"The door was closed." whispered a deep masculine voice, "I think she is still in there." Megan smiled. She wasn't in really in her room but secretly trying to sneak out to go to her best friend's party. Trying being the key word because she had stopped climbing out of her window when she saw the man standing at her back door picking the lock. She had immediately run to her wall and turned on her dad's "listening device" that he had installed for her that could enable her to hear conversations occurring around the perimeter of her house.
"Then go make sure. Mr. Weston didn't set us up here to think that she is safe. Our jobs...No, our lives depend on Megan Weston being alive still after tonight,"shot back a high voice that sounded like tinkling little bells.
The man suddenly looked ashamed, "I'll go back in and check to make sure she is still in bed." He sighed deeply, turned back to the house and trudged up to the back door. Megan began to feel scared. What did they mean by still alive after tonight. Going to a party didn't sound like it would be a possibility with these people hanging around her house. Megan scooped her beloved cellphone off her nightstand and walked into the bathroom attached to her room. She turned on the shower and stared at herself in the mirror. She took in her long brown hair that spilled in carefully curled ringlets over her shoulders and her bright violet eyes. Her father always said that her eyes were the most unique color in the world, usually she shrugged it off but the stress of the evening made her eyes extremely bright. For once she believed him. After a length of time, enough that the mysterious man could come check on her and see that she was in her bedroom, Megan flipped open her cell and called her best friend, Sophie. When Sophie picked up her phone there was a loud noise in the background, unmistakably the party she was missing.
"Hey Soph. No go," Megan sadly said into her cellphone.
"Aw," complained Sophie, "Did your parents catch you or something."
Megan falters. How would she explain the weird people outside her house. "No, I don't feel so good."
"Okay, your missing an awesome party."
"I know, Have fun!"
"Megs, you know I will. Whats more important is that you feel better. Bye." concluded Sophie and hung up the call before Megan could respond. Megan put down her phone and got in the shower.
After a long steamy shower Megan wrapped herself in a towel and walked into her room. Sitting down at her desk she turned her pink laptop on. As she waited for it to start up Megan walked to her window to see if she could spot the mysterious couple. She saw the female. From a distance you could see that she had blond hair so light it looked white. Her hair was pulled into a tight french twist and she was pacing along the boundaries of Megan's family's large mansion estate. Just ignore her thought Megan if Daddy is paying her she is probably here to protect me. A quiet ding told Megan her computer had finished starting and she had a new email. Megan slipped on her pink bunny slippers and padded across her pink carpet and sat down. She click on the message and saw that it was from someone she didn't know. The subject title was Beware... Megan laughed Probably someone trying to be scary thought Megan trying to shake off the feeling of unease. She clicked on the message and read the email. It said:


Be careful Megan. I am always watching you and your family. Get your dear Daddy to cooperate with me and maybe you'll be safe. If not beware for your life and your family's money. The true question is what would he be willing to pay to see his little girl again.

Megan began to feel queasy, what was this talking about. Megan jumped up from her desk and slipped on her robe. Later she would have wished that she had taken time to appreciate her baby pink room with her king sized bed and her fluffy pink comforter, along with the rest of her belongings. Megan ran down her stairs and out into her back yard. She headed straight to the clump of trees where she had seen the white haired lady.
When Megan got to the clump of trees she was devastated to see that she wasn't there. Spinning around she saw a dense form laying near the edge of a near by clearing. Running over she saw it was a body. Bending down she saw that it was still breathing. She knelt down next to figure trying to find it's neck or arm to see if she could find a pulse. Suddenly the figure rolled over and in one swift move was standing over Megan grasping her arms. "What do you want?" whimpered Megan.
The man let out a bark-like-laugh, "Isn't it obvious? I am here for you!"
"Why me?" asked Megan as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp. He let out another one of his harsh laughs and grasped her a little harder.
"I want to cause disaster in the nation. I can see the headlines now," he stared off into the distance, "California Golden Girl Murdered!"
Megan was suddenly very afraid, "Murdered?"
"I wish but no I'm not into the whole murder thing... I was thinking more along the lines of kidnap you, hold you for ransom, collect the million dollars from your father, excuse me... Daddy, then release a fake body into the ocean, make your dad sign several things... Its a bit complicated."
"No kidding..." snorted Megan sarcastically.
"I will explain on the way,"
"On the way to where?"
"My home but first I want you to leave your daddy a note," and with that he began dragging her back to the house. He forced Megan to up to her room. There he thrust a pen and paper at her insisting that she write a note stating that she loved him and whatever else she wanted. When she had finished he thrust her biggest suitcase at her. "Fill it with as much stuff as you can," he then picked up a duffel bag and walked into the bathroom where he started dumping make-up, soap and other stuff into the duffel bag. Personally Megan ran to her ginormous walk in closet. She grabbed tons of stuff and stuffed it into the suitcase. Her jeans, shoes and tons of other clothes. When the suitcase was full Megan was surprised to see that almost all of her closet had be stuffed into the suitcase. When she walked out her bed had no pillows, and her blankets were gone. Her kidnapper walked back in. "Ready to go?" he asked. She nodded and he grabbed the suitcase and started lugging it downstairs. When they went outside she was surprised to see tons of stuff in the back of a large van. Besides her bedding there was numerous bags of food and several jugs filled with water.
