Bree's arms were locked around Nick as though her life depended on it; and she was pretty sure that it did. The water was rough - even Nick would have admitted it was rougher than it had been the first time he'd gone white water rafting. The longer they were on the river, the more respect Bree and Nick both gained for Pat's loud, manly personality. She was shouting commands over the heads of the other rafters, whose paddles looked like one of those giant beetles that tip over and wave their legs about. Nick was distinctly reminded of a particularly overweight dog that he had once that he'd teased by flipping on it's back and watching it try to flip itself back over by waving it's legs around in the air.
The water roared loudly - so loudly that Bree couldn't even talk to Nick. She'd tried at first but had quickly realized the only thing to be heard over the rushing water was Pat's whistle and the occassional command that she would bark out like she was Hitler or something. All other noise was lost beneath the water.
That wasn't to say that it wasn't an enjoyable experience. Bree noticed a lot of beautiful plant life and the occassional sighting of animals along the river bank. As long as she was clutching to Nick, she felt safe and looked around at everything they were passing, feeling secured into the boat by Nick's presence.
By the time lunch rolled around and Pat had the boats pull ashore, Nick was relieved for the break from rowing. His shoulders were sore. He helped secure the boats with thick roaps that tied them to nearby trees to keep the water from pulling them away, and sat on a rock where he massaged his arm sockets with a groan. Bree sat next to him. "This is intense," she said, settling down. She stared out at the river passing by.
"It's a lot crazier than last time," Nick admitted with a laugh. "God, Amanda would've hated this trip. She was freaked out enough by the last one." He smiled, staring out at the river's water as it passed by, too.
Bree glanced at Nick. "What about my dad?"
"He'd have been scared at first," Nick admitted, "But once he got the hang of it, that crazy-ass side of him would've come out and he'd have started yelling and getting all hyperactive..." Nick snickered, "Your dad was a nutter like that. Sometimes it just took getting him going." Nick could tell Bree wasn't ready to stop hearing about Brian yet, so he continued, "This one time we went out on Black Friday to get this toy for Baylee... I don't even remember what it was, but it was like the big thing that year, you know? And everyone had to get that one kind of toy and the distributors like purposely only made a few so that there would be this huge shortage and shit. Well me and your dad like camped out in front of a Toys R Us waiting for morning to get the stupid thing and when they opened the doors in the morning, there was this huge crowd waiting to get in, and they started pushing and shoving and trying to go in all at once. So at first your dad like was getting trampled 'cos ya'know he was really short -- almost as short as you, small fry -- and then he just got really pissed off because this one lady pushed him and face-smashed him into the glass doors and he just went fucking insane." Bree started laughing, and Nick struggled to get the words out among his own laughter, his eyes tearing up with amusement, "So he's like screaming and hollering 'get out of the waaaay! get out of the waaaay!' in this ridiculous voice and starts clawing his way forward and I swear it he was like a people lawnmower, he like forces his way to the front, grabs the toy, holds it up over his head, and started singing Weeee are the chaaaaampions in this obnoxious voice..."
Bree's face was red from laughing, "Oh my."
"Yeah... So he's like parading around yelling the Chariots of Fire theme," Nick snorted, "Like dada dadadaaaaa as he's got this fricking toy held aloft like a trophy..." He shook his head. "That's the sort of crap your dad would be doing right now." Nick let out a sigh, and his eyes returned to the river. "He always found a way to make everything - even the worst shit - absolutely hilarious." He smiled sadly, "That was one of the best things about your dad, you know."
"I wish I had gotten to meet him," Bree said, her voice sad.
"Me, too," Nick agreed.
Amanda had two days to wait before Nick and Mystery Woman would arrive at the end point of the Lost Paddle River Adventures property, so she returned to the city, planning to spend the next two days at her hotel room. On her way back, she stopped in a bookstore and the grocery so that she wouldn't have to order take-out every time she got hungry. She'd collected an assortment of foods and snacks and drinks and was in line for the check-out when she saw a magazine that caught her attention.
