Chapter 82

I hung up and made my way downstairs, I had a mission to complete, and I would not stop till I found Sabrina.

I needed to get her full name and maybe have Will go to the office and put the information we'd gathered and put it into Baby. She had to have some type of record and maybe a family. I looked over to the kitchen and everyone was eating. Star handed me a ham and cheese sandwich.

"You gotta eat Boss Man, it's been a long day and it does look like it's gonna get any easier. Besides CJ will kill me if I don't take care of her Cowboy."

I smiled, she was right we needed to regroup and refresh. I asked if there was any pop in the fridge and was handed a bottle. Luca was on the phone and was barking out orders like a drill sergeant.

Popeye came up next to me, "He is pissed off, and I've only seen him like this twice since I've known him. Luca is the cool and collected one but this hits too close to home. Wick and he served together and I know it burns him that someone on his crew was hurt. Not to mention Tiny and the hurt Momma is going through right now, he's taking this very personally. Before you ask, I am mad but my friend needs me to be calm and his voice of reason, he's done it for me countless times and I will be his voice of reason. Cowboy I know I bitch a lot but my fury can't compare to his. I kind of feel sorry for Boyd once he catches up to him and the idiot that decided to follow him."

When we finished, Star and Sarah started to clean up the kitchen and asked if they could make dinner for everyone tonight. I shrugged saying I didn't know what was in the pantry or fridge or if there was enough for everyone. Preacher volunteered to walk them to the grocery store which we all vetoed, Will said he'd take them to the grocery store once they figured out what they would be cooking and Preacher asked to come also. Popeye motioned to Joe to follow us downstairs and we sat at a table by the monitors that had been set up to look at the tapes we had gotten from the businesses from the pier and the television station.

"So Joe, how about telling us about Sabrina, full name would be great, birthdate and if she had any family. Also the make and license plate of your truck. Houston's going to need that to track her down and Cowboy once we get all that we need to bring your Police friend Hoyt into the picture he will have more resources available."

Joe started to speak as Will and Luca came downstairs, I was jotting down everything regarding Sabrina. He said her last name was Finch and had just celebrated her 19th birthday.

She's just a kid and already a mother. We would help her out any way possible once we found her.

Joe continued and said he and his wife had combined her birthday party with a baby shower. Sabrina had made lots of friends up at the farm. She had no family. Her last living relative was a grandmother, both parents had died, and she had no siblings.

"What about the father?"

Preacher spoke, "Jimmy Griffith, he was 22, lived at the pier since he was 16 his mother OD, and he never knew his father, no other relatives that I know of. He was a great guy who would do anything for you, had a good heart and He and Sabrina just clicked. I can't believe that the baby's dad."

I looked at Preacher, "We can't jump to conclusions, but everything is falling into place and it's looking like we might have found Jake's mom. But still first things first we need to find Sabrina."

Joe cleared his throat, "I wrote down the description of the truck. It has Valley View Farms on each door. You can't miss it has a camper shell. Sabrina was wearing overalls with a pink flowered shirt. She looks exactly like the picture I showed you. When are the police going to be involved? I understand what's going on, but we need to get this information out so she might be hurt or worse. Also Mr. Houston, can I use your phone? I need to call my wife; she must be going crazy. I haven't called her since this morning and I'm sure she would want an update. I'd like to go to the hospital to see the baby. If he's Sabrina's I'm sure my wife would want me to check up on him."

"He's in good hands, tell your wife he has the best care money can buy and my girl is keeping him safe and watching over him. Her name is CJ and she's the one that found him in that trash can. Call your wife, I'll call my friend at the police station, we will be holding a press conference regarding Jake and I believe it will be a good idea to bring up Sabrina at the same time, maybe she's laying low, or someone knows where she's at."

There was noise coming from outside and we all froze. Who could it be? Star and Sarah ran downstairs saying someone was trying to open the door. I motioned them both to hide in the spare room and told Joe to go with them. We all pulled out our weapons. Will picked up a bat, we went upstairs when the pounding started.

"I don't think a burglar would be pounding on the door." I agreed and went to see who it was.

Too Mean and Hoyt were at the door both arguing whether to break down the door.

"What took you so long to open the damn door Houston? Please tell me you don't have the shooters in there and are trying to extract information?"

I shook my head and told everyone behind me it was safe. I opened the door and let them in. Will put down the bat and went downstairs, Luca put away his gun, but Popeye put his on the counter.

"Hey Too Mean you okay? Did you get stitches for that scratch from earlier? Buddy I thought you were tougher than that."

He shook his head and pointed at me, "His girl made me get seen. She saw blood and thought I was hemorrhaging, and the doctor said I needed stitches, or he wasn't going to discharge me and call her back to make sure I complied. I got my stitches and snuck out of there and here I am. So, what's the latest news?"

Will walked up with Joe and I let out my breath. Hoyt didn't know anything about Star yet and didn't want to keep lying to my friend, he would be told when the time was right but right now wasn't the time.

I stepped forward and introduced Joe to Hoyt. He went into detail with the information we had gone over already, and he listened. Once done he looked at me.

"You were going to tell me, right?"

Joe stepped up, "He was about to call you when we heard the ruckus outside, Mr. Houston, Popeye and Luca have been very helpful. But if you'll excuse me, I need to call my wife, she's pregnant also. Oh, I forgot to mention that we are having twins. So, I have to make sure her stress level stays low."

