Not In Control

As Chase got outside he told his driver where to next. Next happened to be a bookstore right on the edge of town. The place was sketchy, they had ghettos in town, but this took the cake. Street lamps stayed busted, places got broken into if they had anything valuable. That was during the day, he couldn't imagine what happened at night. Him, Dylan, and Chase owned the town, and tried making each place livable, but then that meant that the edges of town kind of lacked and missed their radar. Maybe it wasn't entirely missed, but avoided something's are just to broken.

Once the girl was first mentioned to him Chase knew it was only a matter of time till one of the three of them went looking for her. To make sure she was okay, to see her again. Whatever the reason was he knew someone would. When Isabelle broke in Chase took DNA off of the folder, and the book and researched. He didn't come up with much, he already knew she worked at a bookstore by the way she talked to the book in Cole's office.

Everything else was lacking her name, where she lived, who she was friends with. Chase knew he had the best of the best, so when he realized she wasn't in thier data banks it would mean only one thing. She had to be on the edge of town. He was pretty sure she lived in town so all that was left was cross illumination at each border of town. Chase looked up book stores two of them had gotten burned down so they were out of the question. It only left four more, he then called asking for a book. The very book in Cole's office that she said she would never carry, and he didn't take her for a liar.

Chase had been wrong only a few times in his life, and this time he didn't believe was one of them. Two of the places carried that book so it only left two other places. He assumed she owned the joint, or ran it most of the time. So he called one, and asked for the manager. When Chase heard a guys voice he hung up not even saying a word. There was only one really possible answer, but he was going to call to make sure. He called and let it ring, ring, and ring nobody picked up. Telling him it was either out of business, or a very tired woman was sleeping in from the night before. He decided to go check it out. Out of the three of them Chase believed he had the most control if he were to get face to face with her.

They drove for what seemed like hours, and Chase watched as his nice town turned not so nice. Once they reached the gedos, Chase knew every town had one, but it still made him feel wrong. He should be able to help them more, but when they got to the border it became no man's land and it took a toll. If you thought the gedos were bad never step here, when the sun was fully out it was still dark. The only reason Chase felt safe was because he had a gun in his pants, two knifes in his pant legs, even that was risky.

People cried, screamed, and yelled at one another, and nobody did anything to help. The doors had gunshot holes if they were lucky. If they weren't then they had no doors. He couldn't imagine a place like this. There was no security, and the places that did were all broken down. Chase knew the first thing he would do when he got back was make calls, and see what they could do for some of the people down here.

He made it to the book shop it seemed like the nicest building on this side of town. If the girl owned this then well she sure knew how to take care of herself. He tried to open the door expecting it to be open, but it wasn't, it was locked. Which worried him, it was one o'clock in the afternoon the sign said open at nine. Maybe that's just the kind of thing that happened around here, or she as in her house sleeping through her alarm, if she even had an alarm. Something felt wrong, he might not have know this girl, but something told him she wasn't the type to be late. Mostly because she almost screamed at Cole that she was loyal to her business, this didn't seem like loyalty.

Grabbing his gun Chase went to shoot the lock, but then he thought what if she was just running late. Something could have come up, it would only cost her more money. Instead he tried to pick the lock, but he didn't need to he shook the door enough, and it popped open. So much for her being safe.

Pulling out his gun once again, he slowly walked around the store. As his driver/bodyguard covered the front door just in case she was coming back. Except nothing looked out of place, it was dusty but other than that it almost seemed nice. He looked at the books on the shelves, and even remembered a few.

There was two doors in the store one leading to the bathroom, and one into the back office. Clearing the bathroom if she was here there would be only one last place left to go. Chase stood by the door opened it, and aimed his gun inside before turning on the light. Reaching in he turned the switch on it flickered a few times before coming to life. She seemed sweet, and innocent even after breaking into the office. She shouldn't have to live in this part of town nobody should.

