Chapter 16
"Negative. There's nothing here," Toad's voice came from the cell phone sitting in Cowboy's hand.
"Damn!" Bruiser cursed and stomped away a few feet then returned. "Three freaking goose-eggs."
"I'm sorry, Bruise."
"It's not your fault, Toad." Bruiser raked his fingers through his hair, making the strands stand straight up. "Where the hell is she?"
"What do you want us to do," Hick asked from his location with Railroad.
Bruiser had no idea how to answer that question, so he didn't say anything. The team had been going for more than forty-eight hours with very little sleep. They were all cranky, but the added stress of not knowing where Livy was, had Bruiser tied in a knot of anxiety. Between trips to Nat's and manning their make-shift command center, he was exhausted. Keeping up with duty on the base didn't help either. Thank God, they were all trained for intense situations. Lesser men would have cracked under this much pressure.
"Holy crap on a cracker," Digger exclaimed.
"What?" Bruiser crowded in closer to Cowboy. "What's going on?"
"Let me turn this up."
The sound of a news program was tinny on the little speaker, but they were able to catch the words easily.
Renowned best-selling author, Joselyn Chambers, has posted a $25,000 reward for information leading to the safe return of Olivia Parker. Miss Parker, shown in this recent photo, is believed to have been kidnapped from outside her job location just after noon yesterday. She is five foot six inches tall, 146 pounds with brown skin, dark brown hair and hazel eyes.
Ms. Chambers is currently attending the Write the World Convention downtown and stopped her busy schedule to lend a hand. When asked about the generous offer, Ms. Chambers stated that Miss Parker is a personal friend of her family and she wanted to do anything possible to ensure her safe return home.
If you have any information on the disappearance of Olivia Parker, please contact the hotline number listed below or the San Diego Police Department.
Cowboy whistled. "Go, Joselyn."
Bruiser had no words. None. Joselyn's generous spirit floored him. She barely knew Olivia, but she was going out of her way to help however she could. Perhaps another person would balk at this kind offer, or out-right refuse it, but not Bruiser. He would gladly swallow his pride and take any help he could get if it led to Olivia's return.
Cowboy put a hand on Bruiser's shoulder. "Why don't you go check on Natalie and Jayden? Maybe take them something to eat. I'm sure they both could use a little support. We'll keep combing the area. I know Digger said there was nothing concrete about the freight company, but I want to check it out anyway. I'll get Railroad and Finch to meet me there."
"Yeah, okay. I'll do that," Bruiser acquiesced. "You'll call me if you find anything?"
"I will," Cowboy promised.
Forty minutes later, Bruiser stood at the door of Auntie Nat's house, his hands filled with bags. Jayden answered the door with a smile that quickly turned to a frown. "Hi, Bruiser."
"Hey, Jayden. I brought your favorite hamburger."
"Okay. I thought you were Livy coming home."
Something in Bruiser's stomach wrenched. "I know, buddy. I miss her too."
Jayden moved back and held the door open as Bruiser entered. The scent of baked goods surrounded him. He recalled Olivia once telling him Auntie baked when she was upset. If the number of covered dishes on the kitchen counter was any indication, she was highly distressed.
Once inside, Jayden closed the door and locked it. "Auntie is in her room. She has been crying a lot but doesn't want me to see it. She's missing Livy, too. She didn't cry when Livy was in the Army, so I know it's not good." He paused a moment. "Why did Livy get herself lost?"
Bruiser placed the bags on the table and let out a breath. How was he going to explain this to Jayden? He may look like a normal teenager, but his child-like innocence was much less mature. He decided that total honesty would be the best option. He motioned for the boy to sit. As he did, Bruiser sorted his thoughts. "We know Livy was getting ready to come home from work, but something happened before she got here. We don't know where she is right now."
"But you're going to find her, right, Bruiser?" Jayden's eyes glistened with unshed tears.
Bruiser hated this. He didn't want to lie to the boy, but he was unsure how much he could understand. As he answered, Bruiser's voice broke. "I'm going to do my best to bring her home as soon as I can. Cowboy, Finch, Toad, Hick, and Railroad are all helping, and the police are looking, too. There's a lot of people searching for her."
