***This will be the longest and funniest chapter in this book. It's 4,800 words XDDD

Also, I don't own Celine Dion, Coca-Cola, "Mean Girls", or Little Women. As I've said before, if I had rights to anything famous like that, I probably wouldn't sell sandwiches to pay my college bills.

Also, I have a vague idea of how 911 calls sound, but I am CLUELESS when it comes to calls to a missing persons hotline LOL So this won't be entirely accurate.

And if you ever need to use a payphone to call a cab, just remember to dial 0. That'll direct you to the automated operator.***

***(Jay's POV)***

Nya's urgent eyes haunt my mind as I stand stock-still in the parking lot, receipt slipping from my grasp and blowing away with the wind.

Did she just...drive off and leave me?

But why? She told me she was going to trust my plan! She was beginning to trust me! And...we were going to kiss, right? Or was that all in my head?

It would've been hard to imagine the whole thing, right? I mean, she's kissed before, and I've kissed before, so we know what an almost-kiss looks like. She could've pulled away – I gave her plenty of opportunity.

Oh my gosh. I hate my stupid brain that overthinks everything. I was only kidding myself to think that she could like me, after all that I put her through. I pretended we had kids. The only reason she trusted me is that I could help her get her criminal charges acquitted. When I was about to kiss her in the car, she freaked out and bolted. That's the most logical explanation, right?

But that look she gave me – the urgency in her eyes was real. It wasn't distaste for me or anything, it was...fear? Of me? Of something else?

I sigh, knowing full well I have no ride out of here. I also know that Nya needs me if she's going to go after the police chief. Well, maybe she doesn't need me, but I'm not about to let her confront him alone. Whether Nya wants to admit it or not, he's dangerous and could very well pull a gun on her at any second. A guy who threatens to slap her with charges of murder won't be scared to murder her, himself.

I hope she didn't chicken out and decide not to confront him. But then, Nya doesn't seem like the type to just 'chicken out' – the only reason she didn't come to the authorities with the truth earlier is that she didn't have sufficient evidence against the police chief.

I guess I need to find a payphone and call a cab. I'll have to somehow get to Ignacia, then find the police chief's house with a phonebook or something.

My hands clench into fists. Dang it! Nya will have already arrived at the police chief's house by then! And...if she's alone...

But she only has enough gas to take her another five miles. If she runs out, I'll catch up to her in no time.

I guess there's nothing I can do besides search the parking lot for quarters and use the payphone just outside the convenience store. It's not like I can use anybody's cell phone – the only other person around is the guy at the counter inside, and he doesn't have a cell phone. He told me his entire life story when I just wanted to pay for some gasoline and informed me that he could no longer afford a cell phone after his divorced wife took half his assets. These 'assets' consisted of a bra worn by famous singer Celine Dion and a signed copy of Little Women.

He's the reason why it took me an extra five hours – I'm only slightly exaggerating – to come back out of the convenience store. Maybe Nya wouldn't have left without me, if it weren't for him.

For the next five minutes, I walk around the outskirts of the parking lot, trying to find loose change by the light of the moon and a neon sign. I finally hit the jackpot when I find an old pair of worn blue jeans. Apparently, Ignacians are perfectly fine with throwing clothing items to the roadside with pockets still full of change.

I mean, at least it isn't Celine Dion's famous bra with cups full of loose change.

I retrieve a dollar in change, then wonder how the heck I'm supposed to use a payphone. Like, I get that I'm supposed to dial numbers and be patched through and stuff, but...how do I call a driver with one of these things?

I sigh, reluctantly inserting four quarters into the phone's payment slot. I guess I'll have to figure it out myself.

It's still hard to believe Nya just left me here.

I look at the keypad. I guess I'm supposed to dial somebody's number. I don't know anyone who lives around here, so I can't call one of them to pick me up.

It vaguely occurs to me that my driver will not be happy if I pay them with my remaining dollar and sixty-two cents, but that's the least of my worries. My wallet and credit cards are still in the car with Nya.

Deciding I have no better options, I dial a random number. I know the area code for Ignacia, so I just have to come up with seven digits to follow. Once I finish dialing the number, I hold the phone to my ear.

"This is Coach Schwartz," says a tired voice on the other end of the line. "How may I help you?"

I keep my best professional tone. "Hi, Coach Schwartz! I'm Jay Walker. How are you this evening?"

"Jay Walker?" he groans. "I told you stupid kids to stop it with the prank calls, okay? And at least come up with a more believable name than Jay Walker when you call!"

"Hey!" I exclaim. "I can't help what my parents named me. If it helps, I was born with the last name Gordon, okay? But that doesn't matter right now! I need you to call a cab service for me."

