Chapter 2
Howie was reading the paper when Natalie entered the dining room of the group’s training center the next morning shortly after eight.
“Hi Uncle Howie!” she greeted with a cheerful smile. “Could I have some cereal, please?”
He stared at the little girl for several seconds. “Natalie? When did you get here? Is your dad here?”
“Mommy and Spencer, too. Where’s the cereal?”
Kevin and Kristin entered the kitchen just as Howie sat her down with breakfast.
Kevin looked as though he wanted to retreat back to wherever they had come from, but Kristin smiled and said, “Good morning, Howie.”
“Uh… good morning, Kris. What are you all doing here? Not that I’m not glad to see you,” he corrected himself, “but Kevin, I thought you didn’t want anything to do with the amulets anymore.”
Kevin raised an eyebrow. “You mean Zanell didn’t tell you she was going to try to convince me to help look for Brian?”
“No,” Howie said haltingly, “she told us. Some of us just… didn’t think it would work.”
“I didn’t think it would work either,” Kevin admitted, “but my daughter changed my mind.”
Howie looked at Natalie and nodded, understanding what Kevin hadn’t said.
“Where are Nick and AJ?”
“AJ’s around somewhere,” Howie said slowly. “Nick… Nick’s probably with Zanell.”
Kevin nodded, wishing he knew what to say. Kristin came to the rescue.
“Well, we’d best get something to eat. Then I need to call Leighanne and see if she’s up for some visitors.”
“She and the kids have been staying with Leigh and I,” Howie noted, taking his seat. “Baylee’s been quite the water bug; he hates it when it’s time to get out of the pool, even to reapply sunscreen.” He sniggered. “Poor kid’s gotten sunburned a couple times.”
Kevin smiled, remembering a text from Brian about the very same thing shortly after school let out.
“Any idea why Brian suddenly went missing?” he wondered, sitting across from Howie at the table.
“It happened a couple weeks ago during a bat-“
Kevin’s eyes darted a warning glance at his daughter, just finishing up her cereal.
“Well, the ‘why,’ nobody’s certain. I mean,” he corrected himself, “there are ideas, but nothing that really makes sense.”
“Are you gonna look for Brian?”
Casting a confused glance at Kevin, Howie replied, “We’re going to do our best, Natalie.”
The sound of crying filled the air. Kristin was on her feet and moving to the doorway, calling for their son. Moments later, AJ appeared carrying Spencer. He handed the little boy off to his mother, explaining, “I came out of my room and crashed into him. He’s okay, just startled.”
Kristin nodded her thanks and took to comforting Spencer. AJ turned to Kevin and frowned.
“So, you actually came.”
The bitterness in his old friend’s voice was, in one way, a surprise. But in another way, he had expected it. Kevin could almost feel the anger radiating off the man.
“Hi Uncle AJ!”
AJ managed a smile and a hug for Natalie. “Good to see you, sweetie. So your daddy brought you guys along, huh?”
“I wanted to come!” Natalie emphatically replied before drinking the rest of the milk left in her bowl.
“She just can’t stand being separated from her daddy,” Kristin added.
AJ nodded stiffly.
“Well!” All eyes turned to see Nick and Zanell enter the kitchen. “Seems we got us an unofficial reunion.”
“The only one missing is Brian,” AJ noted caustically.
Natalie interrupted the tense silence. “But you’re gonna go find him, right?”
Zanell offered a smile. “Yes, we are. And now that your daddy’s here, he’s going to help us find Brian.”
“And now that you’re done with breakfast,” Kristin said, “we can get ready to visit Leighanne and your cousins.”
She had spoken the magic words. With the two-thousand-mile distance between their homes, Natalie didn’t get to visit her Littrell cousins much. Their little girl was soon changed and ready to go, with Spencer spilling a bag of Cheerio’s all over the place while he ate. Kristin would find something to eat when they arrived at the Dorough home.
Kevin’s stomach twisted as he thought about Brian’s family. Baylee Thomas Wylee, Brian and Leighanne’s firstborn son, had to be at least nine years old now. From what little Kevin had seen of the boy, he was just like his father; the thought brought a small smile to Kevin’s face. Then four years ago, on Independence Day, the twins Benjamin Harold and Liberty Eileen had come along.
In ten minutes, the Richardson family left Kevin to confront friends that he hadn’t really seen in six years.
“So… you’re gonna help, huh?”
Kevin nodded at Howie’s quiet words. “He’s family. Natalie loves him. I really couldn’t not.”
Finally, Nick stepped forward and extended a hand.
“Well, any help is better than none. Welcome back, Kev.”
As they shook hands, Kevin noticed a scar on Nick’s hand going diagonally from the first knuckle to his wrist. Nick saw him looking and broke away.
“I barely escaped with my life the day I got that scar.”
Kevin gasped. So it had been bad, like Zanell said. Looking over at Howie and AJ, he could tell that they both bore signs of near defeat over the past eight years.
“Brian got the worst of it, most of the time,” Howie remarked.
“What do you mean?”
“He fought with double, sometimes triple, his strength. Each time he refused a hospital and asked Zanell to heal him.”
“Why?” Kevin demanded. How on earth could he be so stupid to try doing something like that? Yes, Brian was the type of man to go into a project with his heart and soul, but surely that was taking things way too far.
“Because you weren’t there to help,” came the monotone reply.
“Now is not the time to point fingers of blame,” Zanell announced. “If we’re going to get Brian back, we need to work together, train together, until we’re back at full strength and we know we can succeed.”
She came forward and held out a small black box. Removing the lid, she said, “I was never able to find someone to replace you, Kevin. The amulet would not choose anyone else.”
