146 Kidnapped Arc 2

While Diane was thinking, Lino was also contemplating his next alternative. He began to doubt if Robert really had a copy of the list.

"Hmm," Lino sharply observed Diane's features and thought she was pretty. His eyes went to her body. Not bad, he thought. He was now thinking of what way to use her to get a good amount of money and disappear. He had been running for months now.

After the insurance fraud was detected, thanks to Diane and Anna Ranillo, he tried to work as an insurance agent again. However, he already lost most of his clients when he was an errand guy. He sought Gallante to help him but the latter would not give him anything aside from a few bucks of pocket money as alms.

In the end, he lost his job for not reporting in the office for days when he was running after Gallante for his share of the loot. He had been living under the roof of his sister for two years now and tired of her sister's naggings. Lino needed money badly.

He looked at Diane, a beautiful face, fair skinned, and attractive big eyes. She would be enough to sell in the prostitution den for a big sum. So far, Diane looked better than the girls he saw and used in there.

Lino went outside and opened the gate. He moved the car backward entering the courtyard. He readied the back compartment and untied her hand from the chair. Diane took her chance and fought with all her might. She swung her arms around her to release her hand from his grip but he was stronger.

"Stay put," he shouted. He reinforced his hold on her arms.

He firmly secured her hand in his grasp swinging along with her hand. Still, she would not easily give up. With fierce eyes, she flailed her arms upward to hit his chin but Lino saw it and stepped sideways. Before she knew it, he already yanked her down on the floor. Her face hit first. She let off a soft muffled sound, breathing air out from her lungs. The pain in her nose and face utterly overwhelmed her and forgot to move her freed hands to her earrings. Without delay, Lino hastily pulled her hands and fastened it together with the string behind her back. Diane cursed inside. She lost her chance.

Before Diane could think what would happen next, Lino ahd carried her and dumped her at the car's back compartment. He drove away. It was dawn. Friday, 4:00 a.m.

Friday, 5:00 a.m.

This morning Daisy asked Lydia for Diane. They waited last night and only John came telling them she went home and would come back this morning. Lydia tried to call Diane's phone for her mother needed more clothes because some of her tests were postponed. She had to stay longer in the hospital.

"Hello," John replied as he walked to the parking lot in their house, attached to his ear was his new earphone. It's a combination of mobile phone and open connection to the agency.

"Doc, can I ask a favor?"

"Sure," said John as he settled inside the driver's seat.

"Okay, no problem."

His answer was calm but in his mind, something was surely wrong if she would not reply for hours. He was anxious enough to let the car fly toward Diane's house.

As John reached the house, to his horror, he saw the gate opened wide. He frantically ran to the house and found the door ajar, amplifying his fears within him.

"Diane? Diane?" He ran in and had a hard time finding an empty spot to step on the floor. The whole house was a mess. He kicked every object obstructing his path and managed to search every room but Diane was nowhere to be found.

His hand reached on his earphone and pushed a separate button under it, a humming sound reverberated.

"Leonard?" John walked back to the living room.

"This is Paul. Leonard's still in bed. What's up?" the voice said in his earphone.

"Paul, please locate Diane for me." John looked around the cluttered objects, trying to find a clue onto what happened for the last hours after he left her.

"Where are you right now?" Paul sat in front of a desktop with names on it. He found Diane's name and placed the arrow on it and clicked the mouse. The name turned yellow.

"I'm in her home and the whole house is a mess." Then John spotted Diane's phone and bag sprawled near the door. Fear clawed through him as he picked each item. His gripped tightened on Diane's phone as two words crossed his mind, kidnapped and raped.

"God, No," John uttered a loud cry as his face contorted.

"What happened?" Paul asked, feeling uneasy with John's burdened voice.

"I'm not sure but I think someone kidnapped Diane." He brushed his hand on his hair and struck a punch on the door. His mind veered back when she invited him to go in. "Ahhhh!" John shouted at the top of his lungs as regret gnawed at him for disregarding her safety and leaving her on her own last night.

"She didn't turn on her earrings. I need time to connect through the GPS inside it. Hang on, don't panic." Paul went to another computer.

John kicked the door and rested his head against the wall. "Diane," he uttered softly as he wept.

At this moment, Lino's car was already far away to a dilapidated area kilometers away from the city. In the compartment, Diane had a hard time positioning herself. Her spine ached because she was lying on her tied hands behind her back while her feet were bound as well. The linen cloth was still in her mouth. She can't move much since the compartment was pretty compacted. Her head jarred in pain because of the bumpy ride.

'I need to switch on the earrings but how.' Diane tried to hit her ear against the car's body but failed. She winced in pain instead for her head received a ringing headache up to her eardrum after that try. She lay still, breathing deeply, hoping the pain will lessen soon.

John was distraught but he waited until Leonard came with his team to help find a clue in the jumbled house.

6:00 a.m.

"Have you located her?" John asked when Leonard went into the house.

"No, still locating." Leonard patted John's shoulders. "Don't worry too much. Have faith in her. She's a strong lady."

"I wish I can easily say that. I hope nothing worse …," John said but interrupted by Paul, who was speaking in the communication receivers they were wearing.

"I've found her. She is now heading to … Naga? And moving."

"That far? Keep tracking her. If possible get a satellite 3D feed. Let's see what's her real situation," Leonard instructed.

"We are doing that now," Paul replied.