Chapter 1

• "Come on, we need to hide," Karen said, her voice tremulous with fear.
• "I can't. I need to go to my mum and dad," Lindsey replied, her gaze fixed on the direction of her parents, her whole body shivering with dread.
• "I'm sure your parents would want you to hide," Karen murmured, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Do you know a safe place to hide?" she whispered.
• "Yeah, yeah," Lindsey stammered as she finally moved away from the door. With timid steps, she made her way to her closet. Her hands shook as she hastily pushed aside the clothes, revealing a locked door. Fumbling with the keypad, she typed in the password.
• "Isn't this place obvious?" Karen asked, exhaling sharply.
• "Mum and dad always said that the most obvious place is the most secure, because people rarely look there," Lindsey replied, her voice tinged with resignation.
• A thud echoed through the room, followed by indistinct muttering as footsteps drew nearer. Hurriedly, they squeezed into the hidden space, locking the door behind them as they waited in tense silence.
• "Come on, we need to search the girls' room; the boss said leave no stone unturned," said a masked man.
• "And you think she would still be in her room after hearing the gunshot?" asked his companion. "She can't be that stupid," he grumbled, following the other into the room. "The five of you go this way," he ordered, pointing to his right. "And you six go that way," he said, motioning to his left. "The rest, come with me," he said, and they immediately dispersed, kicking down doors and searching every inch of the cottage.
• "I guess she's not stupid, then," mumbled the masked man with a laugh. "Come on, guys, let's search the rest of this place," he yelled, motioning his men out of the house.
• "But what about the closet?" asked one of his men, pointing towards the hiding spot. Karen and Lindsey's hearts pounded with fear as they stifled their cries, holding onto each other and praying for a miracle.
• "You can't think they would hide there, do you?" the leader yelled, pointing his gun at his men.
• "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," the man said fearfully, his hands up in the air, trembling in fright.
• "Amateur," spat the leader as he turned and left the room. Karen and Lindsey let out a breath of relief when the room finally fell silent. They waited a few more minutes and then cautiously emerged when they heard the screeching of tires as the men left the area.
• "Mum, dad," sniffled Lindsey as she ran out of the room, down the stairs, and into the parlor where she saw her dad lying lifelessly in a pool of his own blood. His fingers were cut off, and there was even a bullet in both of his knees, but the shot that finished him was a shot to his head. "No," she yelled as she fell to her knees with a thud, tears streaming down her eyes.
• "Lindsey.. your mom," Karen said in a shaky voice.
• Lindsey slowly looked in her direction, and her heart sank as she saw her mother's lifeless body on the floor. She crawled over to her, holding her close as tears streamed down her face.
• "Come on, Lindsey, we need to leave. Those guys might come back," Karen said, trying to steady her voice. Mr. and Mrs. Amazon meant a lot to her.
• "You're right, but I need to bury my parents," Lindsey replied, wiping her eyes as she stood up.
• "We can come back in the evening, but for now, we need to go," Karen said just as the sound of tires screeching got nearer.
• "They are here," shivered Karen, grabbing Lindsey's hand as they ran out of the cottage.
• "I see her," yelled one of the men coming out of the car. "Come on, we need to chase her; the boss wants her alive," he shouted as he and some of the other men quickly got into the car and gave chase.
• "Oh no, they are onto us," gasped Lindsey as she increased her pace. "We need to get off the road," she said, panting heavily as she looked at Karen, and they veered off into the fields. They kept running, but then heard a gunshot, freezing them in fear.
• As they ducked down in the tall grass, they could hear the sound of their pursuers drawing nearer. Lindsey held tightly to Karen, her heart racing as she tried to come up with a plan to ensure their safety.
• "What the heck is wrong with you? I said the boss wants her alive!" Yelled one of the men angrily.
• "Do you want to tell the boss that we lost her?" The shooter yelled back as he kept on shooting.
• "Come on, Karen, we need to keep moving," yelled Lindsey, tugging at her friend.
• "I can't, I'm tired," Karen replied with heavy panting, and then a gunshot was heard.
• "Noooo!" cried Lindsey as blood splattered all over her. Tears kept flowing from her eyes when she saw the hole on her best friend's head.
• "I think I got one," yelled the shooter with a smirk. "Hopefully the Amazons' daughter."
• "Yeah, well, we need to be sure," yelled another voice as his footsteps got closer.
• Lindsey took off as she heard the sound of dry grass being stepped on. "I'm sorry," she whispered softly as more tears poured down her face.
• Lindsey ran as fast as her legs could carry her, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew she had to keep moving, regardless of the pain and fear that consumed her. She tried to push the gruesome image of her friend's death out of her mind as she focused on escaping. The only thing she could do now was survive and hope for a chance to seek justice for her parents and friend.
• ~ Three Days Earlier.~
• "Hey Lindsey, be careful please." Karen called out, her voice filled with concern, as she watched her friend climb up the tree.
• Lindsey balanced herself on the branch, reaching out to pluck the red apple. "I've got it!" she called triumphantly as she carefully made her way down to the ground.
