CHAPTER 84

             "Let's go Charlotte!"

 The little girl beside Teddy frowned at the other one in disappointment.

             "But we just got here!"

             "Yes and now father wants us back immediately," the older girl replied and gave her a stern look before she moved forward and grabbed her by the arm. It happened so fast. Dylan hadn't even mastered which question she was supposed to ask or what she was supposed to say to the girl who had been presumed permanently lost or even dead. Two months looking for her and the department had given up. She had opened the file just recently and the description matched this girl exactly. The age,she had been only thirteen when she last disappeared and it had been eighteen months already so she was somewhere between fourteen and fifteen. Unless this was her doppelganger, the appearance was way too similar to be wrong. She only realized what she had done when the two girls started leaving.

             "Hey,wait up for a minute!" she called.

              "What is it Dylan?" Carly asked in confusion as they all were. She turned to her just for a minute,not wanting the two girls disappear from her sight.

              "I know that girl if I'm not mistaken. She disappeared two months after I joined the force." This she said in low voice fearing that the girl who didn't seem to be aware who she was would run off and disappear into the crowds. She started following them,leaving Carly and the kids standing there.

               "Who are you?" The girl asked when she stopped in from of them. Dylan thought if identifying herself would be a good idea or if it would scare them away but the first one won guessing that maybe she would be lucky to talk to her like that.

               "Detective Lewis with the Los Angeles police department." She showed her the badge but the girl was already freaking out from the moment she mentioned the word detective. She saw her recoil but didn't want to just assume anything at that point. The girl could have been just afraid of anything. She retrieved her phone and went directly to the gallery. "I have been working on a case of a girl who disappeared close to two years ago," she showed her the photograph so that she could see her reaction first hand. Surprised? Shocked? The girl looked at the photo in the phone then at her in disbelief.

             "That's you!" Charlotte said excitedly.

             "Lizzie Clayton?" 

    She had known what was likely  to happen the moment she identified her. She had already seen it in her eyes long before it happened. Instead of talking, the girl started running. She turned to Carly and met with her questioning look. "I'm going after her," she announced.

  Carly nodded, "Just be careful."

               "Always." She turned immediately and started running after the two girls. Keeping them in sight was the hardest part since they were both short and could easily merge into the crowd. For a moment she lost them and she stood in her tracks looking around. She saw them disappearing behind a door a short distance away and she immediately headed there. By the time she got there, they were nowhere in sight. The room was crowded with teenagers,some playing dart, others gaming on computers while others were just engrossed in teenage activities which for a moment reminded her of her teenage years with Carly. She looked around focusing on what she had gone to do there. For a moment she lost them but in the last second saw a flicker of their clothing disappearing behind a door. She ran quickly  but unfortunately it was locked before she could get through.

             "Lizzie Clayton, it's okay. I'm here to help you," she said into the keyhole sure the girls were on the other side.

               "Stop following me! You don't understand."

  Now she was even more confused. What was really going on? Had the girl disappeared just because she had wanted to? And the more surprising thing,had she been right under their noses all along or what? These were the questions only Lizzie could answer and she wasn't really in the mood to.

            "What happened to you? Your parents have been  crying day and night wondering where you were. Why didn't you reach out to them?"

             "Because I was trying to protect them!" She was sure the girl was on the verge of crying or already was crying judging by the voice.

             "Protect them? From what or who?" Silence. Even the soft sighs from the other end disappeared. "Lizzie? Please open up so we can talk."  Another moment of silence passed then there was a click and some footsteps. She thought it was Lizzie coming to open the door and she stood aside.

              "It's too late now. Stop looking for me."

  She furrowed her eyebrows, "What are you talking about?" The words were barely out of her mouth when she had a loud smack and the scream of a frightened little girl following back to back with her voice.

              "Papa! No!" Then a loud thud on the floor. There was no other single sound.

    She shot back to her senses. Whatever had happened in there wasn't anything good. She moved a distance away from the door and got ready then ran forward and hit the door open with her left side. She winced but didn't let the pain register fully. She needed to focus on what was happening. Her phone was already on her ear calling for back up. She got inside the other room but no one was in sight except for a few drops of blood.

             "This is detective Lewis,I need back up at the arcade. A possible assault has occurred and the attacker is on the move." She sighed before adding,"I think I found Lizzie Clayton." She should have added and lost her but didn't think it was necessary. What she had said was enough to send them coming down there at lightning speed. She then looked around after the call,there was another door leading back outside so she headed right through it.

  She met Carly up front who was beside herself with worry.

              "What happened?"

                "Have you seen them coming out of this door? I think someone might have hurt them and took them. There's blood inside."

