The Bullworth Never Ending Story

[BloodChuckZ]

Tony decided to handle his mission alone, while Nick was dispatched to gather up Laurent, Constantinos, and Ray and invite them to come along with them to the planned Boat Show out in the Vale Bay.  When darkness came, they could all go up to the Lighthouse Overlook to watch the Fireworks Show. 

Tony got his bike, the Flame Job BMX, out of the East Side Garage Bay where it was being stored.  He ran his hands along the frame.  It had been awhile since he had even ridden the bike he had so lovingly built and used to win some races with.  Other events had gotten in the way, and he had just plain not really had the time to go riding.  But that would change now.  If the peace held at the school, he’d be able to spend more time away, if he chose.  It suddenly occurred to him that he should buy Karen her own bike too, so they could go riding together.  Her birthday was coming up next month, he just might as well get her an early birthday present.

Tony biked from the Parking Lot to the road, then crossed the South Bridge.  There was plenty of traffic on Vale Boulevard as he headed towards the tunnel and went through it, at last parking his bike in the bike rack in front of the Carnival.  He undid the chain lock from under the seat and then chained to bike to the rack by it’s frame.  Then he entered the Carnival, having to pay $2 to get in. Billy Bob must have jacked up his prices, he thought wirily, as he made his way down the crowded Midway.  He headed towards the rides, then did a turn and made his way to the Freak Show House.

Entering, he moved down the hall until he came to a particular window, and looked in.  There sat Paris, still fat as ever, stuffing her bearded face and watching TV.  Beside her sat Algie.  Tony rapped on the window to get Algie’s attention.  When Algie looked over at him, Tony pantomimed that he wanted to meet him outside.  Algie nodded that he understood, and Tony went outside to wait.

It took Algie about five minutes to show himself.  Tony beaconed him around to the side of the Freakshow House for a little privacy.  “Whadda want ?, Algie asked, when the were mostly away from any prying eyes. 

“Just a Report”, Tony said.  “You been keeping a watch on those Air Rifles like we agreed ?”

“Oh, Yes”, Algie said, in a less belligerent tone.  “There’s still five of them left.  I guess that.....Jake didn’t steal them all.  They’re chained to the counter now at the Shooting Range, and at night, Crystal takes them to the Fun House and they’re locked away in a room there before the Fun House is locked up for the night.”

“I see”, Tony said.  “Very good.  What else is going on around here ?”

“Well....”, Algie began, “Freeley makes fun of me, a lot, and Dorsey makes me tote all the trash every night”, he complained.  “Zeke and Lighting are always fighting over my Paris....”  Here he blushed.  “And, oh, Hector and Brandy are going to have a real Midget Wedding Ceremony tomorrow night.  Mr. Crane says that it will be a big draw !”

Tony had to smile.  “That’s....Great, Algie.  Just great.  Keep it up, and I’ll bet that you’ll be able to get to come back to school this fall for sure.”

“You really think so ?”, Algie asked.  “I really miss my fellow Knights.....I know they probably hate me, but I still miss them.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say ‘Hate’, maybe just dislike would be a better word there”, Tony said in return.  “But you know, when I tell them what you’re doing here, having a hand in keeping us protected and all, I think they’ll change their minds.”

“Ohhh, I hope so !”, Algie blubbered, tears springing to his eyes.  He pulled off what looked like new glasses and wiped his eyes quickly.

“Oh, and here, this is for you”, Tony said, handing him the fifth cell phone he had just bought earlier.

“A Cell Phone !!”, Algie said in amazement.  “How did you get this ?”

Tony swept his arm around.  “They’ve put up a Cell Tower, so one of the stores in selling them now.  But, this phone is just for reporting.  It’s restricted to just mine and Nick’s numbers, which I’ve entered in there.  If you see anything suspicious....And I mean ANYTHING.....Call us right away, understand ?”

“Yeah, Sure, sure I will !!”, Algie exclaimed.  “You can count on me !”

“I hope so”, Tony said.  “You do well on this mission, and things will be getting better for you, I can promise that.”

Satisfied,  Tony left then, winding his way back through the Carnival.  He stopped to take a turn on the High Striker before he left.  Since he had to pay to get in, he might as well take advantage of it, even though it cost him an extra buck.  Still, he rang the bell, for which he received some prize tickets, which he stuffed in his pocket to cash in later.  Outside the gates, he collected his bike and rode back to the school to round up Karen and his friends.  He was thinking a meal at the Chef’s French Restaurant might be just the thing before they headed off to the festivities.

As he turned into the long road that led to the Parking Lot, those eyes watched from a distance, near the pathway opposite the front of Bullworth Academy.  They were still watching as Tony and his friends left a while later, headed to Bullworth Vale.
_______________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Hundreds and Hundreds of people were lined along the Beachwall, watching the Boat Races out in the Bay.  The walk-out pier was packed, with just a slim walkway in the middle to navigate the way.  A vast plethora of boats were racing about the Bay, some had been brought up the river from the ocean, but most had been brought in on trailers and off-loaded onto the branch river that was fed by the Bullworth Dam, that being the only place with ramps big enough to drive the trailers down to the water’s edge.

To everyone’s surprise, Laurent had brought along a girl, whom he introduced as Nina.  She was one of the new ones, Tony saw, but not one of those Reform School girls.  At first she was rather shy around the others, but by the time that the group was eating at the Chef’s French Restaurant, she seemed to open up and be somewhat more at ease.  She seemed like a nice girl, and Tony was happy for his friend.  By the time they had finished up their meal and were walking towards the beach area, Karen nudged Tony and pointed.  Walking ahead of them just a ways, Laurent and Nina were holding hands. 

Tony and the others had managed to wedge themselves into a place at the end of the walk-out pier.  They watched as the speed boats up and down the length of the bay.  It was a fine late summer’s afternoon, clear skies and sparkling water.  There was a heat wave coming, the forecasters said, but today was the kind of day that was just about as close to perfect as one could get.  Even the very air had an energizing quality, and the light breeze seemed to scrub everyone with a fresh vitality, washing away from the valley all the ugliness of the past year.

Cigarette Offshore Power Boat Racing

Time seemed to pass quickly, as it always did when things are pleasant and good.  Before they knew it, the Boat Races were winding down, and some of the crowd was dispersing.  Tony suggested they get on up to the Overlook so they could get good spots by the rail for the Fireworks Show.  But Ray seemed to be in some discomfort.

“Im hungry again !”, he complained.  “Can’t we go eat somewhere ?”

“You’re always hungry”, observed Constantinos with a smirk.  “Bottomless Pit.”

“The Chef’s crème de la crème was not enough for you ?”, Laurent guffawed, shaking his head.

Tony didn’t want to delay too long, but Nick had an Idea.  “Why don’t we stop by the Burger Place and pick up some takeout ?  We’re gonna need something to snack on while we watch, right ?  Won’t take too long.”

The idea was met with a chorus of agreement, and so the group headed to the Burger Place, where they had great fun just walking up to the drive-thru window and ordering there, laughing uproariously about not having a car.  They got a bag of burgers for Ray, and the rest got Tarts and Fruit Pies as snacks.  Sufficiently stocked, they walked the short distance to the stairway next to Shinjo’s that would take them up to meet the dirt switchback road that went up to the Overlook.

