*THE HOLLEN SERIES 03*
????????????EPISODE 41????????????
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*?? MORE THAN FRIENDS ??*
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Ethan Junior’s POV
“Evan! Something is wrong with Zenia!” Jasmine called out as she came into the living room where Evan and I were looking at another movie while eating Hot-buffalo-Wild Wings.
By the mention of Zenia’s name, I froze and grew alarmed.
“What do you mean?” Evan asked her.
“Well, she called me but when I answered, she wasn’t speaking, instead I heard scuffling noises in the background. I tried calling her back but it keeps going to voicemail.” She sat down between us with crea-sed eyebrows. She called Zenia again and just as she said, it went straight to voicemail.
“Evan, something is wrong,” Jasmine repeated.
“Baby, these things happen. Could be the call connection is dropping.”
“Evan, I have a terrible feeling that something is wrong with my sister. It’s not like Zenia to call me then se-nd the call to voicemail when I’m trying to call her back.”
“You said you heard scuffling noises?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Jasmine, stop being paranoid. Zenia could have called you by accident, hence, you weren’t hearing anything than scuffling noises,” Evan dismissed.
“Fine!” Jasmine snapped and left.
________________
The next day, I met up with Evan at the office. We were going throu-ghfinancial statements when Jasmine burst throu-ghthe door, hot tears streaming down her face.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Evan grew up and pulled her against his che-st. I stood up too, something was definitely wrong.
“He called me Evan. He called me,” she cried
“Who?”
Jasmine’s cellphone chimed again and it was a video call.
“It’s him,” she muttered.
“Who?” I asked now.
Ignoring me, Jasmine answered the video call with trembling hands. Evan and I got in position where we could see the screen and my whole world shattered when I saw Zenia, tied up on a chair with blood flowing down her ne-ck.
“As the three of you can see, I do have her!” a figure spoke, with a disguised voice and wearing a mask but I had a strong feeling I knew who it was.
“Oh my God! Please don’t hurt my sister!” Jasmine yelled.
“She will get hurt if you don’t do exactly as I say!” he screamed back.
In the background, Zenia looked pretty bad. She looked like she had been beaten and dragged.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“I’ll be se-nding Jasmine three account numbers and un-der each account, you’ll transfer one billion dollars each! If it’s met, Zenia goes free.”
“Are you kidding me! We’re not giving you three billion dollars!” Jasmine yelled. She was going throu-gha mixed emotional state, and her, carrying the twins shouldn’t be going throu-ghthis.
Zenia’s kidnapper held up a gun, took it off safety and aimed it at Zenia. Before Jasmine could beg for him to differ, he shot Zenia in the leg.
She screamed with pain and my heart broke at the fact that she wasn’t next to me and I couldn’t reach to her.
“Does it look like I’m joking?” the kidnapper asked. “You have six hours to wire that money or else the next bullet would go throu-ghher head! And if she dies,” he began laughing hysterically “Well your baby dies too EJ.”
The call ended and Jasmine almost p@$$ed out. Evan rested her down on the large couch in the office and frustration appeared on his face.
“We’ve got to do something, Evan. Zenia is pregnant!” I yelled out.
“I know we have to do something EJ but how are we to know that if he gets the money, he wouldn’t kill her afterwards?”
“I’m not taking any chances with her safety. You saw how he put a bullet throu-ghher leg! If we don’t do what he says, I believe he will hurt her very drastically.”
“Okay okay! Let me think.”
“Dad!” we both said in unison after ten seconds.
___________
Dad and Mom arrived at the office. Mom took Jasmine to the doctor and afterwards, she’ll take her home and stay there with her.
“Evan, the first thing you nee-d to do is to ti-ghten up on your security. Jasmine could also be a target,” dad advised.
Evan begin making phone calls.
“What’s next dad?” I asked.
“Where’s the cellphone?” he asked.
“I’ve got it.” I handed dad the cellphone and he began browsing throu-ghit. “I’ll get my ITH guys to trace this call and the account numbers.”
“But what if it’s untraceable?”
“Nothing is untraceable, you’ve just got to know where and how to look.”
“Dad, he shot her.” I felt the tears coming out. “And she’s pregnant.”
My father pulled me in for a hu-g and I cried against his che-st. “It’s okay son, we’ll get her back and bring her home. I’ll fly out tonight.”
“We’re coming with you,” Evan blurted out.
