A set-up I wouldn’t allow some “spunky” girl to ruin with her basic profiling skills.
Where did she pick those up, anyway?
9
BRIELLE
Come on, come on, pick up the phone.
Why the hell weren’t they picking up their phone? You’d think that with their daughter missing, they’d pick up any phone call that came their way.
Unless, of course, no one knew that I was missing yet.
“Hi! You’ve reached the voicemail box of—”
“Shit,” I hissed as I hung up the phone.
I barely looked at the screen before those Slenderman fingers of Dante’s came into view. He quickly plucked the phone out of my grasp, and I whipped around long enough to watch him flip it over. Off came the back cover before he tossed the battery into the trashcan from across the room. It sank with a heavythunkas I stared at him with wide eyes, watching as he slid a thin, barely-there card out of the back of the phone as well.
“What’s that?” I asked.
He strode toward the kitchen sink, tossed everything in, and turned on the water.
“A SIM card,” Dante said flatly. “Mav?”
“Already on it,” he said, handing me a new phone.
I looked at his outstretched hand precariously. “You’re going to let me try again?”
He grinned. “You’d be surprised how many of these we’ve got.”
“Take it or leave it,” Axton said with a grunt.
I shook my head as I took the phone from Maverick. “Thank you.”
While Dante cleaned up his mess, I dialed my father’s number. If Mom hadn’t picked up, then maybe he would. The phone rang in my ear, haunting me with that monotone sound as it rattled around in my head.
One ring.
Two rings.
Three rings.
“Come on!” I yelled at the phone.
Then, the heavens finally let me catch a fucking break.
“Brielle, please tell me that’s you.”
“Brielle,” Dante said as his voice appeared behind me, “lovely name.”
I shot him a look over my shoulder. “Don’t hang up, Dad, it’s me and I need you to listen closely.”
“Did you just call Mom?” he asked frantically. “Where are you? Hold on! HONEY!?”
“Twenty seconds,” Dante said.
Frustration bubbled over. “Dad, I don’t have time. Listen to me.”
