CHAPTER 38
GET BACK
Paul was numb as he pushed the truck to 90 mph. He had been so afraid this might happen, but he should have taken more precautions. He should have told Travis to wait in his classroom. He should have told the school about the restraining order. He should have . . . he had a million 'should haves,' but it still didn't change the fact that she had Travis.
Paul had Ty put Seth on the phone and he told him to get somewhere and phase immediately and let Sam know. He knew Sam always patrolled until the others got out of school and he needed the pack to scout the rez right away in case she was still around. And he hoped to God she was. If she got too far away, they might never find her . . . or Travis.
After hanging up with Seth, he flipped open the cell phone to call Leah. He hated making this call the most.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Leah . . . it's Trav. That bitch . . . " he had to take a deep breath and try hard to control his anger. "Doreen showed up at school and took him."
Her heart stopped for a second. "Oh my God. No!"
"Seth and Tyler found out from Carly, and got a description of the car. Seth called Charlie Swan and then was going to phase to let Sam know. I have no idea if they are going to head to the house or not, so I want you and Noah to get the hell out of there. She has some guy with her, probably the one that called the house earlier. I know the type of guys she hangs out with, so I'm sure he'll be dangerous. You need to clear out and go to your mom's or Sam's."
Leah was speechless. Anger and fear ripped at her heart. What if they never found him? What if she never saw Travis again? She was holding Noah, and she realized she was squeezing him too tightly as he began to whimper.
"Leah? Did you hear me?" Paul shouted.
"Yeah, yeah, I heard you. Where are you now?"
"I'm doing 90 and should get to LaPush in about 10 minutes."
"I'll wait for you here."
"Leah . . . "
"I said I'll wait for you here," Leah repeated more forcefully then she pushed off on the phone and threw it down. This bitch would not get away with this. She had no idea who she was dealing with.
Paul threw the phone down on the seat. "Damnit!" Why did Leah have to be so fucking stubborn? He pushed his foot to the floor and hoped to hell that all the cops in the area were out looking for his brother instead of speeders.
"Is Paul going to be OK?" Travis asked anxiously from the backseat. He had been shocked to see his mom get out of the old blue car at school while he was waiting for Seth and Tyler. She had rushed up to him and grabbed him into a hug then told him that Paul had been hurt and was on his way to the hospital. When he asked about Tyler, she told him that he was already on his way there with someone else. When Travis asked if it was Seth, she replied, "Yes, that was his name."
Now he was in this car with his mom, worried about Paul and waiting for an answer to his question. "I'm sure he will be OK, baby" Doreen said over her shoulder.
Travis looked over at the man driving. He was big and had dark hair and a scar on his cheek. He had a real deep voice when he talked and he didn't smile at all. This man made Travis think of the men that used to come to the door when he lived with his mom and they always wanted money. He remembered one time when a man hit her and she fell to the ground. Travis looked back at the man and decided he didn't like him . . . not at all.
"This isn't the way Paul goes to Forks," Travis said softly.
"Shortcut," the man driving grunted.
Travis looked out the window and tried to see where they were. He was starting to get really scared.
Doreen turned around to look at Travis. "Travy, honey, it's OK. Aren't you glad to see me? I really missed you. And you're so big!" She put on a big smile for him.
Travis didn't know what to think, how to feel. He was so confused. It had been almost two years since he'd seen her, and now here she was, smiling at him like nothing ever happened.
"Why didn't Seth and Tyler wait for me? Why did you pick me up?" he asked.
"Well, since Paul was hurt, they thought maybe you would feel better being with your mommy."
Travis narrowed his eyes as he looked at his mom. He knew that Paul would never send her to pick him up, and Tyler would never leave him alone with her. Paul hated their mom. So did Tyler.
"We'll be there soon. Just relax and enjoy the ride," Doreen said as she turned back around. Then she pointed up ahead and said quickly to the man driving, "Turn here, Johnny."
Johnny turned onto a dirt road and slowed down. "You gonna make the call?" he asked Doreen.
"Yes. Stop here."
Johnny pulled the car to the side of the road and stopped. Doreen turned to Travis and said sweetly, "I'm going to call the hospital and check on your brother, OK? You stay here, and I'll be right back."
She opened the car door and slipped out then shut it as she opened her cell phone. Travis was getting more and more scared as he glanced up at the man again. He felt like crying, but he knew that Paul would want him to be brave, so he held it in as hard as he could. He knew something wasn't right, but right now, he had no idea what to do about it.
