Third Person POV
Jordan's eyes were squinted in concentration as he scrutinized every inch of the screen. He refused to blink, afraid he'd miss a clue - a gesture, a flash, a face, anything. He clicked rewind for the umpteenth time and the image distorted briefly as the CCTV footage reversed.
He knew the entire scenery by heart now, every little movement, every detail. For the past few hours he had watched every footage of every surveillance camera, from all different angles. It didn't matter how many times he had seen the tapes, he had lost count, but he was willing to watch it for as long as needed until he found Jade.
Jade.
Her name was playing in his head like a broken record, reminding him every second of what was missing in his life right now. Her absence was like a gaping hole in his heart he couldn't fill, an emptiness that kept expanding with every second he couldn't hold her close. His fingers twitched, aching to touch her and make sure she was safe and sound. But those same hands were also twitching to get a hold on the bastards that dared to take his little sister away from him.
Jordan's eyes started to sting - from staring into the screen for too long or from the tears threatening to well up ... maybe it was both.
The sound of the video tape rewinding stopped, cutting his train of thoughts. Jordan pushed the play button and watched closely.
8:24 p.m.
Preston appears in the parking lot. He seems to be in a rush but stops abruptly. He turns and Jade comes into view. She was talking calmly but Jordan noticed the light furrow of her brows - she was trying not to get upset. Preston started leaving again but Jade managed to change his mind.
Jordan narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the words but the footage wasn't clear enough. Their talk lasted approximately seven minutes. By the end of their conversation, Preston's hard features had softened considerably and his sister's eyes were glistening with unshed tears.
8:31 p.m.
The footage jumped to a different camera, a different angle. A man was spotted walking around the cars. He was dressed in dark jeans, black jacket and boots. His face was mainly obscured by the hat on top of his head. This man knew exactly where each surveillance camera was located, Jordan could tell by the way he kept his face out of sight.
8:32 p.m.
Jade suddenly stops dead in her tracks and takes in her surroundings. A different man suddenly appears in front of her causing her to take a step back. This man was as hard to identify as his partner - equally dark clothes and face turned away from the camera's.
Jordan paused and zoomed in on Jade's face. He looked for any traces of panic or fear, maybe even anger or alarm but there was nothing. Only confusion, utterly confusion. But when he resumed the video again, something flashed before her eyes, a quick gleam but it was too fast for him to put a name on it. And it bothered Jordan to no end.
He was supposed to know his sister like the back of his hand. He was aware of every little expression, every look, every twitch - he always knew exactly what it meant. When Jade was younger she thought he could read her mind but truth was he knew her better than anyone else, even herself. He raised that girl for crying out loud and yet he couldn't guess what the gleam in her eyes was about.
8:33 p.m.
The man with the hat moves stealthily behind Jade. His hand emerges from his pocket, taking out a syringe. Jordan's teeth knocked together as he watched the needle briefly disappear into his sister's neck. Jade winces, her hand flying to the sting. She doesn't even have time to act, to fight back or even scream. She was out like a light, she didn't stand a chance.
It all happened fast, way too fast. Whoever these men were, they had planned this.
Jordan breathed in through his nose, holding it for a full minute until he could feel his lungs protest at the lack of oxygen and only then allowed himself to exhale. He rubbed a hand down his face, feeling the exhaustion heavy on his chest. He was still waiting for the moment where he'd realize that this was all just a dream, his worst nightmare, but then he'd glance at the clock and see that time hadn't stopped and this was as real as it gets.
"Hey."
Jordan jumped up, startled. He hadn't noticed anyone entering the office and he chastised himself for not being alert enough.
"Sorry." Marcus held up a coffee. "Here."
Jordan accepted the drink, wishing he had something extra strong to spike it up a bit. He could use a boost.
Marcus leaned against the desk and gestured at the computer screen. "Find anything useful?"
"No. Did you get the lab results from the handkerchief?" The handkerchief they used to cover Jade's mouth with, the same handkerchief they then accidently dropped in the parking lot. So far it was the only lead they had, it wasn't much but Jordan wasn't about to take any chances.
"No."
"What about the van?"
"We're still checking every roadway surveillance and traffic camera. So far ... nothing," he said. "We contacted the owner of the stolen vehicle, asked him to come over to the station for a detailed description of the van."
"We should also go back to school, ask around if anyone has noticed anything. Jade told me that she and Lauren spotted that van parked right in front of the entrance, someone's bound to have seen something."
"It's Saturday," Marcus pointed out.
Jordan arched an eyebrow as if he didn't see what the issue was. "Call the principal and get all the students' addresses and pay them a little visit."
"All of them?"
"Yes, all of them!" he snapped.
Marcus didn't even so much as wince. "You're stressed and tired," he stated as a matter of fact.
"No shit."
"Why don't you go home, get some shut-eye and - "
"I'm not going anywhere until I find her," Jordan forced through clenched teeth.
"Listen, you're no use to any of us if you can't think straight. We need you to stay focused, Jade needs you to stay focused."
Jordan stared into the dark depth of his coffee, forcing down the lump in his throat. "Jade needs me to get her back home."
Marcus sighed as he realized that it didn't matter what he said, he didn't possess the right words to get through his partner's stubborn head. Whenever Jordan had his mind set on a certain goal, then there was nothing you could do.
"At least go and check on your family. You're not the only one going through a hard time." Marcus started leaving. "I'll keep you posted."
