Title: Caribbean Nights
Part: 13/15
Author: Wendy
Category: 98º
Rating: PG-13
Copyright: 1999
Wendy woke up from a deep nap and found herself back in the wooden chair with a rope tying her wrists together. She had most of her clothes on, although they weren’t in very good shapes. As soon as she realized what had happened to her just a short few hours ago, she started to cry in disparity and melancholy.
~*~*~At the summerhouse~*~*~
The day had almost gone by, with no new clues about Wendy’s whereabouts. Everyone was really depressed and gloomy and there was nothing that they wanted more than just to see Wendy once again.
"Drew, you should try and get some sleeping in. I know that you didn’t sleep at all last night. This isn’t good for you," Nick told his brother concernedly.
"Nick, I think that you’re just trying to help, but you’re not doing a good job," Drew walked over to the closet and took out his Nike windbreaker.
"Where are you going?" Nick asked.
"I’m gonna drive for a little while, maybe I can find her or something."
"Are you sure that that’s what you want to do?"
"Yeah, Nick."
"Just be careful, okay? I’ll call you if we hear anything."
With that, Drew went out into his BMW convertible.
Nick sighed as he saw his brother drive out of the driveway. "I don’t know what to say to him."
Everyone nodded their heads in silence.
"There are so many things to say, but there is no right way to tell him. He’s so vulnerable right now," Nick continued.
Jen walked over to Nick and tried to comfort him.
"Isn’t it weird how we were all just fine last night, and now, it’s like our spirits have left us?" Sarah said.
"I just don’t understand why this had to happen. I feel so bad for Drew and everything that he’s going through," Jeff explained.
"Yeah, and he really likes Wendy too," Nick added.
The phone started to ring and Nick was the first one to run to it as everyone else crowded right behind him.
"Hello?" Nick answered calmly.
Pete started to laugh at the other end of the phone.
"What do you want from us?" Nick asked, raising his voice a little.
"One million dollars and release of all of my charges. All by tomorrow afternoon," Pete said slowly.
"What? Where am I going to get that?" Nick asked furiously.
"You decide, I’ll call you back tomorrow for the time and place of the delivery."
Justin had been counting the time and he gestured Nick to keep talking to Pete.
"Why can’t you tell me now?"
"Do you really think that I’m that stupid?"
"Fine, even if I get you what you want, how do I know that you will return Wendy to us?"
"It’s your call to do it or not."
Pete hung up the phone and Nick slammed down the receiver.
"Damn!" Justin yelled. "That was only 30 seconds!"
"What did he want?" Jen asked uneasily.
"He wants a million dollars and he wants us to drop his charges," Nick said emotionlessly.
Both Pamela and Sarah dropped their jaws to the ground in pure shock.
"How can he do that?" Justin asked.
"I don’t know, but he wants them by tomorrow afternoon, which only gives us about 18 hours," Nick explained. "I’m going to call Drew."
"Hello?" Drew picked up on his cell phone.
"Drew, it’s Nick."
"Did something happen?" Drew jumped as he heard Nick’s voice.
"I think that you should come back right away. I don’t want to tell you over the phone."
"Okay," Drew said and hung up the phone.
He turned around at the next intersection and got back to the summerhouse in 20 minutes. He ran into the house after he arrived. Everyone else had been sitting in the living room.
"What’s going on?" Drew asked as he saw the solemnity in everyone’s faces and the puffy eyes from the girls.
"The news isn’t good, Drew," Jeff began.
"Pete said that we have to get him a million dollars and all of his charges dropped by tomorrow afternoon," Nick explained.
Drew stood there and he knew that everyone was staring at him and waiting for a response. He walked over the window and looked out, hoping that maybe by some miracle, Wendy would appear. His tacit facial expression made his friends worry yet more about him.
When no one went to talk to Drew, Pamela did.
"Drew, I know how much you’re hurting right now, so are the rest of us. You have to be strong for Wendy. I’ve known her for a long time now and I just want you to know what she won’t give up trying to find her way back to us again," Pamela told him quietly.
Drew turned around and gave Pamela a hug.
‘She’s right. I can’t just shut everyone out because I’m so miserable. Those four girls have been friends with her longer than I’ve been and they feel the pain too, maybe even more than me, if that’s possible. The guys can help me get through this, they have to,’ Drew though to himself.
"Thanks," he said to Pamela and walked to the living room where everyone was sitting at. "So, what now? Have you guys call the cops?"
"Yeah, we called him after we called you, and they should be here any minute now," Jeff explained.
~*~*~At the warehouse~*~*~
Pete walked into the warehouse to check on Wendy.
"I gave your friends an offer. If they really care, they’ll come through," Pete told her.
Wendy cringed at the thought of Pete’s offer. "What did you tell them?"
"A million dollars and drop of all my charges, that’s all," Pete smirked.
"What if they can’t do that for you?" Wendy asked nervously.
"Well then, it will be the end for you."
Wendy sighed. Maybe everything was coming to an end after all. There were only three answers to what the outcome could be. She could simply be killed, rescued with the ransom to Pete, or, as the least plausible outcome, she could escape.
"If they’re your real friends, they will know what the best is for them right now."
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