Chapter Seven
“Give me that damn letter again,” Sebastian demanded. When Jesse handed him the letter, Sebastian reread it. When he finished, he looked at the others, “The letter said to go back to the beginning, I wonder if he meant go back to where we first met.”
“That would be the park where you took his picture,” Jesse stated.
“I have to be there by midnight.” Sebastian looked at his watch. He had just enough time to make it back to New Orleans before the deadline.
“You can’t drive all that way, by yourself,” Ian told him.
“Why not?” Sebastian asked.
“In case you haven’t noticed, you’re bleeding again.” Ian pointed out.
In the rush to catch Tucker, Sebastian’s chest wound had started leaking. The front of his shirt was stained with fresh blood. “Damn,” Sebastian swore as he felt a wave of nausea coming on. He had to sit down quickly. He fell against the sofa in Ian’s office and had to wait for it to pass. He hated being this weak.
“Let me go,” Jesse suggested.
“No. I don’t want to jeopardize anyone else’s life and I don’t want to lose the only chance I may have to get my son back alive.” Sebastian shook his head. He still didn’t trust Jesse. For all Sebastian knew, the cousins could be working together.
“At least let me drive. That way you can rest on the way,” Jesse offered.
Sebastian nodded. “Okay, you can drive, but we have to leave now. I don’t want to be late.” He fished the keys out of his pocket and tossed them to Jesse. Looking at Ian and Rob he told them, “Be careful. This may be a trap.”
Rob nodded. “I was about to tell you the same thing.” He hesitated a moment. “You do realize that your son might already be dead and that this might be Tucker’s way of getting to you as well, don’t you? If that’s what he has in mind this time, he won’t let you live.”
Sebastian thought about the words he’d been too afraid to say out loud, “Yeah, I’ve thought about it, but he’s my son, the only family I have left. If I didn’t go and Tucker killed Wyatt because I wasn’t there, I don’t think I could live with that. I know how big a chance I’m taking, but I don’t really have a choice, do I?”
Rob shook his head. “I see your point. Good luck.”
Rob and Ian watched as Sebastian and Jesse left.
Ian reached for the phone and called Sebastian’s partner in New Orleans then explained the situation to him. He grabbed his coat and told Rob, “What are you waiting for? He’ll need backup if he’s going up against this creep and I’m not going to wait to hear about it in the morning news.”
Rob grinned and grabbed his jacket.
* * * *
Darkness had long ago fallen by the time Sebastian and Jesse got to where they were going. The park was empty and just a little bit eerie as they drove through the gates. They could only drive so far and then they had to walk but Sebastian had rested most of the way, so he felt stronger. Pulling into the parking lot, they didn’t see any other vehicles.
Sebastian and Jesse drew their guns as they got out of the car.
The park had several trails for people and bikes and if you didn’t know where you were going, you could easily get lost. But Sebastian knew this park. He asked Carolyn to marry him here and together, they had brought Wyatt here as a family. Now he was here to catch the man that murdered his wife and stole his son.
Sebastian slowed down as they approached the area of the Danvers murder. This was where Sebastian snapped the incriminating picture of Tucker Briggs. He squatted down behind a bush and dragged Jesse down behind him. He didn’t want to give Tucker a target. He wanted the element of surprise on his side.
His eyes canvassed the entire area. Nothing seemed to be out of place. The moon was big and bright and there didn’t appear to be anyone around, but that didn’t mean that the shadows were empty. He motioned for Jesse to stay put. Sebastian, using the bushes for cover began making his way around the other side of the trail.
Sebastian kept a keen eye out for any movement or sign that someone might be nearby. He didn’t see or hear anything. He almost gave up when he heard a twig snap. His head jerked around to where he heard the noise. His eyes narrowed and his ears picked up the sound of footsteps coming down the path toward him.
Sebastian waited with his gun drawn. He could hear the footsteps hesitate.
“Hello?” called out a frail voice.
