Chapter Four: Daddy, I Won't Give Up I Promise
"Can anyone hear me," Veronica yelled from her position in what she assumed to be a cellar of an old house, "Please, someone, anyone, HELP!" The door in front of her flew open and for a split second Veronica hoped that it was her father, uncle Oliver, uncle Jerry, uncle Chris, uncle Frank or even her uncle Dov, but that hope soon fell straight to hell, when she saw who threw the door open.
"Shut up," he snapped at her, slapping her across the face. Veronica could feel the bruises on her face already flare up, but she didn't cry out in pain. She had resigned herself to her fate hours ago, but now something inside her just flicked on a switch. She wasn't going to die here, not in this pit of despair, if she was going to die, she was going to fight for her survival.
"Why are you so scared if I keep screaming," she questioned, "You said before, it's not like anyone will be able to hear me scream, or were you just saying that to keep me quiet?"
"Shut up," he snapped again. She smirked at him.
"Why do you keep wearing that mask," she asked, "I keep telling you, I have no information on Callaghan-"
"But like I've already said, I know you're holding out on me, because the longer you keep quiet about whatever you do know, the longer I keep you alive," he said, "Now shut up!" Veronica smirked again. Whoever this guy was, he was delusional, but as long as he kept thinking that way, maybe it would give her parents enough time to find her.
"See right there, you admitted it, even if I did have anything to tell you about this Callaghan, you'd kill me, so why keep the mask on," Veronica asked, "Too afraid that I might pass out as soon as I see the ugliness that you hide that mask? Are you as ugly on the outside as you are on the inside? Do-"
"Shut up," he screamed, slapping her across the face with such a force that Veronica and the chair fell over, "You want to know the person under the mask? Fine, here." Veronica's captor began to pull the mask off his face and threw it in the corner. Veronica eyes filled with fear, because she knew that she had pushed him way too far.
"Are you sure, you don't want me to go," Andy asked, as she threw several files, back into their proper boxes, knowing that none of those people were the ones that took her daughter.
"No, I don't want you anywhere near Brennan," Sam said.
"But Sam-"
"That was when I was undercover, Andy," Sam interrupted, knowing exactly what he was going to say, "Veronica's god knows where Andy. I don't know what I would do if I lost you too. You're my wife and V's our little girl. Let Oli and I talk to Brennan. You stay here with Traci and Jerry and comb through the rest of those files with a fine tooth comb okay? Let's bring our little girl home soon." Andy nodded in agreement and kissed Sam, with everything she had at that moment. She loved him so much and she couldn't wait until Veronica was home and safe.
Sam and Oliver left soon after and Traci and Jerry came over and sat with Andy as she continued to sift through those files.
"How many of those does Veronica know about, or know the people involved," Traci asked, as she looked at the box of files that still sat on Andy's desk.
"A few of them," Andy answered, without looking up, "Why?"
"Leo thinks that V might know who abducted her," Jerry explains, "Do you remember when Will was telling us about that car that almost followed the kids back to your place? Remember how he said, that he could tell by the look on V's face she knew something."
"Yeah, so she knew something, my daughter seems to know about a lot of things, some of which Sam and I don't even tell her," Andy said, "God she is so much like her father, it's not funny."
"Yeah, but what happens when Veronica usually knows something? Who is the first person to know about it after she finds out," Traci said, hoping that she was leading, where Leo had led her and Jerry. Andy thought about for a moment, before it dawned on her.
"Laura," Andy gasped, "Are you saying that the fate of my daughter lies with someone that is still unconscious?" Traci and Jerry nodded sadly. Andy nodded and looked at the files, Luke Callaghan's file still among them. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't keep breaking down. She needed to be strong. She needed to bring Veronica home.
"What's wrong Andy," Traci asked.
"It's just something in my gut is telling me that this is about Luke," Andy said, as she continued to look at Luke's file in the box, "But Veronica doesn't even know who Luke is. Sam and I never told her about him. Like don't get me wrong, I forgave the guy completely, but then he was killed and I found out I was pregnant for the first time and along the way it just didn't matter if Veronica knew about the guy or not."
"V was the one that stuck, Andy," Traci said, "You suffered how many miscarriages, before Veronica?"
"Five."
"And then you almost died, when you gave birth to her didn't you," Traci said, remembering the day clearly."
"I know," Andy said, "It's just I feel that I'm letting him down. He was a great guy, when I wasn't with him."