Jayden threw himself into Bruiser's arms and sobbed. "You have to bring her home. When she was in the Army, I was afraid she wouldn't get to come home again. Then she did, and she promised me she wouldn't leave again. Now she's gone, so I know something bad happened to her. Livy never ever breaks a promise. You have to find her. Please?"
Bruiser held Jayden close and rubbed his back as the boy cried pitifully. Perhaps some would call it strange for a teenage boy to cry on his shoulder, but Jayden was different. His fifteen-year-old body housed a child's mind of half that age. Bruiser comforted him as best he could. "I promise you; I won't stop looking for her." He could make that promise because he knew he would keep it. Nothing was going to stop him from searching for her, no matter what. She was the single most important thing in his life, and he was not about to give up. Even if he never found her, he wouldn't give up.
Presently, Jayden quit crying and sniffled loudly. Taking a step back, he turned away. "I'm going to go draw her picture."
"Don't you want your hamburger?"
Jayden shook his head. "I'm not hungry right now." He walked down the hall, into his room and closed the door. Bruiser contemplated how this must be affecting Jayden. He was strong in his way, but still only a little boy mentally. Olivia was the best part of both his and Bruiser’s lives. He ran his hand through his hair. It would be too easy to give into despair, but he refused. Jayden and Olivia both deserved more.
"Thank you."
Bruiser started and looked behind him. Auntie Nat stood in the door of the kitchen, watching him.
"Thank me for what?" Bruiser asked.
"For helping him to understand. He is very intuitive about emotions. He knew something was wrong, but I wasn't sure how to explain things to him." She wrapped her arms around her body and glanced down the hallway. "He and Livy have been through so much together. Sometimes, she is more of a mother figure than I ever was. He's a good boy and wants to please us so badly. When it comes to Livy, that need for approval almost becomes an obsession. She is on a pedestal so high; I'm not sure anyone could be more important in Jayden's mind." Nat smiled softly as she took a few steps forward and cupped Bruiser's face. "Until now. Jayden hasn't had much of a strong male influence until you came along. I do my best, but there are some things a boy needs a man to talk about. He tries so hard to be 'the man of the house,' but inside he's still a frightened little boy. Your being here and reassuring him helps him to see that it's okay to be afraid." She let her hand drop. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she let it out slowly. "Alright, then. I see you brought some dinner with you. Let's go ahead and eat. Give Jayden some time. He'll be out when he's ready."
Regardless of Auntie's assurance, long after dinner was finished and the sun started to set, Jayden still hadn't made an appearance. "I'm going to check on him before I leave. The team is regrouping at my place in an hour to compare notes."
Auntie pulled Bruiser into her arms and hugged him tightly. "Thank you for all you are doing."
Bruiser's breathing hitched. "I'm not giving up on her."
"I never thought for a second you would. Just do me one favor?"
Bruiser stepped back and looked down into her face. Worry lined her forehead. He hated to see Nat like this. "Anything," he promised.
"When you get her back, don't wait to tell her how you feel about her. She deserves to know."
He gave a choked half-laugh. "That obvious, is it?"
"More than obvious." She chuckled. "Even with my old eyes, I can see the truth. You two are meant to be together, so be sure you let her know."
Bruiser lowered his chin in a quick nod. "I promise. After I'm sure she's alright, I'll talk with her. If any good can from this, I've had to face my own emotions. Livy is the one for me. I know that from the bottom of my heart. One day, I'll be coming to talk to you about her. I believe that would be the right thing to do."
Auntie's smile could rival the sun. "You already have my permission, Bruiser. But don't wait to tell her. Make sure she knows immediately. When her mother died, Livy was lost for a while before she found herself again. She's a strong woman, but she had a soft, inner core full of doubt. She'll need that reassurance."
Bruiser hugged the woman again then strolled down the hall to Jayden's door. Knocking softly, he waited until the boy called out, "Come in." Sticking his head in, he saw the teen sitting cross-legged on his bed, sketchbook in hand as his hand flew over the page.
"Hey buddy, I'm about to go. I wanted to check on you before I left. Do you need anything?"
