Veronica blinked rapidly, "What the hell?" she asked as she looked around. She had gone to the kitchen to get Victoria cookies and milk, Rik had wanted to come with her, she told him that she would be fine... and why wouldn't she be? She was in the house! Then she saw something at the back door, a face but she felt no threat but a great deal of pain, sorrow and sadness. She remembered going to the door, she had no intentions of opening it but she did. The emotions of the vampire standing on the back steps almost overwhelmed her. Veronica had never considered herself the most empathetic of vampires but the pain and suffering... she hadn't planned to step outside any more than she had planned to open the door but she did and now she was .... Wherever here was.
She looked around the small room and tried to stand.
"You cannot break those chains." a voice said from behind her.
"Who are you?" Veronica asked as she tried to turn to see who was behind her.
"My name does not matter." he replied.
"Well it matters to me!" Veronica shot back, her temper flaring.
"Very well but it won't mean much to you nor will your knowing it change anything." the voice said. "My name is Bradford Jefferson."
"Alright Mr. Jefferson, who was the corpse?" she asked in full no nonsense Veronica mode.
Bradford blinked, here she was chained to a chair and she was demanding answers. The impressive thing was that there wasn't a trace of fear but much curiosity.
"Are you not afraid?" he asked.
"Would it help if I said yes?" Veronica asked.
"No." Bradford replied, "It would change nothing."
"Then no I'm not afraid." Veronica replied, "But I will admit to being as mad as hell. So who was the corpse?"
Instead of answering her Bradford left the room closing and locking the door behind him.
*******
Everyone ran into the kitchen when they heard Rik call out.
"Wha....." then Ethan saw the open door and the dead flowers on the doorstep.
Katrina stopped dead in her tracks her dark eyes filled with fear and fury. It was the soft sobbing of Victoria that calmed her.
"We'll find her." Katrina soothed hugging the crying girl.
"M....my fault... M... I..." she sobbed.
"No it isn't." Katrina said.
"B... I wanted cookies and...."
Ethan tamped down his anger and picked Victoria up.
"This isn't your fault! Do you understand? It's the fault of whoever who took her and we're going to find her."
Victoria looked tearfully at Rik, "I...." was all that she got out before she shattered into tears.
Rik like Ethan swallowed his anger and went to Victoria, "No little one, it is not your fault and I swear to you we will bring her back."
"Rik, Luc you start searching the property, Vanessa and Katrina you stay here in case she comes back," Ethan said as he took out his cell phone. "Katrina baby, pack a bag for Victoria, I'm calling Mason to see if she can stay with him and Toni until this is over."
Victoria started to cry even harder, "Please don't make me go! I want to stay here and help look for Ronnie!"
"No sweetheart, we need to know that you're safe." Ethan replied.
"Come on pumpkin." Vanessa said taking Victoria's hand.
"I'll pack some of your cookies." Katrina said thinking that it would help.
Victoria pulled away from Vanessa, walked to the counter where the cookie jar was, picked it up and threw it out of the open back door as hard as she could with a scream of rage. She sobbed as the ceramic jar hit a tree and then shattered.
"Mason and Toni will be here in about an hour," Ethan said as he picked up a still sobbing Victoria. He held her until her sobs were sniffles and she was hiccupping. "Alright baby, go with your mom and Vanessa."
"Papa?"
"Yes baby?"
"Hurry up and find her."
********
Rik took the back of the property with Luc taking the front. Security combed the entire area looking in every building there was and then extended the search beyond the perimeters of Ethan's considerable property.
Ethan was going to call Patrick but decided to wait; Martin, Rachel and their boys were on the way as well as other friends and relatives, which included Maryanne, her husband and his family. He would call Patrick if they hadn't found Veronica by morning. He knew that they were just getting home and he didn't want to alarm them just yet.
After all of the necessary calls completed, Ethan kissed Katrina, Vanessa and Victoria goodbye. Victoria clung to him so tightly that he had to peel her arms from around his neck.
"Papa please don't make me go!" she begged again.
"Ethan?" Mason called out as he walked into the kitchen. "Veronica is missing?" he asked.
"Yes, I'll let Katrina fill you in and thank you and Toni both for taking care of Victoria but I've got to go."
A few minutes later, he was gone.
Mason bent down to Victoria, "hey kiddo."
"H...hi Uncle Mason"
"Ready to go? I promise that you can call as many times as you want and you won't even have to go to bed until Veronica is found."
Reluctantly Victoria took Mason's hand. Her bag was waiting by the front door having been packed by Katrina.
"Victoria, do you remember Toni? My wife and this is our son Jamie."
"H...Hi." Victoria said still sniffling.
"Hi Victoria." Toni said bending over as far as her large pregnant belly would allow. "I know that you're scared and that you want to stay and help but the best way to do that is if you come with us."
Victoria slowly nodded her head as the tears began anew.
Twenty-one year old Jamie looked at the sobbing girl and felt a pull on his heart, the need to soothe and protect her hit him so hard that his head spun. He knew exactly who this girl was. That it would be years before they could be anymore than friends didn't matter... he could wait for centuries if he had to but his priority was the here and now.
"Come on squirt." he said lightly, "I'll even let you beat me in scrabble."
