It was official. Christopher was nowhere to be found. After sprinting back to the house, Alex bent over with his hands on his knees. He tried to catch his breath.
He waited for Debbie's response, but she didn't say anything. He looked up at her. "Debbie?"
Her face grew pale. She trembled. "I, I don't know. Last night we saw something in the window. He ran after it. I figured everything was fine."
Alex grasped the sides of his head. "You saw something outside, and you didn't tell me?"
As the couple discussed Christopher's disappearance. Ken Stokes' film crew circled around them. A grip walked between them, holding a tangled-up ball of electric wiring.
Debbie took a shaky breath, trying to recall what had happened. "I was crying. He came up to check on me. We thought we saw a figure outside the window. He said he would handle it. I was upset, okay? You were the last person I wanted to talk to."
Alex squeezed his eyes shut. This was all his fault. "We have to find Yvonne and Louis. They need to know."
WHACK! A guy holding a boom microphone smacked Alex on the head, almost knocking him over. "Sorry, Mr. Ambrose."
Alex didn't have time to reply before the man with the microphone ran off. He rubbed the back of his head. Exasperated, he glanced back up at Debbie. "Where were we?"
She nervously twiddled her thumbs. "Louis and Yvonne."
"Yeah," Alex replied. "How are we going to find them in this place?"
All of a sudden, Louis burst through where the front door should be. A huge paint splatter covered his shirt. "We're right here!"
Yvonne, who was hiding behind Louis, pushed him to the side. She was holding a chainsaw. "Say hello to my little friend!"
Both Yvonne and Louis were in the throws of home renovation bliss.
Offended at the sight of the chainsaw, Alex raised his eyebrows. "Put that thing down! You better not chop anything up!"
Yvonne threw the chainsaw down. It hit the floor with a thump. "Don't worry. I don't even know how to turn it on. Ken Stokes is going to teach me though."
Louis put his arm around Alex's shoulder. "Did you know he's a carpenter?"
Alex removed Louis's paint-stained arm away from his white shirt. "Guys, you need to calm down. This is serious."
Yvonne's carefree expression disappeared. She could tell that Alex was stressed. "What?"
Filled with nervous energy, Debbie rubbed the side of her arm. "Christopher is actually missing. We have no idea where he is."
A small group from the film crew entered the living room. Their loud chatter filled the space.
Alex raised his voice. "We asked SCOT. He told us that Christopher isn't in the house."
Yvonne covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh, no."
Alex threw his hand up, gesturing toward his girlfriend. "Debbie and Christopher saw something lurking outside of the house last night. He went running after it. I'm guessing he never came back."
Yvonne bit her bottom lip. I wonder if this is related to that noise I heard last night, Yvonne thought. She looked over at Alex. Sweat formed on his brow. The hustle and bustle of the film crew was getting to him. Alex seems aggravated enough as it is. I don't think he'd particularly enjoy if I brought up last night. I'll just keep it to myself.
The veins in Louis' neck stood out. Christopher was his best friend. They were an inseparable pair. He held his shoulders tight to try and keep himself from shaking. "We need to find him ASAP."
Alex crossed his arms. "I agree. I–"
A production assistant carrying a box filled with thrifted picture frames pushed his way past Alex.
The scraggly PA was the last straw.
Alex threw up his arms. "ENOUGH! Everyone shut up! Our friend is missing, and I want to be able to hear myself think. Is that too much to ask for in my own home?"
Ken Stokes rushed in from the backyard. He stumbled his way through the house. At some point during the morning, he had a wardrobe change. He donned a hard hat and a homespun pair of overalls. "Alex, Alex! What's going on?"
Alex looked the reporter up and down. He chose not to comment on the outfit. "Christopher is missing."
Ken shook his head, dejected. "No way. Oh, wait. We should get this on camera. Where's Charlie?" He motioned for one of the PAs to find the cameraman.
Charlie rushed in, carrying a camera on his shoulder. He positioned himself in front of Stokes, who cocked his head to the side and stood up straight and tall. Ken cleared his throat. "Alright, Alex Ambrose. What can I do to help?"
Alex gave the reporter a pained stare. He accepted the fact the film crew was a nuisance that wasn't going away anytime soon. "Just, let's, just stand there, Ken. You're doing exactly what you need to do."
Debbie pressed her palm to her forehead. "So, Alex, what's the plan?"
