Chapter 5

Nurse Betty was the first to notice the empty beds once the emergency had finished. Timmy's had been empty all night, but he wasn't their main worry, he just had bruises. It was his sister Zona that had everyone concerned, the fact he was crawled up in her bed keeping her safe had melted their hearts. Wanting them to have a good night sleep and not wanting to scare them in the night they had decided to silence the alarms, both children were reasonably stable.

They were down to 2 hourly post op checks when she had discovered they had gone, the bathroom was also empty all that was left was a note.

Her first call was to security who did a lockdown and started a search of the hospital site, the code pink activated, her second call was to the chief who was less than happy to be woken a 0545, and her third and most terrifying call was to Nurse Barbara explaining she had lost the 2 children she had promised to keep safe.

Soon everyone was awake. The hospital was buzzing, 2 abused children leaving the hospital wasn't good for PR, or for the children. Daniel had made some calls waking up the whole division he commanded, ordering them to get over here from base and very few people argued with Captain Robbins when he issued orders. While he couldn't formerly declare this a military issue, he was allowed to ask his men to volunteer to search the streets. They didn't need to know that he hadn't asked for volunteers but ordered every person under his command to wake up and report for duty.

Security had confirmed the children had left the hospital at 0455 and headed down east street. The police had begun searching, at least now they had a lead, there couldn't be too many 5-year-olds called Arizona with an 8-year-old brother called Timmy or Timothy, within walking distance of the hospital. They just had to wait for the schools to open to call around.

Daniel wasn't willing to wait, his gut told him something bad was going to happen if they waited. He used his vast military experience dividing his 100 men into groups of 4 each responsible for 2 blocks. That meant the nearest 50 blocks were covered mostly in the east, the direction the children had left in. Their job was to canvas any neighbours leaving asking about local children, about families without moms, anything that could lead them to finding where the children lived. While he wasn't allowed to run a military operation on civilian land without permission having his soldiers all volunteer to search wasn't against the rules. He also had someone printing out the CCTV images to hand out hoping that would provide a visual clue to the location. Someone out there would no who these children were.

Barbara let her husband take charge, she knew this was his strength, still exhausted from her extra-long shift she sat in the room Daniel had commandeered watching, they would find the children that she was certain off it, she was more concerned about the state they would be returned in. Zona for one needed fluids, and antibiotics and pain relief. Timmy needed to be a child, they both needed a safe place to sleep, new clothes, warm food, full tummies, Zona needed to taste chocolate. With that in mind Barbara began making calls. When they were found they'd return to the hospital and then they'd come home with her. In her mind they were already her kids she had grown attached quicker than she ever thought possible. Plus, Timothy and Arizona Robbins had a lovely ring to it.

The police updated them, they had the school records of an Arizona and Timothy Williams and had an address, they'd be visiting soon. Luckily Arizona was such an uncommon name it stuck out in the records. Daniel quickly ordered all his soldiers to stand by. The police might not be able to tell them the address, but his tactically placed soldiers would.

30 minutes later the phone rang again, the address had been a fake, and had led to an office block. They were trying the phone number attached to the records now. Daniel paced the room frustrated, his gut was screaming at him, they were running out of time.

Back in the house Timmy woke to the phone ringing. He tensed it was too early to make noise, it would wake daddy. He was already going to be angry without waking early. Opening the wardrobe carefully to make sure he didn't wake Zona Timmy dashed out of his room and down the stairs to where it was ringing.

"Hello" he answered, listening carefully for any sounds of noise from upstairs.

"Hi, is this Timmy?" the voice asked, Timmy twisted his face in confusion. He never got phone calls ever, even daddy rarely got phone calls. She sounded really nice and had a happy voice like his teacher at school.

"Uh huh"

"We've been looking for you. You left the hospital this morning, the nurses have been really worried" the voice said, Timmy felt the shame build up inside, the nurses and doctors had been really helpful. He didn't mean to make them worry, it was strange nobody had ever worried about him before or care where he was only Zona. Zona was the only one who cared.

"Sorry" he apologised, "But daddy would be really mad if he woke up and we were gone" he explained.

"Is your daddy with you now?" the voice asked,

"He is sleeping" Timmy told them, listening carefully to make sure his dad was still sleeping.

"What about Zona where is she?" the voice asked,

"She is sleeping too"

"Okay the hospital has some medicine for Zona, they say it's really important that she takes it" the voice said, Timmy bit his lip fearfully, he had no more money to pay for medicine, he had left everything he had with the note, but he really didn't want Zona to get even more sick. "Can you and Zona come back to the hospital so we can give Zona the medicine?" the voice asked.

"It would make daddy mad" Timmy replied sadly, "And Zona can't walk good, her tummy got hurt"

Timmy was so distracted by the thought of his sister being hurt and the decision he was being asked to make he didn't hear the footsteps come down the stairs. He did feel a hand grab his collar lifting him off the floor, the phone dropped to the floor.

