Finding Daniel chapter ten
Adam was trying with all his might to tamp down the fear rising from his gut. He knew that just a few hours ago, Daniel had called and at that point he had said he was fine.
He had also said that he was on his way home. But just how was he getting home? Who was he with? He prayed Daniel was with someone they knew.
Adam searched his mind but couldn't think of any friends or neighbors who might be returning to Murphys from that direction today.
Hadn't Ed and the sheriff already told him they'd spoken with everybody in Murphys and pretty much everyone was accounted for and furthermore, no one had seen or heard anything about Daniel? He sincerely hoped that they had overlooked somebody.
All of Daniel's friends at school were accounted for, so he hadn't gotten a ride with any of them. This just didn't make any sense.
He ran off without a word to anyone and now, he just suddenly changed his mind and was coming back without making it to Davis? Or had he made it to Davis and Crane's friends there had just missed him somehow?
There were just too many questions and no one had any answers. Adam felt that he had to do something, even if it was just to help man the roadblock outside of Angels Camp.
He had called home and an anxious Brian had answered the phone. Obviously from the disappointment in Brian's voice, Adam was not the brother Brian had hoped to hear on the other end of the line.
Daniel had not called home again nor had he showed up there yet.
This standing around and waiting was just about to drive Adam insane. He hated feeling helpless, but at the same time he was completely out of ideas of how to find his brother.
The police had this now and they had reassured him that they would leave no stone unturned until they had found Daniel and brought him home.
Adam got the sense that they weren't too worried and all felt the boy would turn up on his own. Please God, just let Daniel be alright. I promise I'll do a better job of raising him from now on if you just let him be alright. Adam was praying to God, but at this point he figured he was ready to sell his soul to the Devil if it meant bringing Daniel home safely.
But as little as it seemed, all Adam could think to do right now was to help with the roadblock. "Sheriff, have you heard from the other jurisdictions? Are they keeping in contact with your department?" Adam asked worriedly.
He studied the man in front of him. Sheriff Davis didn't appear too worried as far as Adam could tell although he did sense that the man seemed pretty compassionate.
Adam had decided he liked this guy better than their sheriff in Murphys. Not that Adam had anything against Buck Turner. The guy was doing a great job of searching for Daniel. Ed had reassured Adam of that.
There was just something that rubbed Adam the wrong way when it came to Buck. He couldn't put a finger on it, he just always seemed a little too smooth for Adam's liking. He had always shrugged it off as the politician in the guy.
But sheriff Davis, well he seemed completely genuine to Adam. It was little comfort right now, what with Adam scared out of his mind, but somehow it still felt somewhat reassuring to see genuine concern in the man's eyes.
"Adam, we are communicating with everyone on a regular basis. All the area roadblocks are set up now and everyone that comes through are being thoroughly questioned. If anyone has given your brother a ride, talked to him, or even seen him anywhere, we'll find out about it.
"What about the pictures we gave you? Have they been distributed? Do I need to get some more pictures and-"
"We have all the pictures we need, son. Just try and relax. All the law enforcement that are looking for him has a picture and a complete description of your little brother, I promise." Sheriff Davis said with a comforting smile as patted Adam on the back and Adam appreciated the gesture. He knew he was trying to reassure him. Too bad it wasn't working. Adam's mind kept wondering and some pretty scary scenario's were playing out in his head.
Daniel was a smart kid, but he knew he was in trouble and he was likely pretty scared. That was the part that bothered Adam the most. Sure, he was likely afraid of facing things at the school, but more than that, Adam realized that Daniel was mostly afraid of him. There was no other reason for him to have run off like he had... trying to take his problems to Crane because he trusted him more.
He sure wished at times like this that he could talk to his father. Heck, he wished his father were still here. Then he wouldn't have to worry about screwing up the lives of his younger brothers.
One thing Adam always had growing up was a father he trusted and trusted completely. He now wondered what he would have to do to earn Daniel's trust. How is it that he didn't already have Daniel's trust? Where had he gone so wrong?
Daniel had always been difficult but at the same time, he was a really good kid and an awesome brother. Loyal, caring, understanding; It was just that his emotions ran deep and Adam couldn't always connect with him as well as he wanted. Thankfully, Crane was always around to pull back the complicated layers that made up Daniel.
