Keep it low or i pull the trigger

"And,where are the ladies?"Skyler asked while coming in, bringing their absence known to others.

They glanced around.

"Yeah,where are they"Sam let's out a breath.

"I saw Rose walking out but,I didn't notice Annie doing that"Sam added.

Larry moved away from the ladies and went to search around the house.

He charged up stairs and opened the door swiftly and it was empty.

He went to the restroom but still,no Annie.

What... what the?...

He went back downstairs.

"I asked the gateman,he said they went out for what they called *just a short stroll*"Sam informed walking back inside.

"Just a short stroll?"Larry repeated.
"Yeah. Both the girls."

Larry scoffed.

"And why don't I trust that statement?"

"You just have to. You know,this ladies just like...."
"No, Garry. We are fucking in the night,so,where would they go?. They don't even know their way around,what if they are just wandering through the cold night"Larry said with concern.

Then,the fact hit the others.

"What about Annie?,she has been here for..."Garry was saying but Larry interrupted him.
"She also don't know the way around. She left home in the morning and return at night and on Sundays we spend the day together in the house since it's her only free day off work."

"What if you call them?"one of the ladies suggested.

"Yea,yeah...call them...."
Larry's breaths were unsteady as he fished his phone out of his pocket.

His hands were visibly shaky as he dialed Annie's number.

The line got connected and it started to ring.
First ring....

Then,a phone started ringing in the room.

They all turned to look at each other.

Larry traced where the phone ringtone was coming from,and when he got there,he found a phone on the couch.

"She...she dropped her phone at home..."he was at the verge of crying.

"Let me try Rose's number"
Skyler said and shoved his phone out and started calling her number.

Her phone began ringing on the center table.

"Fuck!"Garry muttered.
"Why I'm I having a bad feeling about this?"Larry asked with a muffled cry and turned to look at them. He was holding Annie's phone in his left hand.

"I suggest we wait. We shouldn't get ourself too worked up"Garry said.

"Yeah,I also think so. They might be on a stroll just like they told the gate man"Sam added.

"I hope so. I hope so."Larry mumbled to himself and slumped on the nearest cushion wiped down his face which was getting soak with tears.
*
Annie eyes snapped open to the full pang of pain occurring in her head.

Her eyes first came in contact to the bulb that changes color each time.

Each color rotates around in her Iris and she closed her eyes after a moment.

When did Larry changed the bulb in the room?.

Oh. She is feeling so much pain on her head.

What happens?

She tried to recollect what happens as she held her head in her hands.

The latest events came flashing in ...
Simultaneously,the door opened.

She looked up at it and her mom dropped open when she saw the guy in front of her.

He smirked and closed the door and started moving closer to her.

"Don't come closer!"she screamed while moving back on the bed.

"Wakie...wakiee...."he smiled.
"Seems you remember me,little bitch. You might have the chance to escape the ship back then, but,know this, there's no escape route here"
**
The blaring siren and frequent sound of shots woke Rose up.

She gently opened her eyes and freaked out when she saw different faces staring down at her and some were taking pictures.

She quickly sat up.

"Miss..miss,are you alright?"she heard and turned to see a cop.

Huh?

She quickly stood up.
Where is she?

*I found her lying on the floor this early morning and so I called the cops*
*Woa; really?, that's so bad. Did she probably drank too much?*
*She doesn't look like she drank anything*
*She looks okay to me. So,what could have went wrong?*

They continue taking enormous pictures of her.

Alright, what the hell?.

Her eyes caught one of Annie's slippers on the floor and she bends down to take it.

Now,she remembers.

*What the hell?*
*I've never seen this in my entire life. Someone sleeping on the floor in the open?. What a surprise*

Rose took to her heels immediately but the problem was,she doesn't know where she is going as she doesn't know the way back to the mansion.
*
"It's morning already and I still haven't seen Annie!"Larry yelled.

"C'mon, Larry,relax a lil bit..."
"Don't tell me to relax, Garry!. I don't wanna hear that. Relax,relax. That's all I've been getting from you since last night!. You probably don't know the feeling because you've not been in love before!. You don't even know what it means to be loved or be in love!. Just shut the damn up!"

Garry stared at him for a moment and sighed.
"Alright,I know. I've not been in love but,at least, I'm not as weak as you. Look at you, what does been in love offer you?. Problems!,problems all the time. I'm not and I don't wanna be in anything called Love because it damages easily."he shouted.

They both stood, looking at each other.

They had the same expression on their faces and were both fuming in great anger.
It felt like they both are looking at themselves in the mirror.

"Aish, I'm outta here already!. You Deal with your shits alone"Garry said and walked away.

"That was harsh of you."Sam said lowly.

"And I don't care. Do I look like I care?"
"If you don't,you won't be asking me that,I believe."Sam replied.

