The Road

Chapter 11

"Let's roll out; we are not going to stop until we find her this time. There are enough of us to search the area and cover a lot of grounds" Winston said.

Winston, Brunson, Lorenzo, Robert, and Chad all took their groups into different areas; they wandered just far enough, wanting to keep a signal on the walkie-talkies just in case they found her. Robert and his group headed over towards a liquor store, Chad and his group went by the grocery store and searched inside, Brunson and his group checked at the clinics, Lorenzo and his group started in the hood, and Winston and his group searched from the winding road into the south side while shouting Bethany's name as they walked. They went through parks and open lots where condemned houses were; they kicked in doors and peeked through windows.

Hearing the birds singing and cars in the area, Bethany sat up in the barrel; looking at her feet she had no way of knowing if she was going to be able to continue on. Her feet were swollen and possibly infected from not being treated properly, not to mention her head being banged up pretty badly from the accident. Bethany was injured and hurt but she was not going to give up on getting to safety. After several hours of walking again Bethany came to a familiar road, it looked like a road that she remembered traveling on with Dottie when she went to visit her mother. Bethany walked a few steps more and she went tumbling down to the ground. Her legs and feet were tired. It was almost noon and Bethany stomach started to growl more and more. Bethany pulled herself over to a tree and sat under the shade, she chewed on the little berries that fell to the ground from the trees, and after sitting there for a while she went to sleep.

Dottie felt really bad about her friend's disappearance. All Dottie could do was think about how terrible the area was and why her mother had sent her away to live with her aunt. It never occurred to Dottie that her mother was saving her life by doing what she did. Bethany's disappearance had lit up that light bulb that pops on when you get the idea. Dottie got the idea that the south side of Chicago would not be the south side of Chicago if there were not crime. Dottie picked up her telephone and dialed Orlando.

"Hey Orlando, it's Dottie... how are you?"

"Dottie I am holding up okay, how about you?"

"I was just thinking of how I could be of more use to finding Bethany. Do you mind helping me look for her?"

"I just made it back in the house from my afternoon run, give me twenty minutes and I will pick you up at your house and we can go look for Bethany together."

"Great, but don't wear anything fancy Orlando; where we are going you may want to put on some gym shoes."

"Thanks for the warning Dottie; I believe I can handle myself. I'll see you in a little bit, I got to get going now."

"Bye" said Dottie.

Dottie had forgotten about how well built Orlando was; besides him having a handsome face and charming voice he might be able to take on three guys at once.

Dottie knew Mason and H.D. very well since she use to live in the neighborhood on the south side; she knew that Mason and H.D. were boys and if she found one of them, she would find the other. Dottie and Orlando started near the old neighborhood searching for Bethany.

"Dottie, how do you know the streets so well down here?"

Hesitating to answer, she opened up to him.

"Orlando my mother lives in the area and she sent me to live with her aunt; hoping for me to better myself, get an education, and life."

"Dottie just kept it short and to the point" he said not wanting to get into a whole life story.