As they so moved, the watching eyes followed, always keeping a safe distance.
____________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

The West and Northwest sections of Old Bullworth Vale sat up much higher than the rest of the Vale Valley, more than 50 feet higher in most places.  The far Western section, where the mountains crowded in towards the Bay, the drop was a sheer one of more than 100 feet to the water.  To gain access to the valley, the early inhabitants had found it necessary to carve out a tunnel that ran right underneath where the small Lighthouse Overlook Park was now located.  It was through this tunnel that the carnival could be accessed, and that the only road in or out of the Towns could be found.

The homes that sat up on the plateau in the Northwest section of the Vale were the residences of the wealthy and well-to-do.  Much as castles were built on higher ground, where the privileged could lord it over the lower classes, so had this section of the Vale been built, where the Manors and Estates of the ultra-rich were planted all along the twisty winding Vale Valley Road.  However, when the stores and shops expanded south from the upscale business section of the Vale to to Vale Boulevard and almost the beach itself, a problem arose.  It had been judged too steep to build the Vale Valley Road directly to that upscale business area, and so it was built much further to the north, where it junctioned with Town Hall road, which ran South from District Street and then to the North, eventually meeting with the Bullworth-Vale Road.  Therefore, the planners came up with two pedestrian shortcuts that would not inconvenience or delay those well-to-do folk who wanted to take a short stroll into the shops and stores.

From the level of Vale Boulevard, where a short street (aptly called Hill Street) rose higher to the North, the Ice Cream Place was located on the corner.  From there, a wide set of steps on the sidewalk led up to the next level, which went past the front of Shinjo’s Restaurant.  Between Shinjo’s and the next building to the North, the Scuba Shop, a set of steeply ascending steps had been built rising to the West, where they topped out into a patio area.  A short turn to the South led to the Dirt Road, which led to the Overlook one way, and switch-backed down the steep mountainside to end up at the beach by the Lighthouse (and the Prep’s Beach House) going the other way.  It was these stairs which Tony and his friends climbed this evening on the way to the Overlook. 

On the other side of the Scuba Shop, Under a archway, another set of steeps steeply rose to the West also.  These were much longer, containing two landings, for they eventually climbed to Vale Valley Road, at the point just before it crossed a short bridge over a culvert.  It was this way that the Idle Rich could easily make their access to the business district and thence to the shops beyond, and was also at the point where the short Hill Street turned East to become District Street, which led directly in front of the Burger Place where it sat on the corner with Town Hall Road. 

It was to be because of the convergence of this long-ago architectural design with unexpected timing, chance happening, and just plain bad luck that a quick drama was going to play itself out on this very night.....The circumstances of which would plunge Tony and his friends into a desperate quest.
____________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

A sizable crowd was already at the Overlook when they arrived.  Tony, Nick, and Constantinos found an opening on the South railing overlooking the Carnival and squeezed in, while the others packed in behind them. There was still a few minutes left to the Fireworks show, and they joked somewhat about the cramped conditions.  Then, suddenly, far below in front of the Carnival gates, two large Fireworks Pinwheels sprang to life, and loudspeakers placed in strategic locations all along the bay blared out, “ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLE ?!?!?!”



Lets get ready to Rumble - Jock Jams

As the Rumble Song was playing, the first bursts of Fireworks appeared, shot off from the lot just West of the Carnival, where the Go-Kart track was being reconstructed.  The crowd jostled for a better look, pushing back Karen and Melody, who had been right behind Tony and Nick.  Similarly, Laurent and Nina were also pushed to the side by the surge of the crowd.  Only Ray was able to hold his position, and his bag of burgers, due to his size.  There was a lot of talking and noise from the crowd. 

Awsome fireworks show

The Fireworks lagged for a little bit, then resumed.  Tony and Nick at the rail fought for some better space, shoving off people to their left.  This at least got the tall tree down below out of their way that was blocking some of some of their view, and allowed a bit more space for Karen, Melody, Laurent and Nina to push forward.  Ray was able to hold his original position, but was now more focused on gulping down the burgers from his bag than watching the show.

Then, the show begin to get more intense.  The crowd surged again, this time completely cutting off Laurent and the three girls from Tony, Nick, and Constantinos in the front of them.  At the same time, the speakers begin to blare out “Party In The USA", making hearing anyone difficult.

Miley Cyrus - Party In The U.S.A.

So I put my hands up, they’re playin’ my song,
The butterflies fly away, I’m noddin’ my head like’ Yeah !!
Movin’ my hips like. Yeah !!
Got my hands up, they’re playin’ my song,
They know Im gonna be okay,
YEAAAH !! Its a party in the USA !!
YEAAAH !! Its a party in the USA !!

Feel like hoppin’ on a flight {on a flight}
Back to my hometown tonight {town tonight}
Something stops me everytime {everytime}
The DJ plays my song and I feel alright.

So I put my hands up, they’re playin’ my song,
The butterflies fly away, I’m noddin’ my head like’ Yeah !!
Movin’ my hips like. Yeah !!
Got my hands up, they’re playin’ my song,
They know Im gonna be okay,
YEAAAH !! Its a party in the USA !!
YEAAAH !! Its a party in the USA !!

As the song played on and the brilliant bursts over the Bay lit up the night sky, Melody was becoming uncomfortable.  Short as she was, just a touch over five feet tall, she felt dwarfed by the people around her.  And added to that, another uncomfortable feeling now presented itself.

She tugged on Karen’s sleeve.  “I have to go to the Bathroom !”, she said as loud as she could, without being too loud as to be overheard.

“Really Mel ?  Can’t you hold it ?”, Karen answered back.  “There’s no place to go here !”

“No, I can’t, not much longer”, Melody said, “I feel like I’m gonna pee myself !”

Karen considered. “About the closest places are the Porta-Johns at the Park or back at the Burger Place.”

“Ugh, I’m not going use those gross, smelly Outhouses”, Melody made a face. “I’d rather go to the Burger Place bathrooms.  Karen, will you come with me ?”

“Uh...Sure, I guess so”, Karen answered. “We should tell the boys, though.”  She began calling, “Tony !!  Tony !!”

But the crowd had jostled the gap between them even wider.  Karen’s shouts went unheard in the noise from the crowd, the blaring music, and the Fireworks.  Finally, she gave up and pushed her way over to Laurent. Nina was clinging on his arm, looking a bit frightened from the crowd pressing in around her.

“I’m Going With Melody To The Bathroom At The Burger Place”, she shouted. “Tell Tony And Nick, OK ?”

“Are You Sure That Is Safe ?”, Laurent said back loudly, in order to be heard. “Want Us To Go With You ?”

“Psh, It’s Safe Enough, You Guys Don’t Have To Go”, Karen retorted, than added jokingly, “There’s Plenty Of People Around !  Just Tell The Boys, We Should Be Back In About 15 Minutes !”

Laurent shrugged, then nodded to show he understood.  Karen and Melody began pushing their way to the back of the crowd.  They finally emerged near the entrance to Overlook Park and made their way towards the Dirt Road.  There were still lots of people there, but very much thinned out from what was jammed in at the Overlook.  The two girls began walking down the Dirt Road towards the cutoff that went to the steps.

As they had emerged from the Overlook and began walking away, a figure dressed in Ninja Black pulled out a Walkie-Talkie and began frantically speaking into it.
____________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

As Karen and Melody got to the top of the steps, they heard what sounded like a nearby muffled BOOM !!! 

