I started to look back at her, but she held me firm.
"This is the hardest thing we’ve ever gone through together. And if you’re doubting her dedication to this, trust me, she would rather face Garcia again than to lose Juan," Tawny’s voice carried with it a deep seated sadness.
"I know," I sighed, swallowing nervously. "I just... I felt so helpless, I couldn't stop any of it."
"I’m surrounded by the best, smartest, and bravest people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing," she declared softly, checking the bridge of my nose with a careful but knowledgeable hand. "But I need all of you...and that includes Alyssa." She pulled my face back up, locking eyes with me. "We'll get Juan back, but only if we're all on the same page."
She paused for a second to swipe at her eye before continuing, "As Gravity’s ‘appointed therapist’, I understand your anger and your need to lash out. As a wife and a mother who has a missing child, if you ever do it again, with anyone, this,"—she tweaked my nose gently—"will seem like nothing compared to what will happen when I get a hold of you.”
Her threat did more damage than the punch my father put to my face, though I'm sure it was the latter that helped pull my head out of my ass. I nodded at her as my father strolled back into the lobby.
"Everyone, out-front," he ordered, as he walked through the hall.
"I need to..." I started to argue, but his gaze seemed troubled.
"I know son, but…" he started, pulling me aside as everyone else piled out of their offices. "Macon says that she wasn’t at the house."
My heart clenched, shoving my hands into my front pockets. “She said that she was going home.”
“She’s probably going to clear her head, son.” My dad guessed, I sighed, realizing that at least one of us was thinking more clearly than the other, because we'd really needed my dad.
“We really need you on this..." My voice trailed off, because despite how much he was probably fucking worried as hell for Juan, he was really amazing at channeling that shit, no matter how close to home trouble was.
He stopped, gripped my shoulder, and nodded. "Juan is as much family to me as he is to you all. Let's see how we can get him and his friend, huh?"
"Damn it," my dad sighed in frustration. "Focus, son!"
We'd been bringing my father and Victor up to speed on everything we knew, but it had taken almost three hours.
"I can't breathe with this shit," I groaned, tugging out the gauze that Tawny had shoved up my nosemuch to the disgust of the girls in the roomand tossed them into the garbage. "Asshole, didn't have to break my nose," I muttered, shooting my father an angry glance.
His face glazed over with a touch of amusement, before he said, "You're lucky that's all I broke. Now...tell me what they said to you in the last call."
"I can do better than that," Cameron confirmed, spinning in his chair, and playing the last call that we'd heard, because Tink records everything.
The fact that we hadn't heard from them again was making the entire room on edge, but Cam and my Dad kept telling us that it was a good thing, that it was giving us more time to find him first. The longer they took to set up "their plan," the more time it gave us to find out more information about the people involved.
Ross stood up abruptly from the chair when we heard Juan and Cedrick in the background. It was worse the second time around, because Tink was able to isolate them away from the woman’s electronically altered voice. She was even able to de-scramble it to hear the ladies actual voice. We determined her accent to be either Russian or Polish. But what got to us was the background, when her voice was pulled away and the kids were turned up louder.
"Shh, shh, shh," Tink hissed, turning off the lady altogether and just bringing up background sounds. "Listen."
"Come on, kids," a male voice urged. "You gotta eat something, and you gotta take this medicine."
A part of me wanted to rejoice when I heard Juan while Doc had to bite back my tears, because he sounded angry and scared.
"I'm not sick! Only my mommy gives me medicine when I’m sick." he snapped. "I want my family, and they won't like you," he told him bravely.
There were soft cries woven in there, as well, which I could only assume to be Cedrick. The dynamic between the two little boys couldn't be greater, and I imagined that my nephew was taking the forefront, because he knew his little friend was shy. Juan was anything but shy.
I fell down hard into the closest chair, burying my hands into my hair. "Fuck," I hissed, feeling so fucking useless that it was stifling.
"God, he sounds like you, Roslyn" Tawny noted with a touch of pride but her eyes still worried and sad.. "But why were the voices muted like that?"
"Sounds to me like the kids were in another room, being taken care of by the men, while the lady made the phone call," Tink stated, studying her computer screen not looking our way. "I've tried to isolate other sounds, but I could only pick up a few things." This time, she did turn to us. "I could hear traffic, a buzzing sign, and what sounded like the bell of a railroad crossing. But this was the best sound," she said, hitting a button on the keyboard.
"Go get some ice from the machine down at the end of the hall," another male voice stated, and Tink stopped the playback.
"A hotel," Jackson nodded. "Sweet Jesus, that's perfect," he breathed.
"Yes, I'm running a hotel check throughout the area where the truck was stolen," Cam stated, but he didn't sound as hopeful as I'd thought he would. "I'm not sure what name we're looking for, and I'm pretty sure that they'll have paid with cash. If they've got a plan, they'll be ultra careful until they get back to us."
"But why haven't they called back?" Dario asked, sitting forward and leaning my elbows on my knees.
"My guess is," My dad mused as he paced along the back of the room, "that they have a goal as to where they want to be when they finally ask for the money. They'll want to set up, and it's not hurting them to make you sweat."
