Things Will Never Be The Same Again

[Babylove]

Chapter Five

Jack and Peter were joined at the station by Tracey Thompson, a detective from the city who had been helping them on and off since the start of the investigation. They all gathered, along with Constable Lara Fitzgerald, in Peter’s office to discuss the case, and in particular, Jack was informing them of Kim’s disappearance.

“I hate to be devil’s advocate, but are we sure that Zoe had anything to do with Kim Hyde’s disappearance?” Tracey asked. “I mean, couldn’t he have just gone to visit his father in the city?”

“I called him. He hasn’t seen or heard from Kim for a couple of days,” Peter replied.

“What about friends?” Lara questioned.

“I talked to all of Kim’s friends. No one’s seen him,” Jack told them. Jack had felt calm since he got to work, eerily calm. He couldn’t explain it. It was almost as if he had somehow put his emotions on pause.

“I think it’s safe to say that his disappearance and Martha’s are linked. And that they are linked to Zoe,” Peter summed up.

“But there’s no hard evidence of that Peter. We can’t rule out other possibilities,” Tracey pointed out.

“The lack of evidence is what makes me so certain,” Peter explained. “This is exactly Zoe’s M.O. It’s almost like Martha and Kim vanished off of the face of the earth.”

Peter’s last response sent a shiver down Jack’s spine. It was a cold, chilling summing up of the situation, and the fact that his fiancée was at the centre of it was hard to take.

“Are you sure you’re right to continue with this case?” Lara asked with concern.

“I have to stay involved Lara. I think it’s the only thing that’s keeping me sane right now,” Jack replied.

At the Warehouse

“This wasn’t supposed to happen like this. Why did you make me do it? Why did you have to show up right then?” Zoe yelled, angrily at Belle as she paced with a gun in her hand.

Belle sat quietly next to Martha, quite scared, and crying a little bit. She had woken just a short time a go to find herself in a dank room with Martha and Kim, and the nutty woman pacing and yelling near the door. She had a cut on her head, which hadn’t quite stopped bleeding yet. Martha had put her arm around the younger girl, trying to comfort her, while Kim sat slightly forward of them between them and Zoe.

“If you had stayed away, then I wouldn’t have had to bring you here,” Zoe continued.

Kim, Martha and Belle had realized that the best course of action right now was to stay quiet and not agitate Zoe further. Kim was watching her carefully, looking for a chance to maybe try and over power her.

“It doesn’t matter too much,” Zoe said, more to herself, calming down. “It doesn’t affect anything. I’ll just have one more to my collection.”

On saying that, Zoe stopped pacing and looked at them for the first time since she walked in.

“Don’t worry, you’ll all see soon enough,” Zoe said, walking out of the room and slamming the door shut and leaving her three hostages in the dark.

At the Caravan Park

Sally, Ric and Cassie had all arrived home at the same time and had met each other at the front door. They had found it slightly ajar.

This sent a shiver down Sally’s spine. The last time this had happened, just a few weeks ago, she had opened the door to find the house trashed. Cassie and Ric had looked at each other worriedly. They pushed the door open and sure enough they found the room, once again trashed.

Sally was horrified to see the message Tick Tock sprayed in red letters on the wall. It was all Sally could do not to burst into tears.

“Oh my God,” Cassie said quietly as they surveyed the damage.

“Nobody touch anything,” Sally said urgently. “Ric I want you to go and call Peter.”

“Okay,” Ric replied, stepping outside to call the Police Station on his mobile.

A Short Time Later

Peter and Jack were looking around the house, at what was obviously Zoe’s handy work.

“What do you make of it?” Jack asked Peter as they looked at the wall.

“She’s playing more mind games,” Peter replied. “She’s showing that she can be as brazen as this and there is nothing we can do about it.”

While the police were looking over the damage with a fine tooth comb for the slightest bit of evidence, Ric was near the laundry door just looking around the room. As he did, an object on the floor where the table should have been caught his eye. He took a few steps towards it and squatted down to get a closer look.

“Belle was here,” Ric blurted out, surprised and alarmed by his discovery, as he picked the CD up.