Sebastian frowned and dared raise his head over the top of the brush he was hiding behind. An old man stood there on the path. He was dirty and had a scruffy beard. The cap on his head had seen better days as had his clothes. They hung on his frame and were covered in filth. His stance told Sebastian that he was probably a drunk. He could barely stand up straight. Sebastian noticed the top of a bottle sticking out of his coat pocket.
“I’m looking for Sebastian, is there anyone there?” the old man called out again, his words slurred.
Sebastian stood up and put his gun away. He knew that this could very well be a trap and that Tucker could be hiding nearby but he wasn’t going to pull a gun on a drunk. He stepped out of the bushes and onto the path.
When he cleared his throat, the man whirled around and almost fell over. “Geez man, you scared me. Is your name Sebastian?”
When Sebastian nodded, the older man smiled. “I have something for you.” He told him. Reaching inside his overcoat the older man pulled out a package and handed it to Sebastian.
The package was a large manila envelope.
When Jesse saw the exchange, he too, put his weapon away and stepped out from where he was hidden. When the old man saw Jesse, he was confused. He looked back the way he had come and then looked back at Jesse
Sebastian ripped the envelope open and dumped out the contents. There was a picture of Wyatt holding today’s newspaper and another letter. He looked up at the old man. “Who gave you this?”
The old man looked at Jesse and pointed at him. “He did. I was sitting over at the other end of the park and he walked up to me and gave me the envelope. He told me all I had to do was walk down here and give it to you. He even gave me ten bucks.” The old man turned to Jesse. “Why would you do that if you were already here? Why didn’t you just give it to him yourself?” He frowned as he swayed and stared at Jesse. “I ain’t giving you the money back.”
Jesse shook his head. “I don’t want it back. Did I say anything else?”
The old man thought for a moment then shook his head.
Jesse looked over at Sebastian. They both knew it wasn’t Jesse that gave the old man the package. Tucker had done it again. He had once again, become Jesse if only for a moment.
“What does the letter say?” Jesse asked.
Sebastian ripped open the letter. As he read it, he became breathless. “He says that he’s going to keep Wyatt with him a while. He doesn’t know for how long but when he gets tired of him, he’ll call me and let me know where to pick him up.” Sebastian looked over at the old man. “Did you see where the man that gave you this letter went?”
The old man nodded. “Yep, he’s standing right there.” And he pointed at Jesse. “Can I go now? I gotta piss real bad.”
Sebastian heard more footsteps coming down the path. He grabbed his gun and turned to face whatever or whoever was coming. It was when he heard a familiar whistle that he relaxed his stance and called out, “Alec, is that you?”
Alec Hunter, Ian Nevell and Rob Gillette stepped out of the shadows.
Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the sight of all three of them. As he was putting his gun away, he asked, “To what do I owe this pleasurable reunion?”
Before anyone could answer, the old man asked again, “Can I go?”
Sebastian looked at him. “Where can I find you if I need to get a hold of you?”
The old man smiled. “I’m usually in the park somewhere. I like watching the kids. I don’t hurt them or nothing. I just like to watch them play. They all know me and my name is Joe.” Joe turned to leave, when he remembered something else. “Say, you should tell that man over there not to leave his son standing by himself like that. Somebody could snatch the kid.”
Sebastian grabbed Joe by his jacket. “What did you say? What kid?”
Joe’s eyes grew huge and he held up his hands as to ward off an attack. “I’m sorry mister, I didn’t mean nothing.”
Sebastian shook his head and took a deep breath as he tried to calm down. He let go of Joe’s jacket. “No, I’m sorry. You were just trying to warn me. What did you mean by that warning? Did you see the kid? Where was he standing?” Panicked, he grabbed the picture Tucker had left for him and showed it to Joe. “Is this the kid you saw?”
Joe took the picture from Sebastian and looked it over. “Yep, that’s the kid. He was standing all alone over by the merry-go-round. He walked away from the kid to find me and was gone for quite a while.”
