When Eric and Danny busted into Greta's room, Eric's eyes almost filled with tears. She was not there. The room was completely empty. A small light lit the window-less room and the perfectly made bed. But Greta was nowhere in sight. Eric felt something in his heart break as the thoughts came running through his brain.
"Where is she?!" he asked with a glimpse of panic in his voice.
Danny went outside the room and noticed two other doors just like the one leading to Greta's room. Two rooms, exactly like Greta's, side by side. But what for? Was Carmen planning on doing some more kidnapping? Or had she already done it?
"We have to get out of here!" Danny shouted as he saw some people coming back inside the building from a small window in the corridor.
"What about Greta?! We have to find her...." Eric exclaimed.
Greta had become a very important person to Eric and without even knowing it himself he had become as important to her. Their bond while travelling Paris intensified but Eric was just starting to realize how empty his life would be without her. He had had the time to observe Danny and Michelle together and although a part of him ached at the thought of everything they had to go through to finally be together, another part of him could feel the undying love they had for each other. That's all he's ever wanted: Someone to love forever and someone who would love him back in the same way. He didn't know if Greta loved him. He didn't know if what he was feeling was truly love but he did know one thing. She had quickly become so important to him that he couldn't bare to lose her right now. He wouldn't let her down. She would do the same for him.
"She must have left the building when the doors unlocked......I mean it is logical that she would rush out while she has the chance....We should have thought of that." Danny whispered thoughtful.
"That's probably what she thought when the doors magically unlocked. The question is where did she go? And with whom?" Eric added.
At that moment, they heard footsteps coming their way. Danny and Eric rushed inside a small corridor and headed towards a back Exit door.
Time had suddenly stopped and there she was lying in the dark. Cassie painfully tried to move her left arm but it was stuck under her body. She slowly opened her eyes only to face darkness in its darkest form. She could barely see in front of herself. Her heart started beating fast as she remembered what had just happened.
She tried to speak but her mouth was dry and her breath was heavy. She could barely whisper. She slowly lifted herself up a little and sat on the icy cold wooden floor. Cassie hit her head on a shelve as she was sitting up and groaned in pain as her headache came back to haunt her. That is at the moment she remembered being thrown against the wall. She reached for her forehead in pain. Where was she? Where was Michelle?!
"Michelle?!" Cassie managed to let out, out of breath.
But there was no answer. All around Cassie laid only dust. Even the darkness couldn't hide it. This place was so old that it sent shivers down her spine at the simple thought of being inside.
A small light came from a very high window near the ceiling, and that's when Cassie got a clearer look around the inside of the shed. There were tools and furniture stocked all around her. She noticed many boxes, big and small, a huge safety box and a child's bicycle near the window. As she turned around a little, that's when she saw her. Michelle was lying on her back not too far away from Cassie, motionless.
Michelle....Michelle!" Cassie said shaking Michelle up.
After a few minutes, Michelle came back to herself and opened her eyes. The look of relief on Cassie's face was almost confusing to Michelle. She and Cassie had gotten to know each other better in the past few months but Michelle had never seen so much of Cassie before they came to Paris. They worked well together. The San Cristobel trip demonstrated that beautifully, and they had both become quick friends and allies. But when Michelle opened her eyes to see a panicked Cassie hovering over her, she was almost surprised.
Michelle had always been close to the Lewises but had known Cassie for only a little while. Then again, Cassie had proven to be more present in her life than any other Lewis members had in the past year or so. And it was nice to have a friend. She loved Danny and Drew was there for her anytime she needed to. But it was nice to connect with someone else outside of her small circle of relatives and friends.
Cassie breathed deeply as she helped Michelle up. Somehow the sight of Michelle lying there motionless had scared her out of her skin. She didn't even dare remind herself of the first thoughts that crossed her mind.
"Where are we?" Michelle managed to ask.
"In the shed..." Cassie sighed. "What happened to you? One minute you were right there in front of me and the next you were gone and some guy grabbed me from behind.....and here we are." Cassie said as the two crawled their way to the exit door.
"Someone dragged me inside..." Michelle added sitting and leaning her back against the door.
"Someone smashed my head on the wall...."Cassie added also explaining what had happened, as she put a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Well that's original!" Michelle smiled sarcastically as she felt her own headache come back.
Cassie reached for the doorknob and slowly turned it. She started to push on the door the best she could.
"What is it?" Michelle asked after a few seconds.
Cassie almost burst out laughing without being able to control herself.
"Oh that's great! The door is locked from the outside...." Cassie said.
Michelle lifted her body up and hit on the door with Cassie. They were hoping for whomever stood outside to let them out, or that maybe Jason wasn't too far away and that he would hear them.
"Hey!! Let us outta here!!" Cassie shouted at the top of her lungs, as they both kept hitting on the door.
"Come on!! Someone please!!" Michelle shouted too.
"They're not talkative..." Cassie said after a few minutes of shouting.
A silence invaded the shed and Michelle sighed.
"Maybe they're French...." she sarcastically let out in a sigh, as she rested her head on the door.
Carmen was glad to see her daughter seemingly enjoying herself for a change. With everything going on, Carmen was happy to see Pilar smile. The handsome young man Pilar was laughing with also charmed her.
Pilar kept looking at her watch, secretly as she and Billy often shared a worried look. Danny should have called on her cell phone by now. What was going on?
"So you are from America as I gather?" Carmen asked Billy.
"Yes..." he said with a smile. "I moved here to come to school and ended up staying." He added giving Pilar a strange look.