Unknown to them, an unexploded Fireworks shell had dropped from the sky and had landed on the decking of the Dry Seaman’s Bar a couple of blocks away, where it promptly blew up and caught the deck on fire.  When they reached the bottom of the steps between Shinjo’s and the Scuba Store, what people remained on Hill Street, and that had been hanging about the Burger Joint, were now running down towards Vale Boulevard to get a look, as people are apt to do wherever a fire is concerned.

But the girls paid no attention to that as the hurried up the walk in front of the Scuba Store.  The Burger Joint was in sight to their right, and Melody was practically dancing now, trying to hold her bladder.  As they passed the archway where the second set of steps that led up to Vale Valley Road lay, they had their eyes fixed ahead on their destination.  The streets were now suddenly empty of all people, but in the shadows under the archway, two black-clad figures moved forward swiftly.

Melody was lagging about a step behind Karen, walking a bit funny from trying to hold her pee.  Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind by a powerful arm around her throat, while the hand of the other arm pressed a fowl-smelling rag over her mouth.  The rag was soaked in Chloroform, and as she attempted to breathe, the drug quickly knocked her out.

Karen heard Melody’s muffled noises slightly behind her and began to turn.  But before she could even look, she too was grabbed by a second figure and a Chloroform rag was plastered over her mouth.  Karen, being stronger, attempted to struggle, even stomping her foot onto her attacker’s instep.  But she too had to breathe, and in whiffling a couple of breaths of the drug, she too passed out.

The two black-clad figures dragged the girls backwards towards the arch.  Made unconscious by the drug, Melody’s bladder relaxed and she pissed herself, the urine soaking her panties and coursing down her legs onto the pavement.  The attackers quickly dragged the girls up the two flights of steps and onto Vale Valley Road, where a nondescript black car was waiting.  The driver popped the trunk, and the two girls were unceremoniously dumped inside and the trunk slammed.  The black-clad figures swiftly got in the car and it sped off.  As they did so, a Fire Siren could be heard in the distance.

The entire abduction had taken only 30 seconds, and there were no witnesses.
______________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Up on the Overlook, the muffled blast of the errant Firework went unnoticed amid all the noise of the people, the loud music, and the explosions of the Fireworks above.  Eventually, a few people along the Eastern railing did notice the blossoming fire at the Dry Seaman’s Bar far below, and the word spread through the crowd.  As it did, the pack of people around Tony and Nick gradually lessened and pushed to the East to see.  A fire siren could be heard in the distance, for those astute enough to make it out, but unheard by the majority of those up on the Overlook.

The Fireworks Show progressed onward, it was topped off by a hitherto unreleased musical track called “Firework” near the end.

Synchronized Fireworks Show - 4 [FWSIM]

You just gotta ignite, the light, and let it shine,
Just own the night, like the 4th of July.

'Cause baby you're a firework !
Come on, show 'em what you're worth !
Make 'em go "Oh, Oh, Oh"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y.....

Baby, you're a firework !
Come on, let your colors burst !
Make 'em go "Oh, Oh, Oh"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe....

Boom, Boom, Boom !!!
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon,
It's always been inside of you, you, you,
And now it's time to let it through-ough-ough....

'Cause baby you're a firework !
Come on, show 'em what you're worth !
Make 'em go "Oh, Oh, Oh"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y.....

Baby, you're a firework !
Come on, let your colors burst !
Make 'em go "Oh, Oh, Oh"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe....

Boom, Boom, Boom.....
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon.
Boom, Boom, Boom.....
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon.

After that, the Fireworks Show came to it’s grand finale.  The crowd cheered as the sky lit up with brilliant colors.  The Fireworks Show now ended, the crowd began to disperse, allowing Tony and Nick to look for their friends once more in the sudden darkness. 

“Umm....Where are the girls ?”, Tony asked.

“Yeah, they was right behind us....Wasn’t they ?”, Nick queried.

Tony spotted Constantinos and they made their way over to him.  “Hey, where are the others ?”, Tony asked him.

“Beats me”, Constantinos replied.  “You guys are the first ones I’ve seen.”

They looked around some more.  It was hard to make out people in the darkness, but every 10 seconds the Lighthouse beam would sweep over the area, illuminating it for a brief second.  Because of this, they found Ray, over by the rock face to the North.  He was just polishing off the last of his bag of burgers.

“Hey Ray !!”, Tony hollered.  “There you are.  You seen the others ?”

“Ummm....No, I haven’t”, Ray replied, gulping down the last bite of burger.

The four gathered together.  “Well, they got to be somewhere”, Nick said.

“Yeah....But where ?”, Tony said, puzzled.

People were now pouring out of the Overlook as fast as foot traffic would allow.  They decided among them that they would go out to the dirt road and wait.  When they got there, they saw Laurent, off to the side away from the flow.  Nina was clinging tightly to him.  She seemed upset.

“Hey Laurent”, Tony greeted him. “What you doing out here ?”

“Ze Crowd was freaking her out”, Laurent replied.  “I had to get her away from them.”

“I guess....I don’t like big crowds”, Nina said meekly.  “I think I’m a little claustrophobic.”  She attempted a trembling smile.

“Not a big fan of them myself”, Nick said, trying to put her at ease.

“Hey, no problem !”, Tony said.  “They can get a little hairy.”  To Laurent, he asked, “Have you seen Karen and Melody ?”

“Oh, Oui”, Laurent replied, “They say to tell you that they went off to the bathroom at the Burger Joint.”

“Oh...Ok”, Tony said.  “Uh...How long ago was that ?”

“Quite a long time now”, Laurent admitted.  “I try to find you to say, but could not.  And then, she became afraid”, he said, indicating Nina. 

“Well...I don’t see them here”, Tony said, scanning the last of the people streaming from the Overlook.  “I guess we’ll have to go check at the Burger Joint, then.  Com’on, everybody.”

The group trudged down the Dirt Road and cut off towards the steps.  The last of the crowd from the Overlook was mostly in front of them.  When they descended the steps, they saw most of the crowd was heading South, towards Vale Boulevard and the beach area.  They continued North along Hill Street and turned towards the Burger Joint.  There was some odd splatters on the walk, but only Laurent noticed them as he stepped around them, guiding Nina. 

Inside the Burger Joint, they sent Nina back to the Girl’s Bathroom to check for the missing girls.  Soon she was back, and reported no sign of them there.  Then the friends searched around the Burger Joint, and then exited and looked at all the outside tables.  But still no Karen or Melody.

Tony remembered the Cell Phones then, he had completely forgotten about having them up to this point, as they were so new to him.  The same went for Nick, he had also forgotten.  Each of them tried calling both Karen and Melody then, but got no answers after repeated tries.

Tony was getting a bit worried now.  Karen was always so insistent that she could take care of herself.  In fact, she had often gotten mad at Tony’s attempts to 'protect’ her.  She only stood about 5 foot 4 inches, but she was tough.  All the girls in school were afraid of her (except some of the new ones who didn’t know any better yet), and many of the boys even were.  But it wasn’t like her to just not come back.  Or not even answer her new cell phone, for that matter.  Unless something had happened to Melody, or both of them.  Uneasy, Tony suggested they head back to school and see if the girls were there.

But Laurent was bothered by something.  He was blaming himself for not finding Tony earlier to tell him of where Karen and Melody had gone.  She had said they would be back in 15 minutes, were going to the Burger Joint bathroom because Melody had to go pee.  And Melody DID look like she really had to go....Maybe even having trouble holding it in.......

