The Jaxon Effect

by KC Michaels

  Kate hung up the phone. Although he said it was fine that she use his tickets to take Grayson to the game she could tell that his mood had definitely changed. There was definitely a story there and she knew it. She wondered if it was possible that baseball had something to do with his parent’s horrendous death. She just couldn’t imagine what.

  Kate rubbed her sweaty palms against her uniform scrubs as she sat down next to Grayson in the back of the car.

  “Your father called; he's going to be back home Wednesday night. That’s good news, isn’t it?”

  Although he continued to stare out the window and act like he didn’t hear her, Kate saw a spark in the corner of his eye.

  “I miss him too,” she said to his unspoken thoughts. “He wanted me to tell you he was thinking about you and he wishes you good luck on your first day at school."

  He shifted his eyes to spare her a glance but still didn’t say anything in response.

  The car stopped and Royce lowered the glass that separated the front and back seat. “I'll be back at three fifteen in this same spot to pick you up, Grayson.”

  “Yeah sure,” Grayson replied sounding unimpressed as he climbed out of the car.

  “Well, I will see you later Grayson, have a wonderful first day.” She tried to sound enthusiastic but Grayson didn’t even bother to acknowledge her. Hopefully her plan for Wednesday’s ballgame would get them on the right track before Jaxon arrived back home.

  Crouched behind the wheel of the car he had stolen, Kenny was parked down the street from Jaxon’s home in a position to follow the black sedan that had been transporting Kate around for the past few days. Eventually an opportunity would present itself and he could get Kate alone. He followed behind them, and he assumed they were heading to the hospital. The car took an unexpected detour and stopped in front of an elementary school. Kenny saw a boy climb out of the car. He had no idea who the boy was but he had a feeling he might be the key to finally getting to Kate and Jade, once and for all. He had to make a plan and get it in motion. He already had two close calls with almost getting caught. Once was in Lively, at Kate’s father’s retirement party. He followed her in the kitchen but people kept coming and going so he had to hide in the pantry. He was stuck in there for over an hour before he could escape without being noticed. By then it was too late because she had disappeared somewhere with Remington. The second time was that morning. Someone had been outside Jade’s house cutting the lawn. The sound of the mower woke him from a dead sleep. If they had gone into the house they would have spotted him sprawled on the couch sleeping off the booze from the night before. The longer he waited the sloppier he became. He had been safely hiding out there for weeks without but he could sense his luck was running out. He couldn’t wait any longer. He was tired of waiting in the shadows for the right opportunity to strike. This kid could be the break he had been waiting for. He had to get a plan together and make things happen—today.

  ***

  CHAPTER 26

  Grayson doodled on a piece of paper as his teacher’s voice droned in the background. He stared at the big metal clock above the whiteboard at the front of the classroom. Two more hours until the school day was over. He let out a sigh just as he heard a loud ringing sound. It was a fire drill. They had often had them at his old school as well.

  “Okay class, let’s take our positions as we practiced,” the teacher said as the kids cheered, excited to be going outside for an unexpected break from the classroom. “I'm not aware of any fire drill so this could be the real thing.”

  This seemed to make the boys in the class even more excited. Grayson and a couple of boys grinned at each other, as if a real fire would be awesome. A real fire meant they would likely have the rest of the day off. Maybe the next day too. Grayson followed the other kids as they formed themselves in a single line in front of the classroom door. The students sitting at the back of the class were responsible for shutting any open windows. That was the same way they did it at his old school.

  “Okay class, let’s go,” the teacher instructed as everyone began to follow her into the hallway and out through the door to the parking lot where the rest of the school was waiting as well. Once they were in their designated spot, separated by class, the teacher counted the students to make sure no one had been left inside.

  “What do we do now?” Grayson asked the boy behind him as they stood at the grassy edge of the school yard next to the parking lot.

  “We have to wait here until the teacher says we can go back in. But don't go off the grass. If she catches you she will be really mad.”