Paul skidded to a stop on the gravel drive and threw the truck into park as he opened the door to jump out. He ran to the front door and opened it. "Leah!" he shouted.
"I'm here!" She walked out to the door holding Noah.
"Get your ass in the truck. I'm taking you to Sam's. This is no time to argue." She could see by the look in his eyes he meant business.
"I have Noah's bag packed," she said as she nodded to the chair. He leaned over to pick it up and then turned to usher Leah out the door when the phone rang. He was going to ignore it, but then thought it might be news about Travis.
He grabbed the phone and barked out, "Hello!"
"Pauly? You're there, how nice. Home early from work?" He closed his eyes and tried hard to rein in his anger so he wouldn't phase right here in the house.
"Where is he?" he demanded through clenched teeth.
"Who? Oh, Travis? He's right here with his mommy. He missed me so."
"You bitch! I want him back, and I want him now. You know we have a restraining order against you. You're not to go within 100 feet of either of them, or we can haul your ass to jail. Right now, I'm pretty sure you're in violation of that."
"Are you fucking serious? How dare you! They are my kids!"
"Yeah, well you should have treated them better when you had the chance."
"Look Pauly, you better change your tone if you ever want to see your little brother again."
Paul again sucked in air and tried to stay calm. His hand was shaking so much it was hard to hold the phone to his ear. "You want money," he stated angrily. He was sure of it. That and drugs were all she cared about.
"Why? You offering?"
"Damnit, stop playing games here. Just tell me when and where."
"Well, I know you been holding out on me. Mama had to have some life insurance. She was just that kind of person. She doted on you and spoiled you rotten. So, how much you got?"
Paul had to think quick. He would give her anything he had to get Travis back, but he had his family to think about. He had to be smart here. "Look, I have some money in the bank that I've been saving to add a room on to the house. It's a couple thousand. I'll go to the bank right now and get it for you."
"A couple of thousand? Are you fucking with me, Pauly? You really think I'm going to believe that's all she left you? Try again."
Paul shook his head and smacked the phone on the counter. He took another deep breath and put the phone to his ear. "OK. I was saving it for Ty to go to college, but . . . it's yours. Ten thousand. But it's a one-time deal because that is all we have."
"Fine, ten grand. I want it in an hour."
"Fine. I'll leave for the bank right now. Where do you want to meet?"
"At the house in an hour. And Pauly . . . no tricks. No cops, or we'll take off and Travis will stay with me."
"No cops. Just be here in an hour, or I swear to God I will hunt you down and kill you." The line went dead and Paul pushed the off button. "Damnit! That fucking whore bitch! I want to kill her and just be done with this shit!" Then he turned and flung the phone into the wall, shattering it into a million pieces.
It startled Noah and he began to cry. Leah pulled him up onto her shoulder and tried to comfort him. As soon as Paul heard him, he ran his hands through his hair and over his face and tried to calm himself.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Paul said softly as he drew Leah and Noah close. "I'm so sorry, little man." He kissed Noah's head and rested his forehead on Leah's. "I have to go to the bank, but I am not leaving the two of you here. You're going to Sam's. Let's go."
Leah nodded and picked up Noah's bag as Paul picked up the car seat and walked her to the truck. Once Leah and Noah were ready, he pulled out onto the road for the short drive to Sam's.
"So? He go for it?" Johnny asked Doreen as she stepped back into the car.
"Yep. He's on the way to the bank to get us ten grand. I told him we would be there in one hour."
"Yeah, but we're still going with the plan, right?"
Doreen looked nervously at Johnny. "I don't know, ten grand is pretty good money . . . "
Johnny reached over and grabbed her arm and squeezed. "I didn't sign on to split ten grand, Doreen. You promised me half of 100 grand, and that is what I want."
Doreen pulled her arm away then flipped down the visor to fuss with her hair and take a little time to think. She was starting to get cold feet about the original plan. She was more than happy to drive away with ten thousand dollars in cash. Glancing in the mirror at Travis, she could see he was pretty scared. He had to know something was up by now. She smiled at him then flipped the visor back up.
"Don't worry, Johnny. It will all work out," she said with a smile and a wink. Then she looked out the window over the field and hoped she could pull this off.
