Handfuls of Shattered Pieces

by Kerry Taylor

  “Good.” He said with a creepy, way too toothy smile. “I knew you’d be the one. We need to prepare. We don’t have long. I need to go back tomorrow, at noon.”

  I swallowed down the huge lump in my throat and fought to breathe. I had until tomorrow at noon before this crazy guy killed me.

  Please guys, please find me and come for me.

  MATT

  It was almost twenty four hours since Olivia had been taken and we were all losing our fucking minds including my Mom and Dad who had spent all day doing all they could to get information from anyone and everyone who could knew anything at all about Olivia’s original kidnapping.

  We weren’t sure if that was who had taken her, especially since Kade said her last words were that it wasn’t ‘The Shadow’, as she called her kidnapper, who grabbed her, but it was our best and only theory. Kade reasoned she could have been so scared she got confused, or her kidnapper could have an accomplice Livy never saw.

  Kade was at the office, working every lead he could from the old kidnapping, and from the traffic cam footage they had from about a mile up the highway from where Olivia was taken. His whole team was working on helping him find Olivia and he hadn’t stopped since he was released from the hospital with a mild concussion about twelve hours before.

  He had been distraught when he woke up, furious with himself that he had just sat and let her be taken, but that wasn’t the case. He had been pinned in the car and had needed to be cut free from it. There was nothing he could have done, not that he believed us when we told him that.

  Cole was holed up in the office, working crazily on the math Olivia had begun to solve. He had the final numbers she had sent to Kade’s techs from the motel, and he was determined to work out the equations for Livy, because she had been so desperate to catch the killer before he hurt anyone else. Cole wanted the whole thing settled for her, when we found her, which he was determined we would. I wanted to believe we would too, but if the same kidnapper had taken her, he had successfully held her for eight years last time. I was secretly worried we would never get her back. Surely he would be more careful this time, and keep her from getting away again? If he took her to the same place, then maybe Kyle would find her, since he had headed out there with his boss and a team to search the area for the cabin, but if the kidnapper had taken her somewhere new, somewhere equally as remote and off grid, what hope did we have?

  “Matt? Has there been any updates?” Xander asked as he hurried in. He had been working all day and had just gotten off shift. Simon followed him in and they both looked worried.

  “No, not really.” I sighed. “Kyle’s out near Shawnee with a team. I’m just hoping he finds this cabin, and that that’s where she is.”

  “Mom and Dad?”

  “In the kitchen. They have the old case file from when Olivia was first taken and they’re calling anyone mentioned for new leads. Mom’s bad, she can’t stop crying.”

  “I know how she fucking feels! I saw first hand what that monster did to Livy. The thought that he has her back…...I can’t….” He was raging, his face red with rage and his chest lurching with his heaving gasps for breath. Simon held him in an attempt to quell his rage.

  “Don’t Xand. I can’t…..I just need her back, we all do.” I fought hard to push back the tears, but it was impossible. Olivia Byrd had been in our lives just over three weeks and in that time she became such a huge part of all of us. I didn’t know how any of us could ever be the same without her, and worse yet, if we had to go on without finding her, knowing how she may be suffering at the hands of that monster and being powerless to do anything to help her.

  “We will find her Matt. Not one of us is going to give up until she’s back safe where she belongs.” Xander said firmly, giving me the kick I needed to do something.

  “You’re right.” I said as I stood and took a deep breath to get it together.

  “Where are you going?” Xand asked when I pulled out my keys and headed out.

  “I need to do something. I’m going back to that motel where the crime scene was, see if anyone noticed any cars loitering or anything. If he knew where to get Kade’s car, he must have known where they were.” I reasoned.

  “We’re coming with you. That’s a good plan.” Simon agreed and we all headed out. Xander was right, we would never give up looking for our Livy, even if it took the rest of our lives, we would find her, we had to.

  ***

  I sighed as the three of us knocked on about the twentieth door. It was late, so most people wouldn’t answer, and those who did weren’t interested in helping. We had been to all of the motel rooms, and to the two apartment blocks opposite. Now we were trying a row of condos just to the right of the shithole place.

  I was losing hope that this was a worthwhile use of time, but since no one else had anything to go on, I refused to give up until I tried every door.

  The door opened about an inch against a chain and an elderly lady looked out at us cautiously.

  “Hello Ma’am.” I greeted, trying to seem as non threatening as possible. “I’m so sorry to bother you when it’s so late, but we need your help if possible.”

  “You police?” She asked, her voice rough, like she smoked a pack a day.

  “No, but we are looking for information. My girlfriend was abducted late last night, and before she was taken, she was at the motel across there, working with the police.”

  “That motel is nothing but trouble. There was a murder there this week, you know? Damn rot on this neighbourhood, filled with hookers and drugged out criminals. It needs tearing down, the whole damn place!” She ranted and I had to agree. The place was a crap hole.

  “Yeah, my girlfriend was helping the police with that murder, and shortly after she was taken. I was wondering if you noticed anyone suspicious hanging out in the area yesterday at any time in the afternoon or evening?”

