Chapter 17
It's been a week since I received that note and I've received another note a few days ago. I've burned all evidence. I don't know who this is that has Luna and I don't know why they have Luna, but what I do know is they know my secret. They know I'm a reincarnated soul.
The note implied it: Time is ticking and I see you have no leads. Time might not be something you worry about since you have all the time in the world, but I think you should start worrying now. Luna won't be around forever the way you will be...
I've been keeping this to myself because firstly the notes are directed to me and me alone and secondly because I don't want to put anyone in danger. This is my responsibility. Clearly whoever took Luna did it because of me.
Alexander has noticed a change in me, but hasn't really pushed me to explain myself since he's been so invested in finding Luna. I have too, on my own, but I don't even know where to begin. How am I supposed to find Luna on my own in a month with nothing to go by?
"I'm going to meet with the detective again," Alex says tiredly as he slips on sneakers.
I nod distracted. "Okay."
Alex has been going out with teams of officers and detectives to search for Luna the past week. They were able to recover the license of the car in the video surveillance at the apartment, but came up empty handed when they found the car abandoned on the side of a highway. That was just about the only lead we've had so far and it fell short.
"Maybe you should spend some time with your mom or James or anyone," Alex says a frown forming on his face. Since I got the first note I've spent a lot of time alone in this apartment researching and only going out if I think I've got a lead.
"I'll be fine by myself," I tell him and his frown deepens.
"Charlotte. I know things have been distant between us lately and with everyone trying to find Luna we haven't had times just to ourselves, not like I know we need, but please don't make me feel guilty. She's our daughter Charlotte..." He stretches out in an exhausted voice.
That's not what I was meaning... Not at all. I know she's our daughter that's why I'm trying to find her, but by myself. He doesn't know this, so he must take my sudden mood change as me being lonely or something.
"I didn't mean it sarcastically. I'm telling you honestly that I will be fine by myself," I say slowly so he understands I'm being serious.
His eyebrows furrow as he studies me. "Are you sure?"
I nod again. "Go help find Luna," I encourage.
He looks indecisive for a moment before kissing my forehead and heading out. As soon as he's gone I grab my laptop and start off where I left off yesterday. I was trying to get the identity of the woman behind the kidnapping. I knew it was a woman from what Wayne told me and I was able to conclude that she and her men were the same creepy group that was in the parking lot at my graduation. I only remember that she was a woman maybe in her forties with short black hair. She was wearing sunglasses and smoking a cigarette. There were about five or six men in suits around her. They were exactly what Wayne described as the group that took Luna.
I was trying to figure out the identity of this woman. I had gone to the school trying to get video footage of that parking lot on that day, but the security refused me. I told them that I thought maybe the group had something to do with the kidnapping of my friend and they looked sympathetic but told me to talk to the police and that they could get a permit to release the footage. Of course I can't do that so I was leaving defeated when a security guard ran up to me. He told me that he personally spoke to the woman that day. He told me how she said they were waiting for someone. That had made my blood run cold at the thought that they'd been planning this and were watching us...
I don't know where to go from here... how did this woman expect me to find them if I literally couldn't get any leads? I lay across the couch trying to dig through my brain on what to do now. It's only been a week, but I feel defeated already. It's been a week too long I've got three weeks until... NO I can't think like this. I have to figure this out. I have to save Luna. I have to save my daughter.
Suddenly I hear a knock on the door and I sprint to it to try and catch the person before they can get away. I swing the door open seeing another envelope and the back of a man in a suit running towards the staircase. I take off after him and he must hear me because he picks up his pace. I catch the door to the staircase before it shuts and I run down the stairs after him.
"Hey! You! Stop!" I scream after him. He ignores me and keeps going. "Who are you working for? Who sent you? Where is she?" I yell, my voice echoing in the staircase.
I'm getting close enough that I can see his back stiffen at my questions. Just as he goes to open the lobby door I jump down the last of the stairs and jump on his back, not thinking twice of my actions except that I wanted answers. "Tell me now, or I get the police involved!" I fight against his movements as he tries to knock me off his back.