“Wait”, Laurent said.  “There is something we should check first.”

The others were curious, but Laurent was already walking back along the sidewalk to where he had spotted the splatters.  He was kneeled down when the others reached him and gathered around.  Sticking his finger into the splatter on the pavement, he brought it to his nose and sniffed.  “This is Urine”, he announced.  “Melody had to go to the toilet, very badly....Maybe, she did not make it there....”

“Look !”, Nick suddenly said.  He pointed at spots along the sidewalk, leading back in the direction of the Scuba Shop.  “It’s....Like a trail.”

And it was.  The group followed the drippings.  They went under the arch, and there it got too dark to make out anything.  Constantinos produced a Bic lighter and flicked it.  They were able to pick up the trail once more, and it led up the steps.

At the First landing, it was Ray who spotted an object.  “Look !  I found something !”, he cried scooping it up.  He handed it to Tony as Constantinos brought the flickering light to bear.  It was a girl’s right shoe.  Tony recognized it right away and blanched.  “That’s Karen’s Loafer !”, he exclaimed, a strange sense of dread creeping up his spine.  “Why is this here ?”

But Constantinos was already moving the light.  The trail continued up the second flight of steps.  The group followed, topping the stairs and coming out onto Vale Valley Road.  There, by the curb, was a larger splatter on the roadway, and then.....Nothing.  The trail ended here.

“Geesus Shit”, Nick muttered.  “What Now ?”

But Tony couldn’t answer, because all of a sudden, the full import of his disturbing dream of the night before came crashing down on him.  Something had happened.  Karen was gone.  Melody was gone.  They were gone.  The others stood stunned as the realization swept down on them like a sudden cloudburst.  Evil had happened this very night.

Tony stumbled out to the middle of the street.  “Where is she ?”, he whispered hoarsely.  A bubble of anger and rage rose up in him.  He raised Karen’s shoe to the moonless night sky and shook it.

“WHERE ARE THEY ?!?”, he screamed.  “WHERE ARE THEY ?!?”
__________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

The mood of the Vale Valley on that night was one of exuberance.  Freed from the repressive shackles of isolationism imposed by the likes of the now-departed Harringtons and their kind, the residents were like kids in the proverbial candy store, intoxicated with their new freedom.  Egged on by their visitor’s example, they raided the burning deck at the Dry Seaman’s Bar along with the outsiders, ripping away pieces of the burning timbers by hand and carrying them across Vale Boulevard and down to the beach, piling them in widely scattered areas and creating bonfires.  The undermanned Police Force, as it were, attempted a form of crowd control to no avail.  The Soldiers, lacking orders from their superiors, stood by and watched impassively.  Chief O’Rourke had arrived at the Dry Seaman’s Bar with the valley’s lone Fire Engine to find very little left of the fire to put out.

Soon enough, the liquor was brought out to the beach also, and fabulous beach patties were into full swing by midnight.  Like Men and Women denied their pleasures far too long, they partied until the first rays of dawn broke over the valley.  Unknown to any of them, even the reporters covering the first true Independence weekend the Vale Valley had seen in several years, was the fact that two teenaged girls had vanished overnight, plucked from the Vale without anyone seeing a thing.  Not a thing at all.
__________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

By Sunday Noon, the temperature had soared to 90 degrees as an unusual heat wave enveloped the Valley.  At Bullworth Academy, about half the kids, mostly the Jocks, Nerds, and Non-Cliques, were at the Pool in what was now being called the Aquatics Building. 

Tony, followed by Nick, wandered in through the door from the outside Basketball Court.  His face was gaunt, and his eyes held a hollow look.  He had been out searching for Karen and Melody all night and and morning and had gotten no sleep whatsoever.  After the trail of the girls had apparently come to an abrupt end on Vale Valley Road, Tony and his friends had searched through the Vale Gardens Park, which seemed the next logical place to look.  They next checked the clinic, just in case one or both of them had been injured somehow.  Finding nothing, they had returned to the school in the vain hope that the girls, for some reason, had gone there.

Laurent had taken Nina back to her Dorm and then rejoined the others.  From there, they had all gotten their bikes and went off in separate directions to search some more. Long about 3 AM, Ray had given up, and following soon after, Constantinos and Laurent had given up also for the night.  Tony and Nick had kept at it until dawn, when Nick returned to the Dorm for a bit of sleep. Tony kept at it though, getting out the Go-Kart and searching again, going down every street and pathway in the Towns over the next several hours.  Failing to find a trace of the missing girls, Tony returned to the Dorm to find Nick, awake now.  Tony refused to think about sleep, so Nick suggested the search the campus for any sign of the Girls.  Karen and Melody hadn’t returned to the Girl’s Dorm.  Tony and Nick had worked their way down to the Pool and Gym.

Mandy saw Tony come in, with Nick behind him.  She was sitting by the North door at the edge of the pool with her legs dangling in the water.  She was suddenly struck by how they both looked.  It reminded her of Zombies.  It occurred to her intuition that something was wrong, for she had never seen either of them look so haggard.  They started scanning the pool and the areas around it.  Tony’s half-lidded eyes fell on her, and they walked over.

“Hello boys”, Mandy said tentatively.  “Is....Something wrong ?”

Instead of answering right away, Tony scanned the Pool again.  The he asked, “Where’s Ted ?”

“He’s not here right now, he had to see about something”, she replied.  “Is there anything you want me to tell him ?”

Tony just stared at her for a second.  Nick was looking around, as if searching for someone.  Tony cast another look around, then said, “Mandy....Can we talk private somewhere ?”

“Well....Um, sure”, she said, getting up.  “How about...Up there ?”, she said, pointing to the overhead bleachers, which were empty.

Tony nodded, and Mandy walked to the nearest set of steps that led up to the overhead bleachers.  She knew something was troubling the boys badly, since they didn’t even run their eyes up and down her bikini-clad body as they followed.  When they reached the top and found a bleacher, they all sat, with Mandy in the middle. 

“What’s this all about ?”, Mandy asked over the noise drifting up from the kids in the Pool below.

“Karen an Melody are Missing !”, Tony blurted out.  “They’re Gone !”

“What ?  How can that be ?”, Mandy said. “Have you checked the Dorm ?”

“Yes”, Tony said hollowly.  “They’re not there.  Let me explain....They disappeared last night....”  He went on to tell of the events of the previous evening, of the girls going off to the bathrooms alone, of their search, of finding the pee trail and Karen’s loafer.  Nick chipped in to add details from time to time, but was otherwise rather subdued.  Tony also related of all the searching they had been doing since then.

Mandy was taken aback.  It wasn’t like those two to just run off.  They were a couple of the straightest arrows at the school.  She knew Karen the best, as she had come to the Jocks last summer, seeking protection from the Bullies.  Mandy had taken the younger girl under her wing, so to speak, and arraigned for the Jock boys to teach her some moves and put her under a training program.  Karen had taken to it well, and in a short time become a rather strong girl for her size, and even feared by many of the students.  Mandy had even heard of her kicking Pinky’s ass a time or two.  All the Jocks felt an affection for her, even granting her Clique status.