  “Ha! When ain’t there suspicious types around that place, kid?” She laughed.

  “This would have likely been a middle aged man, likely sitting in his car or van, watching the motel.” Xander cut in.

  “There was a guy in a big beige car. I didn’t like the way he was watching the neighbourhood. I thought he was casing the homes. That was around eight last night. He sat there for a good hour before he finally moved on.”

  “Do you know any more details about the car?” I asked urgently. “Make? Model? Did you get a good look at the guy?”

  “I aint no good with cars son, but I saw the guy. He was thin with longish blonde hair and a real rodent looking face. He set my alarm bells off, that’s for sure.” She shuddered as she spoke.

  “But you’re sure the car was beige?” Xander asked and she nodded vehemently. “And you said it was big? Like an estate model, or more like a van or something much bigger?”

  “Oh I don’t know. I didn’t look that hard at the damned car. I just saw he was hanging around, so I took down his licence plate, just in case, ya know?”

  “You have the licence plate?” I asked eagerly.

  “Of course. I don’t just see some creep in my neighbourhood and turn a blind eye. I do my duty and note the details, in case the police come knocking.” She wandered off and then came back unchaining the door and opening it fully. She had a floral notepad in her hand and she opened it to a page which held yesterday’s date and the words ‘Beige car creeper’ followed by a licence plate.

  “Thank you Ma’am.” I smiled as I took the book and photographed the page with my cell.

  “You think this creeper took your girl? He looked the sort.” She asked.

  “I don’t know, but thank you for your help. You’ve been really helpful.” I smiled at her once more then hurried away from the house and dialled Kade.

  He answered right away, likely stood with his cell in his hand waiting for news like we all were.

  “Matt? Please give me something.” He answered and he sounded more exhausted and beaten than I had ever heard him.

 
“I might be able to actually. Me, Xand and Simon are at the motel you were at yesterday. We’ve been questioning the neighbours, thinking maybe this guy was watching you and Livy when you were here.”

  “Smart. You got something?”

  “Yeah, an elderly neighbour saw a beige car loitering, the guy just watching around him. She said he was thin, like you described.”

  “She got details on the car?” Kade asked with some hope.

  “Better. She noted down the plate. I have it.”

  “Fuck! This is good Matt. text me the plate and I’ll run it. This could be the break we need.”

  “I hope so. I’ll send it now.”

  Please let this be a break, I thought. We had to get her back, before that fucker did something to our girl we couldn’t fix.

  OLIVIA

  The sun was beginning to rise again, outside the window I still faced, tied to the same damn chair. It had been a long night for me, unable to sleep, my head and ankle throbbing in agony as I sat contemplating my slow impending death.

  How the hell did this shit happen to me? I was the victim of a horror filled, eight year long kidnapping. How could I escape that, only to end up being taken by a murdering crazy man just weeks later? I started to think there really was something wrong with me, something that drew in the evil bastards of the world.

  Footsteps from somewhere in the house I was in, had me freezing and holding my breath so I could hear if he was approaching again. He had left me alone the day before, once he spilled his crazy plan and I had worked my way through several long anxiety attacks as memories of everything The Shadow did to me, hit as soon as darkness and silence descended on the room. It took me hours to find a way to keep it together, and that way was my guys. I closed my eyes and remembered all of the times I had spent with them, remembered the night we all laid in my bed together and they all held me. It pulled me through the long dark night and eventually the sun came up again. It was a comfort to see light, but also a startling reminder that I was running out of time. The crazy guy was going to drain my blood in about six hours and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I had tried for hours to slip the ropes holding me to the chair, but they were too tight and too strong. All I did was wear the skin from my wrists and further hurt my already hugely swollen ankle.

  The footsteps in the house became louder and I knew he was coming back. I sat up straight, determined not to let him see how very terrified I really was. I wanted to be strong like I knew my guys would be if they had been taken like this. They would never give up.

  The door to the room flew open and I hoped like hell he had water, and food, but water was priority. I had been taken, I guessed, around thirty six hours ago, and I hadn’t been given anything in that time. Before that I’d been in my Math trance, and barely eaten or drank anything either, so I knew I was not in a great place. Certainly the fact I hadn’t needed to pee the whole time I’d been tied up, was not a good sign.

  He walked in with nothing in his hands and looked at me appraisingly. He still wore his all black ensemble, but he looked even wilder than he had the day before.

  “It’s time to prepare.” He declared.

  “What? No! It’s too early! You said Noon?”

  “We will complete the exchange at noon, and I will go back, but letting all of your blood will take time. I need to begin now. I will drain as much as I can while keeping you alive, then we will complete at noon.” He explained, so matter of factly like he was discussing plans for something mundane, not my murder!

  “You can’t do this!” I cried. “Listen to me….I …..I think you’re sick, but you can get help. I could help you. We could find a doctor who could help you.” I stuttered as he started to untie my feet. He paused what he was doing as I went on, and when he stood over me menacingly, I saw the evil in those icy eyes.

  “I told you not to talk like that!” He hissed, then he hit me again, on the same cheek as the night before, but this time it was a fist and when I went down, I blacked out for a few minutes.