  “Got it, thanks,” Grayson said, appreciatively.

  The boy shrugged. “No problem. I'm Ethan by the way.”

  “Grayson,” he replied but he noticed that Ethan had already lost focus and had begun pulling the pony tail of a girl in front of them.

  “Ethan Green!” Ethan dropped his hand at the sound of the teacher’s voice and ducked into the crowd of kids.

  Grayson watched intently as the teacher chased after Ethan, but before he could see what happened, several fire trucks arrived on scene grabbing his full attention. Two firemen jumped off the back of the first truck and quickly disappeared into the school. Within seconds a few more fire trucks arrived, in addition to a couple of ambulances and police cars.

  “Hey little man, shouldn't you be with the rest of your class?”

  Grayson whirled around and realized he was the only one left standing in that particular area of the school yard. It looked as though the rest of the kids had been taken farther away from the action. “Yeah I guess,” he replied in awe, to the fireman that was crouched down at his eye level. Grayson was so entranced by the arrival of the emergency vehicles he wasn’t paying attention to his teacher when she instructed everyone to move further back from the edge of the parking lot. Needless to say his teacher wasn’t paying much attention to him either.

  “I'm Bob what’s your name?”

  “Grayson.”

  “Well Grayson do you have a last name?”

  “Remington,” he replied.

  “Are you Jaxon's boy?”

  “You know my dad?”

  “Yeah sure I do. Hey want to take a closer look at the fire trucks?”

  “Um…I don't think I should. Ethan said if the teacher catches me off the grass I'll be in big trouble.”

  Grayson scanned the schoolyard and eventually spotted his class, by the soccer nets. His teacher wasn't looking as it appeared she was standing in as a referee again between Ethan and the girl whose hair he had pulled a few minutes ago. The girl was crying. Ethan must have done something else to her.

  “Okay sure.”

  Kate checked her watch. It was time. She was thankful because her bladder was overfull from all the water she drank as per Dr. Xavier’s orders and she couldn’t wait to use the bathroom. But she couldn’t actually do that until she had her ultrasound.

  “Jenny I have to take a quick break, if anyone needs me just page. I shouldn’t be gone more than thirty minutes.

  “Sure, is everything okay?”

  “Oh yes everything is fine, I just have something I need to deal with.”

  Kate watched the monitor closely as Dr. Xavier ran the wand across her flat belly.

  “Well congratulations mamma it looks like you are almost seven weeks along.”

  “Do you see that little blip on the screen? That is your baby’s heart beating.” Kate stared at the screen in awe. She had a baby growing inside of her, and seeing it on the screen made it become very real.

  “Have you started taking the vitamins?”

  “Yes,” Kate replied.

  “Good, well everything appears normal so far. I will have my secretary call you to schedule another appointment in four weeks.

  “Okay,” Kate said, she was still stunned that she was definitely having a baby.

  “You can go get dressed now, we are done here.”

  “Okay thanks.” Kate lay there another
minute staring into space, her and Jaxon created this life together. It was a little miracle. She loved him or her already.

  “Kate I have to say most women jump off the table when I tell them they are ready to go. They make a run for the bathroom.”

  She slid herself off the table. She had actually forgotten how bad she needed to go just a few minutes earlier.

  For the next couple of hours Kate went through the motions of treating patients. She couldn’t get her head around the fact she was going to have a baby. Visions of her baby’s little heartbeat in the screen consumed her thoughts. She was grateful most of the cases she saw today were minor in nature. She didn’t have to focus too much to do her job.

  “Kate, there’s a phone call for you at the desk. Line one. It’s a man he says it’s important.”

  “Thanks Jenny.” Kate went around to the other side of the nurse’s station to answer the phone.

  “Dr. Sims speaking.”

  “Hello, Kate.”