Melody, she knew a lot less about, other than she had been a former tattle-tale and was viewed as an all-around ‘Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes’ by most of the kids.  She was attracted to what was considered the 'Bad Boys’, which explained her initial attraction to Nick.  But why Nick wound up choosing her over all the other girls was still a mystery to Mandy, as she knew there were several girls clamoring for his attentions.  Nick himself wasn’t really a ‘Bad Boy’, but played the part well while beating all the toughest at the school just as Jimmy Hopkins had done.  Mandy got along allright with Melody, however, having seen more of her these past few months due to Nick’s favorable status and respect within the Jock Clique.

“So, have you gone to the Cops ?”, Mandy asked.

“No”, Tony said miserably.  “The stations were all closed up due to all the Cops being out doing crowd control.  We even tried the Substations.....Well, all except Blue Skies, that one’s closed still.  We couldn’t even get the Army guys to pay any attention to us.”

 “Tony, you guys need to file a missing-persons report”, Mandy said.  “Go find Mr. Galloway, he’s an adult and may have more luck with getting the Police to listen. Tell him everything you’ve told me.  This sounds serious.  Somebody might gave taken them !”

Tony nodded wearily.  He had been thinking the same thing.  But who would do that ?  And Why ?

Mandy got up.  “You boys look like ghosts.  You should see Mr. Galloway, then get some sleep.  You both look dead on your feet.  You can’t help find them if you’re exhausted.”

Tony nodded again, although he inwardly shuddered when Mandy said the word 'dead’.....It was something he didn’t want to hear in any case.

Mandy led them out, saying she would put out the word on the missing girls at the school, and in that way more people would be on the lookout for them.  Mandy was good at spreading gossip at the school, in fact had turned it into an art form of sorts....But this time, it could be used for potential good.

Tony and Nick returned to the school where they were able to find Mr. Galloway, who was just stopping in to direct the last of the cleanup from the dance and to make sure everything was in readiness for classes tomorrow.  When they told him Karen and Melody were missing, he took them up to his office, where Tony repeated to entire story once again.  Mr. Galloway promised to get in touch with Chief O’Rourke and to get the investigation started.  He advised both boys to get some rest, as it would probably take several hours to hear anything, progress-wise.

This time, Tony didn’t object.  His steps back to the Boy’s Dorm were slow and uncertain, and his mind was muddled and confused.  One thing he was sure of, as he tumbled into his bed, was that someone had stolen Karen and Melody.  Totally exhausted, Tony fell into a deep and troubled sleep. 
______________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Tony was still in the Dome.  He had traveled far, yet seemed no closer to his still distant objective.  He had surmounted one obstacle, that of shock and disbelief, but so many, many more littered the way he must travel.  His senses were sharper somehow, he knew his quest.  An overwhelming sense of loss and grief enveloped him, yet he pushed on.  They were out there, she was out there, somewhere.  The silence of the Dome was eerie, overwhelming.  Tony looked out over the desolation, but still could not make out his final destination on the other side.  The light from the jagged hole at the top of the Dome was muted and cloudy.  A sense of great danger came to him, the way would not be easy, but torturous.  His only relief was that there was still no bodies or dismembered limbs.  They were not dead, he told himself, only missing, and he must find them, whatever it took, whatever the cost, for without her, he would remain in this vast wasteland of hell forevermore.  Dark forces were at the end of his journey, if he were to reach the end, he knew, and there would be a battle, a hard battle.  Although the Dome seemed timeless, Tony had a strong feeling of urgency, as if his time to complete his quest was short, else all would still be lost despite his best efforts.  A sudden vision appeared to Tony, sort of a dream within a dream.  A ghostly Mr. Luntz stood in the school hallway, beckoning Tony and pointing towards the School Store.  Then the vision poofed away in a cloud of dust, and Tony was once more left in the desolation of the Dome.

Tony groaned in his sleep.  He must move, he knew, get on with it.  But where ?  What first ?

Sweat stood out on Tony’s sleeping forehead.  His features contorted into an agonized grimace for several long seconds, then relaxed as he slid deeper into his exhausted sleep.  The dream faded, for now. 
_______________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

The early Sunday morning sky over Blue Skies was swathed in an oppressive haze, as the beginnings of the heat wave presented itself to the Vale Valley.  The air was still in the Industrial Complex as no work was being done on this day.  There was no movement on the roads or the Docks, no cars prowled the streets.  While the rest of the Valley prepared for another day of holiday partying, Blue Skies seemed like an Old West Ghost Town in comparison.

The largest structure in Blue Skies was the Chem Plant, the key building in the Chemical Company complex of buildings that occupied the South-East part of the Industrial Complex, and of Blue Skies itself.  Built in the 1920s, it was a large, round-shaped structure 150 feet in diameter, sheathed entirely in steel walls that rose to a height of five stories above ground.  A unique feature was incorporated into the building around it’s perimeter....An enclosed circular ramp, 12 feet in width, that rose up to the level of the flat roof on the top of the building, to facilitate the loading and unloading from the various floors.   

Unknown to most, though, was the three sub-floors that lay beneath the Chem Plant.  The only ones who had knowledge of those floors, prior to the year before, were the small band of scientists who had worked there, the Plant Manager, and of course Mr. Harrington himself.  The Chem Plant was the first structure to be built in the Industrial Complex and it’s initial purpose was to make chemical fertilizer for the then-infant crop fertilizer market.  Over the years, the Chem Plant Complex went through various owners until it was acquired by the Harrington Group.  The three underground floors were, and continued to be, a secret testing facility for the product the plant produced.  The bulk nature of production was shifted then from crop fertilizing chemicals to chemical weapons, which were smuggled out of the country via the shipping docks and down the river to waiting freighters on the ocean, to be from there sold on the black market to the highest bidder.

The Chem Plant thus became the biggest money-maker in the Harrington Empire.  The regular workers in the above-ground floors were unaware that the chemicals they were making along with crop fertilizer were intended for chemical weapons.  The same held true for employees of the Gloop Oil Refinery, which lay just to the West of the Chem Plant.  Gloop Oil was a small refinery, producing oil products and a moderate amount of Gasoline which served the Vale Valley.  The Gasoline was shipped to the Oil Spill Gas Station in Bullworth Town to be bought by the public, and was more than enough to serve the Valley’s modest means.  Employees of Gloop Oil were permitted access to the upper floors of the Chem Plant to pick up the chemicals that they then added to their product -- Pentane, Hexane, Septane, Octane, Nonane, Decane. 

There was a secret access to the underground part of the Chem Plant Building.  A disguised storage room on the ground floor hid a secret panel that gave access to the stairs that led down to the first level underground, which was used primarily for storage of the chemical weapons.  Below that, on the second level underground, were various testing laboratories, including animal pens for testing on live animals.  The favored animals for use in testing were dogs and rats, which explained in part why they were so numerous in the Valley.  For many years, feral cats had been caught and killed, to be chopped up and used for the food supply of the test animals, until at last cats had become extinct in the Valley.  At that time, other wild animals such as possums and raccoons had been used, but they were fast disappearing from the Valley as well.  Lately, the test animals’ diet had begun to feature dead fish, those ones that could be found washed up on shore just about anywhere, but this was a less-that-satisfactory substitute.  Beneath these levels, lay the third level underground, which contained the living and sleeping quarters, including a kitchen and recreation room, for the scientists and associated personnel who worked in the secret underground areas of the plant.  A final addition was a secret tunnel leading from this lowest level to a camouflaged hut downriver.  It was to this tunnel that the scientists and personnel had escaped the blasts that Sid’s Punks had planted on the second floor of the Chem Plant which released the toxic gas, and they had been picked up and spirited off, out of the country, to parts unknown.