“Evan, you should stay with Jasmine and your mother.”
“Dad, I’m married to her sister so Zenia is my family. I’m not going to stay out of this. He picked the wrong girl to kidnap and that gun he used on her, I’ll se-nd it down his throat!”
Evan was angry, dad was angry and I was broken. Zenia’s life hung in the balance and if anything happens to her, the baby wouldn’t get to see a light of day, much like the first.
“It’s that Anton guy. He’s the one doing this,” I said.
“Anton? That guy Zenia was with at the restaurant?”
“Yes,” I answered.
“How do you know that EJ?” my father asked.
“Because that’s who she went to England with and why wasn’t he kidnapped as well? He could hide behind voice disguises and an ugly mask but I know it’s him.”
“What the hell! Dad, get the black jet. We’re leaving right away. EJ, close down the tower and se-nd everyone home!” Evan ordered.
______________
Within the next two hours, we were at our private airstri-p. Evan’s car was the last to pull up on the tarmac.
We boarded our plane, fastened our seat belts and prepared for take off.
“Found out anything?” Evan asked dad.
“The account numbers are accounts from a bank in Maine and un-der the name Jerry Lee,” Dad said, “Jerry Lee, Jerry Lee. Why does that name sounds so familiar?”
“The bells are ringing,” Evan said and he looked like he was wrecking his br@in to try to recall the aforementioned name.
“Jerry Lee is Madison’s father!” I recalled correctly.
“Yes! He lived next door!” Dad said next.
“Okay, now I’m puzzled. Isn’t that guy still in jail for money laun-dering?” Evan asked.
“Yes he is. So why his account numbers?” I asked.
“Someone must had access to them.”
“Or it could be that Jerry Lee is behind this. Everyone knows he’s broke. This could be his way of getting rich again,” I said.
“I don’t believe so. Jerry Lee would know better than to cross lines with us. I think it’s beyond that.”
“Jerry is in jail and Madison’s mother is dead so that leaves…. ”
“Madison!”
′Good Afternoon the three Mr. Hollen’s. This is your pilot, please prepare for take off.′
We double checked our seat belts. The plane started down the runway and ascended into the skies.
‘Hang on Zenia. I’m coming to get you, just hang on for the baby and for me,’ I mentally spoke.
*THE HOLLEN SERIES 03*
????????????EPISODE 42????????????
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*?? MORE THAN FRIENDS ??*
??????????
??????????
Ethan Junior’s POV
With the time difference, we arrived at 9:00 p.m at night. I wanted to head directly to Anton’s father mansion since Dad had located their address but Evan had told me to stay in my hotel room for the balance of the night and begin first thing the following day.
I didn’t want to wait.
I wanted blood.
Blood for hurting the woman I still carrying feelings for and the woman carrying a baby. My baby. I was certain.
“If you don’t calm down, your angry would get the best of you and you would let everything bl-ow up in our faces before we even get to Zenia. People cannot know we’re here, EJ!” Evan yelled when I punched a hole in the wall.
“What if that was Jasmine? What if she was exactly in Zenia’s position while carrying the twins? Would you be sitting still, Evan?”
I was boiling over with rage like a tsunami making its way to land. I didn’t want to wait, I wanted to find Anton and beat him until his own mother couldn’t recognize him.
“EJ, I know how you’re feeling, but you’ve got to calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” I punched in the wall again.
“EJ! I’m not paying for any damages!” Dad called as he walked into the room to join us. “Son, listen to me. I know what you’re going throu-ghbut you’ve got to control yourself. If you carry on like this, you just might cost Zenia and the baby their lives.”
That flattened my anger. The thought of losing Zenia and the baby due to my uncontrollable angry was not an option.
I threw myself down on the couch and prayed for the night to be over, find Zenia and get the hell out of this country.
______________
At 5:00 a.m, I was up. Dad was busy typing in a computer and Evan was making phone calls.
I took a shower, got dressed in an all black clothing and waited for the ‘Go ahead’ from my father.
~~
“Let’s move!” Dad shouted after another fifteen minutes and I ran towards the door instantly.
We got into an inconspicuous vehicle. And by inconspicuous, it was cheap and so unlike me and the other two.
“I found Anton’s address but first, we’re going to see a dear friend of mine,” Dad spoke.
“Dad, this isn’t the time for visiting a friend,” I snapped.
