"I don't know! Maybe it was your robe." "He's seen it before Roy!" "Well maybe it was the combination of the two...or the way you said it...or... Who knows. All I know is we've got to find him, so get dressed and help me look." Roy pulled on jeans, sneakers, and a shirt before again heading down the stairs. Arming himself with a flashlight, he walked out into the night, searching first through his own bushes and backyard. Joanne joined him shortly. For two hours they blushingly banged on their neighbors doors to warn them that it was they, and not a prowler, that was about to creep around the outside of their houses with a flashlight. Neither one of them saw the smallest sign of the boy. "Should we call the Police?" Joanne asked as they finished looking through their block. "I don't know," Roy whined in frustration. "Well what else can we DO?" Roy took a deep breath and let it out, trying very hard to think of an alternative less embarrassing than calling the Police for the second time that day. "Reinforcements," Roy finally answered. "Rein--" "Reinforcements. I'll call Mike. I know HE'LL help. And Marco...he'll come. May as well call Chet to. I'll just remind him to be careful with his fingers if he finds him. I'll call Cap. He won't be happy about being woken up, but he'll wonder why I didn't call if I don't call him too. If that doesn't do it--" "Well Beth will come with Mike if she can get a sitter." "It's after midnight Joanne...I wouldn't count on it." "What if we don't find him?" "He's got to be around here somewhere...we need to start thinking like a kid. Where would a kid hide?" "You want to go in and ask Chris?" "Is he still awake?" "He was the last time I checked on them. I think he's keeping watch over Jenny." Roy smiled. "Well he is almost ten." "Don't remind me." "All right, well, lets go in and start making phone calls." ~/~/~/~/~ Late the next morning, Chris awoke to the aroma of Coffee brewing in the Kitchen. Jenny no longer laid in her bed, and her comforter now covered him in the spot he had taken up on her bedroom floor. Tiptoeing down the stairs, he could hear the sounds of many men's voices coming from the kitchen. The tallest man smiled at him from the counter and another man with a mustache winked at him from a chair. He knew his dad worked with these guys, but he sometimes mixed up their names. The only one he was sure of was Mike. Jenny sat upon the man's knee eating her breakfast. His mom fried eggs at the stove while his father was nowhere to be seen. "Hungry sleepy head?" Joanne asked her baffled son. "Huh?" "Do you want some breakfast?" "Yeah I guess. Did you find Coty?" Joanne shot an apprehensive look at her daughter before she answered. The little girl continued eating without an upward glance. "Not yet," she whispered handing him a plate of food and motioning for him to sit down at the already filled up table. "Here you go Chris," one of them said with a slight accent, standing to give up his chair. "No," Chris told him, "no thank you. I can eat in the living--" "Sit down Chris," Joanne ordered. Chris sat down feeling very small amongst all the men. The original smiles on their faces were gone and replaced by serious expressions. Jenny's cute antics made the men smile again from time to time, but Chris didn't feel he had that skill. As soon as he could gulp down his eggs, he made for the back sliding glass door. "Where are you going?" Joanne demanded before he could slide it open enough to escape. "Outside." "Stay in the yard. Don't go anywhere. Not today. understand?" "Yes mom," Chris said resting his hand on the door and looking back inside. "Well go on then, you'll let the flies in." Chris nodded and closed the door. He hadn't seen a fly in ages, but he wasn't about to tell his mom that with her looking like she did. The only time he had seen her look worse was after staying up all night with Jenny when she had the throw up kind of flu. Looking around the backyard, Chris realized he had forgotten to bring a toy out with him. He wanted to fetch one out of his room, but the thought of having to go back into the house at the moment over-ruled the desire. Instead he decided to climb into his treehouse and see if he'd left anything in there. The inside looked empty, but at least there was a chair to provide a place to sit down without anyone in the kitchen being able to look at him through the glass doors. Chris looked around at the crayon drawings and writings he and his sister had done