Holey, I haven't been on here for forever to update! I do apologize, I just wasn't sure where I was going to go with this story. I wish I could go back and change some of it, but, oh well. I really hope all of my fans will be back to review for me! You guys know I love to get reviews back!

Chapter 7

By that night, neither Chad nor Ryan had shown up, officially causing a panic among the teens. They all sat in the living room, pure fright evident in their faces.

"We can' just sit here!" Taylor said as she stood up, standing up so quickly she caused Sharpay to jump. Gabriella sat from where she was next to Troy, walking over to comfort her best friend.

"Taylor's right, maybe we should call your parents Sharpay?" Troy suggested though still asked Sharpay.

Sharpay frowned, unsure what to do. She was too shocked and worried about Ryan disappearing, he was never one to play mean tricks on her, especially something like this. She too knew the story of when they were kidnapped as children, they never would joke about anything like that. "I think you're right."

Sharpay got up shakily, going over to the phone. She picked it up, took a deep breath and then placed the receiver to her ear. Quickly, she frowned. She pressed the buttons to call her father's phone, but there was no dial tone. "There's no sound." She said as she handed the phone over to Troy who had gone to her side instantly.

They all watched his expression, seeing that it was true. The phone's didn't work. Instinctively, Troy pulled out his phone. "No reception either." You can only guess what happened next. Everyone pulled out their cell phones, all showing the same confused, scared faces. No one had service either.

"BILL!" Sharpay's terrified voice traveled throughout the entire house.

"Yes Miss Evans?" Bill called down to her, showing up in the living room no less than five seconds later.

"None of our phones have reception!"

"Well Miss Sharpay, we are in the middle of the woods, this is probably a dead zone." He assured her.

"What about the house phone? The dial tone isn't working?" Troy asked him as he held out the phone for the butler.

He took the phone, listening as well, seeing that it was true. "Well that's rather strange." He said as he put the receiver down. He looked at the cord, following it with his gaze until it hid under the carpet. "The wire looks fine here, maybe it's just the weather. I heard a couple miles out of here, there's some bad wind." He suggested.

"We've got to get a hold of someone, maybe we can go to the police station and use their phone and report a missing person's case?" Troy suggested.

"That's a good idea, Bill, do you know where the nearest station is?" Gabriella asked as she continued to stand by Taylor's side.

"Yeah, let me show you the directions." Troy followed Bill out into the kitchen so that way he could draw him out some directions.

Within five minutes, the group were ready to take Sharpay's car. They all piled in, put on their seat belts and waited for Sharpay. She turned the key, waiting for the engine to rev up and start. It revved, and revved, and revved, and, revved.

Sharpay looked at her car in surprise and confusion. "What?"

Troy leaned over, looking at her gas gage, seeing she had more than enough gas. In fact, her car seemed to be in top shape. "Switch me sides." He asked her.

Troy tried to start the car a few times, to no avail. "Maybe mine."

Just like Sharpay's, Troy's car didn't turn on either. He had enough gas as well. His car was always in pretty good shape and he felt it too ironic that both cars failed to start. "Where's your car?" Troy asked the butler.

"I'm afraid my wife drops me off here when I'm needed. I tried to reach her, but my phone isn't working as well." He explained to them. "The workers here live in the back shed, they only have bikes. We, every month get a truck load of food and cleaning supplies or whatever else it is we may need. If they want to get away, they have bicycles."

"So we're stuck here?" Sharpay asked, scared even more now.

"I'm afraid so, it's late tonight, tomorrow I'll have one of the men go to the nearest town for some help." The butler told her, trying to ease her a little.

-

It had been maybe minutes, hours, days since Ryan and Chad had been left in the small room, unsure of how the time was moving. In all reality, it had been about twelve hours since they went missing, five hours since they were left. It had been tiring for the boys, so they had fallen into an uneasy sleep.

That is, until a bright light turned on quickly, and the door opened, then slammed. Ryan and Chad had to squint their eyes to even attempt to be able to see. As their eyes slowly began to adjust, they noticed two pretty well built guys standing in the room now, Ryan couldn't help but be afraid. Chad was too, he just was there by default.

"Who are you?" Ryan asked them, trying to be brave, though, failing miserably.

"That's none of your concern boy." The one who looked slightly bigger said. He had a buzz cut of black hair, big muscles and dark, heartless eyes. The other looked the same except he had a ponytail of black hair. Ryan wondered if they were in fact twins. Ryan sucked in a breath as the one with the ponytail walked around to stand behind him.

In an instant, Ryan's restraints were gone. The guy had cut him free. He brought his sore, long fallen asleep arms and hands in his lap, trying to get the blood flowing back normally. The tape was removed from his ankles and he felt the blood rush down to his toes, stinging ever so slightly. He hadn't realized how tight it was.

