Growing Pains

By Jolly & Soda

CHAPTER 3:

7 hours 40 minutes later, Saturday, 9:40 a.m.:

Both Frank and Laura were shocked into silence. Why would the FBI be after Joe? It wasn't long before both started protesting that there must be some mistake somewhere.

Frank was getting a bad feeling about everything. Did this have anything to do with the shadows in Joe's eyes? Frank watched his brother's reaction to the agents' arrival in consternation. Joe had stiffened at the sight of the two men, and then went white. What happened during those five months? What did Joe do?

Fenton, having been given a briefing by the agents, reached out to his wife, holding her in a comforting grip. "It's all right. It's all right. Let them explain," he called out reassuringly to Frank and Laura, and then to Joe. However, his face bore an extremely anxious expression that could not be ignored.

Both agents, realizing the distress they were causing everyone, quickly moved to assure them that they were here 'for' Joe, not 'after' him.

Joe paled as he suddenly understood the significance of their presence. "The others. Nothing happened, right? They are okay, right?" he rasped out before he realized it.

The taller agent, Brian, walked over to Joe and placed his hands comfortingly on his shoulders before answering in a soft, gentle tone: "Three of them were killed in the past two days. The others are being taken to safety as we speak."

Turning to face the rest of the rather worried family members, he told them, "Joseph is one of the key witnesses to a case implicating several influential members of a powerful crime syndicate whose trial will be starting this coming Monday. That's in three days' time. Some of the witnesses were killed in the last few days. We are here to move Joseph and his family into protective custody."

OHBHBHBHBO

5 months earlier, on that night:

It was not long before hunger forced Joe out of his bedroom into the kitchen downstairs. The sun had long set and it was dark. Without bothering to turn on the lights, Joe headed straight for the fridge and reached for the leftover roast from yesterday.

He was caught by surprise when he was pulled backwards against a muscular chest. A gloved hand over his mouth prevented his outcry. Joe's struggle stilled a fraction of a second later when he felt a gun against his ribs. A menacing whisper told him to stay quiet and do what he was told if he valued his life.

Within minutes, he was blindfolded and gagged; his hands were tied behind him. 'There goes dinner,' Joe thought to himself mockingly as he was propelled up the stairs and into his room and pushed onto his bed. His stomach chose that moment to rumble in agreement. He could still feel the gun against him. From the rustling sounds around him, Joe deduced that someone was going through his closet and drawers.

'Two of them, at least.' Joe concluded.

Joe could not help but wince in pain when his gag, which was a thick piece of duct tape, was suddenly ripped off. A hand gripped a handful of his hair and jerked his head painfully upwards, and a voice whispered roughly in his right ear: "Where do you keep your cash and passport?"

"We don't keep cash on these premises," Joe retorted, and was rewarded with a backhand to his cheek.

"Last chance. Your cash and passport," the same voice growled into his ear.

"Third drawer from the top. A fake bottom," he ground out through clenched teeth. The gun that was digging deep into Joe's ribs had served as a painful reminder of his precarious position.

More rustling noises followed.

"What do you want, anyway?" Joe could not help but to ask when he heard another voice say: "All done."

Joe felt the grip on his hair loosen. Then he shivered as the cold gloved fingers began to touch his cheek almost caressingly. "Well, my boy. You are going to run away from home. Just like the other 200,000 American kids every year."

Before Joe could respond to that, he felt a needle prick his arm. Things got somewhat colorful and dreamy soon after that. He remembered only bits and pieces. Like walking out of the house…getting into a cab...and he had a backpack with him. Then there was darkness.