I'll Always Be His

Chapter 12

Hardin

We pulled up to the parking lot at the beach. The small black Jetta had caution tape up around it. There were a couple of beat cops and a two detectives dressed impeccably in tailored suits. They were surveying the car and the area around it in their gloved white hands, taking pictures as they went. A pit formed in the bottom of my stomach, dread seeping through out my pores. Tessa wouldn't do this. We walked up to the yellow tape and after a few minutes a uniformed officer came over waving his hands and telling us we couldn't cross the line. Sylas calmly explained who he was and asked to talk to the investigator in charge. The officer scurried to the car returning with a stocky older gentleman in a tan suit. He took a glove off and ran a hand through his short salt and pepper hair.

"What can I do for you son?" the detective asked.

"I'm Tessa's brother. I came to get an update on my sister's disappearance. Someone had to have taken her. Tessa would never hurt herself."

"Son, I've done my research and I know about the incident a few week back. I seen the pictures and read the case file. I've also spoken with your parents about her behavior and her state of mind the last few weeks. I've been doing this job for many years and I honestly believe your right. We have foot prints leading back from the beach to her car. Now that's not definitive because we can't prove they're her foot prints but I think they are. We also have signs of a scuffle next to the driver door. The lab has determined two different blood types on the driver door. Your parents have provided us with a DNA sample to match to your sister. I'm guessing the other one is the suspects. A note was left. We are analyzing that against her handwriting sample provided by your parents. We can't rule it a k********g yet but were leaning in that direction. We also have to look at all possibilities in the mean time. Now, not to be rude son but the more time I'm chatting it up with you the less time I'm looking for your sister. Go on home and we'll keep your family updated." With that he turned around and headed back to the other detective who was pointing at something on the ground. picking it up with his gloved hand he held it up to look at in the light. Oh god, is that a tooth?

Tessa

My head was pounding. My whole face hurt. My right eye was swollen shut making my blitzing vision even blurrier. I could make out that I was in a small, dark, dingy room. There were no windows so I had to let the one eye I had left adjust to the darkness. I tried to move. I didn't get very far. My right ankle was chained. What the hell? I couldn't concentrate or focus my mind or eye sight. What the hell happened? I couldn't remember much. My mouth ached and the putrid metallic taste of blood clung inside of it. I felt around to get a better bearing on my surroundings. All I could feel was cold stone all around me. It smelled damp like a wet basement. I was cold and tired, in so much pain, I just wanted to pass out. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I started to freak out. I grabbed at the chain binding my ankle. It was anchored to something and wasn't giving way.

I felt trapped, helpless, but most of all scared. I felt like I was caught in one of those movies with a serial killer, like I was trapped with buffalo bill, from Silence of the Lambs. In this moment I knew it was truly the end for me. I was going to die here. I did the only thing I could do. I laid back on the moist, cold, stone floor. I curled up in a ball and I drifted off into my own mind. What else could I do? I couldn't see anything and I couldn't move. I felt helpless. Someone would find me though. Right? Who am I kidding? They probably haven't even realized I'm gone yet. Just then a door creaked open letting in a small patch of light. It was almost snuffed out entirely by the figure that stood in the door way. I couldn’t make much out. The figure moved closer to me. It grabbed me by my hair and I let out a scream in anguish. I tried to fight back and kept screaming hoping someone, anyone, would hear me. "Scream all you want you little b***h. No one can hear you." It sneered. Holding my hair back, the female, judging by her voice, hit me real hard in the face. Everything went black once again.

Hardin

I had already failed Tessa once. I would not, could not, fail her again. She was mine. God help the people who have hurt her. My heart hasn't stopped pounding. My blood was boiling. My body aching for her. I stood up and began to pace the room. The obvious place to start was Nick but with the recent charges he would be in accessible. I had to come up with something. She couldn't be far right? So where could she be? Whoever took her would need space to keep her. Some place she wouldn't be found or heard right? That's where I needed to start. I pulled out my phone to look up maps of the area. Maybe find some abandoned places to check out.

I was about thirty minutes into my research. I had several places written down to check out. I was about to call Sylas to see if he wanted to go with me just as my phone rang. I didn't even bother to look at the caller ID before I answered. I was hoping and praying for information on Tessa. All the voice said on the other end of the phone was, "Open your door." Then the line went dead.