Alex thought for a moment, then he raised one eyebrow. "I'm going to go into the forest to look for Christopher. You all stay here."
"Would you like a cameraman to follow you?" Ken asked earnestly.
Immediately, Alex held his hands out. "Absolutely not. As much as I would love that, I just feel like I need to focus."
Ken nodded. "Understood."
Alex wiped a bead of sweat off his head. Crisis averted. "Great. I'll go into the forest. I'll handle everything. You guys stay here and try to relax."
Debbie bit the inside of her cheek. She felt guilty, as if it were her fault that Christopher went missing. Even if she was angry at Alex, she should have paid more attention to her friend. "I should go to. I'm the one who told Christopher to go."
Alex walked over to Debbie and put his arm around her. "Are you sure?"
Debbie leaned into her boyfriend's touch. "Yes. I'm positive." She stopped to think. "Actually, though, I've been so upset lately, and there has only been one person who truly helped to calm me down. I want Yvonne to come."
Yvonne peered up. "Excuse me?"
Debbie smiled at Yvonne with adoration. Her eyes were bright and shiny. "I would feel so much better if you were there with me. We make such a great team. We're like the perfect sidekicks." She mimicked a karate chop.
Alex scowled, but when Debbie turned to look at him, he flashed a fake smile. "Uh, yeah. Yvonne, you could come. That's, uh, a great idea."
Debbie stood on her tiptoes and pecked Alex on the lips. She gently ran her fingers through his hair. "Great, Lexiboo. I think this is a perfect idea." The pair shared one more affectionate kiss. Then, Debbie reached out to Yvonne. "What do you say, girlie-pie?"
Yvonne opened her mouth and then quickly shut it. She had no idea what to do. Her eyes flickered between Debbie and Alex. On one hand, she wanted to stay as far away from Alex as possible. She had such strong and complex feelings toward him. Her heart plummeted every time he was around. She needed some space for clarity's sake.
On the other hand, there was Debbie. Debbie, who just mere weeks ago, Yvonne would have gladly screwed over. But, now she was her friend, and to make matters worse, she betrayed Debbie. This was the least she could do to make it up to her.
"Uh," Yvonne said, hoping her decision would be a good one. "Sure, I'd, uh love to come."
Alex smiled with a clenched jaw. "Awesome. That's just great, Yvonne."
Ken Stokes clapped his hands together. "Sounds like a plan! I'll stay back. I'll keep the renovation team chugging along. My crew and I will hold down the fort."
Louis looked around at everyone. "Uh, hello? What about me?"
Ken sauntered toward Louis and put his arm around him. "Louis, I'm not letting you out of my sight. You need to help me rebuild this place."
Louis looked toward Alex, who shrugged with indifference.
"That works for me," Alex said.
Louis groaned. "Fine, but you better bring Christopher back in one piece."
Alex narrowed his eyes at his friend. "So long as you guys don't change too much of my beautiful home."
Ken grinned at Alex reassuringly. "Don't worry, Ambrose. We won't."
"Yeah," Louis said. "You guys should get going."
Alex tapped Debbie on the shoulder. "Alright, Debbie, Yvonne, let's go."
Debbie and Alex walked out the door hand in hand. Yvonne followed sheepishly behind them.
Before they journeyed into the forest, Alex pointed to Gary, the super soldier horse, who was standing in the front yard. "Gary, you watch the house."
After the three walked deep into the forest, Louis and Ken Stokes stood in the doorway.
Louis glanced at Ken. "We're going to tear apart the house, aren't we?"
"Oh, absolutely," Ken replied.
In the forest, not too far from the house, Debbie, Yvonne, and Alex were looking for any sign of Christopher.
Yvonne cupped her hands around her mouth. "Christopher! Hey, Christopher! Where are you, man?"
Alex stared at the ground, kicking up some dirt. But then, he stopped. He saw something etched in the soil. He bent down. They were footprints. "Hey, look at this."
Yvonne and Debbie ran up alongside him.
Debbie squinted at the dirt, studying the markings. "Hm, good find, but I don't think these are Christopher's."
Alex tilted her head up so that he could see his girlfriend. "How do you know?"
Debbie scratched her head. "Well, technically I don't, but I do remember Christopher ran out of the house last night in his slippers, and those look like the soles of sneakers."
Alex leaned closer to the ground. "I think you're right. They could belong to the guy he chased after though. We should follow them."
