hit play and we all stood there listening.

"911, what is your emergency?"

"Yes, hello. I need to report two people missing. It's my mother and her roommate."

"Okay, can you tell me more information about the two missing people?"

"Yes.... yes uh, my mom.... Her name is Tracey Saunders. Her roommate is named Leah... unfortunately, I do not know much about her. Besides the fact that she has green eyes and red hair. She and my mom were friends."

"And how long have they been missing for?"

"Since... since Friday night. My mom told me that they were going to a club and they would be back that Saturday morning, but I am home and it is Saturday afternoon and no one is here."

"Have you tried calling-"

"Yes! I have tried calling, texting, voice noting the whole lot and no one is answering their phones! It is going straight to voicemail. The messages are not even being delivered to their phones! I just need help with finding my mom! I want my mom!"

"Okay, okay, calm down sweetie. Help is on the way. Please, when the officers get there, you will have to get them some more information. Is there a picture of the mom and the young lady that you could give them?"

"Yes, well, and then no. I can give them a picture of my mom but not of the other woman. I'm... I'm sorry."

"There is no need to say sorry. I can assure you that we are going to help you in the best possible way-"

Fred cut the recording and turned to us with a low head raise.

"So that must mean... Tracey is missing as well," Alex said as he sighed.

"That poor girl...I know she is terrified right now." Maurice said as he stared up at the ceiling.

"We need to get that girl. We cannot just leave her to fend for herself. Besides, she could possibly tell us something about what Amelia was wearing or something..." I said as I kept tapping my finger.

"Alright then, we all have our assignments. Antonio, get to the king, Maurice, you and I to the forest, then we all will meet up and find the girl. Fred, keep searching on the computer. You can get us something with a camera, a picture, a recording of Amelia.... that would be helpful." Alex said as he fixed his coat.

"Good, get the plane." Maurice said.

"Roger that!" Fred screamed and returned to his computer.

Amelia's POV

My cage was finally moved out into the open. I couldn't find Trace anymore. I looked around and I noticed they were putting chains around the girl's neck, wrist, and ankles. It was like we were in prison but fashionably dressed up for a Halloween costume party where the theme was slutty Egyptian. This was a mockery and one I wanted to put an end to. Unfortunately, I couldn't. My cage stopped moving and someone came to unlock the lock. He wore a black mask with sunglasses, so making out his face was something that couldn't even be done. These guys must be pros and have been doing this for quite some time if you are not talking or showing any signs of your face. I noticed he was wearing black gloves as well.

I squinted my eyes as I looked at the key, studying it and, saw where he put the key back. It was in his front left pocket of his black jeans. Kind... of smart if you ask me. Kind... of. He opened my gate and motioned his hand for me to walk to him. I took a step back with my eyes squinting still. He tilted his head and waited as someone came up to him and handed him a set of chains. He motioned for his hand again and I proceeded to follow his directions. He lifted his arms and placed them side by side and waited for me to follow. I did as I saw and he placed handcuffs around my wrist that had a chain dangling from it. It dropped down to the ground where another set of handcuffs were at the bottom. I didn't even notice the larger chain at the top until the man lifted his head, exposing his neck.

As they put these restraints on my neck, wrist, and around my ankles, I noticed the girls were being put into a line where the chains were being connected to one another. Three men had keys for it. The one whose DNA I am holding, and two of his stupid friends who came to help him when I attacked him.

"Interesting sight... isn't it?" I turned to see a man in front of me. How didn't I sense this man next to me? It was the same man who spoke to me after I attacked one of his people.

"Interesting how... this business is just flourishing at the moment, right?"

"Buisness? You men... are k********g girls, and doing what? Making them your slaves? Selling them to the highest bidders? Making sure the pleasure of others is put over another person's free will and expression. This business of yours is stupid. It's pathetic and more importantly, you all digust me."

"Well... I am sorry you feel that way... Amelia." I looked at him with a slight wide eye and he smirked at me. Then he smiled his evil, wicked smile and leaned close to my ear.

"Yes... I know exactly... who you are.. and this tracker you're wearing... best believe it wont help you."

He snatched the bracelet I was wearing off my arm and I looked at him with a questionable expression.

"That's not a tracker genius.... It's just a bracelet," I said as my face fell flat.

"Oh...you poor girl. You think you will outsmart me? I have been doing this for years. Nothing will get past me. Not even this little act of you thinking that I would think that this bracelet of yours is no tracker."

"I wouldn't put on an act. That's low. That bracelet was a gift. Nothing more."

"Okay... shall I show you?"

"And what will that do for me? You already have it."

"Well... I'll give it back... when I am finished with it."

"Being... nice... won't get you nowhere. I will... come back and haunt you for what you are doing."

"Well... You will have to get out of here first and the way you are... especially on high alert for what you have done.. I highly doubt you will get far. But please... entertain me... I look forward to playing that game..."