"Has the jury reached a verdict?" Judge Macklin asked, her eyes trained on the 12 juries. My heart was pounding viciously, even though I knew there was no reason. During the course of the preceding, John had made his way over to us and took my hand in his. His fingers were coiled around mine, stiff and cold. Squeezing his hand, I noticed how his gaze didn't waver from the two men. For a second his eyes met mine and those blue irises, calmed the erratic beating in my hear.
"Yes your honor." A man in his early forties, dressed in a nice white shirt, said as he stood up.
"How do you find the defendants on the account of sex trafficking and abduction of minors as well those of age, twenty-eight accounts of known murderand civil disobedience?" The judge asked, and I felt mom squeeze my hand, in turn I clutched Johns harder.
"The jury finds the defendants-" Blood rushed to my ears and I swallowed, desperate to hear. "Guilty."
A boisterous roar ripped throughout the room and sobs mixed with anxious laughter. I sagged in my seat, resting my head on John's broad shoulder. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and a chilled thought swirled its way down my spine. My fingers went slack just as mom leaned over and placed a warm kiss to my cheek.
"You're not happy, sweetie?" Mom asked with concerned eyes, her smile falling.
"Of course I am." I smiled, but the thought was still melting its way over my entire body. Mom didn't push and instead turned her attention to John, who was running a hand through his hair. Although the two men were found guilty, the lives they took, the lives which they ruined, could never be replaced.
"Congratulations," Mom said jumping out of her seat and enveloped John in a hug.
I watched as he folded his arms around her. Mom looked so small and fragile that the thought of losing her made my eyes sting with tears. The horrid thought made me think of John, and just how much he lost to the two men being handcuffed. To the man that was still out there, the same man that was watching our ever move, taking innocent lives all in hopes of rattling us. Standing up, the sound of people laughing and chattering penetrated my fog. Mom let go of John and instead wrapped me in a tight hug, mumbling something into my ear. Soothing my hair, she pulled back after a minute a smiled a tear stained smile.
"Let's go home."
Together, the three of us exited the room and made our way to the main doors. From the window, I watched with wide eyes as the reporters from this morning doubled. Now, there must've been at least fifty people with camera and microphones milling about. Mom grabbed my hand and John wrapped an arm around my waist and dipped his head down to mine.
"I'm here." His lips brushed my ear and I felt myself smile.
"I know." I said and pressed myself closer to his body. Yelling erupted as soon as we opened the doors.
"-Sophie!-Sophie! Max Dabner with CNN-...What happened in there?... Lieutenant Foster are you happy about-" I forced the voices out of my head and stared down at the floor. I heard Johns voice ordering people to clear the way and for a second mothers hand in mine disappeared. I looked up and my eyes jumped around the crowd, desperate to find her. John must've felt me stop moving, because he stopped himself and looked around.
"Come on," He ordered and I was about to protest, but he shook his head. "she's already down the block." I wanted to ask how, but he shook his head again. I nodded and together we navigated our way through the crowd of overzealous reporters. Thankfully, another family must've exited the court house because their attention was derived back to the doors. As soon as we made it down the stairs and onto the main street, mother was standing on the corner, talking somebody.
"-I really appreciate it." I heard mom say as soon as we were close enough. "I would've been eaten up by those reporters." Mom laughed. "Sophie, John!"
"Mom, how did you-" I stopped as the man who had his back to us, turned around. I stared into those desperate eyes.
"I'm sorry Miss Gram, but do you mind if I speak with Sophie and John, alone?" Sam asked, the baseball cap on his head gave him a gaunt appearance.
"Oh- of course. I'll start the car." Mom said and smiled at us before walking away.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, unable to keep anger from seeping into my voice. John shifted me behind him and I was forced to look from around him.
"Lieutenant, listen to me," Sam's words were rushed and came out in a garbled mess, "don't look, but to your left one of his men are watching." A horrible feeling of need rushed over me, the need to look.
"Who is he?" John asked, his voice hard.
"I don't know." Sam said.
"How do we know you're not working with them?" I asked from behind John, which earned me a glare from both of them.
"If I was working with them, I would've let him take your mother." Sam's voice was cold.
"What did you say?" I asked, trying to step out from behind John, but he didn't let me. Instead, he wrapped an arm around my waist and I looked up at him, his lips fell to my ear.
"Go home, lock your doors and windows, I'll be over soon." Johns warm breath, which would've usually soothed me, flared panic within me.
"I'm not leaving you." I whispered, forgetting about Sam and the man who tried to kidnap my mother, staring out of the store window.
"Then who will watch over your mother?" He got me there.
In silence, the three of us walked back to the car. I wanted to ask what John was thinking, but I knew he would tell me soon enough. Getting in the car, I watched the two men walk back the way we had come from.
"Ready to go home?" Mom asked and in that second I wanted to tell her everything. Tell her about the calls, the pictures, the man that almost took her, but I couldn't find my voice. My heart seized with fear and I knew I could never tell her, she would never be able to bare that her only daughter was in danger, again.
"Yeah."
*-*-*-*
As soon as we got home I made sure to check and re-check that the door was closed, without mom noticing. Before going to my room, I inspected the house. Once satisfied that it was just the two of us, I stripped out of the clothes and pulled on a pair of comfy shorts and a t-shirt. Not knowing what to do with my running thoughts, I grabbed my cell phone to call Jenny. As soon as I picked it up, it rang. Startled, I hit the green button to answer without looking to see who it was.
"Hello?"
"You look very lovely in white." My fingers curled into a fist, I had enough of this game.
"If this is your way of scaring me?" I asked feeling the rage building.
"Such strong words, for such a scared girl."
"I refuse to play along." I said and his the 'end' button.
Shoving the phone into my pocket, I left my room and walked into the kitchen. Mother was preparing us something to eat. She was whizzing about the room, pulling things out of the fridge. I offered to help, but was only dismissed with a quick shake of her head. Feeling the heaviness on my shoulder, I was about to suggest that we go visit dad, but my phone rang again. This time I looked at the screen, Unknown. I placed the phone on the counter, ignoring it.
"Aren't you going to answer that?" Mom asked popping a piece of tomato into her mouth.
"No." I drawled, "it's just Cameron. I rather spend the day with you." Mom grinned and placed the sandwiches on the table. We talked about school and empty topics, talking about nothing was a safe. Mother opened her mouth to say something, but the house phone rang. She scowled and wiped her hands against her apron.
"Could never have a seconds peace." She mumbled and answered the phone. Taking another bite from my sandwich, I stilled when mother called me. "Sophie, it's for you."
"I told you, you don't scare-." I started talking into the receiver, knowing very well who it was.
"Well, aren't you going to answer the door?" He cut me off. I felt the piece of bread lodge in my throat as the door bell rang. "I'm here."