Sebastian closed his eyes in relief. At least Wyatt was still alive. He knew exactly where the merry-go-round was and he started running toward it. He heard the others following but he didn’t care. Maybe Tucker had left Wyatt there and he was waiting for Sebastian to come and get him. As Sebastian turned the corner and saw the merry-go round, he looked around. Crushing disappointment settled in him. Wyatt wasn’t there. Sebastian didn’t know if he could take this seesawing emotional trip anymore. He fell to his knees and his eyes burned with unshed tears.
It was Alec who helped Sebastian up off the ground when the others joined him in front of the merry-go-round. He could see the pain in his partner’s eyes and knew what Sebastian was going through. “Sebastian, you can’t let him win. You have to be strong for Wyatt’s sake. Don’t let him win.” Alec tried to brace his friend against the tide of emotion he knew he would be facing.
Sebastian looked at Alec. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take. First, he took Carolyn, and killed her mother, now he has Wyatt. Why doesn’t he just kill me and get it over with?”
Alec was at a loss for words. He didn’t know what to say to make it any better.
It was Jesse that put it in perspective. “If you fold now, you’ll never see Wyatt again. Not alive anyway.”
Sebastian and Alec turned to look at the man who looked so much like the man they both hated. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Sebastian growled.
Jesse held up the letter Tucker left for Sebastian. “I think I know where he’s going. And if you don’t follow him, he might kill Wyatt out of spite. Then you’ll never know where he is or where to find his body.”
Sebastian stumbled away from Alec toward Jesse. “Where? Where is he going?”
Jesse straightened his jaw. “I think he’s going to a place we played at as kids, before all this started. I think he’s going home.”
“And where exactly is home?” Sebastian growled.
“Tucker’s parents live in St Louis but I think Tucker is taking Wyatt to our Grandfather’s farm. It’s just outside of Hannibal, Missouri.”
Sebastian looked at Jesse distrusting him. “What makes you think that?”
“In the letter, he says he wants to go back to a time of innocence and dreams. We used to dream about being Huck Finn and traveling down the Mississippi River on a boat, in the hayloft of our Grandfather’s barn. I’d forgotten about that until I read the letter. I guess Tucker never forgot.”
Sebastian looked at Jesse and wondered if he could trust him. His son’s life hung in the balance and there had been times over the last few days when his gut instinct screamed at him not to trust the other man. When the mistrust reared its ugly head Jesse came through with just enough information to bring him back into the investigation. Sebastian wondered if he sensed the mistrust or if he were really innocent and just wanted to bring his cousin in.
Alec pulled him aside and warned, “This could be a trap. This man, Tucker Briggs is playing a dangerous game with you.”
Sebastian looked his partner straight in the eye. “I know, but he’s got my son and I want him back. And it’s not only Wyatt’s life at stake here. He’s got Kelly too.”
“Wyatt was alive tonight but he may not be when you get to Hannibal,” Alec reminded him. “This guy wouldn’t think twice about slitting his throat.”
Sebastian pushed Alec away from him and growled, “I can’t think about that. I have to believe that Tucker won’t hurt him. For reasons only he knows, Tucker Briggs has dragged me into this little game of his and I have to play it out to the end. He’s got the leverage right now and he’s smart enough to know that once that leverage is gone, my incentive to let him live might be gone as well.”
“At least, you can get there faster by car.” Alec pointed out. “It’s only about 800 miles to Hannibal from here. If he’s on the river it could take him a few days.”
“If we leave right now, we could be there by tomorrow afternoon,” Sebastian suggested looking at Jesse.
Jesse nodded. “I could drive a couple of hours but by then, we’ll both need to get some rest. Why don’t we get some rest now and start off fresh around daybreak?”
Sebastian realized he and the others were tired. He nodded and told them to follow him back to his house. They could all sleep there and he and Jesse could leave from there in a few hours. When they pulled up in front of the house Sebastian shared with his family, the fact that there wasn’t anyone there to meet him hit Sebastian with a terrible blow. His wife Carolyn was gone and his son might never come home. Even Carolyn’s mother Janet wasn’t there anymore. Rage and hatred began filtering in his soul where love once was and the rage he felt toward another human being scared him.
