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Chapter 16


Kevin stared up at the ceiling, his hands folded peacefully on his chest. On the inside, though, he was
a mess. He could feel the blood sliding coolly through his veins, no longer holding the warmth for life
that it had possessed only a few weeks earlier. His heart, in fits of emotion, would pulse harder and
harder until it burst. But somehow, it always came back together again to start another cycle.

No, nothing was right. Nothing at all.

It didn’t even feel right to be in this house without Brian. It didn’t feel right to be in this room.

Every time the man closed his eyes, he found visions there, memories from years that he had left lying
around in the floor of his deep mind. There was young Kevin and young Brian playing Star Wars until
they were hollered at that dinner was ready. He could almost smell that aroma of homemade country
food wafting down the hall now. Unconsciously, the man closed his eyes once again.

This time, he found the face of a woman, torn and distraught. A woman he had let down.

“Now Kevin, if Brian goes with you, you’ll take care of him, right?” Jackie Littrell had asked as her son
packed his bags to move down to Orlando. The summer was beginning to rise in the air of Lexington,
Kentucky.

“Don’t worry, Jackie, he’ll be fine. There’s actually two other guys that are younger than Bri.” Kevin
had stated confidently, smiling at his cousin as he came out of the house carrying three suitcases that
seemed to weigh down his small figure.

“Well, you know how weak he is. I don’t want him to over-..” The nervous mother was wringing her
hands together, so apprehensive about letting her ‘baby duck’ go.

“MOM!” Brian laughed, slapping his hand to his forehead. “I’ll be okay.”

“Okay.” She sighed, pulling her son into a warm embrace. “You listen to Kevin, alright? He knows
what’s best for you.” At the same time, she gave Kevin a look that let him know that nothing should
happen to Brian.

They had drove off to the airport that day, leaving the rolling hills of Kentucky for a life of fame in
Orlando, Florida. Kevin still remembered the way Brian had looked that day. Clad in jeans and a
striped button down shirt, his hair was parted to the side and the look on his face was a mixture of
excitement and fear. The boy, barely 18, had even shed a few tears as they pulled out of the driveway
that day. Kevin reassured him that they would come back here soon. They would be happy, healthy,
and rich.

Kevin had never thought to tell him of all the bad things that could happen. He never thought it WOULD
happen to them. But, he had pulled into that same driveway yesterday that he had pulled out of 14
years earlier….

….and Brian wasn’t with him. He didn’t know where Brian was. He had let his aunt down. He had let
his whole family down. Kevin felt his heart beginning to quicken it’s pace again. His hands began to
shake and become moist with anxiety.

“Not my baby.” She had cried.

“Why do they want him?” Brian’s father was crying too.

“Where’s daddy and mommy?” Little Emily had entered the kitchen with Nicole and Zach in tow.

“I miss daddy.” Nicole had said, pulling on Howie’s pant leg.

“Momma.” It was Zach’s only word.

“No…God, please. Please stop…” Kevin’s eyes creased as they shut tighter, tears spilled down the
sides of his face. The man pulled his hands up to his face, pressing his wrists into his closed eyes.
Suddenly, he felt ten years older than he actually was. "You’re breaking’ down too easy." Kevin spoke
to the darkness.

"Uncle Kevin?"

The small voice spun a knot in Kevin’s stomach. He quickly wiped away the sadness in his eyes and sat
up, ignoring the strong pains in his head. "Yeah, sweetie? What’re you doing up?"

"Emmy’s cryin’." It was then that Kevin noticed the smaller girl desperately hanging on to Nicole’s
hand. "She wants her mommy and daddy."

"Oh." The dark man stood, pushing back the emotion that stung his eyes. Reaching the door, he bent
down to eye level with the girls. "They’ll be home soon, Em."

"I…miss my mommy and daddy too." Nicole’s voice was less confident this time.

"I do too, Nikki." He said, moving a piece of blonde hair out of the girl’s eyes.

That’s when Kevin felt two pairs of arms secure around his neck.

And there, in his arms, were his two chances to make things a little bit better.

"C’mon. Let’s go to y’all’s room and we’ll talk about it." Kevin stood again, lifting Emily into his arms
and holding Nicole’s hand. "Where’s Zach?"

"Still sleeping." One the girls answered.

Kevin nodded, reaching the kids’ room and turning on a small lamp by the girls’ beds. "Okay girls," He
started, straightening out the covers and sitting on them, Emily and Nicole on either side of him, resting
their heads on his chest. “How about I tell you some stories about your mommies and daddies?”

“Well, let me see. Nikki, you came first. Your parents were so excited to find out that they were going
to have tw-” Kevin paused, remembering Nick Jr. He couldn’t even remember the last time anyone had
been to visit the baby’s grave. The man swallowed and continued. “When they were going to have
you.”