"Uh-huh. Listen, kid, prank call somebody who actually has time for this." The line goes dead.

"Seriously?" I moan. I insert four more quarters into the machine, dialing a random number within Ignacia's area code again.

"Hello?" says an elderly woman's voice. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes," I say quickly. "I'm Jay Walker. How are you tonight, ma'am?"

"You sound like a nice young man." The line crackles as the old woman readjusts it. "I'm Ethel Reynolds, and I'm pleased to meet you. Now, are you calling about my lost cat?"

"I" – I bite my tongue on the mouthful of words I want to spew – "I am not, ma'am. I promise I'll keep an eye out for your cat, but I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"Are you looking for money, son?" Ethel asks. "My boy Tom done taken all I've got. I'm sorry. My social security checks are all I have to live on nowadays." She sighs.

My heart pangs. "I...see. Listen, I'm not asking for money, ma'am. I'm wondering if you could redirect my call to a cab service. I'm, uh, not from around here, and I'm using a payphone."

"Oh, I remember using payphones back in the day," her voice smiles. "There was one boy who lived down the street – Darrel Richards – who would always call me after work on the payphone outside his uncle's restaurant. What a sweetheart. He married Annie Finkel before entering the military."

"That's nice." I shuffle. "Um, so I'm on a payphone, and I'm pretty sure these things have limited calling time, so would you mind calling a cab to...um...a gas station right outside Ignacia?" I look at the sign and give her the name. "I promise I'll pay the cab fees." With an 'IOU' to the driver.

"Oh, well, I'm not sure, son. But I know where this gas station you're referring to is, and my good friend Homer Smiddy would be happy to give you a ride into town in his truck. He lives not far off – maybe five miles? But he ain't got a phone, so you'll have to walk to his house and ask him yourself. Now, let me direct you there. When you're heading out of the parking lot, you're going to make a left."

I hold back a sigh, knowing this is the only chance I might get. "Okay. I'll be heading east along the highway, then?"

"You'll be heading left, whichever compass direction that is. I never did get my maps badge in Little Scouts. Now, you go left. You know you'll be going the right way because there's a big patch of naked dirt right in front of you."

"A...what?" I frown.

"To the side of the road, you'll see a patch of soil without grass. That means you're headed in the right direction. Now, you follow the highway until you see a big tree – it's been there for years. There's a crack down the middle from a lightning strike last summer."

"Coolio. I go left and walk until I see a weird tree. Sounds easy enough." How much time does this call even have left?!

"Homer's house is the driveway on the right. Now, this driveway forks when you're going up it, and you need to take the right fork. Or is it the left?" She mumbles to herself. "Well, it's the side with the old tire next to it that you'll want to take."

Oh my gosh, this woman is driving me insane! "And then?"

"So you take the side of the driveway with the tire, and that'll lead you right up to his house. The problem is, he's not akin to strangers, so he'll probably come out with his gun. Don't worry; it's all for show. He can't actually hit you because he's a terrible aim. He lost his right eye shootin' beebees at a Coke can."

"That makes me feel all better," I moan.

"Good. Now, when he comes at you a'firing, just tell him Ethel Reynolds sent you, and he'll calm right down. He'll even invite you in for supper, if you want some. Just make sure to wipe your shoes off on the doormat before you go inside. He's protective of them hardwood floors he's got. His late wife Margie is the reason he got 'em done in the first place."

"I just need a ride," I tell her quickly. "Thank you so much for the help, Mrs. Reynolds."

"Oh, it's no trouble," she reassures me. "And if he does manage to shoot you, I'll come to your funeral. What'd you say your name was? Walker, was it? I'll be keeping an eye on the newspapers to see if there's an obituary for ya. Say, where are you from?"

"Uh, Ninjago City, but – "

"Oh, you're a city boy, are you? Well, Homer doesn't take well to city slickers. Don't be telling him where you're from, honey, or he won't give you any of his famous collard greens. Well, they're not famous, but – "

I see headlights from the corner of my eye. Oh my gosh, is that – they're turning in this parking lot! That means I can ask for a ride and not get shot by a one-eyed old man!

"Uh, Mrs. Reynolds," I quickly interrupt her, "I've got to be going. It was very nice talking to you, though, and I promise I'll keep an eye out for your cat!"

"Oh, yes. My dear kitty. She's orange and has the greenest eyes. She also responds to the name 'Regina George', so try calling that out if you see her!"

"Got it. Have a good night!" I hang up quickly, jogging toward the red pickup truck that just pulled up to a gas pump.