That caught Peter and Jack’s attention and they hurried over to where the teen was. Cassie and Sally, who were in the kitchen, also came over.

“What was that slag doing here?” Cassie asked vehemently, still very angry at Belle over Flynn.

“Cassie!” Sally admonished.

Peter ignored Cassie’s question altogether. “How can you be sure?”

Ric looked up at the detective and stood up with the CD in hand. “I leant this CD to Belle a couple of weeks ago. The only way it would be here is if she brought it here.”

Peter and Jack looked at each other and then looked at each other. Then Peter took a quick survey around the area where Ric had found the CD, and saw a couple of red spots on the floor.

“Jack. Get a swab of that blood and cross match it with both Belle and Zoe. I’m betting that we’ll get a match on one of them,” Peter said.

“You don’t think that Zoe’s taken her as well?” Jack asked.

“Well I wouldn’t like to think of the alternative,” Peter replied.

“What do you mean as well?” Sally asked frowning.

Jack realised his error immediately, but it was too late to recall his question. Peter decided to cut the constable some slack, considering what he was obviously going through.

“Both Kim and Martha are missing and we think that Zoe had something to do with it,” Peter explained.

“What?!” Sally, Ric and Cassie all said at once.

At the Hunter’s House

Beth put the phone back in the cradle and turned to her daughter-in-law who stood behind her.

“Listen Sweet that was Jade at Noah’s. She needs me to pop down there to sort out some inventory problem. Will you be right here by yourself for a while?” Beth asked Tasha.

“Sure Beth, that won’t be a problem,” Tasha replied.

“Are you sure? I mean Tony shouldn’t be far away, and neither should Robbie for that matter,” Beth said.

“Really, I’ll be fine. I’ll just sit on the couch and read a magazine,” Tasha assured her mother-in-law.

“Okay, well I’ll see you soon,” Beth said, giving Tasha a kiss on the cheek before heading out.

Tasha smiled before going to the couch and settling in with her magazine. She was distracted when she felt her baby kick. Her hand flew to her stomach and she smiled down.

She was so engrossed in what she was doing that she didn’t hear the door creak open. Nor did she hear the person sneak in behind her, with a cloth in her hand.

With lightening quick action Zoe brought the cloth over Tasha’s nose and mouth and held it there until Tasha stopped struggling and fell unconscious.

[Nicom]

That was ace!! Loving this fic! Please update soon!

[Jackieleanne]

Oh no not Tasha, I hope everyone is going to be ok. Can't wait to read more.

[angelgirl]

That was a great chapter well done!

[Babylove]

Chapter Six

Jack walked up to the back door of the Beach House and knocked on the door. He took his police hat off and waited to receive the okay to enter. This was a part of his job that was not so pleasant, especially at the moment. But he wanted it to be him who spoke to Irene.

‘Hi Jack. What brings you by?” Irene asked cheerily, walking into the kitchen.

“Hi Irene. I’m here on official business I’m afraid. I’m wanting to know when you last saw Belle?” Jack asked.

“Why, what’s she done?” questioned Irene suspiciously.

“Oh nothing,” Jack was quick to reassure. “But it’s really important to know when you last saw her and where she was going.”

“Well it would have been this morning. She found a CD on the bench that belonged to Ric and decided to return it,” Irene explained.

“That’s what I was afraid of. And you haven’t seen her since?” Jack asked.

“No I haven’t,” Irene replied. “What’s going on Jack?”

Jack closed his eyes for a brief second dreading what he had to explain. “There was a break in at the Caravan Park this morning, and it was Zoe who did it. We found evidence that Belle had been there, thanks to the CD as well as a spot of blood. And after what you’ve just told me it seems to time out that Belle was there about the same time as Zoe.”

“Oh my God. What are you telling me Jack?” Irene asked, fear clearly written all over her face.

“We’re fairly certain that Zoe has kidnapped Belle. Especially because both Kim and Martha are missing and we’ve got evidence, albeit circumstantial, that Zoe is behind it,” Jack told her.

Irene put her hand over her mouth unable to speak. The fear that was already in her eyes intensified as what Jack said sank in. “Are you sure she’s been kidnapped?”