"You go to the police and she dies," a thick accent responses in irritation as he grips my arms tightly and pulls them from his neck.
I wince at the grip he has on me and release my hold. "Who do you work for?" I ask desperately knowing this is my last chance before he gets away.
"You will find out soon enough," he replies before shoving me roughly on the ground and running out the door.
I feel the tears escape as I let one of the people responsible for Luna's kidnapping get away. My wrists burn painfully where he gripped me and when I stand my ankle aches. I must have landed on it weird when he pushed me down. I limp back up the stairs probably looking like a crazy person if someone saw me. I had tears streaming down my face, my hair was a mess and I had no shoes on.
I grab the envelope before walking back into my apartment and sitting defeated on the couch. My hands shake as I open it and take the note out. I blink back more tears so they stop blurring my vision.
I take a deep breath and unfold the note.
I'm feeling nice today. That and your dear Luna has given me another piece of my puzzle. Therefore I will give you a piece to your puzzle. You may need some help if you want to find me in the next three weeks. And I have the perfect suggestion on whom to ask.
Garrett.
I drop the note in shock. What? How? This whole time I was thinking this woman just knew my secret of being a reincarnated soul, but she knows my past too? She knows who I really am? She knows Garrett? How is this possible?
After I get over my shock of the revelation from this note, I burn it like I did with the others. I call James and ask him if he could give me the address on the letter Kain sent, when he asked why I told him I was going to send my own letter. He believed me.
A few hours later just as I'm finishing cooking some stir-fry Alexander walks through the door looking exhausted like he has every day he comes home. I look at him with raised eyebrows, questioning.
He shakes his head sadly. He knew my unspoken question. No new leads.
He slumps into a seat and I serve him a dish. He thanks me quietly as I sit across from him and begin eating my own food.
I wait until we both finish eating to tell him. He's placing his dish in the dishwasher when I decide to speak up.
"I'm going to Africa."
His whole body freezes for a few moments before he slowly turns around to look at me with a look of shock and confusion.
"What?"
"I'm going to get Kain."
His eyes flash with uncertainty and pain. "You said you were okay this morning... Charlotte why didn't you tell me the truth I would've taken the day off and spent it with you..." His voice sounds distraught.
My heart clenches at the pain he's clearly displaying. "Alex, it's not that. I'm going to bring him home. He should know about Luna, he can help us," I try explaining.
His pain quickly turns to anger. "Are you saying I'm not capable enough to find my own daughter so you have to bring your previous lover to do it for me? What could he do that I'm not already doing Charlotte?" He yells out in frustration.
"I didn't mean it like that Alex. I'm just saying he's her friend he should be here for her. He doesn't even know she's missing!" I say.
He rubs his hands over his face. "Why the fuck are you going all the way to Africa to do this? Just write him a letter! Then he can decide whether he wants to come back or not."
"A letter would take too long to get to him and what if something happened and the letter didn't get to him? I can travel there and back before a letter even reaches him!" I insist.
"Charlotte you can't leave right now. Our daughter is missing, you can't just run off to Africa in hopes that he comes back with you to do whatever it is you think he can do better than me to find Luna," he argues.
I feel myself growing frustrated as well because I can't tell him what's really going on so I just have let him make his own assumptions if he doesn't believe my lies.
"I already bought a ticket. I leave tomorrow morning." I rip the last Band-Aid off.
His blue eyes blaze with anger at my words. He starts pacing the length of the kitchen. "You can't leave Charlotte! I need you. I need you here! I can't be worried about you when I'm already losing my mind trying to find Luna! Please Charlotte, don't do this!" His anger slowly drains the more he talks and turns to sadness.
I'm doing this for you. Is what I want to say, but I know I can't. I'm doing this to get her back for you, for me, for us. And according to Luna's kidnappers, I need Kain in order to find her and get her back.
I shake my head sadly. "I'm sorry Alexander..."