"Bye, Isa," I say, pecking her on the lips.

"See you tonight!" She replies, walking out the door to go to work, a faint blush visible on her cheeks. I grin as she leaves, still slightly disbelieving to that fact that I found an amazing girlfriend.

Isa would be back by around 7 tonight, which gave me plenty of time to myself, something that after being alone for so long, I was used to.

I sighed when I remembered the client I had to deal with. The target was a man who had double crossed a drug lord. I dealt with a lot of cases like these, so it was nothing new. Seriously. You'd think people would be smarter about who they double cross. Jared Lee was slightly abnormal, in the fact that he went to the police instead of to a rival drug cartel or something similar.

I logged onto my computer, glaring at the folder about my family that say mockingly in my home screen, before going to a people finder website. Though I knew basic hacking, I don't need it that often. You can search up most people on websites like these and come up with tons of information. Full name, relatives and family members, criminal records, phone numbers, and addresses. You name it, you could probably find it on this site.

I took down the information. He lived about twenty minutes away, in an average part of the city. Not rich, not poor, so easy to get past security systems. It was possible they would be more advanced since he would be a witness in a big trial if Cameron Miloy, the drug leader, was caught. I've gotten past high security systems before, though, so I doubted this would be a problem.

By the time I was finished my research, only an hour had passed, meaning around four more until I should start making dinner, if I want the baked potatoes to be ready by the time Isa gets home.

With all my free time, I did what I usually did. Put in my earbuds, blasted Fall Out Boy and Pan!c at the Disco (don't judge me I'm an assassin of course I'm a little emo), and read a book.

I settled down on the couch, finally an actual couch, and started reading. Reading murder mysteries as an assassin was interesting, because it gave me insight to the mindset of other killers. Most of Agatha Christie's murderers were "crimes of passion," so to speak. Usually jealous lovers and things like that. I also found it amusing considering that they all got caught in the end, thanks to Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, while I and most of the criminals I worked with or against had never been caught.

___

6:07 read the clock when I checked. I had been so engrossed in my book that time had flown by. I got up and put the potatoes in the oven. I'd cook the bacon later, so it wouldn't be cold when we ate.

I went back to my book, and an hour later the timer on the oven went off. I wasn't surprised that Isa wasn't back yet. Sometimes it took awhile for her to get back, depending on how many customers there were at the store.

A half an hour passed and still Isa didn't show up. I left multiple messages on her phone but she never picked up or texted me back. I was worried to say the least.

At 8:00 exactly, I got a call from an unknown number. I didn't pick up, but whoever it was left a voicemail.

"Hello Scarlet Wolf, or should I say Tala Morana. It was interesting to find out who you really are, to say the least. I bugged your apartment to find information to use against Scarlet Wolf, because we have some unfinished business. Imagine my surprise when it turns out that you not only should be dead, but have a girlfriend! Anyway, I'm not going to hurt little Isa, though she is rather cute. I just need to... talk to you. Come to the Palace Hotel in exactly one week at midnight, and no harm will come to your girlfriend. Alone. If you follow my instructions, no harm will come to your girlfriend's pretty little head. And I doubt you'll believe me, so I'll be sending you pictures each day to assure you that she's alright. I look forward to our meeting!" And with that, the recording cuts off with an ominous beep. A second later, a picture of Isa comes through. She's sitting on a chair, her hands are tied behind her back, but besides a small scrape on her cheek she must have gotten trying to fight off her captors, she looks fine. Next to her is today's newspaper, convincing me that it was taken today.

I run out of my apartment immediately, and run all the way to Ced's. If my apartment is bugged, it's not safe to talk there, and I need help from someone.

I knock on the door to his small apartment. I usually don't come here, since he's at the warehouse all day. He goes back around 6, and in nights where he hold fights, he leaves on 9. There are no fights today, thankfully, so I know he'll be at home.

The door is open almost immediately, Ced standing there looking worried.

"What's wrong?" He asks immediately. "You never come to visit me here. And where Isa?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," I say, trying my best to keep calm.

Ced lets me in, and closes the door behind him. As soon as he does, I start talking.

"So Isa went to work at around one this afternoon. She said her shift ended at 6:45, but she never came back. At exactly 8:00, I got this message," I say, playing back the voicemail. Ced listens intently, eyebrows furrowed.

"Right after the call I got a picture of Isa. She's all right, but I can't tell where she is. Ced, I don't know what to do. I'm not going to wait around for a week while Isa is kidnapped, but I also have almost no information, and I don't know if this mystery guy will keep his word for long," I explain in a rush.

"Okay," Ced starts. "First of all, we will get Isa back safe and sound. I will make sure of it. But you need to take a few deep breaths. Panicking is not going to help anyone."

He's right. I can't help Isa if I break down. I wipe the few tears that have escaped, and breath deeply, trying to calm down.

When Ced sees that I've calmed down, he begins taking again. "First, do you know any good hackers? If we have a good enough one, he or she can trace the call or number, and possibly trace the voice or the picture. I know a few good ones, but you might know a better one. After we figure out Isa's location, we can plan a breakout and you can find whoever's responsible and deal with them."

I nod. "A simple plan, but it should be effective. I do happen to know a good hacker. Sage Boman. I used her to find info on my family. Do you think we should go to her tonight?" I ask, a little desperate.

"No. As much as you want to, the chances of her helping us are slimmer if we go now. And calling her in for work this late isn't a good idea. It's better to wait until tomorrow. Until and, you can stay with me, since your apartment is bugged and you don't want any chance of surveillance."

"Thanks, Ced," I manage to say, before my throat starts to sting. Tears start leaking out of my eyes, and before I know it, I'm sobbing into my arms. Ced came over and wrapped his arms around me, comforting me the best he could.

"It'll be okay," he kept saying. "We'll get her back."

Sometime during this I hugged him back, gals to have a shoulder to cry on. My eyes finally dried, and I let go of Ced. It wasn't particularly late, but I wanted to go to bed. Ced sent me to the small room he had turned into a bedroom when he "adopted" me, after hugging me one last time.

It took me a while to fall asleep that night, worrying, and hoping that whoever had taken Isa had kept their word not to hurt her. If they did, whoever they were, there would be hell to pay from me.

___

A/N- Muah ha ha ha. No regerts.