Jayden looked over the top of his sketchbook. "I need Livy to come home," he whispered.
"I know. I'm working on that." An awkward silence filled the room as the two continued to stare at each other. Finally, Bruiser broke the tension. "So, can I see what you're working on?"
Jayden lifted one shoulder in a shrug and handed the sketchbook over.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Bruiser flipped through the pages filled with the images of the woman he loved. Once again, he was completely floored by the talent exhibited and had a hard time reconciling the beautiful sketches in charcoal, pencil and even pastels on the pages with the young man sitting with his knees drawn up under his chin, watching him. There were pictures of Olivia doing all sorts of things. In one, she was wearing her uniform with the airport behind her. It was obvious it was from one of the times she had come home on leave. Her beautiful face was full of joy as she hugged Auntie tightly. In another, she was sitting on a swing set, staring off into the distance as a version of Jayden sat with a sketchbook on his lap. How he had gotten that angle of himself correctly was anyone's guess. Several of the pictures were from her job at The Whole World in My Cup. In each one, she had a beautiful smile for the customers she was helping. There were some of her petting a dog in a park, another of her handing a ball to a child. Page after page depicted the beautiful personality of the woman they both loved with all their hearts.
"These are amazing," Bruiser whispered. "You captured her perfectly."
"I drew all the times she was happy. There are some with you, too." Jayden pointed to a second book.
Placing the one in his hands on the bed, Bruiser picked up the second sketchbook and opened it. His breath caught when he recognized the subject matter. It was a depiction the first night she had come home for good when they were sitting on the railing on the front porch. Olivia had her head on Bruiser's shoulder, and he was pressing his lips to the top of her hair. It was a tender moment, captured as perfectly as a photograph. Something grabbed his attention, and he scrutinized the scene closer. Beyond the porch, a car was sitting on the road, half in the shadows. Inside, a man sat staring out the side glass, his gaze trained on their backs. Bruiser frowned. From the angle of the picture, Jayden must have been watching out of the window.
Turning to the next page, he recognized this picture as well. It was from one of the times they took Jayden to visit the park. He and Olivia were standing underneath a large tree. Olivia's left hand was held in Bruiser's right as her right hand was raised to point at a bird. This time, he noticed a man watching them with a look of disdain on his face. Something occurred to him, and he pulled the first sketchbook to his lap, flipping through it. In several of the pictures, there was the same man in the background, watching.
He was standing at the concession stand while Olivia paid for tickets to a movie.
He stood against a lamppost as Livy ate a hotdog from a street vendor, her face full of laughter as mustard dripped down her chin.
Even when she was shopping with her family, her hands full of a dress as she held it up to her front, the menacing man watched from behind a display of shoes.
His heart started to beat faster. "Jayden, do you see this man here?"
The boy nodded.
"You drew him in a lot of the sketches. Was he really there or is it something artistic you added?"
"He was there. When I draw 'don't forget' pictures, I don't add extra stuff. I draw them exactly how I saw them."
Something akin to hope flared in his chest. "Do you think you can draw a picture of just him? Do you remember how he looked good enough to do that?"
Jayden gave him a "well, duh" glance and pulled out a piece of charcoal. The sketch took less than twenty minutes to complete. When he finished, Bruiser studied it. "Can I have this one?"
"It's not a 'don't forget' picture so you can have it." Jayden tore the picture out of the book and handed it to Bruiser. "Wait," he pulled out a can of clear coat spray paint and placed the drawing on an easel in the corner. Quickly, he sprayed it with the enamel. "I'm not supposed to use the canned stuff inside, but if you don't do this with charcoals, they smear." He waved the paper in the air to dry the spray before handing it to Bruiser. "Do you think it will help find Livy?"
"It may, buddy. Thank you."
"You're welcome." Jayden climbed back up on the bed and settled back. Within moments, he was once again drawing on the page. Bruiser said goodbye to Auntie and left the house. Calling Cowboy, he told him he would be a few minutes late. With a little luck, the man Jayden had captured would know what happened to Olivia. If he did, Bruiser would find out; even if he had to beat it out of him.