Author's Note: Silverwolf, breathe deeply at the end, it's bleak but Jack always survives my stories. Reviews are greatly appreciated.
Part 5
Age: 12 Years 6 Months
Samantha was frantic as she ran from Jack's room. Every morning she came up to his floor for a quick kiss before they went downstairs and had to sit among the rabble, as Jack called them. Whenever Jack had a doctor's appointment, he would mark it neatly on the calendar and none were scheduled until next week. Briefly, Samantha toyed with the idea that Jack was doing something related to her birthday; but he never left without letting her know. Two days ago he'd told her he was going out for a few hours that were related to her birthday and that he couldn't tell her anything more. No, Jack always told her when he was leaving the house and his bed was still freshly made from yesterday.
Racing downstairs, Samantha grabbed a staff member and informed her, "Jack's missing!"
Janice Fletcher sighed, at nineteen, she was working her way through college and hated her job at the orphanage. Of all the residents, she liked Sam and Albert the least, they refused to participate in group activities and looked down on the other children. There was something unnatural about the frighteningly intelligent pair that Janice found disturbing. The pair would remain silent among the other residents, but would speak non-stop the moment they were alone, she learned once when she stumbled on the pair in the garden.
Since the girl had come to the orphanage, the boy seemed the healthiest Janice had ever seen him. Aside from being quiet, Sam seemed like a normal enough girl, but for some reason she clung to that freaky Newquay kid. From the moment she came to the home and rechristened Albert as Jack, the pair had been inseparable. Although neither child had by any means the worst record in the orphanage, the pair made Janice very uneasy. It was almost like there was some big secret of the universe that they alone knew the answer to.
After a moment, Janice forced herself to smile and answer, "I'm certain he's around here somewhere. Maybe he's already gone into breakfast?"
"No! Jack is gone I tell you. His bed hasn't been slept in and he's not in the attic."
"I'm sure he's-"
Samantha screamed in frustration, "I'm telling you, something is wrong! I can feel it!"
Janice grabbed a senior staff member and told them, "The Newquay kid is missing, he's probably around here, but she won't listen."
"Now Sam, I'm sure Jack is just fine," the man soothed.
"You're wrong," Samantha responded and she began to cry.
As the staff began to congregate and were debating if Jack had wandered off or perhaps had run away, Samantha began to search the house. Hysterically she called out Jack's name over and over as she went from room to room. Jack had promised her he would always take care of her in her earliest days at the orphanage and she knew he would never leave her alone there. Last night when he told her he loved her, Samantha had been on cloud nine. There was no way he would leave after telling her he loved her or on her birthday, something was horribly wrong.
Samantha went back to Jack's room and climbed back up to the attic. Pulling the ladder down in the attic, she climbed up to the trap door to the tiny widow's walk that stood at the very top of the house. Jack had warned her never to go out on the widow's walk without him that the rail wasn't very sturdy and that the door had to be propped just so or it would close and trap her outside. Poking her head up to the widow's walk, Sam remained on the ladder and didn't step outside. Finding no trace of Jack she closed the trap door and climbed back to the attic floor.
"Oh Jack, where are you?" Samantha cried.
As she made her way back downstairs to see if anyone had found Jack there, Samantha prayed silently. God had taken her mother from her, he couldn't take Jack from her. Since her mother's death, Jack was the only person that made her feel loved or safe. She couldn't lose the only person who cared about her. Disheartened Sam walked down the steps and her heart froze as she saw two policemen standing in the hallway taking notes. The staff wouldn't have called the police unless it was really serious.
Panicked, Samantha demanded, "What's being done to find Jack?!?"
"The police are going to make a search of the house and if they can't find him then they'll put out a missing person report," Janice told her.
Walking up to the older of the two policeman, Samantha sobbed, "Please find Jack. I know he's hurt. Find him!"
"We'll do our best miss, now calm down and we're going to start searching," he soothed.
"Sam, maybe you could make so tea and coffee for everyone while they search," Janice suggested.
Bleary eyed, Samantha walked towards the kitchen. Billy stood near the door and leered at her. For the first time in her life, Samantha felt like hurting someone as she fought the urge to punch him. Taking the kettle and filling it with water, Sam started making tea and tried to calm down. Jack was clever he would be okay, wouldn't he? Staring out the window at the changing leaves, she prayed again for Jack. Samantha hadn't gone to church much since her early Sunday school days when that creepy Lucas boy had a crush on her; but with Jack missing, Samantha prayed in earnest hoping someone somewhere would hear her plea.
There was a great deal of noise throughout the house as the policemen and staff moved from room to room searching for Jack. The kettle whistled and Samantha poured it into the tea pot and watched the clear liquid turn amber. Before she came to the orphanage and met Jack, she couldn't imagine anyone meaning so much to her. Now with Jack missing the ache in heart told Samantha just how much he meant to her. Jack wasn't a schoolgirl crush like the zillions of boys Angel liked, he was the real true forever kind of love.
Resting her forehead against the large walk-in refrigerator, Samantha listened to the hum and wished she could hear Jack's voice. Turning away she walked past the smaller fridge. Every few days the staff would take several days worth of food and move it from the large walk-in to the smaller unit. Reaching in the cupboard beside the regular refrigerator, a lump formed in Samantha's throat as she got out mugs for the coffee. As she sat them down on the table, Billy stood in the doorway and laughed.
"What's so funny?" she asked.
"Nothing," Billy smirked. "Just thinking."
"About what?" Samantha responded, her voice dripping with contempt.
"About how your precious Jack isn't going to get in our way anymore," he answered smugly.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing."
Samantha stepped towards him and yelled, "What did you do?"
"Nothing," he shrugged.
Words Samantha had heard other girls use that she had never before said, sprung to her lips as she lunged at Billy. "What did you do you son of a bitch!"
The raised voices brought several staff members running, Janice arrived first.
"Sam!" Janice scolded as Samantha pushed Billy hard and raked her fingernails across his cheek.
"He did something. This bastard fuck did something to my Jack!" Samantha screeched.
Two staff members pried her off of Billy and struggled to hold her as she fought to attack Billy again.
"Tell them! Tell them what you did!" Sam insisted.
"Billy?" Janice asked wearily.
"What?" he mumbled sullenly.
"You'd better pray Jack is all right or so help me God I will kill you!" Samantha screamed.
Before Billy, could answer a soft and insistent coughing came from behind them. The staff turned and looked in the kitchen. Samantha broke free and ran towards the sound, it was coming from the large walk-in refrigerator. Vainly she tugged on the handle, it was broken and wouldn't open. The coughing stopped and Samantha pounded on the door and yelled. Terror seized her, as the two policemen pushed into the room and started to fight with the door. Several agonizing minutes passed before they managed to pry the door open.
Inside lying on the floor was Jack. Shivering and unconscious as the younger officer pulled him out of the refrigerator and the older officer radioed for an ambulance. Relief at seeing Jack was short-lived as the policeman picked him up and carried him to the living room and laid him on the sofa. Staff members ran for blankets and drug all the children except for Sam and Billy away from from the scene. Samantha moved closer to the sofa and took one of Jack's hands. His hand was ice cold in hers and his lips had a bluish cast to them.
"Jack! Jack!" Samantha begged.
Dark eyes opened sleepily and a deep rattling cough shook his trembling frame harder still. Confused Jack said, "Cold."
"It's all right son, the ambulance is on it's way," the officer told him as he tucked a blanket around Jack.
Raising up slightly and squeezing her hand, Jack rasped slowly and painfully, "Happy Birthday Samantha. Forgive me-"
Jack collapsed back, his hand limp in Samantha's grasp...
