Chapter
14
Kevin blanched and lowered himself to
the chair. “No…they can’t be!”
“The police are trying to trace the
call. I got a phone call…it was terrible…”
“This can’t be happening,” Kevin
moaned placing his head in his hands.
“Man, it’ll be okay, we’ll find a way
out of this, everything will be fine.”
“Brian? Nick? Are they okay,” Kevin
asked quickly. A trace of concern crossed his features as he made eye contact
with Howie and AJ.
“They’re fine. I checked on them a
little bit ago. They were asleep.”
Kevin nodded his head and stood up.
“I’m gonna go check on ‘em again.”
When Kevin entered Brian’s room he was
sound asleep, curled up on his bed. Kevin couldn’t help but smile. He then
walked into Nick’s room. He was awake and watching TV.
“Hey Kev, everything okay?”
“No…actually Nick, it’s not.”
Nick looked at Kevin, the alarm
evident in his eyes. His voice wavered slightly. “Oh God, Brian, Howie, AJ…are
they alright?”
“Yeah, Nick everyone’s fine. Uh…Howie,
he got a phone call a little bit earlier. The police are on it…but um…they
think that Rob’s back to find us.
Nick went numb with fear. His mouth
was agape and his hands trembled. “This…this can’t be happening! It’s not
fair!” Nick yelled.
“I know Nick, but we’ll be fine. The
police’ll catch them and we won’t have to worry about it anymore.”
“But…what if they get to us before
that?”
Kevin sighed. Nick had voiced his
worse fear. All of their worse fears. What if they got to them before the
police did? “Nick I thought about that too—but we just gotta be optimistic.
Hope and pray that the police will get them before they get us.”
Nick nodded, but couldn’t fight off
the feeling. The incredible pain that gnawed relentlessly at his stomach.
“Nick are you gonna be okay?”
“Yeah, can I come see Howie with you?”
“Sure, lets go.”
They walked into the room. AJ still
sat by Howie. “Hey Nick,” AJ said, trying his best to sound cheerful, hoping to
ease the tension and fear.
Nick looked absolutely lost and
terribly frightened. “Nick, man cool it. Don’t go freaking out on us okay? We
are gonna be just fine, I promise.”
“I know…I’m just scared. What if
something happens?”
“Someone should wake Bri and tell
him.”
“We will. Don’t worry about that.”
“Can I tell him?”
“Well…I guess Nick if you really want
to…” Kevin said softly.
Nick stood up using his left wrist for
support, his left hand still not strong enough.
“Careful Nick.”
Nick said nothing and hobbled to
Brian’s room.
He lowered himself down to the chair
and gently shook Brian, in an attempt to wake him.
“What,” Brian mumbled
incoherently.
Nick bit his lip and sucked in a deep
breath. “Brian I need to tell you something.”
Brian quickly sobered, quickly
becoming coherent, and opened his eyes. They immediately darted to Nick.
“What--what’s going on?”
“Brian…Howie he got this phone call.
He says that he knows it was Rob. That he can tell his voice from anyone’s.
Anyway, he says that Rob said that—that he’s….he’s going to come back.”
Nick then glanced back down at Brian.
He had paled the same shade as his white sheets and his eyes were wide and he
could easily read the fear in them. He slowly digested everything that Nick had
said. Brian’s breathing then began to become somewhat ragged and labored.
“Whoa, chill Rok chill. Everything is
gonna be just fine. Relax.
“This-this…it can’t be happening it’s
not fair to us. We’ve been through so much we deserve a break!”
“Brian, I know we don’t deserve this.”
“But…there’s nothing we can do about
it now. We’ve just gotta stay optimistic and strong.”
Brian shut his eyes briefly. “I don’t
feel well.” He said softly.
Nick sighed and ran his hand through
his blond hair, not knowing what else to say. “Brian, please, please, don’t
give up on us.”
Brian’s eyes remained shut, but he
nodded slowly. “I won’t.”
“All right,” Nick said and carefully
headed for the door. He gave one last glance at Brian before heading back. He
was turned facing away from Nick. Nick sighed, suddenly even more afraid then
he had been before.
The day went by quickly. Police came
and went all through the day. Questioning them about what their captors looked
like for the millionth time, they barely had any time to see their families or
talk with each other.
Morning came and Howie stretched and
yawned. He turned to his side, and whispered a brief prayer. Not sure if he
could handle another one of those threatening phone calls. Those were what put
a damper on everything. They had been so optimistic about their recoveries and
plans, but it was all gone, and it would take a while for them to get through
it. They now had to live with the fear that Rob was still out there to get
them. That he hadn’t given up. Now, they had to look over their shoulders until
Rob and his crew were found. But how long would it take? Howie shook is head,
hoping to rid his mind of that thought. AJ appeared at the door seconds later,
the terrified expression on his face was one that Howie would never forget.
***