"Keep it low, please. We should be here thinking not going on yelling about."Skyler said.
"Now, Larry,where did you think Annie might be??"

"Now, that's the most dumbest question I've ever heard in the world. Do you...."

"Larry!"Skyler called.
"Pull it together. I can't tolerate your irrational act!"he snapped.

Larry breathed out heavily and scattered his hair.
"I'm going crazy here, I'm going crazy. Don't you feel anything?,you didn't see your girlfriend since last night and you seems so cool?."

"I'm not cool. Infact, I'm more angry than you are but,we have to calm down our nerves to find out where they are."
"Now,do you know where Annie might be?"

Larry gave a nod
"I think I do."
"Where?"
"Her mom's house. That's the only place I know you're can go."
**
He placed a knock on the gate and few minutes later, Rosetta opened up.

"It's been sure a long time, doctor."she smiled.

Larry gave a nervous smile.
"Yeah, ma'am..."

"So, what warrant your visit?"she asked.

Larry paused. She's asking why he is there.
If Annie is here then,she wouldn't be asking that question, right?.
She would have probably know he came to see her if she is here.

"Doctor...."she called, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"No... nothing, ma'am. Actually,I was passing by,so,I thought I shouted branch by to offer a 'Hi' since it's been long...we see each other."he lied.

"Oh, that's so nice of you, Larry,so nice. I'm glad my daughter met and fell in love with someone like you. Thank you. This is the first time someone will visit just to check up on me."

"It's... it's actually.. nothing."he gave a faux smile.

"What about Annie?. I hope she's doing pretty fine?. I've really missed her. We are always talking on phone in the past weeks. So bad of her not to come visiting. I guess she's really enjoying your company there and choose to dump her mom!"

Okay. There is the truth again. If Annie is there,she wouldn't be asking him about her.

Larry stifled a laugh.
"Ma'am!"
"Anyways,I will tell her to come visit."

"Alright. Come in,let me make you some tea."
"No,ma. Thanks for the offer. I have to go now."
"Okay"
"Bye."
"Byeee..."
And she closed the gate.

Larry walked back to his car.

"News. Bad or good?"Skyler asked.
"Really bad."
He replied stepping inside the car.

Skyler bit his lip and scoffed.
"Why would she even go out when she knows she doesn't know the area. God, I'm sure gonna give you an earful when you come back, Rose."

"Let's go"Larry mumbled resting his head against the window.

Skyler started the engine and drove away.

He drove inside Larry's street and as he made to turn the car around,he almost hit a lady.
He panicked.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!"she shouted in fright.

Wait... it's Rose!.
*
"Who...what are you doing... what I'm I doing here?... where I'm I?"

"Save the question, princess. You sure seems a hot shot. Don't worry,I will get you back on that ship heading to Iraq."

Annie heart fell into her mouth.

Oh,no,no.

She shouldn't have gone out in the first place.
But she was all just so stubborn.
The short stroll she said she was gonna have it's now leading to dangerous stroll.

By the way... Rose!.
What about her?
Is she also here?.

"What about my friend?, what have..."
"Relax. We don't need your friend. You're the one we want."

We?
That's sure a collective noun.

Meaning he is not the only one involve in this.

A part of her is glad because they didn't took Rose because she would have felt downcasted given the case they took her because she surely told her it's dangerous going out for a stroll.

Another person came in through the door.

Alright... no way!,.

Rico!!!!.

He came to stand in front of her and scoffed.

"So, you're the pretty damsel that made me lose my job. You're just dead."he said and then the next thing,she found herself lying on the bed with him unbuckling his belt.

After chugging down a whole glass of wine, Rose breathed out a sigh.

She told them everything that happened.

"I...I didn't quite saw the guy's face but if...if I see,I guess I can still point him out..."

Larry sprang up, took the car keys and went out.

"Where are you going?"Skyler asked.
"Somewhere I have to"he replied.
*
Getting in front of Boyd's house,he got down and went to knock on the gate.

The gate soon was opened and he requested to see Boyd.

"I'm...."

Larry shoved the guard to the side and walked in.

"Hey,sir,you can't..."

"Try to stop me.."he rolled his eyes, walking to the entrance.

Boyd then came out and seeing Larry,he let's out a scoff.

How did he know his house.
Well... Annie. She probably told him.

Larry moved to him and took hold of his collar.

"Where. Where is Annie. Where did you hide her?"

Larry look confused than ever.
What's... what's wrong with him.

"You came here to ask about Annie?. So dumb."Boyd said and yanked Larry's hands off his collar.

"Don't play, ignorance. You took her,you..."

"Get it together,man. Why would I take her?. Just give me one reason why I would do that."

Larry sighed and rested his back on the wall.

