It must have been a grand total of five minutes between Matt phoning the police and the police arriving.
Their whole house was buzzing with policemen and gathering neighbors, within minutes. Matt was holding Mimi. Her eyes wide with fear.
"Matt, we need you to come over here for a minute." said Andrew beaconing him toward him.
Matt reluctantly left, leaving Mimi by herself. "What is it?" he said flatly.
"Matt, we have the ransom note. You read it. I'm just wondering how he knew you'd read it. I mean, a stalker would usually write down the name of the person, so the people don't mess up the demands. But this is different. He said your soon to be wife, meaning Mimi. So, I have a theory that the person knows you. Very well."
"I don't care!" Matt screamed. "This son of a bitch is expecting me to let my fiancee go, in exchange for my baby! I'm not doing that! I'm not letting Mimi put her life in danger, just so he can get his twisted kicks!"
"I know what your going through! You don't have to get angry at me!" said Andrew, getting a little annoyed.
"You have no idea what I'm going through!" exploded Matt. " How do I know he'd do it?! I could lose Mimi and Lilly for all we know!"
"Matt." Mimi whispered. He bolted to her side, grabbing her hands.
"What?"
"Calm down. It's okay. Andrew's trying to help us."
"Mimi, I'm sorry." he apologized. "It just, this guy is getting on my nerves! First he takes our baby, then he wants you. 'I'm not giving into his demands. I refuse to." he said sternly.
"I'm doing it Matt. You can't stop me. I've already made up my mind. He wants me, not Lilly." she said fiercely.
"Over my dead body." said Matt coldly. "I'm not losing the both of you."
"You have no say in the matter." she snapped. "Lilly's a baby! She has her whole life to live! I won't let some idiot take it away from her!"
"Mimi, think about what your saying! You'll be walking into a trap! I know he won't let you go!" he sighed deeply. "I have a feeling it's the same guy as last time."
"That's impossible. He's dead. Gone! Pushing up daisies! You killed him!" she said.
"Like I said, it's just a feeling, but I'm willing to bet my life on it." he explained.
Mimi looked at him. He had such an expression, that she believed him. "He's dead." she reminded herself.
"Matt. Mimi." said Andrew walking over to them. "We gave the substance on the newspaper article about the destruction of the old factory, to our lab. They identified that the substance was blood. Who's blood, they don't know."
A policeman walked over to Andrew. He whispered something in his ear, which made Andrew go very pale.
"What is it?" asked Matt.
"The... the blood. God. I don't know how to say it." he searched for the words, no being able to find them.
"Tell us!" demanded Mimi.
"It belongs to Anthony Fighter Mimi. I'm sorry."
"Oh dear God no..." she said buckling into Matt's arms. "It is the same guy. It wasn't Cole...."
"Matt, I think you know the stalker. Or at least, the stalker knows you. I want you to come down to the station, and ID some people. We might find him by the end of the week."
"Thank you Andrew. We really appreciate what you're doing for us." Mimi said quietly.
"It's the least I could do. I blame myself for what happened to you Matt. Both of you almost died because of me." he said, looking at the floor, unable to look them in the eyes.
Matt placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We don't. You had no idea that Cole would do what he did. And we didn't die now did we?" he said smiling.
He smiled back. "Matt, we still need you to come to the station."
"Fine. I'll go with you now." he turned to Mimi. "Are you gonna be okay?"
She shook her head. "The only way we'll be able to find Lilly, is if we find out who the stalker is. You go with them. I need to take Derek back to the hospital." she looked over at the small boy, huddled in a blanket on their couch. He was as worried as Mimi was. "He must be petrified."
"I bet the poor boy is." said Andrew nodding his head. "I'll drive you to the hospital."
"Thank you." said Mimi, as she left to collect Derek's belongings.
Andrew pulled up to the hospital, ten minutes later. Derek hopped out all smiles, because Andrew let him turn on the siren. Mimi stepped out after him, and shivered.
Even though it was a hot day, she had a cold feeling attached to her since the incident in the morning. "Derek! Slow down! You might trip!" she said motherly like.
"Mimi!" screeched Marie as she saw her. "Look at the wedding dress in this magazine! It's gorgeous! You'd look beautiful!" she waved the book around frantically, before shoving it in Mimi's face.
Mimi stepped back instinctively, but took the magazine any ways. Her eyes widened at the sight of the gown. "It's beautiful Marie." she gasped.