  Every nerve in Kate's body went on high alert. The sound of his voice through the phone made her sick to her stomach. Each time he called he sounded more out of touch with reality – more sadistic.

  “What's the matter Kate, cat got your tongue?”

  “Why are you doing this to me, Kenny? You know you can’t keep running forever. The police are going to find you.”

  “Actually, I happen to agree with you and that’s why the day has come.”

  “What day?”

  “The day when all of this comes to an end.”

  “You are turning yourself in?” She hoped but she knew better.

  Kenny laughed with a high pitched cackle that made him sound like he was insane. “You know it's funny,” he said without responding to her outburst. “This kid doesn't look anything like his father.”

  “Oh my God! Grayson!” Almost immediately after, she heard a different voice speak to her through the receiver; timid and scared.

  “K…Kate is that you?” She almost dropped the phone. She could feel the colour drain from her face.

  Kenny’s voice came through again. “I have the boy Kate and if you don't do exactly what I say, I will put a bullet in his head. If you listen very carefully and follow my directions, he will live.”

  “Whatever you want, Kenny, just please don’t hurt him.”

  “Come down to the back door of the morgue, alone. I will be waiting. You have five minutes.”

  “But there’s security!” she exclaimed. “They will follow me. Jaxon hired guards. I won’t be able to get out without being noticed.”

  “That’s your problem not mine. You have five minutes,” he ordered and hung up the phone.

  Oh my God! Oh my God! He had Grayson. Kate felt her knees begin to buckle. She couldn't lose it. Not now, not here. She had to save Grayson. If something happened to him she would never forgive herself. Jaxon has been through too much pain in his life time, with the death of his parents and whatever else he was hiding from her. She would not see him suffer again, not when she could do something about it.

  Kate spied Royce standing against the wall. She had to act natural. She couldn’t tip him off that something was wrong. She grabbed a random chart from the desk.

  “I’m just going down the hall to curtain twelve. Would you mind grabbing me a coffee from the cafeteria? For some reason I’m really feeling tired today.

  “Kate, you know I'm not supposed to take my eyes off you.”

  “I understand. I really could use a coffee that’s all.” Kate lifted her arms in the air in exasperation. “God I am so tired of this. I want my life back.”

  “Ok,” he surrendered. “I’ll get the coffee.”

  “Thanks Royce,” she replied, pasting on a phony smile. “I really appreciate it.”

  She waited until he was out of sight before she ran to the elevator. Once it reached the ground floor she ran, as fast as she could, down the hallway – past the morgue – and flew out the exit door.

  She came to an abrupt halt when she saw Kenny leaning against an old cream-coloured car, just a few meters away. He no longer looked anything like himself. He had aged about twenty years and his eyes were so cold. His hair appeared he hadn’t washed it since he disappeared and he had lots of facial hair that he didn’t have before.

  “Let him go,” Kate begged, as she rushed toward the car. She could see Grayson’s tear stained face peeking up at her through the back window.

  Kenny pulled out a gun and aimed it at Kate. “Get in the car,” he said.

  “Not until you let him go.”

  “Oh, I will let him go,” he assured her. “Just not yet.”

  “Why? You have me, what more do you need?”

  “I will explain on the way,” he said. “Now get in the car.”

  She didn’t move. “The way to where? Where are we going?”

  “To pick up Jade of course,” he said and then he laughed that high pitched laugh she heard on the phone. It reminded her of a hyena.

  Jaxon was almost home. He was able to get an even earlier flight out than he anticipated. He was told he would have to wait until Wednesday until some paperwork was ready for him to sign but almost immediately after he hung up with Kate that morning he received the documents by messenger to his hotel room.

  The day before, he had found a small jewellery boutique. He had been looking for something special to bring back for her. Something along the lines of a pair of earrings or a diamond pendant. But nothing seemed right.

  The jeweller had shown Jaxon a multitude of pieces made with only the finest top-quality stones. They were indeed beautiful but nothing seemed significant enough and he knew exactly why.

