The Kidnap II
Chapter 10: I Know You- You Know Me
Lawrence Jags was tall like James, and had a boyish face. No facial hair and no sideburns, he held a good-natured smile about him. He was quite skinny, but not enough to be anorexic. No one actually considered him skinny, because he possessed muscles to hide it.
Brad was sitting on the swinging chair Tim had made for Jill one mother's day with Lawrence one day, finding himself relating to him perfectly. "It's like I don't exist anymore. It's just Mark and Randy now. Curly is in seclusion, and only mom talks to him. But he doesn't open up even with her. Even Wilson's isn't making this better."
"It seems the situation has spiraled out of control, but you'll be surprised how much in control we really are," Lawrence said wisely. "The Captain of police changed, and James is in charge now."
"But can James do it?"
"We don't look it, but both James and I are very smart and perceptive," Lawrence said, almost braggingly playful. "Now, granted, Habbleman is also smart, and yes it does look almost an even battle here. Remember though, we have detectives and police on this. The other side only has pawns."
"I don't think Habbleman is smart," Brad said to him. "Or he wouldn't have been stupid enough to send videos of himself to the police. It gives him away completely."
"Or, Stevens was lazy, and Habbleman was fully assured he wouldn't be tracked," Lawrence answered shrewdly. "I wouldn't be surprised is Stevens was on Habbleman's side from the beginning."
*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~*
Curly Halmes was a small boy with a smallish build. Curly had straight brown hair falling till just over his ears, and a few freckles dotted his face. A very young boy of eight, he was still shocked at what had happened, and Tim soon regretted adopting him, something Jill was quick to bash him over. Jill took it upon herself to help him through, and wouldn't trust this to anyone else, except maybe Wilson.
Not that anyone dared to try, or even wanted to. Tim stayed well away, vowing not to get too involved until he was ready to open. Mark wanted to talk to him, but Randy stopped him, telling him that it may just make things worse. Brad also told Mark not to do anything. So, Mark talked to Wilson, who in turn related, "Sometimes, words of sympathy make things worse."
That was enough, and Mark questioned it no more. Three days after the shooting, Mark's friend Jimmy Wagner was buried in the cemetery. Mark could be seen sitting alone on his bed, deep in thought. Randy came and sat by him after lunch, which Mark didn't come down to. Neither did Curly for that matter. The table looked strangely small without Mark.
"What's up?" Randy asked calmly.
Mark shrugged, "I never lost anyone before. Is this- how it feels like?"
"It depends who you mean," Randy laughed. "You lost me, didn't you? Or did you forget about that already?"
Mark smiled a bit, a little uncertainly, "No, I didn't. I mean, I never lost anyone, and actually- lost him. Know what I mean?"
"No," Randy muttered, swooping down on Mark's bookshelf to seize a book and flick the pages absent-mindedly.
"You know, you're annoying right?" Mark asked jadedly.
"Yeah, but I'm your big brother, I'm supposed to be a jerk remember?" Randy laughed. "C'mon Mark, cheer up. You hardly knew him anyway."
"I guess it's because- he was still a friend of mine," Mark muttered. "And, if he dies- then who's next? I mean"- and then Mark voiced that which he feared since he heard Habbleman had escaped, "Will we make it through the summer? Both of us?"
Randy shrugged. "I dunno. Just, be careful and hope he doesn't find us. As long as we don't do anything stupid."
"I never thought anyone I know would die," Mark said quietly, still deep in thought.
He was right, and Randy knew it. Anyone Mark knew was unlikely to die, simply because he knew them. Same with Randy. Same with anyone else in the world. Death was an impossibility simply for that reason. At least, until it seized upon someone who was too young to begin with. Seized upon someone Mark and Randy knew. Seized upon someone Curly knew. His own parents.
The question of whether or not Mark and Randy would make it through the summer was answered that same day. Jill burst in with a look of pure shock, and said, almost demanded as if Mark and Randy were hiding something, "Where's Brad?"