3 Chapter Three -

Hyperventilating…immensely scared…trapped.

Moments of harsh snubs in my life had really weakened my soul so, upon facing a life-threatening situation, it completely broke down. I was struck majorly by a massive panic attack. And the chaotic situation around me wasn't helping my case. Both Anne and the pilot had started fiddling with the controls and desperately calling the control station.

While Anne was calling Maggie, her husband was trying to regain control over panels.

Everything seemed like a blurred-mayhem.

Now covering my ears in hyperventilation, I had no idea what was going to happen to us, what others on this plane must be going through? Sid…he seemed so unstable.

I didn't want to be a victim of those dark and psychotic stories.

These extreme emotions, they were unpredictable. I didn't want their instability to take control of this flight. We were so high above, so vulnerable.

Three hours. He had given us three hours to return back, or else…

What was he going to do?

Being almost five hours away from our hometown, there was no way we could even fly back in time…and even if we tried, that psychopath wouldn't let us; he was in control of the flight.

This was disastrous.

Sid had purposely entrapped us in a vicious game, and I couldn't help but blame the police for this. It had been all their fault. They had promised that he wouldn't be able to reach my family and I…promised that our security would be looked after, yet we were caught in such a daunting situation.

Sid was determined to torture.

Feeling my soul ache in the desperate attempt to breathe, I gasped as Anne grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me…almost pushing me off my chair.

"Snap out of it," she yelled, her voice seeming anxious. "I just talked with Detective Maggie. She said that they are informing the west-side airport about our situation. Work is being done to regain control of this plane and have it land at the nearest airport, so you need to relax…calm down! Sid won't be able to do anything to us- "

"How do you know it will work-k?" I sobbed, interrupting…allowing my voice to crack. "How can you guarantee anything?! We have only three hours until who knows what will happen, and I don't want anything to happen to us-" A loud beeping sound suddenly interrupted my rant, causing me to gaze in its direction.

"Good news," the pilot turned towards us. "The control tower had just been informed. We have regained control of this plane and will be landing at Zurich airport in about 20 minutes. Grace, you can go back to the seat and relax now. Anne will escort you back and make a formal announcement to calm the passengers."

I felt so suspicious. That easy? Something was amiss here…something wasn't adding up.

"B-but-"

"Grace," the pilot sighed. "Everything will be alright. Have strength. Our police department will contact you once we land, okay?"

"Okay," I meekly nodded.

After making an emergency landing, the airport staff was successful in convincing my family that I was all a technical malfunction; some phone line had got tangled with the radio signals of the plane. My folks seemed to buy that. There was no reason to think otherwise.

Following the necessary routine questioning, we were taken via a bus service up towards the Northern Areas, and Jamie and Helen's wedding avenue was reached just in time. I had seriously started aching with envy at the sight of all the support and respect Jamie provided Helen.

In my moment of vulnerability, I was stuck wondering who would stand up for me, be my shield. While Helen had Jamie who was decent, rich, well-educated and a complete epitome of what the society approved of, I still had to search for a heroic shield. The comparisons are many when you hang out with the rich class, you tend to get carried away…imagine your life like theirs, which is why it is humbling to hang out with those who are facing more problems than you. It makes you appreciate your blessing.

Anyhow, I didn't get much time to wallow in self-pity and remember the harsh snubs as the city police were quick to escort me to the nearest police office. They told my family that since I had been present at the pilot's compartment, they just wanted to ask some detailed questions about what I had heard…just as a safety precaution. No one could come along with me.

I felt a bit appeased at the sight of the police respecting my decision of not including my family in this matter…I guess they just wanted me to feel a bit comfortable, given the circumstances. I appreciated that.

Escorted inside the police station, I was shown the entrance of the woman's section which was currently being blocked by Detective Maggie. She had probably flown there on an emergency basis.

"What on earth is happening?!" I stomped my way towards her. "Really…he was able to hijack?" I spoke, sardonically. "You told me that my family and I would be safe!"

"Come inside the office, first," she gestured, turning around and walking inside the office.

I tried to keep my frustration at bay as I followed behind.

The police had to give me some answers.

Inside, the office was full of office desks and policewomen sitting behind them. There was a lot of typing going on. Everyone seemed to be rushing around. A small window, opening up to an interrogation room, could be seen with a lady harshly screaming at a police officer inside it.

Suddenly, I felt tiny.

Watching Maggie as she grabbed a brown file from a police officer rushing by and turned around with a visible scowl on her face, I had to gulp down a sudden built of emotions. This wasn't a stable mystery, anymore.

"This is the first time he has done anything like this," she frowned, tightening her grip on file. "He has raided buildings, held officers at gunpoint, but this…there is a high level of intellect in this guy, yet he's still hiding from us. We aren't aware of the potential his mind holds."