The secret of the underground levels had remained a secret for many, many years, until a little less than a year before.  It had been discovered by Big Darrell, the former Punk who had taken over the Townies by brute force after the killing of Edger Munsen and the murder of Gary Smith, events which happened simultaneously and for which he had been responsible.  He had caged himself a job as the night-shift security watchman for the Industrial Complex, working out of Building XX-7, which contained a bank of 32 closed-circuit monitor screens connected to cameras placed around the entire complex.   While idly watching the monitors one night, he happened to notice people wearing white lab coats going in and out of a particular storage room on the camera that he read was assigned to the ground floor of the Chem Plant.  Curious, he had snuck in the Chem Plant the following afternoon, disguised as a worker.  Hiding among the bags of chemical product in that storage room, he had waited until evening, until someone had come in and activated the secret panel that led to the first underground level.  Following a bit later, when he reckoned the coast was clear, he accessed the stairs that led down to the first level, and poking around discovered the way down to the second level, where he found the multiple animal testing rooms and cages where the dogs and rats were kept.  He then found the stairs down to the third level, but in sneaking partway down them he heard voices, and decided to retreat before he was discovered.  He left the Chem Plant then, armed with the new knowledge, and later that night went to his job at the Control Room in Building XX-7.  This time, he closely watched the monitor showing the ground floor of the Chem Plant and made notes of the traffic and times people were entering and leaving.

Last November, Big Darrell had been confronted outside Building XX-7 on his way into his shift.  He had been running late that night, and the second shift guy had already left, he knew.  He wasn’t worried, as no one seemed to keep track of the comings and goings of the shift worker’s times.  But what did happen that night, was that girl Zoe, whom he had Otto and Leon hold down while he raped her a few nights before, had bushwhacked him out of the shadows along with the aid of Trent, one of the Bully boys from the school.  Zoe then had rigged explosives in a bag tied to his crotch, and the resultant explosion had blown off his nuts along with some of his other parts, in the Control Room of Building XX-7.  He was found the next morning, near death from blood loss, and had been made to disappear after that.  No one ever knew what became of him, and little did anyone really care.  After a brief struggle for leadership, Omar Romero had taken over the Townies.
             
There the knowledge of the secret underground levels of the Chem Plant might have remained secret.  But Big Darrell had bragged to Omar about what he had discovered, telling him that if things ever became too hot, that there was a place the Townies could hide out in....Provided, of course, that the Plant was ever to be closed down and absent of people.  Omar had stored the information away.  It seemed unlikely that there would ever come a chance to use the place unless something disastrous happened to close the Plant.  Then, the Punks rigged bombs in the Chem Plant, as a part of their bid to take over the Towns and ultimately extort money from it.  The Townies, who were being held in the Town’s Jails on multiple charges of Assault and Hostage-Taking from their earlier bid to aid Jake in taking over the school, all escaped during the resulting power failures while the Vale Valley was under siege by Jake, Sid, and the Punks.  Afterwards, the Chem Plant had been locked off by the EPA.  It presented the perfect opportunity for the Townies, who broke into the Plant from the access shack on the roof.  The public perception, fueled by dire warnings from the government, that the Plant was now too toxic, mattered little to the Townies.  They had found their ultimate hideout.

It was in one of those underground third-level sleeping quarters that Karen and Melody came to on that Sunday morning.  They were blindfolded, sitting up on separate mattresses laid out on the floor, with their backs against the wall.  Their arms were shackled in handcuffs that were attached to sturdy pipes that ran along the wall about 4 feet off the floor above them.  After some brief confusion over their situation amid assurances between themselves that each of them hadn’t been harmed, they came to realize that they had been abducted.  And they also discovered that their panties had been removed.  A little sick to their stomachs, they were nevertheless terribly thirsty.  But, the overriding questions uppermost in their minds were, who had taken them, and why ?  They would soon enough find out those answers, and soon after that discover what terrible fate awaited them.
______________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

When she awoke, Nina was still upset.  New to the school as she was, and already she had just missed, by the barest of margins, getting snatched like those two girls apparently had been.  If she had only gotten to know them better, she might have gone with them, probably WOULD had gone with them, and now where would she be ?  Beaten, raped, and in a shallow hole in the ground, that’s where.  Like everyone else, she had heard about such things.  And, just like everyone else, she had never believed such a thing could happen to her.

She shuddered.  Last night has been so upsetting.  She didn’t really know anybody just yet, and she needed to talk to someone.  She was just getting to know the other new girls, but it was a slow process, as she was rather shy.  She found it hard to open up to anybody she had just met.  But, there was Laurent.  Even though she had only known him since Saturday night, she felt a strange affinity for the French boy.  It had seemed so natural and easy once he had approached her at the dance and began talking to her, and she had been drawn to him immediately.

It was Laurent she must see, she decided by late morning.  She set out from the Girls’s Dorm, headed towards the Football Field.  She hadn’t been beyond the back Quad since she’d been here yet, so once she got to the circular pool, which had been repaired but without it’s former statue, she hesitated, unsure of which way to proceed.  No one was around.  She looked down the paths that led to Harrington House and to the Autoshop, and decided that those probably wasn’t the way.  So, she headed off towards the way to the Gym and Aquatics Building.

Getting closer, she began hearing voices and noise coming from the Aquatics Building, the sounds of laughter and of kids having an all-around good time.  Tentatively, she went to the door and peeked in.  A bunch of kids were engrossed with swimming and generally horsing around, the same as could be seen at any pool almost anywhere in the world.  Nina saw a girl sitting at the edge of the pool with her legs hanging over in the water.  Not seeing anyone else she would be comfortable with speaking to, she approached her.

“Um...Excuse Me ?”, she ventured, having to raise her voice somewhat to make herself heard.  “I'm....Um....Looking for the Jocks ?”

Mandy swiveled her head around.  “Well, you found them”, she said, giving Nina an appraising look.  “Most of them anyway.”  She watched as Nina scanned the Pool area. “Someone in particular you’re looking for ?”

“Um....Yes.....Laurent”, Nina replied, continuing to look around. 

“Well, He’s not here”, Mandy said, still sizing Nina up.  “He’s probably down at Clubhouse, still bunked out.  Why do you want to see him ?”

Nina turned her attention back to Mandy. “I just need to talk to him, that’s all.  We went out last night to see the Fireworks together, and....”  She shook her head.  “I just need to see him, is all.”

Laurent taking a girl out ?  This was news to Mandy.  “Just go down to the Clubhouse at the end of the Football Field and bang on the door”, she said.  “If nobody answers, just go on in, and holler upstairs.  He should be there.”

“Oh...Ok.  Thanks”, Nina said, and turned to go.

“Ever done any Cheerleading ?”, Mandy asked suddenly.

Nina looked back around. “Er...No, I haven’t.”

“You should”, Mandy said. “You got the body for it.”  She looked at Nina speculatively.  “Tryouts are next month, on the Fifteenth.  You should come down for them.”

Nina was taken aback.  Nobody had ever asked her to try out for anything before.  “Well...Um....Sure....I guess....I could....”

