by Willow Rose
Vernon looked up. “Because they found his ring, Mama. Do you remember his ring? The brown one with the big stone? The engraving said Armando. They found it where the kid was taken. The Kingston kid.”
Vernon’s mother gasped and cupped her mouth. Her eyes grew wide and fearful, then tears streamed across her cheeks.
“But…but how? How did it end up there?” she asked. She looked alarmed. “I don’t understand? How?”
“That’s what I intend to find out.”
Vernon got up from the couch, when his mother grabbed his arm. “There is something you should probably know before you go, son. You better sit down for this.”
Chapter Sixty-Six
May 2015
The light was never turned off. Noah waited for it to be, but it never happened. At some point, the door to his room was opened and a loaf of bread and a cup of water were placed on the floor.
“Eat,” said the voice.
Noah, who had no idea when he had last eaten or even drunk anything, rushed to it and gulped down the water, keeping his eyes closed from the bright burning light. He ate greedily while his guardian watched him. Noah no longer cared that he was naked or that the guard stared at him. He was too hungry and thirsty. It was all about survival at this point.
When he had finished the cup of water, he licked the last drops on the sides and finally opened his eyes to look up at his guardian.
“Can I have some more, please?”
The guardian slapped him across the face so the cup fell to the ground. “No!”
“Please?” Noah pleaded. Being this thirsty was the worst feeling in the world. It made him feel so desperate. He suddenly understood those stories he remembered hearing about people drinking their own urine in order to survive being trapped in places without water.
He didn’t care if his guardian hit him again. He needed water. “I’m so thirsty. Please, Sir?”
His guardian took the cup from the floor, then left, slamming the door shut. Noah stared at the shut door, wondering how long it would be before it was opened again. He prepared himself for a long wait and lay down in the light. The floor was cold and the light hurt his eyes, even when they were closed.
Suddenly, the door opened again, and the cup was placed in the same spot. “Here,” the voice said. “Now, never ask for more again, you hear me?”
Noah nodded and jumped for the cup. He placed it on his lips and let the warm water run inside of his mouth. It felt so good when it touched his tongue. Noah enjoyed every second of it. When he was done, he handed the cup back to the man. He looked up at him and their eyes met. In the bright light, he couldn’t see his entire face, but his eyes had something in them he hadn’t seen in his guardian before.
“You never told me your name?” Noah asked.
The man didn’t answer.
“Please? Could I know your name?”
“Why?”
“Because you’re the only one I see.”
“My name is not important,” he said.
“Then, please, tell me why you’re keeping me here,” Noah asked bravely. The other times when he had asked, it had resulted in a beating. He had learned to fear the man’s stick and bad temper. But, today, he seemed different. Like he was approachable. Maybe there was some humanity in him, after all?
“You don’t need to know,” he said. “Just know that I will be the last person you’ll ever see.”
Noah’s heart dropped. He was scared. It was strange, because he knew that he would probably be killed by this man, but still he refused to give up hope completely. There was something inside of him, a small still voice that kept telling him all hope wasn’t lost yet. Not yet.
Your parents are looking for you. The police, everyone must be searching everywhere for you. They’ll find you. I know they will.
“So, if you are certain you will kill me, and you will be the last person I ever see, then why not tell me your name? What’s the risk? I won’t be able to tell anyone else, right?” Noah argued.
The man sighed. He grabbed the cup from Noah’s hand and walked to the door. Just before he left, he turned and looked at Noah, who was sitting on the floor, his body trembling in the windowless room.
“The name is Hector. Hector Suarez.”
Chapter Sixty-Seven
May 2015
Naturally, I couldn’t sleep all night. None of us could, except the youngest kids, of course. Abigail and Angela wanted to stay awake, but just before midnight, they caved in and slept on the couch in my living room. Shannon and I sat on the balcony. She held my hand in hers. I couldn’t stop the tears from coming.
“You’ve got to get some rest,” she said and wiped a tear from my cheek. “I’m sure we will find him tomorrow.”
I stared into the darkness. The beach was empty now. No more flashlights. No more voices yelling my son’s name out. Nothing but the sound of the crashing waves. On the horizon, I saw lightning. Anna wasn’t far away.
“I just can’t bear the thought of him being out there all alone,” I said. “He must be so scared. Austin isn’t strong like Abigail. He won’t survive under much distress for long.”
“He might be stronger than you think,” Shannon said.
“I sure hope so.” I paused and looked at her. My beautiful bride to be. The soon to be mother of my child. I had been so blessed in my life. “The scary part is, if it is the kidnapper that has him,” I continued. “He has successfully hidden children from us for many years. He had Scott Kingston for seven years. And no one suspected a thing. They all assumed he was dead. The worst part is not knowing, right? You should have seen Scott’s parents, Shannon. They were not alive. They were so dead, so emotionally exhausted. I don’t want to end up like them.”
“It is a terrible thought, Jack. But you can’t do this to yourself. You can’t think like that. Yes, Austin is missing right now, but we have no idea what will happen tomorrow.”