FADED
Tristan was sweating, he could feel it drip down his temples and throat to his pecs, trailing the length of his torso only to be absorbed by the hem of his shorts. He was panting, chest rising and falling with every breath. He steadied the punching bag and pictured the person that had taken his sister - a new wave of anger got him bristling with rage. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach, this burning hot fury scorching, boiling; and all he saw was red, pure red.
The punching bag took every fist he threw, every kick, every blow. Tristan felt detached, almost like his temper had taken the upper hand. His movements were fueled by his emotions and it felt like he couldn't stop. No matter how long he had been punching away, this fire inside of him wouldn't die.
Every time he'd push back this pent-up energy, his rational side would take over, his mind would clear up and he'd see her face. Her beautiful, sweet face. Tristan couldn't explain the ache, it was nothing like he had ever felt before. Like someone had ripped his heart out of his chest with bare hands, stomped on it and threw it away. He needed his heart back, he needed Jade back, he couldn't live without.
He missed her. He missed the sound of her giggles and laughter, he missed her warm hugs, he missed the way those pretty eyes would look at him - like she thought the world of him but little did she know that she was his world.
Tristan always hated being away from her for too long, it just didn't feel right. It was almost like he couldn't function properly without having her near. Even when he had his own place with Penny, even when he'd spend the night at Lily's, he would always gravitate back home, back to her.
He would tell himself that Jade missed him, that she was waiting for him for dinner, that she needed him. But he was wrong. A few hours without her and he already felt like he was losing his sanity. He was the one that needed her more.
"Tristan?" The stairs creaked. "Babe?"
Tristan didn't acknowledge Lily walking down the steps to the basement. He pressed his forehead against the punching bag, trying to catch his breath, trying to suppress that burning feeling in his chest.
Lily approached carefully, not sure how to deal with this situation, with him. She had never seen him like this before. That crazed look in his eyes scared her, although she would never admit it out loud. When they found out that Jade was missing, Tristan went out on a rampage. He had caused disruption and chaos at the football field - at one point they had to restrain him and remove him before anyone got hurt.
"You want some water?" she offered gently.
Tristan noticed she was inching closer to him and held out his hand, keeping her on a distance.
"Tris - "
"Lily, just leave. Go home," his voice sounded strained.
"I'm just trynna help ..."
He picked up his head and faced her for the first time. "Can you bring her back?" When she didn't answer right away, he asked again. "Can you bring her back? It's a simple question, Lils. Yes or no."
She swallowed hard and dropped her gaze downcast. "We'll find her. The police is on it, they're setting up a search party, everyone in this town is looking for her. We'll find her."
"No."
Lily looked up, confused. "What?"
"Your answer to my question is no. You can't bring her back." He ran both his hands through his damp hair, smoothing it down. "It's been five hours now."
Five hours and twelve minutes to be exact, he thought. He was keeping count.
Lily's eyebrows knitted together in concern. "Listen babe, I know you're hurting, we all are. And that's okay - "
"Okay?!" he suddenly hit the punching bag so hard, sending it flying across the basement. Lily flinched. "You call this okay? Jade is gone, someone took my sister and got away with it."
Lily was rendered speechless. This Tristan standing in front of her was a stranger to her. She had never seen him get violent or aggressive and she was starting to wonder if she even knew him at all. Judging by his clenched jaw and fists, and how he was doing anything to avoid her gaze, she suspected that this was a part of him he had tried so hard to hide from her.
"She's not gone," a different voice suddenly interrupted the deafening silence. Noah was at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes red-rimmed. "Stop saying she's gone, you make it sound like she's dead."
"She might be," Tristan mumbled under his breath. He knew he should've seen it coming but the sting on his left cheek still took him by surprise.
"Shut up!" Noah shouted, a fresh pair of tears rolling down his cheeks.
Tristan licked the blood of his lips but didn't retaliate. He actually thought he deserved way worse for allowing those motherfuckers to kidnap his baby girl when he had sworn to her he'd never let anyone harm her. He had failed her again and for that he should let Noah throw as many blows as he wanted.
"Why would you say that?" Noah cried.
Tristan twisted away, unable to meet his little brother's eyes.
"Shhh," Lily wrapped an arm around Noah and rubbed his side up and down. "It's gonna be alright, you're gonna be alright." As she led him back upstairs, her eyes roamed over Tristan. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
It had been a while since Tristan had asked himself the same question. What is wrong with him?
It's like he didn't know himself, he didn't think anyone knew who he was exactly. He made jokes when things got too serious, he made you laugh when you really wanted to cry, he found good things to take your attention off the bad things. To the others he was a laidback, funny guy who let nothing get to him. That's how he wanted people to see him, especially the people close to his heart, and he planned to keep it that way.
FADED
It was nearly three in the morning when Jordan got home. Once the front door closed behind him, he felt an invisible hand circle his throat and it suddenly became hard to breathe. He half-expected Jade to run down the stairs right into his arms, welcoming him home like she had always done since she the day she could walk.
He shrugged out of his jacket and froze when he caught Jade's hanging on the rack. Her sneakers were the only pair sitting neatly under the coats - she was the only one who would take off her shoes before fully entering the house.
Jordan detached his tongue from the roof of his mouth and forced the lump in his throat back down. He slowly took the stairs two at a time, trying hard to avoid the pictures hanging on the wall. His heart hammered against his chest as he gently pushed open her bedroom door. He sniffed, taking a whiff of her scent - vanilla mixed with something sweet.