on the inside walls over the years. In one corner, Chris and all the friends he had invited over for his ninth birthday party had written their names. There was Travis, Eddie, Davis, Miller who had moved away, and his cousin Sandy who had been brought by his aunt that his mom had invited. Since Sandy hadn't been part of the guys from school, Travis had decided to make Sandy an Indian, while the rest of them would be cowboys, and hunt him down. The game didn't last long after Johnny had gotten wind of it. It wasn't the fact that they were playing Cowboy's and Indian's that had bothered him, it was the fact that there was only one Indian. The funny thing was Sandy had said he didn't LIKE Johnny because his mother had told him he was dirty. When Chris had asked his mom what his aunt had meant, she'd yelled at him like he'd been the one that had said it. Chris had felt bad, and once the kids went home the next morning, he asked Johnny to add his name to the square on the wall with the rest of his friends. Printed neatly with a green crayon, Chris could still just make it out, despite nearly a year of wind and rain since. A bird fluttered onto the edge of the cut out window and looked at the creature inside for a moment before flying away. The blue-eyed boy grinned trying to see where the bird had gone. Beneath the window, he noticed the lid on his old plywood trunk wasn't completely closed. Knowing the hinges got rusty and stiff, he stood up to push the lid down. As he stood, his eyes filtered over the crack beneath the lid. Chris imagined Jenny had left one of her dolls out there, but he hoped it was something HE had forgotten. He longed for one of his toys to play with. Yanking the lid up, he found a startled Coty instead. "Hi," Chris offered softly, looking out the window to see if anyone could see him. "How long have you been in THERE?!" Coty buried his face in his arms, wishing the other boy would disappear. "I won't tell on you if you don't want," Chris told him. "Mom and Dad've been looking for you all night! I bet if you come out now they'll be so glad to see you, they won't do a thing! But like I said, I won't tell. Not if you don't want." Coty ignored the boy, unwilling to even look at him. "Everybody's in the house right now. If you want, you can get out and stretch for a minute. I'll stand guard." At this Coty glanced up, but only for a second. "Really. Don't you wanna stretch?! I couldn't even FIT in there!" Again the darker boy didn't move. "I know, I'll sneak you out something to eat! Okay? You hungry? What do you want? We had eggs but...I bet I could get you some cereal!" "Coty?" a familiar voice shouted from the front yard. "Here, I'll close it again. Don't sit up and bang your head, okay?" "Coty! Son, if you can hear me, I need you to come out...right now! Okay? Coty!" "Forget it Gage," Chet complained, "we've been calling him all night! He's not gonna..." As they entered the backyard, Johnny saw his dirty little boy coming toward him, Chris trailing a few feet behind. As soon as Coty saw him, he stopped dead in his track and looked ready to run again. "Coty?" The tired child's bottom lip quivered as he looked away nervously toward the ground. "It's okay Coty. Come on. Let's go home...come on." Still the boy looked frightened and uncertain of what to do. "Coty...I never have and I never will," Johnny told him. Feeling sure he would not run, Johnny walked over and picked him up. The child clung to his shoulder so hard a team of elephants couldn't break his grip. "It's okay Coty. It's all right. No harm done. Let's just go home." "You FOUND HIM?!" Roy asked coming out the back door with Vince Howard in tow. "Where on earth...how on earth...WHERE WAS HE?!" Vince shot Roy a disapproving look over the top of his sunglasses as Johnny shook his head and walked away. The Police Officer had arrived just as Roy had pulled in to the driveway with Johnny in his car. In the time it had taken he and Roy to walk through the house, while Johnny had walked around the outside, the boy had been found. This was one kid he was getting tired of. "So...ahhhh," "I'm really sorry Vince!" "Me too." "Look, how 'bout some coffee before you go." "No...no...no thanks. I figure I better get the report written up on this so I can get back to work...if you know what I mean." "Vince I swear, we looked everywhere. I don't know how we could have--" "Save it for next time Roy. I'll see you later...though I hope it's not too soon." "Are uh...are