“That..that... How could he? When I get my hands on him...”
“Alex! We can’t think about that now. The only thing that’s important right now is getting our daughters back -- safely.”
“I’m sorry, Charles. I’ve just been under so much stress since she’s been gone. You’re right, of course. The only thing that matters is our daughters.”
“Stay down. I’ll come get you when it’s safe. Until then, don’t let anyone see you.”
Jake parked the car, closed the door lightly so it wouldn’t be heard, and walked to the front entrance. His heart was pounding, but he tried to act casual as he passed security. They were just about to go on break when they saw him enter.
“Your dad’s not here, Jake. He left for home hours ago.”
“Thanks. I’m just picking up where he left off. You know what my dad always says. Research waits for no man.”
“You’re just a chip off the old block, huh? Glad to hear it. Your dad must be so proud. He always wanted you to join him. It was always his dream to be a father-son team with you. Talked about you all the time. You and your mom. Lord rest her soul.”
“He...did? He talked about us?”
“All the time. Hated being away from his family. I’m sure you already knew that, though, didn’t you?”
“Yes,...of course.”
“While his work was always important to him, he never let a day pass without saying how much he wished his family could be by his side while he was finding a cure for some disease. He’s a good man. Why don’t you go on back? I’m sure you know your way. Me and the guys were just about to go on break.”
“Thanks, I will. Enjoy your break,” Jake said, his voice trailing off as he headed to the girls’ room.
He never knew his father thought about him. What else didn’t he know about the man keeping two teenage girls prisoner? Is it possible he wasn’t all evil? Jake didn’t know what to think. He pushed all thoughts of his father out of his head and stayed focused on the task at hand.
“We have to move fast. Security is only on break for fifteen minutes,” Jake said, undoing their restraints.
“Is this real? Are we really getting out of here?” Alyson asked, rubbing her wrists.
“Thank you, Jake. Thank you so much,” Cassie said, the corners of her mouth turning upward.
“Can you walk?”
Anxious for freedom, Alyson and Cassie tried sitting up. They felt woozy as they inched their way off the bed, holding onto the rail for support. Their legs like limp noodles, buckled, and they landed in a heap on the cold tile floor.
“Don’t try to move. Just stay where you are. I’ll be right back with your dads. They’ll help carry you out of here.”
Jake left the room, checked both ways for security, then opened the emergency exit door for their fathers.
“It’s okay. Come in. The coast is clear,” Jake whispered.
“How are they? How do they look? Are they okay?” Alex asked.
“They’re weak. They need your help.”
“Of course,” Charles said, Alex nodding in agreement.
“We only have a few minutes before security comes back. They can’t walk on their own yet, so you’re going to have to carry them.”
Jake led them into the room where their daughters would no longer be held prisoner. He hurried to close the door behind them. They saw their daughters, helpless on the floor.
“Alyson! I...I...I can’t believe it. It’s...really you. He did it. Jake did it. He brought me to you. I...I don’t know what to say.”
“Dad?” Alyson said, half out-of-breath.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything. Don’t try to speak. I’m just so relieved to see you.”
Charles bent down and lifted Alyson up in his arms. She was limp as a rag doll, barely able to put her arms around his neck.
“It’s okay. I’ve got you. You don’t have to worry anymore. I’m not letting go.”
“I’m...”
“I know, Alyson. I am as well.”
While Charles was tending to Alyson, Alex was rushing to Cassie’s side to help her off the floor.
“I’m here for you. I always will be.”
“I know, Dad. I thought I was never going to see you again.”
“I would never let that happen. I’ll always protect you.”
“I’m sorry I ran off.”
“We’ll have plenty of time for that later. Right now we have to get out of here. While it’s still safe.”
Jake held the door open and checked the hallway for security.
“Come on. Let’s get them out now. The coast is clear.”
Charles and Alex carried their daughters to safety while Jake followed closely behind. He got everyone settled into his car, then driving well above the posted limit of 10mph, transported them outside the gate. Charles helped Alyson into the passenger seat, secured the nylon belt, then checked on Cassie who was getting settled into her father’s car.
“We did it, Alex. We did it,” Charles said, a lump forming in his throat. “Our girls are back. Thanks to Jake, our girls are back.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t save them sooner. I wish...”
“It’s okay, Jake. They’re safe now. We appreciate everything you’ve done.”
Alex watched his daughter through the car window, fidgeting in her seat, trying to find a comfortable position.
“I’ll talk to you in the morning, Alex. I want to get Alyson home and into her own bed. They both need a good night’s rest after the ordeal they’ve been through. Thanks again, Jake. You’re a good man. We’ll talk soon.”
“Goodnight, Mr. Pierce. Tell Alyson...”
“I will.”
Charles started the car and Alyson opened the window.
“It’s starting to rain, Alyson. Are you sure...?”
Alyson shot Charles a look. Like a dog on a Sunday drive, she held her head out to feel every gust of wind in her face. As raindrops pelted her nose and cheeks, she stuck out her tongue to taste the fresh water droplets as they landed.
So refreshing, she thought to herself.
