[CHAPTER 9] - Taken
I cried until my throat hurt.
Vivian sat beside me in the back seat.
Mason drove.
My hands were shaking.
"Where's my daddy?"
Vivian looked out the window.
"Busy."
"He'll find me."
Her jaw tightened.
"You seem very sure about that."
"He promised."
Mason laughed from the front.
"Kids believe anything."
I kicked his seat.
"Shut up!"
Vivian stared at me.
I had never spoken to an adult like that.
Neither had she.
For one second, I felt brave.
Then she grabbed my chin.
"You listen carefully."
I tried to pull away.
"Your father found you once because I allowed him to."
"No."
"Yes."
"You ran."
Her face hardened.
I realized I had hurt her pride.
That became important.
Vivian hated losing more than she hated anything.
"If Daddy finds me, you go to jail."
Mason laughed again.
Vivian didn't.
"Your father isn't as clever as you think."
"He found your camera."
Her eyes narrowed.
I kept talking because I was scared.
"He found Nora's bracelet."
"Enough."
"He found the cabin."
"Enough."
"He found the barn."
"SHUT UP!"
Mason glanced in the mirror.
"Relax."
Vivian shoved me back against the seat.
I started crying again.
We drove for what felt like forever.
Eventually the road became rough.
Trees surrounded us.
The truck stopped outside an old wooden building.
Water shimmered through the trees.
Millstone Reservoir.
I didn't know the name then.
I only knew Nora had drawn water.
Mason carried me inside.
The building smelled damp.
Vivian opened a locked door.
"Nora."
A small figure jumped from a mattress.
"Ellie?"
I screamed her name.
"Nora!"
Mason dropped me inside.
Nora ran toward me.
We hugged.
She was taller than I remembered.
Still painfully thin.
Her face had a bruise near one cheek.
I touched it.
"What happened?"
She shook her head quickly.
"Don't."
Vivian stood in the doorway.
"You two wanted to be friends."
She smiled.
"Enjoy."
The door slammed.
A lock clicked.
I turned to Nora.
"Are you okay?"
She started crying.
"I thought they hurt you."
"They took me."
"I know."
"My daddy will come."
Nora looked toward the door.
"They always leave before people come."
"He'll find us."
"How?"
I thought about it.
Then remembered something Dad told me when we went hiking once.
If you're lost, leave signs.
I looked around the room.
There was a small bathroom.
One window.
Boards covered most of it.
A crack showed trees outside.
"Do they take you places?"
Nora nodded.
"Sometimes."
"Leave things."
"What?"
"Things Daddy can find."
I pulled a yellow hair tie from my wrist.
Nora understood.
A tiny spark returned to her eyes.
We weren't just waiting anymore.
We were going to help.
Hours later, Vivian brought food.
She unlocked the door.
Mason stood behind her.
"Eat."
Nora stared at the plate.
I grabbed a piece of bread.
Vivian's face changed.
I knew she remembered.
I broke it in half and gave some to Nora.
Mason snorted.
"That's cute."
Vivian ignored him.
"Nora, we're making another video."
"No."
Vivian stepped forward.
"No?"
Nora moved behind me.
"Don't touch her," I said.
Vivian laughed.
"Ellie, you are four."
"I'm almost five."
Mason laughed loudly.
Even Nora smiled.
Vivian hated that too.
She pointed at Nora.
"Come here."
"No."
Vivian reached for her.
I threw the bread at Vivian's face.
Everything stopped.
The bread fell to the floor.
Mason laughed so hard he turned away.
Vivian slapped the wall beside my head.
I screamed.
She didn't hit me.
But she wanted me to think she would.
"Do that again," she whispered, "and you won't like what happens."
Nora grabbed my hand.
Vivian dragged Nora away.
I heard her crying in the hallway.
Mason locked me inside.
I ran to the window.
Through the crack, I saw Vivian pull Nora toward the truck.
Video.
They were taking her somewhere else to record.
I remembered my plan.
I shoved my yellow hair tie through the crack.
It fell outside.
Not enough.
I searched the room.
My socks.
I pulled one off.
I pushed it through.
Then the second.
I started removing anything small enough to leave behind.
A ribbon.
A button from my dress.
A tissue with my name written on it from preschool.
When Nora returned, she was crying.
But her eyes immediately went toward the window.
"I left things."
She nodded.
"I did too."
"What?"
"My shoe."
She lifted one foot.
Bare.
"You lost it?"
"I dropped it by the truck."
I smiled.
For the first time since Vivian took me, hope felt real.
That night, Mason and Vivian argued outside.
"We can't keep both kids."
"She saw too much."
"She's Carter's daughter. Every cop in the state is looking now."
"Then Carter will do what I say."
"What do you want him to do?"
"Transfer money."
Mason laughed.
"You think he's paying you now?"
"He'll pay for Ellie."
I pressed my ear to the door.
Vivian wasn't just trying to steal Nora's trust anymore.
She planned to use me to force Dad to help her escape.
Then Mason said something that made both Nora and me freeze.
"And after he pays?"
Vivian answered quietly.
"We leave the country."
"What about the girls?"
A long silence.
I grabbed Nora's hand.
Vivian finally said, "They can't identify us if nobody finds them."
Nora began trembling.
I didn't understand exactly what Vivian meant.
May you like
But I understood enough.
Dad had to find us before Vivian finished her plan.