you sure you wouldn't like some coffee?" "Have a pleasant day Roy," the man answered letting himself out through the backyard gate. "Oh thank God," Joanne hailed as Johnny walked through the kitchen. "Johnny we're so" "Can someone take us home?" "...we're so sorry. I don't know what happened! One minute he was fine and the next--" "Anybody? Please?" Four male voices muttered embarrassed, "sure Johnny's," and several sets of keys rattled. "Do you have to go back to the hospital?" Joanne asked. "No." "Are you sure the doctor didn't say you should--" "No Joanne!........Ride?" "I'll take--" Mike tried to offer definitively. "Roy will take you home," Joanne assured him opening the back door as her husband stepped up on to the rear deck. "Roy?" "Yeah?" "Johnny said the doctor said he could go home." "Yeah...he's suppose to take it easy but--" "CAN WE GO NOW?" Johnny demanded tiredly while covering Coty's exposed ear with his hand, his other ear safely pressed against his shoulder. "Sure! Umm...after you," Roy squeaked a bit surprised by his tone. Johnny opened the front door and went to get in the car, keeping his child in his lap as he fumbled trying to get the door closed. Roy slowly closed it for him. Joanne watched from the porch feeling very sad. "Wait!" she shouted as the car backed down the drive. Roy quickly rolled down his window. "His sleeping bag and pillow!" "Well hurry up and get 'em!" "I'll get 'em!" Chris volunteered racing up the stairs. Seconds later he thundered back down, the unrolled sleeping bag dragging behind him as he juggled it, the pillow, and the knapsack. "Here!" Chris said happily, proud to be the one to bring it down. Inside the car, Johnny only frowned and Coty's face was buried in his father's neck. "Put it in the backseat Chris," Roy ordered growing impatient himself. "I..." Chris answered stuffing it in, "can I come too?" "Uh..." Roy said taking a look at his friend, "not this time Chris." "But--" "Not this time." The blond-headed boy stood in the driveway watching the car pull away, wondering while all of the sudden he felt so sad. ~/~/~/~/~ At the house, Roy lagged behind Johnny, taking his time getting the stuff out of the car. He paused uncomfortably at the doorway even though the door had been left open. In the kitchen, Johnny struggle to pick up a bowl of warm water, a wash cloth, and his own homemade firstaid kit with one hand and bring them into the living room. "Here," Roy offered, "I'll uh...let me." Johnny shot him a look but allowed him to carry the green tackle box into the living room while he focused on not spilling the water. The built in plywood box had left a number of slivers embedded in the small boy's neck and shoulders. With Coty hanging on to him the way he was, Johnny had trouble seeing what he was doing as brushed his sons hair out his way and picked up a needle. Whispering into the boys ear, he tried time and again to get the splinters out. Coty didn't cry, but every time he flinched, Johnny tried to be more and more gentle. After it took five tries to get out the first one, the tiring man jabbed the needle into the couch and buried his face in his boys hair. Several moments passed before Roy asked, "Johnny?" Johnny ignored him, kissing Coty's ear and burying his face again. "Do you want me to try? I...I can see better than you." Johnny took a heavy breath and tilted his head in an attempt to look into his son's face. The effort was useless with Coty's forehead resting against his neck. He could tell he was awake because his eyelashes tickled him every time the boy blinked. "Johnny?" Johnny nodded, "but be careful." "I will," the man promised pulling out the needle and cleaning it with peroxide. "Gentle," Johnny warned with the sharp metal object less than a millimeter from his son's back. Roy nodded feeling shaky with Johnny watching him so closely. Despite extreme caution, the needle stung and Coty jump in his father's arms. Roy pulled it away and looked sympathetically into his partner's eyes. His dark-haired friend again whispered into the child's each and after a moment, Roy tried again. After a while, he was sure the whispering had turned into soft singing, but he couldn't make out one word. Whatever it was, he felt it was private, though the song sounded beautiful. At the moment he was an outsider, so he worked quietly and didn't interrupt with his own talking. After a thorough cleaning with peroxide and a thick layer of antibiotic ointment, he bandaged each