A guy with dark brown hair and almond-shaped brown eyes steps out, and I do a doubletake.

That guy...looks like Nya!

My brain processes this for just a moment before I realize...he must be her brother!

I clear my throat, waving and approaching him. "Excuse me!"

He doesn't look my way, drawing a card from his wallet and swiping it at the gas pump. Yes, Ignacia apparently hasn't gotten with the times yet – they're still using swipe-readers for cards.

I speak to him again, coming up behind him. "Excuse me?"

"Get lost," he huffs, selecting minimum octane-rated fuel.

Eesh, this guy needs to work on his manners. "I'm Jay Walker. And...I think you're...Kai Smith? At least, I'm pretty sure that's what Nya called you." I scratch the back of my head, hoping I'm not botching things here.

He freezes right as he grabs the pump from its resting place, slowly turning to face me. His brown eyes are unreadable.

"What do you know about my sister?" he asks carefully.

"Oh, so you are Kai!" I laugh, stuffing my hands in the pocket of my coat. "Well, Nya and I are friends. She was actually just here with me a moment ago, but I went inside the convenience store to – "

He grabs my coat collar, and I realize this guy might be pretty strong under his leather bomber jacket. "Nya was here? Where did she go?" His eyes are desperate, his voice demanding.

I extract my coat from his grasp. "Um, I'm not entirely sure. We were headed to Ignacia together, but while I was in the convenience store here, she kind of drove off. She made a left out of the gas station. I was hoping you could maybe give me a ride to go after her?" I give him my most hopeful smile.

He inserts his pump into the side of the vehicle, pulling a piece of lint off his cuff. "Why should I trust you?"

I cough. "Um...because I know your sister. She plans to confront the Ignacian police chief tonight, and that could be – "

Kai's eyes flash, and his head shoots up. "The police chief? Holy – you frickin' idiot! Why'd you leave her alone? He wants her dead." He stares at me in rage, fear, and a host of other emotions.

I bite my lip. "I...know. That's why we need to go after her before she can confront him alone, though. With the amount of gasoline she has, though, she won't be able to make it to his house, so we can make good time in going after her if – "

He grabs the fuel pump and tugs it out of his car, leaving it dangling next to the pump. He slaps closed his gas cap before running around to the driver's side of the truck.

I take that as my cue to get in the passenger's seat. Since the vehicle isn't locked, the door opens right up for me.

After I clear a few magazines and beef jerky packages from the seat, I plop down. Kai's truck rumbles to life, and he peals out of his spot by the pump.

"Which way did she go?" he asks desperately.

"East." I point left to indicate my point, just in case he's as clueless as Mrs. Reynolds was.

After tearing out of the lot at an unholy speed, he swears under his breath. "Why did Nya come back here?"

"She was tired of running from the police," I explain. "And I'm a criminal justice major, so I kind of helped her develop a case against the charges she's facing. She ran from the police under duress, and she was on really bad drugs when the whole bank robbery thing went down. The courts can only charge her with drug abuse and petty theft."

"Wait. The bank robbery thing...isn't her fault? I mean, I know she wasn't in charge of it, but she fully participated in it."

"Her boyfriend drugged her up with some nasty stuff," I elaborate. "She had no idea what it was when she took it, but it's an uncommon substance called Dark Matter."

Kai slams his hand against the wheel. "And Sanders did so much drug-busting two years ago, I bet he has the dealer who sold it in prison now. Unbelievable."

"Who's 'Sanders'?" I frown.

"It's the police chief," he growls. "He covered up Nya's worthless boyfriend's crimes and pinned them all on her instead. He tried to rope me into the case, too, but there obviously wasn't any evidence pointing to me." He swears again.

"Nya told me about that." I squint, seeing something up ahead. "What's that?"

"It's...dirt. Somebody ran off the road." He taps his fingers along the wheel thoughtfully, then abruptly says, "You said my sister went this way."

"Yeah. She left the gas station...I don't know, fifteen minutes ago?" I shrug.

He continues to drive along before releasing another expletive. "Look – the mud tracks make a U-turn onto the other side of the highway." He turns off in that direction quickly, causing tires to squeal and me to grab my door for support.

"These tracks weren't here when I came through this way a few minutes ago," he muses. "And nobody ever comes down this highway – there's hardly any traffic, even at rush hour. Did you see anybody coming down the highway while you were outside at the gas station?"

I ponder this for a moment. "No. So you're saying these tracks are new?"

"Precisely." He turns on his brights to illuminate the mud in the road better. "And somebody flipped the car back around after they made the U-turn. Look: The tracks lead from our original side of the road, to this U-turn area, to the other side of the highway. Then, they flip back around on this side."