He noticed a lump on the bed, buried underneath the sheets. Jordan was quiet as he moved closer. Noah's blonde bangs peeked through the blanket, his face pressed against Jade's pillow. His brows were drawn together, his eyes pinched like he was being plagued by some bad dream.
Jordan caressed his younger brother's forehead in an attempt to smooth those lines. His fingers slid into his hair, stroking the strands from his eyes. Noah stirred at the touch but didn't wake up.
Jordan pulled away and wandered around the room, looking at the photographs Jade had hanging on her wall. He glanced over at the smiling faces of her friends and their brothers. His eyes watered as he looked at her smile; her gorgeous, infectious smile. He particularly loved how her pretty eyes would twinkle every time she'd flash her dimples - god, he lost count how many times he had kissed those dimples.
What he wouldn't do to see her smile again.
His gaze lingered on a picture that was taken twelve years ago, she must've been six months old, maybe seven. He picked it up, taking a closer look. An eighteen year old version of himself was lying on his back on the carpet, holding baby Jade in the air. Her chubby hands held onto his face while her little mouth pursed as she gave him a wet, sloppy kiss on his lips.
He remembered that day - remembered how the carpet felt scratchy against his skin, remembered how Noah had a cold and a runny nose, remembered how Tristan had told him he was dropping out of high school, remembered he caught Ashton stealing his cigarettes from his room, remembered how his mother had asked him to babysit for two hours and how those two hours turned into six days.
Looking back at those rocky times, he realized that the only reason he never threw in the towel was because he didn't want to let his siblings down. Jordan had to grow up overnight and take responsibilities that really weren't his to take. He never questioned why he had to step up the plate, why he could no longer be a brother but a parent instead.
His brothers, especially Tristan and Ashton, had a hard time adjusting to the change of attitude. Becoming a substitute for their parents, Jordan was given a different role, a different task. He couldn't risk being the goofy, careless brother anymore and he never blamed his brothers for having a hard time with it. Jordan struggled too.
Noah and Jade were different, they never questioned why he was more of a parent than a brother, they didn't know any better. And Jordan never minded raising them, never questioned why he had to wake up two to four times a night to change them or feed them. He had to be honest and admit that half of the time he had no idea what he was doing. The constant fear of messing up was what drove him to keep trying and learn from his mistakes.
He looked back at the picture in his hand. Jade grew into this little wonderful and amazing person and Jordan felt unbelievable proud knowing that he contributed to it. His throat closed up at the thought of his little girl because at the end of the day, she was his in every way. She was the one that kept him from falling, she was the one he'd come home to everyday. The thought of her being in the hands of ..., Jordan couldn't even finish the thought without wanting to tear the world apart.
He closed his eyes momentarily. His family needed him, they've always needed him. He was their rock, their protector, guardian - he was the only one they could lean on, the only one that never gave up on them. Now was not the time to fail them. He had to stay strong for the sake of his siblings.
Jordan kissed Noah's forehead, whispering a love you against his skin before closing the door.
FADED
Tristan didn't look up when Jordan slid through the backdoor. He didn't spare his brother a glance and took another puff from his joint. He stared up at the night sky and the many stars littering the black mass. He wondered if Jade was doing the same thing, looking up at the stars. He found some solace in the thought but not nearly enough to increase his peace of mind.
"Where's Ashton?" Jordan asked.
Tristan shrugged. "Haven't seen him since ... " Since our sister was fucking kidnapped.
"I've been trying to get a hold of him but it always goes straight to voicemail."
"It's Ash," Tristan grunted. "Leave the kid alone, he'll come around once he found something to project his anger on."
"What about you?" Jordan grabbed the joint from his brother's fingers, taking one drag and then another and another. He felt the smoke gather in his lungs and almost instantly the weight on his shoulders alleviated just a tiny little bit. It wasn't much but it would do for now.
"What about me?"
"Back at the football game, you looked ready to kill."
"Can you blame me?" Tristan muttered and reclaimed his joint.
Jordan sighed and leaned against the windowsill, his hands in his pockets. He glanced at his brother, observing him. Something was different but he couldn't put his finger on it. Damn, maybe Marcus was right, he was losing touch. Maybe he did need some sleep to clear his mind.
"What?" Tristan eventually snapped.
Jordan averted his eyes. "I haven't seen you like this since ... since you know."
Tristan's arms flew up in the air. "Why does everybody keep acting like me being angry is weird? Our sister is missing, I have every damn right to be fucking angry don't you think?"
"Calm down."
"Don't fucking tell me to calm down," he shot back. "Did you hear what I just said? Jade's missing. She's supposed to be upstairs in bed, safe, instead she's god knows where and I don't even wanna think of what they're planning to do to her."
Jordan licked his lips, keeping his own temper under control. "I know you don't wanna hear this from me right now, but we have to stay positive. You're not the only one going out of your mind here Tris. We can't give up, we can't lose hope."
Tristan's lips quirked in a wan smile. "When have things ever gone well for us, Jordan?"
"What is your problem?" Jordan wanted to know.
His lips pressed into a thin line. "My problem is that two men snatched our baby sister. My problem is that instead of twiddling our thumbs all day, we're supposed to go out there and look for her!"
Jordan's eyes hardened with outrage. His brother had some nerve claiming he was doing nothing to find their sister. It was uncalled for and he didn't care if Tristan was hurting, it gave him no right to lash out at him.
"You don't think I wanna find her and bring her back home? You don't think I wanna catch those fuckers and make them beg for their lives? But we don't have any leads yet, we've reached a dead-end," he countered, matching his brother's sharp tone. "We don't even know in what direction the van has disappeared. Where do we even start looking, huh?"