The dress was a pale lavender color, with beaded glass spirals at the bottom. It was sleeveless, and had a long lace veil. Little pieces of ribbon hung from the bodice and bottom, giving it a heavenly appeal.
"I must have this dress! It's perfect! It's better than perfect!" screamed Mimi forgetting all her worries.
It was really dark by the time Mimi finally left the hospital. She was supposed to be planning the hospital fund-raiser's ball, but she got so caught up with her wedding plans. She ended up planning the rest of her menu and she chose the caterers. With Marie's help, she chose her dress and managed to finally choose the flower arrangement.
"Ugh! This is so much work. I really should have asked for Matt's help." she complained, as she flagged down a taxi. Completely oblivious to the fact that someone was watching her.
************************************************************************
Brian turned his attention away from Mimi, waiting for his real prey. He clutched his weapon and fiddling with it nervously. He soon spotted him walking out of the hospital, rubbing his arm. There was another person beside him, laughing his head off.
"Why the hell did they have to make needles so painful?" shouted Ken. He kept staring at his 'wound' painfully.
"Man! You screamed like a girl when the nurse injected you! You should have seen your face!" Chris shouted, making a scrunched up face, and screamed really high pitched.
"I do not scream like that!" said Ken defensively.
"Yeah you do. Man. Look at the time. Terry's going to kill me. See you tomorrow Kim. I mean Ken."
"Shut up Chris! At least my name doesn't sound girlish!" he retorted smartly.
"At least I don't scream and try and throw myself out a window when a nurse shows me a needle!" said Chris as he crossed the street. "Bye!"
"Bye Chris." said Ken giving up their little spat. A firm hand grasped his shoulder. He screamed.
"Man. He is right. You scream like a girl." said Brian, not showing his face. "Who the hell is this?" asked Ken spinning around fast. "Brian? You... you can talk!"
"No duh!" he said taking his baseball bat, and smashing it down on his head. Ken fell limply in a pile on the ground, as Brian quickly pulled his body into the alley.
He waited till there were nobody insight, and dragged Ken off to his car. He threw his body into the back seat, and drove off to his desired destination.
Several minutes later, he arrived. He pulled out Ken, and the large box beside him.
He hauled Ken up several stairs, finally throwing him in a small room. All the paint on the walls had chipping, and had turned an off shade of yellow. The large pillars had been vandalized and were tagged. Large pieces of the ceiling and pillars had crumbled apart, or had been broken off. Dust covered anything and everything.
Brian took a large metal chain out of the box, and tired Ken's legs and hands to the furthest pillar. He then took a brand-new lock out of the box, and chained him together. Finally, he took out a large roll of silvery duck tape, and sealed his mouth.
Walking out of the building he smiled, and kicked down the 'DO NOT ENTER. DEMOLITION SITE.' sign, and took off in his car.
************************************************************************
"Mimi!" called Matt. "I'm going to the police station now! I'll see you tonight!" he took off out the door, and ran down the stairs.
"Fine." Mimi pouted to herself. Matt had spent every day that week with the police, in an attempt to find the mysterious stalker.
Mimi riffled through several of her magazines, before deciding on Vogue. She flipped to page 145 and started reading the article about wedding planning made easy.
After several notes, Mimi put down the magazine. She turned on the TV and started flipping channels. She passed by a news report on the old shoe factory being blown to smithereens in two days, and she found a bunch of soap operas, finally deciding on Passions.
"Theresa." Mimi said shaking her head. "Pink and floral prints are the biggest mistake you could make. If you want Ethan, you should start dressing sensibly."
She was interrupted from her viewing, by a knock on the door. "What is it?" she yelled out. "It better is important! Luis just admitted he likes Sheridan!"
"It's me Mimi!" said Terry, her best friend. "And I've known Luis wanted her from episode one." she had to put that in, just to rub it in her face.
"Terry!" exclaimed Mimi. "Come in! The door's open!" she jumped up, and ran to the door.
'Well, Mimi. I can over to discuss the maid of honor duties. I'd be doing this with Ken, but he's not here. I tried his house ten times!" she said frustrated.
"So." said Mimi smirking. "The best man isn't home. Why am I not surprised?"
"It's so Ken like. Just watch him show up a day before the wedding." Terry nodded in agreement.
"What!" shrieked Mimi. "What day is it?"
"Mimi, you're getting married in eight days. Have you completely forgotten?"
"Eight days! Oh my God! I'm not even finished the preparations!"
"How could you forget your own wedding day?" asked Terry in awe.
