"You all set?" Zac asked AJ, who was looking at her reflection in the mirror hanging in the foyer, smoothing her hair.
"Yeah. Let's go," she replied, slinging her purse over her shoulder.
"Where are you going?" Kaitlyn asked, entering the foyer. Her hair was standing up in all different directions, and her eyes were still puffy from crying throughout the night. She wore a pleading expression, begging her uncle and AJ not to leave. As far as she was concerned, too many people keep walking away.
"We're going to see your Uncle Taylor and Aunt Laura," Zac told her, kneeling down so he was eye level with her. "We'll be back, and your Uncle Mac and Aunt Zoe are going to stay with you. I wish I could bring you. I really do, but it's no place for a young girl like yourself. Believe me Kaitlyn, I love you more than anything, but I have to go. I wish I didn't, but I do." Zac felt a lump forming in this throat. He knew that what Kaitlyn needed right now was stability, and he wished to God he could give it to her.
"I wanna go home, Uncle Zac." Kaitlyn immediately began to cry, and she wrapped her arms around her uncle's neck, squeezing tight. "Please, please, take me home. I wanna go home."
"Oh, Honey..." He rubbed his niece's back soothingly. "I would love to, but I don't think that's such a good idea..." He sighed. He wanted to make everything right for his niece. Unfortunately, he just didn't have that kind of power. It was up to his oldest brother and his sister-in-law to make things right.
Kaitlyn pulled away from her uncle and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, Uncle Zac," she told him, sniffling. "You're the best."
"Hey! I thought I was the best!" Mackie entered the foyer and quickly swept his niece into his arms, tickling her sides. Kaitlyn made him feel like he was a big brother all over again. Nothing gave him greater pleasure than putting a smile on the small girl's face.
"Uncle Mac! Uncle Mac, put me down!" Kaitlyn squealed and giggled with delight. "Uncle Mac, stop it!" she shouted, giggling as her uncle continued to tickle her. "Okay! Okay! You're the best! You're the best!"
"That's what I thought you said," Mac said, setting his niece back down on the floor. "Now what do you say we make your grandmother some breakfast. How does pancakes sound?" He held out his hand so he could lead Kaitlyn to the kitchen.
"Sounds good to me. I'm starving." She blushed, and her hands immediately covered her stomach as it growled. She giggled. "Told you so." Slowly, she turned around to face her other uncle. "Bye, Uncle Zac," she whispered, embracing him again.
"Goodbye, Sweetheart. Keep an eye on your Uncle Mac for me, and make sure he doesn't burn the house down." Zac brushed Kaitlyn's bangs away from her eyes and kissed her forehead.
"I will." Then she slipped her hand in Mackie's, and followed him to the kitchen.
Zac stood up, feeling the ache in his knees after kneeling for so long. As he turned towards his girlfriend, he saw that her back was to him, and her shoulders were shaking slightly. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, turning her around so she faced him.
She picked up her tear-stained face. "Before... When she said... And then you said... It broke my heart." A fresh batch of tears rolled down her cheeks, and she buried her face in Zac's chest. "I wish there was something more I could do for her," she sobbed.
"Me too, Sweetie. Me too," he whispered, holding onto AJ for dear life. "Oh, you're shaking..." he said, stroking his girlfriend's hair. "Do you want to go in the bathroom and splash water on your face? Do you want a drink of water? Tell me what you need, Sweetie."
"I need to get out of here. I don't want Kaitlyn seeing me like this. She's been through enough." AJ wiped her eyes with the back of her hands and sniffed.
"Are you sure? 'Cause we can stay for a bit."
"No, I'll compose myself in the car. Let's go see Laura and Tay." AJ put her hand in Zac's, and the couple left the house.
Madeline's tired eyes slowly opened. Her body was sore from sleeping on the hardwood floor. She quickly sat up, momentarily forgetting where she was, and try to familiarize herself with the drab surroundings. As soon as her eyes fell on remaining food from McDonald's which she had not finished eating last night, everything flooded back to her.
