Luiz Hernandez was official considered a missing person after the 48th consecutive hour and the FBI was called in since the boy was of 'tender years', which meant under the age of twelve. Mac was swept away by the whirlwind of the process even though he was a bystander.
To an outsider, it seemed like controlled chaos. It overwhelmed him in a way he hadn't felt in years. He dropped by the Hernandez home often with the pastor. Jim would pray with the religious family, while Mac wandered. The longer it took to find the boy, according to the police officers and agents, the more likely that the boy would not be found.
He observed the officers checking food supplies, clothing, asked for lists of friends, and most likely places that the boy spent time in. The officers interviewed his school friends, teachers, and neighbors. No one had any knowledge of where Luiz could be.
During one of his walks around the house, he stopped by the youngest's room. The little girl was four and completely terrified at what was happening. She would cry for her brother and mother. Her mother had stopped functioning in her fear. The pastor helped hold her together, while the father got drunk and angry. He was being interrogated as a suspect in his son's disappearance, further agitating him. Julia was left to her devices, mostly left in her bedroom unless she was hungry. When she'd get sad, she'd sit by her mother and snuggle until she fell asleep.
Mac tried to help, feeling like a voyeur, so he'd made the child a sandwich and brought her snacks. Julia was sweet, and once she felt comfortable with the stranger in her house, she invited him to play with her dolls. She had a dark-haired 'princess' doll that resembled her and passed the prince over to Mac, warning him to be careful because when Luiz came home, her brother would play the prince.
After agreeing to her terms with a cordial nod and smile, Mac took the doll. As soon as his fingertips touched the doll, flashes of memories flooded his mind. The two siblings were close, Luiz loved his little sister and played with her often. The love was returned, to Julia, Luiz was her hero. It was quick, lasted only a few seconds, and left Mac with the feeling that Luiz was still alive somewhere. Blinking, he was back in the room with Julia, who was staring at him with her head tilted.
"Are you okay, Dr. Mac?" Julia asked. "Do you want to play with the princess instead?" She held out her treasured doll to him.
Smiling, Mac shook his head, "No, but thank you for offering. That was very sweet of you, but I think a princess should play with a princess." He took in a deep breath, trying to reorient himself, but couldn't. There was a prickling in the back of his mind, like a word on the tip of your tongue, needing to get out. It was different than the telekinetic push that occurred when he lost control. Gently, he handed the prince doll back to Julia excusing himself and promising that he'd return to play with her at a later time.
Stepping out of the pink room, he paused in the hall to control his breathing. Once he felt steady, Mac went into the living area and motioned for his friend to join him on the porch where they could have privacy.
Once they were alone, Jim lay his hand against his shoulder, eyes full of concern. "Are you alright, Mackland? You look peaked."
"Jim, I think I need to take a break. Would it be alright if I borrowed the van to take a drive?" Mac asked his friend as he rubbed his forehead, pained.
The doctor gripped his forearm with the other hand, supporting him, "Mackland, you don't look well. I don't feel comfortable allowing you to drive. However, I'd be happy to drop you off at the farm if you would like to rest there."
"All right," Mac breathed. His senses were foggy, swirling as if he were on the edge of fainting.
Jim called out that he and Mac would come back later into the house before guiding, practically carrying him into the van. "Should I take you to the hospital?"
"no," Mac whispered, "drive, please."
His friend did as he was bit, but Mac could tell that he was still worried by the way that he would reach his hand out to prod him to make sure he was still conscious.
Suddenly, there was a buzzing-like sensation that was getting stronger. Mac looked out the window as they drove past St. Catherine's Church, then the Academy, and funeral home off Center Street. The town was small. Less than a thousand lived there, with little diversity. The fact that the Hernandez family settled in the town caused a stir. From their time in the Hernandez home, he overheard Mrs. Hernandez blaming her husband for moving them from their Mexican-majority neighborhood. It was one of the reasons the boy was bullied; he did not fit in among his peers. His clothing, accent, color, and perspectives were different while he was among an immature group that did not appreciate diversity. Mac thought back to his childhood, it was tough enough to be the rich kid among the other rich kids. Children were cruel.
Soon, they reached the turn off towards the farmhouse. "Keep driving, Jim," Mac asked, brow creased in concentration. "Just – keep driving down this road."
Much to Mac's relief, the Pastor did not ask any questions and drove past his street. Soon they were driving towards the woods by New Hope Road. They passed the markers for Route 247 and the buzzing, for lack of a better term, decreased.
"Wait, Jim, go back!" Mac cried, his head throbbing now.
Jim nodded, putting the car in reverse and navigating the turn. "Mackland, what are you feeling?"
Mac swallowed hard, his mouth dry making it hard, "I think Luiz is here, Jim. He's here." They drove a short distance before Mac cried out, "Wait! Go down that dirt road. Just slow down."
