Going to Pasalacqua

I spoke privately with the man in the hallway outside the interrogation room for about fifteen minutes. Turns out his name was Frans. We talked a little about musical interests, mostly questions about Adeline. I filled him in more on who she was, he wished me luck finding her and that he'd keep an eye out. I sighed in relief that I was somewhat closer to finding her. Officer Randy called me to follow him out to his cruiser, we were heading to the LA airport. 

We pulled in, the unnerving crush of gravel under the tires made me even more anxious to get out of the car. We pulled up a few spaces away from the yellow jeep described by Frans. Randy got out and told me not to touch anything, but I just wanted to be sure it was her. He looked around for evidence and dusted for fingerprints to match those found on the crowbar at the crime scene. We also spoke with the man whose black Mercedes was stolen. He described the car to us and gave us the plates. I smiled to myself, this guy who has Adeline is obviously not very good at covering his tracks. 

“So what're the plates again?” Randy asked with his notepad in his hand. A professional looking pen in the other, he lifted his hat a little to block out the sunlight glaring off the white paper. The man read it off again and Randy wrote it all down and put his notepad away. Thanked the man and we headed back to the office with fingerprints to test and license plates and a car description. I felt like for once we were actually getting somewhere.

Mike had the bright orange tour van parked in the parking lot when we pulled up next to them. Mike was reading something out of a old water damaged notebook he probably found in the backseat. And Tré had his feet propped up on the dash board with his dark sun glasses on, looking out the open window contently. They waved as I passed to the double doors on the sidewalk. I waved back and ducked inside. 

I was growing impatient by the passing second. Trying to listen to everything and analyze every bit of evidence. But there was only so much the officers would let me help with before they shut the office door in my face. Officer Randy chuckling and said something to me like “Run along and play now son, it's time for the big kids to talk, I'll fetch you if we find anything new.” so of course, that kinda pissed me off. 

I walked past his desk and glanced down at the folder containing the finger print samples and results. He'd left this here? 

I glanced around myself and opened it up, seeing the bold words below the two samples of fingerprints. One taken from the steering wheel of the jeep, the other from the crowbar. and below them in bold, dark writing, it said match found

The folder fell out of my hands, I ran around his desk and seated myself in his chair and tapped through his computer to track the license plates. It took around five minutes, but I found them on the map. On the highway between here and... And Minnesota? 

What the hell is Adeline doing in Minnesota? I looked at the screen in confusion. I quickly printed out the map and folded up and shoved it into my back pocket. I took a deep breath and walked out into the hall. Casually through the lobby to the parking lot. The cops would be planning on keeping things from me to protect me. I needed the full story. 

I jumped into the passengers seat and shoved Tré into the backseat, placing the map in front of Mike's nose. 

“Take me there.” I pointed.

He raised his eyebrows “To Minnesota?” 

I nodded “It's where she is. According to Randy's computer.” 

His eyes narrowed “Are you supposed to have this?...”

I shrugged “Yeah, well I mean... I'm apart of the case right...?”

He raised them Skeptically.

“No.” I answered quickly. “So now would be a good time to get driving.”

We backed out and drove quickly down the streets. I felt all giddy to see Adeline again. Her smiles and kisses. 

Adeline's Point of View 

I woke up and struggled to sit up. Realizing my hands were bound together again, I sighed at the repetitiveness of Jack's mood swings. The happy mood would only last so long before he got paranoid that he was being followed again and took twenty plus shortcuts to avoid detection. If there was one word that really described Jack, it was Paranoia 

And jackass, creep, psycho, among many, many others. 

I yawned and tried to rub my eyes. The attempt didn't last long. I just sighed and sat up straight. Realizing the car was stopped and I was alone. I felt  happy at the realization and moved to try to open the door, it was locked. Which wasn't much of a surprise. But my ankles wouldn't move. I peeked over the edge of the seat and found them handcuffed to the bar under the seat. My feet tied together, he really thought this through. 

The windows were tinted to dark to get anyone's attention. And he left on the radio too loud to drown out any screams I'd attempt to make. 