"Oh Adrian," Cameron winced, shaking his head. "Please control yourself with what I'm about to say, but I'm willing to bet that...Alyssa will be a negotiating stipulation when they finally ask. They'll want her and the money in trade for those boys."
I was shaking my head no before he even finished the sentence. "No, no, no!" I yelled, standing back up. "We can't lose her, too!"
“That was probably why the ransom was so low.” Dario thought.
"You won't lose her." My dad stood up, placing a hand on my shoulder. "But Cameron's right. These guys may want her instead, because if their plan was to hurt the Neil family to begin with. Taking them could have been just a very large way to get to what they really wantedAlyssa and the money."
I shook my head again, because this time, I just couldn't take any more without talking to her. "I needI have to talk to her," I finally said. She had been gone for over seven hours, and we needed her back.
Tink studied my face, and with a hit of three buttons, a ringing echoed through the room. “I am going to do this, but you guys aren’t going to like it.”
“Tink. I’m going to have to call you back.” She answered, after the third ring. Her voice sounded impatient, as if she had already talked to Tink before. “I’m literally just walking through the door.”
“Walking through the door?” Doc questioned.
Tink raised an eyebrow. “Yes, Chance here decided to go home. Literally.”
“You’re in New York?” I asked in disbelief.
Chance sighed blandly, “Thanks for the warning Tink. Yes, I am at my brownstone.”
“Alyssa Giselle, why on Earth are you there instead of here? We need you here? Have you forgotten about Juan?” Doc hissed.
“I could never forget Juanito Doc. I’m here because of him.” Alyssa swore, her voice ringing with truth. “Trust me.�
�
Doc massaged her temples looking up at the ceiling. “I need you here Alyssa. Everyone else is here, even Victor.”
“I will be back tomorrow I promise, first thing in the morning.” Her voice seemed to change at the sound of Victor’s name. “I have to go.”
And with a click she hung up, everyone turning to Tink and Kristen, the only two that weren’t surprised by her travels. Kristen shrugged rocking Makenna to sleep. “When she didn’t go straight home after, I had Tink hack into her ON-STAR.”
“And you didn’t say anything?” Asked not liking being left out of the loop.
“We called to make sure she was ok, and then directed our attention to what we needed to. The rest of you should do the same until she gets back.” Tink answered matter-of-factly.
I didn’t like finding things out second hand about my girl, but then again I deserved it. I just wanted her to come back to us, me. I looked over at Tawny, her fair skin was shadowed underneath her eyes. She had been up for forty-eight hours straight, and though she had done all-nighters with us in the past she hand never once looked this bad. “We should call it a night.” I suggested seeing that it was after four am.
“I think that’s a good idea man.” Macon agreed.
Kristen nodded wrapping her baby up and putting it in the car seat to take outside. “Liam, do you think Joanne would be willing to let Makenna stay with her? I don’t want her here until I know we’re all safe, and I couldn’t bear to send her to my parent’s on the opposite coast. ” Kristen had been extra careful with her since Juan was taken.
My dad nodded, “Of course Kristen. To be honest she was going to offer anyway. We will drive her out there in the morning. It will give me a chance to get a few things I need since I plan to stick close to DC until this is over.”
Macon slapped a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll put you and Victor up at our place.”
“I’m going to work a little more.” Doc yawned looking over Myles’s psychiatric profile.
Ross squatted beside her taking the folder gently out of her hands and putting it on the table. “Baby you need to sleep, you haven’t slept since…” She let the thought trail off, unable to say what happened.
“I can’tI can’t go home right now, Roslyn. It’s too much.” She revealed with her breath catching.
“You’ll stay in one of our guest rooms.” I insisted, not giving her an option to say no. “We will all report back here by ten a.m. Unless we get something before. Alyssa should be back by then.”
Ross nodded. “Thanks man. I’m going to get some of her stuff and bring it over later.”
“Good idea.” Jackson agreed practically having to force Tink up from her spot. “Let’s go dumpling.”
Tink yawned, “Alright, alright, alright.”
“You can sleep in this one.” I offered taking her past the room that Juan always slept in when he stayed over. Guessing that seeing all of Juan’s toys in the other one wouldn’t help much.
She nodded, lingering into the doorway for a bit before entering. “Thanks.”
“No problem, it’s the least that I could do.” She was the member of gravity I connected too first, she was the one that I went to with anything involving Alyssa, and her advice was never wrong. She was our therapist, doctor, mom, a wife, and a friend, and she was still shy of twenty four. It was easy to forget that she was so young at times, since she really was always the heart of everything.
“How are you feeling Doc?” I asked following in the room behind her taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
She rolled her eyes as if to say ‘where do I start?’ Then her face went grim as she decided to divulge. “Tired. Scared, not just for Juan but his friend Cedrick too. I feel bad for Mrs. Moretti because she is going through the same thing and she has no information. Guilty, because she is doing it all alone.
