Chapter 4: Fear and Terror
David walks through the open door of Erica's penthouse, almost an hour after getting Jack's call. The house crawling with police and paramedics…
" Dylan David Hayward, four and half years old, black hair, brown eyes…last seen wearing white Batman pajama's." An officer says into this phone, as David walks past him.
" David…" Anna says quietly, from his right side.
David turns to look at her, his face etched in fear, " I was in surgery…"
" I know Joe told us…" She stops, following David's eyes as they land on a stoic Erica sitting on the couch.
" Anna, what the hell happened here, where's Dylan?" He asks, his eyes glued to Erica.
Anna shakes her head sadly, " Abby said two men armed to kill broke in, and took Dylan."
" They just walked in here, and kidnapped my son?"
" They assaulted the guards downstairs, and then bound and gagged Abby when they got up here."
David nods, as Anna continues, " All they left was this…"
She hands him the type written note:m "I WANT WHAT'S MINE, what the hell does that mean?"
" I wish we knew…we should know more once they call in a ransom."
David shakes his head in complete exasperation, " I can't believe this is happening…what could I have that someone wants so badly that they would take my son for ransom?"
" I wish we knew, David. We're doing everything we can; we've got an APB out for Dylan and descriptions of the abductors out. We closed all the airports and bus stations in the state…there's now way that anyone can get Dylan out of the state." She tells him confidently.
" Unless he's already out of the state, or the country." He says dryly as he walks away.
He walks slowly over to Erica, staying silent even as he kneels down in front of her.
" Erica?" He says softly, taking her hand in his.
Erica looks at him, her usually bright eyes blank, tears staining her cheeks.
David takes a deep breath, overwhelmed by the sadness in Erica's eyes, " We'll find him."
She nods slowly, her face still blank. David moves to sit next her, gently putting his arm around her. She looks up into his eyes, and he nods to her, before she lays her head against his chest, as she sobs.
Jack and Anna stand by the door, their eyes glued to Erica and David. " We have to find him, Jack." Jack nods, " I know Anna, but what more can we do? We have to wait for the kidnappers to make their demands." He tells her sadly.
" So we just sit here and wait, how horrible."
Jack simply nods, unable to find any words.
*********************************************************
" Did he fight you?" The voice asks, looking at Dylan as he sleeps.
" Tooth and nail, but he ended up just crying himself to sleep." The man says with a laugh.
" The poor little dear, he must have been scared to death." The voice laughs, their eyes locked on a sleeping Dylan.
*************************
" This is ridiculous Jack. I am not just going to sit here and do nothing." David says, his intentions perfectly clear.
" So what, you're going to go out there like some big bad ass, and look for who, David? We don't even know who took him."
David shakes his head, " I'm going to find my son."
Anna puts her hand on David's shoulder to stop him, " Please just wait here, you're…" She stops, as the rest of the room falls silent, no one moving, as they listen to the ringing phone.
Jack nods to, David who walks to the phone, and picks it up slowly, " Hello?"
" Hello my son." Vanessa says smugly.
" Vanessa…." David says back into the phone as the rest of the room gasps. " Where's Dylan?" He asks calmly.
" He's fine darling, sleeping like an angel."
" Vanessa…you hurt a hair on his head and I will kill you with my bare hands." David vows into the phone.
Vanessa laughs, " There's no need for threats David, I'm taking good care of him."
" What the hell do you want from me Vanessa?"
" Oh my son, always 3 steps behind. It's simple really, I want what's mine."
" What's yours, what the hell are you talking about?"
" That's for you to figure out." She laughs smugly.
" Damn it Vanessa, what do you want?"
" You have 48 to figure that out, or you will never see your son again." She commands into the phone, " 48 hours David." She adds before hanging up.
To be continued…
David walks through the open door of Erica's penthouse, almost an hour after getting Jack's call. The house crawling with police and paramedics…
" Dylan David Hayward, four and half years old, black hair, brown eyes…last seen wearing white Batman pajama's." An officer says into this phone, as David walks past him.
" David…" Anna says quietly, from his right side.
David turns to look at her, his face etched in fear, " I was in surgery…"
" I know Joe told us…" She stops, following David's eyes as they land on a stoic Erica sitting on the couch.
" Anna, what the hell happened here, where's Dylan?" He asks, his eyes glued to Erica.
Anna shakes her head sadly, " Abby said two men armed to kill broke in, and took Dylan."
" They just walked in here, and kidnapped my son?"
" They assaulted the guards downstairs, and then bound and gagged Abby when they got up here."
David nods, as Anna continues, " All they left was this…"
She hands him the type written note:m "I WANT WHAT'S MINE, what the hell does that mean?"
" I wish we knew…we should know more once they call in a ransom."
David shakes his head in complete exasperation, " I can't believe this is happening…what could I have that someone wants so badly that they would take my son for ransom?"
" I wish we knew, David. We're doing everything we can; we've got an APB out for Dylan and descriptions of the abductors out. We closed all the airports and bus stations in the state…there's now way that anyone can get Dylan out of the state." She tells him confidently.
" Unless he's already out of the state, or the country." He says dryly as he walks away.
He walks slowly over to Erica, staying silent even as he kneels down in front of her.
" Erica?" He says softly, taking her hand in his.
Erica looks at him, her usually bright eyes blank, tears staining her cheeks.
David takes a deep breath, overwhelmed by the sadness in Erica's eyes, " We'll find him."
She nods slowly, her face still blank. David moves to sit next her, gently putting his arm around her. She looks up into his eyes, and he nods to her, before she lays her head against his chest, as she sobs.
Jack and Anna stand by the door, their eyes glued to Erica and David. " We have to find him, Jack." Jack nods, " I know Anna, but what more can we do? We have to wait for the kidnappers to make their demands." He tells her sadly.
" So we just sit here and wait, how horrible."
Jack simply nods, unable to find any words.
*********************************************************
" Did he fight you?" The voice asks, looking at Dylan as he sleeps.
" Tooth and nail, but he ended up just crying himself to sleep." The man says with a laugh.
" The poor little dear, he must have been scared to death." The voice laughs, their eyes locked on a sleeping Dylan.
*************************
" This is ridiculous Jack. I am not just going to sit here and do nothing." David says, his intentions perfectly clear.
" So what, you're going to go out there like some big bad ass, and look for who, David? We don't even know who took him."
David shakes his head, " I'm going to find my son."
Anna puts her hand on David's shoulder to stop him, " Please just wait here, you're…" She stops, as the rest of the room falls silent, no one moving, as they listen to the ringing phone.
Jack nods to, David who walks to the phone, and picks it up slowly, " Hello?"
" Hello my son." Vanessa says smugly.
" Vanessa…." David says back into the phone as the rest of the room gasps. " Where's Dylan?" He asks calmly.
" He's fine darling, sleeping like an angel."
" Vanessa…you hurt a hair on his head and I will kill you with my bare hands." David vows into the phone.
Vanessa laughs, " There's no need for threats David, I'm taking good care of him."
" What the hell do you want from me Vanessa?"
" Oh my son, always 3 steps behind. It's simple really, I want what's mine."
" What's yours, what the hell are you talking about?"
" That's for you to figure out." She laughs smugly.
" Damn it Vanessa, what do you want?"
" You have 48 to figure that out, or you will never see your son again." She commands into the phone, " 48 hours David." She adds before hanging up.
To be continued…