A shoulder to lean on

Part 17 - 48 hours

"Anything?"  questioned Lindsey as he walked out of the bedroom, trying to sleep but finding it impossible! He'd been up for the whole 48 hours and couldn't even eat, finding that nauseating. He wouldn't go back to his regular life until Stevie was back in to his arms.

"We've been talking to whoever was on duty the other day, asking the men at the front gate, they recall seeing a black SUV going North. That is a good start but now we have to figure out which way they turned when they got to that dead end road. They could have went left or right but the problem is there's more streets to turn down on the way," answered an officer.

Lindsey ran a hand over his face in frustration, no one was trying hard enough! It shouldn't be this hard to find her!  He began to pace, his breathing labored.

"Mr. Buckingham, why don't you have a seat. We are waiting on another reply from the kidnappers," gesturing towards the chair next to him.

"When was the last time you heard from them?" asked Lindsey, slowly sitting down.

"About an hour ago, maybe, no photos though," answered the officer.

"What did they say? Do they want money? I'll give them money."

"Nothing about money, sir."

"I want to talk to her... tell them, please, or at least make them send a photo so I know that she is okay," begged Lindsey. "Why is it that you can't track their phones? Or Stevie's phone for that matter?"

"That was the first thing we tried, they seem to have some sort of blocking device to keep from the signal coming through. They're smart."

Shaking his head, Lindsey was not going to be able to take this much longer, feeling as if he was on the brink of a nervous break down. "I have to... I have to hear her voice."

The officer held up a hand, a new message coming through on his own phone, it being a video of Stevie. The title to the message was, 'For Lindsey', and he began to play it, Lindsey's ears perking up as he heard Stevie's voice - his wish at that very moment!

"Lindsey," Stevie began in a low raspy tone, bags under her eyes, "...I miss you so much and I am so sorry that I let this happen. I had no intention of believing I'd be going through something like this just by trying to bring us breakfast," starting to cry. "I want you to know that even though I am hungry, thirsty, and dirty - I am okay. I love you so much," the video cutting off as Lindsey was yelling for her not to stop - not to stop talking! The tears burning his eyes as he took the phone from the officer, replaying the message over and over again, trying to call the number but it being blocked.

... Hours later, there were a few more officers assigned to the case, pretty much the whole Island was on alert! New men walking in and out of the beach house, one in particular focusing very hard on the printed photos of Stevie they'd received through text messages. "I know this place," saying under his breath, "...I camp here."

Everyone else grew quiet, staring at the officer. "Did you just say you know the place?"  asked Lindsey, shooting up from where he had been sitting as the young officer turned.

"Yes, I know where this is! I can't believe that we missed this before! No one visits here except a few fishermen and campers, me being one of them! It's so desolate that it becomes a danger if you don't really know where you're going, bad spots out there for phone service."

The whole room became a tizzy, officers on their phones and calling out to other officers, Lindsey in a panic as they began rushing out of the house, leaving him with one deputy. "Wait!" Lindsey cried out. "Take me with you, please! If you know where she is then please, don't leave me behind."