Graham
“Have you heard anything?” Dan sets a bottle of water in front of me. If the dark circles under his eyes are any indication of what I look like, I understand his and Violet’s insistent need to keep busy.
Without the right words to say, they do the next best thing. Ensure our physical needs are met with food and water and the other shit we truly can’t think about right now.
“Nothing yet.” I twist off the top and gulp down enough to dampen the fire raging inside me. The plastic crunches under my grip, and I toss the empty bottle into the trash can. “I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. This isn’t anything we were taught to be prepared for in our parenting classes. Up and down emotions, sure, but this shit, Dan, this shit is ripping me apart.” My anger gets the best of me, and I run my arm over the counter, knocking everything in my way to the floor.
Dan jumps from my outburst. “If I could...”
“I know, man. You don’t need to say anything.”
“I do, though.” Dan circles the island and sits on the stool beside me. “There’s no way in hell I’d ever understand what you’re going through, but know, no matter what, we’re here. You’re our family.”
My head throbs, and I drape my arms over the counter, sprawling out, partially from exhaustion. For the first time, I’m uncomfortable in my own skin. This unsure, teetering-on-the-edge sensation I have is new. This right here, isn’t like anything I’ve ever expected. Panic refusing to settle has a way of wrecking my mind. The wheel won’t stop turning in my head.
With the police task force multiplying by the minute in our living room, I settle in with Dan. Their chatter rings through our home as they wait for something. I’m just not sure what them sitting here is doing to find my son. Detective Franklin seems to think if this is my father’s doing, he’ll call soon. My father has always been a man of theatrics, and the best thing we can give him is our full attention.
“This is your father, right? I mean, it makes perfect sense,” Dan rambles, not able to handle the silence between us. “Your father, being the way he’s always been.”
Dan is one of the few friends who knows the extent of my father’s abuse. He’d witnessed the bruises early on, and as the years rolled by, he’d figured it out awfully quick. He’s never asked me directly. It wasn’t lost on me we never had slumber parties at my house, and we spent our Fridays at his house. All he had to do was ask a simple question or give me the classic I’m worried glance to show he saw the bruises. Instead, he did me the biggest favor by not drawing attention to it.
“It would seem that way,” I deadpan, pushing off the stool and pacing around the kitchen. Fuck, why hasn’t he called? If this is my dad, why hasn’t he called yet?
As if the universe knows I’m in need of a favor, the home phone rings. Detective Franklin peeks into the kitchen, holding the phone in his hand.
I take it from him and check the caller ID. Unknown caller. This is it. The phone call I’ve been waiting for and fearing at the same time. I’ve almost convinced myself there’s an explanation for Ben’s disappearance. He ran away on his own. He wasn’t ripped from the safety of our house.
Detective Franklin nods his chin, telling me it’s okay to answer the call.
“Hello?” My voice shakes.
“Mr. Black, we’ve been informed of the disappearance of your son. Would you care to comment?” The raspy, unapologetic man is not who I need it to be.
“Son of a bitch!” I wind up and pitch the phone against the living room wall. Not able to control my breathing, I slam my fist into the side of the cupboard. Anger rushes through me. “That was it. That was supposed to be it.” My fist burns and throbs when it connects with the wood again.
“It’s okay, man. Let’s just sit down for a minute. He’s going to call.” Dan’s effort to ease my mind is admirable but pointless. Everywhere I look I see red. Spots collect in the corners of my eyes. I slink forward as if the last couple of minutes never happened.
“I just need my son back,” I whisper, knowing no one is close enough to hear. It isn’t for them. The prayer is for me.
Closing my eyes, I sit and wait, listening to the commotion in the living room. I’m alone, thankful Dan isn’t trying to console me anymore. Consoling is the last thing I need. It’s probably an hour later when an officer nudges my shoulder. Did I fall asleep? I look up at him and his darkened expression. Something’s wrong.
“Mr. Black?” the officer says.
“Yes, did you find something?” I stand, ready to spring into action.
“Actually, Mr. Black, we went to speak to your wife, and she’s gone.”
“Gone?” I push past him and search the bottom floor of the house. “What the fuck do you mean she’s gone?” I turn to them, examining every officer’s eyes. No one speaks. No one asks me any questions. “Kennedy?” I shout up the stairs, and when she doesn’t show herself, I check the garage, thinking maybe she went to Rico’s to get some fresh air. Without her by my side, I walk back inside, unsure of what is happening. Everyone stands back, knowing I’m seconds away from turning this house upside down.
“Violet!” My chest tightens as I shout. She walks in the back door with Dan. I stand toe to toe with her. “Where’s she at?”
“She was fiddling with Ben’s Xbox remote, and seemed like she needed some time alone. I figured she’d just fall asleep.” She grabs my shirt, stopping me from leaving. “What’s going on?”
“What the hell is going on?” I yell, slamming my fist on the marble countertop.
“She’s around here somewhere.” The officer tries to reassure me, but it doesn’t help. His presence makes me more nervous.
In the middle of the living room, my eyes close for a single second. Everything is silenced. The officers continue to work, but no one springs into action. Our friends are waiting on me to make the first move.
I race up the stairs two at a time. Everything settles on my pounding chest. Violet and Dan are right on my heels, watching me from the doorway. I grab the laptop from under my nightstand and open the Find Your Phone app.
“Try calling her cell,” I say to Violet.
She taps her phone and holds it to her ear. After a few seconds she lowers it, letting me know Kennedy didn’t answer.
“What’s going on, man?” Dan steps forward.
I click and slide buttons on the laptop until I have what I need. An address for some place across town. I snap a photo, program it in my GPS, and shoulder past Dan and Violet.
“Are you going to tell us what’s going on?” Violet pinches her fists into her waist.
