Mission: not falling in love with him (17)
It wasn’t until dinner that I saw my father. He came in the room and plopped on the couch closing his eyes. I looked up from the computer I was using and smiled. Just like old times.
“Where were you all day?” I asked.
It took him a minute to answer. “Paperwork.” He said.
“Come on, you can do better than that.” I snorted going back to the computer.
He chuckled but didn’t answer. It was quiet for a few minutes. Then I frowned and leaned on the desk looking at my dad.
“Dad…” he mumbled a hmm so I kept talking. “Where’s Amanda?” he tensed and didn’t answer. A full minute passed when he decided to slowly open his eyes, he leaned on his elbows on his knees and looked at me. I knew something wrong had happened.
“She…” he sighed.
“Just say it. Whatever it is, it can’t be worse than what I’m thinking.”
“While you were out there I sent a team to follow the routes you were most likely to take, but you seem to be smarter than I thought. You came here and Amanda wasn’t with you so I told the units to keep looking because there was one missing.” He sighed rubbing his eyes. “Team 4 passed that area this morning. They found Marc a couple miles away but they didn’t find anyone else.” He looked at me with a frown.
That couldn’t be…
Amanda and Shane were missing…
How?
I felt a pull in my heart and a tear escaping my eye.
“Honey…”
I stood up and left the room. Okay, only one person could know where they were. If what I was thinking is right this is where his life ends. I ran to the little outdoor cabana and heard Brian’s scream. I pushed the doors open to Brian tied up in a chair, Uncle Mike rubbing his fist. He looked up at me in surprise. I looked back and forth between him and Brian repeatedly. He noticed I was mad and took a step back.
Brian looked up at me and his eyes bulged. I walked up to him and punched him in the face.
“Where are they?” I asked. No way was I leaving this place without answers. He told me he had taken care of Shane and he wasn’t found. If something happened to Shane or Amanda, Brian was disappearing as well.
“Ouch.” Brian said.
I rubbed my face and leveled to his height. “Don’t make me ask again.” when he looked at me his eyes showed so much guilt that I wanted to cry. I didn’t but I kept on staring. He was saying it all through his eyes. And he was paying for it.
“Nathalie, you don’t get it.” he whispered.
“Enlighten me.” I snapped. “Where are they?”
His face twisted in pain and he lowered it. “I can’t.” he said.
I took the broom from the wall and removed the head. Walking up to him I swing it once and he looked up.
"This will do the tick..." i said thoughtfully.
“Nat, please let me explain.” he said urgently but I swing at him and hit his leg. He cried in pain and bit his lip to keep from yelling.
“Talk.” I spat crouching.
Slowly he looked at me with guilt. “I had to. It was them or me.”
“And since you only care about yourself.” I said shaking my head.
“No, Nat, no—listen, I did everything I could.”
“Liar! You always lie! You never care!” I yelled.
“Why do you think you’re here then?! I care!”
“Bullshit!” I said throwing the broom away filled with rage. “I bet this is all part of the chase. Tell me, where’s the mic or the GPS chip, whatever you have to ruin us later. Is it in your leg?” I said going to the table and grabbing the bat.
“Nathalie!” Brian and Mike yelled at the same time. But I got to hit Brian again in the leg before Mike came forward. I fought with him to be set free.
“NO! Damn it! Is it in your arm?” I asked managing another hit in his arm. “Or is it in your head?” I finally free myself and raise the bat to swing but Mike grabbed it stopping me. “Where the hell are they?! What did you do?!”
“Nathalie, please…” Brian begged.
“Fuck you Logan!” I say punching him again and again my eyes filling with tears.
“Nathalie, you’ll kill him!” Mike said stepping forward grabbing me by the waist. I fought with him. I just wanted to hit Brian repeatedly and just… I wanted him to pay!
“I don’t care! I’ll kill him myself! Listen to me Brian! Look at me!” he raised his head slowly. A tear slipped off his eye when he saw me. And on top of everything he had the nerve to cry! Sure! Make it look real! “Whatever happened to them is going to happen to you.” I threatened him with as much venom as I could. “I’ll make sure of that.”
