Categories > Celebrities > 30 Seconds to Mars > Finding Jared
FINDING JARED
CHAPTER FOUR
Shannon led Skyla onto the tour bus and introduced her to everyone.
"You've already met Tomo. This here is Braxton, our keyboard player, Tim, the bassist, and Emma, Jared's assistant." Shannon pointed out everyone as he said their names.
Emma gave Skyla the once over she was used to getting at school, and nodded her head. Tomo, Braxton, and Tim all waved at her.
"Shan, Vicki's flying out here to Chattanooga to meet up with us so we can look for Jared," Tomo piped up.
"Okay, that'll make us seven here looking," Shannon said.
"I don't think he could be here," Skyla said quietly. "I've been thinking about it and what could possibly be in Chattanooga that he's interested in that isn't in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, or Miami?"
"She's got a point," Emma said. Skyla turned and looked at her.
"True. So are we going to split up and go to each city separately or are we going to each one together?" Shannon asked.
"I think we should split up once Vicki gets here; that way we can cover more ground and eliminate every possibility," Skyla said.
"And then once we eliminate those possibilities, we can go overseas," Tomo said. "He might be over in Switzerland somewhere, for all we know."
Just then Tomo's phone went off; he left the room to talk.
Shannon's phone went off too, and he excused himself. He came a moment later with Tomo in tow to read a text message he had received. He was ghostly pale.
"This is the text I just received," he said. "It says, 'We have your brother. Please bring $500,000 to us by next Friday or he dies.'"
Skyla couldn't breathe. She sank down on the chair next to Emma and covered her face. She was shocked. She heard Emma say something under her breath.
"Does it not have a location?" Tim asked. Him and Braxton had been very quiet up to that point, and they were absorbing everything.
"No. It's just a ransom... text." Shannon had gotten paler.
"I think Shannon needs to be alone for right now. Vicki should be landing here soon," Tomo said.
Shannon headed into the back of the bus; Skyla stayed where she was despite her desire to see if he was okay.
"I know how you feel - you want to make sure he's okay too," Emma told her quietly.
Skyla started. "Yeah... but I think Shannon should be by himself for right now."
"Yeah, you're right." Emma sighed.
MEANWHILE IN SPAIN
"I haven't had anything to eat or drink in quite some time," Jared said. "Is it possible I can get something soon?"
Jessey Vargas and her minions looked at him like he was stupid. "Yes. Water and some bread. Nothing more."
Jared was thrilled. He ate the bread slowly, savoring each bite because he might not get another one. He downed the water when he finished. "Thank you," he told them. His reply was a kick to the shoulder.
He lay still after that, and soon dozed off. He woke up to low conversations from the men; he lay as still as possible.
"Has the ransom text been sent yet?" asked the first. He had a deep voice.
"Yes. Lady Jessey took care of that. She demanded $500,000 for him by next Friday," answered the second. He always carried a Taser with him.
"Whaaaa-..." Jared thought. Ransom text? To whom? Shannon? Tomo? His mom? But there was more:
"But there was a mistake: Lady Jessey forgot the location. Where should they drop the money?" the first stated.
"Lady Jessey was never on top of everything," the second one sighed. Other men agreed.
"She left his BlackBerry with us; we can decide the location." The first was determined on a location!
"They used my BlackBerry?!" Jared was outraged. He couldn't think straight... he prayed it wasn't his mom they sent the text to.
"Let's wait before we send another message to his brother. He might be moved again," the second said.
"Alright. Let's get ready for orders from Lady Vargas."
BACK IN THE UNITED STATES
"Skyla you see Jared over there?"
"It's an alleyway. Unless he went homeless on us he isn't here."
Skyla and Tomo left the New York back streets and headed back to where they were staying. Everyone had already been out looking earlier in the day and it was Skyla and Tomo's turn now.
"He isn't in the Vegan Restaurant." Skyla was getting frustrated.
"Not in any of the shops either," Tomo had a look of utter confusion on his face.
"Know what I think?" Skyla asked him.
"What?" Tomo started Dumpster-diving in the nearest Dumpster.
"I think he's overseas somewhere like Russia or Belgium or Australia." Skyla's nose crinkled at the smell coming from the Dumpster.
"I agree. I don't think he's in the United States at all." Tomo hopped out of the Dumpster and was covered in muck and shit. "Gross..."
"Sorry but you stink!!" Skyla proclaimed, and stood as far away from him as possible in the alleyway.
Tomo cackled with laughter. "It's alright. I need to get back and take a bath. Let's go!"
As they headed back, they saw an entertainment store selling TVs. They were each tuned to a news channel; the reporter was tell a news story.
"...Mr. Leto hasn't been seen in over a week now; officials say that it is possible that Mr. Leto has fled the United States..."
"Tomo... TOMO!!" Skyla started freaking out.
Tomo was fixated on the television screen. "I didn't tell!" he said.
"Let's go!" Skyla dragged him away and they ran back to their hotel.
The minute they got back Shannon berated them. "Did you tell?!" he asked, pointing a finger in Skyla's face.
"No I swear to God I didn't!" she whimpered. She was scared to death.
"I didn't either. But it might be a clue - maybe he has left the country," Tomo said.
"We'll talk about it in the morning; meanwhile, do not answer any calls from numbers you don't recognize!" Shannon said fiercely.
Tomo and Skyla nodded and left. Skyla went to the room she shared with Emma.
"I want to know who told the media," Emma said darkly.
"Me too," Skyla said. She was shaking.