The card game, the yelling and swearing, the shove, being locked in the room, and the cold food meant to be eaten hours earlier. Her shoulders shook with fear as she wondered how she got here in the first place. Maddy looked around the room again, and noticed some rays of sunlight coming through the small window much too high for her to reach. This was odd, since one of the two men, usually Waldo, let her out of the room around now so she could go to the bathroom. She hoped one of them showed up soon because she really had to go. It didn't help that she drank all of that large soda last night as she ate the cold fries.
The soda! As Maddy looked at the empty cup, she remembered that Waldo had not locked the door last night after he left the food in her room. And even though she was taking a big risk, she quietly crept up to the door and slowly tried to turn the knob. When it turned, she carefully opened the door.
She peaked her head out, looking left, right, and then left again. The bathroom was near the kitchen. However, getting there meant passing her kidnappers, and not waking them should they still be asleep. On her hands and knees, Madeline crawled down the narrow hallway, stopping at the living room entrance. Actually, it wasn't much of a living room. With the exception of a ratty couch, the room was completely bare. The man who had pushed her, Frankie, was lying on the couch. Had his chest not been rising and falling, Maddy would have thought he was dead. The other man, Waldo, was lying on the floor on his back, his face turned towards her. She sucked in her breath, and carefully crawled towards the kitchen.
Just as she approached the doorway, a floorboard underneath her creaked. Madeline froze, fearing what would happen if the noise had disturbed one of her captors. She looked at the two for signs that they had awaken. Frankie's only movements were the continuing rise and fall of his chest with his breathing. She looked at Waldo. Maddy blinked a few times, not sure if she should believe what she thought she saw. Did he really open his eyes, look at her, and then close his eyes? She waited a few seconds. When he didn't move, she crawled into the kitchen.
Madeline stood up and looked around. The table was littered with brown glass bottles. She tipped-toed over to the table and picked one up, sniffing it. Beer. She placed it back down on the table and noticed something she had never seen before. On the floor in the corner was a telephone. Knowing at this point she really didn't have much to lose, she crawled under the table and reached to pick up the receiver. She dialed the familiar numbers...
"So, you still haven't heard anything?" AJ asked, accepting the cup of coffee from Taylor.
"Nope, not a word." He sighed and sunk into the chair across from his brother's girlfriend. "It makes me angry. Yesterday they said they would have an update now that they what the guys look like. But I guess I should be thankful that we at least have that. If it wasn't for Rick, we would have nothing."
Rick leaned against the kitchen counter and looked down into his cup of coffee. He was only here because Taylor insisted he be. But still, deep down, he knew it was wrong. This was a family matter. Showing up on the doorstep of the woman you had a one night stand with nine years ago hardly constitutes a family.
"Really? Who is it, Rick?" AJ turned to face her friend. She could only manage how awkward he felt right about now. She wanted to make sure he was included.
"You know those two guys who got out on parole, and you called to warn me about them?"
"Oh my God! Them? I don't believe this!" She quickly stood up. The anger consumed her body, and she knew it was just a matter of seconds before it overtook her completely. At times like this, she needed a physical release. For now, pacing across the linoleum floor would have to do.
"Tell me about it," Laura muttered under her breath, glaring at Rick. Once again, she couldn't believe her husband had the audacity to invite this man into their home. What the hell was Taylor thinking?
Taylor shot his wife a look. He was in no mood for her smart remarks right now. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get the words out, the doorbell rang. He shot Laura a look, warning her to watch her mouth, before he got up to answer the door. When he returned, Officer O'Brien was in tow.
"Good morning everyone. I'm sorry to disturb you, but I want to hook this up to your phone," he said, holding up a small brief case. "That way, if the kidnappers contact you, we can trace the call to where it was made."
"Sure, officer. The phone's right over there," Laura said, point to the telephone hanging on the wall near the refrigerator.
"This won't take long, and then I'll be out of your hair," Officer O'Brien said, getting to work. Minutes later he stood up, wiping his hands on his slacks. "All done. Now, let me tell you how this works." He pointed to a small screen. "After you've been on for one minute, this will give you the phone number and address from where the call was made. WRITE IT DOWN. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT go to the address yourself. The phone number and address will show up on our monitors at the station, but call us anyway. If it's a number or address you're unfamiliar with, call the station. And from now on, I want only Taylor or Laura to answer the phone," he told the family. "Are we all clear on that?"