"Who is on the phone?" Daddy asked angrily, Timmy gulped he knew he wasn't supposed to answer the phone and he knew his Daddy would already be mad

"I don't know" Timmy replied lying, daddies other hand closed across his neck squeezing it. "A lady I don't know her name." The hand eased off his throat slightly

"What did she want?" He asked, Timmy closed his eyes in fear, taking a moment to try to compose himself. He knew he was about to get a beating his only hope was that Zona remained safe. But he knew if he lied, they'd both be much worse off, his only hope was if daddy knew how poorly Zona was, he'd let her go back to the hospital and get her medicine.

"Zona got sick, we went to get medicine and the lady says she needs more, or she could die" Timmy explained his blue eyes wide with fear as he trembled at the thought of Zona dying and in fear at the beating he was going to get, still suspended mid-air by the back of his t-shirt by his daddy.

Daddy screamed frustrated stupid kids. He had kept them for years as a tribute to his wife who he loved more than anything, he'd even tried loving them, making sure they were fed and clothed, kept warm, even the brat. Changing her diapers, getting her the special milk, making the stupid bottles. But they just kept taking from him, never giving anything back, taking his money, time, food and effort, did they not appreciate he had nothing left to give. After working 8 hours, and then drinking with friends for 3 hours in the local bar the last thing he needed when he got home was them whining, they were hungry, or cold, or needed new shoes. It was infuriating.

The stupid brat had killed her, and his son had chosen loyalty to her rather than to him. His only true love, the only good thing in his life was dead because of her. His wife had made him promise to love her, she'd stayed alive long enough to name her Arizona, after her dead grandfather, he had tried and lasted nearly a whole year, but he hated her so much. The final straw was when she had dared to vomit on him once when she was sick, it was disgusting. Like she deserved cuddles, ever even if she was unwell. At least she was alive. She should be grateful for that.

She was a stupid disgusting murdering brat, and his son was a traitor. Now strangers were sniffing around suspicions raised. The was only one thing left to do get rid of the evidence, like he had wanted to years ago, surely, she'd understand he had tried for years to honour her wishes, she'd understand it was time for that dream and everything that went along with it to die.

He threw the boy to one side hearing the satisfying thump as his body hit the wall. "Stay" he ordered knowing the boy was too scared or too stupid to move. He stormed upstairs glad he was wearing clothes and didn't have to bother changing he must have passed out in his jeans and t-shirt. He went to his room first grabbing his gun, if he was going to finish this, he wanted the pleasure of seeing their brains splattered, of hearing them beg and cry.

He checked the brats room it was empty, that wasn't unusual. He checked the boy's room also empty, but he knew she often slept in the wardrobe, stupid brat couldn't even find her own bed. He tried the door it opened inside he found the brat curled into a ball crying pathetically. He reached in grabbing her arm pulling her out noticing a bright pink cast on the other arm. The bloody medical treatment, like they had money to waste on her.

"Sorry daddy" the brat sobbed as he dragged her down the stairs by the arm not in a cast. Not caring that she lost her footing halfway down and hit every step on the way down, she'd be dead soon. For once he didn't have to think about where he put the bruises. The boy was sat where he'd been thrown hugging his knees on seeing his sister he staggered to his feet.

"Stupid, murdering bitch, I should have done this years ago, you're going to meet your mammy and be eaten slowly by the bugs just like she was" daddy screamed, "Although I might let you be eaten by the bugs first, slowly killing you. It would serve you right"

"Please daddy don't hurt her" Timmy begged, running to where Zona was dangling by her arm. She reached out trying to hold onto Timmy. Daddy saw he grabbed her cast twisting her arm gaining satisfaction as she screamed in pain.

"Stupid idiots you have ruined everything" daddy shouted. Both kids were crying now, He threw the brat to the floor where the boy tried to comfort her. Stupid kids, he needed his car keys, not wanting to dispose of them in the house, not if the police were already suspicious. This way he could claim they had run away. In the hallway Timmy sensed something was different daddy was calmer than normal, he hadn't really hit either of them yet not hard, dragging Zona down the stairs didn't count, and normally when he started hitting, he didn't stop until it was over.

"Zona, we need to run" he decided, his instincts screaming at him. They had never run from daddy before, but this was different.

"Timmy I'm scared" Zona whispered still crying holding her tummy. Timmy wished he could reassure her but knew they didn't have time. He dragged her to the front door managing to open it and get outside as they heard the angry roar from the hallway. Daddy knew they had gone.

"Come on Zona" Timmy urged, pulling her along. She stumbled trying to run while holding her tummy her whole body bruises and in pain. They weren't going to be fast enough, "Run" he pushed his sister ahead of himself letting her run to safety while he stopped ready to try fight his daddy. Anything to try and save Zona. He watched as Zona made her way down the garden past daddy's car, hoping he could delay daddy enough to save Zona.

Sorry about the formatting problem it was okay when i loaded it

hopefully this is better