Yvonne's heart rate increased. "What if it was the figure?" She peered down at Alex. "I don't know how we wouldn't have seen him when we were outside, unless–"
"What do you mean, 'when we were outside?'" Debbie interrupted.
"Uh, well," Yvonne sputtered. When Alex and I went to get some air after we kissed each other behind your back, she thought.
With a groan, Alex stood up. He glowered at Yvonne. "When we all were walking home from Baltimore."
Yvonne let out a sigh, grateful that Alex covered for her. "Right, right. Then."
Debbie playfully shoved Yvonne's arm. "Oh, someone would have had a lot of time to show up after that, Yvonne."
As Yvonne chuckled, her face flushed. "Haha, yeah, you're right."
Debbie linked arms with Alex and Yvonne. "Okay, you two. We need to keep going. Let's follow the footprints."
Yvonne latched onto her friend. "You're right. We need to find kiss. I mean, Chris. We need to find Chris."
Alex sighed. He pulled his arm out from under Debbie's and started to walk forward. When he did, they heard the creaking of branches and a shuffling sound beside them.
Debbie and Yvonne jumped back. Yvonne grabbed Debbie by the shoulders, pushing her forward. "What is that?"
Alex stopped and turned around. He inched closer in the direction of the noise.
Then, out of the underbrush, a small, fuzzy rabbit popped up, then hopped away.
Debbie and Yvonne pressed their heads together. "Aww," they said in unison.
The two girls chuckled. Debbie put her hand on Yvonne's shoulder. "Oh, my gosh. This is just like when we first met. You thought I was a murderer."
Yvonne smirked. "Yeah, well, I guess you're not a murderer. Just a bunny."
"Aw!" Debbie said, then wrapped Yvonne up in a big, bear hug. Yvonne giggled as she hugged her back.
Alex watched as the two women interacted. He grew despondent. How could I choose between these two? They're both so different. They're amazing in their own ways. I've been so hostile toward Yvonne, but I don't know what else to do. Part of me wishes she would get fed up and leave. It'd be easier that way, he thought. However, Alex knew that wouldn't be easier. He didn't want to admit it, but he also didn't want Yvonne to leave. He just wanted a simple answer.
"Hey, Alex. Are you okay?" Debbie asked.
Alex rubbed his eyes with his hand. "Yeah. Just, uh, thinking about Christopher. Let's go." He turned around and continued down the path, picking up his pace.
Debbie firmed her jaw. She motioned for Yvonne to follow her. "I don't know what's gotten into him today. He's been so short with everyone."
Yvonne knew exactly what had gotten into him. "It's probably kissing the super soldiers."
Debbie shot Yvonne a confused look. "Kissing the super soldiers?"
Yvonne stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened. She wanted to melt. "Uh, killing. I meant to say killing."
Debbie tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Oh, I must be going crazy. I heard kissing. I was going to say, after Kylie Naysmith, I don't think I can handle Alex kissing anyone else."
Debbie walked forward, but Yvonne didn't follow. She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her bottom lip. "Oh, this is bad. I'm a terrible person," she whispered to herself.
Alex looked over his shoulder. He strayed too far away from the women, so he stopped and took a breather. His eyes scanned the forest, but, with the exception of trees and bushes, he saw nothing. Then, he brought a hand to his mouth. "Christopher! Where are you, Christopher?"
***
In the bunker, Lincoln and Mark sat in front of Christopher, patiently waiting for a response.
Christopher glanced back and forth at the two men. "You want me to help you?"
Lincoln, still acting old and frail, brought his hand to his chest with reverence. "It would be a great honor."
Christopher was unsure. He had no clue where he was or who he was. All he knew was that the world was falling apart. He didn't have many other options. Well, he thought. Mark didn't have to save me in the forest. That was kind of him. And Lincoln seems like an honest, good man. I guess I could trust them. I don't have much of a choice.
He smiled at the two men. "Sure, I would like to help the two of you. It's the least I could do after you two saved me."
Lincoln clapped his hands together. He stood up, proud and tall. "Excellent! You made the right decision, Christopher." With a smirk, he drummed his fingers together. "Now, I think it's time we tell you everything you need to know about Alex Ambrose and his little, pathetic group of comrades."
Christopher nodded. He had no idea that he, in fact, was a member of that very group. And, at this very moment, the people that truly cared about him were searching frantically for him.