"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak."
~ Unknown

~ Friday in the Same Week ~

"Hey slow down there cheetah!" Lizzy shouted to Kabe as he burst through the front door.

"I'm late for the photoshoot!" he shouted back to her as he rounded the corner.

A second later he wheeled back and headed to over to Lizzy, "Young lady 'bout early twenties supposed to pick pictures she took weeks ago. Can't remember name but suppose to on package. If she comes give her," Kabe quickly instructed Lizzy in some choppy sentences.

"Kay," Lizzy replied while shaking her head.

Two minutes later Kabe rushed out again with a large heavy bag in his hand.

"Bye, Liz!" Kabe shouted as he burst through the door yet again.

"OWW!" someone cried out as they collided into Kabe.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Kabe apologized as he helped the lady up.

"Oh, sir," the lady called to Kabe after he helped her up, "I took a picture here..."

"I'm sorry but I'm running late," Kabe interrupted her, "Someone inside will assist," he finished then ran off towards his car.

"Oh, okay," she replied in a small voice though Kabe was already gone.

She walked into the studio and upon seeing Lizzy she headed over to her.

"Ah, excuse me miss," Lizzy looked up from the computer towards her, "I came and took a picture a few weeks ago, I can't remember when but I didn't get the chance to pick it up."

"Oh Kabe told me you'd possibly come by not too long ago. What is your name?" Lizzy asked looking at her.

"It's Chantal Reid," she replied.

Lizzy got up and headed over to where Kabe stored the photos he took.

"Chantal, Chantal, Chantal," Lizzy mumbled to herself, "and you said your last name is Reid?" Lizzy clarified.

"Yes," Chantal answered softly.

"I don't see yours here. Hold on a minute let me get someone who actually works here. I just fill in sometimes when Kabe asks. I'll soon be back."

Chantal looked around and saw a customized calendar with Lizzy smiling brightly and in the background was a beautiful forest.

'They even capture trees just for show,' Chantal thought, 'Gosh what am I thinking? Believing these people enslave trees,' then she chuckled at her crazy thought.

"I can't wait until tomorrow comes then you are finally gone! Vanished!" a masculine voice spoke.

Chantal immediately recognised the voice and fear suddenly started creeping into her so she slowly backed up towards the door in case he exploded like the first time he saw her.

"Oh, hi," Ryan greeted Chantal.

She timidly waved her hand.

"I'm not going hurt you or anything you know, you just scared me the last time," Ryan reassured Chantal seeing how close she was to the door.

"You scared him?" Lizzy asked surprised, "I've been trying to scare him for years now! Thank you so much," Lizzy said and made a move to give her a hug but she side stepped it.

"Oh sorry," Lizzy apologized trying to contain her sudden gratitude.

"I... I don't do... hugs," Chantal explained quietly.

At that explanation Lizzy extended her hand for a shake, "Nor handshakes," Chantal smiled shyly.

During their awkward exchange Ryan had looked for the package while eying his sister making a fool of herself, "Here is the picture," Ryan said handing it to Lizzy.

She took out the photo and looked at it to ensure it was Chantal's.

"Oh my gosh!" Lizzy shouted.

"What... what is it?" Chantal asked inching closer.

"Looking at you know it looked like someone sucked the life out of you!"

"LIZZY!" Ryan shouted sounding extremely infuriated.

After a few seconds it finally registered to Lizzy what she had just said. She immediately slammed her hand over her mouth.

"I'm so, so sorry," Lizzy apologized as her face morphed into one of deep regret.

"Can I just have my picture?" Chantal said holding out her hand.

When she got it she handed Lizzy the money for the pictures.

"No! It's okay. You don't have to pay," Ryan spoke up.

"Th-thank you sir," Chantal said and quickly walked out of the studio.

"Nice going there, Liz," Ryan said looking at her condescendingly, "that big mouth of yours is going to pay now. The money for the picture is coming out of your pay for today," he told her then walked off.