She’s been a single mom for about two years now, and she can’t even reach her ex husband to tell him that their son is missing. I feel guilty again, because I have this fantastic support system with Roslyn and the rest of you guys, Liam and Victor, I have information, not as much as I would like, but granted it isn’t nothing.”
She wiped her eyes, unable to hold the tears back anymore. There were no sobs with them just silent tears as she continued. “And I can’t break down you know? Because that won’t get Juan back. Not to mention keep you and Chance from killing each other.” I frowned when she confirmed that I was one of the causes of her stress. She amended it, though it wasn’t necessary, “Hell, everyone from killing each other. Kristen and Tink keeping secrets, Victor wanting to kill you, Alyssa storming off, it’s all a mess, and it isn’t how we work.”
I held her, letting her cry in my arms, releasing everything that she’d been holding in. When she was done, she pulled away, looking drained. “I’m going to let you get some rest ok? I’m down the hall and there are guys all outside the house.” And with a thank you from her I let her try to sleep.
The office was quiet again. There had been no word from Myles and the others, no phone calls, and most of my crew and friends were taking advantage of either a few hours sleep or the chance to go home and freshen up. Doc, Ross and Tink were here, the latter of which finally took a break, let me feed her, shove her in a shower upstairs, and force a nap on her. But she didn't stay down long, launching herself up from the sofa to go back to her computers.
My Dad and Kristen were on their way back from his house, taking Makenna to a safe place until this was all over. Victor and Dario had gone to the airport to pick up Jeff and Danny. My Dad called them as soon as he got the word, but with them being the only two that weren’t retired from the Merc life, they took a little time to get here. I shook my head at that thought, Gravity was turning into a military base. So much help was pouring in, andat this momentthere was nowhere to direct it.
Cam split his time in the office with us and out in the field. He paid a visit to Mrs. Moretti, to check in and to show that he was investigating Cedrick’s abduction, but he didn't give her much information.
It was early, but Cam had decided to pay David’s parents a visit himself. He was having a chat with Dr. Grubbs about his sonDavidand his friend Myles, and I was pretty sure he wasn't going to be kind about it, because he was nothing if not pissed about this whole fucking case.
I walked straight out of my office, and into the computer room finding it almost empty, except for Tink and a snoozing Jackson in one of the conference table chairs. His feet were up on the table and his head was back, a low snore escaping him every other breath.
"Wake him, and I'll cheerfully beat you," Tink snickered, handing me a cup of coffee. "He rarely sleeps as it is."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," I told her, following her back into her office. "Anything?"
"Cam just checked in. He's at the Grubbs house," she said, pulling up a spreadsheet on her screen. "I'm still looking into hotels around the Baltimore and D.C Area. I'm not having much luck, because if one person checked them in and someone else snuck the boys into the room, then no one is going to match the descriptions I'm sending themwhich is the dead end I'm running into." She took a sip of coffee and sighed. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," I told her. "I just..."
"Lost it," she finished for me her slanted eyes full of knowledge. "It's understandable, really."
I sighed, “I’m sorry I got so mad at you.”
“Forgiven,” She promised, still working. The woman was a machine. Her phone rang and she looked at it shaking her head and smiling. “Figured.” She put it on speaker so that she could continue working as she talked. “You’re late.”
“Traffic is a bitch.” Alyssa’s voice broadcasted, and my stomach dropped. There was music playing in the background, and the sound of driving. She had yet to call me, or return any of my calls.
Tink shook her head even though Alyssa couldn’t see it. “Excuses, excuses,
excuses. Hurry up and get here so that I can fill you in on what you’ve missed.”
“I’m looking at another hour tops.” She promised.
Tink frowned. “Did you get what you needed?”
“Yep, and a little bit more than I was expecting.” She revealed, her voice holding a hint of a smile. It made me curious because I didn’t know how to take it. “See you in a few Tinky, and let the others know that I’m coming with some help.”
Intermission- Mean Man, Nice Man
The light was bright when someone turned it on, and I jumped and covered my eyes with my hands.
"Get up, you brats," the mean man yelled. He was the man from the fieldtrip, the one that said mean things to my Tia Awyssa when he took us. He wasn't nice at all.
I tried hard not to cry, because the last time Cedrick and I did, it made the mean man so angry at us. He yelled and took away our dinner and the lady had to make him put away his gun.
Guns were dangerous. I knew that, 'cause my family always said so.
"Jesus, Myles, could you be more of an ass?" the other man asked, pushing him away. He closed the door after saying bad words. "Go pack your shit."
I sat up in bed next to Cedrick. I was still sleepy, because I didn't like strange beds. I liked it when my family woke me up or when I could wake them up. I missed them.
Cedrick wiggled away from them, closer to me. "Don't touch!" I told him, because Mommy always told me no one could touch me if I didn't want them to.
Myles went back to the room next door and left us with the man with black hair like my Mommy Roslyn, Aunt Tink, and Tia. This man wasn't as mean as MylesI didn't like him at all. This man was nicer.
"Fine, I won't touch," he said, holding up his hands and rolling his eyes. "But we gotta get going, so up. Outta bed."
The Law of Motion (Law Series) Page 10
