Zack woke up, his face pressed up against the seat of the couch. For a moment he couldn't remember how he'd gotten there, but then the night before came flooding back to him. The station, the breakthrough, those jerks making him and his mom leave.
He then noticed the suite smelled like breakfast, and he sat up, still groggy from sleep, and he noticed his mom in the kitchen. He swung his feet over the side of the couch and made his way towards her.
"Hey mom." He said weakly.
"Hey baby I made us pancakes, you hungry?" She said while pulling down a pair of plates.
His stomach rumbled, "Yeah, I guess."
She began lifting a few pancakes on each of their plates, while Zack got out the forks and knives along with the syrup. They were half way done with their meal when there was a knock on the door. Carey got up to get it while Zack continued to nosh on his pancakes.
Zack tried to see who it was, but his mom hadn't opened up the door full enough, but the greeting filled him in.
"Oh, hi Arwin, wha..." She was cut off mid sentence by Arwin talking at high speed, his voice was cracking from nervousness.
Zack only heard him say, "Carey I'm so sorry, I just heard about Cody…" when his mom went outside into the hall, shutting the door behind her. Zack was curious as to why she didn't want to talk to Arwin inside, or maybe she didn't want him hearing what she had to say. He abandoned his pancakes to check it out.
He slowly approached the door and pressed his ear against the door, hoping to hear something.
"…Carey what's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just didn't want to have this conversation inside, I mean I think Zack is just starting to open up and I don't want him to go back to hiding his emotions."
"He's taking it really hard then?"
"Well yeah, why wouldn't he? He just doesn't need another person telling them how sorry they are and how they know that Cody is going to be fine. He almost bit Maddie's head off yesterday. I know you all mean well, he just can't see it right now."
"Carey I'm so sorry I didn't come to you sooner, I, well, and, um. I was just in the basement and you know how I can get and I don't usually have any human contact down there and, sorry…" He had began to speak really fast.
"Arwin, Arwin. Slow down, I understand. We just kind of need to be alone at the moment."
"Oh, yes, I, uh, I understand completely. Just let me know if you need anything Carey."
Next thing Zack knew the door knob was wiggling and he was sprinting towards the counter to make it look as if he hadn't heard anything.
He sat at the table trying to keep his breath steady as his mom was walking over towards him. She cocked an eyebrow and pursed her lips to the side.
"Zack , the point of me closing the door, was so the conversation would be private. Meaning you weren't supposed to be listening on the other side."
He hung his head. "Sorry, but you don't have to protect me from anyone's big bad words. I just over reacted yesterday."
"Well, yeah. I guess we're just going to hang around the suite today, maybe we'll hear form North or Arkin."
"Yeah." Zack said almost sarcastically.
Carey had just flopped down on the coach, a little put off by her son's negative attitude; when there was another knock at the door.
"I just sat down!"
"I'll get it." Zack said lazily as he made no rush to answer the door.
------
"London?" Zack stared up at the heiress through the colorful blocker.
"Zack, oh my gosh, is this a bad time?" London asked stepping back outside.
"Um, no not really. What the heck is that?" He asked pointing to the large object between them.
"Oh, this. Can I come in." she said as she maid her way to their table.
"Uh, yeah. Do you need help?" He stared at her as she managed to carry such a large object for such a tiny frame.
"This is nothing, you should see me on a power shop on Rodeo. You'd be surprised what this tiny thing can do." London said as she had managed to rest it on the table.
Zack smiled and let out a small laugh. He was glad London wasn't stepping on eggshells around him, she was acting just like herself.
"Okay this," She gestured to large colorful object taking up most of the dining table, "this is a fruit basket, though I think it has some vegetables too. And some baked goods too. I wonder why they call it a fruit basket then?" She said it all aloud though the last part was more to herself. "Anyways, I know it's stupid, but I thought it might, well I guess food isn't going to cheer you up, but it will fill you up."
She smiled genuinely, "And there is so much here that I am positive that there will still be some left for Cody to enjoy when he's found." She tried her best to sound confident of herself as she spoke. "Do you two want anything right now?" She asked untying the elaborate ribbon and peeling down the shiny wrapping.
"Oh, no, no. We just ate breakfast. Thanks so much though London, really. It's so sweet of you." Carey smiled towards the young woman in her kitchen.
"Oh, well okay then. I'll just leave you two alone then. I'm sure you want to spend some time together, I heard you two were down at the station yesterday. Did you find out anything new? Good news maybe?" London forced a toothy smile.
"Well, yes actually. I don't know if it's been on the news yet now that I think of it." Carey said reaching for the remote and turning the TV on to a news station. She watched it intently, finally after minutes of silence she jumped. "There, scrolling on the bottom. It's his name and where he was last seen, but there. See? A description of the car that took him. Van, sorry." Her eyes stayed glued to the screen until it finished scrolling by, and then turned to London. "Yesterday someone came forward with information about the person that took him, I don't know why he waited so long though." She whispered angrily.
"Oh my gosh that is good news! Right? They've got to be close now. I mean it's Boston, how many people have a blue 1960 Chevy van? Covered in dents, duct tape and blocked windows. I bet a neighbor is calling it in as we speak."
For some reason London's positive and straightforward attitude actually seamed to be helping both Carey and Zack. Which both silently shocked them.