Jim followed his commands, "I think we should call the FBI."
"If I'm wrong," Mac murmured, "this isn't a science."
"We can't go in unarmed, Mackland." Jim pulled the car towards the edge of the dirt road, then put the vehicle in park.
"Unarmed?" The doctor queried, "what are you expecting, Jim?"
Mac watched as Jim crawled inside the van. After lifting the floor mats, the Pastor revealed the hatch on the floorboard revealing a cache of guns, crosses, knives, flashlights, and holy water. Jim handed him a knife, cross, flashlight and told him to pocket the holy water, in case. He stuffed a small bag with supplies, then climbed out of the van.
Following behind him, Mac asked, "Are you expecting to christen the boy when you find him?" He held up the bottle of holy water, "and, what's this for?"
Jim evaded answering the question, "I promise, I'll explain once we've found Luiz. But for now, stay behind me." He inched forward, one hand holding a flashlight and the other a gun. The sun was starting to set and it was getting dark.
The men rounded the dirt path and saw a white structure with two storm cellar hatches beside them. One of the hatches had a blue backpack beside it. It matched the description given by Mrs. Hernandez. The hatch was effectively locked by a steel rod, easily removed in case of an emergency by pulling it out of the eye. However, there was no way to remove the rod from the inside – a one-way function designed to prevent animals from entering when not in use.
Mac moved to open the hatch but was stopped by a strong hand on his elbow. "Wait, Mackland," Jim whispered before pulling out a device from his bag and waving it over the hatch. It looked like a modified radiation detector. The device clicked once, then Jim smiled and told him that it was clear.
Jim had his gun pointed at the hatch, just in case, but nodded to Mackland to open it. His friend's strange behavior was soon forgotten as the missing ten-year-old was found at the bottom of the storm shelter.
"Luiz? Can you hear me? I'm a doctor. My name is Mac." Mac called out into the dark hole. He heard a small moan in response, relief filling his body and clearing his pounding head.
"Let's see if we can pull him out. Mackland, stay there. You can pull from the top." Jim used the ladder to make his way down to the small 4-person shelter. Mac heard the pastor softly comforting the ten-year-old for a few minutes. Then there was a shuffling, sounds of heavy footsteps. Mac used the flashlight to help light the dark space below and saw Jim carrying the child towards the ladder.
Luiz grabbed hold of the rungs and pulled himself up shakily. Jim was beneath him, helping him step up and preventing a fall. Mackland worried, the ten-year-old had gone at least 50 hours without food and water by his estimate. The child would need to be taken to the hospital immediately for fluids and bloodwork to check his electrolyte levels. But he was alive and that was something to be thankful for.
Once Luiz was within reach, Mac pulled him from the hatch and lay him on the ground next to him. "Hello, Luiz. I'm Dr. Ames. You can call me Mac. Pastor Jim and I are here to help you." He covered the boy with his jacket, ignoring the cold. "Can you tell me if you're hurt anywhere?"
The boy did not speak but put his hand on his chest and towards his belly. "Do you mind if I take a look?" Mac softly asked, not wanting to further spook the child. As soon as Luiz nodded his consent, Mac gently lifted his shirt to find bruises littering across his chest and abdomen. The pattern of the bruising was indicative of blunt force trauma, most likely fists. The doctor pressed along his organs, checking for internal bleeding or guarding wincing as the boy cried out and curled in on himself.
Jim crawled out of the shelter and kneeled by their side. "Mackland, how's he doing?"
With a grim look, Mac stated simply, "Let's get this young man to a hospital. I'd prefer an ambulance, but time is of the essence – Jim, can you bring the van any closer so we can carry him?"
Jumping up from the ground, the pastor ran towards the van in a heartbeat. While Jim was getting the vehicle, Mac focused on Luiz speaking to him softly. "You're going to be alright Luiz. Your mother and father have been looking for you. They're going to be so happy to see you."
Luiz looked up, tears glistening in his eyes. "Momma?" It was broken, dry, and rough, but no less than a cry of a child wanting his mother.
Rubbing the boy's back comfortingly, Mac smiled. "You'll see her very soon. Pastor Jim and I are going to get you to a hospital. We'll have the nurses call her as soon as we get there."
It did not take long to hear the sounds of the van approaching, the stones under the tires unmistakable. Jim pulled up as closely as safety would allow, then jumped out, leaving the van running to help carry Luiz inside. The pastor did most of the work, while Mac trailed behind, limping slightly from kneeling on the stones. Jim gave him a look of concern that Mac waved away. Mac got in the back of the van, pulling out one of the blankets that were stored in a donation bag on the floorboards to lay Luiz on, then pulled another blanket over him to bring up his body temperature slowly.
