Untitled Thriller: Chapter 2
Ethan reached for the slightly open front door. Viv should know better, he thought, you have to bump the door to get it to latch all the way.
He was under a lot of pressure at the lab and Viv knew the perfect way to help him unwind after a long day. That was one of the things he loved most about her. Sure, she had a tendency to be a little absent-minded sometimes, but he was convinced it was just because she was always thinking of everyone else. Smiling to himself, he pushed the door open, getting ready to pretend surprise that she had the game on, his favorite dinner ready and coffee brewing.
His stomach sank as he scanned his apartment. No game on, no food ready and no girlfriend waiting with coffee. Instead, the place was thrashed. Heart racing, Ethan pulled out his cell phone and called Viv. He stepped over a smashed bag of groceries to turn on the lights. There was a note pinned to the wall by the light switch.
We have your girl. Give us what we want and you can have her back. We will contact you. Don’t make this harder than it has to be. No cops.
Viv’s over-sized purse started ringing from beneath the groceries. Oh God! What do I do!? Ethan began pacing the apartment, checking the rooms, the kitchen, the bathroom. He wasn’t sure why. He had his cell phone in hand. How would they know if he called the police? Were they watching him? If they were, they must be close. If they were close, then Viv must be close too. He turned for the door; then stopped. Sure, he could try to go after them. But he didn’t even know who he was looking for, let alone where to start. What would he do if found them? How many of them were there? There were too many variables. He raked a shaky hand through his hair. What did he know? Viv was gone. Taken against her will, as evidenced by his trashed apartment. They didn’t want the police involved. They were holding her for ransom. And he knew exactly what they wanted.
