Chapter 4

"At the American Embassy"

So, upon our arrival in Rome, we were back in the United States, or at least in a structure. The father of the missing American boy was waiting for us and upon arriving at the Embassy, we were greeted by an American Naval officer in full uniform with the American Ambassador to Italy.

"Mr. Ambassador?" Beau asked as he took out his credentials. "Beau Neville, FBI Paranormal Division."

"Paranormal?" the Naval officer remarked with a shocked look on his face. "My son is missing, and you are searching for ghosts? Who are you people?"

"We came on account of the Embassy, correct, Mr. Ambassador?" Beau asked to which the ambassador replied yes.

"I don't care who you are," the Naval Officer cried, a hint of anger in his voice. "My son is missing, and someone must find him!"

"Admiral, please!" the Ambassador remarked in a calm voice. "Yelling isn't going to solve the problem! Besides, we have people applying for visas and they don't want to hear you screaming!"

Huffingly, the Ambassador then turned to us and we were allowed into the embassy.

…

Upon entering the American Embassy, I could tell that this was going to be a tense visit and you could almost cut it with a knife. In all our years of ghost hunting, this was the first time we were solving a mystery that involved a missing person that was outside of the United States. Who knew what the challenge was going to be?

"He just…he said he was going off base for a while and I told him not to go for safety reasons," the admiral explained in one of the conference rooms of the American Embassy, showing us a picture of his son: a young boy of 17. "Do you even realize how dangerous it is living in the military? Do you?"

"Admiral," Daphne asked. "When was the last time you talked to your son?"

"I just told you!"

"I meant…conversation wise. Did he mention anything to you about a place called Pleasure Island?"

"That island is off limits to civilians! The Italian government ordered it so!"

Realizing his mistake of raising his voice, the admiral calmed down.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just that…William and I had a fight and he was going to defy me."

"What were you fighting about?" Beau asked.

"About how he was going to do something that doesn't involve being in the Navy," the Admiral answered. "Why would anyone not want to be in the navy when it's the life that was best for me?"

"Maybe he didn't want to be in the navy, Admiral…"

"McCroskey, Admiral William McCroskey II."

"Admiral McCroskey," Beau said, taking down notes. "Just because you are in the navy, doesn't mean he should be. Tell me, what did you expect of him?"

"To live a life of order and dignity. I mean, who wants to be part of this growing poison that is these modern day fools that fill our young ones minds with rubbish? But, he wouldn't listen to me. If only his mother were alive…"

Admiral McCroskey lowered his head and tried to keep his composure.

"I'm just trying to keep him on the right path, that's all," he cried. "I just don't want him to fail at life, that's all! That's all!"

Sighing, Beau got up and processed the information that had been given to us.

"Admiral, did your son, by any chance, ever threaten anyone on base?"

This caused the Admiral's eyes to drop in shock.

"Why would you ask that? William would never threaten anyone! It's not in his nature!"

"I'm only asking because what if something happened that would make him want to leave?"

…

"Other than wanting to not be in the Navy, follow in my footsteps?" Admiral McCroskey cried and Beau immediately sensed that the Admiral was trying to force his son to do something he didn't want to do.

"No wonder he wanted to leave him," Shaggy answered, eating on a bag of pretzels along with Scooby. "Like, who wouldn't if someone is forcing me to do something I don't want to do like serve in the military?"

"I went looking for him," continued Admiral McCroskey. "I took a platoon and finally, I came across what appeared to be wheel tracks and hoofprints from what appeared to be horses at first. They tracked into the woods and I couldn't follow them any further."

It was becoming more and more clear that Admiral McCroskey's son underwent one of two scenarios: either he was forced or he willingly followed whatever made the wheel marks.

Suddenly, Admiral McCroskey reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a cell phone that his son owned.

"I found this at the edge of the woods where the wheels turned," he explained, handing Beau the cell phone. "I don't know if he was trying to call me or whatnot."

Turning the cell phone on, Beau saw that there was a voicemail left on the phone.

"Hey dad," Admiral McCroskey's son said on the voicemail in an angry and bitter tone. "I need some time to myself, so I came across this coach that is taking me to a place where you can't find me for a couple of hours. Why would you want me to join the Navy and follow in your footsteps? I certainly don't! Goodbye, Dad!"

The tone in the son's voice was enough to make chills come up the back of our spines. The son was clearly upset and it showed in the language used.

"Like, that was creepy!" Shaggy cried.

"Why would he do such a thing? Answer me that!" asked Admiral McCroskey. "Answer me that, can't you?"

But it wasn't that simple to answer. If there was a coach involved, then more and more families could be just like Admiral McCroskey. I think it was time to pay the Italian police a little visit from the FBI.

…

…