The Kidnap

Chapter 12: The Search Party

While Randy was dying in an icy cold pond, Tim and Jill completely neglected sleep and food. Who wouldn't, after what happened. When Tim announced that he was going to work, Jill had angrily challenged him. Tim defended his position though, and said he didn't want the whole of Detroit knowing what happened. Jill then went further, and pointed out that everyone knew, but Tim didn't answer. As a matter of fact, after Jill pointed tat out, he left.

Brad went to school as usual, but even he was a bit dispirited and down. He too thought of the last words and actions he did to Mark. However, unlike Randy, Brad didn't think of doing something. He just stayed put, and kept a little faith and hope. Something inside was urging him to get up and do something, but what could he do? He could go out and look for Randy and Mark himself, but the only family tent was gone. Randy took it.

Randy wasn't the only one who knew that the police weren't doing what they promised. Tim had called the station to find news on his lost kid, and all they told him was, "We're doing what we can."

What got them angrier was that when they had let them know Randy was missing, they said, "Yes sir, he came by, but he escaped before we could catch him?"

That last line enraged Tim and Jill, and they spent half an hour longer yelling at the Captain before he hung up at a loss for words.

"We're doing what we can?" Jill repeated incredulously. "What're they playing at? They tell us he'll be found within days, and it's about to make a week!"

"What can they do?" Tim asked, as if losing faith.

"Something," Jill said tearfully. "Our son is lost. He's kidnapped. The kidnapper threatens to kill him, and the police just sit back like it's a day off! We have to do something." Jill was right. That was when something struck Tim like a bolt of lightning. He looked up, but Jill didn't notice. She kept saying, "We need to do something. I swear if something happens to him, I'm filing a lawsuit against the PD."

Tim didn't answer. Jill, deciding Tim was hopeless, left the room. Tim was not hopeless though. There was only one thing left he could do. He seriously should've thought of this before. He jumped up from the chair, and called, "Wait." Jill looked over at him questioningly. Tim put his and up to silence her, and said, "I have an idea. It's the only thing left we can do. Call Nancy."

"What is it?"

"Never mind, just call Nancy," Tim ordered walking on his way upstairs. "Tell her and Marty to come on over now."

Jill obliged. She had a vague idea what Tim wanted, and though she thought it hopeless, decided to follow suit. She gave Nancy a call and told her to get over to their house. After Jill was done, Tim came back down and used the phone himself. He too had loads of phone calls to make. First, he called Al and told him to call Ilene over. He then called Heidi and told her to call Bud Harper.

At half past seven, the doorbell rang announcing the first arrival. "Hi-de-ho, neighbors," Wilson said at the doorway, face hidden by a box of sweets, "I brought some goodies to lighten the dispirited." He walked in.

Not long after, Marty and Nancy arrived, and mere minutes afterwards Heidi, Bud, Al and Ilene were sitting with the Taylors in the living room. Within half an hour, everyone was over and seated in the living room.

Tim wasted no time in getting to the point. "I called you all over because I've had an idea. Jill here gave it to me. We're going to look for Mark and Randy ourselves," Tim announced.

"Great idea!" Al exclaimed madly.

"Shut up Al," Tim whispered. "Wake the dead why don'tcha."

"Where will we look?" Heidi asked.

"Don't matter," Bud said in his accent. "We need to look all over this place. If what Tim says is true, Binford Tools is partly to blame, and our record could crumble. This kind of thing can affect our jobs, or reputation. I am with Tim."

"Think of this as a Tool Tie project," Tim said to her.

"But, it isn't," Heidi said.

Tim ignored her last comment, and turned to Marty, "Whoever finds either of them, they will need to call Marty. He will call Nancy. Nancy will call Jill. Jill will call me. I will call Wilson. He'll call Al. All will call Heidi. Heidi should call Bud, and Bud calls me. If someone within this calling chain finds Mark, he or she will call the next, understand?"

They all nodded, and Jill inquired, "What's the chain for?"

"To let everyone know first hand," Tim answered. "Leave the police calling to me."

They nodded again, and Al said, "Tim, where are you getting these ideas from. It's like you evolved."

"Shut up AL!" Tim said angrily. "Get this, all of you. The minute this is over, I'm devolving back to ape!"

No one wanted to comment to that, and decided it best to leave Tim alone during his evolution process. They all bade their goodbyes and wished each other luck. It wasn't only the police now. It was everyone after Mark and Randy. Mark was kidnapped. Randy was lost. This prompted everyone to look for the two boys.

The adults weren't the only ones doing something. Brad was given the job of searching the neighborhood. He could not go far yet. Tim had called Brad's English teacher to take him in while the family and friends set out to look for the two lost kids until further notice. Brad, still dispirited, went in with his teacher very reluctantly, and stayed. All he could possibly do was just to hope for the best.

A/N: This chapter was to set everything up for the future finale and the future ending. Of course, now you may ask: 'Why now?' My answer is simple: 'I wanna keep the suspense up.' :) heh... sorry