Chapter 379

Victor’s POV

The caller ID on Daisy’s phone told me it was the unknown caller. Hopefully, they will speak to me this time. I touched accept and then speaker.

“Hello,” I said. “Who is this?”

A creepy, electronically altered voice answered. “I’m the person who’s going to enjoy spending your fifty million dollars, or I’ll record the world’s greatest snuff film and send you a copy.”

“Before I put together those funds, I want proof that you haven’t already made that film,” I insisted.

I needed to be sure my love hadn't been harmed. Money meant nothing to me compared with her life.

“I’ll let you talk to her tomorrow at this time,” the voice said. “Then you’ll pay up, or Daisy is dead.”

The line went dead.

“Who was that?” Benson said. “He’s positively evil.”

“He is evil,” Alex said. “The device he was using couldn’t hide who he was. It’s John Cameron.”

“He hates me and Daisy,” I agreed. “And Daisy spied on an Ice dealer the other day. She thinks John is the drug boss spotted because she saw Rodney Wells delivering a large amount of Ice to a building on campus.”

“Maybe we should start looking there,” Alex said. “Which building?”

Daisy’s phone rang again before I could answer. It was Amy.

“Victor? You’re answering Daisy’s phone,” Amy sobbed. “It must be true. Daisy has been kidnapped.”

“Yes, I’m sorry, it’s true,” I admitted. “How did you find out?”

“It’s all over TV and the internet,” Amy replied.

How did the press find out so quickly?

“Amy, Daisy was missing all night, but Alex and I just received a ransom note a few minutes ago.”

“I’m coming over,” Amy insisted. “I must know if Daisy is okay.”

Amy hung up before I could say another word, but I knew she and Daisy were like sisters. I was sorry she had to hear about the kidnapping on the news.

But who told the press? Only Alex, Benson, and myself knew. Did the kidnappers leak the story? Why?

I told Alex that Daisy’s kidnapping was all over the news, and he suggested we move to the living room and turn on the television.

After a few minutes of watching the breaking news story, I needed that drink of scotch.

“Daisy made a target of herself by hanging out with Betas,” one newscaster said. “It’s now being reported that a group of Betas have kidnapped the heiress to the Wilson family fortune.”

“Unbelievable!” Alex roared. “John Cameron leaked the story to start more trouble for the Betas.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “He’s getting a fifty million dollar payday and framing the Beta community at the same time.”

We watched several other stations while my anger and frustration grew. They all repeated the same lies that Betas took Daisy.

“John tipping off the press and lying about Daisy being taken by Betas is keeping any suspicion off him,” Alex said.

Amy hurried into the room. “Have you heard anything from the kidnappers?” she asked. Justin was behind her, along with William and Penny.

“They are calling tomorrow to provide proof that Daisy is still alive,” I said. “But every second she’s at that criminal’s mercy, the more I fear for her.”

“Is there anything we can do to help you find her?” William asked.

It was nice to see how many friends Daisy had who were eager to help. But I’m not sure what they could do.

Cassidy came into the room. She has been looking weak and tired lately. I was glad she slept in this morning.

“Daisy keeps meticulous notes on her investigations,” Cassidy said. “Most of the time, she even uses a whiteboard for her investigations.”

“I was going to look through her phone for clues when Amy called,” I said and took out Daisy’s phone.

It was locked, but we know each other’s passcodes. I entered the six-digit code when the prompt came on the screen, went to her photos, and began scrolling.

“Here’s a picture of the white van she told me about,” I said. “Daisy saw Rodney Wells use the van to deliver drugs to a campus Ice dealer in a storage building.”

“Maybe they are keeping her and Anna there,” Cassidy said. “What campus building is it?”

Amy and Justin looked over Victor’s shoulder and studied the photo.

“That’s the Reed building,” Justice proclaimed. “It’s in the older section of the campus. Student records are stored there, and I’ve heard rumors about drugs being sold there by an employee.”