"What happens?."Boyd later asked.
"I...I...Annie is missing.."

Boyd's eyes popped out.

"You don't..."
"I mean it."

"Wow. She went missing in your watch?. I'm really disappointed. After all the acts you pulled up?."

"I feel horrible."Larry sobbed.

"This is not the time for that. She might be in danger. We need to act fast. Do you have any thing or idea probably on who might be?"

"I ..I don't know. But,the lady that was with her before she got abducted saw the man."

"And who did she say it was?"

"She doesn't know. She said she didn't see him properly but at least,she could still point him out."

"Well, that's still good. Where is she?"
**
Larry and Boyd moved inside his mansion.

They met Rose with Skyler in the room and also, Garry, only that he was sitting in the corner of the room instead,alone.

"Where did you go?"Skyler asked.

Garry put on his head phone and rested his head on the chair he was putting on.

Boyd gaze traveled over to him and he was shocked.

What the hell??...

He turned to look at Larry,then,at Garry.

"Aren't you the one here,and also there?"he gibbered.

"Seems so."Larry replied.

"No,no. This is crazy!. Is my eyes now playing tricks with me??"

"We are twins. So, let's get to work. Time isn't just on our side."

"Ah.. that explains it...but, seriously!. One could mistakenly take you for each other. You look damn alike."Boyd nodded.

"Yeah?. Get your ass over here,Mr Boyd."Larry scoffed.

Boyd glanced at Garry for the last time before settling on a chair.

"Is she the one?"he asked referring to Rose and Larry nodded.

Boyd brought out his phone and went to a folder he named *friends and family* in his gallery.
He has all the pictures of his friends and family stored there.

He tapped on Alberto photo and showed it to her.
"Here,miss. Take a look at it. Is he the one that took Annie?. If not,then swipe to the right to move to another pic."

She collected it and titled her head.
She shook her head and swiped to the right to another pic which is Herald. She swiped again to Carlton..again to Parker and then....after staring at the picture over and over,she finally let's out...

"He is the one!. This is him!!"she shouted.

They all stared at her.

Boyd collected the phone from her and lo and behold, it's Keeton.

"I...he is the one!"Rose repeated.

Larry grabbed the phone from him.

"I don't even know him"he scoffed after gazing at the picture.
"But, just what the hell did he want with her?"

"I know him. Infact, he's my friend. I didn't know he would actually think of taking this too far like this. It was just a simple flirt in the begining when we went to a dinner party together"

"Simple flirt!"Larry exclaimed.
"Oh,wow!."he added sarcastically.
"And,did you just say dinner party?. Wow,you guys must have been having a lot of fun and damn you prick, you brought this on her. Why on Earth do you have to take her on that dinner party?!!!"

"Excuse me,young man. I won't have you yell at me!. It's not just a dinner party, it's more like a business...so please...shove your ride words back into your mouth"

"That's just the point. You take things too serious. You were suppose to find ways to get Annie out but here you are...."Garry said.

Larry sighed.
"Alright, I'm sorry. What should we do?"

Boyd bit his lip and scoffed.

He collected his phone and dialed Keeton's number.

He picked up after a while...

"What's up man?"
**
"What's up man?"he said into the phone, looking at Annie.

Rico and the other man who was apparently one of the men on the ship when Pedro was sending Annie to Iraq.

He came in just in time to stop Rico from raping her.

Annie was on the bed, sulking.

He had men standing at his back.

"Where are you right now?"Boyd asked. Tapping his location at the other end.

"Me?. Why do you ask?"

"Just...well,can we meet today?"

"No?"
"Why?"
" 'cause I'm busy."he simply replied.
"Oh,I see... alright...bye.."
"Yeah"and he hang up the call.

"That was your boss"he told Annie.
Annie face snapped up.
"Bo... Boyd??"
"Yes, Boyd!. I will keep you in here for a while before I figure out what I'm gonna do with you."

*This is really crazy...*Annie thought.

"And, you punks..."he turned his gaze to Rico and the other man.
"Simple instructions,you refused to adhere to. I said no 'one touches her' but you punks went ahead at touching,not even ordinary touch..rape her?"

"We... I'm sorry sir. I..I..." Before he could complete his words,a sound filled the room and immediately,the room became silent as ever as Annie watched the sight in front of her in horror.

Did...did he just shot him?.

The other man moved back,afraid.

"Please,sir... please,he was the only one who...."

"Shush it. I was gonna kill you both after all. I could have had a rethink given you guys didn't went out of the line."he replied coldly and shot him dead.

Annie couldn't take it anymore as she let's out a scream.
She was frightened.
She has only watch someone being shot dead in films.
This is the first time she would be seeing someone being shot in real life and...oh!!!!

Keeton point the gun to her.
"Keep it low,or,I pull the trigger!"
*