I think. "So...somebody made a U-turn, then changed their mind, turned illegally, and got back on the side of the highway they were originally on?"

"Precisely. And it had to be my sister, since these tracks are fresh."

"Maybe she was coming back to the gas station to get me?" I ask hopefully. "But of course, she turned back around to go to her original destination." Dang it.

He stares at me seriously. "Look, my sister was a great driver, even when she was on drugs. I don't know her current state of mind, but unless she was raving drunk, there's no way she ran off the side of the highway to make those dirt tracks accidentally."

I frown. "Which means...she made them purposefully?"

"Just my thinking." He gets us turned around so we're going in our original direction – toward the place Nya must be headed.

"Why would Nya run off the side of the road purposefully?" I ask. "Why would she leave a trail, unless she wanted to be...followed?" I shake my head. "Being followed is exactly what we were avoiding, too. The police are after us. So why would she suddenly want the police to find her?"

"You're a dolt," Kai spits. "Nya would only want the police to find her if she were in worse trouble than the criminal charges she's facing."

"But...how does that make sense?!" I exclaim. "I left her alone for not more than two minutes. Okay, make it three, given that the guy at the counter told me the net worth of Celine Dions' undergarments. But anyway, there's no way she could've found trouble that quickly!"

"Look, my sister needs help, so I don't really need to know everything you're thinking." He curses. "The Ignacian police department isn't going to be of any use. They're all under Sanders' thumb."

Panic clutches at my throat as I think back to what could've happened to Nya.

Someone could've been waiting in the parking lot and pulled a gun on her if we were somehow being tracked. But...we got rid of our phones, right?

We did that back in Ninjago City at that dollar store on the outskirts of town. If someone tracked us that far, then managed to follow us here...

But there were no headlights behind us once we got far enough out. Were we followed at a distance? I think I would've noticed something like that. I'm training to be a cop, after all. And it's been completely dark for an hour, so the person Nya's running from couldn't have had their headlights off.

We couldn't have been followed by foot. The person following us never would have been able to keep up. What about by air?

Yeah, I'd definitely notice something like a helicopter following us.

The only other feasible option...is that the person was somehow with us. Either that, or they were waiting for us here. How would they know we were stopping at this gas station, though, if they couldn't track us? If police somehow identified our car and tracked our location by air – and that's a longshot, as I've noticed only one or two planes during our entire drive – then there would've been sirens and cars and whatnot, right?

And whoever it was wanted Nya alone. They waited for me to go inside the convenience store at the gas station to come out of hiding.

That...doesn't sound very legal.

"It must've been Sanders or somebody sent by him who has Nya scared," I frown. "It can't be the police. But then, Sanders couldn't have known we would stop here, since there were no aircraft or cameras to track our vehicle. This is a rural highway without cameras to take pictures of traffic, and he couldn't have known our gas gauge was low and that we would stop someplace approximately this far along our route. Whoever it was must've been with us the whole time." The thought is...terrifying.

"I don't know where Nya went," Kai bites out. "The dirt from the car's tires is almost gone now."

"And someone's in the car with her," I add. "It's the only thing that makes sense. Someone from Sanders is with her, which means...she's probably not driving anywhere she wants to go." I steady my breathing.

"Where would they take her?" Kai growls, looking at me as though I know the answers to the universe.

"I don't know. Not the police station – if that were their goal, they would've used sirens and lights and legal stuff. Somebody wouldn't have kidnapped her in her car." My eyes widen. "Holy Shintaro, Kai, they're going to kill her! They're taking her to some remote location to murder her and get away with it!"

He swears. "So we're supposed to figure out where they're taking her? Call the emergency number."

"Give me your phone."

He hands it over, and I take it, processing everything we'll need to tell them.

"Kai," I say after a moment, "you know we have no good evidence that Nya's been kidnapped, right? I mean, we know it's true, but tire tracks aren't going to convince the police!"

"They convinced you!" Kai argues. "Aren't you police?"

"In training!" I snap. "Oh, gosh, what's the number for the Ignacian PD?"

"Like they're going to help! Call the general emergency number, you idiot!" Kai huffs out a breath.

I wait for the call to patch through before finally hearing, "911 operator. What's your emergency?" It's a calm man's voice.

"I've spotted a missing person, and I think she's in trouble," I quickly say.

"I understand. What kind of trouble?"

"Well...look, I don't have great proof or anything, but she's being taken somewhere to be killed." I inhale deeply.

"I understand. Do you know where she's being taken?"