“Well that’s the other reason I’m here, we now know she’s missing. We’ve had people out asking around and no one has seen her. The other possibility is that she’s run away. So I need you to check her room to see if anything is missing,” Jack said.

Irene nodded and quickly went upstairs to Belle’s room to look around. Jack stayed in the kitchen and waited for Irene’s return. He could hear the clock ticking in the background of the quiet house, and a chill ran down his spine. He looked up questioningly as Irene almost ran back down the stairs.

“Her things are still there, including her backpack. She hasn’t runaway Jack,” Irene said.

At that moment Robbie walked in the back door. “Hi guys.”

Irene looked over. “Hi Robbie. What are you doing here? I thought you were having dinner at you’re mother’s place.”

“We’re supposed to be. Except I can’t find Tash. Mum said that she was there when Mum left to go out, but she was gone when Mum got back. We thought she might have come back here,” Robbie explained.

“I haven’t seen her darl,” Irene told him. “Oh, and there was a letter for you in the letterbox. It wasn’t addressed but it had your name on it. I left it on the table.”

“Oh thanks Irene,” Robbie said, walking over to the table. “So what were you guys talking about when I came in? It looked serious.”

“Belle’s missing, and the police think that Zoe might be behind it,” Irene explained.

Robbie looked up as he tore open the envelope. “Oh my God. Are you sure Jack?”

“Yeah we’re fairly certain,” Jack replied.

Robbie looked down as he pulled the paper out of envelope. He opened it and was shocked by what he read.

“Robbie. What’s the matter?” Irene asked, getting concerned by the look on Robbie’s face.

Robbie turned the note around and held it up for Jack and Irene to see it. Jack took it out of Robbie’s hand to have a closer look.

“Oh no,” Jack breathed.

“Jack, what’s going on?” Robbie asked as the cold ice of fear replaced the shock.

“Tasha’s missing and you receive this,” Jack said almost to himself. “I think that the two events are related.”

“What do you mean?” Robbie asked.

“I received the same note last night. And Martha’s missing. She was supposed to be at my place, and she wasn’t, nor was she anywhere else,” Jack told Robbie.

Robbie’s eyes widened as he took in what Jack was telling him. “So what are you saying Jack? Are you saying that Zoe took Tasha?”

“It looks that way. And that now makes four people that she’s kidnapped,” Jack told them.

“But wait, how would Zoe now that Tasha would be alone. Mum going out was very last minute. She got a phone call from work…” Robbie’s voice faded out.

“Robbie, what is it?” Irene asked with a frown.

“I just remembered something Mum said when she got home,” Robbie started.

“What’s that?” Jack asked.

“She said that she got a phone call from work saying she was need, but then when she got there Jade, the person who supposedly called her, had no idea what Mum was talking about,” Robbie explained.

“Do you know when this phone call was?” Jack asked urgently.

“Mum didn’t say. Earlier this afternoon I guess,” Robbie replied.

Jack, who had been leaning against the bench stood up. “Okay, I’ll speak to her. Listen I have to go, but you guys hang in there.”

“You too,” Irene replied.

At the Caravan Park Later That Night.

Ric sat on the lounge chair with a glass of water in his hand staring into space. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t hear Sally come down.

“Ric?” Sally asked as she saw her foster son sitting in the dark. She walked over to the chair and sat down next to him. “Are you okay?”

Ric looked over at Sally. “Yeah. Just couldn’t sleep.”

“Thinking about Belle?” Sally asked knowingly.

Ric looked at her and just nodded. He didn’t really now what to say about it. “And I’m worried about Martha too.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” questioned Sally compassionately. “Belle I mean.”

“I don’t now where to really start. I mean it’s all really heavy and confusing,” Ric said.

“Start were you feel you need to,” Sally told him encouragingly.

“I’m so angry with her over what happened with Flynn. And not so much the fall and all of that. I believe her when she says it was an accident. I’m more angry with her over the fact that she lied about it. She should have said something,” Ric said.

Sally didn’t say anything. She understood that she needed to let Ric just talk and say what he was feeling.

“I get why she didn’t in the beginning. I probably wouldn’t have handled it. But she should’ve anyway. But despite all of that, I think I’m falling in love with her,” Ric admitted. “And I thought, when I first found out about Flynn, that would put an end to it, but my feelings for her haven’t changed.”

