“You always know that we’re here for you, right Danielle?” 

Teresa, the head of the Thornbury Detective Club, was dressed in white platform Doc Martens, black leggings, a black tank top and a denim jacket on top. The blonde rested a hand on her friend’s thigh as Danielle sniffled and put her head down on the table. 

Despite having graduated last year and ending up split at different colleges, the four girls that made up the Thornbury Detective Club were extremely close and when they had heard that Danielle’s parents had been involved in an accident, they had immediately rushed to her place to comfort their friend. Bonding over their years of high school being investigators and snoops, they’d solved a number of local mysteries (much to the chagrin of the police department) and had continued their meetups and investigations while split up. 

Surrounding the table along with Teresa were Kaitlyn and Kelsey. Kaitlyn was a strong willed redhead currently dressed in a white top, jeans, and white cowgirl boots. The club was rounded out by Kelsey, a small Filipino girl who was definitely in the middle of a goth phase. Kelsey was currently dressed in a black sleeveless minidress with a thin long sleeve mesh top on top. Her outfit was topped off with stockings and knee high platform Demonia boots, which increased her height by several inches to bring her even with the rest of the girls. 

Danielle herself wore a pair of chocolate brown heeled knee high boots, black miniskirt, white halter top and a brown leather jacket on top. She raised her head and looked around at her friends with gratitude at how her friends had been here for her. She hadn’t even been able to visit her parents yet, having been sent home by doctors after waiting in the hospital overnight. By noon her friends had dropped whatever they were doing and arrived on her front door. “Sorry, I’m being a terrible host. Does anyone want anything to drink? Tea? Coffee? Soda?” 

Teresa and Kaitlyn both requested tea while Kelsey asked for a coffee and Danielle stood and went into the kitchen to prepare the drinks. Watching the water boil, she shuffled from foot to foot, her heels clopping on the tiles as she turned over the small bottle she had been given. Steadying her beating heart, she dripped a few drops into the other three cups before taking out all the drinks two at a time back into the main room to her friends. “What can we do to help?” Teresa asked as Danielle came back to the table. 

She was always the one to reach out to others to provide whatever assistance she could. It was in her nature and is what led to others gravitating towards her to begin with. “I’m not sure if there’s anything you can do.” Danielle said miserably as she handed out the cups and everyone took a sip. “It’s far more than I can get on short notice, even if everyone chipped in I would need a huge windfall from somewhere.” 

“We can start a Gofundme, you did a lot of volunteering and your parents are well known. I’m sure we could get a lot of local support.” Kaitlyn offered. 

Teresa grimaced. “Too bad we didn’t ever get rewards for the mysteries we solved. Would’ve been nice to get a payout for all the snooping we did.” 

“You mean a payout to replace all the clothes that got ruined from said snooping?” Kelsey teased before letting out a big yawn. “Wow I must’ve slept less than I thought, sorry Danielle.” 

“No worries.” Danielle said in a small voice. 

There was a thump and everyone at the table turned to see Kaitlyn with her head down on the table. “K-K-Kaitlyn?” Teresa tried to wake her friend and was interrupted by her own mouth opening in a big yawn. 

Kelsey tried to stand up to walk over to her friend but stumbled the moment she stood and tried to brace herself against the wall. “What’s happeninnnngggg” Kelsey slurred as she tried to prop herself up and instead slowly slid down to the floor. 

Teresa could feel a wave of disorientation washing over her and her eyes suddenly struggled to stay open. “D-danielle?” She asked, her brain working slowly but enough to recognize that her friend was still wide awake. “W-what’s going onnnnn.” 

She slumped down and just before she lost consciousness, she thought she heard another sniffle and a soft. “I’m so sorry.” from her friend. 

- - -

When Teresa came to, the scene was worse than she could have possibly imagined. Kelsey and Kaitlyn were both groaning behind balls of cloth that were stuffed in their mouths and held in place with scarves pulled between their teeth and tied off at the back of their necks. “MMMMMPH!” Teresa called out, realizing she was gagged the same way. 

They’d been restrained simply, yet efficiently. Their arms were bound behind their backs with rope at the wrist and elbows. More ropes secured their legs at the ankles, knees, and thighs. One final rope connected their ankles to their wrists, pulling them into hogties tight enough that Teresa could feel the platforms of her boots with her fingers. She flexed her arms and legs and found no give in the ropes, she had been tied very securely and despite their escape training sessions, this was going to be tough to get out of. 

Especially when one of those involved in the training sessions was the one who had tied them up. The clop of heels on hardwood signaled their captor’s return into the room and Teresa still didn’t want to think it was true that Danielle had betrayed them but seeing the brunette standing over her three bound and gagged friends, there was no denying it. There were tears in her eyes, but none of the three captives felt very much sympathy now that they had been drugged and bound and gagged by their former friend. “I’ll explain everything.” She said quietly as she sat down on the couch facing the three captives. 

“I was approached in the hospital by someone representing Carlos Sanchez.” 

The three captives who had been squirming in their bonds froze when they heard the name. Carlos Sanchez came from old money, which was suspected to have been obtained in a variety of unsanctioned ways. Now a respected businessman, the girls had been investigating some of his warehouses and businesses recently for their connections to local organized crime, and while they couldn’t prove it yet, there were signs pointing towards him being high up in something even bigger. “He offered to pay for all medical bills for my parents. We have no money, I had to take the offer.”

She buried her head in her hands and sobbed for a minute. “In exchange, he wanted you three. We had made too much progress, gotten too close. He wanted to remove us from the game, but would spare me and my parents if I gave you up.” 

Danielle couldn’t bear to look at any of her friends, knowing the looks of betrayal that were definitely on their faces. She was saved by the doorbell ringing, causing all three prisoners to jerk around in the direction of the front door. With a sigh, Danielle stood and walked out of the room to answer it. 

The three former snoops continued to struggle for all they were worth, but Danielle’s ropework did not budge and soon it was too late as Danielle entered with three men, one of which was Carlos Sanchez. “Well well well. If it isn’t the little troublemaker snoop club all bound and helpless.” He sneered. 

Teresa felt cold sweat run down her back. “I didn’t think you had the guts to do it.” He addressed Danielle. “But a deal is a deal. Your parents’ medical bills will be paid in full as well as their recovery.” 

Danielle simply nodded as he turned away, dismissing her from his mind as he welcomed the sight of the three booted hogtied girls. “Get the hoods on them and move them out.” 

Teresa screamed, writhing in her bonds as the nearest henchman pulled a nylon hood out of his bag and started towards her. The last thing Teresa saw was Danielle mouthing I’m sorry before the hood cut off all vision and a strap around her neck secured it in place. Blinded, Teresa could only feel now as she was lifted up and carried out of the room. In that afternoon, three of the four snoops of the Thornbury Detective Club vanished, betrayed by one of their own.