Reinvention: Sequel to The Married Life

Chapter 12

{Colin's POV}

I watch Demi as she walks off, then turn my attention back towards the kids. I've never seen them this down and hurt, and I'm pissed because there's nothing I can do about it. I'm suppose to be the man of this house, the protector, and I can't even do that, all I can do is console them, and let them know it's gonna be okay. "Hey....look at me, all of you." They look at me, with teary eyes. "We're gonna find her...everything's gonna be okay." They don't say anything. "I'm gonna go check on your mom." I go to our room and she's not in there, I hear her crying though. I walk into Dylan's, and she's sitting on the floor, hunched over in tears while holding Dylan's favorite stuffed animal. I go over and hold her, tightly. "I want my baby Colin." "I know...I know." She sits there and cries into my chest. "I want her back to baby...we're gonna get her back..." I say cupping her face with my hand, and staring deep into her eyes, to let her know I'm serious. "You hear me...even if I have to risk my life, she will be back in this house safe and sound, I promise." She nods.

I get her to leave the room, and go to ours I lay in bed and hold her. A couple hours later, she cries herself to sleep after fighting the urge to do so. I can't even get myself to go to sleep. I quietly get out of bed, and take a shower, where I let out all my emotions, only place I can cry, because I can't make my family see me look weak scared, when in reality, I'm scared as hell and don't know what to do. After I shower and put some clothes on, I pace around the room for what seems a long ass time. I sit down in the bed for a while, the start pacing again. So many thoughts runnin through my head. I have appearances all this week, and I'm gonna cancel them all. There's no way I can put on a brave face and act like everything is okay. Usually I would be able too, but this is my daughter...my baby. After constant pacing and thinking, I grab my phone and go downstairs to make some calls. The kids are down there, on the same couch, watching tv. "Can't sleep?" I ask. The shake their heads no. Then my phone starts ringing.

It's a blocked number. "Hello." Do you wanna see your daughter again?" "...what?" "Do you want to see your daughter again?" He repeats, enunciating every word in the question. "Who is this?" "It's a yes or no question, Colin, and if you don't answer the question, you'll never see your daughter ever again." "Alright, yes." "Yes what?" "Yes, I want to see my daughter again." That get the kids attention, and they turn their attention from the tv to me. "We'll first things first. You gotta get rid of the cops." "Hell no." Then I hear a being cocked. "If you we're smart....you'd listen." "How do I know you even have my daughter." "Speak.." He says and I hear my daughters voice on the phone. Crying out for help. "Daddy!" "Dylan. Baby daddy's gonna get you back." "Get rid of the cops" he says. "What do you want man." "I'll call you back tomorrow morning before you leave for your press conferences...press conference that you will not skip out on, and you're gonna act like nothing's wrong." "And if I say no?" "Your daughter gets a bullet through her head." I can hear Dylan crying. "Shut up." He tells her. "Don't talk to her like that." "Answer your phone Kappy. Little girl's life depends on it." And before I can get a word in he hangs up.

"Who was that?" CeCe asks. "Was that the person that has Dylan?" Cayleigh asks immediately afterwards and I nod. "What did he ask for?" "Nothing...yet. I guess he's suppose to tell me tomorrow morning." "Then you can get the police to trace the call then." "I can't. He'll know...I can't get them involved at all." "You're not actually bowing down to this clown are you?" Cali asks. "He has your sister. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get her back.......y'all should get to bed. Got school in the morning." I say standing up to give them a hug. CJ's the last one I give a hug, and he hugs me tightly. He and Dylan are really close, and I know it's hitting him the hardest. "Remember it's not your fault Jr." He nods. "I love you son." "Love you too dad."

{Demi's POV}

I wake up the next morning, my eyes are so puffy and the feel swollen. I look next to me and Colin's not in bed. I hop up and quickly brush my teeth and head downstairs. He's sitting at the island in the kitchen. "Baby.." He looks up at me and walks over to give me a hug. "Where are the kids?" "I took them to school already." "I didn't want them to go. What if something happens?" "Demi they're safer at school. They'll be around a ton of adults, kids, there's security and I told them not to go outside by themselves and to wait until you or I pick them up. Don't worry. They will be okay." "Has the detective called with new information or what?" "No.....but...I did talk to her kidnapper." "You what? When?" "He called me last night when you were asleep, and what I got out of the call is that we are on his time. When he calls, we have to answer. We have to do whatever this man asks." "Okay what did he ask for?" "All he told me was to tell the police to go away." "We can't do that." "We have to." "Colin they are the only key to finding our daughter." "No the key is to do what this creep says. He's holding a gun to my daughters head. I'm not gonna fuck this up." When he says that, the tears start flowing again.

I sit on the stool he was on and breakdown. I feel his arms wrap around me. "We can't lose our baby Colin. We just can't." "We're not losing her. I told you this last night. I'm keeping my promise Demi. Just trust me." "I trust you." "....I have to start getting ready." "I thought you were canceling today." "I can't. The sick bastard said no one can know what's going on. I have to keep this under wraps...and then go about my day as if nothing is wrong." "Did you recognize his voice at all." "No...I tried to, but couldn't make it out." "You would think he'd want the attention." "I don't think that's his motive though. There's a real legitimate reason he felt the need to take her, and I'm sure with the phone call I'm anticipating, we'll find out." After he says that, his phone starts vibrating.

{Colin's POV}

"Alright man. What is it that you want?" I say answering the phone and putting him on speaker. "Good morning to you too Mr. Kaepernick.......why am I on speaker." "So that my wife can hear you........Look, if its money you want, name the amount and I'll give it to you. I just want my daughter back." "You think it's money I want?" "Shouldn't that be what I think. It's the only thing I can come up with." "Well, you're wrong about that buddy." "So what is it that you want?" "Do you know how sickening its been to watch you go all these years, put on your silly, thuggish antics...and now you're just on the top of the world, yeah well that world's gonna come tumbling down if you don't throw the game on Sunday." "....that's what you want? To see me lose. Why not just ask me to sit the bench." "It'll be a lot funnier and more satisfying to see you fail and get benched." "So your doing all this..just to humiliate me..." "You could learn how to have some humility. You'd think you'd learn after all these years."

I look at Demi and she looks back at me. "Fine....you want me to throw the game....I'll throw it. But I want my daughter back when the game is done." "You'll get her back...remember what I said....no cops or you'll never see her again." He says then hangs up. I place both hands on the counter and hold my head down. "....baby." "Ion wanna talk about it. I'm gonna do whatever I gotta do, and this what I gotta do." "There's nothing else we can do. Maybe we can get them to track his phone if he calls again how's he gonna know." "No." "Why not?" "I'M NOT GONNA RISK MY DAUGHTER'S LIFE DEMI. DO YOU NOT GET THAT!? Are you so obsessed with me winning that you're willing to risk her life." "You're way out of line and you know it! Right now, I don't give a damn about that game on Sunday. I care about Dylan...just as much as you, and if we get authorities involved, maybe we can get her sooner." "I'm not willing to risk it. This discussion ends here." I say then walk upstairs.