Dominica grabbed her traveling bag and headed out the front door, locking it behind her. she stood on the front porch.

  Taking a deep breath, she said, "Well, it needs to happen."

  The problem was, where would she start?

  Dominica left her yard behind and hurried to the nearby police station.

  When she came in, the officer on duty looked up. It was her favorite officer, police chief Gregor Jimenitz. He stood up.

  "Ahh, Dominica," he said, greeting the sixteen year old girl. "Do you need something?"

  "Yes, Chief," Dominica answered. "My parents and brother were kidnapped a few days ago, and I need to find them. I just don't know where to start."

  Jimenitz waited silently for a younger officer to leave the room. Then he said, "Well, Miss Lamar, it could have been anyone." He looked at her. "Could it be the result of bad relations in your family's past?"

  "I don't know," Dominica replied thoughtfully. "I don't know my family's history too well."

  "How about I look for it," Jimenitz suggested, "and since it seems that you are not safe in your own house, I suggest that you stay somewhere else for the time being. A hotel, or a friend's house, for example."

  Dominica thanked him and left.

  On the street, she walked and thought. Staying at the nearby Starview Hotel was a good choice, she at last decided.

  She went  to the bank and got her savings, which was enough to stay at the hotel for several days. Then she went to the hotel, got a room, unpacked, and ate lunch. Then she went shopping. She checked in on Chief Jimenitz, who was busy looking for her family history, and got some books and movies from her house.

  On her way back to the hotel, Dominica felt a tingling in her spine, as if someone was following her. She whirled around.

  A woman on her way to do some shopping was walking by surrounded by a small cluster of children. A few businessmen going out for lunch were busily discussing something. Several girls out on a walk were chattering and laughing. Other than that, there did not seem to be many people out and about.

  Then Dominica saw a teenage boy dressed in jeans and a t-shirt strolling along, whistling.

  She ducked ino a store, and peeked out the window, ignoring the clerks who were staring at her curiously.

  When the boy appeared to be gone, she ran back to the hotel. She ate dinner and read a book. Then she decided to take a walk along the hallway. It was then that she spotted the boy again. He was fishing around in his pocket as he followed her.

  Dominica went back to her room and locked herself in.

  The teenage boy memorized her room number. "Boss'll be pleased," he said to himself,  grinning widely as he hurried off.

  Dominica prepared for and went to bed, opening the window to let in fresh air.

  The teenage boy's cellphoe started ringing. 'Life is a highway, I wanna ride on it all night long....' He flipped it open. "Hi, Boss." He paused. "Yeah, the Starview Hotel." He paused again. " Room 526, fifth floor up." Another pause. " 'Kay, Boss." He got off and went down to the hotel lobby.

  Pedestrians stared at the black limousine that passed them. The driver and the person beside him were wearing sunglasses and conversing in low tones.

 "Movie stars!" gasped one girl as the vehicle went by. "Oh, I hope one of them's Orlando Albany. He's soooo cool!"

  The limousine headed for the Starview Hotel. Five men dressed in black climbed out and headed around the back.

  The teenage boy was near Dominica's room again, talking into his cellphone. "Fifth floor up, fourth window to the right, the open one. Yeah I'm near the door. Bye!" He closed the phone and pocketed it, then performing a victory dance.

  A wealthy lady dressed in expensive clothes and jewelry stared at him, murmured, "How immature," and walked off primly.

  He didn't care. "Derek, you, like, totally rock, dude!"

  Dominica awoke when a hand clapped over her mouth. Someone quickly gagged her.

  "Don't scream," warned a deep, whispered voice. "Get up, and get everything you have. Hurry, and don't try to escape!"

  Dominica immediately obeyed. Then he pushed her out the window into the waiting arms of another man, who bundled her to the ground to three other men, then scurried back up to get her things. Then they hustled her to the limousine, shoving her into the trunk. The last one to leave turned to her.

  "I'm sorry, but this is essential," he said, balling a hand and landing a solid block on the back of her head, immediately knocking her cold.