“Finally free. I’m finally free,” she mumbled quietly under her breath.
When they arrived home, Charles looked over at the young woman sitting next to him. She was no longer a child. Her world was shattered and turned upside down. First by him, then by Howard Parker.
“How could I do this to her? This is all my fault. I should have protected her better. I’m her father,” he whispered softly.
Alyson leaned back in her seat.
“Did you say something, Dad?”
Dad. She called me Dad, he said to himself, choking back tears.
“Are you crying?”
“I can’t believe you’re here, sitting next to me. Speaking to me. I’m so sorry, Alyson.”
Charles rubbed his eyes, tears flowing into his open mouth. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and blew his nose -- hard.
“You always did sound like an elephant when you blew your nose. I guess some things don’t change,” Alyson said, cracking a half smile.
Charles started to laugh, the tension between them melting away.
“How about I get you settled into your room and bring you up a hot cup of cocoa? I’ll see if we have any marshmallows in the cupboard.”
“That sounds really good.”
“We can talk in the morning after you’ve had a good night’s sleep in your own bed.”
“My own bed. I like the sound of that.”
Charles came around to Alyson’s side of the car and opened the door for her.
“Lean on me. I’ll help you inside.”
Alyson swung her legs around, placing one foot on the ground at a time. She put her arm around Charles and leaned her head on his shoulder as he helped her into the house and up to her room.
“I’ll be up in a few minutes with the cocoa,” Charles said, helping Alyson into bed.
“Thanks, Dad.”
> Charles closed her door on his way out.
“No! Don’t! Leave it open!”
“Okay, I’ll leave it open. Do you want me to sit with you for a minute?”
“Okay, just for a minute.”
Charles opened the music box on Alyson’s night stand and sat on the bed next to her.
“You remembered. Whenever I felt scared, you always played the music for me.”
“I’m your father. Of course I remembered. Why don’t you close your eyes, listen to the music, and let it lull you to sleep? It’s late. You must be exhausted.”
“I am, but I can’t sleep. I’m not ready yet. I need to just be home for a while. I need to...”
“You need to get some rest. I’ll leave the light on and the door open. I’ll be right back with your cocoa. That always helped you fall asleep.”
Charles stood up to leave when Alyson reached for his wrist.
“Dad.”
Charles turned.
“Thanks,” Alyson said and closed her eyes.
“I love you, Alyson.”
“Me too, Dad.”
Charles could feel his throat tightening, making it difficult to swallow. His eyes welled up, but he forced back the tears until he was downstairs. He didn’t want Alyson to hear him cry, even if they were tears of joy. Once in the kitchen and safe out of earshot, he let loose.
My daughter is back. She’s really back. And she...forgives me. I’ll never..ever let anyone hurt her again.
Through fluid-filled eyes, he searched the cupboards for marshmallows to put in the cocoa. Not wanting to disappoint his daughter, he checked everywhere, but only found large ones. He cut them up into smaller pieces and dropped a handful in her special cocoa mug. He stirred the cocoa in a saucepan and when it started to boil, removed it from the flame. He added a little milk to cool it down, then poured it over the fluffy white squares.
After taking another moment to compose himself, he carried the mug upstairs, only to find Alyson fast asleep. He stood in the doorway, watching her. She looked so peaceful. Her eyes fluttering, her mouth agape. He always joked that she could catch flies while she was sleeping.
He gently placed the mug beside her bed and tiptoed out of the room, careful not to wake her. He left the light on and the door open -- as promised. He could hear the music fade away as he walked back downstairs. Unable to quiet his mind, he flopped down on the couch and turned on the television. There wasn’t much on, but it didn’t matter. He just needed some white noise to drown out his thoughts. Before long, his head was bobbing up and down, drool dripping down the side of his chin.
Chapter Twenty
The next morning, a groggy Howard Parker stumbled into his son’s room. He stood over Jake as he slept, waiting for the chance to question him about his date. After tiring of listening to Jake snore, he went downstairs to make some coffee.
“My boy must have gotten in pretty late last night. He doesn’t usually sleep this long. That date of his must have worn him out.”
He gulped down some coffee, popped a few crackers in his mouth, and headed out to the lab. When he got there, he didn’t check on the girls right away. Instead, he spent most of the day running tests on their hair samples. He lost all track of time until his stomach started churning. He checked his watch, saw it was almost six, and started to get concerned.
“Why isn’t Jake here? He’s always here by four at the latest. This isn’t like him. Ah! He’s probably with that new girlfriend of his. I hope she doesn’t wear him out too much. Ah, young love. I remember it well. At least he’s over that clone. Speaking of which, I should check on them.”
Howard put away the slides, capped the bottles of dye, and headed for their room. He unlocked the door, turned the knob, and was about to enter the room when his phone rang.
“Dad, it’s me! You have to come home! Now! Right now! Please, hurry!”
“Jake! What happened?”
Silence.
“Jake! Jake! Are you there? Talk to me! What’s happened?”
The line went dead. Without thinking, Howard shoved the phone in his pocket and raced home. When he got there, the door was open, the inside a shambles. Furniture was tossed about and turned over. Papers were thrown everywhere.