"No!" I cry. "I have no clue, and she doesn't have a cell phone or anything else on her from which she could be tracked!"

"Okay," the operator soothes. "Just explain to me what you saw."

I sigh. "The missing person Nya Smith pulled out of a gas station parking lot abruptly. That's the only eyewitness account I have. However, there's reason to believe she was essentially kidnapped. She left the parking lot under duress."

"What reason do you have to believe that?"

I sigh, knowing I'm digging myself a hole here. "I was with her in the car before she drove away. I went into the gas station to pay for fuel, and she left before I could come back out and fill the car with gas. And then her brother showed up fifteen minutes later, gave me a ride, and interpreted muddy tire tracks on the highway as evidence that Nya was kidnapped." I release a long breath.

"I...see. Is that all the proof you have?"

"Yes, sadly, but...well, it all makes sense! The Ignacian police chief is corrupt. He wants Nya dead. He apparently sent somebody with us on our trip to kidnap Nya while I was away."

"Uh-huh. I'm going to redirect this call to the missing persons hotline, okay? You can report your sighting there, and they'll take action to find Nya as soon as possible."

"Yes, but you can't forget that she's in trouble," I insist.

"They'll take care of her. I'll redirect you now." Silence ensues.

I shake my head, fed up with law enforcement. I mean, it makes sense that they don't believe Nya's really in trouble, but in my head, it all fits together!

"I'm the one who dropped our phones off at the dollar store," I mumble, waiting for someone else to speak over Kai's phone. "We couldn't have been tracked past there if there wasn't somehow a GPS signal on our car. This is an old model. Someone would have to manually put a GPS on it by the time they realized Nya and I would take it. There's no way a BOLO would go out soon enough to have this thing tracked through eyewitness sightings." I sigh. "There's no other solution besides that somebody was in the car, waiting to get Nya alone. They couldn't have tracked us past the dollar store, either, which means they got in at or before then."

"This is the missing persons hotline. How may I help you?" says someone else over Kai's phone.

I speak quickly. "I'd like to report a sighting of missing person Nya Smith, age twenty, from Ignacia. I have reason to believe she's been kidnapped to be murdered."

"Holy – " The woman swallows. "Please tell me what you saw."

I explain the same thing to her as I did to the 911 operator, this time including Nya's vehicle description and license plate information. However, as I compile the evidence for Nya being kidnapped, the operator's response becomes less urgent.

"We'll follow up with this lead as soon as possible," the woman promises. "It looks like there's already a BOLO out for the car, but we'll update the location of the vehicle."

"Thank you, but that's not enough. She's been kidnapped, and – "

"I know, sir. You've explained. We'll be on the lookout. I'm going to hang up now, okay?"

"I" – I sigh – "thank you for your time."

"You're welcome. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." The line goes dead.

"Kai, they're not doing anything," I swallow. "They don't believe she's been kidnapped." Which means we're going to be the only ones doing anything about this.

"Oh my gosh." He shakes his head. "I...I don't know where Sanders would want her taken."

"Someplace remote." I shake my head. "Why does he want her dead? He's already pressing charges against her. The only way he'd want her now is if he...somehow knew we were coming for him." I gasp as it all falls into place.

"He must've had her phone tapped or something," I realize. "I...he somehow must've kept tabs on her, because he learned about the conversation we had at the diner today. He figured out that we knew all the charges against her were phony, and thus he had to stop us. So that's why he has to get rid of her – to make sure she can't testify against him with good proof."

"But where would he take her to kill her? Somewhere off in the woods?" Kai curses again. "I don't know that we'll ever find her out there. We don't know which of these exits they've turned off or...anything!"

"We only had enough gas to make it another five miles or so," I reason through the racing of my mind. "I waited until we were almost empty. So...wherever they are, it has to be within five miles of the gas station, and that's in this direction."

I stop short. "Wait. Five miles of gas left means he couldn't get any further than..."

I whip around and look at Kai. "Homer what's-his-face! Kai, if anyone knows about someone trooping through the woods to kill a person, it's him! And he lives five miles from the gas station!" Thank you, Ethel!

"Homer – " Kai's eyes widen. "That guy's nuts!"

"But he's also wary of strangers," I say quickly. "He keeps an eye – I guess he can't keep two eyes – on what goes on around his property. He probably has game cameras and traps and whatnot set up! He probably knows if there's anyone within a two-mile radius of his house, right? He's our best lead right now!"

Kai shakes his head. "I...hate that you're right."

And we make a U-turn, hoping we'll have enough working eyeballs left between us to find Nya by the time this is through.

***I'll post again later tonight, but I have work, so it'll be MUCH later LOL***