"So, okay, well I gave you guys the fruit basket, got up to date on things since no one else seemed to remember to fill me in, so I guess I'll be going now. I'm sure you two would like to be alone anyways. I've actually got to get going myself, I have a meeting with someone who's supposed to run their designs by me. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Cody." She smiled and waved as she left. "Enjoy the basket!"
"That was, um, weird." Zack turned to his mom as soon as London was gone.
"Yeah, I guess we were expecting London to act like everyone else around us. When she clearly is not like everyone else. It was nice of her to bring the food basket." Carey said reaching for the card in the basket. She let out a chuckle. "Zack, London is so funny, listen to what she wrote 'Sorry Cody's missing, but here's some food, there will definitely be some left for him when he's found. All My Love - London' She tries." Carey said crumbling up the card and tossing it into the trash.
------
Cody was sitting on the edge of the mattress, knees pressed against his chin while his fingers absentmindedly traced circles on the cold floor.
Though the lights were out, his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness and he could actually see the walls and the ceiling, mattress and bucket still on its side.
He stopped tracing circles and raised his arms up to wrap them around his knees, hugging himself tightly. He then lowered his head, the position was giving him a headache, and decided to rest his forehead on his knees instead. This alleviated some of the pressure. He knew he was dizzy and disoriented from not eating anything, but the man hadn't really offered him anything besides a moldy banana.
"Christian…" Cody's eyes widened as he realized what he'd just said, he hadn't even known his mouth was moving. But it was the way that he said it that frightened him the most.
It came out no louder than a hoarse whisper, but there was almost a longing attached to it.
"Christian?" There it was again, this time it came out more as a question. And he sat there, naked and cold thinking of Christian. His mind began racing as all these questions began flooding his brain. The main one that was practically screaming inside his skull was Who is Christian? and he supposed for that one to be answered he really needed to know Does he even exist?
That last question was really the one that was bothering him. If he didn't exist then what was he thinking? Cody wanted to see what exactly was playing in this man's mind. If only he could have a rational conversation with him and try to get him to understand that he is not whoever his head is telling him he is.
But; as Cody stared down at his feet that were pointed awkwardly, his gut twisted. If he did exist, then where was he? Not that he wished he was here, he wouldn't wish that on anyone. But what bothered Cody the most was thinking back on the things the man said to him when he was calling him Christian.
What did he mean when he was constantly saying 'I lost you but now I found you'. Or when he would talk of how 'it used to be'. Cody slowly brought a hand up to his sore neck that was most likely covered in bruises from the strangulations. His memory instantly replaying when he'd passed out and how angry the man had gotten about Cody leaving him again, which then made his mind flash to when he'd said 'God brought you back to me'. Which only left Cody to conclude one thing:
If Christian does exist, he doesn't anymore. This man's mind is clearly warped and he was searching for anyone who looked remotely like Christian. This man probably missed this person so much that someone with even the closest resemblance made something inside his head snap.
And apparently he reminded him of Christian.
Cody was wrapped up in his thoughts he didn't even hear the loud clunks of the dead bolts being undone when in an instant the door was flung open, banging angrily against the wall.
------
Detective Arkin was sitting at her desk, strumming her fingertips absentmindedly while staring up at the bulletin board that had been created for Cody Martin. His picture staring back at her, boring holes into her. Pinned up were the gathered information they had found; last whereabouts, family and friends testimony, meager updates, if they could be called that. And a large empty area where the vague description of the abductor and vehicle were.
She was staring down at her telephone, mentally willing it to ring. She glanced sideways to her partner, North and found his expression quite serious as he angrily searched through the papers at his desk, checking to see if he'd missed anything, anything at all he hadn't noticed.
She was busy staring at him when he must've felt her eyes, he turned to look at her.
"What?!" He practically yelled.
Arkin just gave him a sympathetic look. He didn't take it very well as he suddenly stood up, throwing his papers down on his desk and walked away positively fuming.
She got up calmly, walked over to his desk and began to pick up all the papers he had messed up in his fury. Joe, her boss had stopped by the desk, craning his neck so she'd notice him.
"Jenn?"
"Oh, I didn't see you. Hm?" She asked padded the papers against the desk.
"What's up with Gregg? I just passed him in the hall and he looked like he was going to beat the shit out of anyone that got in his way."
"Well, you know these cases really get to him. Can't you talk to him? He's threatening to quit again. Tell him that we're doing all we can, there's no reason this should end badly. But, I mean you know how he gets, he takes everything so personally."
"Yeah, I'll try and talk to him, seeing as he doesn't bite my head off or anything." He turned to leave but stopped, "So, no luck on the hotline?" She shook her head. "Give it a little longer, I know someone will call."
She just weakly nodded her head as he walked away. Her mind still thinking about her partner she barley noticed the phone ringing as she gently reached out to pick it up.
------
Cody stood up shakily, backing up against the wall and peered through his oily bangs at the man who had a murderous glint in his eye that he failed to register.
"C…C…" Cody looked up at the man quizzically. Since when couldn't he say his name? The man lifted his left hand to point it accusingly at him. "C…Cody."
Cody's eyes widened in shock, mouth hanging slightly open. He didn't even notice the knife in the mans right hand as he lunged for him. Cody pinned against the wall paralyzed from shock.