Paul dropped Leah and Noah at Sam's and then threw gravel as he tore out of the drive toward town. Leah set Noah's car seat on the table and looked at Tyler. Seth had brought him here and then run out to join the pack. "Come here, Ty." Leah folded him into a hug and held onto him. She could see tears in his eyes, as she tried to hold in her own. "Paul will get him back. You know he would do anything for you guys."
Tyler nodded and drew away then walked to the window to stare out into the woods.
Emily walked over to Leah and hugged her. "Sam and the guys are out there. If she is anywhere on the rez, you know they'll find her."
"I know, Em. Thanks." Emily took Noah out of the car seat and told Leah she would watch him for awhile. Leah made her way to the window to stand beside Tyler. She was amazed at how much he looked like Paul right now. Even his stance and how he had his arms folded over his chest . . . you could definitely tell they were brothers.
Without turning, he said angrily, "I should have been there with him. I should have told him to wait inside. I shouldn't have waited around to see if I could catch Cristy, and . . . damnit!"
Leah put her arm around Tyler's shoulders. "We all have those, Ty. It doesn't do any good to beat ourselves up now. We have to trust Paul and Sam and all the pack. Charlie, too. They are all out there looking for him."
He shrugged off her arm and turned to shout, "I should be out there! I hate being confined here like a baby in a play pen. He's my brother, too!"
"I hear ya. Paul practically pulled me out of the house by my hair and made me come here. You know, I've killed va . . . I was a wolf. I AM a wolf. I should be out there, too."
Tyler gave her a curious look. "You killed . . . what?"
Leah sighed and gave him a small smile. "I can't say, but just know that as wolves, we can be deadly." Saying that made Leah wonder if she could even still phase. She hadn't in so long, that she just assumed she had given up her wolf. But what if she could? She could help . . .
"I'll be back. I need to use the bathroom," she said to Tyler. He nodded and went back to looking out the window. She walked past Emily, who was rocking Noah, and headed toward the bathroom down the hall. When she was out of sight, she walked to the back door and opened it then slipped quietly outside.
Quickly slipping out of her shoes, she pulled off her jeans and shirt and dropped them onto the porch. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was looking then added her bra and underwear to the pile. "OK, here goes," she whispered to herself.
Leah jumped off the porch and tried hard to focus on her anger at Doreen. As she ran toward the woods, she could feel her bones trying to rearrange and that old familiar tingle ran through her body. She kept pushing herself as she ran, feeling the pain of phasing after stopping for so long. Her blood rushed, her heart rate was through the roof, and then finally, she popped out into her wolf body. "Yes! I did it!"
"Leah? Is that really you?" Sam asked.
"Yes! Paul heard from Doreen. She called and wanted money. He's off to town to the bank and then he's supposed to meet her back at our house in an hour, which would be about 4:30. Have you guys found anything yet?"
"We started at the school, but since they got into a car, there was really no trail to follow. But I have everyone fanned out from there, trying to pick up anything they can."
"I'm going to the house to keep watch there."
"I'll send Seth to you."
"Got it!" Seth acknowledged. "On my way."
Leah was almost home when she pulled up and hid behind a tree. There was a strange man skulking around behind her house and she wanted to see what he was up to. He had a can of some sort in his hands and it looked like he was sprinkling something around . . . she caught a whiff of gasoline. "Oh my God! He's going to burn our house down!"
"What? Leah wait! Wait for backup!" Sam commanded.
"Damnit, Sam!" Leah couldn't break the Alpha command and she was frozen in place, waiting for Seth. As she sat there, she watched the man walk all around the house shaking the can. Why would they burn the house? Doreen wanted to get her hands on it. Or did she? Was she that vindictive to just burn it out from under them because she couldn't have it?
"Two minutes, sis . . . " Seth informed her.
"We may not have two minutes. He's almost all the way around the house! Sam, please!" Just then, Leah tensed as she heard movement. It wasn't heavy enough to be Seth. She looked around and spied Tyler, running along the path that went between Sam's and their house. "Damnit! Tyler is heading toward the house! I have to stop him!"
She tried to move, but Sam's order kept her still. She let out a yip to try and get his attention, but he was running and paying no attention to anything. "Sam, for God's sake let up! I have to stop Tyler!"
"Go, but be careful," he responded.
"Almost there!" Seth reported.
