(23)-So Long, Megan.

5:23 AM

Kyle exited the Savanah Suites hotel, stepping outside into the dark where Megan was waiting outside by a yellow taxi-cab that had it's headlights on, with his duffle-bag and backpack on, carrying Cobey's ice-cream birthday cake and his soda he hadn't finished. After Chief McGennis had driven them back to the hotel in his police van, they thanked him for the lift, bid him farewell before he drove off back to the police station, then they headed inside to gather up their belongings in their suites so they could leave. The lights had gone out here, but quickly came back on due to the emergency generator kicking in. It was still night at the moment, as it was only 5:23, but the sun would be up shortly after 6:00.

While in his suite, Kyle retrieved his backpack and duffle-bag out of the closet, then he got his deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and mouthwash he had bought for this journey out of his bag and went into the bathroom where he removed his shirt and gloves and washed under the his arms with one of the hotel rags, soap and water, followed by putting on the deodorant under both arms. He had done a lot of running around Arvada in search of Cobey last night and sweated a lot as a result, so he hadn't smelled the best. After that, he brushed and flossed his teeth, then rinsed, followed by putting his shirt and gloves back on, then he gathered up his deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and rinse, exited the bathroom with them, put them back in his duffle-bag, made the bed he'd slept in, put on his duffle-bag and backpack, opened the door, got Cobey's cake and soda from the fridge and exited his suite, closing the door half-way with his left foot, then headed down the hall for the lobby to exit the building.

Kyle made his way up to Megan. "Okay, here ya go. Cobey's cake and soda."

"Thank you." Megan said as she took the cake and soda from Kyle. "Thank you so much. I'll keep them at home in the fridge in my apartment until Cobey is found."

"Don't mention it." Kyle said before Megan turned and placed the cake and soda on the back of the taxi. "What up with the cab?" He asked before Megan turned to face him again.

"My doing. I called the taxi service while we were in our rooms getting our things together and ordered you a cab. Arvada isn't exactly a safe place to be traveling on foot at the moment, ya know. Also, i've checked us out of the hotel, so there's no need for you to go back in and pay the desk-clerk." Megan said.

"I know, the clerk told me when i tried to check myself out. Dude didn't even ask about my face, thank goodness." Kyle said. "But, uh, where will i tell the driver to take me? I mean, i know i did a bunch of running around last night, but not around the whole city."

"There's a bus station here in Arvada. Tell the driver to take you there. Maybe you can book a bus for the next city." Megan said.

"Yeah, maybe. If they have power." Kyle said, referring to the bus station.

"I'm sure they do, the bus station has a generator too." Megan said.

"Good to know." Kyle said. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay and help look for Cobey some more?"

"You ran around the city last night for two hours, looking fo him. That's more than enough help i could ask for. Besides, i don't wanna take up more of your time anymore than i already have." Megan said.

"I understand." Kyle said before pausing. "Uh...Miss Megan...what's gonna happen to Cobey once he's found?" He asked. He knew now was not the time to be asking that sort of question with Cobey missing and all, but he had to know what the boy's fate would be when he was found.

"I'm going to ask my boss if Cosbey can stay with me until i can find another home. A home that's safe and secure with loving parents. And next time...i'll make sure it is before i let anyone else adopt him." Megan said, determination in her voice.

"Good for Cobey." Kyle said, glad to that Cobey would be well looked after until his next adoption and that Megan would make sure he would be taken in by real loving people that genuinely cared about him, not by people who would only use him for financial reasons.

"Kyle...i want you to know something." Megan said.

"Sure, what?" Kyle asked.

"I've been thinking about your actions back at the DQ. It's probably all i've thought about since we left there. What you did was the right thing...and i was very glad. I mean, we've...had situations where people have ignored child abuse...and...well, most of the time, it never turns out good. But you stepped up. And Kyle...i've never seen anybody do what you did. I've never seen anyone make someone else's problems their business...no matter the outcome. And i kept asking myself why. Why would you do that? I mean, any other person would've just ignored what was happening." Megan said.

"I know. But i'm not one of those people. At least...not anymore." Kyle said.

"What do you mean by that?" Megan asked.

"Nothing. It's just that...someone needed me to be there for them when they were being hurt and...i wasn't. That's why i'm here, actually. To find this person so i can patch things up with them." Kyle said.

"Well, i wish you all the best on your journey. I hope you find who it is you're looking for." Megan said.

"So do i." Kyle said before pausing. "Miss Megan...i know this is probably a bad time to bring this up, but...what do you intend to do about Cobey's ex-adoptive mother?"

"I'm going to talk with Child Services and request that they revoke her license with the adoption agency so that you can never adopt another child ever again. Also, i'll be requesting to my uncle that she be placed in a child abuse registry, preventing her from ever getting a job that involves working with children." Megan explained.

"Well, that's a relief." Kyle said. Up until Cobey's disappearance, he had been worried about the possibility of the boy's adoptive mother getting off scott free, but that worry had been laid to rest now after hearing what Megan said. Even if Heather did get off without any legal consequence, she would never be able to adopt another child or get a job that involved working with children. So she was done. It was definitely safe to say that she was no longer a threat to Cobey...or a future danger to any other kids. "Oh! One last thing before i go." He said before removing his backpack, un-zipping it and pulling out a folded piece of paper. "Could you head back to the police station and give this to your uncle and have him make copies of it and put them up all over town, please?" He asked as he handed the paper to Megan. "It would really mean a lot to me."

Megan unfolded the paper, revealing it to be a headshot missing persons poster of a grinning young man with fiery red hair, blue eyes and freckles, dressed in a black graduation cap and gown, with the red words 'MISSING' at the bottom and his name, Michael Lance Martin, under it, along with his age number-25. "Of course. I'll even have him send many of the copies to every police station in Colorado so they can put in their towns and cities."

"Thanks. That means a lot. Really." Kyle said before zipping his backpack. "Goodbye, Miss Megan."

"Just call me Megan." Megan said.

"Okay...Megan." Kyle said, smiling.

Megan stood aside, allowing Kyle to walk up to the right back door, open it and put his backpack and duffle-bag inside. "Kyle?" She said, making Kyle turn to face her. "Good luck."

"Thanks. You too." Kyle said before entering the back of the taxi, closing the door afterwards.

"Where to?" The male driver asked in a New York accent.

"Bus station." Kyle answered.

The taxi then drove off, leaving Megan behind and escorting Kyle to the bus station.

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