  When I came around I felt a sharp pain in my arm and when I looked I found him leaning over me, injecting something into my arm.

  “It’s too late for me to find another now. I’ll have to use your blood. You’re a troublemaker but this will make you behave.” He explained as he shot who knew what into me. I tried to fight him, but my arms were still tied to the chair tight, and I was laid on one of them as the chair had again tipped over.

  By the time he stood, whatever he had given me was rushing through my system. I could feel the heat of it as it spread through me and then everything went fuzzy and I felt like my mind wasn’t connected to any of my body anymore. I tried to maintain focus, but there was no way I could. Whatever he had given me, carried me far far away. I tried hard to cling to the image of my four guys, but eventually the fuzziness pulled that from me too and I was gone.

  KADE

  I’d raced home after Matt called me, needing to get to Kyle before he did anything stupid. He had been sent home by his boss, after he near killed a shop manager who wouldn’t help them with their questions out near Shawnee. Kyle had needed to be pulled off of the unsuspecting civilian by three of his team, and then sent home to cool off. The team would remain and continue the search, but Kyle couldn’t be there.

  Matt had called me frantic when Kyle got home early that morning and started smashing up his bedroom. Matt and Cole had been unable to stop him and instead had shut him in his room and called me. I knew why Kyle was losing his shit. She had been gone thirty six hours and we were all losing our damned minds imagining what that fucker was putting her through with every minute that passed, but this, Kyle letting his anger out, it wouldn’t find her.

  “Kade! Thank fuck!” Matt gasped when I ran up the stairs to the first floor. He and Cole were standing outside Kyle’s bedroom door looking so worried and lost as the sounds of Kyle raging and smashing up probably everything he owned came from inside.

  “Where are Mom and Evie?” I asked, not wanting either coming in and getting caught in the crosshairs.

  “Mom went to drop Evie at Gran’s for a few days. She didn’t want her seeing how upset we all are.” I already knew my Dad had a meeting with the Police Superintendent to make sure every step was being taken to find Livy.

  “Ok. Clear out guys. I got this.” They both watched nervously as I shrugged off my jacket and dumped it over the handrail at the top of the stairs.

  “Kade…” Cole began, but I stopped him. I knew he was worried, but I could handle Kyle, even as amped up as he was.

  “Go, keep working on whatever leads you have. Finding Livy is all that matters right now.”

  I knew Matt had a list of Olivia’s old classmates he was calling to check if they had seen anything the morning she was taken, and Cole was still trying to work the math of the killer I was chasing. That had been put on hold by me, since again, the fucker never turned up to the location he had put in the puzzle, but Cole was determined to figure out the math for Livy.

  We did have the licence plate lead, and my team were working it, but the car had been stolen from Washington Park two weeks before, so there was no instant name to work with. We were chasing the lead though, checking all surveillance footage where the car was stolen and surrounding areas.

  As soon as Cole and Matt reluctantly headed down stairs, I opened Kyle’s bedroom door and strode in, closing it behind me.

  The place was carnage, all of the furniture up-ended and every picture smashed to pieces on the floor. Kyle stood in the corner shaking with rage and searching for the next thing to destroy.

  “Spring cleaning Bro?” I asked to get his attention. He looked up to me, his chest heaving with the huge breaths he was taking. I braced myself, realising I had never seen him this bad before.

  “FUCK OFF KADE!” He roared.

  “Can’t do that Ky and you know it.” I sighed.

  “I did this! I do this to every one I ever fucking care about!”

 
; “Not this bullshit again Ky!” I laughed. He took too much on himself, always thinking it was his job to protect the whole fucking world. “This wasn’t your fault. Were you sitting in the car beside her as some fucker tore her away, listening to her scream her heart out for you? No! You weren’t. I fucking was!”

  “I shouldn’t have let her go! I knew it was a bad idea! I should have gone with my gut and stopped her, just like I should have stopped Reece, and just like I should have trusted my gut about that fucking last mission!” He picked up the nightstand he stood beside and smashed it down violently between us.

  “ENOUGH KYLE!” I raged, needing to stop his downward spiral. “This, blaming yourself, or anyone, it’s not helping you, us or Livy. What happened, happened. All we can do now is make sure we get her back as fast as possible.”

  “How? We have zilch to go on!” He snapped.

  “I have the licence plate lead, and we have several cars on traffic cams headed out of the city on that highway, one of which matches the plates Matt got. It might not be much, but it’s something. I need to work on it, but I can’t if I have to be here stopping you from fucking up the house and yourself!”

  He took a deep breath and deflated as he sank down the wall to the floor. He hunched into himself and I knew it was safe to approach. I sat beside him and took a deep breath.

  “I can’t lose her Kade. I’ve lost too much. If…..If I lose her too, I don’t know how I go on.” He whispered emotionally.

  “I know man. We all feel the same. She’s our light in a very long darkness, and if she’s gone, all we have ahead is more darkness. I feel it Kyle, but we can’t lose it. She needs us. She’ll hold on for us, I know she will, and we are not letting her down.”