"It's the thing with Lilly. Terry, I can't sleep at night. I'm so worried about her. It's not even funny. I've been losing all track of time." she said, as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"And you have every right to be worried! Mimi, you baby was kidnaped! I don't even think I would be able to do all you're doing, if I lost my baby." she said patting her stomach.
Mimi looked up. "Terry you're..."
"Yes!" she said happily. Her black hair bouncing on her shoulders.
"Oh my God! I'm so happy for you!" she said hugging her. "Does Chris know?"
"No. Not yet anyway. I was wondering if you could help me tell him." she said in a small voice.
"Of course I will!" said Mimi as she picked up the phone, dialing Chris's cell number.
"Wassup!" said Chris as he answered the phone. Loud music was blaring in the background.
"Hey Chris. It's Mimi."
"Yo! How's it going Mimi? Hyped about the wedding?"
"Yeah. And I just found out something that you're going to be hyped about."
"You got the Baywatch girls to preform at the wedding!" he said hopefully.
Mimi placed her hand over the receiver. "Why you care about him is beyond me." she returned to Chris. "No you idiot. It's about Terry."
"What's wrong with Terry?" he said seriously. "Guys, turn down the music." instantly the music went dead. "Mimi what's wrong with Terry? Tell me!"
Mimi giggled. "She's pregnant." she heard a thump, then David picked up the phone.
"Mimi! What'd you tell Chris? He passed out!" he commented.
"Terry's pregnant!" she taunted excitedly.
"No way! Wow! Chris my man, nice job!" David said laughing.
"Give me the phone!" said Terry nervously. Mimi handed it to her. "David! What's wrong with Chris?"
"He passed out babe. Oh, wait! He's coming to!" Terry heard a moaning nosie, as Chris reclaimed the phone.
"Terry! Terry is it true?" he said frantically.
"Yeah. We're going to be parents' Chris." she said, as she cried.
"This is unbelievable! I don't think I've ever been so happy. I love you Ter." said Chris happily.
"Me either." Terry said.
"I'll leave you guys alone. You have a lot to talk about." said Mimi leaving the room. "We'll discuss the plans some other time." she said as she grabbed her coat, and walked out the door.
It was very cold that day. August wasn't really hot, but still. She walked through the park, and sat by the lake. The leaves were falling from the trees, blinding her with their many colors. Swirls of orange, yellow and red, stained the ground. Small, light pink petals fell from the tree above her.
"I love autumn. It's so beautiful." she whispered. A water-lily floated past her. She stared at it, not moving. Its wide purple petals dancing on the water.
"Lilly where are you?" she asked the flower as it drifted by. There was no response. As if she was waiting for one. The sad thing is, she was.
The next morning, didn't go so smoothly. Mimi didn't wake up with her alarm, making her late for work. It was her first day back in four months.
"Mimi!" shouted Annette, running up to her, giving her a huge hug. "It's so good to see you back! Everything fell apart when you left."
"Great." she said sarcastically. "Just what I need on my first day back." she set off to finish the work she started.
"Ow. Ah. Thank you Matt." she said as he gently rubbed her shoulders.
"Man. You had to redo the whole thing. And you did it in a day! It took you a month last time." he said in awe.
"Mrs. Hetyu wanted it by the end of the day. I wasn't letting all my hard work go down the drain!" she said sleepily. "I'm really tired. I think I'm gonna get some shut-eye."
"Okay. I got to go anyway. Andrew thinks we're close to finding the guy. I'm still skeptical, but I'm not the policeman, am I?" he said kissing her.
"You'd make a really cute cop though." she said kissing him back.
"Sorry. You'll have to deal with the music manager." he said playfully, as he grinned.
"Matt, before you forget, try and get Ken. He's been a no show. He's your responsibility, not mine!"
"I won't forget Mimi." he said as he headed out the door. "Hey Brian." Matt said as he almost bumped into him. "Mimi's home." he pointed before dashing to the elevator.
'Perfect. You're gone and Mimi's all alone. Now I'll get both of them.' he thought as he pulled out his dagger. He knocked on the door, and placed it behind his back.
"Coming!" shouted Mimi. She grabbed her housecoat from the chair, and placed it over her black, silk nightgown, that scrapped the floor. "Brian!" she said shocked. "Nice to see you."
Brian grabbed the knife, and shoved it to her throat. "Don't say one word." he said, pushing her inside the room, shutting the door behind him.
[ part four ] .
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