Chapter
2:
Say A Little Prayer
God please watch over him and protect him from anything that he may encounter
while he is away from the people who love him. In your name we pray Amen.
That prayer has become a new ritual ever since Nick's abduction ten days ago.
Wow I can't believe it's been ten whole days! I remember it like it was
yesterday. Calling Nick and hearing that haunting, evil, voice on the other
line instead. I begged him to leave Nick alone. He wouldn't listen. just hung
up the phone on me. I called the number so many times that night that my
finger's actually went numb. The police had already been called, Joe already
taken to the hospital and yet I still clung to the phone and redialed. Kevin
had to physically grab the phone out of my hand. Even then, I was mentally
stuck in that moment. He's gone....."He's Gone"
"What Rok?" AJ asked Brian
with a worried look on his face. Brian turned to AJ and the far away look he
had in his eyes made the younger man concerned.
"I said he's gone AJ. How does
someone just disappear? It doesn't make sense."
AJ pulled Brian into a hug. "I
don't know Bri, we just have to pray that he is all right."
Kevin stormed into the house and threw his keys on the floor.
"Dammit!"
"What's wrong Kev?" Brian
said as he let go of AJ.
"The police have NO real leads.
The last tip they got wound up being complete nonsense!" Howie who had
been watching the whole scene unfold finally spoke up.
"I knew it was a bad idea to let
the public know about this. They aren't going to get a real lead. Just a bunch
of attention seeking whackos!"
Ten days without a single clue? Joe was badly beaten after Nick's kidnapping
and the police were hoping that he would be able to offer any evidence. A
description, male or female, anything that would help. unfortunately when Joe
woke up from being unconscious for two days, he didn't remember anything. We
were hoping that he could at least tell us Nick's condition but seeing how
badly beaten the super huge body guard was, Nick's condition was left to our
unfortunate imaginations...
"Yeah good idea J, what do you think Brian?" Kevin glanced over at
his cousin seeing that he wasn't paying attention.
"Brian!" Brian looked at his
cousin. "Yes?" He seemed totally oblivious to the conversation we
were having about what to do next.
"J said that maybe we should
think about going back to California. The police said there wasn't anything
more we could do here."
California? Oh that's right. We were in California when it happened. Too many
miles away from Nick to help. The day after his abduction, we boarded a plane
for Marathon and have been staying at a hotel. Nick's house was off limits to
us but Kevin insisted on going anyway. He came back in tears. He said the house
was a shambles and there were pools of blood everywhere. We could only
hope that the blood belonged to Joe and only Joe. The police were there
searching for evidence and threw Kevin out of the house. Not before he realized
that his house was stripped bare of all of the things he loved. He pointed that
out to the police, they seemed thankful...
"I don't want to" Brian's calm almost far away demeanor was replaced
with an icy cold tone.
"Brian, we should, it would do us
all good. You could get to see Leigh again and we could clear our heads and
maybe come up with some clues of our own." Howie seemed so urgent when he
said that. I could tell he just needed to get away from the fear of what
happened.
"Does Trish know anything?"
"Brian we have been through this
a thousand times, no she was at this hotel when it happened and she has no
clue. She is as upset as we are." AJ seemed to be getting annoyed.
"Well, I'm gonna ask her myself.
Just in case.."
"Fine Brian you do that, she will
be here later today." With that said AJ went to leave the room.
"Wait J, can we all say a quick
prayer? Maybe that would make us feel better." J turned around and made
his way over to the rest of the guys. They joined hands and bowed their heads.
God please watch over him and protect him from anything that he may encounter
while he is away from the people who love him. In your name we pray Amen.
******************************************************************************
After eating my breakfast I moved on to the treadmill and jogged for about one
hour. I found my morning jogs were helpful to me. Getting out all of my
frustration and clearing my mind. I was drying off the sweat that had formed on
the back of my neck when the door opened up again. Okay don't blow it this time
Carter! I urged myself.
Trish walked slowly down the steps and
hesitated before walking into the main room. She seemed nervous. I could use
that
"Hi Trish" I noticed her
body language loosen up when I acknowledged her.
"Hey sweetie, Are you in better
spirits?" I wanted to rip her head off but I put on my mask.
"Yes, sorry about earlier, I must
have been grumpy. I didn't mean to upset you" A huge smile played on her
lips and I started to feel physically ill. She sat down on my bed. I always get
scared when they get too close to my bed. I don't need them finding my journal.
I tried to distract her.
"So, If you don't mind me asking,
why did you get so upset when I mentioned Tye?" She looked sad and I was
afraid that she wasn't going to say anything.
"He was a great kid, kind of
reminds me of you. He was so polite and he had the greatest sense of humor. You
would have liked him Nick."
"Yeah it sounds like I would've.
So what happened?" She looked down at her feet.
"He just...he had to go, that's
all" The nonchalant way she was referring to his death made me shaky. "It
was his time. I didn't want him to go." She started to cry but this time I
went over to console her. She hugged me.
"Thanks Nick. You are such a good
boy!" She stood up, wiped the tears from her eyes and used my mirror to
fix her hair.
"Well, off to work I go."
She said as she headed up the stairs.
"Trish!" she stopped and
looked at me.
"Are the guys...you know, are
they okay?" It made me sick that she was still working for them but at the
same time she could also be my eyes.
"I will see them for the first
time today. They are devastated. They miss you Nick." She then continued
up the stairs.
I miss them too...
No time for emotions now though, I ran over to Julia and jotted down what Trish
said about Tye. It wasn't much but the fact that she opened up to me was a good
thing. I then wrote down, I Have to find out where I am I know we are close
enough that Trish can get back and forth to the guys in one day but that really
didn't help. We had places all over the world. My guess was that we were in
California but we could also be down in Florida. I'd have to find out for sure.
******************************************************************************
Brian locked his door behind the guys and stood there staring. The days were so
hard to get through.
Maybe going back home would be a good idea. I would get to see Leigh again. She
would make things better. I could go to his hotel room. I need to feel him
there. Trish, I have to ask her if he was okay the last time she saw him. If he
had maybe told her something he hadn't told us. If only we would have been a
little closer...can't think about that now. He knew what that word meant. He
knew maybe more than he let on to...
He then walked over to the crucifix he kept at his bedside and said a little
prayer for the twentieth time that day.
God please watch over him and keep him safe while he is apart from the ones
he loves.
God please watch over him and keep him safe while he is apart from the ones he
loves
God please watch over him.....
***
