[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
I need to explain how these chapters work. The majority of the story is in third person omniscient. However, there will be chapter invitation and chapter farewells that will be in a first person point of view. It won't be for every chapter though. They will be labeled as such however, I'm not looking to confuse anyone.

This chapter is dedicated to Sam who hinted she wanted a new chapter in a review for another one of my stories. :P

Carpe Diem!

–

It was unfathomable to Bob that one moment he had his son and the next he was gone. Even three days later–long after the detectives finished their search of the wooded perimeter and long after his family gave up hope that Nicky had just gotten lost–Bob was still baffled.

He walked the circumference of the park in a false hope that his baby would be returned to him; he searched for clues that the detectives might have missed; he searched for signs that Nicky was near.

He searched to keep his mind busy.

The flashlight bounced off the trees and ground furiously. Every step taken was, in Bob’s mind, another silent prayer to God that his son would be returned to him. There was a small marked off area where the frisbee had been found, yellow tape squaring it off. The beam of the flashlight momentarily lingered as he stared most uncomfortably at the area. Not a trace of blood nor a hair nor anything that could be linked to Nicky was found. A heavy rain the night before was still seeping into the ground and the winds had partially ripped the police tape.

Bob frowned. Kneeling to the ground he ignored the wet mud that dampened the knee of his jeans. His hand touched the spot where the frisbee had lain, although there was no trace of it. The light reflected off of the golden wedding band on Bob’s tanned fingers. He paused.

It took six months for Nicky to even call him back and another three before he agreed to meet his new step-mother. The divorce did not go over well for the eldest Carter child, it set Nick into such a depression they thought, at first, that they might have lost him. But the twenty-five year old found it incomprehensible to live a life without family. He let his walls down and met Ginger.

It was rather awkward at first, but Ginger wanted so to have Nick as her step-son. She was the one who made sure there were pictures of Nick in every room and she was the one who convinced Bob to let her paint the guest room green for Nicky. She stocked all his favorite foods and snacks and bought just about every movie he loved. It made Bob feel so good knowing his new wife didn’t just want Nick to like her for his sake, but because Ginger wanted a son, a friend.

Though awkward, they made it through those first couple of weeks together as a semi-happy family. As expected it took Nick some time to let his guard down and when he did he found a wonderful step-mother waiting.

Bob’s heart swelled for a moment as he thought of how mature his Nicky acted. And when Ginger fell on the patio and broke her finger Nicky was the one who drove her to the hospital. Nicky was the one who calmly called Bob at his work and informed him about the accident. He stayed by Ginger’s side until his father showed up and then stood back as not to get in the way.

But now he was gone. Kidnaped, the detectives said, though Bob was still in denial that someone would want to maliciously hurt one of his precious children.

The sun was rising over the California State Park, it created wispy lines of red, pink, and orange. Bob Carter had been in the woods since ten after three that morning.

Slowly picking himself up from off the ground Bob felt older than his forty-something-odd years.

Unbeknownst to him however, as he slowly walked away, his Nicky was less than a hundred yards from where Bob had been kneeling.

About seven miles from the park, pacing in his living room was Kevin. He had only received the news that Nick was missing at a quarter past eight that night. It unnerved him that no one found him important enough in Nick’s life to tell him right away.

Kevin had yet to tell the other boys though, as he had been instructed by Nick’s sister. She could not cope with telling all four of them herself.

How does one inform three people with whom Nicky was closest that he had simply vanished? These thoughts trampled through Kevin's mind as the earth brightened in the morning light.

On tiptoes Kristin padded down the steps and into the living room. She clicked on a light.

“Hunny?” Kevin paused when he heard his wife’s voice. He looked at her. “Kevin–Kevin I’m sure they’ll find him.” The thirty-three year old sighed and looked out the bay window that covered half the living room wall. A car went passed, casting a quick flash of light across Kevin’s features.

“I can feel him Kris...he’s alive. I’ve known him too long not to know.” Kristin stepped up to her husband and placed her hand on his arm looking sadly up at him. “He’s frightened Kris. He’s scared for his life...and there ain’t a damn thing I can do about it.”



Kevin organized the counter in what he thought the most plausible solution would be. The order, coffee–including decaffeinated for Brian who stopped drinking regular three years prior–a small container of orange juice, plain bagels, everything bagels, butter, cream cheese, and a twelve pack of glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts sat perfectly placed in what Kevin thought his friends would go for first.

His plan was to tell the boys about Nick over breakfast and discuss exactly how they would handle the situation with the media. It was the last thing Kevin wanted to do, but it was, as Kristin put it earlier that morning, a necessary evil.

When they arrived, they were all smiles. Ignorant to the truths that lay before them. Kevin let them indulge in their ignorance for a small while before he sat them down.

Brian, half gulping his coffee, asked, “Where’s Nick?” His cousin paused from where he was buttering himself a bagel. He cautiously took a seat next to A.J. who was too busy shoving doughnuts into his mouth to notice the distressed look on his friend’s face. “Kevin?” Brian set his coffee onto the table. “What’s going on? Where’s Nicky? This is about him isn’t it? Where is he? Why is he not here? Kevin?”

He couldn’t face them; he had to turn away. He couldn’t face the looks on their faces when they heard what he had to say. “Nicky is gone. He was...kidnaped. I don’t...we don’t know for sure but he vanished sometime Thursday afternoon.”

“What?” Howie had lost his appetite. He pushed his bagel away. “Kidnaped? Where? How? Why?”

“California State Park. They–they don’t know how. Or why.”

A.J. swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. “What can we do?”

Kevin sighed, “The detectives told Mr. Carter to watch for any suspicious behavior from those surrounding him and to report any leery phone calls that might be received. He advised Mr. Carter to tell us to do the same.”

“That’s it?” A.J.’s brow furrowed. “That’s all we can do?”

“Until they can find further information regarding the case–yeah. That’s all we can do.”

“Bull shit!” A.J. stood. "I’ll look through that God damned park myself!”

“Aje...” Howie began quietly, “I’m sure that has been taken care of.” A.J., looking close to tears, turned a frustrated look toward Howie. He began to speak but stopped. Instead he fell, defeated, back into his chair.

“I feel like a sitting duck.” Brian placed his hand on A.J.’s shoulder.

“Yeah...I know what you mean.”

A.J. picked up his doughnut and began eating again, ignoring the worried looks that passed between his friends. One hand guided the food, but the other twisted at the bottom of his shirt.

He kept a cool demeanor on the outside–the mature, responsible Alex--but on the inside he was screaming.