by Keya Jay
Chapter thirty-three: Ryder Ferris
Ryder paced back and forth trying his hardest to reel in his anger before it blew out of control. Nico was just about losing all of the self-control he had left in him, he was worse than Ryder.
“Man all we want to know is what you saw after he left, not before not during but after. Jeez!” he said smacking his fist into the nearest wall.
“Like I told your friend, I saw the little blond walking down this way he stopped for a cigarette and then he kept walking—”
“I SAID AFTER!” Nico hollered causing the man to back up in fear. The music was pounding in the place but Nico still managed to get his voice even higher than that. Everyone in the building just about looked into their direction at the sound of Nico’s out-burst.
“Look we pretty much know that Carter was here for the majority of the night, Nico went to the bathroom and Carter went outside to have a smoke. What happened after THAT?!” Ryder cut in.
“The boy stopped when a woman had approached him…” he stopped to recollect and Nico thought that it was the perfect time to question him farther on the woman.
“What did the woman look like, could you give an approximate on her age?” he asked.
“Umm it was a bit dark so my guess wouldn’t be all that accurate but I would say that she was about around yall’s age, 20 something maybe. She was tall, I don’t know what her face looked like because her back was facing me but she had long hair; it about reached her bottom.”
“Ok and so what did she do? Did she just talk to Carter, are you even sure it was her who took him?”
“I’m sure it was her but I wouldn’t say she took him he seemed to have gone willingly, for a split second it looked as though he thought about coming back here but then the woman said something that had him moving immediately.” Ryder continued his pace while Nico questioned the dud farther.
The bouncer seemed to be just repeating himself at this moment so Ryder left to see if he could try to calm down and maintain his average heartbeat, but that moment was immediately shot to hell when he saw Skylar and Brooke walking his way. They looked as if they were dressed for the party with little short dresses on but the party was just about over for him.
The girls seemed to not have noticed him as they continued their talk and entered the building. Ryder thought about calling out Skylar’s name but he thought better of it, he was in no mood to act cheerful or take any bullshit she decided to say to him.
Ryder continued his pace outside of the club; he went from curb to curb but still he felt as though he had been shocked by 50 volts of energy. He was pissed that Carter could be so careless as to wonder off by himself when there’s someone out there kidnapping and killing wisps. The description the bouncer gave did nothing to satisfy Ryder because the woman he described seemed just like any other. There was no telling who had taken him, but Carter’s not stupid and if he did go willingly without Nico then whatever it was had to be of some importance but it’s been over 3 hour now since he left and Ryder was getting worried. Ryder could see a piece of paper on the curb near the street where the bouncer had indicated that Carter was before getting in the car with the mysterious woman. He bent down and picked up the paper. It was a business card but it wasn’t just any business card, it was Hanks.
Ryder stormed back into the party and located the bouncer and Nico exactly where he had left them but now Skylar was among them no doubt just now finding out about Carter’s disappearance. Ryder interrupted whatever the hell they were talking about, not caring in the slightest as he did so. “Was there a man with the woman?” he asked the bouncer as he held the crumpled business card.
“Uh, no I just saw the woman.”
“Are you sure there was no man there at all?” he asked.
“Is it possible that there could have been a guy there, not really looking as though he was with the woman but there none the less?” Skylar asked. The bouncer looked as though he was trying to recall everything that had happened in case he was missing something.
“Oh!” he said as if a light bulb had just now gone off. “There was a man; as a matter of fact the woman had gotten into the back seat with your friend she said something before she got back out and the car drove away.”
“How the hell could you forget something like that?!” Nico asked.
“So you’re telling me the girl never stayed in the car with Carter, she left?” Ryder asked.
“Yes, I’m sure of it, I’m also sure that it was a male who was in the driver seat,” the bouncer said sounding all the more certain.
“Could you in any way describe what this man might have looked like?” Skylar asked. “I know you won’t be able to come up with exact details but anything would be good,” she added.
“No the windows where tinted, I only knew it was a man because I could see his shape behind the glass, and it wasn’t very feminine.”
“I don’t doubt that it was a male,” Ryder said as he left the club again and went back to where he had found the business card.
“Ryder!” Skylar called from behind him. Ryder didn’t bother turning around knowing that she would just come up to him. “I don’t mean to bother you,” he wanted to cut her off right there but just let her keep going. “But I know what you’re thinking. You think the man could have been Hank don’t you?”
“Does it not make sense?” he asked as he turned to face her finding nothing else on the ground.
“Well—” she began but Ryder cut her off knowing that she was going to disagree with him.
“I forgot, never mind,” he said as he went to go back into the club.
“You forgot what?” she asked as she stood there not bothering to follow him inside.