sore spot with clean white gauze, whether it needed to be or not. The finished result of eight small white squares dotting the boy's neck and shoulders made Roy smile slightly despite the sober air in the room. Against the child's camping tanned skin, the gauze made him look like a backwards damnation. Johnny frowned at the expression on the other man's face, but then looked down and had a hard time suppressing a grin himself. "All right...well I'll just," Roy started to say as he rose from the couch. Johnny struggled to stand as well, the child's additional weight on one side making it difficult. Roy motioned for him to stay sitting, "I can let myself out. Ahh...if you need anything...ya know...anything...just call okay?" Johnny nodded, his attention mainly on his child. "I mean it...and ah...Joanne and I'll get your car over here tomorrow sometime so you can just take it easy till next shift." Roy started to leave when he spun back again. "And don't forget to see Brackett Monday afternoon to release you or you won't be able to work--" "I know Roy," Johnny interrupted patiently. "Yeah...well I was just--" "It's all right." "Right, well...see ya." "See ya Roy." Roy gave a final wave before closing the door behind him. ~/~/~/~/~ "Hey Chris," Travis greeted coming into the classroom Monday morning and jarring Chris out of his thoughts. His father had called home on Sunday and by way of overhearing his mother's end of the conversation, he had found out Johnny had gone to work that day too. He was sure if Johnny had gone to work on Sunday that Coty would go to school the following day even after the stuff that had happened on the weekend. "Hey Trav," Chris answered wondering where the little dark-haired boy was. "You wanna come over after school?" "Depends on if we have homework." "What does THAT have to do with it?" Chris shrugged, "my mom you know? If I get another D in reading...and there's only a couple weeks left of school." "So!" "So I don't wanna flunk, okay?!" "So, just go to summer school." "Maybe I don't WANNA go to summer school. Only dummies go to summer school!" Travis blushed and sat down at his desk. He picked up one of his pencils and started stabbing in on his desk top, laughing when the lead broke. Chris didn't know what was so funny, all he had done was broken his own pencil. "Sit down now everybody and let's get started okay?" the teacher said coming in and calling the class to order. "Now as you all know, next week is the last week of school for this year and--" She was interrupted may many cheers. "Oh yes, I know you're all excited, but we have a lot to get done before then so straighten up or you'll all be in summer school." She paused for effect then started again. "Now as I was saying--" This time she was interrupted by the door opening, and John Gage with his son standing in the door way. "Ahhh," Johnny stumbled, "we ahhh...actually I uh...overslept. See the--" "That's quite all right Mr. Gage. Everybody's entitled to a slip up once in a while. Coty, go take you seat." "Ummm," Johnny muttered snagging Coty by the shirt and pulling him back so he could hand him his backpack. With a kiss to his son's forehead and a smile for the teacher, he was gone. The other children whispered and giggled about the kiss as Coty walked baffled to his seat. He felt sorry for these kids. Didn't they have any of them have anyone to love them? "Once again," the teacher said loudly to quiet the children down, "now where was I...okay, well...next week, for the last day of school, I want you ALL to bring something EXTRA SPECIAL for Show and Tell. It can be something having to do with the kind of vacation your family is going to take during the summer or...or anything! You all have two solid weeks to think about what you want to bring so I expect some really great stuff, understand? Yes Lisa, what is it?" "But aren't we gonna have a party the last day?" "Yes, of course we are, that's why I want Show and Tell to be extra special, any questions? No? Good. Now down to some real business, get out your math books." A wave a groans rippled through the room. ~/~/~/~/~ The two weeks passed by quickly and the children seemed to work harder than ever. Even Travis seemed to pay attention in class. Chris was determined now not to flunk out, even doing extra credit projects. Thursday afternoon of the last week rolled around, and Chris found himself hanging out in the front of the school with his usual friends. Friday would be an