Adam supposed now that Crane had been right to worry as much as he had about leaving Daniel to go off to college. Adam now felt foolish to think he could handle the complexities that made up his middle brother without Crane there to help. He had failed miserably with Daniel.
But with six siblings to raise, he had always been in over his head and it was almost all he could do just to keep clothes on their backs and food on the table. Dealing with emotional turmoil had never been Adam's strong suit. He had enough trouble working out his own demons, much less those of his brothers.
Brian was complicated too, but at least he had been raised to the age of fifteen with two good parents. Adam had never really felt at fault for Brian and his mistakes. Crane had seemed like an adult as far back as Adam could remember. Crane rarely made mistakes and when he did, he generally fixed his problems for himself.
But from Daniel on down, Adam felt solely responsible for everything his brothers did wrong. Daniel and Evan were proving to be quite a handful and Adam was pretty sure he had plenty to do with that. It was one thing to teach them all how to work hard and safely run a cattle ranch, but to deal with strong willed, hot tempered little brothers was as daunting as climbing Mount Everest. Especially for a man as young as Adam McFadden. At times like this, he longed for his parents. He felt like a lost little boy and he hated that feeling more than anything.
Misery, thy name is Daniel. He knew he needed to get moving but the rain kept falling. It was raining harder than ever and the wind had begun to pick up now too.
There was a noticeable chill in the air now, too. It wasn't a surprise, after all, it was nearly October so cold fronts were not unusual for northern California. Still, the timing of this one was just another indicator to Daniel that he had really messed up things in a big way.
He was hoping the rain would lighten up a little so he could start walking. At least if he were being active, it might not seem so cold.
Daniel could feel his eyes growing heavy, though. Being cold always made him sleepy. Add rain into the mix and sleep seemed nearly inevitable, but he knew it would be the worst possible thing he could do right now. The chill would just set in worse, not to mention he'd burn up precious moments left of daylight. As he sat there under the table, he longed to be at home in his own bed.
He had hated that room ever since Crane had moved to the dormitory at Davis, but right now, he would relish being there. He'd like nothing more than to be tucked under his patchwork quilt on his soft mattress, with or without his brothers' company.
Daniel wasn't quite sure how long he'd been asleep, but he awoke startled by the sound of an unfamiliar voice.
"Hey kid. What'cha doin' out here all by yourself?" The strange voice asked.
Daniel blinked twice and rubbed at his eyes, as his lids were heavy both with sleep and moisture from the rain. It was then that he saw the stranger who had been speaking to him. He was a tall, large framed guy. His clothes were casual. A sweatshirt, jeans and sneakers peeked out from underneath a yellow rain slicker. He had a stubbly beard, as though it wasn't an intended one, rather he just hadn't shaved in a few days. He noticed the stranger's eyes were brown. Something about the way he was looking at Daniel though, made a small shiver run down his spine.
It felt strange, somehow. He couldn't really explain why, something about the guy's presence just made him feel a bit uneasy. He had always been taught to be leary of strangers, but at the moment, he figured he should be thankful to see anybody. Besides, Patrick had been a stranger to him and had ended up being a good friend.
"I uh, I was just... just gettin' out of the rain." Daniel stammered.
"From the looks of ya, you got out of it a little late." The stranger replied with a hearty laugh as he extended a hand out to help Daniel crawl out from under the table.
"Thanks." Daniel muttered as he raised himself to his feet. "Yeah, I kinda got caught in a storm."
"Yeah, I'd say storm is an understatement. It's been raining cats and dogs for miles. You got a name?" The stranger suddenly asked, then continued. "Mine's Hal. My mother named me Harold, but I don't much care for it, so I just ask most folks to call me Hal." He explained with a smile.
Daniel eyed the guy again. He seemed friendly enough so he let his earlier skepticism slide out of his mind. He noticed the man's station wagon behind him and figured this was his best chance at a ride. Before falling asleep, he hadn't seen one car pass him by.
"Hi Hal. My name's Daniel." Daniel smiled.
"Mind sharing with me what you're doing out here all by yourself in the middle of nowhere?" Hal asked with a smile.
"I'm on my way home." Daniel replied.
"Where's home?" Hal asked.
"Murphys. You wouldn't happen to be going that way, would ya?" Daniel asked hopefully. Judging from the way the car was parked, Daniel had assumed the man had been heading east. He hoped that were true.
