GuesS Me

Chapter 11: The Shocking Broadcast

Kevin and Nora followed Officer James to the interrogation room, their hearts racing with anxiety. As they sat down, the officer's expression turned grave, and he glanced at the other guardians huddled in the corner of the room, all with worried expressions.

"What's going on, Officer James?" Kevin asked, his voice firm but laced with worry, his eyes scanning the room for any clues.

Officer James hesitated before speaking. "There's been a development, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson. Someone hacked into the state's biggest media outlet and broadcast a live video... showing the game scenes from the house which seems to be where the kidnapped victims are being held hostage. Ann was not the only victim. We received a total of 7 missing reports on the same day you reported your daughter missing, and we were having suspicions about the kidnapping being linked, but the live broadcast confirmed our doubts."

Nora's eyes widened in horror and confusion. "Live show...? Officer, please I don’t quite follow." Her voice was shaky as she asked, her hands trembling in her lap. The officer stood up and turned on the TV, and the TV in the room flickered to life, showing the footage of the games played in the house. Ann and the others looked obviously helpless and were forced to play games of unknown fate, their eyes darting around nervously.

A distorted voice spoke over the video. "Everyone is safe... at least for now. But if the relatives of my housemates can give an answer to my riddle, I might as well release all of them unscathed. But of course, there are rules and conditions." With this statement, a malicious laugh followed that sent shivers down the spine of everyone seated in the room, making the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end.

The voice continued, "With every passing day, the games that my housemates play will become more and more difficult and life-threatening, and with each passing day, the times of their deaths will draw nearer, but if and only if my riddle is solved will I think about letting them go." Hahahahah. The broadcast cut off abruptly, leaving the room in stunned silence.

Nora was shaking, tears streaming down her face. "Ann... my baby..." Kevin's mind went blank. Cold sweat couldn’t help but form on his forehead. He couldn’t even console Nora as he was also uncertain about the fate of his daughter. The other guardians were in a similar state, some crying, others looking numb, all trying to process the horror unfolding before them.

Officer James said, "We're working on tracing the hack. We'll do everything we can to locate everyone. Please exercise patience." He glanced at the other officers in the room, his expression saying more than words could.

The room was thick with tension as Kevin and Nora sat with the other guardians, all trying to process the shocking broadcast. The anxiety and fear so obvious that anyone could tell at a glance. The TV had shown their family, innocent and scared, playing games under obvious duress.

Officer James spoke up, his voice calm but firm. "We understand this is difficult. The kidnappers are trying to manipulate you into solving their riddle. We'll work on tracing the broadcast and finding the location."

One of the other guardians, Tim's mother, spoke up, her voice shaking. "What if we can't solve it? What if... what if they hurt them? We don’t even know what the riddle is.. my poor baby is just 12 years old he doesn’t deserve to be in this situation” Tears gushed out of her eyes as she thought about how scared her son must be.

Officer James' expression was grim. "We'll do everything we can. But we need you all to stay calm and cooperate with us,only by being calm can we bring back the hostages safely."

The distorted voice echoed in everyone's mind: "With every passing day... the times of their deaths draw nearer."