Oh So Close
Major Charles stared around the dusty, small town. There was little here in Dry River. He pulled his car up to the police station. It was a building no bigger than a shed. A woman came out the front door, "Can I help you?"
"Yes. I have reason to believer that one of two men I am looking for may be here."
The woman's hand automatically flew down to her gun, holstered at her hip. "Why do you want these men?"
Charles could feel that something bad had happened here. Otherwise the woman wouldn't be so on the edge. Charles dug in his coat pocket and the woman pulled her gun her holster, "Slow it down there."
"Its just a picture. I swear." He pulled out two pictures. Someone from inside the Centre had sent them to him. One was of Jarod and the other was of Kyle. "These are my sons. Jarod and Kyle."
The woman took the pictures from him and let out a gasp. The front door opened and a man, identified by his badge as the sheriff. "What's going on out here?"
The woman handed the sheriff the pictures, "This man claims that these men are his sons."
The sheriff looked at the pictures and judging by the expression on his face Charles could tell that the man had seen his children. "Have you seen them?"
"What do you really want with them?" The sheriff asked.
"Just what I said." Charles replied, "I am their father. They were kidnapped from me and their mother when they just little boys and I've been searching for them ever since."
"Then how did you get a hold of these pictures?" The woman asked sharply.
"I hired a private detective to locate them. All he found were these pictures." Charles lied.
The woman shrugged, "I guess it makes sense. The whole group was a little strange."
"Whole group?" Charles asked.
The sheriff sighed, "A few days ago someone named Mr. Lyle came to town and lured one of these men here." He pointed at Jarod's picture, "That man."
"Jarod?" Charles asked. "Is he still here?"
The woman shook her head, "He left only yesterday."
Charles rubbed his face, "Did he leave anything behind?"
"Don't jump the gun just yet." The sheriff replied, "A woman named Parker came down and things just got of control. Not long after she arrived so did that man." He pointed at Kyle's picture.
"Kyle was here?" Charles cried, his voice jumping up a notch. He had had a much harder time locating Kyle than he had Jarod. "Did he meet up with Jarod?"
The woman nodded and then swallowed, "But Kyle was killed."
"What?" Charles asked. His hope flew away like the wind. "Kyle is…. dead?"
The sheriff nodded, "Yes. I'm sorry. Mr. Lyle tried to shoot Jarod but Kyle jumped in front of the bullet and died for his brother."
Charles squeezed his eyes shut. Oh God. His worst fears were coming true. "Where is my son buried?"
The woman shrugged "I don't know. Your other son, Jarod, he donated his organs to those in need."
Charles' eyebrows rose. "He did?"
"Yes." The sheriff said, "Kyle has-had- AB negative blood which is very rare."
"My son," The woman said and then stopped as if unsure. "Had AB negative blood and needed a heart transplant. Jarod donated Kyle's heart to my son."
Charles gave a small half-hearted nod. "How is your son doing?"
"Well."
Charles gave another small gesture. "Well thank you." He patted both the woman and the man on the shoulder and then got in his car and drove off into the horizon.
THE END
Major Charles stared around the dusty, small town. There was little here in Dry River. He pulled his car up to the police station. It was a building no bigger than a shed. A woman came out the front door, "Can I help you?"
"Yes. I have reason to believer that one of two men I am looking for may be here."
The woman's hand automatically flew down to her gun, holstered at her hip. "Why do you want these men?"
Charles could feel that something bad had happened here. Otherwise the woman wouldn't be so on the edge. Charles dug in his coat pocket and the woman pulled her gun her holster, "Slow it down there."
"Its just a picture. I swear." He pulled out two pictures. Someone from inside the Centre had sent them to him. One was of Jarod and the other was of Kyle. "These are my sons. Jarod and Kyle."
The woman took the pictures from him and let out a gasp. The front door opened and a man, identified by his badge as the sheriff. "What's going on out here?"
The woman handed the sheriff the pictures, "This man claims that these men are his sons."
The sheriff looked at the pictures and judging by the expression on his face Charles could tell that the man had seen his children. "Have you seen them?"
"What do you really want with them?" The sheriff asked.
"Just what I said." Charles replied, "I am their father. They were kidnapped from me and their mother when they just little boys and I've been searching for them ever since."
"Then how did you get a hold of these pictures?" The woman asked sharply.
"I hired a private detective to locate them. All he found were these pictures." Charles lied.
The woman shrugged, "I guess it makes sense. The whole group was a little strange."
"Whole group?" Charles asked.
The sheriff sighed, "A few days ago someone named Mr. Lyle came to town and lured one of these men here." He pointed at Jarod's picture, "That man."
"Jarod?" Charles asked. "Is he still here?"
The woman shook her head, "He left only yesterday."
Charles rubbed his face, "Did he leave anything behind?"
"Don't jump the gun just yet." The sheriff replied, "A woman named Parker came down and things just got of control. Not long after she arrived so did that man." He pointed at Kyle's picture.
"Kyle was here?" Charles cried, his voice jumping up a notch. He had had a much harder time locating Kyle than he had Jarod. "Did he meet up with Jarod?"
The woman nodded and then swallowed, "But Kyle was killed."
"What?" Charles asked. His hope flew away like the wind. "Kyle is…. dead?"
The sheriff nodded, "Yes. I'm sorry. Mr. Lyle tried to shoot Jarod but Kyle jumped in front of the bullet and died for his brother."
Charles squeezed his eyes shut. Oh God. His worst fears were coming true. "Where is my son buried?"
The woman shrugged "I don't know. Your other son, Jarod, he donated his organs to those in need."
Charles' eyebrows rose. "He did?"
"Yes." The sheriff said, "Kyle has-had- AB negative blood which is very rare."
"My son," The woman said and then stopped as if unsure. "Had AB negative blood and needed a heart transplant. Jarod donated Kyle's heart to my son."
Charles gave a small half-hearted nod. "How is your son doing?"
"Well."
Charles gave another small gesture. "Well thank you." He patted both the woman and the man on the shoulder and then got in his car and drove off into the horizon.
THE END