assembly, that silly Show and Tell his teacher had come up with, and the party. He wished the school would realized the kids would rather be off that day than have a silly awards assembly, but he had to admit the idea of having cookies, punch, and ice cream wasn't a bad one. They'd heard a bunch of the fourth graders were going to have to take a Social Studies test on the last day, so they all considered themselves lucky to not be in THEIR shoes. Johnny's white Land Rover pulled up in front of the school reminding Chris that his father too was off that day. He almost ran to it before realizing Johnny wouldn't be there to pick him and Jenny up like he'd done for their mom on several occasions, but to pick up Coty. Chris kicked at the dirt trying to pretend he hadn't seen him as Johnny walked toward the school. The man paused right beside him as he scanned the front of the school back and forth. 'Don't ask me, don't ask me,' Chris begged silently while he pretended to be listening to Davis ramble on about a wheelie he'd done on his bike. 'Not in front of them...please don't ask me.' A few minutes later Coty walked out of the school with a grin on his face. It dropped away the moment he saw the boys his father was standing next to and the dark little boy hurried to move him to the car. Travis watched them go with a small smile. Chris frowned sadly as he watched them pull away, wondering why Johnny hadn't asked him. ~/~/~/~/~ "Coty come ON!" Johnny called for the third time that morning. He sat in the Rover with the passenger door standing wide open, waiting for his son to finish feeding the kittens. The minutes were ticking by and he had to drop the boy off for his last day of school on his way to work. "Coty--" he started to shout again as he looked toward the barn and watched the boy use every bit of weight he had in order to slide the heavy door shut across the opening. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. How did a guy like him ever end up with such an adorable little squirt. Coty jumped in and pulled the door shut as his father started the engine. "You ready for the last day?" Johnny asked him. "Summer school," Coty reminded him quietly as he mumbled into his shirt. "Yeah I know, but you've got two weeks first, and our four day camping trip starting Monday...and even then it's only three hours a day. Now don't forget out arrangement...you sure you want to do this?" Coty nodded emphatically and giggled. Johnny grinned, the laughing feeling a little over the top. "Hey uh...you're not planning anything naughty while I'm workin tonight are you?" "Noooo," Coty giggled again as he squirmed in his seat. Johnny, with plenty of traffic to watch, could only take a quick glance at him. "You sure are in a good mood today!" Coty giggled and squirmed again. "What's WITH you?" Johnny giggled back. He'd never seen the boy act so silly before. Coty shook his head, refusing to answer. His teacher had kept all of her potential summer school students after school for a little while to talk to them each individually the day before. Since Travis was so disruptive, she'd talked to him first to get him out of the way. Chris had been second and Coty the last since she knew he could sit still the longest. She had told him he almost had straight A's except for Math and Science. The last couple of project's in Science had done him in since they contained multiplication problems to do them, and Mrs. Sullivan had had to do that part for him. She told him if he promised to work hard in summer school and to remembered to bring his "Something Extra Special" to Show and Tell the last day, she would go ahead and give him the "A" in Science as at the moment his grade sat at a B+. His "A" now sat inside his shirt. He didn't want his father to know about his grades until he could hand him his report card on Saturday at breakfast, so he kept himself angled toward the window away from his father's free line of sight to avoid being asked any questions. The moment they stopped in front of the school, the boy giggled again and hurried away. Johnny shook his head, curious to beat the band at what had his son so tickled, but figuring he'd find out about it sooner of later. ~/~/~/~/~ "He brought WHAT!?" Johnny shouted into the phone a half an hour later. "He kept giggling and interrupting the other kids during Show and Tell, which wasn't like him at all," Mrs. Sullivan explained. "To be honest with you...I'd never seen him laugh before so I just let it