“Why would Kennedy leave without letting any of us know?” I shake my head. “What’s the one thing that would make her leave by herself?” A manic state looms right on the edge, and I psychotically nod, driven to get to the bottom of this. “She’d leave if she knew she had to act on her own. She wouldn’t tell me because she knew I’d never let her go.”
“So, something had to have happened between the time I left her and right now.” Violet’s eyes suddenly clear as she cracks the puzzle.
She’s right. Something had to trigger Kennedy for her to leave without a single person knowing. She has a whole team of police officers here. Why would she step out of the safety of our house and into a situation she wasn’t prepared for? I can only think of one thing.
I step into our closet, drag down the single gun safe, and place my thumb on the pad. Once it unlocks, I remove the revolver and tuck it in the back of my pants, disguising it by untucking my jersey.
“What the hell is going on?” Violet stare is wild and wide-eyed.
“When did you get a gun?” Dan circles his arm around Violet. “I don’t think you should leave, man.”
“Since Kennedy moved to Connecticut,” I answer, bustling down the back stairway so the cops won’t see me.
“Do you even know how to use it?” Violet’s eyes widen when I open the secret door leading to the kitchen and slide through.
After everything in our past, having a firearm in the house makes sense. Kennedy has lived most of her adult life peeking over her shoulder. She thinks I don’t notice her checking her surroundings when we enter a crowded room. It doesn’t matter how much space is between Kennedy and the threats breathing down her neck. The weight of the possibility is always there.
Our street is lined on both sides with police vehicles. They’re here to help, but none of them know what we are up against. I don’t know what I’m up against. There’s no way in hell I’m going to let Kennedy face it on her own.
I reverse out of the driveway, and when I stop to look before pulling into the street, Rico jumps into the seat beside me.
“Get out.” I lean across him and open the door.
Rico yanks it shut. “Wherever you’re going, I’m going with.” He checks over his shoulder to make sure the coast is clear. “Let’s go.”
The streets are quiet. The only sound comes from Rico’s knee bouncing against the dash. I drive through unfamiliar neighborhoods, my heart pounding as I look left to right in hopes of spotting Kennedy’s brown hair. When I don’t spot her anywhere, my breath quickens until I’m panting.
“I’m going to assume you have a plan.” Rico rubs his palms on the thighs of his jeans. He’s nervous, the exact reason I didn’t want anyone to come with me. I can’t be responsible for anyone else.
The GPS leads me down a dark, narrow street. I kill the headlights. “I don’t know what I’m walking into. I don’t know what made Kennedy walk away from our house, but I do know if she snuck away, Ben is the reason.”
“And we’re here to...?” Rico asks, opening his door as I do mine.
I circle the front of the car and rest my hands on the hood. She’s in there. “To silence everything and anyone willing to lay a single finger on my wife and kid.” I beg him to understand me. If he’s here, then he must understand. I can’t allow anyone to hurt them. “You can leave, Rico. I’m not asking you to walk into this with me.”
He waves me off, but I spot the spark of fear in his eyes. “Like you’d even have to ask.”
Trash crinkles under our feet as we walk, both of us mindful of our steps. A metal staircase hangs between two of the buildings, and just beyond is a dented door covered with graffiti.
“Here.” I nod my chin forward.
“I hate to say this, but I need to know the plan. We can’t walk in there when we don’t know what we are up against. And you know damn well Violet and Dan have already told the police, so they’ll be out looking for what lured you away.” Rico leans against the brick wall.
He has a point. Whatever is behind these doors is a mystery to me. There are endless possibilities. Kennedy could already be hurt. Ben could be... They both could be... I shake the thoughts from my head and face my best friend, needing to get inside.
“We aren’t gun-toting vigilantes, Graham. We need to be smart about this. You need to take a second to think,” Rico pleads.
I could make things worse by walking into the building. I also could stop something from happening.
“I’m going in alone.” I cup the side of his neck and force him to look me in the eyes. “If I don’t come out, or you hear anything, you get your ass in there, do you understand me? Kennedy and Ben might need you.”
“You’re thinking, if whoever in there is after something, and I walk in with you, they’re more likely to hurt them.” Rico releases a long breath. He shakes his head, struggling with the reality. “Fine, man, but you make a noise, you hear me, and I’ll be there.”
“I know.” Like lightning, it strikes me. Once again, I find myself in a position of weakness. My hands don’t control this. My heart beats like a drum. I move forward, mindful of every step I take. The door creaks as I open it. There’s no sign of life, and the lights are staggered, only a handful lit. The smell of cigarettes and stale food fills the hallway. A smoke detector hangs by a wire from the ceiling.
As I creep down the worn-out carpet, I listen for any hint to help me get to Ben and Kennedy. The app said she’s here, but where is she? There is no way anyone lives in this shit hole.
The first door handle doesn’t budge. After three more unsuccessful attempts, I’m at the end. One door left. One chance for this to be where Kennedy and Ben are. If they aren’t behind this door, then I’ve hit a dead end.
My fingers wrap around the grimy silver, and as I start to twist, a cold grip comes down firmly on my shoulder. I close my eyes for a single second, thinking this is it.
“Look what we have here.”
At the sound of the grainy, hateful voice, I turn and come face to face with our past. “This can’t be happening.”
There are times in our lives few have experienced. Fear, true fear, stabs every fiber of my being. The hair on my arm stands at the sinister grin gracing the space in front of me. My head begins to pound, and as if I’ve been stuck inside of a carnival ride for too long, my stomach tightens.
Before I can shift on my feet, prepare myself for what’s to happen next, something hard strikes my temple. My vision blurs, going in and out of darkness to light, only to be fully sucked in. My body is dragged, snagging on a threshold, and then everything goes silent.