Leah took off toward Tyler as fast as she could run, but she was too late. He opened the front door and went inside. "Oh my God! He went into the house!" She looked quickly to see where the man was. She caught his scent and followed it around the house and stopped when she saw him in the back yard. He had set the can down, and was now reaching into his pocket. Leah struggled whether to launch herself at him, or to get Tyler out of the house. She finally decided that she held the element of surprise as she was behind the man, so she set herself up on her haunches to spring into action, just as she saw him flick a lighted match at the house.
"Nooooooo!" Flames shot up beside the back door and quickly spread on the ground as it followed the trail of gasoline. The man watched to make sure it caught fire then he laughed and said, "One hundred grand. Well, worth it."
Leah had no idea what that meant, but she knew she needed to stop him while she could. She leapt at him and tackled him from behind knocking him to the ground. "What the fuck!" he cried out.
He started to struggle so Leah bit down on his neck and held him there with a snarl. There was no way he was going anywhere with Leah sitting on his back and her teeth in his neck. "We are coming, Leah! Hold on!" she heard from Sam.
"Please hurry!"
Just then, Seth came charging into the yard. "Tyler is in the house!" Leah sent to Seth as she held the man down. Seth turned quickly to the house and without hesitation, jumped through the flames, shattering the back door with his huge wolf body.
"Seth? Please find him!"
Leah concentrated on Seth and watched in his mind as he went through the house. He found Tyler unconscious, lying on the bathroom floor. The window was open and the smoke was pouring in. Seth grabbed a hold of his pant leg and dragged him out of the bathroom then he stood back and willed himself to phase back. Leaning over, Seth quickly scooped up Tyler, throwing him over his shoulder and ran for the front door.
Flames leapt in front of the door, so he ran to the kitchen and saw the same at the back door. He didn't want Tyler burned, so he set him down and grabbed a blanket that was lying on the chair in the living room and took it to the kitchen to run some water over it. He threw it over Tyler and rolled him up in it and lifted him back up to his shoulder. "I'm coming out!" he shouted to Leah then he ran back out the back door through the flames.
Sam finally showed up and went right to Leah and relieved her of her guard duty so Leah could run toward Seth and Tyler. Seth had rolled Tyler to put out the small flames that had caught onto the blanket, and then he rolled him out of the blanket and reached for his shorts.
Leah did not hesitate. She phased back and Seth threw the blanket at her. "Thanks," she grunted as she wrapped it around her. "Is he breathing?" she asked.
Seth put his face to Tyler's and shook his head. Leah barked out instructions to Seth and they used CPR to bring him back. Once Tyler started coughing, Leah propped him up. "Oh thank God," she sighed. Then she looked at Seth. "Are you burned?"
Seth looked over his body and noticed some welts, but they were already healing. "I'm fine. Just take care of Tyler."
Then they heard Paul calling out and Leah hollered, "Out back!"
He came running around the house and flew to her side. "Oh my God, Leah. I saw the smoke from the road. What the hell happened?"
She nodded toward the man that Sam was sitting on. "Ask him. He's the one that set our house on fire. Give me your phone."
Paul threw the phone at her and moved over to where Sam was while Leah called 911 to get the fire department here.
Paul nodded to Sam to let the man up. "Who the fuck are you and why the hell would you want to burn my house down?"
The man stood up and gave a wary look at Sam, along with Jared, Quil and Embry, who had arrived and were still in wolf form. "I, uh, I . . . " he stuttered. "What the hell? What are these?"
"Wolves, and they're hungry so start talking," Paul demanded. "Where's Doreen? And Travis?"
The man's eyes were huge as they wolves inched closer and growled at him. "I, uh . . . I don't know any . . . "
Paul picked him up by the throat and repeated very slowly, "Where are Doreen and Travis?"
The man's eyes bugged out as he struggled for air. Finally Paul set him back on his feet and he spit out, "They're in the car, about a half mile down that dirt road," he sputtered as he coughed.
Paul nodded to Sam then Jared, Quil and Embry took off in the direction the man indicated. "If they don't find them, you're his next meal," Paul nodded toward Sam, who bared his teeth and added a snarl for good measure. The man dropped to his knees and actually started to cry. Fucking coward.
Tyler was awake now and through his coughing he asked, "Is Travis here?"
Leah shook her head. "Not yet. Tyler, why did you come here?"
"I wanted to be here," he stopped as a cough racked his body, "when she brought him back. I wanted," he coughed again, "to tell her how much I hate her."
