Page 42 of Chasing Football Dreams

Chapter Twenty-One

Duncan

“Duncan!” Eliza came running towards me, out of breath and her eyes wide. I didn’t want to think the worst when she grasped my arm.

“I need your help,” She didn’t beat around the bush.

“What’s wrong?” Andrew instantly appeared next to me—a child half asleep in his arms.

“It’s Zoey,” In an instant, our team got up and surrounded us.

“Where is she?” I asked.

“She’s okay for now but she needs a diversion,”

“What is going on?” Andrew pressed.

Eliza threw him an annoyed glare. “I don’t have time to explain. Zoey can get into big trouble with what she’s about to do. I just need you to fucking stop asking questions and help her,”

“What do have in mind for a diversion?” I asked her, giving Andrew a look to settle down.

“There is a man in the office with Candice—one of the caretakers. They have proof of Zoey’s kidnapping and as you know Zoey as well as I do,”

“She wants the proof,” I grumbled.

Dammit, Zoey.

“We can get the kids to ring the alarm,” Eliza said, patting the boy in Andrew’s arms and waking him up with a soothing voice.

“Hey, buddy, do you want to play a game?” His eyes immediately lit up.

“Aren’t you going to get him into trouble?” I asked.

Eliza shook her head. “One thing you have to learn is there are no cameras around and the kids do this all the time. Ask Zoey, she’ll tell you,”

I can imagine a younger version of Zoey rebelling and I smiled.

I handed Andrew my car keys. “Round everyone up and meet us outside,”

“Where are you going?” Freddie asked.

“Making sure Zoey stays out of trouble,” I jogged up the stairs, hearing the alarm blazing down the halls and sidestepping the rush of energized kids.

I ducked into a room when Candice and a man ran out of the office. I dived into the office shutting the door behind me and found Zoey climbing through the window.

“I am starting to see a whole different Zoey than I met months ago,” I noted with a smile walking over to her, snaking an arm around her waist, and finding her lips.

“As much as I want to kiss you, we need to leave,” She pulled the door open, her head darting from left to right. “Come on,”

I followed her down the corridor and pulled her into a bedroom when I saw the man from earlier making his way back to the office. I pressed her against the wall and covered her body with mine, not wanting the man to see her.

“Who is that?” I asked.

“No, idea but he has been working with Candice working for someone who arranged my kidnapping,” She explained holding up the big envelope.

“We need to get to the police as soon as we get out of here,” I suggested.

"No,"

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