Skyla didn't realize that she knew the person who held Jared captive.
CHAPTER FOUR
Shannon led Skyla onto the tour bus and introduced her to everyone.
"You've already met Tomo. This here is Braxton, our keyboard player, Tim, the bassist, and Emma, Jared's assistant." Shannon pointed out everyone as he said their names.
Emma gave Skyla the once over she was used to getting at school, and nodded her head. Tomo, Braxton, and Tim all waved at her.
"Shan, Vicki's flying out here to Chattanooga to meet up with us so we can look for Jared," Tomo piped up.
"Okay, that'll make us seven here looking," Shannon said.
"I don't think he could be here," Skyla said quietly. "I've been thinking about it and what could possibly be in Chattanooga that he's interested in that isn't in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, or Miami?"
"She's got a point," Emma said. Skyla turned and looked at her.
"True. So are we going to split up and go to each city separately or are we going to each one together?" Shannon asked.
"I think we should split up once Vicki gets here; that way we can cover more ground and eliminate every possibility," Skyla said.
"And then once we eliminate those possibilities, we can go overseas," Tomo said. "He might be over in Switzerland somewhere, for all we know."
Just then Tomo's phone went off; he left the room to talk.
Shannon's phone went off too, and he excused himself. He came a moment later with Tomo in tow to read a text message he had received. He was ghostly pale.
"This is the text I just received," he said. "It says, 'We have your brother. Please bring $500,000 to us by next Friday or he dies.'"
Skyla couldn't breathe. She sank down on the chair next to Emma and covered her face. She was shocked. She heard Emma say something under her breath.
"Does it not have a location?" Tim asked. Him and Braxton had been very quiet up to that point, and they were absorbing everything.
"No. It's just a ransom... text." Shannon had gotten paler.
"I think Shannon needs to be alone for right now. Vicki should be landing here soon," Tomo said.
Shannon headed into the back of the bus; Skyla stayed where she was despite her desire to see if he was okay.
"I know how you feel - you want to make sure he's okay too," Emma told her quietly.
Skyla started. "Yeah... but I think Shannon should be by himself for right now."
"Yeah, you're right." Emma sighed.
MEANWHILE IN SPAIN
"I haven't had anything to eat or drink in quite some time," Jared said. "Is it possible I can get something soon?"
Jessey Vargas and her minions looked at him like he was stupid. "Yes. Water and some bread. Nothing more."
Jared was thrilled. He ate the bread slowly, savoring each bite because he might not get another one. He downed the water when he finished. "Thank you," he told them. His reply was a kick to the shoulder.
He lay still after that, and soon dozed off. He woke up to low conversations from the men; he lay as still as possible.
"Has the ransom text been sent yet?" asked the first. He had a deep voice.
"Yes. Lady Jessey took care of that. She demanded $500,000 for him by next Friday," answered the second. He always carried a Taser with him.
"Whaaaa-..." Jared thought. Ransom text? To whom? Shannon? Tomo? His mom? But there was more:
"But there was a mistake: Lady Jessey forgot the location. Where should they drop the money?" the first stated.
"Lady Jessey was never on top of everything," the second one sighed. Other men agreed.
"She left his BlackBerry with us; we can decide the location." The first was determined on a location!
"They used my BlackBerry?!" Jared was outraged. He couldn't think straight... he prayed it wasn't his mom they sent the text to.
"Let's wait before we send another message to his brother. He might be moved again," the second said.
"Alright. Let's get ready for orders from Lady Vargas."
BACK IN THE UNITED STATES
"Skyla you see Jared over there?"
"It's an alleyway. Unless he went homeless on us he isn't here."
Skyla and Tomo left the New York back streets and headed back to where they were staying. Everyone had already been out looking earlier in the day and it was Skyla and Tomo's turn now.
"He isn't in the Vegan Restaurant." Skyla was getting frustrated.
"Not in any of the shops either," Tomo had a look of utter confusion on his face.
"Know what I think?" Skyla asked him.
"What?" Tomo started Dumpster-diving in the nearest Dumpster.
"I think he's overseas somewhere like Russia or Belgium or Australia." Skyla's nose crinkled at the smell coming from the Dumpster.
"I agree. I don't think he's in the United States at all." Tomo hopped out of the Dumpster and was covered in muck and shit. "Gross..."
"Sorry but you stink!!" Skyla proclaimed, and stood as far away from him as possible in the alleyway.
Tomo cackled with laughter. "It's alright. I need to get back and take a bath. Let's go!"
As they headed back, they saw an entertainment store selling TVs. They were each tuned to a news channel; the reporter was tell a news story.
"...Mr. Leto hasn't been seen in over a week now; officials say that it is possible that Mr. Leto has fled the United States..."
"Tomo... TOMO!!" Skyla started freaking out.
Tomo was fixated on the television screen. "I didn't tell!" he said.
"Let's go!" Skyla dragged him away and they ran back to their hotel.
The minute they got back Shannon berated them. "Did you tell?!" he asked, pointing a finger in Skyla's face.
"No I swear to God I didn't!" she whimpered. She was scared to death.
"I didn't either. But it might be a clue - maybe he has left the country," Tomo said.
"We'll talk about it in the morning; meanwhile, do not answer any calls from numbers you don't recognize!" Shannon said fiercely.
Tomo and Skyla nodded and left. Skyla went to the room she shared with Emma.
"I want to know who told the media," Emma said darkly.
"Me too," Skyla said. She was shaking.
Skyla didn't realize that she knew the person who held Jared captive.
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