Disclaimer: Don't own...not making any profit. Just doing this for fun and to practice writing techniques which I may never use.
"Something's wrong." Kyle said, hanging up his phone. "The line went dead."
Jarod watched him seriously. "Could her battery have died?"
"No. She always keeps it plugged in when she's not using it. Something's wrong." He fidgeted. "It's getting dark…anyone can hurt her."
"Where did you drop her off?"
Kyle started the engine. "The park." He zoomed out of the alleyway and sped through the town. They quickly started with the park and after looking around for a good ten minutes they figured out which direction she went in. They stopped a few blocks down and asked a cashier at the diner if they saw her. "She has long dark brown hair and bright green eyes. Beautiful…and she's short like you."
The cashier frowned. "I wouldn't say I'm short-"
"Have you seen her?" Jarod asked. "It's important."
"Was she wearing a white blouse and a dark green floral skirt?" The teenage busboy asked, eavesdropping.
Kyle nodded. "Yeah, you saw her?"
"Yeah. She was hot…I saw her go across the street. That way." He pointed to the left.
Kyle hurried out the store. Jarod thanked the kid then left.
Several blocks later, Jarod recognized a street they were approaching. "Kyle…the legal firm I was working with…they're on this street."
Kyle's eyes widened. "You don't think…" He didn't have to finish the sentence. They pulled up to the legal office and got out. Jarod was about to go inside when Kyle stopped him. "Jarod."
Kyle hurried a couple buildings over, to where the broken glass and grape juice was on the sidewalk. "Jarod she was here."
"How can you tell?"
"She's been having a lot of grape juice lately." He looked at him panicked. "They took her didn't they?"
"We don't know that. We don't even know they were here."
"They took her."
Jarod pointed to the legal office. "Let me find out if they were here. Maybe she just dropped the bottle and didn't want to get cut cleaning it up…" He knew that was unlikely but he went into the building to find out.
Kyle followed Jarod into the back room. "What is it? We should get to the bus station. That's where she'll go...if they...if they don't have her already."
Jarod sighed. "I have the footage outside of the legal offices." He held up a tape. "You should see this."
"Give it." Kyle took it and watched the scene play out intently. A knot the size of Texas formed in his stomach and it was hard to breathe. When Lyle and one of the other sweepers disappeared around the corner, Kyle let out a breath and rewound it. "I can't make out what they're saying...this doesn't have sound."
"I can lip read."
"Okay so what-"
"Lyle mentioned a shrimp dinner you two had last week."
Kyle looked up at him surprised. "They know we're married? I thought…they've been tracking us?"
"That's not all…Kyle…" Jarod sat down and motioned to Kyle to sit down as well.
Kyle sat down worried. "What is it?"
"Is it true she got sick from the shrimp?"
"Yeah…"
"And you didn't?"
"So?"
"And Lyle mentioned something about the drinks she's been having…you said yourself it's been fairly recent."
"Drinks…she rarely has alcohol if that's what-"
"The grape juice...has she been moody or tired lately? Does her back hurt?"
"Just tired. She's sleeping more but I don't see…" His eyes widened, realizing what his brother was getting at.
"She could be pregnant."
"No…no she can't be…it's impossible."
"Why? What kind of protection were you using?"
"Condoms…the pills were making her sick and there's a small chance it could cause complications later when we want to have kids so we agreed she shouldn't be on them…she can't be...she...we..." He gulped uneasily and looked at his brother guiltily.
"What is it?"
"A few times…we got…distracted and forgot." Kyle stood up. "She IS pregnant…" He tried to breathe. "She was complaining about food smelling weird and she said the spaghetti a few days ago tasted bland…oh god… they know. They know she's pregnant and they might have her. They'll want my baby!"
Jarod stood up and put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "From what I've seen, Allie's a fighter. She'll be alright. Besides, if the Centre wants her for your baby then they won't hurt her."
"If they…" Kyle balled his hands into fists. "I'll kill them."
Jarod didn't doubt that. His brother had a temper but if it were his child, Jarod didn't know if he could hold back. He might just do the same thing. "We should hurry to the bus station."