"Yep, I'm heading through there. Wasn't planning on stopping, but I suppose I could give you a lift." Hal said.
Daniel felt relieved. Even though the rain had almost stopped now, he was cold and wet and it would be dark before long. With the clouds above them still threatening to spill again at any time, a ride couldn't have come along at a better time.
"Gee thanks. I really, really appreciate it, Mister." Daniel replied.
"Drop the mister stuff kid and just call me Hal." Hal replied while reaching out and mussing Daniel's hair.
With three older brothers, Daniel was quite used to guys mussing up his hair, but somehow he didn't like the feeling when Hal did it. He figured it was because he didn't know the guy. He nonchalantly ducked his head away from the man's hand. The guy didn't seem to take offense to it. Daniel sighed a little sigh of relief. He didn't want to make his rescuer mad, nor did he want to seem ungrateful. He really needed this guy to help him.
"I wish I could offer you some dry clothes, but I haven't got any. I think I have an old blanket in the back, though. Why don't you take that wet jacket off and we'll put the blanket over ya. I'm sorry, but my heater's busted in the car, but we'll do what we can to warm you up. I got some cold cuts and bread back there too. Can I offer you a sandwich? Puttin' something in your belly might help you to warm up." Hal asked.
His voice was kind of jolly. Daniel figured he was friendly enough, but he really didn't have any interest in eating his food. He just wanted to get home.
"Nah, I'm not hungry." Daniel replied politely.
"No, you sure?" Hal said as he gestured towards the back of his station wagon. "How about a soda then?"
Daniel thought for a second. He was thirsty. Heck he was hungry too, but he still wasn't interested in taking the guys food. "Sure, I'd love a soda." Daniel replied with a little hesitantly. He flashed the guy his most winning smile in an attempt to show his gratitude. He wished like anything that it were a thermos full of cocoa or coffee, but he'd take what he could get.
Daniel got in the passenger side of the car and took off his wet, denim jacket. The interior of the car was vinyl, so at least his wet clothes wouldn't ruin the car seat. The car wasn't in very good shape, but Murphys wasn't that far down the road, so Daniel figured the wagon would get them there. At least if they had engine trouble, Daniel knew about working on engines. Not that working on a car on the side of the road again sounded that appealing. Especially with the rain threatening again.
After observing the car and not noticing anything particularly interesting, Daniel turned his attention to the back glass. This Hal fellow was taking a long time to grab a blanket and a soda. Oh well, Daniel figured he was making himself a sandwich or something. He waited quietly in the front seat for his driver to return to the car.
"Here you go, Dan. Can I call you that?" Hal asked with a smile.
"Sure, if you'd like." Daniel answered. He didn't really care what the guy called him. He had never liked folks calling him Danny because it made him feel like a little kid. Only Adam and sometimes Crane called him Danny since their parents had died.
Brian liked calling him Dan'l, but no one had ever really called him Dan before. As long as this guy kept his promise of giving Daniel a ride to Murphys, he figured he could call him anything he wanted.
"Good. Dan it is. So, what's your story?" Hal asked as he pulled out onto the roadway. " My radio's busted, so I'm afraid conversation will be our only entertainment on this ride." Hal explained.
Daniel shrugged his shoulders as he took a sip of the soda and pulled the blanket up over his shoulders. It was a ratty old blanket. It looked like an old Army issue blanket, but it was full of holes. Daniel was hoping it would be thick and warm, but he figured it was better than nothing. He could feel his body trembling from the cold and prayed the blanket would begin to provide him some warmth.
"I'm just on my way back from visiting my brother in Sacremento." Daniel lied. He wasn't about to let his new friend know he was a runaway. He figured the guy would be more hesitant to get involved if he sensed that Daniel was trouble of any kind.
"Oh yeah? So you have a brother in Sacremento and your folks are in Murphys?" Hal asked.
Daniel still found it hard to cope when people asked him about his parents. Of course this guy would assume he had parents. Didn't most fourteen year olds have parents after all? Still, he didn't like the reminder that he was different from most kids his age, or that he was an orphan. He took another quick swig of his soda and then blew out a big breath.
"No, my parents are dead. I live with my brothers on our family cattle ranch. I'm just heading back there. My brother Crane is in college at Davis and I just went to visit him for the day. My brother Adam is my legal guardian and is in charge of us all and of our ranch.