As Chase got a good look around he saw a bed made out on the floor with what looked like molding blankets, and cloths. Still holding his gun not trusting someone to come out somewhere. He looked through the rest of the room, laying on the bed was her green blouse it was her, and if that wasn't proof enough hiding in a falling apart dresser was the bag of thief cloths. With everything she would need to break into somewhere. Their building hadn't been the first, and this stuff seemed high quality. She didn't need them in this part of town. Meaning she went into town to break into what houses, businesses? Whatever she was doing could have gotten her killed, if it hasn't already.

How could someone be so foolish, and if she wasn't foolish what problem did she have. Other than living places. Finding nothing that told him she was alive, or dead decided to check out the rest of the this side of town. Maybe he could find her. Pushing out the negative thoughts that he would find her dead, it was only a block when he smelt something, something odd. He looked around but couldn't tell where it was coming from till he stepped on something. Reaching down Chase lifted a rag he could tell just picking it up what it contained. Who went missing, but there was something more to it yet it has another scent.

A scent he started to learn well, it was hers. It was faint with all the chloroform used, but it was her scent. Meaning he was right, she wouldn't have just left. Was she dead, was she alive, would he find her? Chase started to panic, and pulled his phone out calling Cole not knowing what else to do.

"Cole listen something bad happened, it's really bad. Well I don't know how bad it is, but I can tell you it doesn't look good."

Chase was always the calm one. Calm wasn't the word to use no, level headed. He thought straight, did what needed to be done. Out of the group that's what he was, but everyonce in awhile when something spooked him Cole would pick up the role.

"Chase calm down, and tell me what happened."

"It's the girl I went to see her." Panic started to rise again, he hated how useless he felt.

"What you found her, how is she? What's wrong?" Cole straightened in his chair getting out his computer to be ready for whatever chase had said next. Was she hurt, or worse dead? No he couldn't think like that.

"I found where she works her stuff is inside, but she isn't. Then about a block I found a rag with her scent, and chloroform on it. I don't smell any of her scent around. I don't know what to do, what happens if we can't find her?"

Chase didn't care about the girl like that. Not really, he wanted to know why the other two were so head over heels for her. Yes she was beautiful, and sweet but he could have her, and he knew he couldn't. It was the feeling of not being in control that really got to him. Not having anything. Here it reminded him of when he was little, so much so that he started to panic. He wanted to find her yes, but what if he couldn't? Not knowing if he could seemed to bother him the most.

"Chase calm down, okay listen to me. If there is one thing I know about you is that you don't give up. You will find her, we will find her. What state she will be in after is something we will have to discuss after we know. Until then come back to the office, it's to dangerous to be on your own in a panic." Cole told Chase trying to sound calm and collected. Even though he was panicking inside.

Cole had already been reaching out to contacts by the time chase got there. Dylan was informed, and they searched for her. Each getting more, and more frustrated as each leed died. It's like she just disappeared, but nobody disappears not really so they kept looking. looked all the way up until the morning, not getting a lick of sleep. With no luck, the girl disaaleared off the face of the earth. The owner or the book store was listed under the name Tessa so they assumed that was her name.

It was about time to get ready for the auction, when Chase refused to go. What was the point in going to something that was horrible, if you can't change it. If he stayed he could find a leed, anything that was untouched. Dylan reading his mind spoke gently

"Trust me I know you want to stay, and you want to find Tessa. So do I, but we have turned over every rock, pebble, and stone there was to turn over. It's not the best to do this, but maybe it will take your mind off it."

"Yeah, instead I'll be thinking about all of the girls, and boys who are about to be sold tonight. How is that suppose to make me feel better?" Chase throwing down his papers to looked up at Dylan.

Dylan didn't have a reasonable answer either way was fucked up, but the three of them were expected to show up as in good faith. It seemed like Chase understood, because he agreed.

"Yeah I guess you're right, there is nothing we can do right now. Plus I have to watch Oliver."

"See I knew you could do it." Dylan said slapping Chase's back trying to lighten the mood.

"Never do that again." Chase didn't have to snarl he was scary just by his eyes, and the way he talked.

That sent Dylan's hands flying up into surrender. Rolling his eyes Chase walked away.