Tristan huffed bitterly. "Then what the hell are you still doing here? Go back there and do your fucking job."
Jordan accepted the accusation for not doing more according to his brother but didn't take the bait. He bit his tongue, swallowed down his own retort, not wanting to start an argument. Right now they needed to work together, not fight against each other.
"You're right you know," Tristan spoke up after a few moments of silence. "About me looking like I was ready to kill. When I find those bastards I'll kill them Jordan, I swear I will. I'll kill them and you're not gonna stop me. I don't care if I get 25 to life, I'm not letting them get off the hook so easily."
There it was again, that crazed look on his face, the one that Jordan finally recognized. "Did you use something?"
Tristan put the joint back to his lips and didn't answer.
"Tristan," Jordan pushed, a tone of underlying warning lacing his voice.
"Does it matter?"
"Yes it does!" he growled. "Are you fucking kidding me right now? You fucking promised!"
"It was only once," Tristan said.
"In the fucking house?" Jordan's nostrils flared. "What if Noah had seen you? Huh?"
Tristan suddenly jumped up. "Will you get off my fucking back. I told you it was only once."
Jordan didn't falter when his brother shouldered past him to go back inside. He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to keep his rollercoaster of emotions in check. Jade had been gone for seven hours now and everyone was already losing their minds. She was the glue that kept them together, without her their family threatened to shatter into pieces ... and the first cracks were already showing.
Jordan sighed. "Where are you, baby girl?"
FADED
Ashton's hands were clammy. It was early in the morning, the sun was high but the warmth did nothing to soothe his freezing skin. He was on his fifth cigarette by now but couldn't bring himself to take the first step. All he could do was stare up at the vast building in front of him, the aluminum channel letters big and intimidating, glinting in the sunlight - Correctional Facility, Ford Prison.
He hadn't been here since he was sixteen. It was the only time and he had hoped it would be the last time too. It was one of the worst chapters in his life, a part he'd never wished to read again. He thought he had put it behind him now, everyone promised him it was over. Jordan had told him he no longer needed to dwell in the past, that's not where he lived anymore. And Ashton believed it, he had sworn to never set foot inside that building again and yet here he was.
I shouldn't have come here, he told himself.
He forgot the reason why he dragged himself to this place but then Jade's face popped up in front of his eyes and his heart constricted. That's right, he was doing this for Jade - JJ.
Call it denial, call it whatever you want but Ashton refused to accept the fact that his sister was taken from them.
He still couldn't believe that she was missing, couldn't wrap his mind around it. And even though it had been twelve hours now, it somehow felt like he hadn't seen her in months. For his own sake he pretended she was away on summer camp, or at a sleepover - she was coming back. She had to come back.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He didn't need to pick it up to see who it was. His brothers have been trying to contact him for hours now but answering their texts or calls would end up in him taking the bus back home and that's not what he needed right now - it's not what Jade needed either. She would've wanted him to find her and that's exactly what he was going to do.
Throwing away the cigarette on the floor, Ashton crushed it with his shoe and took a deep, shaky breath. Visiting hours were between eight a.m. and one p.m. Ashton glanced at his watch and realized the gates were opening in exactly twenty-five seconds. Those ended up being the longest twenty-five seconds in his life.
He walked in a daze, vaguely aware of walking through endless hallways and countless doors. He couldn't even remember when the security guard patted him down or led him to the visiting area.
Once he took a seat, his eyes immediately took in his surroundings, checking every possible exit. The walls were bare, the tables and chairs cold - the atmosphere hanging in the air was suffocating. It reminded him of his time back in juvie, another chapter he didn't want to reread.
A few inmates entered, taking a seat with their family or friends. Some of them hugged and kissed, others stuck to a simple nod. Some of them were happy to see each other, others were less enthusiastic, one person was even on the brink of tears.
Ashton didn't think he would belong to any of the three categories, he probably would be the one that'd be dragged away by the guards instead.
Another few minutes passed and Ashton was becoming restless. His legs bounced up and down, his fingers repeatedly raking through his black hair. He was nauseous, hadn't eaten since lunch the day before, hadn't slept all night either, and the anticipation was absolutely killing him.
Jade, he reminded himself. Doing this for Jade.
The sound of a familiar chuckle drifted to his ears and his entire body stiffened.
"Ashton, my boy. How you doin'?"
Ashton slowly lifted his gaze to meet the man sitting in front of him. The monster that haunted him in his dreams, the same man that molded him into the person he was today. He looked nothing like him, he didn't share any facial structure or expression. For a long time, Ashton thought they had the same personality but the motive was different. This man was angry so he took it out on other people, he hurt them. Ashton was angry too but instead took it out on himself, never wanting to hurt other people.
"Dad."
The man's blue eyes smiled - blue as the sky on a sunny spring day, blue as his son's. The only proof they were indeed related.
"It's been what now, five years?"
"Six," Ashton corrected.
"Six," he nodded slowly, his lips still upturned in a sinister smirk. "Look at you, you're a man now. Where's that thing you had pierced in your nose?"
"Took it off."
"Good." He shot him a pointed look. "Never liked it, piercings are for girls and fagots."
Ashton wasn't going to waste his spit on his father so he shut his mouth.
"How's your ma doing? Still screwing everything with a cock between the legs?"
"Something like that." Ashton found a scab on his knuckle and started picking at it.
"Never understood what I saw in that bitch, we were as different as night and day," he snorted.
