Loretta, Nancy, and Kate rushed to the car pack.
"Let's go in my car," uttered Kate, rushing to the driver's side of the car.
Loretta and Nancy instantly rushed to the opposite doors of the car as they waited for Kate to unlock it.
"Get in," mumbled Kate, sliding into her seat.
They both got in and Kate sped off after a short while.
"How can someone be this heartless and cunning?" queried Loretta.
"I just don't get it, Lor. Nichole is a hell of a person, she doesn't even deserve to live among humans," replied Nancy.
"I know right? Anyway, Loretta, is Uncle Lian's line going through?" uttered Kate.
"Yes, but he hasn't answered yet."
"Okay, Okay, keep trying. I believe we will get him."
Shortly after Kate's reply, Lian answered the call.
"Oh, he finally answered," uttered Loretta hastily to Nancy and Kate before getting back on phone.
"Hello..." came Lian's voice on the phone.
"Uncle Lian, this is Loretta. Are you with Auntie and Lionel?"
"Uhm...no... but I left them at home not long ago. Like, 10minutes now."
"Like 10minutes now?" (gasped, surprised)
"Yeah..., why do you sound surprised? what's going on?"
"Oh my God, this is not good. This can't be happening now."
"What is not good Loretta? What can't be happening now? Tell me what's going on. Are you girls okay?" uttered Lian, anxiously.
"Yes, Uncle but I think Riley is not."
"What!? Why? What's happening to her?"
"I don't know Uncle, we tried to stop her but she just won't listen."
"I'm still confused here, Loretta. What do you mean by you tried to stop her?"
"Uhm...the thing is, she received this message of Auntie and Lionel being kidnapped. I believe it's a trap set by Nichole for her and she has fallen into it. She might be in danger now. We need to find her."
"Okay, Okay, so where are you girls now?"
"We're heading to the house to see Lionel and Auntie. We wanted to be sure if they were kidnapped."
"Okay, I will also go in search of Riley. Did she tell you the location?"
"Yeah, I think it's Nation street 124."
"Okay, I will see you, girls, soon," he mumbled hastily, hanging up.
"What did he say Loretta?" questioned Kate as Loretta drew the phone away from her ears.
"Riley is really in danger Kate."
"Then we need to hurry," muttered Kate, speeding up.
After about a 30minutes drive, Kate pulled up in front of Riley's house. All of them glided out of the car. Loretta and Nancy rushed into the house.
"Come on Kate, hurry."
"Go ahead, I'm right behind you," she answered, locking the door of the car.
Loretta and Nancy sauntered into the house to meet Rosita and Lionel sitting around the dining table.
"Auntie..." cried Nancy.
Both Rosita and Lionel turned to the voice of the call to see Loretta and Nancy with a stressed looks. Just then, Kate also walked in with the same expression on her face.
"Nancy..." mumbled Rosita, raising an error seat. What's going with you girls? You look kind of stressed."
"Auntie, it's Riley," uttered Kate, breaking into tears. Rosita's heart immediately sunk on hearing this.
"What's, what's wrong with her?" she stammered, drawing closer to them.
"I think she is in danger," answered Kate.
"Huh?"
"What are you saying Kate..?" queried Lionel as he joined them grimacing slightly.
"Yes Lio.." she mumbled, narrating everything to them.
"Oh no, not again. I have to find my baby," said Rosita with tears in her eyes, rushing off to the door.
Lionel quickly rushed off after her, holding her back.




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

It was around 1 pm when Riley got to the given location. She glided slowly out of the taxi, glancing around.
"Thank you," she uttered to the driver and he drove off. The place looked weirdly quiet for an afternoon.
"Where could they be?" she muttered to herself, scanning around with eagle eyes.
Just then, she noticed something strange about the place. The entire houloclocation iss is surprisingly vacant.
"Where could they be?" she queried. All houses here are vacant which one could they be in? Almost forgot, let me call them." said Riley, reaching out for her phone. She called the number and the line was switched off. At that instant, her phone indicated a low battery.
"Oh great, what now?" she mumbled, rolling her eyes.
In one of the buildings two steps away from Riley, stood Zed glancing down at her through the window while his goons sat in wait, chatting.
"She is here," said Zed, smirking.
Riley glanced around nervously, not knowing where to tend to as she held tightly onto her phone. Vibration from the phone drew her attention to it. She glanced at the screen and it was a call from her Uncle. She hastily answered with a shaky voice.
"Uncle?" she cried.
"Where are you now Riley?" came Lian's voice worriedly from the phone.
"I'm...."
Pop...! pop...! pop...! a loud sound of a gunshot interrupted. At that moment, Riley's phone binged low battery and went dead.
"Oh, shit.." she mumbled.


*************
Lian was halfway through his drive to Natton Street when he decided to give Riley a call to be sure of the location and also her safety. She answered the call after a short ring, making Lian ease down a bit. The background of the call wasn't quite clear but he could still hear her. They were talking when he suddenly heard a loud sound of a gunshot then her phone went off.
"Riley..?, Riley..?" he called but there was no answer. "Oh no," he mumbled, dropping the phone on the seat as he sped off.

