33. King
I feel like I’m going out of my mind, Sparrow has been gone just about twenty-four hours, and nothing. I had hope driving out to Dewey’s cabin yesterday, hope that quickly evaporated when we got there and it was locked up tight, no sign of my bird. Sparrow should be home with me and the kids, just waking up to start our day. Instead, she is out there somewhere, most likely being tortured.
And I can’t do anything about it.
Pulling up to Cam’s after the most recent dead end, I lay my head on my steering wheel, trying to think of anywhere to search that I’m missing. My brothers and I explored a lot when we moved up here, there’s a lot of places to hide.
“She’ll be okay. You’ll get her back,” River tells me from the passenger seat. River and Ace switched last night, I guess Ace needed a break from being my babysitter. Or he was sick of the death threats I kept sending his way.
I know River means well, but if one more person tells me that Sparrow is going to be okay, I will do bodily harm to them. The simple fact is, we don’t know if she is going to be okay. We don’t know what she is going through.
“King, you need to go inside. Loch is looking out the window.”
That gets me up and moving. I stopped here a couple of hours ago to look in on the kids, who were still sleeping. True to her word, Skye slept with them throughout the night, I think she needed the kids as much as they needed her.
Walking into the house, Loch immediately comes running over to me. I waste no time in scooping her into my arms. Loch lays her head on my shoulder, grabbing a handful of my shirt in her fist.
“Daddy, where’s Mommy? Why can’t you find her?” Loch cries.
I want to break down, but there are two kids that need to be strong. In their eyes I can take on anything and win. It’s an amazing feeling, but I’m starting to think that I might not succeed this time.
“I don’t know, princess. But I’m looking everywhere, and I’m trying my best to bring your Mommy home,” I croak out.
Skye pops her head in the living room. “I have breakfast and coffee ready,” She softly tells us.
Walking into the kitchen, I find Telle sitting at the table next to Ace. Sitting down next to him, Loch in my lap, I make her plate first before pouring myself a cup of coffee.
“You have to eat, too,” Ace grumbles as he makes a plate overflowing with eggs, hash browns, and bacon. There’s no way I’ll be able to keep anything down, but I guess a few bites wouldn’t hurt.
Eating in silence, I run through any spots that come to mind I can search when I leave here. Not surprisingly, Telle doesn’t utter a word while we are eating, getting up from the table as soon as he eats about half of his food. Loch is just pushing around her food.
“Princess, you need to eat something,” I say as I look down at my daughter.
“Do you think Mommy has breakfast?”
That statement has the whole table freezing. An innocent question that has so much meaning. No, I don’t think Sparrow is getting treated to a luxurious breakfast spread. She probably hasn’t ate since before we went to the fair.
My dad speaks up from the end of the table when I don’t answer Loch, “We’ll make sure your Mommy gets food when she gets back. What should we make her?”
“Well, let’s see,” Loch pauses to tap her chin, “a cheeseburger. Chocolate ice cream. Oh! Loaded spaghetti!” That earns a laugh from me; loaded spaghetti is baked spaghetti that Sparrow makes. The whole house is now addicted to the ricotta filled concoction.
After breakfast is cleaned up, I hesitantly sit on the couch next to Telle. I know my son is hurting, but he needs to know that I’m still here. I’m always going to be here.
“Son,” I wait to continue until his tear-stained face looks up to me, “I know you're hurting, and I’m so sorry. I’m doing everything I can to bring your mom back to us.”
Telle stares at me, and I don’t expect an answer. He shocks me when he throws himself into my arms. “Please find her, Dad. Mom is probably so scared, she doesn’t like to be away from us.”
Holding my son in my arms, I silently vow to get Sparrow back to us. Our little family will be shattered if its heart is no longer in it. She’s the heartbeat of the schoolhouse; she started meal prepping a ton of food on Sundays for me, Ace, and River, saying that she can’t believe we’ve made it this far with our eating habits.
She brought us back to life.
Reconvening in Cam’s home office after another failed search, doubt is starting to seep into my bloodstream. I will never stop searching, but this is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Looking around the room, the faces of my family resemble my own; we are dead on our feet but ready for the next location to search. Skye comes in with more coffee, squeezing my shoulder as she makes her exit.
“Alright, my troopers are searching this quadrant.” Cam circles an area on the map before the door bangs open and Ace comes rushing in, his best friend right behind him.
Ace pushes his way up to the desk, shuffling through the maps. When he nearly knocks over a cup of coffee, threatening to ruin all of our maps, I snap.
“Fuck, Ace! Would you watch what you are doing? What are you trying to show us?” I snap out. Ace narrows his eyes in my direction, but he turns to Cam.
“Have your guys searched this section?” He taps the map, so I step closer to see where he is pointing at.
“No, we haven’t gone that far North yet,” Cam responds once he looks closer at the map.
Putting my anger at my brother aside, I set my hand on his shoulder. “What are you thinking, Ace?”
“It was actually Seb’s idea.” I look over at his friend who is nodding his head. “We used to go out there on the weekends, camp, fish. But they stopped maintaining the road, so it was too much of a pain in the ass to get to,” Ace informs the group.
“The forestry department had to downsize due to budgets. Jog my memory, what’s out there?” Cam asks.
Seb steps up to the desk and tells us, “There’s a small cabin that’s still relatively easy to get to. Barn next to it. But there used to be a trail leading out into the woods. Random hunting blinds, outhouses, service sheds. I remember two service sheds, but there could be more.”
Wracking my brain, I try to remember everything that’s out there. It’s the perfect spot to hide out; not too many people go through the hassle of getting out there.
“What do you think, King?” Ace hesitantly asks me.
“I think we need to get out there, it’s a good suggestion.”
Cam’s typing on his phone, calling in backup, if I had to guess. “You want me to grab our dirt bikes?” River asks from across the room.
Those would make getting through the woods a hell of a lot easier. But they would also announce our arrival.
“That’s a good idea. This guy probably doesn’t have a dirt bike, so even if he hears us, he’ll be on foot. Go grab them and meet back here in twenty,” Cam orders out. River quickly exits the room.
“I’m texting my brothers to get here with our dirt bikes, we’re helping you,” Seb informs the room. I’m not going to turn down the help; there’s four of them and those assholes have no problems breaking the law.
I’m coming for you, Bird. Please be there.