Mandy nodded.  Nervously, Nina fidgeted.  “Well, I have to go now”, she said, and turned and left.  Mandy watched her go.  She would need to build up the Cheerleading Squad for the coming school year, and she might as well start with someone who was apparently going out with a Jock.
 
She also wondered if Nina’s wanting to see Laurent had anything to do with Karen and Melody’s disappearance last night.  Tony, who had left a bare half-hour ago, had told her that some of his friends had been with them, including Laurent.  Mandy settled back, splashing her shapely legs in the water.  She would find out soon enough, she decided.  By the end of the day, she would know everything.
__________________________________________
 

[BloodChuckZ]

After some time to get their bearings, Karen began to shout out. “HEY !!  HEY !!  IS ANYBODY OUT THERE ?  WE’RE THIRSTY !!!  COME AND GIVE US SOME WATER, YOU BASTARDS !!!”  Her cries were met with silence. 

“Goddamnit !!”, Melody moaned.  “They’re gonna leave us here to die !!”

“I don’t think so”, Karen answered.  “Why go the trouble to kidnap us just for that ?  They coulda just killed us already.  Doesn’t make sense unless we’re being held for ransom or something.” 

“It’s the something”, Melody squeaked, her voice cracking.  “They took our panties !!  They’re gonna rape us !!!”

“Don’t be ridiculous”, Karen said, “They’re not going to damage the goods, meaning us.  They’re going to need to keep us alive and healthy.”  But in saying that, Karen wasn’t so sure.  Melody sounded on the edge of hysteria, and Karen needed to say something, anything, to try and calm her.  She felt confident, or at least thought she did, that the boys would find them somehow.

The girls froze at the sound of a lock being disengaged, a sound that Karen knew well.  There was a gentle sound of a door opening, then the light tread of footsteps came towards them.  Karen and Melody held their breaths, waiting.  But instead of speaking, they heard the footsteps retreating away, and the sound of the door closing and the lock being engaged once more.

“HEY !!!!”, Karen screamed.  “HEY, COME BACK HERE !!!!  WE NEED SOME WATER, ASSHOLES !!!  CAN YOU HEAR US ?  COME BACK HERE !!!!”

At that, Melody exploded, thrusting her body against the restraints.  “MOTHERFUCKERS, LET US GO !!!!”, she screamed suddenly.  “LET US LOOSE, LET US GO, LET US LOOSE, LET US GO-Oh-Oh-Ohhhhh”  She broke down in wracking sobs, tears flowing from beneath her blindfold.

“Mel, Cool It Mel....It’s not going to do any good”, Karen cautioned her. “The boys will come for us, It’ll be all right.  Gonna be all right.”  But even as she said those words, a frightening feeling was already stealing up from her insides. This was Bad.  Real Bad.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Omar was sitting at a table in the central Rec Room, playing cards with some of the other Townies.  The Recreation Room was in the center of the third-floor underground section.  To the North-West, outside the Rec Room, was the Kitchen Area, and to the South-West lay the Dining Room.  A wide hallway extended out from the Rec Room to the West, dividing the Kitchen and Dining area, and ultimately connecting onto a tunnel through steel doors that led to other buildings in the complex.  One small hallway went to the south, connecting to the stairs that led up to the second level, and another small hallway went to the North, to connect to the emergency escape tunnel.  Spread out in a fan-like placement to the North, South, and East around the Rec Room were the large offices of the Scientists, along with some research rooms.  Spread out behind those were other rooms, including storage rooms, bathrooms, utility rooms, washrooms, and shower rooms.  Out along the perimeter were the living quarters, which was the farthest out of the concretic circles, which were all dived from the other circles by a narrow hallway.  It was in one of these Living Quarters that the Karen and Melody were being held.

Gurney came into the Rec Room and approached Omar.  “They’re awake”, he reported.  “Asking for some water.”

Omar folded his hand.  “Well, then give them some.  We don’t want them gettin’ dehydrated, now do we ?”

Gurney flashed an evil grin.  “Sure don’t.  They all got to be all lubricated up for tonight, all right !”  He let out a laugh, and Omar joined in.  The laughter spread to the other Townies as well, and soon the echos of it drifted out to the rest of the third floor like ripples in a pond.
_________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Not getting any answer to her repeated knocks, Nina cracked the Jock’s Clubhouse door open.  Looking about in the dimness and not seeing anyone, she debated about going in.  Even though that Mandy girl said she could, she was rather timid.  Indecisively, she took a tiny step inside.  When nothing happened, she took another, and then another.

The inside of the Clubhouse looked pretty much the same as it always had, having been rebuilt after the bombings of the past Halloween and the Tornado of the past Spring. There was the Equipment Cage in the right-hand back corner.  In front of that was one half of a bunk bed.  It faced a TV, which was on, playing some silly old movie.  That whole part comprised some sort of common area, as some chairs and tables were scattered around, along with a desk.  The central part was open, with some mats on the floor.  Towards the back, there were ball racks and big wire ball baskets.  Hanging on the rear wall were the surviving banners, which would surprise any non-Jock in the school, since they depicted past Baseball Championships, the latest being 1997, a Basketball Championship from 1975, and another banner which indicated membership in a long-ago Soccer League.....None of these were sports that Bullworth Academy had participated in for a decade or so.  Off in the left back corner were lockers, but they were now under sturdy metal stairs that went to the newly-built bunkroom on the new second floor.  At the bottom of the stairs was a Beam Cola Machine.

A bit intimidated by her surroundings and afraid to call out anymore, Nina sat down on the bunk bed and began to watch the TV.  Satellite Dishes had be begun to skyrocket since the downfall of the Harrington empire in the Valley, but the school had not yet benefited with dishes of it’s own, so there were still only the same two channels that there always had been.  Nina decided to wait until Laurent was awake, or maybe someone else would appear that could go up and get him.  She wasn’t ready as yet, if she ever would be, to invade the sleeping quarters of a bunch of Jocks.

Some time went by, and she became drawn to the old movie that was playing on the TV, so she sat down on the bunk bed to watch.  It was an old black & white movie with a simple plot -- “White Christmas”, she thought, and wasn’t that strange on this hot day.  But it was better than boredom, and Nina hated to be bored.  So immersed in the film she became that she didn’t hear the footfalls of the two Jocks come down the metal stairs, and in fact, didn’t notice their presence until the were nearly next to her.  When their movement caught the corner of her eye, she looked around suddenly, and let out a horrific scream.

Standing there was absolutely the biggest person she had ever seen.  His arms looked like slabs of Beef one would see hanging in a Meat Market.  The giant stood six and a half feet tall, and his massive head seemed to almost touch the ceiling.  Nina scampered over on the bunk bed, away from the massive figure and cringed with her back up against the Equipment Cage.  The giant opened his mouth, which seemed like a cavern, and said, “LO ?  WHO YOU ?”   Too terrified to speak, Nina could only stare mutely at the huge figure, her eyes wide and frightened.

“Hey, Bob, back up, man....You’re scaring her”, a second figure said, whom Nina hadn’t even noticed as her eyes were fastened on Bob’s huge presence.  He limped around to where he was in front of the huge Jock and addressed Nina.  “Don’t mind Bob”, he said, “He’s harmless and really a real nice fellow.  My name’s Lance.  Is there....Something we can do for you, or....Are you looking for someone ?”

“Um....Laurent...”, Nina managed to get out, “I came to see....Laurent.”