go for a while...you know? It was nice to see, but he kept doing it. Finally I walked over to talk to him...I didn't want to embarrass him in front of the class...you know how shy he is. Well I bent down, and the next thing I know, this kitten head pops out of his shirt! I take it then that you didn't know about it." "No...no I didn't...ahhh." "Well..." the teacher laughed, "I suppose I have only myself to blame. I DID tell him it had to be Extra Special. Is there any way you could come--" "Oh man. I'm so sorry about this. I'll try to--" "No...you know what? I think there's a box in one of the storage closets. It'll be fine." "Umm, I guess I should try to bring it something to eat though, huh?" "Nope. Coty brought a can of tuna, a can opener, and a canteen of water in his backpack. Quite a little wonder for nine, isn't he?" Johnny laughed, "you got that right." "Well I'm sorry to have bothered you, but--" "No, no, not at all! If it becomes a problem, just call me okay?" "I will, but I'm sure it'll be fine. It IS the last day and all." "Yeah." "Well, I'll see you the first day of Summer School Mr. Gage." "Yeah, you'll see me. I'm off." "I know, I think I've finally got your schedule figured out. It only took me half of the year. Well by now." "Yeah, ba-bye," Johnny smiled shaking his head. "Kitten...so THAT'S what had him so silly this morning. The little bugger was tickling him to death." ~/~/~/~/~ With the whole school attending the awards assembly, Travis and his friends managed to scoot off ahead of their class as all of the children made their ways back to their classrooms for their party's. Chris tried to hide his Math award, hoping Travis and the others wouldn't make a big deal out of it. He needn't have worried. Travis had other things on his mind. They rushed into their room and closed the door, puffing and giggling that they had gotten so far ahead of the others. Davis suggested they all hide and shout at the other kids when they came in. Travis ignored him as he focused on the cardboard box sitting by the teacher's desk. Chris attempted to follow Davis' suggestion by hiding behind the desk. When Travis didn't hide too, he stood up again to see why. Travis had picked the tiny kitten up by the tail, and the little thing squirmed every which way, trying grab on to something. It's capture laughed and shook its paw loose after it had managed to get a slight hold on his hand. "What are you doing?" Chris asked wishing his teacher would hurry up. Davis and Eddie joined them by the box to watch the little thing struggle. "What are you gonna do with it?" Eddie asked. "I know," Davis laughed, "we could hide it in the Teacher's desk!" "Don't be stupid you moron, she already knows it's here," Eddie sneered. "I can't believe he didn't even get in to trouble for it. If it had been anyone of us...talk about teachers pet!" "So what are you gonna do?" Davis asked again. Travis smiled. "Follow me," he ordered. The boys filed out of the room behind him and down to the boy's room. "What are ya gonna do, get it wet?" Eddie asked. "Better," Travis informed him kicking in a toilet stall and tossing the kitten into the bowl. The soaked kitten managed to get a hold of the side with its little claws and start to pull himself out. Eddie pushed it back in with his foot. Chris darted out into the hall looking for a teacher...ANY teacher. Seeing the Fourth Grade male Social Studies teacher that he feared having the following year, he bit his lip and ran toward him down the hall. "WHAT do you THINK you're DOING?" the teacher demanded. "Just because this is the last day of school doesn't mean you can't still be held after. How would you like to come sit in my classroom with me until five o'clock today, huh? Let me catch you running in the hall's again and--" "I think somebody's hurt in the bathroom," Chris stuttered out nervously." "What?" "Something's going in the bathroom!" "WHICH bathroom?" Chris pointed, hoping it wasn't too late. "Fine, now get to whatever class you belong in. Is that understood?" "But--" "Move it young man." Chris waited for a second as he watched the tall man's lengthy strides to the door down the hall. 'PLEASE don't let him remember me next year, and PLEASE don't let that kitten be dead.' Chris hurried to his room, discovering the rest of the class was now already there. Every child inside was crawling around on their hands and knees looking for something. Even the teacher, wearing a long dress, crawled around with them. Chris didn't need to guess what they were looking for. He sat down at his desk wondering if he should say anything, and had just gotten up the courage to talk to his teacher when the large Social Studies teacher appeared in their doorway. His suit jacket was off and he carried it in a little ball. 