Jim moved quickly towards the driver's seat and sped towards the nearest hospital. Mac sat on the floor by Luiz's head, a hand on his shoulder during the twenty-five-minute drive to Elizabethtown. The van was well stocked for emergencies: water, blankets, weapons, and foodstuffs were boxed up yet easily accessible, making the doctor wonder about his new friend, yet felt thankful for the man's preparedness. Mac pulled out a water jug, slowly dabbing the boy's lips with moisture with a clean handkerchief. It was best to avoid food or drink until the emergency room doctors cleared the ten-year-old. There was a chance that Luiz would be whisked away to surgery upon their arrival and did not want to risk aspiration if he were to be intubated.
The doctor was used to a medical center practically on every corner in NYC, the long drive to reach the emergency room annoyed him. It was another reason to avoid small towns in his eyes – he would always be a city boy.
Finally, they reached the bright red lights of the ER. Mac eased himself up, then quickly twisted the lever to open the sliding doors of the van calling out for help. Soon, they were surrounded by nurses and ER staff. Mac shifted out of the way while Luiz was strapped onto a backboard and lifted towards the waiting gurney. In what felt like seconds later, the boy was safely inside. A guard at the door came up to the driver's side window and pointed towards a parking area, telling them they needed to move to make room for an approaching ambulance. Jim spoke to him, Mac not really listening as he shut the door to the van, then slid to the floorboards. The adrenaline coursed through Mac's body, making him feel shaky and alive in a way that he hadn't felt since he was a teen.
Jim pulled into an open spot in the parking area, then shut the engine. For a while, they did not speak nor move. The pastor was the first to shift, moving towards the back of the van to sit across from his friend. "Are you alright, Mackland?"
"I'm alright. Just need a minute. You might have to help me up, I forgot my cane," Mac breathed. "How are you doing, Jim?"
"I think I'm fairing a bit better than you, my friend," the pastor said with a smile.
Arching an eyebrow, Mac questioned, "Why is that, Jim? You seem to be handling all of this with a grain of salt."
Jim patted Mac's hand, then moved to slide open the van door. "I promise to tell you when we get back home. Now, let's check on Luiz. You and I have several phone calls that we will need to make. What would you like me to tell the officers? I'll align my story with yours."
"Story?" Mac queried.
Jim was patient, he got out of the van and held out a hand for his friend. "I could tell them that you were unwell and I had planned to drive you to the hospital – however, we spotted a blue backpack on the side of the road and thought to stop if you'd rather avoid the spectacle."
Mac leaned on his friend, gritting his teeth at the shooting pain in his back. Jim had helped him through a few times where he'd overestimated his stamina, practically carrying him back to the farmhouse – never once complaining or chastising him for overdoing it. "Jim, I would have thought you to be the pinnacle of integrity. I'm quite shocked that you'd encourage me to lie to law enforcement."
"Are you intending to tell the police and FBI the truth of how you found Luiz?" Jim asked for clarification.
Mac limped towards the ER with his friend, "Yes, honesty is the best policy. I have nothing to hide."
"You do understand that they will record your statement. This is a small town as you know, if your psychic abilities are documented, there's no chance that it won't become publicized," Jim stressed.
"Surprisingly, I think that I would be alright with that." Mac said confidently, "It won't bode well to try and hide my abilities, as my goal is to learn more about them. I want to meet others with abilities similar to my own; ultimately, do some research on the paranormal. If my name is out there, it might make facilitating the meetings easier in the future. There's an entire world that's unknown to me and I don't like being ignorant, Jim."
Jim smiled, "I would be happy to make the first introduction for you, my friend. But, for now, let's focus on Luiz."
Mac stumbled to the waiting room, where he gladly took a seat while Jim gave both the nurse and police officer assigned to the ER the information about Luiz.
It did not take but another 30 minutes or so for the Hernandez family to practically fly through the ER doors and harangue the front desk for an update on their son. Julia was trailing behind her parents but spotted Mac in the waiting room. The little girl gave him a big smile when he waved his hello. Jim was quick to offer to watch the four-year-old while the parents were whisked away to see their son.
Jim led Julia by the hand to where Mac was sitting. Somehow, Julia seemed to know that he'd found her brother. She sat in his lap, holding out the prince doll that she generously allowed him to play with earlier that afternoon. Mac could barely believe the turn of events, one moment he was playing dolls, and the next he had found a missing child. "Thank you, Dr. Mac. You found my brother." Julia joyfully expressed, "I think you're a magic prince and that you should keep him. A prince should play with a prince." She adapted his earlier words and Mac could not find it in himself to deny her gift.
"Thank you, Julia, I'm going to treasure this always." He took hold of the dark-haired male doll, dressed in removable regalia.
From the chair next to him, Jim was smiling wide enough to where his eyes were wrinkled in laugh lines. Mac thought he could see pride sparkling in them.