The Unspoken Truth

Nine

Kai,

"Dakoda, have you heard anything from Stella today? I've been trying to reach her all day through calls and texts, but she hasn't responded, which is unusual. I know she had to testify against that terrible teacher who hurt her in court today, but that should be finished by now."
"No, now that you mention it, I haven't heard from my parents either. Hey... Mac, can you cover for me for a moment? I need to step outside and call my parents to make sure everything is alright."
I follow Dakoda outside and wait as she dials her parents' number. When they answer, Dakoda's face turns pale.
"Why didn't you call me?" Dakoda shouts.
"What's wrong, Dakoda?" I ask, concerned.
She looks at me with wide eyes. "Stella has disappeared."
"What do you mean, she's disappeared?"
Dakoda hangs up the phone and starts crying. "Why does this keep happening to her?"
"Let's go," I say to her.
"What?"
"Get in the car, Dakoda. We're driving to Washington to help find your sister."
"Okay, hold on there. First, I need to inform Mr. Roger about what's going on. Then I have to pack some clothes, and so do you. After that, I need to let the guys know what's happening."
"Right... right. That's why men need women," I say to her.
"Absolutely."
We organize our affairs and make our way to Washington with three additional individuals in my car. Unfortunately, those idiots refused to let Dakoda leave them. However, when I allowed Stella to leave me, she ended up getting herself kidnapped. Damn it Stella, where are you?
We arrived in Washington in record time, with five people taking turns driving. We quickly find a motel where Stella and Dakoda's parents are staying and secure a couple of rooms for ourselves. After settling in, we meet up with the parents to discuss how we can assist.
"Mom, dad, what can we do to help?" Dakoda asks as we approach them.
"Kids, what are you doing here?" their parents inquire.
"We wouldn't be anywhere else," I assure them.
"That's very kind, Kai... is it? But I'm not sure what you can do to assist," their father responds.
"We can help search for her and provide support once we find her," I suggest.
"May I ask if we know what happened to her?" their mother asks.
"That bastard kidnapped her," Stella's dad reveals.
"That bastard? You mean the man who should be in prison for what he did to her... that... bastard?" I question.
"The same, Mr. Savage," Stella's parents confirm.
"Damn it! Why isn't he behind bars?" I demand to know from Stella's parents.
"Why isn't he in prison?" Dakoda inquires.
"Do you not know?" I ask her.
"What do you mean? I know my sister was injured at a party we attended, but I don't know who did it. Mom, dad, how did the person responsible manage to get released from jail while the trial was ongoing? I didn't even know my parents were aware of the culprit until Stella informed me that she had to testify a couple of weeks ago. Mom... dad, how did the person responsible get out of jail while the trial is still happening?"
Dakoda's mom swallows hard. "The reason the individual is not in jail is because it was your sister's... professor. Professor Hamilton."
"What?" Dakoda gasps.
"The police believe that Hamilton had been stalking Stella before the incident at the party. He had planned to kidnap her there, but something scared him off. He is a serial rapist and murderer," Mr. Savage reveals, causing Ms. Savage to gasp.
"Jim, maybe we shouldn't be sharing this information with our daughter right now."
"The hell we shouldn't," Dakoda yells, with the boys standing by her side, attempting to calm her down.
"So, what you're telling me, dad... is that I led my sister straight to this guy, so he could rape her and throw her out of the window to kill her. And now, because she survived all of that, he has kidnapped her... is she still alive?"
"If he is as obsessed with her as his home suggests, maybe he won't harm her."
"Perhaps dad? That doesn't reassure me. I can't believe you all kept this information from me."
"It wasn't our place to share, Dakoda... we assumed your sister would inform you herself. But she probably wanted to shield you from this because she knew how much everyone adored that teacher."
"Alright, we can either stand here and discuss all of this or we can go out and search for Stella... and personally, I believe we should look for Stella," I assert to everyone.
"Yes, you're correct," Mrs. Savage agrees. "Okay, you kids start from the right. We'll begin from the left and gradually make our way back to the motel before it gets dark."
"Yes, ma'am," we all respond.
We explore various neighborhoods for over five hours, but as darkness falls, we have to return to the motel for the night. Once we're all settled in our rooms, we devise a plan for our next search.
Damn it, baby, where are you? If that despicable person even laid a finger on you, I would end him.