"Yes, sir," the family mumbled.
Just then, the telephone rang. Everyone looked at one another, and slowly Taylor picked up the phone. "Hello?" he said nervously, his voice cracking slightly.
"DADDY! Daddy, please come get me! Daddy, please take me home!" the young voice cried.
"Oh my God! Maddy? Maddy, is that really you? Are you all right, Honey?" Immediately, tears of relief rolled down Taylor's cheeks. Thank God his daughter was alive. In a flash, the family crowded around Taylor, and Laura wrapped her arms around his waist. Officer O'Brien stood in front of the small screen, ready to copy down the phone number and address. Only AJ and Rick hung back a little, watching the scene unfold before them.
"I'm not all right, Daddy. I'm scared. I'm wanna go home. Please take me home." Madeline began to sob. "Just take me away from here."
"Oh, Honey... We're going to. I promise we're going to, and we'll never be separated again. I just need you to stay on the phone a bit longer so the police can come and get you." Taylor wiped away his tears with the heel of his right hand and swallowed hard. "I love you, Madeline. You know that, right? Your mother and I, we love you very much."
"I love you too, Daddy. I promise I'll never go anywhere without you again. I just want to go home." Her voice became raspy as she began to cry harder. "I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, Sweetie. You did nothing wrong." Taylor squeezed his eyes shut and wrapped his free arm tight around his wife's waist. He was relieved Maddy was okay, but hearing her apologize and beg to come home was breaking his heart right in two.
"Got it! Tell her to stay put; we're on our way," he told Taylor. Then he pulled a walkie talkie out of his inside jacket pocket. "K-9-5, this is O'Brien. The missing 8-year-old, one Madeline Hanson, has been located. All available vehicles are to turn around and be en route, destination: the old trailer yard on Burbank Street. Over." He quickly turned around and faced the family. "Stay put. No one move. I'll call you when we got her. Understood?" When the family all nodded, he quickly left the house for his cop car.
"Okay. Maddy, I need you to hang up the phone and sit tight now. The police are coming for you. Okay?" Right now, the LAST thing Taylor wanted to was hang up the phone. He had to be there for his daughter. She needed him. But in order for her to be safe, this call had to be as short as possible. So even though it was killing him, Taylor knew in his gut that he had to hang up the phone.
"I don't want to Daddy. I need you. Please don't make me hang up." Maddy began to cry again. She needed her father to reassure her, tell her everything was going to be okay. Maybe if her dad kept telling her that, she would start to believe it. Because right now, she never felt more terrified in her entire life.
"Madeline... Madeline, I need you to trust me. Please, Sweetie, hang up the phone and stay put. The police are on their way." A fresh batch of tears slid down his already damp cheeks. His fingers intertwined with his wife's, and he silently vowed never to let Madeline out of his sight ever again. He NEVER wanted to feel this horrible, gut-wrenching feeling EVER again.
"I... I trust you, Daddy. I'll... I'll hang up now. Bye, Daddy."
"See you soon, Sweetie." Taylor didn't hang up the phone until he heard the click on the other end of the line. He immediately wrapped his arms tight around his wife. "Our daughter's coming home. She's okay and she's coming home." A wave of relief overwhelmed him. Finally, this nightmare was coming to an end.
With Taylor's announcement, the entire family cried and hugged. The first person Zac wrapped his arms around was his younger sister, Jessica. When the pulled apart, he had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He looked around the room, anxious and filled with worry. He felt his knees buckle underneath him when what he saw sunk in. "Hey! Has anybody seen AJ or Rick?"
"You're nuts, you know that? You can't do this!" Rick told AJ. He once again tried to grab her arm, and she once again successfully wriggled out of his grasp.
"The hell I can't! My niece needs me." AJ kept her pace brisk and looked straight ahead. No one was going to talk her out of this. No one.
"They'll never let you near the place. It'll be surrounded by cop cars. They're not going to let your rental through," Rick said, trying to be the voice of reason. He knew AJ was a headstrong woman, but this was getting out of hand. Didn't she know all she was doing was risking Madeline's life and her own?