I saw that he'd left his backpack behind though. I looked out the window and could see him in the window of the confirmed store we were parked in front of. I peeked up out the window to see a street sign. It didn't help me much. I reached over the seat after a moments hesitation and dug through his bag and found his bulky chunk of plastic cell phone, I looked through his recent calls and found one contact labeled "Brad". 

That brought back bitter memories of our Brad. My murderer. Everything in the end had made me stronger, bug still scarred me in ways I could never describe in words. I decided to call the number. Stupid as it seems. It rang three times and I considered just hanging up. Then someone answered...

“Hello? Jack.” 

“No... This is your prisoner, Adeline.” I growled.

“Ah Adeline! Did Jack tell you to call?”

I glanced around myself, he still wasn't coming, “Umm yeah, sure.”

“Do  you remember me, Adeline? Once upon a time...” he sighed contently and I couldn't place his voice. The service was shit and his voice was cracking.

“No.” I snapped. Pushing end call before Jack could see me with his phone and punish for that too... I'd swear the guy enjoyed punishing people. He killed both Jake and Jess this morning in the cop shooting. But he did it in purpose. Said during the drive they were plain out annoying. So he shot them both during one of his rampages. 

I'd seen a lot in the last week. Blood, gore and guns. Endless guns and weapons. Enough to make you sick to your stomach just looking at them. Maybe it was strengthening me somehow to be around this way of life. One thing is for sure though, I am definitely a different girl from the one at the beginning of the summer, fishing Ollie's burned lasagna's out of the oven.  Evolved somehow. 

Jack was coming. How long had I been asleep? His hair used to be chocolate brown. Now he walked from the convenience store with recently dyed blond hair. It didn't match him and his looks reminded me of the brooding 

He hopped into the drivers seat.

“Ah, you're finally awake.” he said apprehensively. Peeking up at me through the rearview mirror. 

“How long have I been out?” I mumbled. Looking down at my bound wrists.

“Long enough. We're almost to the Minnesota border.”

“Minnesota?” I yawned. Confused. 

He nodded and never looked back. Obviously he wasn't going go explain why we were going there. It twisted a nauseous knot in my stomach: farther and farther away from California I took a deep breath, but it didn't calm me any.

I leant against the door and looked up at the signs we passed. “How much farther?” I asked after a few minutes.

Jack sighed like I'd really just destroyed his day “Two more hours. Then you can meet my father...”

I met his eyes in the mirror. He was serious, his lips set into a smug position. 

“Who is your father?” I whispered.

“You'll know him in a heartbeat, I'm sure.”

“Brad.” I stated flatly. Recalling his contact. Jack nodded with satisfactory in the mirror. I felt sicker than I did before. 

He: Jack was Brad's son!? Brad is supposed to be in prison! How in the hell?... I, I don't... I don't have any logical explanation. Had he escaped? Been released?  I have no idea how, but in less than two hours, I'd meet him. Face to face we'll be again: this time Billie won't be there to save me. 

Billie's Point of View

We reached the Californian border in under an hour and a half: I read the map over and over and over again. Trying to be sure we were headed in the correct direction. I don't need to be all off course because I had the wrong map or had read it wrong to begin with. I haven't had to read any maps in years. And when it came down to having I read a map, I always made Mike do it. He's real geeky with directions, if you haven't noticed. He was even our official Tour Escort on tour. Or as we called him during that time, Sebastian, taxi man, Benjamin and plain out old driver man. 
I'm not sure if he liked the name choice or not. 

I looked out the passengers window as we drove on the highway that most likely, Adeline's captor also took: it'd be the quickest way to Minnesota. 

Mike said we'd be in Minnesota in less than two days. But for me, that was too long. I'd most likely go insane waiting. Adeline easily had about a day's head start on us. Witnesses of the stolen car accident said he drove well above the legal speed limit. And with that much daylight between us, I can't guarantee I'd make it in time. 

Somewhere on this highway, though... Is Adeline. Possibly scared, worried or stressed. Probably all three, knowing her. She is forced to be with that psycho in the same car