The Killer Among Us

Chapter 7

The Day of the Abduction

Aria

Yesterday was a completely normal day. No more phone calls, no more envelopes, no more black cars tracing me. Nothing seemed out of order.

Still, I could not shake the lingering panic. Everytime I thought about it, my stomach twisted. I tried my hardest to hide the frown on my face and act normal. Apparently there was no reason to worry anymore.

Jacob also came around last night and we talked for quite a bit. It felt good to have him near me. Not just because he made me feel safe but also because he reminded me of better times, happier times.

Life has only gotten more difficult each day. The only way to get through it was to get through it. That's what my Dad always told me.

I had the day off from work and so I decided to do some fun things: jogging, baking, shopping. But nothing brought me joy, nothing truly distracted me.

In the back of my mind, I still heard that ringing. It set me in a kind of trance that I couldn't wake up from and I feared that there was no way to snap me out of it.

Resting in the fact that there were no more indications of danger, I tried to let it go.

After a mundane and eerily normal dinner with Helena, I chose to go to bed early.

She left around 8:30, so I took a long, hot shower and laid in bed for a while before sleep finally overtook me. Shockingly enough, I slept quite peacefully.

And just like that, the day faded away like the clouds in the sky leaving behind nothing but a blurry memory.

What I didn't know was that outside, creeping in the dark, was a faceless evil coming to haunt my dreams.

The Day of the Abduction

Jacob

Spending the entire day making phone calls and researching data and statistics on Carlisle, I started to feel uneasy. A couple of old acquaintances, I wouldn't call them friends because of the nature of the friendship, told me some unsettling things they thought were connected to the picture.

Still, not a single one had a genuine connection.

Desperate in the most hopeless sense of the word, I decided to call one of my fathers old friends who served with him in the army and became a police officer a little later in his long and accomplished career.

"Hey there, this is Jacob Thomson. Jordan's son. I don't know if you remember me, sir, " I instantly felt utterly stupid for calling him on this matter but I was left with no other choice.

"Of course I remember you, boy. How's your mother?" he asked nonchalantly.

I hated small talk and right now I had zero patience or time to engage in chatter and so I cut straight to the chase:

"Listen, David, I don't mean to be rude or anything but there is something important I could use your help with, if that's okay?"

Without missing a heartbeat, I heard him straightening up on the other end as he responded, "Speak your mind, boy. What is it?"

And so I told him. From the picture, the phone call, Aria's state of mind to my research. I must have rambled on for quite some time but he didn't interrupt me once.

When I finished, slightly out of breath, he paused for a moment before sighing,

"I would've reacted exactly the same, Jacob. Believe me. I know from my work as a police officer that there is no joking around with such matters. However, I also know that what you have is not sufficient evidence to plead your case that there is any true danger. And even if you did, the police won't act unless there is an actual crime."

I let out a hard sigh. That was exactly what I was afraid of. Then he added, "I'm so sorry, boy. I truly am - I wish I could've helped you more. But the only thing I can do for you is tell you this, get in a good night's sleep and tomorrow morning talk to your sister again. In most cases there is a logical explanation or someone close to her that is the answer."

What he was saying was making sense, at least on the surface."Thank you for your help," I told him and I genuinely meant it.

Then I hung up the phone, threw it on the table and in my state of total discouragement went to bed. My sleep wasn't deep but it lulled me into a state of stillness. Eventually, drifted off, not getting even a second of proper rest. My thoughts were with Aria.

Little did I know that while I was sleeping in my bed, Aria was getting snatched out of hers.