"Who said I'm going in the rental?" AJ stopped and stood in front of Officer O'Brien's blue Sedan. He had been driving this car instead of a marked police car so all his visits wouldn't look suspicious. He didn't want the neighbors to know something was wrong.
"Oh, no. No, I absolutely forbid it. No way, AJ." Rick stood in front of the back door of the car. She would have to get through him first if she planned on getting into this car.
"Keep dreaming, Buster," AJ said, quickly darting around to the other side of the car, opening the door, and climbing in. She pulled the door shut behind her, and covered herself with the blanket on the back seat.
Rick opened the door. "AJ, get the hell out of the car."
"No," she replied, her voice muffled under the blanket.
"Fine. Move over then. If you're going, I'm going with you." AJ moved over and Rick climbed in, pulling the door shut and covering himself with the blanket. As the two did their best to keep low and hidden, they heard footsteps coming towards the car. Officer O'Brien got in, started it, and the blue Sedan quickly made its way to the old trailer park on Burbank street.
Isaac got into his car, slipped the key into the ignition, and started it. He fiddled with the radio as he waited for his wife to come out of the house, so he could take her to her appointment. Ike rolled his head in circles in attempt to stretch his neck. He was stiff from sleeping on the floor in the hallway last night. And although the hallway floor wasn't the most comfortable, having his wife in his arms again was enough to make him forget his discomfort.
The passenger door opened, and Rebecca got inside the car. "All set?" Ike asked.
"Yeah. I called your parents' house. Mackie answered the phone. I told him we're going out, but to beep us if he hears anything." She fastened her seat belt.
He nodded his head. "Good. Thanks. Do you... want to pick up Kaitlyn when we're done?" Ike knew he and his wife still had plenty to discuss, but didn't want their daughter to think her parents abandoned her either.
"That sounds fine. The three of us should spend some time together, huh?"
"Mmm... Those were the lines I was thinking along." Ike began to back the car out of the driveway. "Who's your appointment with, Bec?"
She swallowed before speaking. "Dr. Simon."
"Dr. Simon..." Isaac repeated the name of his wife's gynecologist. "Is he still on 23rd Street?" He tried to be nonchalant.
"Uh-huh..." Becca shifted in her seat, and stared out the passenger window. Rain began to fall from the grey sky, and she counted the fat drops as they hit the glass.
Ike switched on the wipers. "Is... is this some sort of follow-up exam?"
"Kinda..."
"Kinda?"
"Yeah."
"Could you... maybe... elaborate on that?" He turned to look at his wife, but only saw the back of her head.
I see the distant lights ahead... Another hour or so, and I'll be back in bed... I guess I really thought that I was gone for good... But you know I never could...
"I'm having some tests done." Becca's voice was barely above a whisper as she watched the rain come down harder, the cold water replenishing the grass, which had turned greenish-yellowish as a result of the recent drought.
"Tests? What kind of tests?" Ike pulled the car over to the side of the road in front of an old house, different from the rest on the street. A single oak tree stood in the front yard, and the porch swing began to move back and forth as the wind picked up. "Bec, Honey, is something wrong? If there's something wrong, please, tell me." He threw the car into park, and placed a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Bec, look at me."
Only love... Could make me turn around... And makes these tears come tumbling down... Only love...
Rebecca shifted in her seat so she could face her husband, eyes filling with tears and bottom lip quivering. "I... I wanna know... if it was a fluke... and I really can... carry a baby to term."
"Oh... Bec..." Ike unfastened his seat belt and leaned in to embrace his wife. "You don't have to do this. It doesn't matter."
She placed her hands on Ike's chest, and pushed him away. "How can you say that?" Becca's eyes were filled with both tears and hurt. "Of course it matters!" Her hands shook as she fumbled to unfasten the seat belt. She opened the door, jumping out of the car and into the pouring rain. The roots of the oak tree cracked the sidewalk, and Becca cursed under her breath as she tripped on the broken pavement.
I wish that I could be that strong... You see me as I am, and love me right or wrong... I guess I'm still afraid to only say goodbye... So I keep it all inside...
Isaac got out of the car, stood behind his shaking wife, and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Rebecca, Honey, I love you. It doesn't matter if we have five more kids, or none at all." He sighed. "I didn't marry you for the sole purpose of having children. I married you because I love you, and want to be with you, always."