Kevin stared at the round, golden object that had been in his charge for almost four years before he’d given it up. He reached for the bauble, then hesitated. He’d risked his life for this thing, nearly lost Kristin because of it, and now here he was about to take it back up again?
I have a family. I can’t go risking my life.
Yet Brian was the father of three children, and he did it all the time.
“Work with us again, Kevin. You’ll save so many lives.”
Kevin heard the certainty in the princess’s voice, but he wasn’t sure he could conjure up the same. It had been so long... maybe too long. Part of being a team was trust, and by leaving without discussion, he'd undoubtedly shattered that trust years ago.
Had he honestly expected the others to just… welcome him back? What good could he really do, after being away from the group for so long? No training; sure, he was a little out of shape, but still…
Instead of taking the amulet, Kevin dropped his hand. Before he made a commitment, he needed to talk with the other three.
He heard AJ snort at the movement... evidence that he'd expected Kevin to back out. It hurt, but AJ was right. What had he done to earn their trust? Nothing. He looked at Nick and saw resentment in his eyes. Resentment and something else... anger? Probably. Even Howie looked hesitant.
This whole thing had been a mistake. He shook his head and turned back to Zanell.
"I'm sorry," he said, his voice rough. "I'm not sure I can... that I deserve this any longer."
Her eyes widened. "But I thought you wanted to help!"
"It's not up to me," Kevin murmured, looking away.
Silence settled on the room. The princess understood and focused her attention on the other three.
"He's right," she said quietly. "Howie, Nick... AJ. None of this has a chance of working if you don't want Kevin to be here."
"Don't you think it's a case of too little, too late?" AJ spat, not hiding his hostility. "Why do we need his help now, when we've been doing just fine for all these years?"
Kevin studied the floor. That's what I was afraid of.
Zanell said, "I wouldn't call it 'just fine'. And now that Brian's missing, we need all the help we can get."
“So who's to say that when things get a little hot, he won't bail?" Nick said.
The bitterness in his voice was alien to Kevin’s ears, but he certainly couldn't fault the man for it. He had a point. What if it got to a place where Kevin wanted to get out?
"He's here now," she answered. "That counts for something."
Howie spoke next. "It means that you convinced him to come. That's all."
Ouch. The one man Kevin thought would always be an ally... but again, he had a point. He opened his mouth to respond, but Zanell surprised them.
"So none of you really want Brian back?" she demanded. "Is that it?"
"Of course we want him back-"
"By rejecting an offer of help? That doesn't convince me in the least. I never took you for fools before."
Kevin leaned back slightly. Her words hadn’t been directed at him, yet he was still hit by surprise.
"Well, what do you expect us to do? Just ignore the fact that Kevin chose to desert us back then?" AJ asked.
"Look, this isn't my issue," she said, holding up a hand to ward off further arguments. "All I know is that if you want Brian back, it's going to take every one of you, together. Either figure it out or leave him to his doom."
Zanell turned and stormed out of the room, taking the amulet box with her. Suddenly Kevin found himself left to face three friends who had become strangers.
"I think it's a mistake to let him stay," AJ said.
Kevin frowned. “I’m right here, you know.”
"Well, there's something new," he snapped. "What makes you think you even belong here anymore?"
"Look, as much as you obviously resent me and what I chose to do, I'm here for one reason: to find Brian and bring him back to where he belongs."
"If you'd stayed, he wouldn't be missing in the first place!" Nick argued.
Kevin clenched his jaw. They were probably right, but he was beginning to feel like a punching bag.
"I guess that's your answer, then. Well, I won't waste anyone else's time. I'll get Kristin and the kids and head back home."
Kevin had just headed down the hallway when he was called back.
"Wait," came Howie's voice. Kevin stopped. "Just tell us why."
"Why what?"
"Why you chose to abandon us all those years ago.”
"I didn't abandon you," Kevin explained, turning around. "I wanted to keep my family safe after what had happened, and giving up the amulet was the only way to do it."
"But Brian has a family!" Nick protested. "He never chickened out. He knew that by fighting he was protecting them."
Kevin moved closer. "His family was kidnapped. Kristin was kidnapped. Aaron and Angel were kidnapped. That's how that whole mess got started."
When Nick looked away, he continued. "And when you went off after them in a fit of anger, they took you as well. Remember? Brainwashed all three of you into thinking you were his servants."
He could see the pain at the memory on Nick's face, even though they didn't make eye contact.
Kevin found himself suddenly tired of all the hostility and resentment. "Look, I made my decision, right or wrong. There wasn't a day I didn't regret it. I did what I thought best for my family, the only way I knew how."
"By running away," AJ spat.
"Shut up," Nick grumbled.
“All I want is to get Brian back," Kevin firmly repeated. "That's it. I won't stick around where I'm not wanted or trusted. I'll go on this one assignment, and then leave you alone. Everyone should be happy with that."
"We do need all the help we can get," Howie said, reluctantly.
"It's Brian," Nick added.
AJ crossed his arms. "It goes against my better judgment..."
"Aje..." Howie hissed.
"But I'm willing to risk it."
Kevin knew that was the best that he could hope for from AJ and waited.
Finally he threw up his hands. "Fine, then. Go get the amulet from Zanell, unless you have second thoughts. Again."
There was a small but very real urge deep inside of Kevin to walk away just then, but he fought it. They all wanted the same thing, and he vowed to tolerate whatever came along for Brian's sake. But once it was over, Kevin knew he would have no place among them. So be it. With a lot more confidence than he felt, he went to find Zanell. He was sure three sets of eyes followed him, but he didn't bother to look. He'd had enough condemnation for one day. So, a few minutes later, Kevin donned the amulet without any sense of pride or joy. He was here to do a job, period. If that's the way they wanted it, that's the way it would be.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Edited 7/14/20