Ric stopped as he said the last sentence, and seemed to retreat into his thoughts. Sally saw this and put her arm around him. Somehow she wasn’t surprised by his confession.

“I feel like I’m betraying Flynn by feeling that way about her, but I can’t help it,” Ric explained.

“You know you shouldn’t feel guilty about your feelings because of Flynn,” Sally told him. “I don’t think you’re betraying Flynn, and I don’t think he’d see it that way either. It was just an accident. And I think that Flynn would like Belle if he got to actually meet her.”

“You think so?” Ric asked.

“Yes, I do,” Sally replied nodding.

Ric thought about what Sally said. “I’m also scared,” he told her. “I mean Belle’s missing, at the hands of that loony. And she’s obviously hurt. What if I never see her again? What if…” Ric couldn’t finish the sentence. “And Martha’s gone too. I just don’t know how to handle it.”

“I think you just have to try and stay positive. I know it’s hard, but I don’t think you should give up on them just yet,” Sally said. It was the only advice she could think of to give the young man. Ric put his head on her shoulder clearly still worried about his missing loved ones.

[Jamey-Maria]

Wow, this is getting really intense. Four people are missing now and there are four worried partners, it's very upsetting! Awww Ric loves Belle, how sweet and Sally is the just the best mother! I really hope Jack and Peter find out where Zoe is before it's too late. Great chapter, please update soon!

[Nicom]

This is great!! I love it!

Awww, you need to find them quick Jack!!

Update soon!

[-Annie-]

yes yes...hurry up jack!!

pls update!!

[Babylove]

Chapter Seven

Peter, Jack and Tracey were all in Peter’s office looking at the whiteboard that contained all the major factors of their current case. Mostly it had the pictures of Kim, Martha, Belle and Tasha on it.

Peter had a whiteboard in his hand as they tried to connect the dots in an effort to try and figure out where Eve had taken them.

“Okay, so we now have four missing people. Why these four people? What made them the targets?” Jack asked.

“Let’s go through one by one and work that out. I think it might help. Let’s start with the first missing person, Kim,” Tracey suggested.

Peter walked over to the whiteboard, looking at the photograph of Kim. “Kim was the person Zoe got close to last time she was here. They were dating for at least half the time she was here. That was until Hayley got pregnant and it was revealed that she had slept with Kim.”

“So this one is personal?” Jack questioned.

“That seems obvious. But personal because she wants him back or personal because of revenge?” asked Tracey.

“Maybe revenge,” Jack suggested.

Peter looked over to the young constable. “What makes you go that way?”

“Well Kim hardly spent anytime standing around grieving over Zoe. I mean he moved on pretty quickly back to Hayley. And now he’s with Rachel. And he also dated that other girl in between. Given what you’ve said about Zoe, she’d hardly be happy about any of that. Especially if she had any genuine feelings for Kim,” Jack explained.

“You make a lot of sense,” Tracey agreed.

Peter made some notes on the whiteboard under Kim’s photograph. “Okay so our next victim was Martha.”

Jack tried to hide his flinch when Peter said that. He was managing to keep his head over Martha being missing, but only just.

“Martha’s probably the perfect target for Zoe,” Tracey said.

Jack frowned at that. “Why would Martha be the perfect target?”

“Well think about it. First of she’s dating you, a police officer working on her case. You are also working closely with Peter, which indirectly affects him. And it’s been pretty obvious from the start that Peter’s been a prime target since Zoe returned,” Tracey explained.

“Okay, I’d buy that,” Jack states. “But how does that make her more of a target than anyone else?”

“Well she’s also got a strong connection to Sally Saunders; Zoe’s other target so far. Not only does she live with Sally and is good friends with her. She’s the grand daughter of her close friend Alf Stewart and is the cousin of Sally’s foster son. Which means that Martha’s disappearance is going to have a major affect on everyone that Zoe has targeted so far,” Tracey continued.

Peter nodded his head in agreement. And made some more notes on the whiteboard.

“What about Tasha Hunter?” Tracey asked. “What’s her connection?”