I prepare myself for bed, but sleep eludes me. My mind is consumed with thoughts of Stella and the fear she must be experiencing. I can't help but imagine the terrible things that the person responsible is doing to her, and the anger wells up inside me. I am determined to catch him and make him pay for his actions, ensuring that he never harms another girl again, especially not my girl.
Frustrated, I get out of bed and quickly dress myself. I decided to go for a walk, hoping to clear my mind. However, a thought strikes me - what if Stella is no longer in Spokane? I return to the motel and knock on the door where the guys and Dakoda are staying.
Korey opens the door and asks, "What's going on?"
"I need the keys to the car," I reply.
Korey raises an eyebrow. "Why do you need the keys?"
"Because I don't believe Stella is in this town anymore. I'm going to drive to different towns until I find her."
Dakoda, still groggy, chimes in, "Let us get dressed and we'll come with you."
I head out to the car and wait for them to join me, ready to embark on our search in the surrounding cities.
Once everyone is dressed and in the car, we make our way towards Seattle. As we pass through one of the towns along the way, I suggest stopping at a store to Dakoda.
After entering the store, I greet the clerk who is working that day. She responds with a flirtatious smile and asks how she can assist us. I simply roll my eyes and approach the counter. Taking out a picture of Stella, I show it to the clerk and inquire if she has seen her, either alone or with a guy.
The clerk replies that she hasn't seen her and compliments Stella's appearance. Thanking her, we leave the store and decide to check the surrounding neighborhood. We go door to door, knocking on each one, but unfortunately, no one has seen her. However, a few kind individuals offer to help us search, and we are grateful for their assistance as time is running out.
We dedicated several hours to searching the woods, as well as some abandoned houses and warehouses, but unfortunately, all of our efforts led to dead ends. With darkness approaching, we arrived in Seattle and decided to book a motel room, intending to start fresh in the morning in our quest to find her.
Once settled in my motel room, I took a refreshing shower and ordered myself a pizza for dinner. While watching the news and enjoying my meal, I received a text from an unfamiliar number.
Unknown: She belongs to me. You will never succeed in retrieving her. Your search only angers me and causes more harm to her. If you wish to see Stella alive, cease your pursuit.
Kai: If you harm Stella in any way, I swear I will hunt you down and make you pay. Just release her and leave town. No one will come after you.
Unknown: You're a delusional fool, aren't you? "Oh, and by the way, Kai, don't bother tracing this phone. You won't uncover anything."
"Damn it." How does he possess such knowledge about me? He clearly conducted thorough research on our lives before taking Stella.
"I can't believe this!" I shout in frustration.
There's a sudden knock on the door that separates my room from Gage's.
I unlock and open the door to find Gage standing there. "Hey, what's going on?"
"That fucking asshole somehow got hold of my phone number and just sent me a text... taunting me," I explain angrily.
"Wait, who are you talking about?" Dakoda asks, joining us at the door.
"The guy who has Stella," I reply. "He knew I was a hacker, so he used an untraceable phone to taunt me about Stella. It means he's been researching all of us."
"Damn it!" Kasey exclaims.
"That's exactly what I was thinking," I agree.
"Do you think he knows we're searching for her?" Dakoda asks me.
"Yes, based on the first text he sent me, he definitely knows," I respond.
"We should stop looking then," Dakoda suggests. "He might harm her if we continue."
"We can't stop, Dakoda. I don't think he'll hurt her... he believes they're together," I argue.
"Then he will run away with her even farther than he already has," Dakoda shouts.
It has been more than three weeks since we received any clue about Stella's whereabouts. We are all exhausted, constantly bickering with one another. Even the parents are now engaged in arguments.
"Baby, where are you?"
"Kai, are you in your room?" Korey asks, knocking on the door.
"Coming," I yell back.
"Yeah, what's up?" I ask as I open the door.
"Hey, we're all going out to grab a bite to eat. Do you want to come?"
"No, thank you. I'm going to stay here and continue searching through the camera footage on my computer. We should find something soon," I tell him.
"Okay, bruh."
I sit down at my computer and log in, opening the camera feeds.
For the past two weeks, I have been reviewing the same feeds since our door-to-door search yielded no results.
Come on, baby, just give me a glimpse of where he took you.
I continue searching tirelessly until my eyes can no longer stay open. Exhausted, I finally retreated to my bed and closed my eyes. Just as I start to drift off to sleep, I am abruptly awakened by pounding on my door.
Confused and startled, I quickly got out of bed and made my way to the door. When I open it, I am met with the sight of Dakoda, tears streaming down her face but a wide smile on her lips.
