Promise Hardstone, Bounty Hunter (#2 in the FBI case series)

Chapter 11

"No, Jane, they haven't, we haven't found her yet, we're doing everything in our power too," Sam answered.

"Oh my baby, my baby," Jane wailed, sob's clogging her throat.

"I'm so sorry Jane, so sorry, we're doing everything we can to find them," Sam said.

"Them? What do you mean them?" Jane said calming a little.

"Didn't you listen to the news?" He asked.

"Actually all I heard was Kidnapping and Jasmines name," Jane admitted.

"Promise and Kelly HardStone have also been kidnapped," Sam let out a breath at Jane's moaning.

"What are we going to do?" She cried, sobbing.

"Pray, Jane, pray that we'll find them fast," Sam whispered, shutting his phone.

His heart was breaking.

Where was his wife?

Cassidy put a hand on his shoulder briefly.

Sam closed his eyes and let out a tortured groan.

"We will find them, no matter what," Butch said into the silence of the room.

Sam needed a distraction.

He swung around to face Cassidy and Butch.

"Tell me why you don't like being touched?" Sam asked.

"I was beaten and raped by my father for fifteen long years. Fear is a very powerful thing, " Cassidy told him after a minute.

Sam grimaced. Harsh. Totally and unyieldingly harsh.

"And what's the story with you?" Cassidy asked.

"I stopped speaking when I was young because my dad would beat me. I always took the beating for my mom and that followed me into adult hood. Then my dad start killing teenage girls and one day when I came home I found him beating my mom. He pushed her and she fell hitting her head, she died. I fought my dad, he bragged he had been killing and he shot himself. I then married Jas," Sam said.

"Wow." Butch and Sam looked stunned.

"Yeah, we haven't had very good lives huh?" Cassidy snorted.

"Don't know what you talking about I had a loving mama who forced me to eat my vegetables." Butch quipped trying to lighten the mood.

It worked. Both men gave a light chuckle.

"We will find him," Sam said serious again.

"I know," Butch replied and Cassidy nodded.

"We have too," Cassidy replied.

Promise laid back dizzy with the effort to contact Cassidy.

"I can't reach him," She said faintly.

"Promise what's wrong?" Kelly asked worriedly.

"Nothing, just a little faint, that's all," Promise replied slowly.

Her wrists burned horribly.

"Rest," Jasmine chimed in.

"I'm alright," Promise insisted but her breathing was labored.

"Just calm down, we'll think of something else," Kelly added.

"What? There is nothing else," Promise snapped or tried to, the effect was ruined by her breathing and faint voice.

"We'll think of something!" Jasmine snapped.

"Everybody just calm down, getting riled up is not going to help us," Kelly said calmly.