"Andy-"
"It's just I feel as if, by letting him down, I'm letting Veronica down, because I just can't shake this feeling, that this is all about Luke, Sam and me," Andy said, tears beginning to cloud her eyes, "And it's all my fault that my baby is out there scared and alone and I just can't take it. Sam is being strong, but sometimes it just makes me so angry-"
"That he can control his emotions, long enough to talk to the man that tortured him nineteen years ago, but you can't even go fifteen minutes without blubbering into your coffee mug," Dov offered from across the room, causing Jerry and Traci to glare at him, when Andy descended into a fit of tears once more.
"Dov," Jerry called, "Shut up! Don't you have a daughter in the hospital? Tend to her, instead of giving help where it isn't needed."
"I thought I'd see if I could find anything that could help us find V," Dov said, as he walked over to Andy's desk and silently handed her another tissue, "Sue is at the hospital and she said she'd call me as soon as Laura-"
Dov Epstein was cut off by a shrill ring, which came from inside his pocket. He started to dig it out and then looked at caller ID, before picking up.
"Hi Sue," he said into the phone. He continued talking before Jerry, Traci and Andy had heard the words, that they had been waiting to hear since Leo first brought up the possibility of Veronica knowing her abductor.
"She's awake," Dov said happily, before hanging up his phone. Jerry and Traci smiled.
"Come on Epstein, we need to get to St. Michael's," Jerry said, swinging his coat on. Dov nodded happily and made to follow Jerry out the front door. Andy and Traci shared a smile, before they started to comb through the files for anyone that Veronica might know, so they would know where to start.
"Traci," Andy said, stopping suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"You'll think we'll find her, before something bad happens to her right," Andy asked, very quietly, but still it was loud enough for Traci to hear her. Traci paused before answering, thinking about some of the texts that Zack got and what some of them insinuated.
"I think we'll find her, before something else can happen," Traci said, truthfully that caused Andy to look at her.
"What do you mean something else," she asked, abandoning the files.
"Andy," Traci started.
"Traci, I know you're hiding something," Andy said, "I've known you for almost 25 years. Just tell me what you know."
"Zack's phone has been getting texts from Veronica's phone, because if Veronica still had her phone, she'd be calling for help-"
"Traci," Andy interrupted, "Get to the point." Traci took a deep breath and dug the phone out of her jacket pocket and handed it to Andy.
"Just don't show Sam," Traci said. Andy looked at Traci quizzically.
"Some of those will send him over the edge he's teetering on, Andy," Traci explained. Andy looked horrified, but then looked down at the phone, at each of the text messages. Until she finally came to the one about how Zack was suppose to be Veronica's first. Andy gasped and the phone dropped to the floor, while Andy fell to her knees. Traci followed and gathered her best friend in her arms.
"Don't worry," Traci said, "We'll get whose doing this to her. We'll find him and he'll go behind bars for a very long time." Andy continued to cry in her best friends arms.
Oliver and Sam had been escorted to the Brockville Jail Interrogation room, in which James Brennan would be waiting for them. Sam was glad that he asked Oliver to come with him, because he knew that had he done this solo, it would not have ended well for Brennan or his career.
"Are you sure, you don't want just me to go in there," Oliver asked, as they stood outside the interrogation room door. Sam looked at Oliver and then looked in the window at Jamie Brennan. The nineteen years in prison hadn't done him any good. He looked frail and withering. His age was quickly catching up to him.
"No," Sam said, after a moment, "I want to be in there, when you tell him. I want to know if he's surprised or not. I need to know if he already knew and is behind it or if he doesn't and is genuinely surprised." He looked back at Jamie Brennan, who seemed to be waiting patiently.
"Sam," Oliver called, causing Sam to look at him, "Don't push yourself okay? I know V's your little girl, but even she wouldn't you pushing yourself to the brink just for her."
"I know," Sam said, rubbing his hand against his face, "It's just Andy and I, we want her home. She's our little girl, our only little girl. God, Andy almost died giving birth to the munchkin. I just don't want her life to end like this. I want her at home safe."
"And she will, Sam," Oliver said, as his phone began to buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out and read the text that Jerry had sent them.
Laura is awake. Remember Laura knows everything V does. Maybe V knows her abductor? Traci and Andy going through the files. Epstein and I are at the hospital. – Jer
"It looks like Laura is awake," Oliver said, as he placed the phone back into his pocket. Sam looked at him.
"What good is it," Sam asked, "She was hit from behind it's not like she'll know anything."
"But she knows basically everything that V knows. Jerry thinks that V might know her abductor," Oliver said, just before Sam could open the door to the interrogation room. Sam turned to face his best friend, one of Veronica's favourite uncle.
