“How could this happen?! Why would Aviana go missing?!” We are now inside the car on our way back to the city. Cameron received a call earlier from Cassandra saying that our daughter is missing. I am now panicking and anxious as well as angry. We just left her, not even for a day yet, and now she’s missing?!
“Babe, you have to calm down.”
“Stop telling me to calm down! I can’t calm down when our daughter is missing!”
“I said calm down!” I was startled when Cameron suddenly shouted. This is the first time he yelled at me. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to raise my voice on you. Babe, nothing will happen if you keep on panicking. We will not find Aviana even if you shout and panic all day! We have to find her, and for us to do that we have to be rational, alert and calm. Okay?”
I realized that he was right. I wouldn’t be able to find Via at this state. Why does this keep happening anyway?! We’re just enjoying ourselves earlier but then this suddenly happened?!
Minutes later, we arrived at the Zach’s residence.
“What happened?!” I immediately saw my mom and Cameron’s mom on the couch both crying. Cameron’s mom stood up and approached me.
“I-I don’t know...I’m sorry. I just went to shop with Clarisse and Aviana. I saw your grandfather and I talked to him for a while. Clarisse had to go to the comfort room so I asked him to look after Via for a while. When I came back, he wasn’t there as well as Via.” Just then, the door opened and my dad, brothers and grandfather entered.
“WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?!” I angrily shouted as I approach the old man.
“I-I don’t know—”
“You don’t know?! Where did you bring her?!”
“Savannah! Don’t yell at your grandfa—” Dad tried to push me away from grandfather but I cut him off.
“Shut the fuck up I don’t need you! If something bad happens to my daughter, may the heaven forgive me but this is where I’ll forget that you’re my father.” Suddenly, grandpa almost lost balance but Stefano and Sky was able to catch him. “Look at him acting innocent and pretending to be sick while my daughter is missing.”
“Elizabeth... Eli—Where is my wife?” What’s going on with him? Why is he suddenly looking for grandma? Is he really acting right now?! The guts!
“Stop acting and tell me where my daughter is!” He turned to me and stared at me like he doesn’t know me at all.
“Dad? What’s wrong?” my dad asked him. I just rolled my eyes and crossed my arms in annoyance. He’s creating a family drama when my daughter’s life is in danger! I can’t believe he could go to this extent.
“Who are you?” I, and every one else, was stunned after hearing grandpa saying this to dad. What the hell is going on?
“D-Dad, what are you—”
“Where’s my wife? I have to look for her. I made a mistake and I should say sorry.” He was about to leave but then he suddenly lost consciousness. My brothers and dad hurriedly brought him to the hospital.
“What the—what is wrong with him?” I said in disbelief.
“I called the cops to help us search for Via,” Cameron said. Cassandra also approached us.
“Our security team are also searching the entire facility of the mall. We are also processing to get the security footages.”
“Shouldn’t we search for her too? I can’t just sit here and wait! I can’t just stay here when my baby is missing!”
Suddenly, a man entered the house. I think he’s the secretary of Cassandra.
“I have the security footages.” He started showing us videos in the laptop.
“See! How can that old man leave Aviana like that?!” I said angrily after seeing the footage of him standing and walking away like nothing is wrong. Few seconds after he left, a woman came and pushed Via’s stroller.
“Oh? Mom, isn’t that you?” Cassandra said. I turned around and say her wearing the same clothes like the woman in the video.
“How could that be me?! What am I, a weirdo?! Also, Clarisse isn’t even in the video so how could that be me?!”
“She dressed perfectly like you. She pretended to be like you so no one would be suspicious.”
“Unfortunately, the last footage of them in the mall is entering a fire exit staircase. We don’t have other footages after that.” Suddenly, the door opened again and some police officers entered.
“We found these clothes and a stroller by the fire exit staircase. It seems like the kidnapper changed clothes and also kept your baby in a bag upon exiting the mall premises.”
“In the bag?! What kind of monster would put a baby in a bag?!”
“Also, we just received a report from the FBI.”
“FBI? What does it have to do with our missing daughter?”
“Jackson Miller has escaped from prison and reported to have illegally transported back here in Casterdale. He is here roaming around in Casterdale.”
I felt my knees weaken and I almost fell, Cameron just managed to catch me.
“B-Babe, could it be Jackson who took Via? What are we going to do?! H-He might hurt our daughter!” Tears fall off my eyes continuously as I speak. I don’t know what I could do if something happens to her. I’m willing to give anything just to have my daughter back.
“Don’t worry, we’ll find Aviana. We will,” Cameron said as he hugs and comforts me.
“We are now searching for Jackson on every corner of Casterdale. We are also searching for your daughter. We will do our best—”
“Don’t do your best! Do everything to find my daughter!” I shouted. The police officers excused their selves and left.
“Cameron! You know how cruel Jackson is! What if she does something to our daughter?!”
“I don’t think he’s acting alone. He is working with someone.”
Sylvester suddenly entered and handed me another keypad phone.
“A child in the hospital gave this to me. He said that someone told him to give it to me. He even said to wait for a call,” he said while caching his breath.
“What happened to father?” mom asked.
“He has Alzheimer’s.”
“WHAT?!”
“Yeah, turns out he’s been going for check ups behind our knowledge. His doctor went to check on him and told us the news.” He turned to me and asked, “what about Via? What happened.”
“Jackson is back here in Casterdale. He escaped from prison.”
“That son of an asshole is really something.”
“I think he’s working with someone. Maybe the woman she mentioned?” What Cameron said makes sense. The voice changer and these phones is not something he could use without any help.
The phone in my hand started ringing and I answered it immediately.
“Where is my daughter?!”
[It’s for you to find out. We’re playing hide and seek, remember?]
“Jackson you bastard! Yes! I know it’s you! I’ll kill you once I find you!]
[Sad to say, you’re mistaken. Jackson is just a low profiled criminal, and he can’t do this. But... maybe he’s sort of involved? I don’t know.]
“Prepare to see hell when I find you!”
[Sure, I’ve never been this excited before. Anyways, you won’t find me now. We’ll meet each other at the right time. You daughter is somewhere in Casterdale, good luck on finding her.]
The call ended and I just sighed and cried.
Via, please wait for mommy and daddy. We’ll come and get you soon.