FEAR
Chapter Seven
Stone sleep didn't do much for the ache of my broken wing, for when I awoke the pain was still there, and I dared not remove the splint in this instance, just in case the bone had not healed together yet. As I awoke I looked to Hudson, who was stretching, "Hudson, my wing feels not much better…" I sighed, beginning to feel very depressed. What good was I to my clan without the ability to glide? I couldn't just stay stationed at the castle.
"Then take the doctors advice and do not glide – your wings are essential and need proper healing," Hudson stated, "I think we should go speak to the others now, and go down to the sickbay and see how Broadway is – Angela will also be down there with him, she took a vigil at his side and swore to not leave him until he is better."
"Lex," I called over to Lexington who was to my far left.
"Uh huh?" He rubbed his eyes tiredly.
"Meet us down in the sickbay in five minutes, I need to talk to you – ask Broadway and Angela to stay down there also, okay?"
"Okay," Lex hurried off.
I was about to say something to Hudson when I heard the grumble of my stomach, and realised it had been days now and I had not eaten, I made a face.
"Have you been neglecting eating again? No wonder you're looking so thin, lad," Hudson stated, "go get something to eat, before you start making plans…"
I took Hudson's advice, and grabbed the nearest thing – a chicken leg – out of the fridge in the kitchen, before continuing to the sickbay, Broadway looked fine when I got there, and he smiled upon seeing me.
"Hey Brook," He grinned from ear to ear, there was no scar from where the bullet had been, he was indeed, lucky.
"Feeling much better?"
"I feel brand new," Broadway smirked, "hungry though."
I took a bite of my chicken leg, "There's chicken in the fridge," I stated casually, I glanced looking around to make sure everyone was there, Angela, Broadway, Lex, Hudson – and Bronx of course, they were all there. Xanatos and Fox were also there, apparently visiting a recovered Broadway.
"No word from Goliath?" Xanatos enquired.
"Nothing," I sighed, "And I think it's now time to send out a search party," I looked to the clan, "there's only one problem, I can't glide – last night carrying Broadway I broke my right wing – and it's still painful, I'd only be a liability," I sighed, "so I'm going to stay based here, you'll all take the two way radios, and I'll stay here based in the castle…"
"Is there anything we can do?" Fox asked of me softly.
"Yes, we can probably offer some sort of assistance," Xanatos offered.
"Yes, actually there is something you can do, Xanatos, you have contacts, you know people who know people, find out if there's any word on the street about Goliath – if anyone has captured or been looking for him. Fox, do you have a map of new york?"
"Yes…" Fox answered, "There's one in David's study."
"I'll need it to pinpoint the areas we need to search the most – places that might be linked up to various enemies we've encountered," I advised, I glanced to Lexington, "Lex, go and call Elisa and ask her if she and Matt can maybe get over here, ASAP…" I sighed, "Broadway – go cook us all up something to eat, quick as you can," I rubbed my grumbling stomach, "Angela, go down to the library and check if there's anything in there indicating where your father might have gone to – he spends all his time in there when he's not on patrol, maybe he'll have left a clue."
The troops disbanded to do their various tasks, and I followed Fox to David's study to get a large map, me and Fox marked off every possible place Goliath could be. We even contacted the mutates to ask for their help in aiding our search – I had everything organised although I felt as if I were coping rather badly with everything.
After eating, everyone disbanded in separate ways on the search, I felt like I was forgetting something and it kept sitting on the edge of my mind, it was something important – maybe as important as the search party, maybe more important, I wasn't sure.
The search so far had been inconclusive – everyone had been everywhere with no clues, and although we had not scoured the whole of Manhattan, we certainly had done a lot of searching. Angela had even taken Bronx with her as his tracing senses were superb – but even he could find nothing, no scent of Goliath anywhere.
Each clan member radioed me every half hour, notifying me of each place they had been since the time they had been in touch, I instructed them where next to go.
I sat there with a headset on, sitting in front of a giant pinboard with rather large map of New York flattened out on it. I'd marked off where each of my clan were, Angela was a yellow pin, Hudson was a red pin, Broadway a blue pin and Lex a green pin. I didn't have any different coloured pin for where Elisa was – since she was using her night off to help with the search, but I used an old Star Trek button to indicate where she was.
I was frantic, no sign of Goliath after two days? Something was up.
His daughter was upset, Hudson was angry with himself for not having searched sooner, kept complaining about the trail probably being cold now. I was on the other hand confused that there could be no clue what so ever.
I waited, hoping to god something would come up – but nothing.
The clan returned home, unhappy, tired and dejected. We all met up on the tower were we slept in stone, my wing still ached, and my head had began to throb from the constant stress and worry.
"Still nothing," Hudson gave a sigh, "I'm starting to think he doesn't want to be found…" he muttered.
"My father would never have gone off deliberately," Angela stated, she leaned into Broadway, and I watched him kiss her hair affectionately.
"He'll be fine, Angel," Broadway whispered to her softly, he hugged her close, and I felt a slight flare of disgust with the two, it always felt like they were rubbing their relationship in my face – I know they did not do these things deliberately but it always felt that way.
I tried to focus on other things, "Is there anywhere we haven't checked."
"Everywhere you listed has been checked, Brooklyn, some of us even checked twice…" Lexington spoke up.
"God, I don't believe this, he's been gone for almost three days now – and no sign of him, just like he disappeared into space…and I'm not doing a very good job at leading you all in the search…when I can't even glide or search myself," I looked at the offending wing which was leaving me disabled.
"You're doing a fine job," Hudson stated, "you're staying very calm, and you're making an effort."
"I agree, Brooklyn, you're handling this a lot better than I would have…" Broadway nodded, "I would have freaked."
"You would have comfort ate," Lexington remarked with a smirk.
I sighed, "guys, this is not the time for joking – what can we do? The search brings up nothing, we have no leader…."
They looked at me, they could see my despair.
"What if Goliath is hurt or something, what if every second we waste could be vital…what if we waste too much time and get there too late…"
"Brooklyn…please," Angela's eyes brimmed with tears, "don't say these things…"
"Sorry, Angie…it's just…I don't know…I guess I'm not a very good leader if I can't even keep my own hopes up," I climbed up onto my battlement, the sun was almost risen, and I'd be stone soon.
"Brooklyn…something has happened."
I turned, seeing Elisa rush out, she was out of breath, she'd obviously ran up all the stairs just to catch up with me in time before sunrise.
"Elisa…it's almost daylight, I'll be stone in seconds…" I reminded, "what is it?" I asked, seeing the look of worry on her face.
"Something bad has happened…" Elisa said.
"Is it Goliath?"
"No, it's not Goliath."
"Then can't it wait until sunset?"
"Alena Martin was attacked and raped on her way home from work two hours ago…" Elisa stated, her eyes full of upset.
Now I knew what I had forgotten about, and I gasped. My heart felt as if it had stopped, and my face twisted in horror and shock – and the sun rose just then, leaving me with that image for the rest of the day – in stone.