Pilar jumped in the conversation and asked about her mother's stay in Paris.
"How do you like it so far? I didn't know you were doing business here..." Pilar said.
Carmen was shocked by Pilar's last comment.
"I mean you never really mentioned coming to Paris often. You know on business and all..." Pilar added with a nervous smile.
Carmen knew something was going on and she should get confirmation of it at any time now. Where were her men? They should have called by now....
Their conversation suddenly drifted to Danny and Michelle. Pilar tried her best not to act conscious on her answers. Carmen talked about not seeing them for a while and how she hadn't received any news. Pilar and Billy exchanged a worried look at Carmen's sudden interest in Danny and Michelle. At this moment, the waiter arrived and informed Carmen someone was here to talk to her. She glanced over at her daughter, excusing herself.
The waiter showed Carmen the way to the entrance and left Billy and Pilar alone at the table.
There was a long silence between the two until Pilar panicked.
"What is that all about?" She inquired staring after her mother.
None of them knew but there was this feeling of danger surrounding them that suddenly overcame them both.
At the entrance Carmen met with Sheila, who was holding a small envelope. Carmen asked what this was all about and Sheila simply told her to watch her back because someone was on to her. Sheila handed Carmen an envelope and explained to her how much of a strange visit she had received the day before.
In the envelope were the pictures that Eric had forgotten at the store on Sheila's counter. Carmen took the pictures out and her expression froze. The first picture was one of Mac and Billy sitting leaning on Danny's car. It didn't take her very long to realize how her daughter and this young man had fooled her.
Pilar and Billy caught a glimpse of the woman with whom Carmen was talking and Pilar suddenly jumped off her seat. Carmen and Sheila turned around and Sheila said something to Carmen at the second she noticed whom the boy with Pilar was. Billy grabbed Pilar's arm and pulled her off her chair.
"I think that's our cue to leave." he said as the two of them hurried to the back door.
Carmen and Sheila ran after them but when they got outside Pilar and Billy were already inside a car and heading straight out of the parking lot.
Carmen took her cell phone out and shouted orders to her men to go after the car.
"It's small, there are lots of it around here and it is starting to make me deaf.» Cassie sighed through her teeth.
"Rain..." Michelle answered.
"Bingo!" Cassie said faking extreme joy. "I think we've gone through every single object in this stupid shed now.." She added closing her eyes.
"And it's impossible to reach that window!" Michelle groaned as Cassie put her down.
While regaining her balance, Michelle let a huge box slip and fall on the floor. The noise almost resounded in the entire forest. The two girls bent down and started looking at it's content. Something caught Cassie's eye as she was going through some pile of paper.
"Michelle..take a look at this." Cassie whispered.
They weren't able to read what was written on the paper because of the lack of light. They brought it up higher near the window to take a closer look at it. In black bold letters was the name of Greta Von Amberg.
"Is that a birth certificate?" Cassie asked.
"It looks like it but there are blank spaces.» Michelle frowned.
"Which ones?"
"Her father's name isn't there.." Michelle said trying to read the rest of the information in the dark.
Cassie soon tapped her on the shoulder to show Michelle something she had just found in the box. Michelle looked at the photograph Cassie was holding and the two girls shared an intense confused look.
"Do you think that.» Cassie hesitantly whispered.
Michelle's eyes filled with tears against her will. She had no words for what she was thinking right at this moment. She had no words for what she was feeling either.
Two little children sitting on the grass. A small boy holding a tinier baby girl. His dark hair and unique smile...Michelle couldn't help it. She saw Danny, and the little girl was Greta.
"I..How.?" Michelle managed to let out.
"You really..I mean..Is it possible?" Cassie almost chocked out.
Michelle dropped the picture and birth certificate on the floor and Cassie picked it up and placed it in her jeans' pocket. Michelle sat down and leaned her back against the box. Cassie stayed silent and then sat down beside her, both shocked and confused. Were they right? Or were they simply imagining things. Michelle and Cassie were now shivering. They must have stayed in the rain longer than they thought and being trapped in there, without any heat wasn't helping.
"I'm so cold.." Cassie said.
"So am I..We really have to get out of here before we freeze to death." Michelle added rubbing her hands together.
It was so dark that they could barely see each other. The light coming in from the window couldn't reach the lower part of the room. Michelle tried to get up to go back near the door. Cassie couldn't lift herself up because her leg was killing her. Michelle reached over to her in the dark and took her by the hand.
"Let me help you up." Michelle said.
"Here take my hand.." Cassie replied.
"I am holding your hand.." Michelle answered squeezing Cassie's cold hand.
"No you're not.." She then replied.
"What are you..Then what..?" Michelle started as she pulled on what she was holding.
Michelle screamed when she saw the dead body lying right beside her on the floor. She quickly crawled away from the dead man and Cassie hurried by her side as the body hit the ground in a resounding dead noise.
Greta pulled her baseball cap down to hide herself the best she could and entered inside a small coffee shop. She slowly walked to the counter trying to be as discrete as possible and placed her order.
A few minutes later, a young woman about 5 years older than she was came over to her with a paper bag.
"Trois cafés et trois muffins..?" She half stated and half asked.
Greta nodded and thanked the lady.
"Merci.." She said.
"Are you American?" The woman asked before Greta could leave. "I just wanted to wish you and your two friends waiting outside a nice stay in Paris. Make sure to visit us again." she smiled.
Greta smiled back and quickly headed to the door with her three coffees and muffins, careful not to be recognized by anyone.