“Dude, Kev’s gonna kill you.” Brian whispered as Nick bounced into the meeting 15 minutes late and
took a seat beside him.

“I know. I saw the look.” Surprisingly though, Nick still had a smile drawn across his face. “And I don’t
care.”

“What’s wrong with you, man? You smoke something?” Brian spoke again, attention still being kept on
the management speaker.

“He obviously got some last night.” AJ whispered from where he was turned in front of Nick.

A stern look from Kevin had sent the three of them back into silence. But it wouldn’t last long.

Nick was doodling on an itinerary paper when Brian tapped him on the shoulder. “What’s Jenn doing
in the window?” He inquired.

The blonde’s head shot up quickly. Jenn was indeed standing there, a glow about her. When his blue
eyes reached hers, he had known before she even nodded her head.

“YESSS!!” Nick stole everyone’s attention , his exclamation breaking the drones of the room. Before
anyone could say anything, he was out of the door, picking his girlfriend up and spinning her like they
had just won the lottery.

“What just happened?” Howie asked Brian, scooting his chair closer, still whispering.

The answer came from Nick who bounded through the door again. “I’m gonna be a daddy!!”

Suddenly, the meeting wasn’t such a big deal and even Kevin stood to congratulate Nick and Jenn.


Kevin smiled just as he had then. Those past few months had been the happiest Nick had been in a
while. Ever since he had met Jenn. She gave him hope. He had given her all the love that he had.
Kevin closed his emerald eyes and said a silent prayer for the two. They were still so young…

“Me, Kevy.” Emily patted her small hand against his stomach, looking up with questioning eyes.

Kevin smirked and held her hand in his, recollecting more things from his memory.

“Weeeelll,” He started, “Your daddy and I were painting your room and your mommy was outside
reading when you decided to come along…”

“Bri, why does your wife have headphones on her stomach?” Kevin asked, peering out of the window
and sipping his tea as they took a break from painting the nursery.

“Eh, she read that if you play certain music while the baby’s in the womb, the same music will calm
them when they come out.” Brian answered, leaning against the bar and smiling as he watched Sara.

“Oh? What music is it?”

“Well, baby seems particularly fond of Black and Blue.” He answered again, walking over to the door
where he would let his wife in.

“Hmm. I don’t sing too much on that one.” Kevin raised his eyebrows as Sara passed him on her way
to the refrigerator.

“Exactly.” She joked, smirking at him before bending to grab a bottle of water.

“Dude, there’s one song on there that really got it going the other night..” Brian looked up in thought,
trying to remember which song it was.

“Oh my God, Bri, I think…I think it’s…Time.”

Kevin stood from his chair, seeing the look of pain on Sara’s face as she dropped the water bottle onto
the floor. Brian, however, was still trying to think of the song.

“No…I was thinking Shape of My Heart.” He stated, still lost in his memory.

“YOU DUMBASS! Baby…time…the baby is coming.” Sara grabbed the back of Brian’s shirt as she
allowed Kevin to sit her on the floor while in the midst of a contraction.

“OH…oh my god. OH MY GOD! KEVIN! What do we do?!”

Before Kevin could reply, his cousin was up the stairs, gathering the hospital bags.

“You’re going to drive, right?” Sara looked up. “Please?”

“Sure. I don’t think we’ll make it if Brian drives.”

The two laughed in agreement as Brian tripped over a bag, fell down the stairs and landed by the
kitchen.

“Ready?” He mumbled.

“So,” Kevin grinned, “When daddy came home with you and mommy, he also came home with a
broken hand.”

The only sound he received in response was a staggered breath coming from Nicole. The man looked
down to see she was sleeping soundly, Emily too. “Mph, like father, like daughter. At least it’s cute
when they fall asleep while I’m talking.”

Kevin stood, tucked Nicole into the covers, then carried Emily to her own bed. She stirred a bit and,
fearing she would awake again, he bent down to sing the refrain of Time, choking a bit as he almost
automatically paused for the others to sing. The man watched as her movement stilled and she drifted
back into a deep sleep.

“Hmm, maybe it was Time.” He spoke to himself, moving to Nicole’s bed and checking on her one last
time. He brushed pieces of hair away from her face, seeing how much the girl had grown in the past
months. She almost HAD to grow up quickly. Kevin sighed. “Don’t worry, darlin’, mommy and daddy
will be home soon if I have anything to do with it.”

Just as he stepped over to turn off the lamp, the silent child in the room stirred a bit in his own bed.
“Ohhh. Zach.” The sentence came in an exasperated tone. It was as if, with that small noise, Kevin felt
even worse than he had before. He walked over and sat down by the little blond boy.