"Thanks there big mouth," Lizzy muttered to herself.

♠♠♠

Ryan was hanging out at Kabe's house later that day. Sure they may have seen each other basically everyday but they were totally inseparable from they were babies.

Ryan was five feet ten while Kabe was just an inch taller. Ryan had brown hair and light green eyes and Kabe had black hair and eyes. They had the average build of a man, well whatever your average may be and both had fair skin in need of a touch up of tanning.

They were sitting across from each other playing a card game of cheats with the television playing in the background.

"Three, threes," Ryan played his cards slapping them on the table before them.

"Cheat!" Kabe called him out.

"What! I did not!" Ryan protested folding his arms.

"You are one terrible liar," Kabe smirked flipping over the cards Ryan had just played without even looking at them.

"Oh come on man! I don't call cheats on you when you do!" Ryan cried begging for mercy, "We knew each other from the womb bro, so just please turn a blind eye," he pleaded.

"Stop being such a cry baby. That's your loss so just suck up the cards."

"At least take a few... please," Ryan cried going for the baby voice.

"Nah, not happening," Kabe replied leaning back in his seat.

"Fine! Be that way, at least I can know when you cheat," Ryan said with a smug look while he picked up all the cards.

"You want anything to drink?" Kabe asked as he stood up.

"Yeah some milk," he replied while sorting his cards.

"Dude you may as well ask for some cookies too."

"Sure add that in as well."

"You're joking right?" Kabe clarified.

"No. It's like this," he began, "you call me a kid and then you call me a cry baby. What more should I do to live up to the role than ask for cookies and milk?" he stated as if he was in some major debate.

"Whatever makes your world go round," Kabe replied sounding defeated then walked off to the kitchen.

About five minutes had passed and Ryan called to Kabe asking him what was taking him so long.

"Fixing the baby's snack!" Kabe called back.

"Well hurry or the baby will start crying!"

Not long after Kabe entered with their refreshments.

"Here you go baby Ryan," Kabe handed him his milk and cookies while trying really hard not to laugh from Ryan's pout.

"Thank you Grandpa Kabe," he replied through clenched teeth.

Then as if a silent agreement for war had been declared they stared each other down, neither letting up.

"The Jamaican Police has joined forces with the Tennessee Police Department to find a missing Jamaican girl," the news reporter's voice blared through the television's speakers which caught the attention of both Kabe and Ryan making them turn their heads towards the television.

"The mother of the missing girl, Sheerily Reid, had called the Tennessee Police last year reporting that her daughter was missing but according to her, the officers had not gotten back in touch with her.

"Her daughter, Chantal Reid, had come to Tennessee in the summer of 2015 with a close family friend who told her he would be able to enroll Chantal in a good university here so she could receive the best education because according to the family friend, since Chantal wanted to go into the movie making industry it would be best that Chantal enrolled in a film school in the States."

A video clip then filled the screen with a sobbing, tear, stained face Sheerily Reid.

"Mi tell Sammy fi call mi wen dem lan so mi know sey dem reach safe." Sniff. "He call mi a tell mi sey deh reach aright. Mi ask fi talk to Chantal an mi tell ar," sniff, "how mi love ar an she sey," sniff, "mi love you to mummy an mi a go mek yuh proud," more tears started streaming down Mrs. Reid's face, "Dat a di last time mi here from she an Sammy. Mi jus wa Chantal fi com home," at this statement her shoulders started shaking as she started sobbing even harder.

While Chantal's mother spoke, her words were translated at the bottom of the screen.

"I told Sammy to call when they reached so I would know they had arrived safely." Sniff. "He called me and told me they had reached safely. I asked to talk to Chantal and I told her," sniff, "how I loved her and she said," sniff, "I you too mummy and I'm going to make you proud," more tears started streaming down Mrs. Reid's face, "That was the last time I heard from her and Sammy. I just want Chantal to come home," at this statement her shoulders started shaking as she started sobbing even harder.