"What are we going to do? He didn't even let me go out of the city…" a look of horror and despair covered my face.

Being stalked by a psychopath was dangerous, but being stalked by an intelligent psychopath…this was disastrous. I could spin scenarios of how easily that guy could catch me. He was sharp and sneaky. Even the police weren't able to sense his move.

Horrific.

"First, we are shifting your family to a safe place protected by the police," she spoke, meeting my gaze. "They have to be let into all what is going on, then we will arrange some secret residence for you. He is chasing after you…on a psycho rampage to show his obsession, so it will be appropriate for you to stay with us until this whole episode dies out, okay?"

This was a huge change. The circumstances, everything that was happening, it felt so overwhelming. He…Sid…I didn't even know how to deal with this mess. Fear was clawing on my nerves, and I found myself slowly nodding.

"O-okay," I gulped, my voice sounding extra squeaky. I hated how much stress this was going to put on my parents, how worried they would get. This criminal…he hadn't been caught for ages. Who knows how long it could truly take to catch him. Would I be strung along? Waste so much of my life on this?

I had never felt so trapped, so scared and so wistful of the life I used to have. I should have been content.

"Hmm, now look here," she pushed the brown file towards me. I timidly grabbed it.

Opening the file, I eyed the bold heading 'Washington School (Batch 2009)' and read a list of names partially crossed out.

1) Angela

2) Karen

3) Sophia

4) Georgia

All of these names had a small line hardly crossing them, making me blanch. I knew these girls…they were from high school; the girls who used to torment me. Their hateful comments had ruined my confidence. And just a week back, I found out that most of them were working at a hospital; extremely well-paid and married. The pictures they had posted on social media depicted a life of luxury and fairytale beginning.

I was perplexed by why Sid had written down their names…was he going to harm them and think this psycho move would win him brownie points?

"You know these girls?" Maggie raised an eyebrow at me, ignoring officers shoving past us. Everyone seemed to be on alert mode. It seemed like Sid's case had really morphed into a frustrating case for the police.

Despite the obvious answer being yes, I felt too suffocated and anxious to answer. Those wounds…these girls had left a long-lasting impact on my life. I was broken by many which led my dreams to fall apart, too. It was a sad episode that followed after me in college. Once broken and fallen, my self-esteem had not picked up, causing me to easily be the target of torment in most places.

I had developed fear and anxiety.

People can be mean…they can hurt, destroy, and people, like me, feel humiliated by their actions. Somehow, I had always felt vulnerable and lousy by the fact that I couldn't stand up to some typical high school trolls. It felt like it was my weakness…my embarrassment to hold. It wasn't.

Frantically diverting my eyes from Maggie, I began stammering and stuttering, only to have her grab my shoulder.

"Grace," she squeezed it. "You need to realise that your responses are extremely vital for this case. Sid knows you…is stalking you, so you are our direct link to figuring out his identity. So, please be honest and tell me if you know these girls. I assure you that the information you provide will remain strictly confidential."

"Ummm…t-they were with me in high school," I awkwardly supplied. "W-we weren't e-exactly on f-friendly terms."

"Hmm, we have brought them into custody, since we feel like their lives must be in danger." She informed, removing her hand from my shoulder. "Inspector Smithy is going to ask questions from them in the interrogation room. Would you like to watch the interrogation from behind the mirror-window?" she asked me, making me chew on my fingernails and ponder.

Look at my bullies, see them happy and flourishing? I didn't know if I wanted to. But, I felt like this was something I couldn't resist. There was a sense of comfort in feeling that I had been wronged, the satisfaction that I wasn't wrong. These girls were…their arrogance and ways would be a reminder that it wasn't my mistake.

A little out of it, I mutely nodded and let out a shaky breath. I couldn't say that I wanted to witness something that could make me cry in self-pity for days.

Upon gaining my approval, Maggie then turned around and loudly called out to a lady officer who's standing near the window of the interrogation room and talking to someone on a black mobile. "Oh, Sana, get the girls and have them sit in the interrogation room in five minutes. I will get their files from Anne and meet you there."

"On it!" Sana shouted back, putting away her phone and stomping towards a small room that led away from the office-area.

I was left a tangled mess. So, my past was going to hit me this soon? Was I ready? Had I accomplished anything in life that could make me match up to their calibre?

Trying to keep the tremors at bay, I started moving as Maggie began hurriedly pacing down the office arena, having a police officers urgently come up to get her and get her signatures on various files. There were several phone calls they were making her attend, and one even pushed a coffee cup into her hands. I needed coffee, too.

"Oh, Grace," she tilted her head towards me for a second. "Just a piece of insight information before we get started on the interrogations. Two of the girls, which have been called in, recently got separated from their husbands a few months ago; one lost her job at a sales shop and one of them is taking some 'time-wasting' therapy classes."

What?!