Again, Rebecca left her husband's embrace. She brushed her cold, wet hair out of her face as she turned to face him. "Ike, you want kids. Plural, more than one. And I might not be able to give you that. I'm not what you want or need." She choked on a sob.
"Do you really believe that?" He looked at his wife in disbelief. How could she say a thing like that?
Rebecca only nodded her head.
"Then why are we still together?"
So I try to run, but no matter what I do... I know it's true... I can't go on without you...
Becca put her head in her hands and dropped to the sidewalk, crying. Isaac knelt down in front of her, wrapping his arms around her. "Come on. Let's go home. You don't need to do this now. It's not important."
"It is to me." She sniffed.
"Why?" He brushed his wet hair out of his eyes, and then pulled Becca's hands away from her face, forcing her to look at him.
"I... I want to make sure... that you have a reason to stay with me..." Her teeth were chattering from being out in the cold rain.
Isaac gently kissed his wife's lips. "I already have all the reasons I'll ever need. I love you."
Only love... Could make you stay with me... I doubt myself, but you believe... Only love...
Isaac let out a frustrated sigh, and put the three-month-old issue of Time back in the magazine rack. He sat back down, and shifted in his seat. Not that it mattered, though. There was no way he could relax and be comfortable right now. Hell, he could be sunning himself on a beach in the Caribbean and still be tense. It was all this waiting that was making him crazy. What the hell was taking Becca so long? What was going on in there? What if Dr. Simon was telling her she couldn't have any more children? Damnit! He wished Becca had let him go in with her. He wanted to be there for her.
He continued to curse himself out for staying in the waiting room and fidget nervously when a young man sat down next to him. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, and was staring at a magazine, although it didn't seem that the words were registering. Finally, the man gave up, throwing the magazine onto the floor and crossing his arms in front of his chest. The man turned to Isaac. "So, how long have you been waiting?"
"Hour and a half. You?"
"I just got here. I dropped off my wife, and then ran a few errands. I thought she'd be done by now... Oh, I'm sorry. Where are my manners? I'm Steven." He extended his right hand.
"Isaac." He shook Steven's hand.
"Nice to meet you, Isaac."
"Same here. And please, call me Ike."
"Okay, Ike. So, does it normally take this long?" Steven asked, shifting in his seat so he could face his new friend.
"You know, to be honest, I'm not the right person to ask. This is my first time here."
"Really?"
"Yeah. And I'm guessing this is your first time, too." The corners of Ike's mouth turned up.
"Oh, yeah. We've only been married a year. We were college sweethearts. Now she thinks she's pregnant. And to be honest, I'm kinda scared. I just don't know if..."
"If you're ready to be a father. I understand, and it's natural, believe me. I felt the same way when I found out that Becca, that's my wife, was pregnant with Kaitlyn." Isaac couldn't believe this. Here he was, waiting to see if he and Rebecca would be able to have children, and he's talking to some random stranger in a gynecologist's waiting room. It had all the makings of a Lifetime made-for-TV movie.
"How old is Kaitlyn now?"
Ike pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, and showed Steven a picture of his daughter. "She just turned five, and is the most amazing thing. I was so excited when Becca told me she was pregnant. Then I was scared that I wouldn't be a good enough father. But when I held Kaitlyn for the first time... The only other thing in my life that felt so right so was marrying Rebecca." His eyes became glassy as he stared out into space, the memories flooding his mind.
"Sounds like you got a great family, there. I can only hope that I'm so lucky..." Steven smiled nervously.
"Oh, I'm sure you will be. You're off to a great start already. You're here. I was out of town when Becca found out she was pregnant for the first time. I wish I had been here when she came for her second pregnancy test, especially since she miscarried." Isaac bit his bottom lip. Should he really be telling a stranger all this? It's really not any of his business, is it? But at the same time, it felt unbelievably good to talk about this. All the time that he's known Becca, Ike could never understand how she could strike up conversations with complete strangers, like in department stores. Now, sitting here talking to Steven, he was beginning to understand.
"I'm sorry to hear that. It must've been hard..."
Ike nodded his head in agreement. "It was, but we're getting through it."
"What else can you do?"
"Exactly."