I stared at her, while a million thoughts flickered through my mind. Something had struck me.
“Wait a minute,” I said and got up from the chair.
“What?” Shannon asked.
“The note,” I said and pulled it out from my pocket. I unfolded it and looked at it. “Look.”
“What am I looking at?” Shannon asked.
“The handwriting. Austin’s name. He spelled it wrong. If you look closely, you can see, he wrote AUSTEN. He wrote an e instead of an i.”
“So? He was in distress?”
“No. He learned how to spell his name when he was three years old. He knows how to do it right. I taught him by drawing in the wet sand when he was very little. He must have done it on purpose,” I said.
“Why would he do that?”
“Because he’s telling me something,” I said.
“What is he telling you?”
I looked at Shannon.
“It’s a code. We used to make our own code system. That was the only way we could keep secrets from Abigail. A is one, B is two and so on. It’s a boy scout thing.”
“So, these are numbers?” Shannon asked.
I leaned over and kissed her. “Yes.” I got up and went to my desk and started to look at the note. I tried different things, but couldn’t get it to be anything but 1-21-19-20-5-14. I stared at it for a while, not knowing what it could refer to, until I realized it. I got up and looked at Shannon.
“It’s a phone number. Shannon, it’s a phone number. 121-192-0514. You were right, Shannon. Austin is smarter than I give him credit for. He is a survivor. He must be in a place where the number is written somewhere.”
Shannon looked at me with her head tilted. “Are you sure about this? It sounds a little far fetched. As far as I know, the area code here is 321. I don’t know of any place that has 121?”
“It’s all I’ve got right now, Shannon. It’s all I’ve got.”
Chapter Sixty-Eight
May 2015
I didn’t wait till morning. It was three a.m. when I called Rich
ard and asked him to try and track the number. He was on it right away, and an hour later, he called me back.
“The area code belongs to Birmingham in England,” Richard said.
My heart dropped. England? How was this possible?
“But,” Richard added. “I made some calls around. I know a guy with the feds who does this and he helped me track it. We traced it to a neighborhood in Daytona Beach. I can’t get closer than that. But it I can tell you it was last used today at six o’clock to make a phone call. You’ll never guess to whom.”
“I think I might have an idea. Sarah Millman, right?”
“Right.”
Richard gave me the address of the neighborhood in Daytona, and I looked it up on the computer. Then I leaned back in my chair with a deep sigh. Shannon came up behind me.
“I’ll be damned…” I said.
“What is it?”
“It’s the neighborhood where the couple was killed. The couple that held their child in the basement and was killed by the Angel Makers for it. What the heck is going on here?”
Shannon shrugged and sat down next to me. “I don’t know. Do you think the Angel Makers kidnapped Austin?”
“I…I don’t know. I’m beginning to think so,” I said and grabbed my phone. I got up, kissed her on the forehead, and grabbed my car keys.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“I have to go get him,” I said.
“Jack, don’t. It could be an ambush.”
I shrugged. “So what if it is? I have to go. I can’t leave him up there all alone for any longer.”
“Think about it, Jack. Austin is smart, but there is no way he could have come up with that code alone. He wouldn’t dare to. Plus, how would he know the number of the phone if it is a cellphone? It’s not like the number is written on the outside of a cell. They want you to come for him, Jack.”
I sighed and kissed her on the lips. “I know. But I have to go anyway.”
“Can’t it wait?”
“No. I have to go and get him.”
“Alone? How about taking Beth with you?” she asked.
“Beth can’t leave her three kids home alone at four in the morning,” I said. “It’s not like she has a babysitter at hand…or a husband, for that matter.”
“What about Ron?” Shannon asked. She sounded desperate. “I’m scared, Jack. Please don’t go alone.”
“Ron will have to contact the local sheriff, and before they get out of bed, the Angel Makers have left with my son. Shannon. I am a detective. I can defend myself. I will be fine. Don’t worry.”
She sighed and kissed me twice before I was allowed to leave. I jumped for my Jeep and drove off. I stopped for gas at the local Seven-Eleven on A1A and bought coffee and a Coke to keep me awake.
“Leaving town, huh? Good call. In a few hours, all the roads will be packed,” the young guy behind the counter said. “It’s going to be complete chaos.”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“Oh, you haven’t heard. I just assumed you had and that you had decided to be the first to leave town.”
“No, I haven’t heard. What’s going on?”
“They just announced it on the radio. Breaking news and everything. The National Weather service says Anna is going to make landfall within the next twelve hours.”
Chapter Sixty-Nine
May 2015
It was all over the radio as I drove up North towards Daytona. They had all the blaring alarms going and the reports from the National Weather Service, ordering everyone in the coastal areas to evacuate.
I picked up the phone and called Shannon. She sounded tired. “Jack? Is everything alright?”
“Anna is going to make landfall,” I said.
“What? When?”
“Within the next twelve hours. I need you to get the children and my parents and prepare to leave first thing in the morning. Make sure to close the hurricane shutters before you leave. My parents know what to do.”
