The Ring of Fire & Serpents

Chapter Thirteen - The Search Continues...

Laura’s POV

As we approach the wooded area on the main highway, I notice that Savannah is on her phone texting someone, “Who are you texting, Savannah?” I ask curiously.

She looks over at me, “Umm… some guy I met at the party last night. I was texting him to find out if he noticed anything out of the ordinary when he was dropping me off or on his way to his house.”

My heart begins to pound out of my chest. I know exactly who she is referring to, “Oh, you met a guy? What was his name?” I ask casually as I attempt to keep my composure.

Without looking up, while typing away, she responds, “Wyatt Vance.”

The second she mentions that name, I immediately pull the car over. The tires squeal, and the two of us are jolted sideways before I slam on the break, “Momma! What the heck!?” Savannah blurts out, her eyes wide as she glares at me in disbelief.

“If he is in any way related to Charlie Vance from Laurel, you are not to see him. Do you hear me!?” I threaten as I point my finger in her face.

Startled, she backs away and throws her hands up exasperatingly, “Why? What’s wrong with him? He’s a sweetheart!”

“Is he related to Charlie, Savannah? Yes or no!”

She sneers at me, crossing her arms in front of her chest, “I would assume so. He said his Dad’s name is Charlie and his mom’s name is Suzy.”

I curl my lip in disgust, “No more! You are done with him!”

She rolls her eyes, “Can you at least tell me why? What’s your beef with his Dad?”

I shrug my shoulders, “I don’t know. There’s something about him that gives me the creeps. He’s wildly inappropriate with me when he comes into the office. He watched me as I walked out to my car one day after work. He is just not good people, Savannah!”

She begins to chuckle, “Oh, so you don’t consider it wildly inappropriate for your boss to offer you a job the first day he meets you and buy you lunch every day?” she asks in a snarky undertone.

Rage consumes me, I can feel my core temperature rising, “We are not talking about my boss, Savannah Joy! He’s nothing like Charlie Vance! Charlie doesn’t hold a candle to Frank, so don’t even go there with me!” I scold her.

She huffs and turns to look out the window, “It’s fine, Momma, whatever… I’ve been texting Wyatt all night and all morning since he dropped me off, and he hasn’t responded anyway. He’s probably ghosted me.”

I breathe a sigh of relief, “Well, consider yourself lucky. Trust me when I say that you don’t want any part of that.”

I reach down into my purse and fish for my phone; I pull it out and begin a search. Savannah looks over at me curiously, “What are you doing?” she asks.

“I’m looking for something….” I mumble.

“What are you trying to look up?” She asks.

I set my phone down in my lap and sighed, “I’m looking for Charlie’s garage. I’m going to drive by there.” I confess.

She snickers, “Oh my God! Momma, really? I just told you I would stop talking to Wyatt. Why are you so extra?!”

I raise my hand to stop her, “I’m not doing this because of that! I want to see what Charlie is up to.” I tell her quietly as I pull up the map to get to his shop.

She covers her eyes with her hands, “Have you lost your mind? Why do you want to stalk Wyatt’s Dad?”

“Because Savannah! I want to make sure he doesn’t have your sister, that’s why!” I snap.

Her eyes grow wide as she looks at me in disbelief. I realize that I have said too much. Now she will be freaking out, “Momma, why would you say something like that? Why would you even think something like that?” She asks. Her eyes are wet with tears at this point.

I shake my head, “I just…I just have a feeling he’s involved. I just…need to make sure, okay?”

As tears stream down her cheeks, she looks straight ahead, “Okay, let’s go.”

I put the car in drive and take off down the road, following the directions the online Map takes us.

After following I-59 for a few moments, we arrive in Laurel. It doesn’t take long to arrive at our destination, Vance Auto & Truck Service. There’s an old rusty sign out on the gravel road we turn down, leading us to an old run-down farmhouse with an oversized detached garage and, not to mention, several cars lined up in the grass, none of them matching Savannah’s car.

Savannah reaches out and taps me on the shoulder, “Momma, that old purple car is Wyatt’s. Don’t get too close! I don’t want him to see me and think I’m stalking him.” Savannah calls out as she quickly slides down into the seat.

I immediately pull the car off to the side of the road and throw it in the park. I notice there’s a police cruiser parked on the side of the house. I wonder if they are questioning Charlie already? Savannah and I sit quietly in the car and watch for anything suspicious that pops out at us. A few moments go by, and Charlie opens the door and steps out on the front porch with the police officer behind him. Charlie appears to be having a very heated conversation with the police officer as he thrashes his hands around exasperatingly. The officer seems to be unphased by it as he writes something down on a notepad. Charlie then lowers his head and crosses his arms across his chest as a young man and girl exit the house behind him and stand on the front porch next to him, “Momma, that boy on the porch is Wyatt. That must be his sister, Stella.” She whispers.

I can’t help but notice how thin the kids are, especially the girl, “He did mention he had kids in high school. They both look like they haven’t been fed in a week.” I respond.

I study them closely to see if there’s any way I can make sense of what they are saying until an old beat-up truck pulls up next to me, blocking my view. It startles me at first, so I lean back and look up to find a thin woman close to my age with long brown hair rolling down her window. She sneers at us, “Excuse me, but what do you think you are doing?” She barks.

I clear my throat, “I umm…I….” I begin.

“We got lost. We were looking for Schumacher Insurance Group. Would you mind giving us directions?” Savannah interrupts.

The gangly woman throws her truck in park and eyes us curiously, “Do I look like I work for the fuckin Welcome Center of Laurel? Go to a gas station, for Christ Sakes! If you aren’t here to have your car worked on, then go on and get!” she orders.

I smile, and with my foot on the break, I put my car in drive, “Yes, ma’am. We will be going now. Sorry to trouble ya.” I tell her.

She speeds past us down the gravel road before I turn the car around and quickly get out of dodge, hoping that nobody else sees us, especially Charlie.

As we drive back down the road, Savannah’s phone begins ringing. She picks it up and answers it, “Hey, Daddy.”

She glances over at me, “Yup, she’s here…yeah, we are out looking…okay, I will tell her…bye.” She replies before hanging up.

I can’t help but eye her curiously, “What did Daddy have to say?” I ask.

“He wants us to meet him at our house so he can help us find Sophia.”

I sigh audibly and blow the hair from my eyes, “Alright.” I respond reluctantly. I'm not even married to the man anymore, and he still thinks he is calling the shots. So infuriating! At least he is here to help. I have to keep my temper at bay for Sophia's sake. 

Savannah and I head out of town on I-59 towards Ellisville to meet Stephen.