I asked if he wanted privacy and he nodded, and I told him he could use the phone upstairs in my room. He thanked me and went up.

I gave Hoyt the pictures of Sabrina Finch. He looked at them then me.

"Do you think she's Jake's momma?"

I looked at the pictures and sighed, "The timeline is there, it fits, and my gut is telling me that she is his mom. But what I don't want to face is that if it is her where she is now? I'm hoping that she went into labor early, got scared and took off with some friends from the pier. Because the alternative is not something I want to think about."

Hoyt put his hand on my shoulder, "Yeah let's leave that as a final resort, let me put an APB out of the truck and maybe get some officers down here to go through the neighborhood."

"Ah Lt. Hoyt, I have people ready to go door to door, they are friends of mine and some knew Sabrina from when she was a homeless girl on the pier. We will make flyers also and post them everywhere on the pier, the word will get out faster if locals do this and hate to do this to you Houston, but can we use your office number and have people there answering the phone I'm sure we can get some volunteers to answer the phone there or heck I'll be willing and I'm sure some of Popeye's staff will help out we."

Popeye chimed in, "Yeah I won't be open for a bit. I need to repair the damage that was done. I'm sure everyone would want to help out. So are you going to let us help Lt. Hoyt or are we going on our own?"

I had forgotten about the argument between them at the pier and Hoyt looked at Sabrina's picture and then to me.

"If you are the lead on this then yeah the police department will appreciate the help from the citizens here at the pier. The flyers…"

Sarah walked up with a paper in her hand, "Already done has Sabrina's name, when she was last seen, what she's wearing and the description of the truck with Valley View Farms on the doors, and I got your office phone number from the yellow pages, Houston that is where we are going to set up our headquarters right? We just need to copy the picture onto it and I took the liberty to call Annabelle at Quicky Printers, she's waiting for me to bring it over and she is donating 1000 colored copies."

I smiled at her and Hoyt looked at me, "You remember Sarah right? She's helping with the search as will a lot of people. I believe Luca asked everyone to gather at the bar, right?"

He nodded and looked at his watch, "Come on Popeye we need to go Sarah you too, Will do you and Too Mean want to take Sarah to the printers and get those copies so we can start handing them out, might be too heavy for her."

Star walked up and Hoyt looked at me. Sarah put her arm around her, come on Star you can come with us. We'll meet up with you at the Bar Popeye."

They walked out and Joe came downstairs, thanking me for letting him use the phone and letting him fill in his wife on what was going on.

"She's praying we find her. I didn't tell her anything about Jake, she's stressed enough. So what's the plan?"

"I have to call my boss and tell him of these new developments. Houston, are you still going to have that press conference? I think it will be good to bring up Sabrina and see if she comes forward or if someone saw her or knows where she might be."

I agreed, and said to go make his calls and I'd wait for him and told Popeye, Luca and Joe to get going and we'd meet up with them at the Bar. I would call the hospital again to get updates and see if Uncle Roy could go back to the office and set everything up and have Chris help him out.

I called the hospital and hoped CJ would be the one answering but it was Carol I asked to speak to my girl but said CJ was downstairs with Jake.

"Sorry Cowboy I can go get her if you need to talk to her but they said Jake was getting fussy and she bolted down there, me and Maureen are here going through files and Uncle Roy just stepped in. Do you want to talk to him?"

I said yes and he got on the line. I explained everything that was going on and he agreed to go to the office with Chris and set up a phone system to receive as many calls as possible. Maureen and Carol asked what was going on and he relayed what I had said, and they wanted to join them to help out. I asked that they take as many guards as they could with them but not to forget CJ. I didn't want her alone nor Momma, Tiny or Wick if Boyd got brave and tried to get them at the hospital.

"No need to worry boy, there are six men three in the conference room and three outside and six with Tiny, Wick and Momma and CJ has three watching her. They put Tiny and Wick in the same room, so it is all working out. They are both going to recover, so tell Popeye and Luca all is well."

I was relieved and told him I'd relay the information to them. I asked him how CJ really was, and he told me he was so proud of her that she was a natural with Jake and I had better get my act together and make her mine permanently.

"Working on it, Uncle Roy, but it seems like each time we try to get together, someone or something tries to pull us apart. I know what I want and I'm not giving up."

"Good to hear, I'll let Luca's crew know what's going on and make sure everyone has eyes on them. Now go out there and do your job, find that young woman. Me and Momma are praying she will be found, that little boy needs her."

I promised to do my best and to keep him updated. I hung up and Hoyt said that everything was set then looked at me.

"I know you are hiding something from me, but I trust in time you will tell me the whole story. These new guys seem decent, I had them checked out and they are military and highly trained. There is more to this story and I think you are protecting your new friends but remember I am not your enemy. I owe you, your uncle and CJ, you trust me but you need to get them on my side, I can be an asset you know this Houston but I will wait for the whole truth because I trust you and you always do what's right. I have your back."

I patted him on the back. "I will tell you everything soon. I just need to tie up some loose ends, our new family is weary of law enforcement, but they have their reasons which will be explained. But Hoyt, thanks for not asking too many questions I will tell you everything soon okay."

"Okay come on let's go find Jake's mom and hope luck is on our side."

"Yeah, hopefully Lady Luck will shine on us today."