- Mia White -

Jacob looked at me with begging eyes. He was terrified, but who wouldn't be? How would you feel if someone much stronger and bigger than you, had you in a headlock as they pressed a gun against the side or your head? As your friends just stood there, not knowing what to do?

"If you don't follow my orders, your pathetic little friend will find himself dead," Mr Summer threatened.

"Mr Summer, please let him go," I say. But that only made him press the cold metal gun against Jacob's head harder.

"Don't test me, Mia," he said, slightly chuckling. He had a wicked smile on his face as he looked at me with daring eyes. I prayed to God that he wouldn't pull the trigger. The thought of Jacob - or any of my friends - die before my eyes made me sick.

I don't know what's wrong with Mr Summer, but clearly, he needed help if he thought it was okay to kill a person in front of us.

"I will kill him, and even if you do tell the police, you have no fucking proof that I did it," he laughed.

I cringed, and Jacob looked like he was about to cry. Mr Summer suddenly stopped and looked at us with a cold serious expression that made me shiver.

And not in a good way.

"I'll let him live if you follow me," Mr Summer said. I looked at Ben, and I could see him a slight nod.

"Fine."

Mr Summer smirked and released his hold on Jacob. However, he still pressed the gun to his head. We followed him until we reached a small stone house with a single metal door.

What is this, some sort of prison?

"Welcome to your new home," Mr Summer laughed.

I guess it is.

He unlocked the door and opened it. Nothing was inside besides a bed with a thin blanket and a single toilet that was placed in the corner. There was a small window that I could probably escape out of, but the metal bars prevented me from doing so.

Mr Summer shoved us inside before slamming the door shut. We heard the jingled keys before the click of him locking the door. Fortunately, he didn't say anything else and just left. When I heard Mr Summer's footsteps fade away, I looked at Jacob who still had a shocked expression on his face.

"Jacob, how did you get here?" I asked slowly, placing my hands on his shoulders as I tried to calm him down. I could feel him shaking under my hands. He was breathing heavily, his eyes still wide before he started to relax.

When his body stopped shaking, he spoke. "I followed you here. I drove back to where you were staying because I wanted to hang out with you since there was nothing else to do at home," he explained. "But when I got there, I saw you, Ben, and Levi go into the car and drive off somewhere. I know that it wasn't my business, but I was curious."

He told us how he parked his car a few feet away from where we were at. He said that he followed us while we set up the cameras - which I find a bit creepy - until Mr Summer caught him. He tried to get out of his hold but to no avail.

"When you were about to leave, that's when he decided to show himself," he finished.

"I was so scared when he pressed the gun against my head. I thought I was going to die."

I shook my head. "We wouldn't have let you die, Jacob," I assured.

"But what if—"

"You're alive now, right?" Ben cut him off. Jacob looked at Ben for a moment, before he gave him a small nod. "Than don't worry about the 'what ifs.' You're still alive, and that's all you need to worry about."

Jacob's eyes dropped, and he didn't say anything. Neither of us did. Ben was trying to call Levi, but he wouldn't pick up. Luck was not on our side when his battery died. I didn't have mine with me because I forgot it back at their place, and Jacob's phone was with his mom since it needed to be fixed.

Ben was trying to find ways to unlock the door with the little materials we had, and so far he hasn't accomplished his goal. Hopefully, we can get out of here soon, or that someone comes to our rescue. Jacob was slowly starting to feel a little bit better. He isn't as scared to shocked as before. I thought that he would be used to this from all the crazy things I've heard happen in New York, the place where he used to live before moving in with Ace and his family.

Speaking of Ace's family, I wonder what Mrs King is doing right now. Was she trying to find a way to break the contract? Did she realize that we disappeared and is now looking for us? I kind of doubt that she's looking for us. It's not that I think she doesn't care, but Ace does have a tendency of disappearing. Over time, Mrs King suddenly got used to it and trusted that he would not get into any trouble.

Little did she know, he always finds a way to get himself into the most dangerous of situations.

x-X-x

It was the last day of school until Christmas break starts, and I couldn't wait for this school day to be over. But of course, Mrs Lyon - our grade seventh homeroom teacher who also taught English - just had to give us a project to do over the weekend.

Ugh! What do teachers do this? Isn't the point of a break supposed to mean a break from school?

I grinned as the last bell of the day rang, and all the kids ran out the door, eager to get out of the building and start their holidays. I, on the other hand, had to wait until Ace got out of detention. The principal didn't like it when he talked back to the new teacher, as well as using a few curse words as he yelled at him.

Yeah, he has anger issues. But he's still my best friend.

He was just supposed to sit in the library for fifteen minutes before he was free to go. Unfortunately, Levi and Ben were both sick today because they both decided it would be fun to pretend it was summer and jump into the freezing cold lake that was near their house. All they wanted to do was be under piles of blankets that they forgot to shower so they wouldn't be as sick.

As I walked to my locker, I could see multiple groups of friends talking about how they were going to hang out over the break. I frowned, wanting to do that. I'm not very good at making friends. The only friends I managed to make was Sarah, but she left a few days ago to Mexico.

