Perfect Storm

• Perfect Storm • | 39 |

December

*4 Days Later*

"Okay, so there are thousands of warehouses in Norchester. We could be too late by the time we find hers." I shake my head quickly as I walk around the room with my hands on my hips.

"No, no that's not an option. God I wanted to be out of here by now and here we are still trying and failing to find her." It's now Monday and I thought I'd be holding her in my arms by now.

I feel my breath begin to catch in my throat and the air in the room becomes dense. Beads of sweat roll down my forehead at the lack of air in my lungs.

"Hey, hey breathe. Breathe." J shows me breathing exercises and I follow suit. "We will find her, I promise. And when we do you two won't be able to let each other go." he chuckles at the end of his sentence.

Once I finally find my breath and I'm stable again, I flop onto the skinny hospital bed. I let out a frustrated sigh and rack my brain for anything that could help me.

"I have eyes at my firm, but there would be questions from not only my co-workers but my boss. Especially my boss, but if I'm quick I could-" I shake my head.

"No, if you're caught you could lose your job and I don't know who Keith's connections are. We have to figure this out alone."

A moment of silence covers the small hospital room. "What about family? Anyone who would have something that could track her? I'm sure he took her phone but I don't think he thought to turn it off." Nyla suggests and everyone in the room perks up from our sulking positions.

Me and James send each other a look before yelling at the same time, "Quinn."

"Call her, I don't have my phone on me. Someone call her." I told her to turn off the tracker but if I know her well enough, she disobeyed me and turned it back on after she left.

God, I pray that she doesn't know how to listen to orders.

James shuffles in his pockets before taking out his cell phone and dialing Quinn's number. He puts it on speaker and on the second ring she answers. We all crowd around his phone and wait for her to speak. "Hello?" her voice sounds through the speakers of the device with the sound of loud music and chatter on the other end.

"Hey, we need to talk to you."

"Uh, now? I'm at work and my boss is being shitty. Where's Astoria? He's threatening to fire her." I roll my eyes and take note to make his life hell. I'm fucking tired of him and his bitchy personality.

"Well, we can't talk over the phone, we need you to come to Norchester South Health Hospital." she doesn't speak for a few long seconds and I snatch the phone from J's hand.

"I can't say much over the phone but Astorias in trouble. I'll pay you double for your shift, just come before it's too late." she agrees and we hang up the phone.

We all wait in complete and utter silence, my leg bounces up and down nervously, James walks back and forth with his fingernail in his mouth, Marshall reads and rereads the posters on the wall, and Nyla counts the Q-tips in the glass jar.

About 15 minutes pass before Quinn busts through the door with Chris tailing her.

"Sorry I'm late, I had to call Chris to pick me up. What's going on?" She speaks quickly, out of breath, and a look of worry on her face.

Chris mirrors her expression and reads the room. "Is everything alright? Why are you guys in a hospital?" I sigh, not wanting to repeat the situation again.

"Long story short, my father shot me and kidnapped Astoria and we need to find her." both their jaws drop and if it's even possible, their worried looks multiply.

"That's why your here. Quinn, do you still have her location on your phone?" J asks more gently and walks closer to her.

She looks like the words are caught in her throat so she just nods instead. I sigh a relieved sigh and feel my heart slow just a few beats. She fumbles her phone out of her tan purse and taps on her screen a few times before flipping it so we can see.

I take her phone from her and read the name of the street. "Queensland Dr, that's only 45 minutes away from here. Come on let's go-"

I jet toward the door but James holds me back. "No, no, no we can't exactly leave in the middle of the day. Your doctors are still here and they won't let you leave."

I feel my eyes begin to water. "Look I know you're trying to protect me or whatnot, but I need to find her. She's been there for almost 2 weeks now and there's no telling what that sick son of a bitch has done to her. Please don't hold me back."

There's a pause and everyone and everything is still before Quinn breaks the silence. "I agree with Lewis. If we're going to go down for taking a sickly patient out of the hospital we're going to do it for Astoria." She saunters across the room and stands by me.

"Okay, ouch." do I really look that bad right now?

"I agree too. Birdy is worth the struggle." Chris stands by his wife and holds her hand tightly.

Nyla follows and stands by Chris. We all stand in front of my brother begging to save the love of my life.

"Please," I say, barely above a whisper.

He sighs and runs his hand through his thick hair. He rolls his neck on his shoulders before answering. "Fine, but we don't have a plan." with that, Marshall stands and everyone's attention goes to him.

"I have one."



-sorry for the short chapter, think of it as a filler chapter.