She silently got into the passenger seat. He got into the drivers seat and started the van. The dashboard clock read midnight and Megan felt as though her eye lids were made of lead. Just a short nap thought Megan closing her eyes.
When she opened her eyes again the sun was shining brightly though the windshield and the dashboard clock read nine o'clock. "Oh my gosh!" screamed Megan. Her kidnapper looked over at her alarmed.
"What happened?" he asked.
"I can't believe I slept that long." replied Megan. She looked around and saw lots of evergreen trees. "Where are we?"
"Colorado,"
"Wow, um, would you explain your evil mastermind of a plan?"
He laughed, "Sure."
"Wait, what is your name?"
"Lucas. Any way my plan is in multiple steps. Step one, capture you and bring you to my cabin the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Step two, call your father and ask if he is willing to pay the price. Step three, since he will pay the price-"
"How are you so sure?"
"You are his only daughter and your mom died, you are all that he has left. Anyway, since he will pay the price make him sign a contract saying that when and if he gets you back you must remain under house arrest and you must be legally dead."
"Legally?"
"The government must have a death certificate saying that you are dead. Step three, I will have a suicidal friend who I am paying tons of money to in able for them to have plastic surgery, teeth implants, and other procedures that will make her your physical twin. Step four, this friend will end up killing herself and will be inconspicuously found. The press will see this and think you are dead, an obituary will be held, yadayadayada. I will return you to your dad and that will be that."
"What?! Couldn't I just go out on the street and tell people?"
"No, part of your dad getting you back is that he goes along with the story and you are to remain hidden." Megan was stunned. How could someone think of something as elaborate and controlling? Instead of responding she glanced out the window. "How long till we get to your house?"
"Not long, actually we're here." Megan drew a sharp breath in as the car turned into the drive way of a spectacular mansion. It had floor to ceiling windows and towered over the surrounding trees.
"Grab your duffel and suitcase then head inside," said Lucas absent minded-like. Nodding Megan went to the trunk of the van. She grabbed her duffel bag and suitcase then walked up to the door of the house. Lucas walked up behind her with a large box containing the remaining contents of the van. He unlocked the door and walked in. The inside was decorated modernly and the view outside the back windows was just as stunning as the house itself.
Megan didn't realise she was stopped in the middle of the living room till Lucas cleared his throat and motioned for her to follow him. He lead her down a long hallway to a doorway at the end. Megan didn't know what to expect in her bedroom as a kidnapped. Lucas opened the door to an all white room. It had white walls, white curtains and white carpet. There was no furniture but Lucas walked in.
"You will be staying here," he announced as he swept the room with his arm. He set down the box and continued, "Set up however you like but this is all you get. Use the box and suitcase for your clothes and I will show you your bathroom later." With that he walked out and closed the door, it shut with a click and then Megan heard another click. He's locking me in? thought Megan panicking. She calmed herself down and walked over to the box. She pulled out several blankets and laid one down as a base for her 'bed' then laid several others on top for warmth. She then moved on to her suitcase. She started with hanging all her shirts and bottoms in the closet. She left her shoes in the suitcase. Once everything was on a hanger she organised it by color, then did the same with her shoes. Walking over to the box she set up the rest of the essentials Lucas had provided for her.
When Megan was finished she banged on the door and shouted for Lucas. When he wouldn't come she walked over to her make-shift bed. She sat down and started looking through what he had brought for her. There was an assortment of make-up, lotion, and face wash. One thing that surprised her was that he had brought her jewelry too. She pulled her favorite ring out of the bag and slipped it on. A voice startled Megan from her trance, "My source was right you do love jewelry."
"Your source?" asked Megan suspiciously
"I had two people watching you so that I could make you comfortable while you are here, and so that I could find out more about you."
"Wait! Was it the man and the woman with the white hair?" Megan asked alarmed.
"So you saw them."
"But, they said," Megan fumbled for words, "What is your last name?"
"Weston."
"Are we related!"
"Yes, your father is my brother."
"He never mentioned you."
"We didn't get along very well. He was the spoiled brat and I was the self supported genius. Since I am older than your father I should have been the heir to all of your grandfather's money but he always favored your father and he became the millionaire and I am going to get it all back now. I was just on the phone delivering the ransom message."
"Did he pick up?"
"No, I left a message. We should hear an answer very soon." Lucas turned on his heel and motioned for her to follow him. He lead her into the living room again. There he explained rules and what she could and could not do. T
he rest of the evening passed with Megan reading a book. One of the benefits of Lucas being the genius of the family was he loved books. His library was as big as a small house and had enough books for her to read for the rest of her life.
At eight o'clock Lucas called her to the dinner table where she ate dinner quietly and alone.
The few weeks that followed were a blur. Megan read all day and never talked besides thanking Lucas whenever he supplied her with a new book or gave her food.
About a month after Lucas had kidnapped Megan she asked him a question. "Has my dad paid the money yet?" Lucas looked up startled then grimaced. From the look on her face she could tell that he had talked to his brother. Without answering he walked out of the kitchen. Every time Megan saw Lucas she asked if she could go home or if her dad had paid the money.
One day when she asked Lucas looked at her before he walked away. The look plastered across his face told more than all of his silent avoidance. It was a look of pity. When he walked away Megan realized that there was no more plan, there was no money. Her dad didn't want her anymore, he wanted to stay a millionaire. She was never going back to California because her dad had abandoned her.