A baby abduction

"Well, we saw someone leaving with a baby, but we thought that it was hers because the baby wasn't crying or anything," the security guard responded with an alarmed look in his eyes.

"Oh, no! Was the baby eating candy?" Michelle asked.

The guard thought for a while before answering.

"Uhmm, yes. In fact, she was sucking on some kind of a lolly."

"That's how the person caught her. She must have offered her candy and fortunately for her, Monique loves candy," Michelle remarked with a sigh of despair as she ruffled her brown curls with her hands.

"No, no, no! My baby can't be abducted! My baby can't be gone! Where did they go?" Laura shouted as she looked wildly around herself.

Blake ran out the door, apparently to try and see if he could spot the lady who had apparently abducted Monique.

"We will inform the police immediately," the security guard announced before passing the message onto the other security staff members on his radio phone.

"I have to follow that woman. How did she look? What was she wearing?" Laura asked, gripping the security guard by the shoulders as she spoke directly into his face.

"The police are very good at this, ma'am. It's not wise for you to try it yourself. The city is very big. It can be dangerous," the guard warned Laura with a serious look on his face.

"He's right. The city is too big for you to try it on your own. The police really know how to track down a missing person," Michelle agreed even though she was trembling with fear herself.

"Yes, the city is big, that's why we need all the help we can get. We should also be searching.

How does she look!" Laura begged in a desperate tone.

"I'm so sorry to hear about this incident, ma'am. It seems as if they were watching your daughter, but I can assure you. The police are very good with this.

They will have your child back in no time," the restaurant manager swore with his hands clasped together.

"I can't wait here for someone else to find her. They must be getting further away as we speak! What was the woman wearing?" Laura demanded.

"Where's the camera footage? It must be recorded?" Michelle asked.

"Please look quickly," Laura begged, grabbing a hold of the security guard's arm.

"Come with me. The other security staff are already looking," the guard responded.

"I don't even know this person. What does she want from us? Did someone else send her here to do this?" Laura asked frowning at the woman on the cctv screen.

"The police already have this recording, so they will already have started with a search," the restaurant manager commented.

"It can't be wrong for us to search as well. Come, Michelle. Let's go searching everywhere," Laura responded as she swung her bag over her shoulder and grabbed Michelle's hand.

"It can be very dangerous for inexperienced people to be involved in an abduction. If it's a kidnapping attempt, then you have to be on your phone in case they demand money!" the manager called behind Laura.

The two women ran out of the restaurant trying to see if they could spot the woman from the camera footage.

They rushed around, searching until they were out of breath and had to stand still in front of a shop to rest.

"I think that your husband might be trying to phone you. Please check your phone," Michelle suggested.

Laura checked her phone while Michelle kept an eye out so that nobody would snatch Laura's phone while she was busy with it.

"No, he hasn't. Let me phone him," Laura remarked before dialling Blake's number.

"Did you find her?" Blake shouted above the noise which was surrounding him.

"No, we're still searching and police are also searching," Laura responded.

"I've seen so many babies by now, but I can't find Monique," Blake said in a desperate tone.

"Let's just go on searching because it's our child and our instincts will lead us to her," Laura responded with her mouth set in a firm, straight line.

"But, why are you also searching? Are you with Michelle?" Blake asked in a concerned tone.

"Yes. I'm with Michelle. We're searching everywhere."

"And the police as well? I think you should go back and wait in the restaurant. I will meet you there later. It's not safe for women to run around in a big city like this," Blake instructed.

"I can't stop looking until I find Monique or until I hear that someone else found her safe and sound," Laura responded from between clenched jaws.

"At least promise that you and Michelle will go back to that restaurant to wait for me when it gets dark?" Blake asked in a pleading tone.

"Alright, we will all get back together there again and I will deal with the person who dared to take my daughter. You also be careful out there," Laura answered before ending the call.

"I think that we should first plan so that we have a strategy at least.

So, why don't we go into a restaurant nearby so that we can rest a little and make some important calls and maybe put something on the local media?

A person can always get faster results after planning well. That way we can have more people searching for Monique," Michelle suggested in a calm tone of voice. She knew that Laura needed to calm down before doing anything else.

"Oh, you're right! Why didn't I think of it. Yes, the local media newspapers will speed up the search.

Let's find a restaurant quickly."

Laura and Michelle searched until they saw a coffee shop.

"Let's go and have some coffee here, while we strategize. It will give us more energy to search," Michelle said in a hopeful tone of voice.

"Okay, let's go in and get onto the media. But, you know what? I'm afraid that the kidnapper could be close by while we're in here," Laura pointed out as she rubbed her hands together anxiously.

"She could be just a few feet away," she added, holding her breath.