"Stand up." Ponytail man said. Ryan made himself stand up, failing once again at something. His balance was off since his feet were asleep. He began to stumble though the man had caught him under his right arm.

Chad noticed they were leaving the room. "Wait! Where are you taking him? Stop!" His remarks were ignored as if he wasn't there.

The door slammed shut, then locked, the light going back to it's dim.

-

Ryan was brought into a room that had a chair in it with a camcorder on a tripod facing the chair. He could only imagine what that was for, he thought to himself sarcastically. More than likely, he'd have to say something in front of it. Great.

"Good evening Master Ryan." Bill said as he came into the room shortly after Ryan.

"It's Evans." Ryan said coldly to his former friend.

"My apologies, Master Evan." He corrected, the deja vu from before coming briefly. "Now Master Evans, we have a script for you to read in front of the camera. It won't take too long." Ryan sighed as he began to go towards the chair. The next thing he knew, he was on the floor with his vision a bit sparkily.

"Why'd you do that?" Bill's angry voice shouted, causing Ryan to wince.

"We have to make it look better." One man's voice, the one who talked to him earlier said.

"It doesn't mean you have to kill him." Bill muttered.

"We didn't said nothin' about killing him." The third voice said. Ryan felt a rough tug on his collar, being pulled back up. The man who was pulling him up, the ponytail guy, wasn't the one who hit him, it was the other.

Ryan felt the bruise forming near his cheekbone and his eye. He was sure a blood vain just popped since his vision in that eye was now slightly foggy. The man behind him held Ryan's arms firmly, Ryan closing his eyes as another hit busted his lip officially. Then quickly two, maybe three, maybe four hard, jabs to his ribs and stomach sent him to the ground panting. Then to his surprise, a foot came to his chest, a crack being heard by everyone. He wouldn't be surprised if Chad heard it, where ever he may be.

"That's enough!" Bill's voice shouted. He assumed that the men agreed as he was pulled back to his feet, wincing, the sound escaping his voice pretty loudly.

One of the punches had knocked the air out of his lungs so he was panting hard, but it hurt too bad to do that since he was sure that the crack he heard, along with the pain, was a rib. He stumbled over to the chair, leaning over, holding onto his torso.

He was handed a piece of paper. "Read."

"Mother, Father." Ryan already had to pause, the pain obvious in his face. His breathing sounded hoarse. "You are to wi...wire one hundred..mill..million dollars to.." He breathed again, closing his eyes tight. "..to a special account.. You'll get a ...a call from me in a day to get the...account number." He paused once more, sucked in a breath, then finished. "Don't call the, the cops or this is the..." It wasn't a pause, just the fear evident in his features and voice. "..last time you'll ever see me. I love you both and Sharpay." He said, adding the last bit in case it was the last time.

"They can't get you the..the money." Ryan told them after the camera was off.

"Why not?" Bill asked, curious, his face a mixed emotion of course.

"They're not even on the same continent. They went on..va..vacation."

"If they love you enough, they'll get the money here." The buzz cut man said.

They carried Ryan back to the room with Chad, letting him fall through the door and onto the floor. Chad flinched as he saw Ryan's condition. He pulled against the handcuffs that were keeping him to the wall, wishing he could help his friend.

"How could you?" Chad asked Bill with pure hatred. He wasn't answered, watching the men leave. "Ryan? Are you, okay?"

"I'm...alive." Was the only thing Ryan could say before he let the pain take over, causing him to loose consciousness.

-

"Miss Evans." Bill called the next morning, bright and early.

"Yes Butler! Did you find Ryan?" She asked quickly, hoping it was true,

"No, I'm afraid not but this peculiar package was left on the doorstep. It's addressed to you." He told her, handing her the brown box.

She frowned, taking it anyways. The others were in the dining room, trying to eat something to be ready for the day. Opening the package, there was nothing in it but a blank tape. "What's this?"

Troy stood up, looking at the tape. "Maybe there's something on it." He already didn't feel right about this.

"Let's see." Gabriella piped in as they began to assemble in the living room.

Sharpay walked over to the television, putting the VHS into the player. Who used those anymore anyways? As the tape turned on Sharpay quickly paled. Gabriella covered her mouth along with Taylor doing the same. Troy stood in shock as Bill looked equally shocked. "Oh my."

Thankfully, Troy was fast. He caught Sharpay before she collapsed and busted her head.

"Ryan's been kidnapped."

-

Yay for cliffhangers, but you know how I love them. I'm excited because I've had an epiphany of how this is going to be turned around. I can almost 100 guarantee that NONE of you are going to guess what I've got planned! It's brilliant. Oh man, it's going to be so good!

You guys have got to please leave me some reviews. Let me know how I'm doing, what you think I'm planning, what may happen next, I may even take suggestions into some consideration!

Thanks guys!

Jackie