'Oh no,' Chris thought quietly. "Can I see you for a minute?" the man asked Miss Sullivan. She nodded and joined him in the hall. "Oh thank God," the children heard their teacher say. A few moments later they stepped back into the room. "That's him, Coty, could you come here for a second?" "Oh I know HIM!" the tall man smiled kneeling down to Coty's level. "Hi Coty, do you remember me?" Coty looked away feeling very uncomfortable. "My brother owns the farm supply where your dad gets his feed for his horses. You know Mr. Winckle right?" Coty shrugged softly and then nodded. "Well Coty, I've got some good news for you and I've got some bad news. The good news is I found your kitten." Chris bit his lip hating this man even more. What kind of a jerk could do what he was about to do...and the BAD new is it's deaaaa--" "...a little wet. Now I washed him off with some soap so...well I think he'll be just fine. He's one tough little guy." Chris gulped in air, trying not to cry. The thing hadn't been killed after all. Never before in his life had he felt so relieved. That relief was very short lived however when he saw his mother appear at the door. 'Man,' he thought, 'those rats! They must've told the Principal I was in on it too! Those buncha JERKS! Well I'm GLAD I told. I don't care WHAT happens.' "Chris," his mother called to him, "let's get going huh? We're gonna be late. Whatchoo got there Coty?" she asked trying to see into the large suit jacket now in the small boy's arms. "Oh he's a cutety isn't he?" she smiled hoping he'd forgiven her for the bad night he'd had a couple of weeks before. "Come on Chris." Chris followed his mother out into the hall where the two teachers stood talking quietly, while they waited for the ice-cream and other treats to arrive. "He still doesn't talk at all yet?" the male teacher asked. "Sometimes...off and on. Mainly off. He makes you work for it, I'll give him that." "But he's a hard worker, right?" "Very hard...and he reads great." "Yeah I heard about that. He should have no problem in my class next year at all." Their voices faded as Chris followed his mother out of the school and to their car. 'Why doesn't she look mad?' he wondered getting into the passenger seat in the front. "Now if you have any that are hurting you, you be sure to let him know." "Huh?" "Look, a filling is better than having to have it pulled...right. So if he misses anything, you--" "THE DENTIST!" Chris shouted overjoyed. "YEAH the dentist...I told you three weeks ago you might have to miss your party if they didn't finish by the time you had your appointment." "I know," he agreed. Joanne frowned at the street wondering why on earth her son wasn't mad at her. ~/~/~/~/~ Two parents had been called belonging to the errant boys and the school had received two different responses. Travis' father had laughed at his darling little boy's "prank" and told the school to send him on home when they were through with him. Eddie's mother had weeped and promised to have his father deal with him as soon as he got home, but there was no way for her to pick him up. They couldn't reach the third boy's parents since the father was at a fire and the mother was at a late lunch meeting. Since Davis wasn't typically a trouble maker and had appeared to just be watching the other two, they decided to send him home with a note. Davis stuck the note in his pocket and decided to hurry home so he would be there when his mother got home from work. "Where you going?" Travis called behind him. Davis shrugged. "Have you forgotten our plan?" Davis shrugged again. "I don't think we better." "Chicken chicken. Your mother said you could stay overnight at my house tonight, remember?" "Yeah! But that was before THIS!" he told him pulling the note out of his pocket and holding it up like it was a court verdict deciding the fate of the rest of his life. "Throw it away dummy!" "Yeah right." "Do it!" Eddie agreed. "Your mom won't find out! And if she does you just tell her you lost it and then forgot about it. No big deal." "Maybe with YOUR mom." "Don't be such a Sissy. Come on!" Travis ordered angrily, not liking his plans to be ruined. The last bell of the year