Chapter 4

Shawn has been missing for 3 days now the police continue their search without any new leads.

Madeline has begun to withdraw she spends her days sitting in the chair next to the sandbox beating herself up inside for not being in that chair when the awful man took Shawn.

Henry has not told anyone about the letters from Jack. He is secretly preparing to get Shawn back himself tonight if Jack can come through with the address.

Jack is staked outside of the bank waiting for the drop to happen. He is sitting in the bushes fingering a pistol. He doesn't like guns but this is for Shawn he would do whatever it took.

Shawn is left alone in the dark cold room he has no food or water and since he is just a baby the injuries he received are starting to effect his little body. He is now slipping in and out of consciousness.

Finally the people from the stadium arrive with the deposit. Jack jumps from the bushes and in front of their car pointing the gun at the driver. They slam on their brakes managing to stop about a foot from Jack.

Jack orders them to hand him the money but they refuse and try to drive away.

Without even thinking he shoots the driver and the car crashes into the next teller lane. He runs over to the car looks at the passenger and tells him, "I am so sorry but there is a small boy who is going to die if I don't bring the captor the money in that bag." He grabbed the bag and started to run.

Jack started to run for his and Shawn's life. He darted by Henry's house and put the address in the mailbox like he promised. He then went to the house where Shawn was.

It was 8 pm when he arrived at the house. He came through the door and threw the moneybag at Michael.

Michael stood and began to slow clap as he walked toward Jack. "Well, well, well you actually held up the stadium people and took the money just so you could save poor little Shawn. Well I am sorry to tell you that you wont get to be the Hero to Big Brother Henry because poor little Shawnie, well he has all ready died."

Jack was dumb struck he looked at Michael and all he could do was whisper, "No! Oh God no!"

Michael went over to Jack and stood right in front of him and coldly told Jack, "You know it is really too bad I was really looking forward to playing with you and Shawn more. But know I just don't need you anymore Jack." With that he reached in his pocket and switched open a knife and rammed it into Jack's stomach and then he ripped the knife upwards to pull it out.

Jack fell onto the floor pouring out blood. He gave Jack a kick in the head and told him to say hi to Shawn for him and then he left the little run down house.

Jack was lying on the floor mumbling I am so sorry Henry, over and over again. He knew that he would be long gone from the blood loss by the time Henry got there.

He was glad for the idea of bleeding out because it seemed more appealing then telling his brother that he was the reason that Shawn died.

As the sunset and it got dark Henry paced on his front porch waiting to receive his son from Jack but about 9:30 he couldn't wait anymore.

He ran to the birdhouse and saw the letter from Jack with the address for the house where he could find Shawn.

He ran into the house and told Maddie to give him a 30-minute head start and then she should call the Chief and have him storm this address with everything they had.

He hugged Maddie and told her that he was going to go and get their son.

He jumped into his squad car and headed out to the address. It was an hour across town but Henry was so anxious he made in 20 minutes.

Henry was not stupid he came prepared he was wearing a Kevlar vest and was carrying two pistols. He stealthily made his way into the house.

The first thing that he saw was Jack laying on the floor bleeding. He reached down to feel a pulse but there was nothing.

He continued around searching every room for either Michael or his boy. In the final room was a small balled up figure on the floor.

He switched the lights on and couldn't tell if Shawn was breathing or not. The poor kid had bruises all up and down his arms and legs he was bleeding from somewhere but he couldn't tell where. He barely recognized his own son's face because of all the bruising.

He was terrified to reach down and feel if there was a pulse. He took a deep breath and bent down to touch his son's neck. Henry about fell over when he saw the best sight he could ever hope for, two sweet green eyes popped open and started to sparkle when he saw his Daddy.

Shawn tried to reach his arms up toward his Daddy but he couldn't because they were handcuffed to the floor.

Henry got the keys for his handcuffs and released his son. Henry then grabbed Shawn and gave him the biggest hug he could. He jumped back when Shawn yelled in pain and only returned the hug with one arm.

Shawn looked sad at his Dad and said, "Darth Vader hurt my arm bad I am sorry I cant give you a bigger hug." Henry just smiled at his sweet son and assured him that he was just so happy that he found him.

Henry examined his son's arm there was a huge handprint of bruises on his lower arm and then he realized that it was broken under those bruises.

Henry gently held his son as close as he could without hurting him. He whispered to his boy that the other police and the ambulance would be there soon and it was all going to be okay.

Shawn looked up at his Daddy with a huge smile and told him that it worked. Henry fighting back the tears asked him what worked sweet boy?

Shawn looked at his Dad with a huge smile on his poor little bruised face and said, "I wished on a star last night that my Daddy would come and find me and hug me like a big old Papa Bear and here you are."

Henry couldn't hold the tears back any longer as his son buried his little face into his chest. He rubbed the back of his son's head and assured him, "Your Papa Bear has you now and he is always going to protect his baby bear."

The ambulance arrived and the other cops. They loaded Shawn onto the stretcher and Shawn started to scream. Henry ran to his side almost instantly. He grabbed Shawn's good hand and asked what was wrong. Shawn looked at his Daddy with his cut and bloody bottom lip quivering and said, "Please don't leave me Daddy."

The EMT's started to tell the worried father that he couldn't come with his son but the Chief saw what was about to happen when Henry's eyes flashed red at the poor EMT's. The Chief ordered them to allow him to ride with Shawn. He held his hand all the way to the hospital.

Once they got to the hospital the doctors did not want to traumatize Shawn anymore so after the initial exam they gave Shawn medicine that would help him sleep through the rest of the exam and they made Henry wait in the waiting room for the rest of the tests.

Henry was a cop he knew what they had to do to his son to gather evidence of the crimes that happened. The thought made Henry sick to his stomach.

A few minutes after his arrival, Madeline joined him. The two parents sat holding each other while they waited for word on their boy.

It was two hours latter when the doctor finally came out to update them. He told them that Shawn was a very strong and very brave little boy. He had a concussion and a broken arm in two places and cuts and bruises all over his body. The worst damage came from the abuse that your son endured.

He told the parents that they recovered evidence from his injuries enough to put his kidnapper away for life. He went on to tell the parents that physically Shawn should be fine but emotionally he would have a lot to recover from.

Henry thanked the doctor and asked if he could go and see his boy. The Doctor agreed and brought the parents to Shawn's room.

He was all cleaned up in a clean hospital gown and sterile bandages all over his broken little body.

Henry and Maddie sat on either side of their son. They sat in silence just staring at him taking in every detail of his little face. They almost lost him but now they had him back and they were not going to let anything else bad happen to him again.

Back at the station the hunt for the kidnapper began.