I freed myself and walked away mad at myself for not doing anymore damage. I should have.
everyone tried to calm me down but just shoved them off and went upstairs kicking everything I could in the process. Kicking helps. though, wished I could kick Logan instead of the boxing bag that was kept int he attic. I locked the door behind me and soon hear the pounding of several people begging me to come out and to calm down. Mike came at one point and he was the one who stayed the longer trying to calm me down. It didn't help. The more he said this wasn't doing any good and that everything was going to be alright, the madder I became. He gave up just like everyone else.
I only focused on the bag and how hard I could kick it so whenever I saw Brian again I could do the same.
Damn it! I've never been this aggressive!
But then again, it was Brian and he was hurting the people I loved all over again.
I heard the picking of the lock and turned to it in a frown. Logan came in the room pushing everyone that was outside who wanted in. He locked the door and turned to me leaning on it.
"You're making quite the spectacle out there." I just stared point blank at him. He realized I wasn't in a funny mood and dropped the lazy smile. "They're all worried." I kept on staring and he took a hesitant step towards me. "Look, I don't know what happened and it's probably none of my business, but they've never seen you like this and they are all worried and about to kill Brian because Mike says he has something to do with it."
"Let them kill him." i said punching the bag again with less force. "He deserves it." I kept on punching but soon dropped it. I wasn't in the mood anymore. I walked to the far wall and sat down. Logan came and sat next to me.
"Whatever it is, you can't possibly do it alone, you need to let the help you."
"I made it here without their help, I can do it alone." I said stubbornly. I knew he was right and that at some point I had to let them help.
"Fine, say you can, what then? You don't have the stuff to make a break and save Shane and Amanda. You're only one, they fry you alive." I stayed thinking about that. "Talk to your dad, he'll get it." he said turning to face me. I looked down at my hands and pictured how'd that go...not good. "Look you kept me safe and I owe you that. Whatever it is I'll help you. We'll get the back." he took my hand and squeezed it briefly. He stood up and walked to the door slowly, then he turned back. "I'll be with your dad trying to calm him down." he chuckled. "He's almost as jittery as you are."
I snorted. "You know, I liked you more when you were mean." I said looking at him, trying to smile but I just wasn't in the mood.
He frowned looking at me. "You want me to be mean?"
"It was much more fun." I said and felt a stab in my belly. Guilt...Ryan...
Logan gave me a crooked smile and winked. "As the mean Logan I expect you down there in two minutes or I'll come back and drag you by the hair." there was the harshness and arrogance in it that she remembered and hated but his face was calm and said the complete opposite. I smiled and he left me.
I took several breaths and remembered everything I knew. What my father had taught me about come backs and attitude and mood swings, and every single thing Brian had said. There had to be some message in that.
Brian worked like a labyrinth. The most likely passage was the wrong one and he always tried to tip you off the right direction. He was like, as men would say, girls: always meaning the opposite of what they tell you. Which is stupid cause if I say I love you then that means it not I hate you because that would be utterly stupid; if you hate someone just say it and it wont mean the--okay, rambling... back to business.
I shook my head and walked to the door. When I opened them there was Steve leaning on the walk and three other guys. I didn't pause to look at them but their heads snapped up when I opened. I walked down the stairs and into the second floor entering the location library. They held maps there from basically the entire world and I knew this place like the palm of my hand. I used to spend our trapped int his place.
I went to the stand where maps of The states were and took one of Tennessee and Illinois. I grabbed a pencil and ruled and headed out with the four men tailing me. Without a word I entered to my dad's office to find Logan talking to him and my dad pacing from wall to wall. He stopped short and turned to me wen I entered, but I didn't stop and started moving things out of the table.
I placed the map and after a quick look over asked.
"Did you men go inside the woods?"
Dad frowned and came closer to the table. "As told, yes."
"Who was in charge of it?" I asked as monotone as I had never been. "Call him."
"Preston." he answered and fumbled with his phone. He gave it to me and a deep voice answered.
"Preston, this is Nathalie. Did your men go in the woods?"
"Yes, they rounded the perimeter and found no trace of your friend or your brother."
"How much north did you go?"
"Considering the time passed and the possibility of a critical condition, we looked for a 7 km perimeter."