A door opened, and Becca stood in the doorway, staring at her husband. He stood up, looking at her expectantly, holding his breath. Ike continued to stare as a grin slowly spread across his wife's face. She nodded her head yes, and in a flash his arms were around her, lifting her off the ground. "See? I told you everything would be okay." Ike set her down, and ran his fingers through her hair.
"Yup. You were right. The plumbing's fine. So, whenever we're ready..." Rebecca giggled.
He hugged his wife again. "You sound like your old self again."
"I FEEL like my old self."
"Oh, I want you to meet someone." Ike took Becca by the hand, and walked to where Steven was still sitting. "Becca, I'd like you to meet Steven. Steven, this is my wife, Becca."
The two shook hands. "Nice to meet you, Becca."
She smiled. "Same here."
Just then, a small beeping sound filled the waiting room, and Ike pulled his pager out of his pocket. "It's Mackie."
"Here. Ask the nurse to use the phone."
Ike walked up to the window. "Excuse me. May I use your phone?"
The nurse frowned. "The phone isn't for patients."
"Please? It's a local call, and an emergency," Becca explained.
"Boy, if I had a dime for every time I heard that one..."
"Look! My niece has been kidnapped, and my brother just beeped me. Please, let me use your phone!" Ike was becoming frustrated, and was ready to reach in through the window and grab the phone himself.
Dr. Simon walked up behind the nurse. "Is there a problem here?" he asked.
"Yeah. The nurse won't let us use the phone," Becca explained.
"Lucille, let them use the phone," said Dr. Simon.
Lucille picked up the phone and handed it to Ike. He quickly picked up the receiver, and called his younger brother, who picked up on the first ring. "Mac! It's me. What's going on?" Ike nodded his head, said a few 'uh-huhs,' and then hung up the phone. "Thank you, Lucille," he told the nurse, handing her the phone with a look of disgust on his face. He turned to his wife. "We gotta get to Taylor's. Mackie said he and Zoe will keep an eye on Kaitlyn."
"Ike, what's going on?" Becca wore a worried expression.
"They found Maddy."
The blue Sedan stopped short in the old trailer park on Burbank Street. The sudden stop sent AJ's body into the back of the driver's seat. "What the...?" The sudden pressure took Officer O'Brien off guard. He cut the engine, turned around in his seat, and grabbed the blanket which appeared to be levitating from the car floor. He groaned at what he saw. "What the hell are you two doing here? I thought I told everyone to stay at the house?"
AJ sat up. "I'm here to get my niece back. And actually, you told Taylor and Laura to stay at the house." She crossed her arms in front of her chest, letting the gesture tell him she had no intentions of leaving.
Officer O'Brien rolled his eyes, not believing what a smartass this young woman in his back seat was. She had to be out of her mind for tagging along. He looked at the man, who was looking at the brunette with an expression of disbelief on his face. "What's your excuse?" he asked the male stowaway.
"You see how she is," Rick answered, pointing at AJ. "You actually think I'd let her come alone? Lord knows what kind of trouble she'd get herself into."
"I'm not leaving," AJ told the two men.
"Fine. Don't leave. But don't think you're getting out of the car, either. Both of you. You're staying put. I don't care if you have to go to the bathroom. Hold it. We have no idea what's going on in there, or what we're dealing with. So, I want the TWO OF YOU," Officer O'Brien said, pointing at the both of them, "to stay put. Am I making myself clear?"
"Yes," the two stowaways answered.
"Good." He got out of the car and walked towards one of the other officers. As soon as his back was turned, AJ got out of the car.
Rick followed her. "What the hell is wrong with you? Are you deaf, or something? He said to stay put." He had trouble deciding if she was brave, or just plain stupid.
"Oh, relax. I'm not going anywhere. I just want a better look at what's going on." AJ looked at the trailer house, and a lump formed in her throat picturing Madeline in there with those two awful men. They had to get her out of there. Now.
After Madeline had hung up the phone, she quickly and quietly crawled back to her room. She didn't want to find out what would happen if either of the two men found out she had called home, because she knew, whatever happened, it wouldn't be good.