  Okay maybe she shouldn't have said that last part because Carly's face turned blue. She walked to her and took her hands.

              "Listen to me, I need you to take the kids and get back to my car and wait for me there where it is safe."

             "What are you going to do?"

              "What I am supposed to do. Soon other officers will be here and I will have to join them to try and locate the girls. You shouldn't be anywhere near this."  Even though Carly seemed to be very afraid, she seemed to most likely refuse to go so she used another approach. "The kids can't be anywhere near this." That melted some of the reluctance in Carly's eyes. She finally nodded.

               "Look! This is Charlotte's necklace." They both turned only to find Teddy had gone inside the room and was holding up a silvery item. They looked at each other. The ones who were supposedly being protected were much bolder and curious beyond their years. They moved at the same time.

               "Teddy,it's not yet time for you to play a hero!" Carly warned. "Give it to Dylan and let's go."

  Teddy looked down in disappointment but instead of budging, he pointed to something else on the floor.

               "I found that too," he said in disinterest. They followed his gaze. It was so tiny that only one in a hundred people was likely to see it. A crack and a hedge like thingy screwed to the floor.

              "You've got to be kidding me!" Dylan exclaimed then went down on her knees. She tried adjusting it and sure enough,it was an entrance to an underground tunnel. There were two drops of blood on the sides and realization dawned on her. They hadn't gone back outside, they had gone under. She looked up and met Carly. "Go,now!"

              "You want to go down there? Alone?" Carly asked her voice on full panic mode. "Dylan you don't even have your vest,what if you get shot? There will be no one to help you!"

                "I have my gun Carly,I'll be okay. I have to go after them before they go too far."

                 "Jesus Christ!" Her eyes welled up threatening to explode with tears. "It's too risky,why not wait for a bit until back up arrives."

               "Because the few minutes we wait could be the few Lizzie has got to live. We don't know who has her. Who knows if it is a psycho like Taylor or even worse."

                "What if they kill you instead?" Carly asked and choked on her words as tears fell from her eyes. "Please Dee,I just found you. I can't lose you."

She cupped her face in her hands and looked into her eyes.

              "You are not going to lose me I promise. I have got so much to live for now so believe me when I say that today is not the day I die." She kissed her but Carly's lips trembled in her mouth. "I love you and that alone is enough for me to come back alive. Do you trust me?"

              "Always."

                 "Good,now take the kids and head to the car. I'll be back soon." Carly nodded and she turned to leave but turned to Teddy and Ravenna. "You two,protect her for me,yeah?"

 The two kids smiled and nodded. Carly chuckled and dried some of her tears.

              "Hey,you know that if you die I'm gonna raise hell and make sure I kill you once again myself, right?" 

She laughed lightly, "Oh I know that well." Then disappeared down the steps. Her gun drawn in front of her and a flashlight in case it was darker down below. It was all silent except for her loud thud of her heartbeats. The fact was,she was afraid of what she might find downstairs. What kept her going was the determination to save a life and now,the siren of the cars approaching in the distance. Back up. Even Carly now would breathe.

                       ★★★

    Carly waited until Dylan had disappeared down the last step but was still questioning why she had let her go alone. The kids. If it weren't for them,she wouldn't have listened to her. She was ready to unleash her whole stubborn mode on her but now she had the kids to consider. There was no way she could have left them alone. Teddy being the leader would most likely follow them. 

  She lead them through the park back to where Dylan had parked her car but had made several turns by the time they got there as if trying to see,no,hoping to see Dylan coming after them. Her head was going on and on about what was likely to happen down there. What if Dylan found a whole gang waiting for her? Or what if there were explosives waiting around for any intruder? Wasn't that how it always was with those criminals hiding from the authority? A cold shiver ran down her spine as the imagination took hold of her mind. 

  She remained outside pacing beside the car after locking the kids in the back. There was no way she could remain seated relaxed inside while the thought that Dylan could have walked into a trap kept haunting her. She needed a distraction. But then what? She looked up and sighed heavily.

             "She is going to be okay mom. She is the best detective ever," Teddy said leaning outside through the window.

    The confidence this boy always had returned some strength and restored some hope in her. Dylan had done this multiple times,she had been trained for this. She wasn't just going in without knowing what to do. Maybe she needed to have faith in her. Even though faith became an expensive thing to buy during desperate times,it was all she could have now. So,she nodded.

               "Yes she is."

   Just then,several police cars pulled up in the parking lot. She rushed towards them to let them know where Dylan was headed. She sighed with relief when she saw Kenny among them. Maybe it was the fact that he was Dylan's partner and close friend that gave her some reassurance but whatever it was,she now believed Dylan would be okay.