"Oh, sorry about your parents. That's too bad. How many brothers and sisters do you have?" Hal asked, seeming way too interested in Daniel's life.
"No sisters. I have six brothers." Daniel replied dully. " Three older, three younger."
"Ah, the middle child. That's a tough spot to be in. I remember that. I was a middle child too. You kind of feel like you get lost in the shuffle sometimes, am I right?" Hal replied, reaching over to pat Daniel's leg.
Daniel winced a little from the contact and before he could stop himself, he shrank away from Hal. What's your problem? He's just being nice and you're gonna piss him off! Daniel screamed at himself. He wasn't sure why he felt so ill at ease with Hal. The guy was being perfectly nice to him. It was just something about him that made Daniel feel uncomfortable.
"I guess I feel that way, sometimes." Daniel replied nonchalantly. He was praying the guy hadn't noticed his reaction to the pat.
"Sorry Dan. I'm just a touchy feely kinda fella, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." Please forgive me for overstepping my boundaries." Hal said, pulling his hand back and putting it on the wheel.
"No, I'm sorry. I just... I'm just tired, I guess." Daniel stammered. He searched the mans eyes for any hint of anger. He didn't see any.
"Thats alright. I don't blame you for being a little leery. I'm a stranger after all. Which brings me to my next point. You really shouldn't be hitching out here.
You never know who might pick you up. I'm surprised your brothers would be okay with you being out here all by yourself. Couldn't they afford bus fare?" Hal asked inquisitively.
"Uh, well..." Daniel began as he thought quickly. He had never been a very good liar. He hoped the fact that this guy was a stranger would work to his advantage. After all, the guy didn't know his mannerisms so he figured he could lie to him and get away with it.
"They uh, they gave me bus fare, but I only bought a one way ticket. I figured if I hitch home, I could save the money for some new guitar strings." He lied brilliantly.
"Oh. Guitar, huh? That's great. A good looker like you ought to be able to pick up a lot of girls with a guitar in your hand. You gonna start a band?" Hal laughed.
Okay, there it is again. That was too creepy. Did this guy just call me good looking? What the heck is his deal? Daniel thought to himself. He was growing increasingly uneasy. He wished he could just get out of this car. But, was he just being paranoid? He nervously took another sip of the soda and winced, noticing a bitter after taste. He had noticed it earlier, but figured it was just because it was an off brand that he wasn't familiar with.
But now, he was beginning to realize that something wasn't right. He was getting really sleepy. He looked up at Hal and the guy was rattling on and on about being in a band when he was a kid. The guys voice sounded strange all of a sudden. It sounded kind of far off and distorted, like listening to the radio with busted speakers. He was beginning to feel nauseous and dizzy and his vision was beginning to get blurry. He just felt wrong. He didn't say anything, in fact he was having trouble clearing his mind enough to form a sentence. His mind was getting foggier and foggier. It was like he knew he was in some kind of trouble, but his mind was too muddled to put together that his sudden illness had something to do with the strange aftertaste of the drink.
"Yeah, I'd say that soda is hitting the spot isn't it, kid?" Hal said, looking down at Daniel.
Daniel looked down at the bottle of soda. He had drank more than half of it already. He felt so confused. Everything was getting blurry. He stared at Hal, but could barely make out the man's features anymore. He felt so sleepy and cold now. Colder than he'd felt before, when he was out in the sound of Hal laughing hysterically made him shiver. Something was really, really wrong. He could barely keep his eyes open and his head was spinning. His stomach was churning and he felt as if he might hurl. He was trying desperately to fight sleep but he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. Why? What in God's name was wrong with him?
He looked up helplessly at Hal as he heard him say, "It's like I told ya kid, you really shouldn't be hitching out here all by yourself. It's not safe!" the man said as he again reached over and patted Daniel on the leg.
No, no! What's happening? What's this guy gonna do to me? Run, I need to run! Daniel's mind was swirling.
He felt so sick and he knew he was in big trouble. He had to get out of this car, but his arms and legs felt too heavy. He fumbled at the door handle, but Hal reached over and pulled his hand away from it as he pushed down on the lock.
He kept a tight grip on Daniel's wrist, while he continued to steer with the other hand. "Just relax and go to sleep. Uncle Hal's gonna take good care of you."