• Karen sighed in relief as she saw her friend safely on the ground. "You always make me worry, you know that?" she chided with a gentle smile, knowing that Lindsey's adventurous spirit always got the better of her.
• Lindsey flashed a mischievous grin, "But that’s what friends are for, to keep you on your toes."
• Karen rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Come on, we need to get back home. Your parents have been searching for you."
• "Ugh, they worry too much," Lindsey grumbled as they made their way back. "But I guess it's nice to know they care."
• "Exactly," Karen nodded, "You're lucky to have parents who care so much."
• "I suppose you're right," Lindsey conceded, looking over at the picturesque cottage they called home before letting out a contented sigh.
• "Well, you need to show them and at the same time tell them," Karen advised, looking at her best friend with a look of understanding.
• "I will," Lindsey replied with determination, nodding in agreement. "Come on, we need to get inside before they come out," she said, holding out her hand towards Karen.
• "Too late," Karen said with a smile as she took Lindsey's hand, the both of them looking at the door where a middle-aged woman stood with a handsome yet broad man, his hands wrapped around the woman.
• "Mom... Dad!" Lindsey called out with joy as she ran towards her parents, dragging Karen along.
• "Lindsey!" they both exclaimed happily, with smiles on their faces as they embraced their daughter.
• "Good day, Mr. and Mrs. Amazon," greeted Karen as she bowed towards them.
• "Oh, Karen, stop with the formalities," Martha said, pulling Karen in for a hug. "Since you don't want to call me 'Mom,' then call me Martha."
• "No, ma'am, I don't want to impose," Karen replied humbly.
• "You are not imposing," Derek boomed. "And you can also just call me Derek."
• "How do you expect her to call you Derek when you have a scary look on your face," Martha muttered to her husband.
• "It's not a scary look," Derek retorted, earning a playful glare from his wife.
• "Let's go inside. I made casserole, you must be hungry," said Martha, pushing the girls inside and walking in behind them.
• The inside of the cottage was even more beautiful compared to the outside. The parlor had a magnificent chandelier that added to the beauty, along with a big flat screen and a lovely fancy couch. There was a zigzag stairway that led upstairs. The parlor had a homely vibe, with pictures of Lindsey from when she was little to now, and a picture of the happy family decorating the walls.
• "Come on," ushered Lindsey as she walked to the dining table. Derek was already seated at the head, and different foods were placed on the table, such as casserole, lasagna, and spaghetti and meatballs.
• "I thought your mom said she made casserole?" asked Karen quietly as she looked at the table once more.
• "She did," Lindsey replied with a shrug. "But you should know her by now."
• "I do, but that doesn't mean I won't be surprised every now and then," muttered Karen as she watched Martha dishing out the food into four different plates, customizing them to each person's taste, and setting them on the table. Martha then walked over to her seat, which was beside her husband.
• "Let's dig in," Martha said as she grabbed her fork.
• "This is delicious, ma'am," said Karen after taking three spoons of Martha's homemade casserole.
• "Thanks, dear. I'm glad you are enjoying my food," Martha said as she dug her fork into her plate of spaghetti and meatballs, rolled it, and then put it in her mouth. "Delicious," she moaned as she carefully chewed her food, already digging her fork for more.
• "Wow, Mom, this is the best lasagna I have ever tasted," Lindsey said with her spoon pointing towards her plate of lasagna.
• "Thanks, darling, even though you say that about all my cooking," replied Martha with a smile.
• "That's because it's true," Lindsey drawled, already taking another spoonful of lasagna.
• "Eff Efff Efff," coughed Derek as Martha quickly got a glass of water. "Here," she said, giving him the water. "Careful."
• "Thanks," replied Derek as he drank the water in one gulp.
• "I said careful," yelled Martha, worriedly.
• "It's okay, dear, I'm fine. It was just a cough," he replied, placing a calming hand on his wife's hands, which were on the table.
• "Done," Lindsey yelled as she stood up, carrying her empty plate to the kitchen sink.
• "Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Amazon, for the meal. It was delicious," Karen said as she also made her way to the kitchen with her plate in her hands.
• "Wow, they sure do eat fast," Derek said, looking at the kitchen.
• "Or maybe we eat slow," Martha said as she smiled at her husband.
• "Well, your food is delicious and needs to be savored, not rushed," Derek said as he slowly ate his.
• "You're the only one who thinks that way," Martha said with a laugh.
• "Then I guess we still have a lot of teaching to do," stated Derek as he pushed aside his empty plate, wiping his mouth with a towel. "Thanks, darling, for the meal," he said as he kissed her softly.
• "You're welcome," she replied with a blush on her face as she hurriedly cleared the table.
• "You know what," she said, wiping her hands, "I'm glad we decided to come to Texas." She continued walking over to her husband as she sat on his legs with her legs on either side.
• "Same here," murmured Derek as he wrapped his hand round her waist, hugging her tightly. "Work in New York, my family matters most," he said with a kiss to her forehead.