“How could Hank have done it when it was me remember?” he said as he continued to walk not bothering to look back at her. “I found this by the spot where you said the car was,” he said showing the bouncer the picture of Hank. “Do you think it could have been him?” he asked as he searched the bouncers face for recognition.
“I don’t know it could have been, but like I said I couldn’t really tell. Ryder looked back outside over his shoulder and he could see the shadow of Skylar walking away, not even bothering to come back into the club. Ryder thought about following her but finding Carter deemed more important. “Do you have any security footage?” Ryder asked the bouncer.
“Yes, but I don’t think it’ll be of any help we usually don’t get the video from that far across the street, only around the club entrances and exits.”
“I’d still like to see it,” Ryder said.
“Alright well then follow me,” he said motioning toward the two men. The men piled into the small control room and just as the bouncer had predicted there was no video from across the street, the cameras didn’t reach that far. “If it helps there is a pub across the street from us, maybe that got some footage,” he said as they all left the control room and went back into the club, where everyone went on about their business; oblivious to the crisis they were having.
“You want me to check it out?” Nico asked his voice calm for the first time, which was probably a bad sign.
“We’ll go together,” Ryder said as he went for the doors.
“Hey Uh Ryder, did you see Skylar?” Brooke asked she caught sight of him.
“No,” he said as he kept walking out the door and across the street with Nico in tow. When they got to the pub it didn’t look open, all of the lights were out and it didn’t look like a soul was in the place but the sign said open so Ryder and Nico entered.
“Surprise!” they heard from a collective of voices as the lights were suddenly flashed on. Ryder and Nico stood their stupidly as they gazed upon all of the once happy faces but not the not so happy faces as someone called out, “It isn’t them, get back down!”
“Umm, is the owner of this place present?” Nico asked as he held his hands out as not to anger the disappointed crowd.
“Who wants t
o know?” a woman from amongst the crowd spoke up.
“I’M Nico and this is my friend Ryder we just want to ask you a question, we didn’t mean to ruin the umm surprise party or anything we just want to know if it is possible for us to get a look at your security camera’s. Our friend went missing from the club across from your place and the video footage doesn’t reach over here and we’d just like to figure out who did it,” Nico explained politely. The woman looked as though she was contemplating this for a moment.
“We’re kind of in the middle of something, if you don’t mind waiting here for a moment until I can do as you request then that will be gladly appreciated. Ryder wanted to argue with the woman, he did not feel like sitting around but Nico spoke before he could.
“We’re fine with that,” he said as he walked toward where the woman was still half hiding. Ryder huffed as he followed Nico as he hid behind one of the over turned chairs. Ryder didn’t bother hiding, or squatting or anything of the sort. He stood there and as the woman stared at him he stared back but still didn’t bother to hide.
“Fine,” she said as if they had been silently communicating the whole time. “Ok people the lights are going back out,” she announced as everyone hushed up and got back into position. Ryder sighed as the lights went off, he stood there as people mumbled amongst themselves then someone announced, “Shhh I think someone’s coming,” and everything was quiet again. The bell over the door chimed and footsteps could be heard, the group of hiding people remained in their positions for a little while longer and as the door was heard closing they jumped and yelled surprise. As the lights came on the two newcomers froze. Ryder was sure that as he gazed upon the two men they were not who the surprise party was intended for. “Shit, I told you they were open,” one of the masked men said as he dragged his partner in crime out of the door and they began to run down the street.
“Did that really just almost happen?” One of the hiders asked shocked. Ryder wanted to laugh yet he found none of this funny.
“What’s going on?” a woman asked as she entered the pub holding onto a man’s hand with a confused look on her face.
“Surprise!” every yelled to the surprised and confused couple.
“Sorry, yall were supposed to come earlier instead we ended up yelling surprise to a couple of gentleman who only wished to see our security tapes, and two not so bright burglars,” the owner of the store announced as she got to her feet and walked over to hug the couple.
“I can’t believe yall did all of those,” the woman said.
“Or at least tried to,” the man beside her added. They all laughed as everyone got to their feet.
“I have to take care of these two gentlemen and then we’ll celebrate,” the woman announced to the couple as she walked toward Ryder and Nico and leaded them toward the back of the store. “I’m sorry about that fellas’ but thank you for being patient with me,” she said as she led them both into a dark room. Ryder and Nico entered and waited for the woman to turn on the lights, it took her some time finding the switch but soon the room was bathed in an orange glow. “Ok fella’s,” that’s all the tape I got,” she said as she led them toward it.
“Do you think you can rewind it a bit, I’ll tell you when to stop,” Nico said as he looked over the woman’s shoulder at the video.
“Stop!” Ryder said before Nico got a chance to.
“Right here,” the woman asked.
“Yes right there,” Ryder confirmed.
“What makes you so sure?” Nico asked confused.
“That’s Hank’s car,” Ryder said pointing toward the jet black Lamborghini.