“But…but…I have never…”
“It’s going to be alright, Shannon,” I said. “It’s still only a tropical storm. They say it might upgrade to a category one hurricane right before it hits land, but it’s not one of the big ones. As long as you go inland, you should be fine. I’m thinking we should find a resort in Orlando and book it for the entire family.”
“Sure. That sounds good, Jack. I’ll make sure to make the reservations as soon as possible. But, what about you?”
“I’ll be back as soon as possible. I have no idea how long it will take me to find Austin or what is waiting for me up there, so that’s why I need you and my parents to take care of everything in case I don’t make it back in time. Austin and I will just find you in Orlando.”
“I have a better idea,” Shannon said. “How about we all go to Nashville?”
“Nashville?”
“I still have my house, and it’s big enough to house several of our families. Up there, we’ll be far away from any storm. And the kids might think it’s fun. It’s actually more of a ranch. I have horses and everything.”
“You don’t have to try and convince me, Shannon. You had me at I have a better idea. Anything is better than being locked in at a resort while it’s pouring outside.”
“Good,” she said. “I’ll reserve the tickets and take everybody with me, hopefully early in the morning.”
“And Austin and I will join you later. That sounds like a plan,” I said. I liked the idea of my family being far away from the storm. I didn’t like it when my loved ones were scared, and a storm raging outside the windows could be very scary.
“Now promise me that,” Shannon said. “Promise me you’ll be okay and that you’ll come with us.”
I sighed and turned off towards Daytona Beach. “I promise,” I said.
Then we hung up.
The sun would have risen on the horizon by now, if it hadn’t been covered in the blackness of the storm threatening us from the ocean. It was pitch dark over the horizon and the winds had picked up. It was shaking the car pretty bad.
I drove over the bridge to the beach shores, towards the neighborhood where the phone had been used last, wondering what I was going to find once I got there. I knew Shannon was right. I knew they wanted me to come. There was a reason for all this, and I was about to walk right into it. But what other choice did I have? The police all along the coast were busy getting people out of their houses and onto the mainland. They had no time to help me out, even if they wanted to. When Anna made landfall, she was so big it would affect the entire coastline of Florida. There would be wind gusts of up to eighty miles an hour and heavy rainfall. It was important to get people out while there was still time. And evacuation took time. It was all that was on their minds right now. A storm was coming, and it could be deadly if you were at the wrong place at the wrong time.
This might turn out to be an ambush, but I had to do it. I feared for Austin if I didn’t go and get him. I had to at least try. Even if it cost me my life.
Chapter Seventy
May 2015
A few minutes later, I was driving through the beach-shore neighborhood. Many had already left. Their houses were left with shutters closed and empty driveways. Others were still packing the cars, getting their belongings, children, and pets into the cars. I could tell on their faces they were worried. It was tough leaving everything behind, not knowing what you would come back to. Especially when you lived beach-side…that was usually hit the hardest. You could come back to a house with no roof and water damage inside, windows broken, a house filled with sand or like most did, a house that no longer had a screen around the pool.
I didn’t know exactly where I would find Austin, but I had a pretty good hunch.
It was easy to recognize the house. The entrance was still blocked by police tape. I parked my car and got out, holding a firm hand on my gun.
The house was a shabby blue beach cabin from the fifties. It was still marked in the driveway wh
ere the bodies had been found. Bullet holes on a tree and a fence behind were marked with red.
A wind gust grabbed me and almost made me fall. I fought through the wind and walked to the front door and looked in the window next to it. It was dark inside.
What if you are wrong? What if he isn’t here? Then you’ve wasted all this time.
It was pretty far fetched. I knew that much. And it would be devastating if I was wrong. That would mean me leaving Austin somewhere unknown while the storm raged. But my gut told me I was on the right track. I had to be. I had to believe I was.
I walked around the house and looked in all the windows, while clasping the gun between my hands in a tight grip. If these insane women wanted to attack me, I wasn’t going down easily. I would fight for my life.
I looked inside the kitchen when a gust of wind grabbed the palm tree next to me and a branch was loosened. It fell towards me like a missile from the sky and landed right next to me.
I gasped and stared at the huge palm tree branch. It had sharp pointy edges that would have cut me severely had it hit right.
Luckily, it didn’t. I crept along the house wall towards the next window and looked in. Then I let out a small shriek. Inside, I spotted Austin. He was lying on a bed. He was facing the wall, so I couldn’t see his face. My heart rate went up quickly.
He is here! I knew he would be! Is he alive? Oh, my God, what have they done to him?
My eyes were glued to the window while I wondered how to approach this. The Angel Makers were merciless. They had already tried to kill Beth using a bomb. They might do it again. They had also shot Ron from the house across the street. I wondered what their move would be this time?
I decided there was only one way to find out. I had to just go in. I tried to open the window, then used the handle of my gun to break it instead. There was no time to waste. I removed the glass so I wouldn’t cut myself, then crawled inside. I landed on the floor with a thud. Austin didn’t seem to react. He wasn’t moving at all.