As Sebastian opened the front door and let the others come into his world, he looked around the home he once had. Everything was the way Carolyn left it just before she died. Sebastian hadn’t paid too much attention to the details but looking at the home she had made for them, he realized that without her and Wyatt, this home was just an empty house.
“Is anyone besides me hungry?” Alec asked.
When the others all nodded, Sebastian suggested they order a pizza. No one could sleep right now anyway. A half hour later Sebastian, Rob, Ian and Alec sat around the living room planning what they thought would happen next.
“If we leave just before daylight, we should get to the farm around nightfall. We can set up in the hayloft and wait for Tucker. It will take him at least another three or four days to get there,” Jesse suggested.
“Are you sure he’ll travel by river?” Sebastian asked between bites of pizza. He was only going through the motions of eating. He had no appetite but knew his body needed nourishment. A plan was forming in his head and he needed to know.
“He’s got the houseboat and he doesn’t know that we know that’s how he travels. He can hide the houseboat on the river easier than a car on the road.” Jesse shrugged.
“I think maybe we should travel by boat,” Sebastian suggested to no one in particular. His wiped his mouth with a napkin and waited for the response.
“Why?” Alec threw his food down on the plate and looked at Sebastian as if he’d taken leave of his senses.
“Because we might be able to find him out on the river,” Jesse answered for Sebastian. Unknown to the rest of the group Sebastian’s plan made sense to Jesse. “It would take at least four maybe five days to get to Hannibal by boat. He would have that long to look for Tucker, Kelly and Wyatt.”
“What happens if you don’t find him on the river?” Ian asked.
Sebastian shrugged. “I have to try.” He couldn’t allow himself to think about anything negative. His whole world depended on getting Wyatt back alive. “If Tucker is out on the river, then that’s where I will be. At least, I’ll be that much closer to Wyatt if I’m there.”
“I’m going with you in the morning,” Jesse clarified his intent.
“Why?” Sebastian asked still not trusting the other man.
“You may find this hard to believe, but all I want is to get your son back and get Tucker the help he needs. And if Kelly is still alive, maybe save her life too.”
“Your cousin is a killer. He needs to be sitting on death row waiting for the day a needle gets shoved in his arm,” Sebastian ranted. “And when we catch him, that’s where I’ll put him. On death row, not some damn hospital.”
“You seem awfully confident that you can catch him. That’s the second time you said when not if,” Rob remarked. “How do you plan on doing that?”
Sebastian shrugged. “Anyway I can.” He turned to Jesse and glared at the other man. “Any objections?
Jesse shrugged. “The problem with that is we have to find him first.”
A few hours later as dawn broke over the eastern horizon Sebastian and Jesse were already on the river. They had woken up the local boat renter and had rented a houseboat. Armed with navigational maps they plotted their course.
Ian told them before they left that he would contact the police along their route in case they needed assistance. Sebastian looked at the river ahead of him and couldn’t help but think that his son was up ahead of him somewhere.
As they stowed the groceries for the trip, Alec surprised Sebastian by handing him his hunting rifle. He’d often admired the rifle and Alec often teased Sebastian that the only time he would ever let him touch it was when hell froze over.
“Hell might not be freezing over, but you might need a little extra edge,” Alec told him as he took the weapon. “Bring the boy back alive, will ya?”
“I can’t imagine it any other way.” Sebastian had stared at his partner.
“Watch your back,” Alec told him.
He nodded at Jesse and knew he didn’t have to explain to Sebastian what he meant. Alec didn’t quite trust Jesse either.
“If you hear anything about Jesse, you will let me know, won’t you? I’m not really sure about his part in all of this, and I know what he says his motive is but I don’t know him well enough to trust him completely,” Sebastian said. “There’s more to this than what he’s willing to tell us.”
Alec knew him well enough to know what he was asking him to do. Alec looked away as he nodded. “I’ll check into it for you and let you know what I find.”
As Sebastian boarded the boat, Alec tossed him the mooring lines. Neither said what they were thinking but they had been partners long enough that words weren’t really necessary. That didn’t mean that Alec didn’t say a prayer for what lay ahead. He had a feeling that Sebastian would need all the help he could get.