Lineage

Chapter 4

Tatum

I run up the stairs with Colton right on my heels. I burst through the door of Teagan's room, startling her.     

"What the heck, Tatum!"  Teagan stammers.

        "Sorry, but you have to come with us. We have news to tell you and Theo", I tell her before turning around and running down the hall with my hand in Colton's. Teagan jumps up and follows us down the hall to our brother's room. I don't bother knocking on his door either. 

        "We have something to tell you both", my voice quivers and then I burst into tears and fall onto Theo's bed.      

   "What is it, sissy?" Teagan jumps onto the bed next to me and puts her arm around me. Theo pulls up his desk chair and sits across from us.     

     "Can someone tell us what is going on?" he asks.      

    "We overheard my dad and your grandparents talking on the phone. It seems like your parents are missing and my dad is planning to go after them." Colton tells them.

          "They are also going to keep it from us", I add.

        "Well, they can try", Theo and Colton say in unison. 

Later after Steve and Colton are gone I wash all the makeup off my face and change into pajamas. I climb into my bed where Teagan, clean-faced and cozy in her pajamas is sprawled. My phone chimes with a text from Colton. My grin has Teagan laughing. 

        "Ah, young love!" she giggles.

I stick my tongue out at her and hurriedly open the text. 

            (Colton)  Hey gorgeous! I'm home. Miss you already.

            (Tatum)   Hey! Miss you too. I can't wait to see you tomorrow. 

            (Colton)    Me either! I didn't get anything out of my dad on the way home. He's going to take a shower soon, so I'm going to see what I can find on his phone. 

            (Tatum)    Ok, send me whatever you find. Take screenshots and I can start searching. 

            (Colton)   I will. 

            (Colton)  So Tay.....

            (Tatum)   ?

            (Colton)   If  Rutledge talks to you make sure you tell me, ok?

            (Tatum)   lol Dane is just a friend! You don't have to kick his ass or anything ok?

            (Colton)   I'm serious!

            (Colton)   Dad's getting in the shower. Gimme a few. 

            (Tatum)   k

    "Steve is getting in the shower and Colt is going to snoop in his phone to see if he can't get some info," I loop Teagan in. 

    "I'll tell Theo," she says as she hits send on the text to our brother. After a minute he knocks on the door and lets himself in. 

    "One question, how do you all have this information?" he asks with a sly grin on his face

       My face goes red as I say,  "Well as you already know because you and Colt had a talk, we are going out! Although, you'll have to enlighten me as to why you thought it was your business to talk about", I tease.

        "You girls will always be my business", he announces. 

Teagan rolls her eyes and scoots up and under the covers next to me. I ignore him as he sits on the end of the bed that Teagan has just vacated. 

        "Why is Colt so weird about Dane Rutledge?" I ask. 

        "They don't care for each other much. They have always had a rivalry. Sports, cars, grades, girls." Theo elaborates. 

        "Boys are so dumb," says Teagan 

Theo shrugs and keeps scrolling through the channels of the television.  

        "Throw me a pillow", he mutters as he lays back on the bed to get comfortable. I hit him in the face with a pillow instead. He wasn't expecting that so the stunned look on his face has Teegan and me rolling with laughter. My phone chimes again cutting our giggle-fest short. The three of us sit up, alert and on edge. 

            (Colton)    I found some stuff. I'm sending screenshots now. 

            (Tatum)    Awesome!

    Three screenshots come through and I immediately go to work. Researching, finding stuff out is my specialty. Our mother always jokes that I could run the FBI. My phone keeps chiming but I'm so busy digging for information that I zone out on anything else. After a minute Theo's phone dings.  

            (Colton)     Hey, why isn't Tatum answering?

            (Theo)        She's zoned in on whatever you sent. You know she's like a terrier when she is on to something. 

            (Colton)     Lucky me. Pick me up for school tomorrow?

            (Theo)        Is your jeep ever going to get fixed, dude?

            (Colton)     Supposed to pick it up tomorrow afternoon. 

            (Theo)        Yeah, I'll pick your sorry ass up. 

            (Colton)      Kiss my sorry ass. 

            (Theo)        Hard pass

    I zeroed in right away on a screenshot that shows dad's phone location service information. I've already pinpointed the last location the phone pinged. It isn't an exact location, but it is within a two-mile radius. I jump out of bed and run to my desk. I open the top drawer and pull out a notebook to start writing coordinates. Both Theo and Teagan keep asking what I've found. 

        "I have their last known coordinates. Not an exact location, but close", I exhale. 

        "When were they last there?" asks Teagan. 

         "Five hours ago," I tell them, "nothing has pinged since".

    I swallow the lump in my throat. 

        "What else did you find?" Teagan whispers. 

        "I'm still working on the other stuff, but don't worry. I got this!" I tell her confidently. 

        "Is there anything we can do to help?" Theo asks.

        "No, just go on and get some rest," I tell them both. 

    I'm already engrossed in the other screenshots and barely notice as they leave my room. Theo rubs my arm as he walks by and Teagan kisses the top of my head. My fingers rush across the keys of my laptop searching for each lead found in the screenshots. I finally register my phone dinging multiple times. I pick it up and open my messages. 

            (Colton)   Did you get the pics?

            (Colton)   Well?

            (Colton)    Hey!

            (Colton)    Hello?

            (Colton)    Are you still researching?

            (Colton)    Guess so. Ok Im'ma head to bed. Goodnight

I realize I've missed several texts while I was caught up in my research.

            (Tatum)     Hey! I'm sorry! I got caught up. 

            (Colton)     If I didn't know better I'd think you ghosted me. 

            (Tatum)     Ha! You wish!

            (Colton)     Hardly

   We text for another hour while I gather information from the screenshots he'd sent. By the time I climbed back in bed I had a long list of things written in my notebook to help us figure out what's happened to mom and dad. I settle back into the pillows and start planning my hair, makeup, and outfit for school the next day. I am going to look smoking hot to make sure Colton is soundly hooked. His dad is supposed to get his jeep out of the shop tomorrow. Maybe I can manage an invite for a ride after football and dance practice. I close my eyes imagining just the two of us riding down to Kiawah and taking a moonlight stroll on the beach. My romantic heart does somersaults. Oh yeah, my wheels are in motion. I am going to make this happen. I can use the fact that  I've directed him to continue spying on his dad and snooping in his phone. It will be much better to get the information in person, so we can discuss it, which is actually the truth. I answer another text from Colton as my eyes grow heavy. We text goodnight and I am fast asleep not long after, dreaming of flying down the road with the top down in the jeep.  Colton holding my hand in the moonlight as we stroll along the sugar sands. A smile blooms on my face as I sleep until the dream turns into a nightmare where my parents were nowhere to be found. I search and search to no avail. I wake up, sit straight up in bed, breathing heavy, my heart aching. I lay back on the pillow again wishing it was just a nightmare as a tear slips down my cheek.