"Actually when I think about it, you two had more in common than you thought."
"Is that right?" His father leaned back in his chair, tattooed arms crossing over his broad torso.
"Uhu," Ashton nodded. "You both didn't sleep in your own bed often. You'd rather spend your last penny on your next fix instead of making sure your kids didn't go to bed on an empty stomach. And you both couldn't take no for an answer."
Something dark flashed in his father's eyes. "Don't compare me to that whore. Your mother's a leech - she sucks us dry and leaves us behind with her disease. A fucking parasite, that's what she is."
"If you say so," Ashton relented. "I always thought she was just a woman with the morals of a man."
He paused, holding his son's eyes for a long moment. "Why are you here? Thought you never wanted to see me again?"
"I'm not here for you, I'm here because of Jade."
He cocked an eyebrow. "Jade?"
"My sister."
"Half-sister," he pointed out as if Ashton shouldn't have left out the important detail. "Yeah I remember her, little girl with those blonde ringlets. She always reminded me of a doll. What about her?"
"I don't know, you tell me."
He fell silent, eyes slightly narrowing. "I don't know what you're talking about, son."
Son - Ashton would grit his teeth every time he'd hear that word directed to him. TJ, their old neighbor used to call him son all the time and it never bothered him, he even liked the affectionate term. But hearing it coming out of his own father's mouth always made him want to scream at the top of his lungs that he was no son of his.
"I figured you're surrounded by child predators and kidnappers, maybe you picked up on something. I know you still keep in touch with your friends. I know word gets around here faster than a wildfire, so maybe you've heard about it."
The man chuckled dryly. "Don't know what you're talking about."
Ashton bit the inside of his cheek and held his fists under the table. "Jade's missing. She was taken."
"Oh ..." His eyes suddenly lit up in interest. "And you thought I had something to do with it?"
"I thought you might know something, anything," Ashton explained. "You kidnapped me once when I was nine."
His father laughed, a sound that drew the attention from the other visitors. It echoed against the tall walls and made Ashton want to slap his hands over his ears.
"That wasn't kidnap. We just went on a little vacation, you and me, father and son."
Ashton refrained from rolling his eyes. "Sure, that's why you threatened mom to pay up or she'd never see me again."
"Well I was going to bring you back. I just needed a fast way to get the money first." He suddenly leaned forward and Ashton visibly drew back. "Only it didn't work. Should've come up with a better plan, huh? Do you remember that day?"
Ashton clenched his jaw.
His dad smiled, a cold cruel smile that sent shivers up and down his spine. "Yeah, you remember that day, don't you? You wanted to go home 'cause you didn't like spending some quality time with your old man. You remember what mommy told me? Remember what she said?"
Ashton scratched harder at the scab on his finger until the old wound bled again.
"Keep him, that's what mommy said." His father chuckled. "That woman thought she got rid of us, joke's on her 'cause we stuck around for a little bit longer. Anyway, back to that kid, you have a picture of her?"
Ashton looked at him through dull eyes. "Why?"
"If I know what she looks like, I can ask around," he reasoned. "Brock, my mate, he stays in the cell above me. He's part of this gang, they're currently kidnapping young girls, shipping them across the ocean to sell them off. You ever wanna make money, get in the whole human trafficking business, those guys are living the life and the best part? They're above the law, there's nothing you can't get away with. Just slip some checks here and there and you're settled. Those men in their fancy uniforms and suits, they claim to protect the people, bullshit. They're all just a bunch of corrupted bastards but hey, you don't hear us complaining, suits us just fine."
"God you sure do love the sound of your voice."
"You mind your tone with me boy," he warned with an angry finger pointed in his face and it took everything in Ashton not to flinch, even after all these years. "From what I remember, Jade was a pretty little thing, definitely the kind of girl they'll happily get their hands on. Brings in more money, y'know. So you got a picture of her or what?"
"I'm not fucking showing you her fucking picture." You sick fuck.
His father mockingly held up his hands. "Hey, you came to me for help. I'm just covering all the bases. A thirteen year old kid being kidnapped, talking from experience people only take young girls for one reason - especially if said girls are as pretty as that sister of yours. I'm not saying they have her, I'm just saying that if they do ... oh she'll be passed around like a blunt. Would make a lot of poor ol' sons of bitches happy too," he sniggered.
Ashton's nails dug into the palm of his hands to the point where his skin broke and blood started coating the pads of his fingers.
"What the fuck am I even doing here?" He mumbled to himself. Without another word, he rose from his chair and started heading for the door.
His father chuckled. "Say hi to those brothers of yours, tell them to come over any day."
"Fuck off."
The sound of his laughter followed him through the hallways, stalking him. Ashton came here with hope, wishing he'd get some answers instead he had more on his troubled mind than before. Now all he could think about was his sister in the hands of a bunch of fucking perverts who wanted to exploit her in ways he couldn't even ...
Ashton drew in a lungful of fresh air once he was outside. His head was throbbing, his hands were shaking, his heart hammering against his chest.
I shouldn't have come here.
FADED
Noah closed the front door, carrying the casserole Marion had prepared for them. He put the dish on the kitchen counter, its delicious smell wafting to his nose. He didn't doubt for a second that it was good but Jade's was better, always.
Any other day, he would've inhaled the food but not today. His gut was tied up in knots, he couldn't stomach the thought of eating anything. It seemed so irrelevant to think of food while his sister was AWOL.
Noah plopped down on a stool and dropped his head in his hands. He felt a wetness building up behind his eyes and it was a wonder he could still cry - he had thought he'd used up all his tears by now.