Putting down her things on the conveyer belt, Amanda snapped up the paper and stared down at a photograph of Brian, juxtaposed next to one of his daughter, Brianna, who Amanda had only met a couple of times in the past. She looked so grown up in the picture, one that was obviously a school photograph. Her hair was dark and clean cut, and she had the same chiseled jaw and wide nose as her father, and his eyes, too, with Leighanne's cheekbones and eyebrows. Amanda couldn't believe that, despite the cheekbones and eyebrows, how much Brianna looked like Brian. It was incredible.
And then her eyes fell onto the headline.
16-year old Brianna Littrell, Gone Missing.
Amanda flipped open the magazine quickly and turned to the page on the story, her heart racing. Her eyes skimmed the page, her breath shortening.
"Would you like paper or plastic?"
Amanda's brain struggled to snap to reality, "Whatever's fine," she stammered.
The clerk looked annoyed, but the beep, beep, beep of things being scanned filled the air and Amanda looked back down at the article. Leighanne had reported Brianna missing after she'd gone to visit Nick in California. Now, she was missing.
"Do you want that?" the clerk pointed at the tabloid, and Amanda realized that the clerk was done scanning her items. She handed over the magazine numbly, and the cleark scanned it quickly. "Fifty-four thirteen," she said.
Amanda fumbled and shoved the money at the girl, snatching back the magazine. "Thanks," she said, grabbing her change, the bag, and rushing out of the store to the rental car. She tossed the bag into the passanger side and whipped her cell phone out of her purse.
"Pop Stuff Online," came the noxious voice of Tobias' secretary moments later, "How can I help you?"
"Mr. Winterson, please," Amanda requested.
"One moment."
She sat listening to the Top 20 on hold. Her eyes returned to the page of the tabloid. She stared at Brianna's face, at her features, and felt an ache permeate her heart. That girl looked exactly like her father.
"Hello?"
"Tobias? It's Amanda."
"Well fancy hearing from you."
"Do you know about this Brianna Littrell thing?"
Tobias laughed, "I had a feeling I'd hear from you about that today."
"What do you know?"
Tobias' laughter continued, "Oh Amanda, you're so predictable."
"Seriously shut the fuck up and tell me what you know."
He drew a sigh, "What I know isn't much more than what you've probably already read. Brianna Littrell was visiting Nick in California, she was supposed to head home, and never quite made it there. Her mother waited three days, then reported her missing - which is fishy to me, personally, but to each his own..." He paused, "When attempts have been made to contact Nick, he hasn't been answering, so there's speculation going on, obviously, especially with sightings of him off in Colorado or whatever. I'm trying to get in touch with the local PD since he's on probation he should be being kept track of, so..."
Amanda took a deep breath, "Look, I'm in Colorado."
"What?"
"Me. I'm in Colorado. I'm trying to catch up with Nick." Amanda paused, half expecting Tobias to laugh at her.
"So wait, you just randomly flew across the country to go -- what? To warn him this was printed?" Tobias paused, "Wait, no - you couldn't have flown after seeing it, you wouldn't have had time..."
"I just came to see him," Amanda admitted.
Tobias didn't laugh.
"I just need to see him," she added.
"Have you spotted him yet?"
"I saw his car."
"Where is he?"
"Like it's your business."
"Like that ever kept you from answering me the first go we had with this."
"That was a long time ago," Amanda snapped.
"Old habits die hard," Tobias argued, "Obviously, or you'd still be in Boston, wouldn't you?"
Amanda felt her face flush. "I'm not your reporter."
"I didn't say you were."
"Do you have better pictures of this so-called mystery woman of Nick's yet?" Amanda asked.
"No," Tobias answered, "Granted, though, that's partially because we don't know where he's at exactly, so it's hard to get photographs."
"I'm just thinking that maybe she's Brianna."
"So he kidnapped her to - to what? To go to the Grand Canyon and --" Tobias paused. "Of course. Damn, that makes sense." Amanda heard a desk drawer slam open then closed. "Damn."
"What? What're you doing?"
"For someone who isn't my reporter, you sure just handed me a massive scoop," he commented.