I sighed and opened my locker once I reached it. I shoved all my unnecessary books from my bag and placed them on the shelf in my locker. I grabbed my winter coat before putting it on, and tied my hair into a ponytail so when I went outside, the wind wouldn't blow my hair into my face.

When I closed my locker, I almost screamed when I saw his face.

"Matt, you have to stop doing that."

Matt was one of the smartest guys in eighth grade. He transferred here last year, and all the teachers already loved him. He was a teacher's pet, and he didn't mind since he always got away with everything. No one would expect him to do anything bad.

"Sorry," he chuckled. "Um, anyways, I was wondering if you have any plans this break."

My brows knitted together in confusion. I was a weird thing for him to ask that to me, let alone talk to me. He hated me and Ace. Ace especially. He would beat Matt at everything. Sports, academics, you name it. So when Matt was being friendly towards us, something was wrong.

"Well, Ace practically made a whole list of what we're going to do during the break," I answered.

He frowned. "Oh, alright then."

I felt a bit guilty. I didn't like it when I made people upset. Before I could apologize, Matt turned around and walked away. I decided not to let the feeling bother me since Matt never really liked me and walked to the library, but I was pulled into an empty classroom before I could do so. I was going to yell at the person, but when I saw a familiar face, I stopped myself.

"Has fifteen minutes already passed?"

He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at me. "No. I left because I was bored."

"Ace..."

"The stupid librarian fell asleep anyways," he grumbled. I rolled my eyes and slapped his chest. I thought that would cheer him us as usual, but when I saw the frown on his face and his eyes narrowing at me, I knew something was wrong.

"Ace? What's wrong?"

Was he angry at me? I don't think I did anything to cause him to be angry at me. He was so annoying sometimes. He would get angry at the simplest things. Like that one time be cursed at the lunch lady when she gave me the wrong thing I ordered. He had to find a way to control his anger.

"Why were you talking to him?" His tone of voice was low and angry. I could see how his body was not tense as his eyes turned a shade darker.

"You mean Matt?"

"Yes, Matt." He said his name as if it were poison.

I didn't like this side of Ace even though I've seen it before. But it was never directed at me. It was usually meant for Ben when he'd do something stupid.

I couldn't look him in the eyes and decided to focus on the door behind him. I played with a lock on my hair before I spoke. "H-He just asked if I had plans over the break. I told him that you already planned everything for us."

I heard him growl darkly and mutter something I couldn't hear before I was pulled into a hug. I blushed and tried to push him away even if a part of me wanted to be in his arms. "Ace, let me go."

"You know that I'd never do that, princess," he murmured.

"But what're you going to do if I manage to slip away from you?" I teased. I felt his arms tighten around me, and I swear I was about to faint in his arms when he answered.

"You'll never be able to slip away from me, angel. But if you do, I'll search the whole world until I find you."

x-X-x

I woke up to someone lightly shaking me. My eyes snapped open to see Jacob. He smiled at me, telling me that I've o my been asleep for an hour or two.

Great, so we're still stuck in this prison.

Jacob handed me a cold can of beans and a piece of bread that was a burnt halfway. He said that this was the only food Mr Summer gave us when he gave back. He also mentioned that he would let us out after a few days because he needed us to a certain task of his.

"Ben's sleeping," Jacob said, turning his head to look at Ben who was lying on the ground.

"He could have told me to move." I felt bad that I was the one taking up the bed space. Even if it's uncomfortable, it's better than the hard ground.

"He said he didn't want to wake you up," he shrugged.

It was moments later until we heard banging on the metal door. Ben woke up immediately, and I wondered if it was somewhere here to help us. The slide opened, and through the small window of the door stood one of the men I saw back at that abandoned building.

His eyes held amusement when he saw me, before laughing. "Looks like boss got ya all caged up," he laughed. He stopped laughing, his eyes piercing through the mine. "You little girl, are in a lot of trouble."

I knew Ben wanted to murder the guy by how furious he looked. I was like a sister to Ben, and just like his brother and Ace, he was very protective of me.

The slide closed just as Ben punched the door, but not hard enough to make his knuckles bleed or get damaged too much.

"When I got out of here, I'll killing both him and Mr Summer," Ben hissed.

He started ranting about something before he noticed I was awake. He asked if I ate, and when he shook my head, he narrowed his eyes at me. "Eat," he demanded. I sighed and grabbed the burnt piece of toast. I slowly ate it, trying to think that it wasn't burnt so I can pretend it tastes better.

It didn't work.

When I've had enough of it, I placed it on top of the can of beans.

"Looks like boss got ya all caged up."

Mr Summer was the one who locked us up in here, so he's most likely their boss. But doesn't he own a small company back in the city? So why does he have people working in an abandoned building in the middle of nowhere? I know that the people who work for his work in the city.

What if Mr Summer secretly has another organization that no one knows about? What if it was an illegal organization? That would be a way to break the contract.

Has no other companies besides the one owned by her father.

I just need evidence. And I think I know how I can get that evidence.

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