“I wish I could make it all okay, Zach. I wish I could bring back mommy and daddy and Brian and
Sara.” Kevin stopped, sucking in his bottom lip and looking at the ceiling, finally releasing the tears so
that they slid down the sides of his face. “I miss them too. And they’re in a place…in a place
where…God, I should’ve known. I should’ve told the police. I knew better, Zach. Now…I’ve screwed
everything up.” His voice was so weak now. He could feel his “wall” crumbling. “I’ve got them taken
from you and Em and Nikki. And I don’t know how in the hell to get them back. You’re going to wake
up tomorrow…and mommy and daddy are still going to be gone and the whole world will know… and
y’all…y’all still won’t understand. I’m so sorry. I’m so damn sorry.”

“Kev?” The voice came from Howie who was standing in the doorway. His brown eyes were swollen
too, no doubt the same tears Kevin had been crying.

“Yeah?” Kevin’s voice was deep and raspy now. He found Howie to be blurred through his vision.

“Phone.” He walked over, handing Kevin the cell phone.

“Who would call now?” The older man’s heart began to fill with emotion again. “Hello?”

“Mr.Richardson?”

“Yes.”

“We’ve found the bus. You and Mr. Dorough need to come down to Orlando immediately.” The voice
informed.

And Kevin’s heart burst once again.

----------

Kevin and Howie quickly tried to find a flight back to Florida once they received that phone call. Kevin
was mad at himself for actually leaving the state. The police officer on the other line wouldn't give out
any specifics, just that they needed to get down there.

There were no flights out to Florida at that time of night, but with a few phone calls they were able to
get a chartered jet ready to leave within the hour. Both men were silent for the plane ride, images of
what could be waiting for them flooding their minds.

Once the plane landed, Howie spoke. "Kev, I'm scared of what is going to be waiting for us. I mean,
what if...what if..." Howie couldn't even finish that thought without being choked up with tears.

Kevin put a reassuring hand on his friends shoulder. "God would never let anything happen to them,
he just wouldn't."

"I believe you Kev, I believe you." Howie said as he finished gathering all his belongings that were on
the plane. Soon they both deboarded the plane, and were in a car on the way to the hospital.

Walking through the doors, they both let out a breath neither of them realized they were holding in.
Kevin went to approach the main desk, but was stopped by a detective coming around the corner.

"Mr. Richardson, Mr. Dorough, glad you could get here so fast. I need to brief you before I let you into
the room." The detective said quickly as he signaled for them to follow him into a private waiting
room.

When they were let in the room, they were greeted by a teary eyed Lori. She looked very upset, and
that worried Kevin and Howie very much. They both went over to hug Lori before they sat down.

"Ok, now that they are here, can you tell me what in the world has happened." Lori said, her voice
tinged with unhappiness.

"Sorry to make you wait Mrs. Mclean, but I wanted everyone here. We found the missing bus
approximately 4 hours ago. A call was placed to 911 and there was no answer. The operator
immediately placed a trace on the call, and within 7 minutes the first officer arrived to the scene." The
detective took in a deep breath. "The bus was empty with the exception of one person. Mr. Mclean was
the only one left on the bus."

"Oh thank god." Lori gasped bringing her hand to her mouth, but when the detective looked down at
the floor Lori felt her heart drop. "Please tell me he's ok." She begged.

"I'm sorry to say, but he's in grave condition right now."

That’s when Lori lost it, she let out a loud sob and fell into Howie's embrace. Howie tried his best to
console her, but soon realized that nothing was going to soothe her at this moment.

Kevin finally spoke up, wiping a tear from his eye. "What happened?"

"It appears he was in some kind of struggle. He had some trauma to the back of his head, and some to
the front also. But the thing that has him fighting for his life right now, is the gun shot wound to his
chest." The detective paused for a few seconds before continuing.

"When they arrived to the scene, Mr. Mclean was not breathing. They preformed CPR on him right
away, but they fear that he went without oxygen for quite some time."

Lori was in full hysterics at this point, everyone worried that this may have been too much for her.
"Why, why him. I...I need him." She sobbed out.

"So, no one else was found?" Kevin asked in a quiet voice.

"I'm sorry Mr. Richardson, but we are doing a thorough search of the bus, and of the perimeter. We are
hoping to find something to lead us to them." After a few minutes of silence, with the exception of
Lori's cries, the detective decided to speak up. "If you like,
Mr. Mclean was let out of surgery about an hour ago. He's in a private room, I can take you to him if
you like."

They all exchanged quick glances and nodded. No one felt like they could speak up, it was all
becoming too much. But they didn't even have a clue of how bad it would get.
As they were led into the room AJ was held in, one look at the man in the bed was too much for one of
them. Upon seeing her husband in that condition she felt all the blood drain from her body, and she
collapsed.