Black Cross Bar
Archie suddenly stood up and wiped his dirty hands on his pants. “I’ll show you,” he said in a raspy voice. “I’ll take you to where I last saw her.”
He climbed into the back seat of the car without asking. Joel drove. Alisha sat in front, tense, while Sam watched Archie through the rearview mirror.
They drove for almost twenty minutes, the city noise fading behind them. The road turned narrow, cracked, and swallowed by trees. The forest ahead looked thick and dark, almost untouched.
“This place is really secluded,” Alisha whispered.
When they parked, silence greeted them. No birds. No wind. Just cold stillness.
Sam stepped out and scanned the area. “There’s no house here,” he said, looking at Archie. “What were you doing here that night?”
Archie shrugged. “I sleep here sometimes. It’s quiet. No one bothers me.”
Sam leaned toward Joel and whispered, “What if he’s the one? What if Archie is the guy taking those women?”
Joel tensed. Alisha’s eyes locked on Archie, who was slowly walking toward the trees.
“Come,” Archie said. “It happened just ahead.”
None of them moved at first. A chill crawled up Alisha’s back.
Something wasn’t right.
Archie stepped closer to a crooked tree and placed his hand on the bark. “It was here,” he muttered. “I was lying right here, trying to sleep… then I heard it.”
He pressed his back to the trunk, reenacting the moment. “A woman screamed. Loud. Like she saw a monster. I looked up and—bam!—she was naked… running.”
Joel and Sam exchanged looks.
Sam’s voice turned sharp. “Archie… are you the one taking them?”
Archie froze. Then, his face twisted. His eyes went wild.
“NO!” he screamed like a madman. “I told you! A man in a black hood takes them! No one believes me! No one ever believes me!”
Alisha stepped back, heart pounding. She pulled some bills from her pocket and threw them on the ground. “Here! Just take this.”
But Archie lunged and grabbed her wrist. His grip was tight, filthy.
“You… you look like her,” he whispered, eyes gleaming. Then he brought her hand to his mouth and licked it.
Alisha screamed.
“Get off her!” Joel and Sam tackled Archie, kicking him away as he cackled like a lunatic.
“Run!” Joel yelled, pulling Alisha to the car.
They jumped in, slammed the doors, and Joel hit the gas. The forest disappeared behind them.
Sam clenched his fists. “I told you! That freak’s the one abducting them! Sick pervert!”
Alisha was shaking, scrubbing her hand furiously with alcohol. “I didn’t know… I didn’t think—”
Joel’s jaw was tight. “We’re reporting him. He’s dangerous.”
Alisha’s voice trembled. “But first… we need to go to Aubrey’s house. She’s the last one who went missing. Maybe someone there knows something.”
The black SUV rolled quietly past the guarded gates of the exclusive subdivision. The streets were clean, the houses massive, and everything looked peaceful—too peaceful.
“This place gives me the creeps,” Sam whispered, looking out the window. “It’s too quiet.”
Alisha sat straight in the front seat, eyes sharp. “This is where Aubrey Moore lived. We need to talk to her parents. Maybe they know something the police missed.”
Joel parked in front of a huge white mansion with black steel gates. The air felt cold, even though the sun was out.
Alisha rang the bell. After a few moments, the door slowly opened.
A woman with tired eyes and messy hair looked out. Her cheeks were wet from crying.
“Yes?” she said in a trembling voice.
“Mrs. Moore?” Alisha asked gently. “I’m Alisha Murphy from ABC News. This is Joel and Sam. We’re investigating the missing women… including your daughter, Aubrey.”
Mrs. Moore’s face froze. Then her eyes widened. “I know you. I’ve seen you on TV. Please… come inside.”
They stepped into the mansion. The air inside was heavy, as if sadness had soaked into the walls.
Mr. Richard Moore was already there, standing in the living room with a glass in his hand. His face was red, eyes cold.
“Our daughter’s still missing,” he said bitterly. “What do you want?”
“We want to find her,” Alisha replied. “We went to the market earlier… the one near here.”
“I used to go there with Aubrey,” Mrs. Moore said softly. “She loved the meat stalls.”
Joel stepped forward. “Do you remember a man named Archie?”
Richard frowned. “The crazy beggar? The one who talks to himself?”
Alisha nodded. “Yes. According to the police… he might’ve seen Aubrey the night she vanished.”
Mrs. Moore looked nervous. “Aubrey sometimes gave him coins. She felt sorry for him.”
“Then you need to see this,” Joel said.
He pulled out his phone and showed the video. Archie grabbing Alisha’s hand, licking it with a twisted grin. His eyes wild. His voice whispering something about “pretty girls not coming back.”
Mrs. Moore covered her mouth.
Sam spoke slowly. “We’re not sure… but what if Archie isn’t just a witness? What if he’s the one who took her?”
A loud crack echoed as Richard slammed his glass down on the table.
“If that monster touched my daughter…” he growled, eyes burning with rage. “I swear to God… I’ll find him myself.”
“We’re willing to cooperate if you ever need us,” Alisha said, handing over her calling card. “Please don’t hesitate to reach out.”
Mrs. Moore took the card with a stiff nod. Richard stood beside her, his jaw clenched in anger.
“Thank you,” Richard muttered. “We’ll talk to the police again. And if Archie’s hiding something, we’ll make sure they break him if they have to.”
“I don’t care what it takes,” Olive added, her voice shaking. “We just want our daughter back.”
Alisha gave a polite nod. “We understand.”
She, Joel, and Sam walked back to their car in silence, the wind biting through the trees. But just as they reached the gravel driveway, a soft voice called from the side of the house.
“Miss… wait!”
A young maid in uniform stepped nervously out of the shadows, eyes wide with fear.
Alisha turned. “Yes?”
The girl looked around, making sure no one else was watching. “I’m Elsa. I clean inside. I need to tell you something.”
Joel stepped closer. “Go on.”
Elsa lowered her voice. “Miss Aubrey… she didn’t go to the market that night.”
Alisha’s brow furrowed. “Then where did she go?”
“I didn’t tell Mr. and Mrs. Moore. She would’ve been mad at me. I helped her sneak out.”
“You helped her sneak out?” Sam asked.
Elsa nodded quickly. “She asked me not to say anything. She said her parents wouldn’t understand. I was scared to speak up…”
“Elsa,” Alisha said firmly, “if you know where she went, you need to tell us. Now.”
The girl’s voice trembled, “She went to a bar. It’s her favorite place to hang out at night… It’s called… the Black Cross Bar.”