Jade and Mia were laughing as they approached the car, their arms laden with shopping bags. The day had been everything Jade had needed: carefree, fun, and a much-needed escape from the tension that had been suffocating her for weeks.
“I can’t believe you made me buy those shoes,” Jade teased, nudging Mia as they reached the car.
Mia grinned. “You’ll thank me later. Trust me, those gold heels are going to be your favorite pair.”
Jade shook her head, unlocking the car. “You have a serious shopping addiction, you know that?”
“It’s not an addiction,” Mia said with a smirk. “It’s a lifestyle.”
They burst into laughter, but their joy was short-lived. Just as Jade reached for the trunk to stash the bags, a black van screeched to a halt a few feet away. The sound of the tires skidding made both women freeze. Jade’s heart sank as the side door of the van slid open, and two masked men jumped out.
“Get in the car!” Mia screamed, panic overtaking her playful tone. She fumbled for the driver’s door, but one of the men reached her before she could get inside.
Jade’s instincts kicked in, and she grabbed her pepper spray from her bag. She barely managed to aim it at the first man when another grabbed her from behind, yanking her arms back and sending the spray clattering to the ground.
“Let me go!” Jade shouted, struggling against the man’s grip. She kicked and thrashed, but he was too strong, dragging her toward the van.
Mia wasn’t going quietly either. She screamed at the top of her lungs, scratching and kicking as one of the men tried to subdue her. “Get your hands off me, you psycho!”
“Shut her up!” one of the kidnappers barked, his voice muffled through his mask.
The man holding Mia pulled out a cloth and pressed it over her mouth. Her screams were muffled as she struggled, her movements slowing as the chemical-soaked cloth took effect. Within seconds, she went limp in his arms.
“Mia!” Jade cried, her voice cracking. Her own captor tightened his grip on her, dragging her closer to the van.
“Keep fighting, and you’ll end up like her,” the man snarled in her ear.
Jade’s chest heaved as she tried to twist out of his grasp, but it was no use. Her heart pounded in terror as she realized they were losing this battle.
“Help! Someone help us!” she screamed, hoping that someone, anyone, would hear her.
But the parking lot was eerily empty, and her cries echoed uselessly into the night.
“Shut her up,” the man holding her ordered.
Before Jade could react, a cloth was shoved over her mouth. The pungent smell hit her immediately, and she struggled harder, but her vision started to blur. Her movements slowed, her body betraying her as whatever was on the cloth took over.
“No…” she murmured weakly, her voice fading. The last thing she saw was the dark interior of the van as her world went black.