The worry was slowly eating at him, little bites, piece by piece. He never felt this powerless before and for the first time in his life he finally knew what his weakness was.
He wondered where she was right now. Was she alone, scared, hurt? Was she thinking about him, like he was thinking about her? Did she know that he missed her so much it physically hurt? Did she know that if he could, he'd switch places with her if it meant that she's be safe.
Did she know that he loved her?
He loved her more than just to the moon and back. Noah wished he had told her more, he wished he hadn't taken her for granted. She was the one who would listen to him, truly listen to him. She'd been where he'd been so she understood him like no one else. She always knew what he wanted or needed, even when he never said it out loud.
She was more than just family, she was both his opposite and his mirror. She was his partner in crime. His built-in best friend. His bubbly, funny - sometimes annoying when she didn't know when to shut up, but all in all she was pretty amazing. Special.
And he had no idea what he had lost until it was gone.
Noah jumped when he heard a thud coming from upstairs. He looked up at the ceiling, frowning. He thought he was home alone, he hadn't heard anybody come in. He slowly slid from his stool, wiping his sweaty palms down his shorts.
As he quietly climbed the stairs, he could clearly hear muffled footsteps walking back and forth. It wasn't until he was at the top of the stairs that he realized where the sounds were coming from - Jade's room.
Noah swallowed thickly, someone was in the house. Jordan had gone through this before, he knew the drill - first alert the police, then call him, then get out of the house asap. Preferably in that order.
But Noah had a mind of his own and a different plan. He slipped into his bedroom and grabbed the baseball bat under his bed. He made sure to avoid the noisy spots of the floorboard as he tiptoed back to Jade's room.
His fingers tightened around his weapon as he swiftly licked his lips. With a rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins, he kicked the door open, baseball bat above his head ready to attack.
"Noah!" she screamed. "You little shit!"
He lowered his arms. "Mom?"
She held her chest, panting. "You trynna give me a heart attack or something?"
He took a second to collect himself before he spoke up. "What are you doing here?"
Carla stood in front of Jade's dresser, haphazardly putting all her clothes on the bed. "I'm packing Jade's stuff."
"W-What?" Noah stammered, not sure if he heard her correctly.
"Where's her suitcase?"
He still was too much in a shock to reply. Carla ignored him and continued rummaging through the drawers.
Ashton suddenly walked in. "What's going on?"
Noah glanced at his brother over his shoulder. "She's packing Jade's stuff."
Ashton's eyes jumped to their mother. "When did you get out?"
"This morning."
"Put that back down," he said when she went through Jade's belongings. His mother wasn't listening so Ashton felt forced to jump in. He snatched his sister's backpack from her hands and put it back where it belonged. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't touch her fucking stuff."
Carla leveled him with the same hostility. "Ashton, I'm not in the mood right now, my baby girl just got fucking kidnapped and - "
A dubious look crossed his face. "Who told you?"
"Does it matter?" She huffed and ran a hand through her hair. She looked tired, dark bags under her eyes and skin too pale. She addressed her youngest son. "Noah baby, pack your bags, you're coming with me."
"What?" Noah finally snapped out of it. "I'm not going anywhere and neither is Jade."
Carla sighed. "Noah, please don't fight me on this."
"Where do you think you're taking them?" Ashton demanded, bringing her eyes back to his.
"Far away from you," she snarled. "I should've known your older brothers wouldn't be able to take care of them. Everyone's trying to mess with my head, trying to make me believe I'm a shit mother but at least I never got them fucking taken right under my nose!"
"I'm not leaving with you, mom," Noah repeated adamantly with a shake of his head. "Put Jade's stuff back."
"Fine." She stepped away from her daughter's clothes and fixed her sons with a smug smirk. "Have it your way. I'll wait until I hear what the judge decides in court."
Ashton's groaned in disbelief. "You have got to be fucking kidding me."
"Mom?" Noah sounded uncertain and if you listened closely you could even spot a hint of despair.
"They won't let you," Ashton said firmly.
An expression of determination clouded her features. "I'm taking back what's rightfully mine."
FADED
Tristan pulled up at the house. He put the car in park and shut the ignition. He didn't move, didn't know how long he stayed in the driver's seat, lost in his thoughts. He glanced at his phone to check the time - it was nearly noon. He calculated the hours, lost time that they'd never be able to find again. Every second that passed by was a second wasted.
Slipping the sun glasses from his face, Tristan opened the glove department to put them back when something caught his eye. A tiny plastic bag with a white substance. It was calling to him, taunting him. His hand hesitated, itching to grab it, have a taste of it - he had already succumbed to his cravings the night before. He had told his brother it was once, only once.
His hand fluttered to his chest where he felt the same burning sensation near his heart. He scratched the spot but stopped when he caught blank ink peeking through his button down shirt. Jade's name.
A wave of shame washed over him. What the hell was wrong with him? What was he doing? He hadn't given in for years, proved everyone wrong in doing so. He persevered and in a split second he had almost decided to throw it all away. For what? 'Cause things got a little too hard to handle?
Jade would've been disappointed in him. He had put that shit behind him, swore to never use again. That was the old Tristan, Jade didn't need him.
Tristan shut the glove department and got out of the car. He walked into the house which usually felt like home, but now it was just a construction made out of bricks. Home was where Jade was.
Noah was sprawled out on the couch. He barely looked up at his brother as he sat down next to him. Noah was watching some infomercials with a blank look. The only reason he had put the tv on was to drown the sound of the eerie silence.