“Oh...He’s upstairs.  Probably up by now, he was stirring around whens we gettin’ ready to go.”  He nudged Bob.  “Hey, Bob, be a bro and go tell Laurent there’s a girl waiting down here for him, would’ja ?” 

Bob’s massive head nodded, and he moved off without a word towards the stairs.  Still a little unsettled, Nina watched him go.  Lance attempted to put her at ease by saying, “Laurent told us he was taking out a girl...That must be you.”

“Um....Yes”, Nina said.  As Bob climbed the stairs, she turned her attention back to Lance.  I’m Nina....Nina Boulanger.  I’m new here.  It’s been quite a week, I must say.”

“Yes, it has been”, Lance said.  “Laurent told us about what’s been going on”

They continued to talk until Bob came back down the stairs, followed by Laurent.  Then Lance and Bob took their leave and bid goodbye.  Laurent came over to Nina and sat on the bunk bed next to her. “Hey, I was just going to come to see you”, he said, adding ruefully, “When I woke up, that was.”

Nina turned her face towards his.  “Oh, Laurent, I have to talk to you.  I feel so bad about Karen and Melody !  I feel so guilty about not going with them !  I hardly knew them, but I think we could have become good friends !”

“Yes, they are very much great girls, that is true”, Laurent consoled.  “But they are only missing.  They will be found, and you will get to know them well.”

“It’s not only that”, Nina said, her lip trembling, “I keep thinking....What if I had gone with them ?  What if someone took me too ?  I thought this place was safe now, that’s why I agreed to come here.  It’s only been a few days, and I’m scared !!”  She suddenly buried her face in Laurent’s chest and began sobbing.

Laurent embraced her and stroked her hair.  “It will be all right”, he soothed. “We will find them, and find out who is responsible, and they will pay.”  Laurent’s face slackened then.  He was feeling guilt himself about not fighting his way through the crowd and telling Tony and Nick right away where the girls had gone.  Or maybe, he should have just taken Nina and gone with them.  But he didn’t think anything would happen.  Nobody did.  A thought stole into his mind that maybe Tony and Nick should have been paying closer attention to their girls, not get separated from them like they did.  He had, after all, kept Nina close by him.  But as the thought surfaced, he dismissed it.  Those girls had their own minds, and there might have been nothing anyone could have done to stop them from going off together.  If anyone had any suspicion that there would be danger, it all would have played out differently.  Nobody was to blame....Except the abductors, that was.

Nina lifted her tear-streaked face to Laurent, who said gently, “Do not fear.  I will keep you safe, I swear it.”

Nina suddenly threw her arms around Laurent and kissed him, long and hard. 
_____________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Chief O’Rourke mulled things over.  Only one month on the job, and now this....Two missing and possibly abducted teenage schoolgirls.  It wasn’t enough that he was having to do two jobs at the same time....Police Chief and Fire Chief....But had to depend on the same inept officers that had worked under the now-jailed former Chief Carcer.

The two boys that reported the missing girls had left over an hour ago.  They had described what they thought had happened, and where, and had even told the Chief who they thought might be responsible.  It was a long list, and many of those on it were shadows themselves....The Harringtons, the Spencers, the Monks, the Punks, the Townies.....Those gone from the Valley, or presumed gone.  There were other suspects also, some of the other students and a few select townspeople.  Left out of the litany of suspects were the Outsiders, those who had flooded in to the Valley over the past month, seeking to be at the place where the incredible events of the past two years had been hidden and then suddenly exposed to the world. 

Chief O’Rourke was no detective, but he knew enough to know that children, particularly girls, disappeared across the country almost every day.  Some of the time they were runaways, but much of the time they were snatched.....Taken, most times never to be heard from again until their bodies were found dumped in some rural location.  Tony and Nick had been adamant that neither of the girls would ever think of running off or even had any reason to do so.  The two boys insisted they had checked everywhere, even the Clinics, and found no sign of them.  Calls to their new cell phones went unanswered.  No one had seen them since last night.

The Chief knew he needed help.  These Idiot Keystone Cops still in the Valley were useless, he knew. Still, he had put out an APB, just in case the Morons spotted them.  But he had little hope that anything would come of that.  There was a growing certainty, a conviction, within him that these girls had been taken....Kidnapped.  That boy Calderone had told of another girl, a Pinky Gauthier, who had been kidnapped by another student and his Clique this past winter.  The girl had been released once their demands had been met, and she later went to live with her abductor.  The whole affair had been kept under wraps, hushed up by Mr. Harrington himself, and never made public. 

But not this time.  Chief O’Rourke came to a decision.  He picked up the phone.  Released from the restrictive codes that Harrington had imposed on the phone lines, calls could now be made to anywhere in the World outside the Valley.  His first call was to the State Police.  Ironically, there was a Branch Post near the town of North Kingston, not too far away from the Vale Valley.  In fact, it was the town where the French Chef had driven Tony and Lola to the Bus Station through a snowstorm last Christmas Eve.  Explaining the situation, they promised the Chief that they would send over Investigators right away.  His next call was to the National Guard, who would pass the word down to the Commander on duty of the soldiers that still stationed in the Vale Valley on patrol. 

After some thought, the Chief put in a call to the F.B.I. Boston Division, who had jurisdiction for the New England states.  Kidnapping was a Federal Crime.  Hearing his story, they agreed to send an Investigator down the next day.  Hanging up, the Chief leaned back in his chair.  Help was on the way.  Unbidden, grisly images of mutilated, murdered girls in shallow graves rose in his mind.  He rose to his feet, secured his radio to his belt, and headed out to the back Parking Lot.  He would get in a Cruiser and take a look around himself.  The images of murdered girls persisted.

Not On My Watch, he vowed silently.  Not On My Watch.
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[BloodChuckZ]

As the sun went down, the beach parties began to wind down also.  Little by little, people were streaming out of the Vale Valley.  They were hampered somewhat by having to go through a Checkpoint hastily set up by the State Police, who shined flashlights into their interiors and checked their trunks before letting them pass.  They were looking for two teenaged girls, one dark-haired, one strawberry blonde.  A few people who had children that matched that description were detained briefly, then released when the girls in question were proven as their own.  The Carnival was still packed, however, also making exiting the Towns on the only road out of the Valley difficult.

Tony and Nick had finally returned to the Dorm and locked themselves away in their room.  By that time, the word had been spread across the school campus about Karen and Melody’s disappearance, thanks to Mandy.  True to her word, she had made sure every Clique and Non-Clique person was made aware of the missing girls.  Reactions ranged from complete shock from those who counted the missing girls as their friends to complete apathy in the case of some of the members of the Prep Clique, who could have cared less.  The lone exception to that was Gord Vendome, whose gay lover, Vance Medici of the Greasers, had been rescued mostly by the quick thinking of Karen from Pirate Island.  But even though the word had been spread about the school, there was nobody who had any other information on the missing girls.

Omar and the Townies knew nothing of this.  Hidden away at the vacant underground lair of the Chem Plant, they had no access to the now-outside world of the Vale Valley....Save for one way.  Among the items in Karen and Melody’s purses had been two brand-new cell phones, which Omar had ordered shut off as soon as they had been found.  Not so dumb as the others, he knew there was a way of tracking active cell phones.  Knowing that gave him an Idea that he would carry out later.  For now, though, there was business to take care of....Mixed with a little bit of pleasure and revenge.
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