Chapter Two
I don't remember the drive home. All I could hear was Liv's voice over and over again in my mind.
"She's missing."
Missing...
Missing...
Two squad cars and an unmarked were parked outside of the house. I swung the car up on the curb at an angle and jumped out.
Everyone was gathered in the living room. Peyton was hiding behind the couch. Noah was sitting in my big La-Z-Boy chair bawling.
"NICK!"
Liv's arms wrapped around my neck and I thought for a moment that I was going to die from lack of oxygen. She pressed her soggy face into my shoulder and began to sob.
I couldn't cry. I felt numb. I looked at the men gathered in the room and let out a sigh of relief when Liv's stepfather Mike came forward.
"Nick, this is Henry Olsen. His dad and I were partners for years."
Mike was FBI. If the FBI was already involved...
Henry held out his hand I shook it. I could barely feel my fingers.
"What's going on?" I croaked. By this point I was holding Liv up. Her knees were no longer supporting her body. I prayed that after I learned what was going on that I wouldn't crash to the floor with her.
"There was a prison break this morning. Five men escaped. One of them was your brother."
It was like someone had hit me dead on in my chest.
"Aaron?"
"Our current reports indicate that soon after the break, Aaron highjacked a car. Brooke was abducted from the school playground at 2:15 this afternoon and put into a car that matches the description of that stolen vehicle."
I felt Noah's eyes on me. Large tears dripped off of his chin. He took a big shuddery breath.
"I tried...to bite him. But he wouldn't...let her go," he gasped. "Daddy, I'm sorry."
"Did he hurt you?" I asked. Noah shook his head.
"I ran away and screamed for help. J--j--just like you told me to do if I s-s-saw a stranger."
He sucked up a huge noseful of snot and pulled his knees up to his chest.
I glanced back at Henry.
"Why hasn't anyone found him yet?"
"We have an Amber Alert out and we have Tampa Police and FBI on the case. We're following any leads we can get."
It wasn't good enough. Nothing was good enough. I thought back to this morning. Brooke's noisy little kiss and her pigtails flying behind her as she ran up to the door...
The ringing of the phone broke through my thoughts. Everyone's eyes landed on the handset.
"We have a trace on the phone. Nick, go ahead and answer it. If it's Aaron, keep him on the line as long as possible."
I gently let Liv sink to the floor. On the third ring I picked up.
"Hello?" My voice was shaking.
"It's been a long time."
I closed my eyes. It was Aaron's voice, but it was a voice full of malice.
"Aaron, why are you doing this?"
The laugh that came through the line was husky, dark.
"Do you hurt Nick? Does it kill you not knowing whether she's dead or alive?"
I felt like I was going to vomit. A bead of sweat dripped down the side of my face.
"Aaron, I swear to God if you hurt a hair on her head--"
"She's very pretty. I know quite a few people that would like her."
"Aaron, I--"
"DADDY!"
I heard a click and the phone went dead. The last thing I heard was Brooke's scream. The phone fell from my hands and crashed onto the floor.
"He's got her," I gasped. "He's got her."
"It wasn't long enough," Henry said. "I couldn't get a trace."
I slowly turned and the cops stepped out of my way. Little white spots danced in front of my eyes as I made my way to the bathroom.
The moment I closed the door, I fell to my knees and heaved.
----------------------------
Two hours later, the phone rang again. Liv's mom was taking care of Noah and Peyton upstairs. Liv and I sat side by side on the couch, our knees touching. We couldn't speak...could barely breathe. The ringing of the phone was the only thing to snap me out of the hell I was sinking into. Henry nodded towards me and handed me the phone.
"Hello?"
"Twice in one day. This is nice."
"Aaron, please don't do this."
"Don't worry. We won't have to play the game long. If you follow the rules you get her back. If you don't..."
I clutched the phone with both hands. I was so afraid I would drop it. I couldn't lose my only connection...
"What do you want?"
Aaron laughed. It was the same manic laugh from earlier.
"Well, mostly I want you to feel like you're dying inside. How am I doing so far?"
My jaw felt like it would crack under the pressure.
"Aaron, you can't harm an innocent little girl," I reasoned.
"Or can I? Let's stop jacking around. I know you've probably get me tapped. I want money. I want five million dollars. You have seven days. For each day you waste, I'll add another demand. If you can't pay up, then your little girl goes bye-bye. Got it?"
"GOT IT?"
I licked my lips. I tasted the burning salt from the tears.
"Got it," I whispered.
"I'll call tomorrow. Just to check on your progress. Want to say goodnight to your ladybug? That's what you call her, isn't it?"
I let out a shudder. Henry was counting down. He was zeroing in on a connection and--
"Oops, I think you took too much time to answer. No goodnight for you. Sweet dreams, bro."
The line went dead. Henry pounded the table.
"FUCK! Two seconds short."
I felt a hand wrap around my wrist. Liv was looking up at me with sunken, terrified eyes.
"Is she okay?"
I had no clue if she was okay. But I nodded. For Liv's sake.
"She's okay."
If only it were that simple.
----------------------------
Liv fell into a state of utter exhaustion around three in the morning. I paced the house, my hand scupped over my mouth.
"The demands?" Henry finally asked.
"Five million dollars. If I don't get it by tomorrow, he'll keep adding demands."
"He's going to screw up before then. He's not a criminal mastermind."
"He's got my little girl and he's nuts. That's enough to make me want to act quickly," I said.
"I think you need to try to get some sleep. In the morning, we need to start brainstorming and making lists of people that might have any contact with your brother or who might be able to provide a little insight."
I glanced up at the starless sky. Somewhere out there my little girl was tucked away, whether in the trunk of a car or a building, I didn't know.
But what I did know was that I had to find Brooke. And when I did, so help me God, Aaron was a dead man. I wasn't going to rest until the last breath left his body.
He had picked the wrong person to mess with.
