Somebody Save Me

To celebrate the end of Tamara Collins' finals, Lucy Chen cooked her roommate her favorite lasagna for dinner.

As they ate, Lucy was surprised to hear Tamara's plans for the evening. "You just spent weeks studying and worked your ass off to ace your finals. I think you've earned the chance to blow off steam instead of staying in like you do most nights."

Tamara shrugged. "I don't know. I was thinking of just hanging out on the couch with you and some ice cream." Movie nights with Lucy had become a simple pleasure for her; it was a great way to spend time with the woman who had become an older sister to her.

"We can do that any night. Go celebrate with your friends, and if you need me to pick you up, I'm a call away."

"You know you're not supposed to drink and drive. We'll pick you up if you need a ride," Tim said seriously.

Lucy smiled at her boyfriend and squeezed his hand. His protectiveness is always appreciated.

Tamara rolled her eyes at him before replying, "I know. I know." She did not need the reminder for something she is very well aware of. After thinking for a moment, she nodded. "I'll text Kira and ask her about the party she said she's going to," then Tamara added pointedly, "and I swear I'll be careful and order a rideshare to get home. I don't need old people to come pick me up from a party."

"Old people? Don't lump me in with Tim. He's the only old one here," Lucy joked and pointed at her boyfriend.

"Excuse me?" Tim scoffed.

"You two are ridiculous," Tamara smirked around another forkful of lasagna.

Soon enough, dinner ended, and Lucy and Tim waved goodbye to Tamara with the hope that she would have fun blowing off some steam with her friends.

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At 3AM, Lucy was so restless she started pacing the floor. "Something doesn't feel right," she said to her boyfriend and pressed a hand to her chest to feel her heart racing. Her intuition sharpened by years as a cop signaled that Tamara was not safe somehow.

Tim trusted her gut, so he rose from the bed and went to the dresser for a change of clothes.

"What are you doing?" She questioned.

"Going with you. I know you want to go to that party, and you're not going alone."

Lucy smiled appreciatively at him. Sleeping next to the best backup really is quite special. Because they track each other, she was able to use Tamara's cell phone's location to find the apartment where the party was taking place. "Don't flash your badge unless we have to," Lucy advised her boyfriend.

"Not like we'll blend since we're 'old'," Tim joked.

"Nope. Just you," she chided and opened the apartment door. The booming music that had leaked out into the hallway was even louder once inside the space. Among the throng of college students at varying levels of inebriation dancing around, Lucy's scan did not yield any sign of Tamara. She eyed Tim who was across the room from her, and he solemnly shook his head 'no' to communicate that he could not see Tamara either.

Something caught Lucy's eye on the ground near the door. Tamara's purse. Well, it was actually Lucy's purse that Tamara had borrowed and never returned. She bent down to inspect the bag and sure enough, Tamara's keys and phone were in there but no sign of HER.

Tim put a hand on Lucy's back in an attempt to calm her. "We don't know anything yet."

She bit her lip. "She wouldn't go anywhere without her phone. She's attached to the thing. Something's wrong." As possible scenarios started to flash through her mind, Lucy gasped and looked at Tim, "What if she was taken?"