“This one goes back to where this all started,” Peter said, looking at Tasha’s photograph.

Tracey looked down at her notes. “Dani Sutherland? How does that connect in?”

Peter turned around and looked at Jack and Tracey. “This started out between Felix and Dani. At the time, Dani was dating Scott Hunter and Dani’s father, Rhys was married to Beth Hunter. The two families were all but one. In Zoe’s mind there probably isn’t any difference. So what better way to get at the family, but to kidnap the wife of one of Beth’s children, who also happens to be pregnant?”

“Okay so that explains Kim, Martha and Tasha. Zoe has a motive against all of them, so it would explain why she’s taken them. But what about Belle Taylor? Why take her?” Jack asked.

Peter looked at the photograph of Belle and it came to him. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen what was staring at him right in the face. “Belle’s our odd one out,” Peter all but whispered.

“Because there isn’t a motive from last time?” Tracey asked.

“Because Belle’s kidnapping wasn’t planned!” Peter exclaimed as he began to put Belle’s kidnapping together. “Think about it. Belle going to that house was very last minute. Irene told us that. Zoe didn’t know she was going to be there. So when she showed up, Zoe had to act quickly. With the other kidnappings, there’s no actual evidence of there being a kidnapping. Kim, Martha and Tasha seem to have just disappeared. But with Belle it was pretty obvious that she had been taken. There was the CD and the Blood, which I’m convinced, will turn out to be Belle’s.”

Jack, following the detective’s train of thought, concluded: “So if there have been any mistakes made by Zoe, it’s going to be there. That may be where we find a clue as to where she’s taken them.

“Let’s go,” Tracey said.

At the Warehouse

The four hostages all sat around discussing there predicament. Tasha sat next to Belle who she had become close to over the last couple of months. Kim and Martha sat next to each other opposite Tasha and Belle.

“There’s four of us and only one of her,” Kim was explaining. “I think that we could overpower her if we all work together.”

“I don’t know Kim. She’s never in here without that gun of hers. It could be dangerous,” Tasha objected.

“Look I know it’s a risk. But we also know enough about Zoe to know that if we do nothing, our lives are in her hands. I don’t think she kidnapped us just to give us a holiday,” Kim argued.

“So what do you suggest?” Martha asked.

“We stay alert to here for her coming. I think if we position ourselves right, we should be able to take her by surprise and wrestle the gun away from her without anyone getting shot. Although to be safe, I think that you, Tash, should keep your distance. You know being pregnant and all,” Kim explained.

“It sounds like our best shot,” Belle spoke up. “It might even be our only shot.”

Martha nodded in agreement, as did Tasha, albeit reluctantly.

“So we’re all in agreement?” Kim asked.

Both Martha and Belle nodded their heads.

“Tasha? We won’t try this unless we’re all in,” Kim said gently, giving Tasha an out.

“No, you guys are right. We don’t have many other options,” Tasha finally said, despite her reservations.

At the Hunter House

“Love, you have to calm down. Getting yourself up tight like this isn’t going to help Tasha,” Beth said, with her arm around her son as they sat on the couch. She looked over to Tony, who was sitting on the coffee table, feeling helpless.

“How can you say that Mum? That lunatic has kidnapped my pregnant wife!” Robbie exclaimed, clearly panicked.

“I know its hard mate, but you have to try. You have to stay positive that the police are going to find her and bring her back safely. And when she does come back she’s going to need you to be strong for her. Which means you can’t make yourself sick now,” Tony said.

Robbie stood up clearly restless. “How can you expect me to sit around and do nothing while my wife needs me?”

“I’m worried about Tasha too, love. But you have to try,” Beth said trying, desperately to calm her agitated son.

“No. What I have to do is try and find my wife,” Robbie said as he turned around and headed for the door, picking up his jacket on the way.

“Robbie wait!” Beth called as she watched her second son rush out the door. She looked over to Tony with fear and worry clearly written on her face.

[Jamey-Maria]

Awww i felt bad for Jack, and what clever cops him and Peter and Tracy are. You explained all that motive really well. Why do have the feeling that Robbie is going to do something stupid? please don't leave me in suspense too long.....great chapter!