Chapter Six - Price of a Poor Boy
Craig just finished brushing his teeth. He headed out of the bathroom wearing a blue pair of pajamas with rocket ships on it. The young boy stretched out his arms and let out a big yawn before crawling onto his bed. As he was about to grab the covers and pull them up over his body, the buzz of his phone grabbed his attention. He picked up his iphone from the nightstand by his bed and looked at a text message from Cartman.
Eric Cartman: Dude, not going to believe what happened. Something happened your girlfriend, Kenny. Hahahaha.
"What the..." Craig stared down at the message in puzzlement. "This has to be a joke..." He concluded.
The stoic child was about to put his phone back down when another text message caused his phone to buzz. With an annoyed sigh, he glanced down thinking it was Cartman again, but it wasn't from him, it was from Stan.
Stan Marsh: OMG! Something happened at Kenny's house. Just standing here watching all the cop cars and ambulances in front of his house.
Craig nearly dropped his phone when he read that message. Downstairs, he heard the house phone ringing, and his father answered it.
Again, his iphone buzzed.
Kyle Brofloski: Dude! I just heard that someone has taken Kenny and his mother. What the hell is going on?
Craig started to panic when he read the last message. He leapt out of bed and ran downstairs. Once he got half way down the steps, he overheard his father on the phone.
"I don't believe it; I just dropped him off an hour ago." Mr. Tucker said. "Sure, I'll come right over and talk to the cops." He added before hanging up the phone. The fear read clearly in his eyes.
The tall redheaded man took a few steps towards the door when his son ran up to him.
"I'm coming with you!" Craig cried.
"Craig, stay home ok." His father ordered.
"No," the boy snapped back. "Kenny is my friend. I just got text messages from some of the other guys in class and they are there right now."
"Craig, maybe it is best you stay..." His mother tried to speak, but Craig cut her off.
"Please," he begged. "I need to be there."
"Alright, get your coat. Let's go." Thomas sighed in defeat.
Without hesitation, Craig grabbed his coat and threw it on over his blue pajamas. He quickly put his boots on before running out of the house with his dad.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Sure enough, when Thomas and his son arrived at the McCormicks the second time that evening, only this time there were three cop cars flashing their red and blue lights. Police tape fenced off the front entrance of the house indicating for onlookers to stand back.
Thomas and Craig hopped out of the car and ran up to door. Mr. Marsh met them and granted them access inside passed the cops guarding the door. Inside, two agents were dusting everything for fingerprints. At the end of the living room Stan, his sister Shelly, Kyle, and Cartman with their parents stood beside the McCormick kids, Kevin and Karen. They each turned to spot Craig and his father before turning back to what was happening in the kitchen.
Stuart sat at the kitchen table with a bandage wrapped around his forehead. Blood stained through the spot the kidnappers hammered him with the gun handle. The moment the officer beside him asked why they might have taken his son, he realized that everyone that saw Kenny's body been taken away had already forgotten it happened. He just sat there with a blank stare for what seemed like a long time.
"Mr. McCormick," the officer remained calm as he tried to get Stuart's attention back to answering his questions. "Please if there is anything you can tell us that will help us in this investigation, I promise we will do whatever we can to get your wife and son back home safely."
"I-I don't know." Stuart finally answered. Truth was he didn't know how to explain that the kidnappers wanted his son because he was a key to their gate - whatever that meant.
"Does this have anything to do with drugs, or perhaps owing them money?" The officer asked carefully.
"No, no drugs and I don't owe them any money."
"...But according to our file records you were involved with the Colorado drug lord at one time, isn't that correct?" The officer said, looking down at his laptop then back up at Mr. McCormick.
"Yes," Stuart sadly admitted. "...But not anymore. I swear."
"You're sure this has nothing to do with money?" The officer persisted.
"Yes." Stuart could not help to raise his voice slightly in annoyance.
"Pffft, good thing too, because we all know poor people don't have any." Cartman snickered.
