I thought everything was finally falling into place. After the meeting at Harrison’s office, I felt like I was beginning to understand my place in his world. Things felt calm, normal, and even happy. I was with Harrison, we had Ethan, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like I could be truly happy.
But life has a way of throwing curveballs when you least expect it. And this time, it hit me harder than anything before.
It was a quiet afternoon, and Harrison had just left to take care of some business. Ethan was taking his nap, and I was sitting in the living room, flipping through a magazine, when my phone rang. The number on the screen was unfamiliar, but something about it made my stomach twist in warning. I hesitated before answering, feeling a sense of unease creeping up on me.
“Hello?” I said, my voice steady despite the nervous feeling inside.
“Is this Emma?” A deep voice, gruff and cold, answered. It made me shiver.
“Yes, this is Emma,” I replied, my heart starting to race. There was something wrong. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach.
“You’re friends with Rachel, right?” the voice asked, and my blood ran cold. My first thought was, “What about Rachel? Is she okay?”
“Yes, I’m her friend,” I answered, my voice shaky. “What’s going on? Where’s Rachel?”
There was a long pause on the other end of the line, and I could hear the sound of something rustling, as if the person was moving. Then, the voice spoke again, but this time it was colder, more threatening.
“If you want to see Rachel alive, you’ll need to cooperate with us,” the voice said. “If you do what we say, we’ll let her go. But if you try to call the police or go to the authorities, you won’t see her again. Do you understand?”
I felt a cold wave of terror crash over me. My legs began to shake, and I struggled to keep my balance. I couldn’t breathe. This couldn’t be happening. I couldn’t lose Rachel. Not now. Not after everything we’d been through together.
“What… what do you want from me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“We’ll contact you with further instructions. Just do what we say, and we’ll make sure she’s okay,” the voice said before hanging up abruptly.
I stood there, frozen in shock, trying to process what had just happened. My mind raced, but nothing made sense. Rachel was gone. Kidnapped. And now I had to figure out what to do. I couldn’t just sit here and wait for them to call again. I needed to do something.
My legs felt like jelly as I tried to move, but I almost collapsed. My breath was shallow, and I felt like I was going to faint. The room began to spin around me, and I grabbed onto the nearest piece of furniture to steady myself.
“Emma? What’s wrong?” Harrison’s voice suddenly cut through the haze. I didn’t even hear him come in.
I turned to see him standing in the doorway, looking at me with concern. His eyes immediately scanned my face, and he saw the panic in my expression.
“What happened?” he asked, rushing toward me.
“I… Rachel… she’s been kidnapped,” I choked out, unable to hold back the tears anymore. “They… they said I have to cooperate, or I won’t ever see her again.”
Harrison’s face went pale, and for a moment, I could see the shock in his eyes too. But that quickly shifted into something much darker-anger, determination, and fear. He moved quickly, his arms going around me to steady me as I swayed.
“Breathe, Emma,” he said softly, his voice calm but firm. “It’s going to be okay. I’m here. We’ll get her back.”
I tried to breathe, but my body was shaking so much I could barely get air into my lungs. Harrison kept his arm around me, pulling me close, and his presence was like an anchor, something solid in the chaos of my emotions.
“I can’t lose her, Harrison,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “She’s my best friend. I can’t… I can’t imagine what they’re going to do to her.”
“I know,” he said, his voice low but full of conviction. “But we’re not going to let that happen. I promise you, Emma. We’ll find her, and we’ll bring her home.”
I could feel his strength, his resolve, and it helped to calm my racing heart, but I still couldn’t shake the fear that clung to me like a shadow. The thought of Rachel in danger, alone, terrified, made my stomach turn.
Harrison pulled back slightly and looked at me, his eyes serious. “Do you have any idea who could be behind this? Any idea at all?”
I shook my head, my mind still spinning. “No. No one. I can’t think of anyone who would do this to her.”
“Okay, we’ll figure it out,” he said. “We’ll get the police involved. We’ll do whatever it takes to get her back.”
I nodded, but the fear still gripped me. I had to do something. I had to be strong for Rachel. I couldn’t just sit here and wait for the kidnappers to call again. I had to act, to take control of this situation.
Harrison seemed to sense the urgency in my mind. “I’m going to call the police, and I’m going to get the best team on this. But we can’t do anything if you’re not in a good state. You have to stay calm.”
His words made sense, but it was hard to stay calm when all I could think about was Rachel, trapped somewhere, scared and alone. But I knew he was right. I had to be strong. For Rachel. For myself. For Ethan. We couldn’t let fear take over. I couldn’t let it stop me from doing everything I could to help my best friend.
“I’ll try,” I whispered, trying to steady my breath. “I’ll try to stay calm.”
Harrison nodded and kissed my forehead softly. “That’s all we can do right now. We’re going to get through this, Emma.”
He stepped back and took out his phone, dialing quickly. I could hear him talking to someone on the other end, giving them instructions and arranging for the police to get involved. His voice was steady, but I could hear the intensity in it. He wasn’t wasting any time. He was going to do everything in his power to find Rachel.
I sat down on the couch, trying to pull myself together. My mind was still a whirlwind of fear, but I focused on Harrison’s calming presence and the sound of his voice as he made calls. I didn’t know what was going to happen next, but I had to believe that we could get Rachel back. We couldn’t let anything happen to her.
A few minutes later, Harrison hung up the phone and turned to me. “The police are on their way. We’re going to do everything we can. I’m going to be right here with you every step of the way.”
I nodded, my chest still tight with fear. But I also felt a small sense of relief. Harrison was here. He was with me. And together, we would find Rachel and bring her home.
“We’re going to get her back,” I said quietly, though I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince Harrison or myself. Either way, I needed to believe it.
Harrison looked at me with a steady gaze. “Yes, we will. I won’t stop until we do.”
As the minutes ticked by, I tried to focus on something other than the fear threatening to overwhelm me. But it was impossible. I had to stay strong. For Rachel. For Harrison. For everything we had.
We couldn’t lose her. Not like this. Not ever.