  Jaxon opened the black box again to snatch a look. Each time he opened it, he kept waiting for reality to knock some sense into him, but it didn't. He kept expecting that feeling of fear or dread to wash over him, but it never came. He was ready for this; he was ready to take a chance and he really hoped Kate was too.

  Jaxon entered through the front door of his house and was greeted by Maxwell, who looked extremely anxious.

  “Jon, what’s going on?”

  “Jaxon, I think you had better sit down.” The look on Maxwell’s face suggested Jaxon was not going to like whatever Maxwell had to say.

  “No, I don’t think I will,” Jaxon insisted. “Tell me what’s happened!”

  “I tried to call you earlier,” Maxwell said in his own defence. “Your cell phone was off.”

  “Out with it Maxwell.”

  “Kenny has Kate. He also has Jade and your son.”

  Jaxon held on to the back of a wing chair to keep from losing his footing. He felt fear wash over him like a tidal wave.

  “How could this happen? How could he get to them?” Jaxon shouted. “I paid you to keep them safe.”

  “Jaxon I know,” Maxwell apologized. “I’m sorry. We aren’t sure what happened yet but apparently Kate gave Royce the slip at the hospital. Since then, we’ve discovered that Jade and Grayson are missing too.”

  “What makes you think it's Kenny?”

  “We checked the cameras at your boy’s school. We have Kenny on video dressed as a fireman. He lured Grayson away behind some fire trucks.”

  “Did you see which way they went or what he was driving?”

  Maxwell shook his head. “I’m afraid not. The view was blocked by the emergency vehicles. Apparently someone pulled the fire alarm at the school. We have our suspicions that it was Kenny; he needed the distraction to get Grayson outside.”

  “God Damn it!” Jaxon cursed, pulling his hand through his hair.

  “Based on the time recorded on the tape, we think he used Grayson as bait to get Kate to go to him willingly. It was likely how he was able to get Jade as well.”

  “Did you call the police?”

  “Yes, they have all available officers looking for the car. We viewed surveillance footage from earlier in the day. It looks like Royce was followed this morning when he dropped Grayson off at
school. It could be how Kenny found out you had a son. The police ran the plates and the car was reported stolen in Lively, the weekend you guys were there. In Lively, the police also found an abandoned car, one that was reported stolen here in the city.

  “He was in Lively at the same time we were?” Jaxon was shocked.

  Kate had to figure out how they were all going to get out of this horrendous situation. She, Jade and Grayson were all tied to the back seat. Kenny had drilled holes through the seatbelt locks and ran chains through the holes to keep them secured.

  “Where are you taking us?"

  “You'll see,” he said. “But for now, we are going to wait until it gets dark. I’m sure, by now, your boyfriend and his cronies have reported you all missing and the police will be looking for us, and for this car.”

  “You are going to get caught, Kenny. There is no way you are going to get away with this. Even if you kill us they won't stop looking for you until they find you.”

  “Oh, they'll find me,” he said. “When they find you, they will find me lying next to you.” Kate and Jade exchanged fearful glances. There was no doubt in Kate’s mind that if they didn’t escape, he would kill them and he was so crazed he was planning on killing himself too.

  “You said you would let Grayson go.”

  “Yes, well I changed my mind.”

  “You bastard,” Kate spat out. “You said if I came to you, you would let him go.”

  “I will, but you still have some work to do. Until then, the boy stays.”

  “What kind of work, Kenny? You have Jade and you have me, what more could you possibly want?!” she asked, fearing his answer.

  “Oh you will see,” he replied, so sweetly it left Kate with a sick feeling.

  A few minutes later Kenny slowed the car and pulled into the woods. “I have to take care of something,” he said as he got out of the car. “Don't go anywhere.” He cackled at his own joke.

  “Grayson, it's going to be okay,” Kate said, trying to comfort him. “We are going to get out of this honey, okay.”