The video was then cut off and went back to the face of the reporter who wore a solemn expression.

"Though Mrs. Reid has tried calling Chantal's phone countless times she told the police that it would not ring." A picture of Chantal appeared at the top right hand corner of the screen above the reporter's head, "The police are asking for your assistance, if you know Chantal's whereabouts or have seen her please report to the Tennessee Police Department or the nearest police station. Chantal is five feet two inches tall, of a petite build, brown skin and kinky hair. On other news, a man was spotted..."

"Isn't that the picture of the lady I had taken some weeks back?" Kabe asked tuning out the rest of the news, "Besides, did she come by today and get her picture?"

Ryan's eyes were wide opened in shock trying to absorb what he just heard and at the same time comprehend what Kabe was saying.

"Ryan! Did you hear what I just said man?"

"Yeah... I did," he replied his voice hardly above a whisper.

"It's just that," he continued, "she doesn't look anything like that anymore," he then turned wired eyed to Kabe, "she looks malnourished! It's… it's like she's dying on the inside."

"She came by today?" Kabe asked.

"Yes she did! How else would I know how she looks now? You remember that night when you were fixing her photo and you said how her picture cried help?"

When Kabe nodded he continued.

"I could see exactly what you were talking about. She looked scared out her mind. You know how Lizzy is and all, jumpy and can't keep to herself?" he asked describing his fair skin, curly brown haired sister.  "Well when Lizzy tried hugging her for scaring me she dodged her hug and did not want to make any physical contact. She's different from how she was before Kabe."

"We need to go to the station tomorrow," Kabe stated after having a seat.

"What are you crazy! Who do you think is going to believe me? Besides how can we even prove she doesn't look the same?" Ryan questioned.

"At least we know we tried to help!" Kabe tried to reason with him.

"No bruh, you know these police go look at us like we crazy and I ain't crazy."

"We could just tell them she came to our studio and took a picture."

"No! Then we're gonna have the NYDP on our backs then Homeland Security and the FBI and then who knows? We'll probably end up in the next episode of Law & Order or even Criminal Minds!"

"Dude you're overreacting! It's just one report that we…"

"No! I don't want my name in police records whether good or bad. If you want to, then go by yourself."

"You know we are apart of the crime too if we don't report it?"

"No you are! You're the one who took her picture beyond closing time! And that my friend is what they can use against you to incriminate you!"

"Oh come on Ryan! What happened in the past has nothing to do with you," Kabe assured him seeing though his outburst.

Ryan's father was a pharmacist who travelled and delivered different medications to top doctors across the country, sometimes going to different countries. However he was convicted of taking samples of the different medication for his personal gain by selling it on the black market. He was actually innocent of the charge but he was framed so well that he got fifteen years in prison without bail or parole. The last time Ryan had every seen his dad was when he was ten on the day of his court trial in handcuffs being led off by an officer.

"I know but the justice system can't be trusted man, it just can't be."

WOW! yep a lot has been revealed but now that you all Are in the light and know what happened Kabe and Ryan have not a clue what's going on.

I know there is no such thing as the Tennessee Police Department.

Yes I didn't describe how any of the characters looked in much detail in previous chapters because I wanted you all to imagine them how you think they actually look.

Did any of you think that all the characters were white and if not why?

What do you think of Ryan's conclusion about the justice system [please keep in mind this is a work of fiction and no harm or offense is meant] ?

Do you think Chantal will get back home?

Should Kabe and Ryan report what they know?

Do you like the end notes short or long?

I love reading your responses and comments and appreciate all your votes!

Oh I almost forgot, anyone saw the reason for the QUICK QUESTION from Chapter 2?

So thanks to @IreneCallista07 and @ArielMasters they selected the setting of the book as I had a hard time deciding.

I tried replying to you guys comments from the last chapter but for some reason  I'm unable to. I know I said it already but I appreciate each and every kind of response I get on this book from you guys, it means a lot!

Please don't forget to …
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