Tristan put his arm around the back of the couch. "Hey bud ... how're you holding up?"
Noah shrugged.
Tristan put his hand in his hair, rubbing his scalp fondly.
"It's been seventeen hours now," he mumbled.
"We're gonna find her. I promise."
"Mom said she's gonna file for custody. She wants Jade and I to live with her again."
Tristan perked up. "When did she get out?"
Noah caught his eye. "I don't wanna live with her. And I know Jade doesn't want to either."
"You're not going anywhere," he promised.
Noah wasn't convinced yet. "She'll tell them that Jade was taken under your watch and she's going to use that against you. What if she wins this time?"
"Hey, let's not worry about that now, okay?" Tristan squeezed the back of his neck and Noah relaxed just a little bit. "Let's focus on getting Jade back first. We'll see what happens next."
"Did you really mean what you said last night?" Noah sunk his teeth in his bottom lip. "You think she might be ..."
"I was being an asshole. I shouldn't've said that to you. I'm sorry." Tristan swallowed hard as he drew his brother closer. He pressed his lips against his temple. "She's gonna be okay."
FADED
Jordan was ready to pull his hair out. They weren't getting anywhere. He was irritable, running low on patience and about ready to shoot the next person that got his hopes up. To top it all off his concentration was thinning and the only reason he was still functioning was because he was too pumped with energy drinks and caffeine.
"What are you doing here?" Ashton asked as he walked into the kitchen.
"I'm going mad at the office," he grunted, his eyes glued to the screen of his laptop.
"What are you looking at?"
"CCTV footage. We got our clue right here, I know it, I just have to find it."
Ashton leaned in closer, watching over his brother's shoulder. He was quiet as he tried to pay attention to every little detail. "What's that?"
Jordan paused the video and zoomed in on their sister's face. "You see it too?"
Ashton tilted his head to the side. "She doesn't look scared, she looks ... surprised. Almost like she ... like she knows him."
And that's when it dawned on Jordan - that look he couldn't name, it was recognition. She recognized the man.
"Who is he?" his brother asked. "You think we might know him too?"
"I don't know," he muttered, now zooming in on the men's obscured faces. "Tristan! Noah! Get in here!"
The four brothers huddled around the computer screen, scrutinizing the men's features and mannerisms. They spent half an hour trying to identify at least one of them when Noah suddenly reached over to fast-forward the video. He squinted his eyes, the image wasn't very clear and it didn't help that it was dark either.
"Look at his hand," he told his brothers. "Are those tattoos?"
They all inched closer to get a better look.
"Looks like it," Ashton mumbled. "Do you recognize it?"
Jordan shared a look. "You saw this man before?"
Noah suddenly paled, the blood draining from his face. "Oh fuck."
FADED
Tristan's fist was rapping on the door impatiently.
Jordan's hand rested on the butt of his gun, cautious and prepared as always. He eyed his brother when he pounded on the door again.
"Don't do anything stupid, do you hear me? Follow my lead." He clamped his teeth together in irritation when he got no response. "Tristan."
"Jordan, shut up." Tristan repeatedly banged against the door. "Open the fucking door you piece of shit."
As if on cue, the handle of the door twisted and Tristan didn't even wait, he was done waiting. He kicked the door open and barged into the house. He grabbed the man by the throat and slammed him against the wall.
"Where the fuck is she!?"
Adrien gasped for air. "I don't know, I swear I don't."
Jordan fixed him with a death glare. "Tell us where she is Adrien."
"I don't know," he wheezed, his face turning a dark shade of red. "I swear, I only just found out about it."
Tristan's hand squeezed tighter. "That's not an answer. Tell us what you know or I'll fucking strangle you."
Adrien started sputtering, trying to get a word out.
Jordan put his hand on his brother's arm. The man was no use to them passed out.
Tristan reluctantly let go. Adrian coughed as he rubbed the skin around his neck.
"I would start talking if I were you," Jordan threatened.
Once he caught his breath, Adrien did as he was told. "Someone texted me this morning - "
"Who?"
"I don't know. This guy."
"Do you know him?"
He shook his head. "N-no."
"Don't fucking lie to us," Tristan growled. "Why did he contact you!"
Adrien gulped. "M-money, he-they wanted money."
"Show me," Jordan ordered.
Adrien handed him his phone and let them read the text message.
"They're holding her for ransom," he said.
Jordan passed the phone to his brother so he could read it too. "How do you know they really got her?"
"I don't," he stammered. "I asked for proof, I thought they were bluffing. But I know they're telling the truth. They said - "
Tristan lifted an impatient eyebrow. "What? They said what?"
Adrien looked down at the ground, masking the pained expression across his face. "They said - they made a comment about ... about her birthmark."
Jordan cursed under his breath while Tristan was doing everything he could not to lose his self-control and smash the nearest object against the wall.
Jade's birthmark, they used to tease her with it. She had a heart-shaped mark on her left ass-cheek. No one knew about it, no one could possibly know about it unless ...
Jordan straightened his shoulders. "How much?"
"250k."
"That's it?" Tristan chuckled, not a single trace of humor detected in his eyes. "What the fuck are you waiting for, pay them already!"
A cold shadow casted over Adrien's eyes. "I don't have that kinda money."
"What the fuck are you talking about? That car you have parked out front is probably worth more!"
"It's not mine!" he hissed. "None of it belongs to me, everything you see is my wife's."
"Well tell her to pay up."