"What's going on?" I ask, my voice filled with concern.
"They found her," Dakoda replies, her voice trembling. "Stella is coming home."
"What? When?" I inquire, my mind racing to process the unexpected news.
"She's in Seattle. Mom and dad are on their way to the police station to bring her back right now," Dakoda explains.
"But we searched Seattle thoroughly three weeks ago," I say, feeling a mix of frustration and relief.
"Kai, he must have hidden her well. It's not your fault that we couldn't find her. Don't blame yourself," Dakoda reassures me.
"I know it's not my fault," I responded, trying to shake off the guilt that had momentarily consumed me.
"Alright, let's meet here in the morning. That way, when Stella returns, she'll see us waiting for her," Dakoda suggests, her smile returning.
"Okay, Dakoda. I'll see you in the morning," I agree.
"Dakoda," I call out before she leaves.
"Yeah?" she responds, turning back to face me.
"Is she alright?" I ask, my concern evident in my voice.
"I believe so, Kai... I believe so," Dakoda replies, her voice filled with hope.
Thank goodness.
I recline back in my bed, patiently waiting for the sun to rise. Time seems to be moving at a sluggish pace. Dakoda had come to my room around midnight, and now it's only three in the morning.
Glancing out the window, I notice the sun beginning to ascend. With a few more hours passing, I will finally be reunited with my girl. I rise from bed and head towards the shower.
As the water cascades over me, I envision all the things I want to do for Stella once I hold her in my arms again. I yearn to lay her on my bed and adore every inch of her body, hearing her call out my name. I want to erase all the pain that bastard inflicted upon her.
After finishing my shower, I dress myself and return to the room. I'm too restless to stay here at the moment, so I decide to visit a nearby diner for some coffee and breakfast.
I sit there for quite some time before eventually making my way back to the motel. While I was at the diner, the news was broadcasting Stella's story. That bastard managed to kill someone and escape justice.
According to the news, Stella spent four days in the woods before eventually finding her way to a convenience store. From there, she called her parents and then the police. It's just like her to call her parents before contacting the authorities.
Once I return to my motel, Dakoda comes over to my room and we patiently wait for Stella's parents to arrive.
"This is taking too long," I mutter to myself in frustration.
"Relax, Kai. They'll be here soon," Dakoda reassures me.
After about forty minutes, we hear Stella's parents pulling up to the motel. I catch a glimpse of my girl getting out of the back seat. She exchanges some words with her parents, gives them a hug, and then makes her way towards the room where I'm anxiously waiting for her.
Finally, she opens the door and freezes for a moment. Then, she rushes over to where Dakoda and I are standing and embraces us both tightly. She breaks down in my arms, and I hold her close.
"Shh, baby, everything will be okay now. I've got you, and I won't let anything happen to you again. I promise," I whisper soothingly.
"Kai, you can't make that promise. He hasn't been caught yet," she responds.
🙈🙉🙊
We spent the night at the motel before returning to Hawaii the following day. True to my word, I have not let Stella out of my sight.
"Kai, I have to go back to school today," she informs me as I hold her tightly in my bed.
"No way," I reply firmly, shifting my weight on top of her. Since our return home, I haven't made any advances towards her because I know she's not ready yet, thanks to that awful psycho.
"I think I'll keep you here a little while longer," I say, leaning down to kiss her. "I missed this."
"I missed it too," she says, smiling up at me. The thought of never seeing you again terrified me. I finally found someone I truly connected with, and the idea of being torn away from it was unbearable.
"You were incredibly brave, my beautiful girl," he said with admiration. "I wish I had been braver too. If I had, he wouldn't have hurt you the way he did," Stella sadly confessed, her words breaking my heart.
"Look at me, sweetheart," I urged, noticing the sadness in her eyes. All I wanted was to take away her pain. Leaning down, I kissed her gently, feeling a surge of desire that I tried to conceal, but failed.
"Kai, I need to use the bathroom," she whispered.
"Of course," I replied, getting up and allowing her to leave the bed.
Frustrated with myself, I smacked my forehead with my palms. Stella got dressed and prepared for school after coming out of the bathroom.
"Stell!" I called out.
"Don't, Kai. I have to go back to school and resume my normal life, and so do you. Don't fall behind on your schoolwork," she insisted.
In truth, I had already completed my schoolwork online while I was in Washington, but I chose not to disclose that to her.