She was curled up in a ball on the lumpy mattress when she heard Frankie swear in the living room. "Holy fuck! Waldo! Waldo, get up! The fuzz is here, damnit! How the hell did they know where to find us?"
Madeline hugged her knees to her chest real tight. She knew what was about to happen next. And sure enough, it did. Frankie kicked in her door, knocking it off the hinges. "You! You did this!" He pointed and walked towards her. However, he wasn't too steady on his feet, no doubt a result of the over-consumption of alcohol the night before. "You little bitch! What did you do?"
"Nothing," she told him in a soft voice, although she knew it wouldn't make any difference. She knew she was going to be blamed for whatever happened here on in. That's just the way this man was.
"You stupid little fuck! You're lying!" The back of Frankie's right hand connected with Madeline's right cheek. "You did this!"
"Frankie! Frankie, forget it. Let's just get the hell out of here." Waldo placed himself between his partner and the young girl.
"How, asshole? The fuzz have this place surrounded." He glared at the man standing before him, his nostrils flaring with rage. How did he end up with a partner as stupid as this one?
"We have her," Waldo said, pointing to Madeline. "She's our hostage. No one's going to shoot at us as long as we have her with us."
Maddy's eyes widened at the word 'shoot.' She knew the situation was serious, but once guns became involved it escalated to a whole new level.
Slowly, a sinister grin spread across Frankie's face. "Waldo, my man, you're a genius." But his smile quickly faded. " Get up! Get up!" he shouted at his young captive, pulling her into a standing position. "You're my ticket to freedom," he slurred. Then, with Waldo hot on his heels, Frankie dragged Madeline out of the room.
AJ paced back and forth, arms crossed in front of her chest and staring at the gravel. What the hell was taking so long? Shouldn't they have gotten Maddy out of there by now? Her heart told her yes, but her mind knew better. The cops had a close surveillance on the trailer, but so far there's been no indication that anyone is inside. AJ stopped pacing and looked up when she heard the police lock their positions, ready to fire their guns. A wave of nausea crashed over her and she felt her legs start to buckle. Madeline and the two men had emerged from the trailer. The taller man had his left arm wrapped around her niece, holding her tight. In his right hand was a gun, the barrel pressed against the girl's temple. The shorter man was in tow.
"Put down your weapons, otherwise I'll have to shoot this cute little girl!" Frankie shouted. He tightened his grip on Maddy. "Move forward slowly," he told the girl, once the police had lowered their weapons.
Madeline moved forward, taking baby steps. She looked straight ahead, and as soon as she saw her aunt, she wanted to run towards her. Then she saw him. A man. A man that was not her uncle put his arm around his aunt. The sight caught her off guard, and she stopped short.
Frankie stumbled a bit when his captive stopped short. Waldo saw his window of opportunity. He elbowed his partner in the back, who released his grip of Madeline with the onset of pain. "Run!" Waldo told the young girl.
Maddy didn't have to be told twice. She immediately took off, running towards her aunt. In all the time she's been playing soccer, she's never run this fast before. All she wanted to do is break free of this nightmare.
AJ doesn't think; she's a doer. So when her niece broke into a sprint, she did as well. "Madeline!" she shouted, running as fast as she could.
"Damnit!" Officer O'Brien cursed under his breath. As soon as Madeline broke free of the man's grasp, his raised their weapons again. Unfortunately, there was no way they could get a clear shot. The girl and the young woman were directly in the line of fire.
It all happened so fast. First the three were walking towards them, a gun pressed against Madeline's head. Then she stopped, and Frankie stumbled. Waldo began to wrestle him for the gun, and Maddy took off running. Immediately, AJ burst into a sprint as well. Carefully watching everyone, Rick slowly followed AJ. First he was walking. Then he quickened his pace. When it looked like Waldo was about to lose the wrestling match, he broke out into an all-out run, determined to get the girls out of harm's way.
Filled with anger beyond belief, Frankie used his left arm to elbow his partner in the stomach, who was standing behind him. He successfully pulled the gun out of Waldo's hand, and tried to regain his footing. He raised the gun, and although he had some trouble focusing, tried to take aim on the three people he felt deserved to suffer as much as he had. "No!" Waldo shouted, jumping on Frankie's back, knocking him down - but not before he pulled the trigger.