"Who the hell..."
Pop....! the shot again.
This time, it was fierce. She lowered her head, dodging the bullets as she glided to the corner of one of the buildings. She knelt, panting heavily as she slowly peeped from where she hid, searching from which direction the shooter is hiding. At that moment, a bullet came flying her way and she quickly drew back into hiding.
"How do I leave here?" she mumbled.
She glanced down at her phone and tried turning it back on but it was out. Glaring fiercely in the air.
"Nichole," she muttered. "I promise, you're not going to get away with this. Even if it meant fighting with my last breath. But for now, I need to find a way to get out of here."
She was in deep thought, trying to figure out ways by which to escape when a car pulled up in front of the corner where she was hiding.
"Get in," uttered Lian as he pushed the door open, bullets still flying around.
She quickly rushed in and he drove off.
"Shit..!" exclaimed Zed, thumping the gun on the floor. "She always escapes," he muttered indignantly.

IN THE CAR
Lian kept glancing at Riley who sat on his right-hand side, hiving a sigh of relief.
"What the hell were you thinking Riley? Why do you always have to do things by your instincts?" he queried indignantly. "Did you ever think of what could have happened to you?"
She stared at her Uncle, feeling guilty.
"But mum and Lionel were in danger." she slowly replied.
"Then you should have called me if it was even so but the deal is, it wasn't. It was just a trap set by Nichole for you. Did you ever think of that?" he questioned, glaring quizzically at her.
"I..."
"Just forget about it Riley..." he mumbled disappointedly, turning his concentration back to the road whiles she sat quietly with her head slightly bowed, flinching with her fingers.
"Urgh..." muttered Lian, stretching out his phone to Riley. "Call your mother, she might be worried sick."
She sheepishly raised her eyes, taking the phone from her Uncle.
"You should be more careful Riley. We all know Nichole needs to pay for all her evil deeds but we can't just rush things. You should think of your mother more."
Riley dialdialed here sober and waited patiently for it to connect. After a few seconds, a voice muttered hastily and nervously from the phone.
"Lian..., have you gotten hold of her? Is she safe? I'm so worried Lian.."
"Mum...?" she called.
"Riley? Are you Okay? I was scared to death. Why did you do that?"
"I'm sorry mum but I thought you were in danger. I called your line and Lionel's as well but it wasn't going through."
"Then why didn't you come home?"
"I know mum.., I'm sorry."
"Okay dear, just come home."
"Okay," she answered and hung up, giving the phone back to her Uncle.
Lian glanced briefly at her, shaking his head as he turned to the road.
"So stubborn just like your dad."
After some few hours of driving, Lian pulled up in front of the house and they both glided out, strolling to the door.
Rosita was sitting on the sofa with Lionel beside her, his arms wrapped around her shoulders while Kate, Nancy, and Loretta sat on the other sofa in wait for Lian and Riley's return. The door slowly pushed open with Riley sauntering in, followed by Lian.
"Riley...." muttered Rosita rising from her seat on seeing them and rushing towards her, hugging her."You should be more careful next time Riley, I don't want to lose you just like I lost your dad. "
"I know mum.." she said hanging onto her mother tighter. Kate, Lian, Loretta, Nancy, and Lionel looked on and smiled.
The rest of the day went by fast and soon it was evening. Riley trod into her room from the living room after she together with her mother and Uncle had a hearty video call with the rest of the family in the States. She met Lionel looking down at his feet in deep thoughts as his phone rang in his hand. She sighed, slowly closing the door behind her as she leaned on it.
"How are your wounds now?"
Lionel quickly raised his head towards the door on hearing the question.
"Fine, I guess." he winced.
"That's good." she said, moving from the door towards the bed."How long are you going to ignore him?" she queried, tilting her head towards the phone in his hand."He might be worried about you."
He glanced at the phone quietly for a while and turned his gaze back to Riley.
"You think so?" he queried.
"Yes Lio. You know what?" she said, placing a hand on his thigh."Parents can be provoking at times but they do all that because they care about us. He might be mad at you but he still cares a lot about you. Trust me."
"You think so?"
"I know so," she replied, smiling.
He sat starring thoughtfully at her face for a while then his phone rang again drawing their attention to it.
"I think you should pick up," she uttered.
Lionel smiled faintly and nodded, picking up the call.
"Hello, dad..."
"Lionel...." called his dad happily on the phone. "Where are you son? How have you been? I have been worried sick."
"I'm fine dad, no need to worry about me. I can take care of myself."
"I know I shouldn't have shouted on you, son. I'm so sorry for being a bad Dad. Can you come back home? I miss you."
"I understand Dad, I know you didn't mean to shout at me and I have forgiven you but I can't come home now."
"Why so?"
"I just want to be with my friends for a while."
"Sure?, I received a message from your Uni that you've not been to school for a while now. Are you okay?"
"Yes dad..., there is nothing to worry about."
"Okay son.." she replied and they kept talking for a while whiles Riley looked on with a smile.
"I have to go now, Dad.."
"So soon?"
"Yeah, I got some things to do. I will call you later."
"Okay, I'll wait for your call."
"Okay," he replied and hanged up.
He turned his gaze back to Riley and smiled.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Riley smiled back at him and placed her head on his shoulder. He slightly glanced at her face with a smile, ruffling her hair.
"I love you, Riley. I was so scared when I heard from your friends about you going to meet up with the goons. You shouldn't do anything about Nichole without informing me okay?"
"Okay," she answered.