“Ok well can you fast forward a little we need to see if that is for sure the car Carter had gotten into.” The woman did as Nico had asked and they all watched the clip in slow motion as the car stopped and the woman the Bouncer had seen came out of the care, they could not yet see if anyone was in the driver’s seat but they knew that someone was. They watched as the woman approached Carter and began to chat him up. Carter didn’t look in anyway threatened by the woman as they engaged in conversation. The woman looked frantic as she talked to Carter and you could tell that Carter was worried as he looked back toward the club before entering the car. Just as the bouncer had said, the woman slipped into the back seat with Carter and then soon got out and the care began to pull away but Ryder still couldn’t see any shadow of a man in the front seat, but the bouncer sounded absolutely positive that there was indeed a man in the front seat.
“Is that all you wanted to see gentleman?” the woman asked as they watched the car pull away.
“Yes, thank you,” Nico responded again.
“No problem, now I have to get back to the party so if you’ll excuse me,” she said as she followed them out.
“Hey,” Ryder called to the woman before he left; she stopped to face him but said nothing only giving a slight indication that he had her attention. “Those burglars will be back no doubt so make sure you lock everything up nice and good,” he advised before he left. Nico and Ryder returned back to the club with less information than they left with, they didn’t even know why exactly they were returning there was no other information for them here. “Hey I’m leaving man, I never wanted to come to this party any way’s,” Ryder announced to Nico.
“Alright I’ll just…keep an eye on this place,” he said unsurely. What he meant by that was ‘alright man I’ll stay here in hopes that Carter will come back’. Ryder Nodded at him and left the club. He felt bad for Nico but understood his pain completely. This was the third wisp in a week that has gone missing from Ryder’s so called protection and Ryder was pissed. Ryder could hear laughter from behind him; loud and obnoxious and realized that it was Brooke and some skinny blond kid. Ryder tried his hardest to ignore the two but the fact that Skylar wasn’t with them bothered him. Almost just as he thought it he could see what looked like Skylar and a woman he didn’t know having a conversation at the foot of her steps. A kid stood not the far away from the two and she was wandering around which was very dangerous, especially at night. Ryder walked over toward the little girl who looked to be about 2 or 3, he knelt down to her size and she looked up at him and smiled. Ryder was not very good with kids or people in general but then again he never tried to be.
“Hi there,” he said to the little girl. She didn’t look shy at all as she walked over toward him.
“Hi,” she said excitedly.
“What’s your name?” he asked as he attempted to smile at her encouragingly.
“My name is Larissa and I’m 3,” she said showing him how many on her little chubby fingers. Ryder’s attempted smile turned into a real one as she said it. She pronounced 3 as free and he found it cute. When he was little he was always told and always corrected on the right ways to say things and if he said it wrong he’d no doubt be punished for it.
“My name is Ryder and I’m 21,” he said back.
She looked at him confusingly before saying, “How many is that?” she asked as she held up her hands, wanting him to show her.
“Here do this,” he said as he took her chubby hands in his. “Make a two with this hand,” he said as he guided her hand into the correct number. “And make a one with this one,” he said guiding her other hand into the correct number.
“You use two!” she said excitedly.
“Yes,” he agreed as she proudly held up his age with her hands. “Mommy!” she called as she held her hands out in front of her and ran toward the woman who was currently speaking to Skylar. “Mommy?!” she called as she got closer. “Look!” she said once she had her mother’s attention. She held her hands out in front of her so her mother could see. “Wider dis many,” she said as she shoved her fingers in her mother’s face. Ryder smiled as he watched her. The woman turned toward Ryder as he was getting to his feet.
“Really?!” she asked with clear fake enthusiasm. “And did you tell him how may you were?” she asked. It seemed like the woman was testin
g the little girl and Ryder got mad, not at all liking that. That little girl put up three fingers and shoved them into her mother’s face.
“I this many,” she said with a bright smile, not realizing that that was just a test.
“Good job honey,” her mother said with more of that fake enthusiasm.
“Auntie Shky how many is you?” the girl asked as she walked toward Skylar.
“I’m this many,” Skylar said as she held a two up with her fingers and a zero.
“What’s dat?” the girl asked pointing to Skylar’s zero.
“It’s a zero,” she answered.
“Am I a zewo?” the girl asked.
“No you’re three,” her mother said.
“You know when you were born you were a zero,” Ryder said to the girl as he watched the girl pout from her mother’s tone of voice. The little girl looked over at Ryder and smiled, somehow happy with that answer.
“Are you ready to go inside?” Skylar asked the girl.
“Yes,” the mother answered for the girl, “how about we go inside, it’s dark out here,” she finished as she turned toward Skylar’s open door. Skylar and the woman and her daughter began to walk into the house and Ryder turned to leave.