“Jake! Jake, are you here?”
Silence.
“Jake! If you’re here, answer me!”
“I’m in the kitchen, Dad. Somebody broke in.”
“Are you okay? Were you hurt?”
“No, I’m okay. Just really shaken up. Some guy was rifling through our stuff when I came downstairs. He saw me, turned, and ran out the back door. He had a huge bag filled with our stuff. I don’t even know what he got because I haven’t had a chance to look through the house yet.”
“I’m just glad you weren’t hurt. It could have been much worse. Did you call the police?”
“The police? No, just you.”
“We need to call them. Do you remember what the guy looked like?”
“It all happened so fast.”
“They’re going to want a description. Let’s check to see what’s missing first. It might not even pay to call them.”
“I don’t think he got anything from upstairs. I think he got scared off before he went up there.”
“Help me clean up this mess and we’ll take an inventory of what’s missing. I would prefer not to involve the police. Especially if you weren’t hurt. They’re most likely not going to look for our stuff anyway. We might as well chalk it up and move on. I’ll get new locks installed, though.”
“Why wasn’t the alarm set?”
“I must have forgotten on my way out this morning. I was feeling a little hazy. I must have had too much sleep last night. My body isn’t used to it. It’s back to all nighters for me.”
“Funny, Dad. I’m panicked, almost got killed, and you’re making jokes.”
“Come here. Help me flip this couch. We’ll get done twice as fast if we work together. On three. One...two...three.”
“We’ve been working together a lot lately, haven’t we, Dad?”
“I suppose we have. We haven’t spent this much time together since...I don’t think we ever spent this much time together. It’s kind of nice. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you were growing up. You or your mom. You both deserved better.”
“That’s okay. You’re here now.”
“What do you say we finish cleaning up this mess and then head over to the lab? Looking at slides always relaxes me. Maybe it can do the same for you.”
“That sounds...great.”
Jake knew his father was going to go insane when he found out the girls were gone. He almost forgot about that with the house being broken into. Jake tried to prolong the inevitable by distracting his father from work.
“Maybe we shouldn’t go to the lab just yet. Maybe we should call the police. You know, just in case.”
“In case of what?”
“You know. In case they find our stuff.”
“As long as they didn’t get any of my research material, it’s not that important. Everything else can be replaced. Let’s just finish here and head out. You’ll feel better once you’re back in front of a microscope.”
“Uh...okay. Be careful with that lamp, Dad. The wires got exposed when they knocked it over.”
“Thanks for looking out for me, but I can take care of myself. We’ll dispose of it later so nobody gets hurt.”
Howard’s stomach started grumbling. He forgot that he didn’t eat since breakfast.
“How about I take us out to eat, Dad? My treat.”
“While I’m sure that’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I’m going to pass. I’ll just grab something quick from the cafeteria and we’ll get back to work. Come on. The rest of this mess can wait. You still never told me about your date last night. How did it go?”
“My date? Yes, of course. My date with...Meg.”
“Meg? I thought you said her name was Maggie.”
“It is. I just...call her Meg...for short.”
“I think I know what’s going on, Jake.”
“You...you do?”
“You thought you could pull a fast one, didn’t you? I wasn’t born yesterday, you know.”
Jake felt the color drain from his face. A wave of nausea washed over him.
“Dad, I...I can explain. You see...”
“It’s okay, Jake. I was young once. She didn’t mean anything to you, did she? I understand. A man has needs.”
“Needs? Yes, you know it. We certainly do have...needs. I should have just told you that sooner. I just didn’t think...you would understand.”
“I’m your father, Jake. Not a priest. Now, I want all the juicy details. Was she...”
“Dad! I’m not the kind to kiss-and-tell.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll respect your privacy. You can tell me when you’re ready. I’ll start the car. You lock up.”
Jake and his father made small talk until Howard pulled into the parking lot.
“Now, things can get back to normal,” Howard said, stepping out of the car.
“This really is your home away from home, isn’t it?”
“It’s where I belong, Jake. It’s where I fit in.”
“I can see that. You’re so..focused. Nothing could ever keep you away from here, could it?”
“Since I was younger than you, this is all I ever wanted. It’s...my destiny. I hope it will be yours as well. You’re off to a very good start. I can teach you so much if you’re willing to learn.”
“I am, Dad. I want you to teach me everything you know.”
“We’ll get a quick sandwich from the cafeteria and then get back to work. I just want to check on the clones first. I was about to earlier when you called.”
“I’m sure they’re fine. Let’s just get that sandwich. I can hear your stomach growling.”
“It won’t take long. Come on.”
Jake felt his heart pounding. With every footstep, the sound grew louder. He hoped his father couldn’t hear it. When they got to the room, the door was slightly ajar. Jake’s father pushed it open the rest of the way. There it was before him -- two empty beds. Two empty beds where the girls once were.
“What the...! I can’t believe this.
“Maybe you moved them and forgot. You have been running on fumes lately. Anyone could get forgetful under those circumstances.Didyou move them to a new room?”
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