Magnolia

Chapter 17

"Luke!" I felt my body being shaken. "Luke!" my name was yelled again, my ears ringing. Suddenly my whole face stung as a slapping sound hit my ears. I jolted up, gasping for breath. "Jesus christ Luke! I thought you were dead!" I looked around blinking a few times. "Luke?" I looked back at the tall, broad figure standing next to my bed. 

"Sam?" I croaked. Sam stood over my bed, holding a folder of papers on top of a history book. "What are you doing here?" I asked, groggy and confused as I tried to figure out how long I had been asleep.

"Dude remember? I'm here to drop off your homework so you can be caught up when you return Monday. Didn't Emma tell you I was coming? I brought her's too" Sam said rolling his eyes at my forgetfulness. Emma, panic jolted through me as the house lacked her presence.

"Where's Emma?" I asked looking around my room, still groggy from the sleeping pills. I looked around for her or sign she had even come home  but the pillow next to me was uncreased and the note she usually left me when leaving early in the morning was not there.

"How should I know?" Sam asked, his eye brows furrowed as his friend's actions began to concern him. "Aren't you the one living with her?" he asked quizzically as he never pushed Luke for details on Emma because he knew he was too protective.

I got up and pushed past Sam, trying to catch my breath. I walked out into the hallway, stumbling as the house was cold and quiet except for my ragged breathing. "Emma?" I yelled, my voice wavering. I began to shake, a panic attack coming over me. This was the thing that was going to send me over the edge. Sam walked into the hallway behind me, studying my alarming actions. 

"Relax man, she's probably just on a walk or something" Sam tried to soothe me, placing a hand on my shoulder. I turned to him quickly, finding myself filling with anger all though none of this is Sam's fault. 

"No. No you don't understand. She never goes missing unexplained. If she's gone its because something happened to her. Oh god thats what the phone calls were! They were from work! I'm so damn stupid" I hit my forehead, clenching my eyes shut as the panic wracked my brain.

"Woah man, what are you talking about?" Sam came closer to me walking slow as if I would explode if he got too close.

"They were supposed to take me not her! I was the target. She was always protecting me!" I shouted overcome with guilt that I hadn't protected her. "I don't know what to do" I dropped to the ground. I started breathing heavy as panic set in, and I was no longer to push the panic attack away. Sam kneeled in front of me, becoming panicked as I began to wheeze.

"Luke! Luke look at me!" Sam grabbed my face, trying to get me to focus on something. "Tell me what's happening. I know this has to do with why Emma is so secretive at school. Tell me and I can help you find her" Sam pleaded, and I wanted to tell him. Those puppy dog eyes almost always made me cave, but not about this. Not about Emma.

I shook  my head, tears slipping down my cheeks. "No I can't, it's -it's a secret. It will put you in danger." I choked, more tears started to form as I thought of what might be happening to Emma. The words torture or murder flashed through my mind and it was enough to knock the wind out of me.

"Maybe this will help you tell me" Sam sighed, fishing something out of his pocket. He held out a badge and I knew that I had seen something similar to it I looked at him in a whole new light, waiting for him to connect the dots for me.

"What the hell is this?" I asked, my eyes skimming his picture. 

"I also work for the government. A similar job to Emma's but a little lower ranked. As opposed to Emma, I think the best way to hide is in plain sight" Sam smirked, folding the badge up and shoving it back in his pocket. Sweet innocent Sam, working for the government.