"Cartman shut the hell up!" Kyle spat.
"This may sound crazy, but Kenny is actually worth a lot more then what money can afford." Stuart muttered just loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.
The room went quiet for a brief moment. Mostly to process what he said.
"Well, that's hard to believe..." Cartman sputtered another snicker.
"Sweetie, shush!" Liane Cartman hissed down at her son.
"I wonder what me means by that..." Stan wondered.
"Yeah, it doesn't make any sense." Kyle added with a shrug.
"It probably means Mr. McCormick finds all of kids special, and would not label a price on any of them. I assure you kids that we as your parents feel the same way, boubbie" Shelia Broflovski counselled addressing her and the other parents around them.
"That's right," Mr. Broflovski agreed.
"Betcha that isn't the reason," Cartman stifled a chuckle.
"Eric, I'm not telling you again." Liane spat, this time slapping her son in the back of the head.
"Thank you Mr. McCormick." The officer nodded. "I think that'll be enough questions for tonight. I think it would be best if you do not stay here tonight. Is there a place where and your kids can go?" The officer suggested.
"Sure, they could stay with us, can't they Sharon?" Randy Marsh stepped in to suggest.
"Yes, of course." Mrs. Marsh nodded.
"Thanks Randy, Sharon." Stuart said softly.
"Anytime," Randy waved off.
"Ok, I would like to talk to, um, Mr. Tucker?" The officer wondered as he stepped up to the other parents.
"Yes," Thomas raised his hand.
"I hear you were the last to see Kenny this evening."
"Um, yes, my boy Craig and I dropped him off after we saw the basket ball game." Mr. Tucker answered.
"Why don't you come and sit down here so we can talk." The officer suggested.
As his dad did as told, something caught Craig's eye. He walked over by the door and noticed on the brown carpet stained blood splotches. There was one question that haunted his mind - who did the blood belonged too?
"Are you wondering whose blood that is?" Kevin McCormick, the eldest boy, asked.
Craig turned with a gasp. He did not expect someone to sneak up on him. Kevin looked down at him with a bit if skepticism.
"I can tell you, if you don't think I'm crazy for saying this." He said.
"W-whose is it?" Craig whispered, pointing down at the blood.
Kevin paused briefly before replying. "Kenny's," he answered simply.
Craig's eyes grew wide. "What?"
"They shot him then took our mom because she can bring him back." The tween boy slurred. He paused to look down at Craig and his shocked expression. "You don't believe me. That's ok." He shrugged.
Before Craig could say anything, Kevin turned and walked back to his emotional little sister.
The entire situation felt like a horrible nightmare that did not make any sense. Craig thought about what Kevin said; suddenly he remembered what Kenny told him the night he rescued him.
"I can't die, Craig... Any time I was ever killed, I end up just coming back..." Kenny's words echoed in his head.
Craig wondered if that was why someone kidnapped Kenny and his mother. He wondered if it would be possible for someone like Kenny to die, only to come back. Craig felt sick. He wished he could do something - he owed Kenny for saving his life, so how could he ever return the favor?
Stan, Kyle, and Cartman noticed the ill expression on Craig's face and walked up to him.
"Dude, are you ok?" Stan asked with a concerned tone.
"What?" Craig breathed, looking up at them.
"You're really worried about Kenny too, aren't you?" Kyle guessed.
Craig bit his lower lip as he looked back down at the bloodstains. "Yeah," he replied with a sigh.
"Don't worry dude, I'm sure the cops will find Kenny and get him back." Stan said optimistically.
"Yeah, trust us Craig, your girlfriend - Kinny - he's a lot tougher then he looks. I'm sure you will be sucking his balls again soon." Cartman snickered.
Stan and Kyle each groaned and rolled their eyes over Eric's comment. Craig did not say anything. He kept staring down at the stains on the rug. His thoughts were if it was possible that Kenny could die then come back.