“Would you just trust me on this? We can’t go waltzing to the house if he’s the one who has Zenia. His father would let him know that we’ve stopped by.”
“Who’s this friend of yours dad?”
“A female.”
“Please don’t tell us that you’ve been cheating on mom!”
“What! Of course not. Never had and never will, besides, Emma scares me when she gets angry.”
I laughed. I’ve never seen my mother got angry at my father. They were always loving and un-derstanding. It was like a match made in heaven between the two of them.
~~
“We’re here.” Dad stopped the car at a building that strongly resembled an old abandoned castle. It gave me the chills just by looking at it.
“Dad, what the hell are we doing here?” Evan asked as he got out the car and stared daggers at the monstrosity we stood in front of.
“Please tell me that you’re not asking for help from Selene.”
“Selene?” He was puzzled.
“Yeah. That vampire female from the movie ‘un-derworld’,” I clarified.
Evan chuckled and dad narrowed his eyes at me. “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Now come on.” He made steps towards the entrance but I quickly drew him back.
“We’re going inside?” I asked.
“Yes. She doesn’t do business out in the streets. Stop being girls and come on.” He took Evan and I by the shoulders and pushed us throu-ghthe gates, up a flight of steps and throu-ghthe main door of the building.
“Ethan. I’ve been expecting you,” a feminine voice spoke and it echoed throu-ghout the house. I looked around for the person but there wasn’t a soul in sight except for Evan and dad and me of course.
Yep, definitely a vampire.
“Sorry for being late,” dad apologized.
“Who are you talking to?” I leaned in and asked quietly.
“Be quiet!” dad snapped.
I stepped back and observed the interior of the house/ castle/ – whatever the hell we were in.
A woman, wearing a long red dress, made her prese-nce be known. She walked down a flight of stairs and made her way up to my father. She possessed long black hair, dark grayish blue eyes, olive skin and a friendly smile.
“Boys, this is my IP. Information Provider. And a dear long time friend of mine. Annastacia.”
Annastacia, these are the boys. Evan and EJ.”
“Hey boys.” She greeted. “Ethan, lets get down to business.”
She made a beeline towards the door.
“Should she be out in the sunlight?” Evan joked. Dad lightly sma-cked him behind the head and we followed Annastacia outside.
_____________________
“This is the Mc Calister’s mansion,” Annastacia directed as the car came to a halt.
“Nice place,” dad complimented.
I scoffed. Our mansions were twice times bigger and better.
“Yeah. I’ve found out that Mr. Mc. Calister is the typical man-who-re so getting to him would be easy. He’s divorced. Ex wife lives in your country. Anton Mc Calister is his only son but he has two daughters. I’ve yet to find their names but I’m sure I can find that out by his own mouth,” Annastacia informed.
“Okay. So how exactly are we doing this?” I asked. It was my girlfriend’s life on the line.
“I’m going to pretend to be interested in Mc. Calister and learn some of his secrets.”
“How long is that se-duction going to take?” I asked impatiently.
Annastacia eyed me then turned to dad. “You didn’t explain things to him?”
Without waiting for him to answer, she turned back to me, “My dear boy, in a case like this, your actions cannot be rushed. If you let your emotions get the better of you, you’ll lose easily. This isn’t a Mario game where you can rush in, beat the dragons and save the princess. We have a plan and we have to stick to it.”
“I don’t even know the plan!” I shouted.
“EJ! Annastacia was nice enough to do this for us at the last minute. She’s going to pretend to fall for Mc Calister and get information from him on Anton and where he might be keeping Zenia. Once she’s on his heel, we’ll be right there with her.”
“Sounds good to me,” Evan chipped in.
“And here comes Anton Mc Calister,” she said.
Another car pulled throu-ghthe drive way and from the distance, I noticed it was him. He threw something into the trunk of the car before going for the door.
“See what’s in that trunk once you can,” dad commanded to her.
“I know the drill, Ethan.”
She got out, fixed her dress and walked onto the Mc Calister’s property.
_____________
Back at the hotel room, I was becoming restless. I hated that I couldn’t have done anything but to wait.
Zenia’s life was in the hands on a stranger. A stranger to me at least.
Dad’s cellphone rang.
“It’s Annastacia.” He put the phone on loudspeaker and we gathered around him.
“Ethan, I found what was in the trunk.”
“What was it?” We asked together
“It’s a baby size casket.”
TO BE CONTINUED….