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WORM

C ome on sugar just tell me where you are?

A few minutes later the three little dots appear.

Allison: I’m home, but I have many things to do. Important stories to write and get put in the news.

He frowns at the odd wording.

May I call you? I just want to talk.

Allison: No. I’m busy. I don’t have time right now. You need to forget about me. It was just sex, nothing more. I’m a busy and important woman. I don’t have time for you.

Worm frowns again. Emma is correct. Something isn’t right. He needs to ask her something only she would know the answer to, something no one else would be able to respond to correctly.

Just one more?

He waits, both wanting and not wanting her to give the correct reply.

Allison: No. Absolutely not. I’ve told you it was just a fling. Stop texting me.

Worm’s heart sinks. He knows without a doubt Allison is not the person texting him.

“It’s not her,” he announces to the room. All eyes swing to him.

“How do you know it’s not Allison?” Wallace asks from the open phone line.

“We kinda had this thing, where I’d say something and she would always say the same thing back,” Worm tells them, swallowing back the emotions, making his throat thick and hard to talk. “She didn’t respond like she should have. Not even close.”

A brief silence follows his declaration, then sobs come from Hack’s phone. Wallace is murmuring something to calm Emma down.

“I’m trying to locate where her phone is and I’m still working to gain access to CCTV footage in San Diego,” Hack informs them, “but I haven’t gotten in yet.

“However, I have found a few things. She had an Uber pick her up from the airport in San Diego, after calling the number from early in the morning once she’d landed. The call lasted less than a minute. I’m working to find the owner of that number and see what I can find out about them.”

“How long is that going to take?” Worm demands, fear riding him. “She’s been missing for hours. Anything could have happened to her…” He trails off not wanting to say his worst fears out loud. He begins pacing again. What’s happening to her? She must be so afraid.

“I don’t know how long it’s going to take,” Hack replies, with an apologetic tone. “Hopefully, less than an hour, but could be longer. I’ve contacted Tex. He’s using his resources, too.” He meets Worm’s gaze. “We’ll find her,” Hack says with confidence.

Worm looks around the room at his teammates and friends. Hawk, Charlotte, Tank, Ruby, and Lisa are nodding their agreement. He hopes they’re right. He hasn’t known Allison very long, but his feelings for her are strong. He can’t imagine never seeing or talking to her again. She has to be all right, but how could she be? He’s certain she isn’t the person sending those texts. Then where is she?