"You mean," Sam said, starting to pace in front of Oliver, "That my little girl, my princess, was abducted by someone I might know." Sam's anger was setting in again and Oliver could feel it almost radiating off him. While he thought that Sam should know about the texts that Zack had been receiving, he knew that some of those texts could possibly get a lot of people injured or killed, because like Sam said, Veronica was his little girl.
"We should probably go and talk to Brennan now, brotha," Oliver offered, trying to get Sam to stop pacing before he made himself and Oliver dizzy. Sam looked at Oliver and then back through the window of the interrogation room.
"Yeah," was all Sam said, before he pushed the door open.
"Officer Swarek and Officer Shaw, what a delight," Brennan said, as he saw the pair march into the room.
"Where is she Brennan," Sam snapped, his control almost coming undone at the sound of Brennan's voice.
"Who, Officer Swarek," Brennan asked, genuinely confused, by what Sam was asking. Sam laughed sarcastically as he dug his wallet out of his pocket. Pulling out the picture of Veronica's most recent school photo he slammed it on the table in front of Brennan.
"My daughter, Veronica," Sam snapped, "Where is she? I know, you know where she is." Oliver watched as Sam yelled at Brennan. Brennan looked at Sam, before picking up the photo that Sam had slammed in front of him. Veronica was smiling, her hair straight and falling neatly on her shoulders. Make-up was simple, but it accented her eyes. The black blouse that Veronica had decided to wear that day was beautifully emphasized by the light blue back drop.
"She's extremely photogenic, your daughter," Brennan complimented, "But I have no idea what you're talking about, or where she is for that matter." Sam growled at the compliment that Brennan had given his daughter before glaring at him. After a moment Sam relented. He wasn't going to get the information that he needed if he kept getting angry with Jamie Brennan.
"Do you have any idea, if anyone in this prison that has enough connection on the outside who would want to get back at Officer Swarek," Oliver asked, hoping that maybe it would give Sam enough time to get control of his temper. It wouldn't help Veronica at all if Sam lost control.
"Can't say that I do, officer," Brennan said, as he replaced the photo of Veronica back on the table. Sam picked it up and placed it back in his wallet, not wanting to forget it when he left.
"Are you sure?"
"Well…I might, but…"
Jerry and Dov raced into the hospital room, where Laura now lay with Zack and Dean. All three of them looked absolutely miserable. Sue was sitting beside Laura, as she cried. Dean wanted nothing more, than to gather her in his arms, but every time he tried, Laura just pushed him away and began to cry even harder.
"I…I…" Laura sobbed, barely able to string two words together long enough to actually tell them anything. Dov frowned and wrapped his arms around his daughter allowing her to cry on his shoulders. He hated seeing her like this. It killed him.
"Laura, I need you to try and calm down okay," he whispered softly in her ear, "Uncle Jerry needs to ask you some questions, and your answers might be able to help us find V okay? But uncle Jerry, can't ask you the questions if we won't be able to understand your answers." Slowly Laura's sobs began to dwindle at her father's words. She wiped her eyes on the sweater that her mother had brought from home and looked to Jerry.
"Okay, what do you need to know?"
"What happened, while you were in the kitchen Laura," Jerry asked.
"I was making a salad for V and I, because we didn't feel like having the pizza that the guys had ordered. V was going to take a quick shower, before she came down to help me. She said that she wanted to tell me something. I heard a knock at the door, and then Dean went to go answer it. I heard this bang and when I went to go investigate what it was, I was hit in the head," Laura explained, she looked down at her hands.
"What can you tell me about the day that the grey car started following the four of you, to the Swarek's house?"
"We were laughing and joking about our history teacher's bad toupee, when V had noticed that the grey car was following us," Laura paused and took a deep breath, "she said that we should cut through the park. It would be a longer walk to her place, but it would stop the car from following us."
"In the weeks that followed, did V tell you anything," Jerry asked. Laura thought about it for a moment.
"She said, that a detective kept calling her phone, saying that he use to work with her dad, but she didn't recognize the name."
"Did she ever bring this up to either of her parents?"
"V told me that the detective stopped calling after she stopped answering it."
"When did that happen?"
"About three weeks ago," Laura answered, "The day that the grey car tried to follow us. She told me that she thought that the detective was the one that tried to follow us, but she also told me that she didn't think that he was a real detective because there was something about him that bothered her, and uncle Sam told her to always follow her gut instinct."
"Did she ever tell you the name of the detective," Jerry asked, as he wrote everything down that Laura said. She nodded.
"She told me at our monthly sleepover."
"Do you remember what it was?"
"It was…"
A/N: Woohoo! Two updates in one day. I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think…
xo