Leah pulled him close for a moment and put a kiss on the top of his head. Then she made him lie back on the ground. "Just rest, honey," she told him.
Paul walked back over and told Leah what the guy had said. "I need to go. I need to find them. Is Ty OK?"
"Yes, go. The fire department is on the way, and Seth just called Charlie. Go, find them!"
Paul nodded and took off toward the woods. He didn't want to take the time to strip and phase if it was less than a mile away. He could run almost as fast human as he could wolf, and besides, he didn't want to stand naked in front of Doreen when he confronted her. The wolves were ahead of him and he heard Jared howl. He found them!
Paul pushed himself harder and soon caught up with Jared, Embry and Quil. They were standing at attention at the edge of the woods, staring toward the road. Paul looked out and saw the blue car, and Doreen pacing beside it. He didn't see Travis, but he suspected he was inside the car. "I'm going guys. Stay here, but back me up." Jared nodded then bumped his head into Paul's side to show his support.
Paul walked with determination toward the car. He knew he had to hold his anger in check if he wanted to get his brother back. When he was close, Doreen whipped around and spit out, "How did you find me?"
"Your partner in crime sang like a bird when I closed my hand around his throat," Paul told her as he stalked her around the car. "Where's Travis?" he asked as he stopped in front of her.
"He told me he was tired . . . he's taking a . . . a . . . nap in the back seat." Doreen was scared. She had seen that look on Paul's face before, and she didn't know exactly why, but she knew enough to be scared of him.
Suddenly, Paul's hand shot out and grabbed her throat. "I could do it, you know. Put my hands around your throat and just squeeze . . . " his other hand joined the first and he squeezed slightly to show her. "There's no witnesses . . . I could get rid of your body and do my family a huge favor by getting rid of you right now."
Paul could see the fear in her eyes as she gasped for air and he smiled an evil smile. Doreen struggled then Paul heard from behind him, "Paul! Stop! Paul!" He turned to see Jared, in human form, running toward him.
"It's not worth you going to jail, bro. Your family needs you. Let the cops have her," Jared said as he trotted up to Paul.
Paul looked her in the eye then realizing that Jared was right, he sighed and let her go. She stumbled over to lean against the car as she tried to breathe.
Paul took several deep breaths to stop shaking. He knew Jared was right, but he was so angry and filled with hatred for this woman. He turned back to her and smiled. "Well, I guess it's your lucky day, Mother. You get to face the cops instead of me."
She glanced over at him and shook her head as she held her throat. "No, Pauly," she croaked. "Please, I'm sorry."
Paul grabbed her arm and pulled her off the car. "It's way too late for that shit. Don't even try it." He turned to Jared. "Check on Travis, will you? He's sleeping on the back seat."
Jared opened the car door and then Paul heard, "Uh, Paul? He's not here."
Paul dragged his mother with him to look into the back seat. It was empty, except for Travis' book bag. He whipped around to face Doreen. "You lied to me, you bitch! Where is he?" he shouted as he shook her. "Where the hell is my brother?"
"I didn't lie!" she screamed. "He was there, I swear it! He told me he was tired and he was going to lay down!"
Jared walked around to the other side of the car and noticed that the car door was closed, but unlatched. "He must have snuck out when she wasn't looking. The door is open," he called back to Paul.
Paul hung his head and let out a breath. Dear God, where is he?
Jared looked at Paul and said, "I'm on it. You get her in the car and take her back to your place. I'll find him, bro. I promise."
Paul nodded and Jared shot off toward the woods to phase. Just then, Doreen stomped her high heel down onto Paul's foot and it stunned him enough to let up his hold on her arm. She took off running down the road, kicking off her heels as she went.
Paul looked up just in time to see Embry and Quil rush out of the woods to stand right in her path. Doreen screamed long and loud as the two mammoth sized wolves snarled at her then she crumpled to the ground in a dead faint. Paul jogged up to her and said, "Well, that was a little dramatic, don't you think?"
Embry and Quil each gave him a wolfy grin and then Paul bent down to haul her up into his arms. "Thanks, guys. I owe you."
Embry nodded and then Paul turned to head back to the car. He leaned against the car to balance Doreen's body then he opened the back door and shoved her inside to lay on the back seat. Slamming the car door, he climbed into the driver's seat and wondered, When will this end? He hoped to hell this would end today. Cranking the engine, Paul spun the tires as he took off toward home.