“We need to check it out,” Amy declared. “I’ll go.”

“No. Let’s have an Association security team search the building instead of us,” Alex said gently. He put an arm around Amy. “Thank you for offering, my dear.”

Amy nodded. “I need to do something to help you find her.”

“I’ll order a team to search the building right away,” Alex said and made the call.

“What about Daisy’s text messages?” Penny asked. “Maybe there’s a clue there.”

“I’ll check,” I said. “It’s a good thing whoever took her didn’t take or destroy her phone.”

The last text message she received made my anger flare. “Listen to this: The panel truck is registered to Casey Cameron.”

Alex exploded. “That’s John’s wife! I knew he was involved.”

“Boy, that jerk never stops,” William said. “How much trouble does he have to make for you guys before he gives it up?”

“I’ve had enough,” I declared. “I’m getting Daisy back and John out of our lives for good.”

“Where would John Cameron keep Daisy if he does have her?” William asked.

“We will have the campus building searched,” I replied. “If she’s not there, we’ll dig deeper for more ideas.”

Benson entered the room, pushing a cart loaded with coffee, sandwiches, and pastries.

“Thank you, Benson,” Alex said. “Please tell the cook we’ll let her know when we have news about Anna.”

“Miss Wilson and Anna were working with her whiteboard just before they went to lunch and disappeared,” Benson said as he poured coffee.

“Do you know what they were talking about?” I asked.

“Something about a panel truck at an abandoned factory,” Benson replied.

I began to pace. “After the team searches the campus building, let’s examine Daisy’s whiteboard. I want to know what factory they were discussing.”

Benson made sure everyone had coffee or tea and a sandwich and a pastry. “You’ll think better if you’re properly fueled,” he insisted.

“We need to give the search team a little time,” Alex reminded me. “Have something to eat, Victor. You need to keep up your energy to find my daughter.”

I agreed because it was easier than arguing. But the coffee, sandwich, and sweet pastry sharpened my thinking.

But I felt like I was wasting time that would be better spent trying to find my beautiful mate. Losing her permanently was unthinkable.

Everyone in the room chatted while waiting for news. But the room went silent when Alex’s phone rang. He spoke to someone briefly before hanging up and shaking his head.

“The team leader said there was no sign of Daisy and Anna,” Alex reported. “But they found tens of thousands of dollars worth of Ice.”

“Why did she take chances like this?” William asked. “Messing with drug dealers is far too dangerous.”

“She wanted to help,” I stated. “Ice is ruining the lives of many young people. She wanted to help stop it from claiming any more victims.”

“It’s who Daisy is,” Amy added. I wish I had the courage to make a difference like her.”

“She’s brave and strong,” Penny said. “I wish I was more like her.”

William kissed her cheek. “I admire Daisy tremendously, but I’m glad you’re not more like her in this way. My nerves couldn’t take it.”

“Where were Daisy and Anna working, Benson?” I asked.

“The whiteboard is set up in her library,” he replied.

“Let’s go,” I said and made sure I had Daisy’s phone in my pocket. It may yield more clues.

We trouped upstairs to Daisy’s library and found the whiteboard and her notes where she left them before going to lunch with Anna.

We began to study the photos and notes on the board.

I spotted a photo and pulled it from the board. “What does this look like?”

“That’s an abandoned factory,” Alex said.

“And that’s a panel truck parked near it,” William added.

“It must be the truck from the text message,” Amy said.

Justin looked closely at the photo. “That factory looks familiar.”

“Where is it?” I asked. Was I getting a break to find my love?

“Let me think,” Justin said.

William glanced at the photo. “Justin, isn’t that factory out by where we used to ride dirt bikes?”

“That’s it!” Justin cried. “It’s on a gravel road off Route Eleven, a mile before the strip mall.”

Alex slapped me on my back. “Let’s get some backup and go rescue my daughter.”