I looked down at the map and quickly traced the lines. He seems to always be there, Amanda had said. After that it was easy and yet perfectly mistakable that tiny part of the map. "Thanks." I said with a smug smile and closed the phone. Always think a little farther, Brian had said back in Canada. She didn't get it before but now it all made sense.
He was always placed one step ahead of where he should be because he know in desperate moves people moved faster. He made things look smooth and normal when from behind he's been nudging at it to tense. I smiled pleased and walked away heading back to the cabana when Brian was. Dad and Logan followed behind me and as I walked I felt more people following.
I entered and found Brian, head down, breathing deeply. His shirt was bloodied and so were his pants.
"The first mistake you made," I said and he raised his head slowly. "was getting attached." He gave me a half smile.
"I know."
"The second you made, was underestimating me."
He smiled, this time, with pain clear in his eyes. "I know."
"And the third you made," I said lower with a different menace into it. I walked to him and leveled my eyes to his. "was trusting Amanda."
This time, Brian didn't smile. He started back into my eyes as a slow smile made its way to my lips.
"I don't know what you're talking about." he said.
I pulled away and chuckled. "Always be one step ahead. You remember that?" he only started at me so I kept going. "With everything she showed me, I though she'd never go through with this, that it would be too much, but she made it quite well. Better than I would have thought." I said fidgeting with some stuff in the table. I want mad anymore, hell, I was ecstatic that I could figure this out. "She made it way too well through it." I walked to him again and whispered in his ear. "You taught her well."
I saw Logan frowning at me and my dad staring daggers at Brian. He still didn't know but he knew something was up.
"You never counted on how much what you did changed this family. You underestimated me. And then you trusted Amanda, out of everyone. See, Brian, she is not the greatest actress and she's not very observant either."
he looked up at me with a harsh look and repeated. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I was so consumed that I had made it through you that I forgot what you said!" I laughed almost hysterically. "So the only thing I have to do now is wait one step ahead and then come back to kill you with my own hands."
my dad cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Where are they, Brian?"
"Don't bother, dad, he won't tell." I smiled and padded his head. "Try no to sound too desperate when she calls you." I turned walking away.
"You'll end up dead, Nathalie! do you hear me?! DEAD!!" I heard Brian yell after me but I kept going.
Logan fell in step next to me as I made it into the door. "Where to?"
I look him once and then back front. "You, nowhere. I can't risk you."
"I said I'd be there, Nathalie, and I'm--"
"Logan, there is a great change that I'll end up just like he said: dead. I Can't have you dead. Besides, I have a special place for you to be at."
He frowned looking at me and nodded.
"Everyone that's going with me you have ten minutes to pack and call everyone you love." I turned to the gathering people on the living room and it fell silent under my stare. "I wont lie, I have no idea what I'll ran into, but I know Brian and he said I'll end up dead so there's a great chance that I might."
"Nat--"dad said but Raised a hand to stop him.
"You can stay but I'm getting my brother back with out without you." I said and and headed back to the office to change my cloths before heading back down. It was in full move as everyone was packing and calling and arranging everything.
Dad motioned everyone out the door and we all flooded to the cars. I took the keys from my dad and smiled. He shook his head but got on the passenger side. I was stopped by Logan and he held his hand up to catch his breath.
"Nat, I--"
"Here," I handed him a piece of paper and motioned to Steve to come here. He approached nodding and waited. "You go to this place and don't tell anyone. Steve, do you remember that science project you helped me with last semester?"
"He frowned but nodded. "The jet--"
"Yes. Take everything you need and build it there. You have two hours, if I'm correct."
"And if you're not?" Logan asked.
"If I'm not you're 100% out of death danger." I smiled and nodded. Steve walked away into the house. "Not a word, Logan." I said and turned but Logan took my wrist and spin me around to...hug me. I froze until he let go.
"Don't die." he said.
I smiled. "Not on my agenda." I turned and started the car, driving away. Logan and Steve were left behind and I turned on the interconnected radio of the cars.
"Report." dad said. Every car that had bee signed up was here.
"Guys, we're going back to the road. Keep an eye open, we might find some trouble along the way." they all responded and turned off the radio.
"Do you know what your doing?" dad asked.
I tensed my jaw but smiled. "Never been more sure." I said.
I just hope Amanda knows what she is doing...