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Prologue
Mitch
I arrivedat Meagan and Chase's housewarming party, excited for an afternoon of enjoyment. My trunk was filled with steaks packed in an ice chest, ready to contribute to the festivities. Eagerly, I made my way to the patio, where my colleagues had already set up an impressive and memorable celebration. The women from Rosedale Tech had gone above and beyond, adorning the space with unique decorations that even inspired a few gift ideas. En route to the party, I picked up a welcome mat from Home Depot as a practical and easily accessible gift.
As a single guy, I was impressed by the warm atmosphere at Meagan and Chase's new home. The entire group was present, including Daniel, Ryder, Guy, Chase, Brad, and me. Although most of us had started families, Brad and I remained single.
Brad was often teased for not having a romantic partner, while I harbored feelings for Amy, a central member of our close-knit Rosedale group. However, we were just friends. I had offered her a ride to the party, but she hadn't responded. As I observed Meagan unwrapping gifts and enjoying the affection of her twins, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy.
Nonetheless, I was excited to contribute to the celebration. I provided the barbecue ribs while Brad prepared his secret sauce, and Courtney, Chase's assistant, took care of the side dishes.
Brad considered himself the rib expert, but his expertise was mainly in the sauce. With my extensive grilling experience, I knew these ribs were cooked to perfection. "Brad," I said, sampling a piece, "these ribs are excellent. To elevate them even further, let's apply your legendary BBQ sauce." I smiled, enthusiastically coating the ribs in the delicious, sweet sauce.
"That's enough, Mitch!" Brad scolded. "Too much sauce can kill the vibe!"
I chuckled as Brad snatched the tongs and slid the ribs onto a huge plate. He had been watching them all day, waiting for them to hit that sweet spot. These ribs were the crowning achievement of our culinary skills – the meal we had been craving all week.
I glanced at my phone, hoping for a message from Amy, but there was nada. Then, finally, Meagan noticed my distraction and asked me in a worried tone, "Hey, where's Amy? I thought you were picking her up?"
I let out a long sigh. "Nope. Amy didn't pick up when I called." I leaned in closer, "Honestly, I was thinking maybe she's coming with someone else."
"I highly doubt Amy's seeing anyone," Meagan said, distracted by a baby's cry. "She's been focused on finishing her coursework so she can graduate with her MBA. Let me try calling her again in a bit."
As she turned to leave, I caught her arm. "Please don't make this about me. I've never officially asked her out."
"Uh-huh," Meagan smirked. "Not yet, you mean."
Following the scrumptious meal, we divided into two teams for a lively cornhole game in Chase's backyard. Ariel, exuding confidence, distributed beanbags to the women, playfully warning the men not to underestimate their abilities. Chase theatrically launched his first throw, which missed the target, eliciting cheers from the women and dramatic groans from the men. Brad playfully chided Chase for disappointing the team. Courtney then confidently said, "Watch this!" and skillfully landed two bags in the target.
"We're killing it!" Ariel whooped, fist-pumping.
As I tossed my next bag, I couldn't resist glancing around to see if the car pulling up was Amy. Nope. It was the front gate guard. "Wonder what he wants?" Guy threw his bags down and sauntered over to see.
After a brief exchange, Guy approached me, holding out a big envelope. "It's addressed to you," he said, studying the return address. "It's from 150 State Street, Sacramento, California."
"It's probably the payment on our grant that was supposed to come in last week," Chase grumbled. "You know how it is with the government – they're always slow."
I stared at the envelope in disbelief. "Why is it addressed to me and not Chase? He's the grant administrator." I walked over to the picnic table, ready to open it up.
"Wait up! Let's have Courtney handle it." Guy suggested, gesturing toward the house. "Let's grab another beer."
As we made our way up the porch steps, Courtney let out a piercing scream. I spun around to see her collapsing on the ground, barely able to sit up. I rushed over to the picnic table and caught a glimpse of a photo of Amy – bound, gagged, wounded, and bruised.
"Amy's been kidnapped! That psycho is back!" Courtney whispered.
As Ariel assisted Courtney in standing up, I checked the note. "I believe the ransom is... actually the remainder of the grant money!"
Meagan guided Ariel and Courtney inside as they sobbed uncontrollably while the men gathered to examine the envelope's contents. "Stay put!" Chase shouted, swiftly texting our private security. "Don't touch anything!"
Careful not to touch anything, I leaned in to look. "Damn it, Amy's in... Vail."
"What makes you so sure?" Chase asked.
"The bedspread. It's the one from the master bedroom!" I pointed out the photo of Amy on a bedspread with a distinctive blue and yellow pattern.
Without waiting for security, Chase grabbed a pair of gloves from the shed and inspected the ransom note. "They're demanding that Rosedale withdraw from the grant and notify the state by tomorrow morning. That means we'll lose the rest of our funds." He paused, his expression grim. "But Mitch, there's another envelope with your name on it."
I donned a glove and opened it up, revealing another photo of Amy holding a sign referencing something I thought only I knew about. Little did I realize...