Adrien sighed. "I can't. I haven't told her yet. Besides, she doesn't have anything to do with it, this is my problem. I don't want her involved in this shit."
Jordan scoffed rudely. "That's too bad for her. You already made it her business the day you decided to put a ring around her finger. Now call her and tell her to meet us at the police station."
"She's in a meeting right now - "
Jordan suddenly got in his face, he was so close their noses almost touched. "I don't care if she's in a fucking coma. Get. Her."
"O-okay." Adrien's voice was shaky, visibly intimidated.
Jordan pulled away. "Do you have any idea who could've possibly kidnapped Jade? Anyone."
"I know a lot of people that got a bone to pick with me - "
Tristan's eyes narrowed. "Humor us."
"I can - I can make a list of names."
Jordan fetched his phone. "CCTV footage showed a white van. Do you recognize it?"
Adrien leaned in to watch the video. His eyes widened. "Shit. That's Kyle's car."
"Name?" Jordan already grabbed his pen and notepad.
"Kyle ... Kyle Mooney."
Jordan's scribbling paused. He slowly lifted his gaze. "Mooney?"
Tristan's hands flew to his hair, gripping at the strands. "Give me one reason I shouldn't bash your skull against that wall right now and knock some sense into that fucking stupid head of yours!"
Adrien recoiled and held up his hands. "It's not what you think! I had no intention to get in touch with him again, he's the one that found me."
"You promised me you'd stay away from him and the lot of them, you told me you'd quit!" Jordan shouted, no longer putting a leash on his temper.
"I did!" he insisted. "I promise! That's not me, I'm not that kinda man anymore."
Jordan opened his mouth but was at a loss for words. He licked his lips, eyes deadly. "You let that motherfucker take pictures of your own fucking daughter, my sister, and now you're telling me you're on speaking terms again?"
"Hear me out, just for a second," Adrien begged. "He loaned me some money a few years back. Out of nowhere, he shows up at my door like two months ago, demanding I had to pay off my debts. And I did, I paid him back ... but it wasn't enough. Once he saw the house, saw how I was living, he started demanding more."
"And you declined," Tristan said.
"Of course I did! What else was I supposed to do?"
"You should've come to the police," Jordan told him sharply. "You knew what he did and you knew he never paid for it. We've been trying to find dirt on him for years now, anything to put him behind bars. You had him in the palm of your hands, you could've easily turned him in and yet you did nothing."
Adrien dropped his head miserably. "Fuck, I'm sorry. I should've known."
Tristan never wanted to punch someone this bad. He collected himself and forced himself to stay focused.
"Noah recognized the other man in the video. Said he saw him before. Care to explain?"
Adrien nodded. It was time to confess. "Kyle and his friend, Quentin - Quentin Miller I think - they came over a few weeks ago. I tried to strike a deal with them, be done with it once and for all. We ended up sorting things out and everything was settled until ... until Noah and Jade came over."
"They saw them. They saw the kids." Jordan exhaled loudly. "Fucking hell."
"I didn't know they would come over that day. When Noah texted me they were on their way, I thought Kyle and Quentin would be long gone by then. A few days later I get a phone call from Kyle telling me the deal was off, just like that. He demanded more money and I refused. I didn't think he'd go after Jade!" he cried. "I really am sorry."
"You should be," Tristan sneered. "And you're gonna be more than sorry if anything happens to her. I hope you realize that this is all on you - your mess and your mistakes. If there's so much as a hair out of place on her pretty head, I will kill you. Do you understand."
"You don't think I'm worried to death? I'm fucking scared for her," Adrien sniffed, looking offended. "You know at the end of the day, she's still my daughter."
"No," Jordan gritted his teeth. "At the end of the day, she's our baby sister."
FADED
Jade felt numb. Paralyzed. And so so tired.
Her eyes were shut but she could see little specks of light dotting her vision. They reminded her of stars. She wished they could show her the way, navigate her through the darkness. Her body was floating in a big mass of nothing. Jade had no idea where she was, she felt lost.
Where am I?
She knew she wasn't home, the smell was different. She wasn't in her own bed either, the sheets were too scratchy against her skin. Maybe if she followed the stars, they'll bring her back.
She kept drifting in and out of sleep, her fingers too numb to grasp onto the present. She had no sense of time either, couldn't tell if it was night or day, couldn't tell how long it had been. Her mind was out of reach, too far away to seize her last memory.
Something warm traced the inside of her arm, the touch soothing against her cold skin. Why was she so cold? And where did the warm touch go?
She suddenly felt a sting near her wrist, it hurt. She whimpered.
"Shhh," a voice whispered. "Just a little bit more to help you sleep. You tired?"
Yes, she wanted to say. So so tired. But her tongue wouldn't move.
The pressure around her arm disappeared and a beautiful sense of bliss rushed through her veins.
"There you go," the same voice cooed.
The stars ware shining more brightly than before. They were bigger. Or maybe she was closer. She was flying now, not floating. Flying to reach the stars.
Am I dreaming? She wondered.
If she was, why couldn't she wake up?
A/N: what a chapter! This was hard, really hard. You don't wanna know how many times I deleted the entire thing only to start over again. The true challenge was to capture each brother's thoughts and reactions individually and the effect it had on them without going out of character. I really wanted to show how they dealt with the situation differently and it's so complicated to do that when I haven't gotten the chance to really get into their minds before because FADED was always from Jade's POV. Anyway, I let you get a little sneak peek into the brothers' lives and minds, let me know if you wanna see more.
Don't forget to press the little star!