rang and a couple hundred kids cheered and raced out of the school. "Look for him! Look for him!" Travis ordered trying to pick the 'him' out of the crowd. He scowled deeply when the children turned to a drizzle and he still hadn't spotted his target. Coty checked the hall again, satisfied the crush was now over and that it would be all right for him to head home with the kitten tucked safely into his shirt once more. He could feel the soft little ball of fur pressing ever so gently against his chest with every breath it took. The kitten was fast asleep, worn out from it's very long day. He took out his canteen, adjusted the strap comfortably on his shoulder, tightened the straps on his backpack, and set off for his long hike home. This was the fifth time he had walked instead of getting a ride or taking the dreaded bus. He loved the hike, and on Friday's, his father had given him permission to do so. Twice Johnny had met him half way, and twice he had done it on his own. His father was at work, and he was quite happy and prepared to do it again, despite his soft little extra bundle. He walked quickly through the streets he had to get through before he could cut cross country to his home. Before long, nothing but the land and a barely visible trail greeted him. A bird sang in a near by tree as if to welcome him back. Coty smiled wiping a few drops of sweat off his brow. It was a little warm, but an otherwise perfect day. Patting the front of his shirt gently, he left the sidewalk for the trail, not noticing the three shadows following him. ~/~/~/~/~ Johnny paced the floor of the dayroom trying not to panic. He told himself everything was fine. So Coty had forgotten to call. So he didn't answer the phone when he'd tried to call him. He'd had a big day, Johnny reasoned; last day of school, having the kitten with him all day, the school party, hiking home, feeding the animals by himself once he got there. He must be in the shower, Johnny felt. Either that or he'd fallen asleep and wasn't hearing the phone. Still, he wished he could go check on him without having the whole station find out about it. If only they'd get a run, they could maybe swing by the ranch on their way back. So what if it was a little bit out of their way. Johnny paced some more and was about to reach for the phone again when the tones sounded. "Yes!" Johnny chirped hurrying for his vehicle. "YES Johnny?" his Cap asked curiously. "Those tones usually mean BAD news for somebody." "No...Cap...I didn't mean it like--" "Never mind. I know you didn't," he said handing him the slip, "go." To Johnny's dismay, no sooner had they finished the run when they got another...and then another. The squad was kept hopping till five o'clock the next morning. He laid down on his bunk wondering if he should try to call him again. He decided against it. Surely he was panicking over nothing. In three more hours he would go home and make the two of them breakfast and everything would be fine. The morning tones sounded waking him from a doze. He sat bolt upright in his bed; he hadn't meant to fall asleep. First in the kitchen, he started to reach for the phone but decided against it. He didn't want to jinx himself. Don't look for trouble or you'll find it, he figured. Instead he made the pot of coffee and commenced to pacing the floor. Dwyer, his replacement walked in for a cup of coffee and Johnny started eyeing the clock, five more minutes. The second the clock hit eight, he patted Dwyer on the back and bid them all goodbye. "Johnny," Roy called after him. "What?!" "You...you okay?" "Yeah fine. What do you want?" "You coming to the cookout today? Remember...at my place?" "Yeah...right...we'll be there." "You're bringing the chips right?" "Right...chips, anything else?" "Ahhh...." "Later Roy," Johnny said jumping into his vehicle and driving away. ~/~/~/~/~ Two hours into the cookout and Johnny still had not shown. Roy debated over whether or not to call him and decided against it. Years early, the younger Johnny Gage might have forgotten the get together after running into a pretty girl, and might need reminding. But that was then and this was now. The older Johnny wasn't so easily sidetracked when not working. If he hadn't come after all, Roy was sure he had a good reason. He just hoped it wasn't something HE had done. "CHRIS?" Johnny shouted coming into the backyard through the gate. Roy smiled. Chris's birthday was in a couple more weeks. Maybe Johnny had been late because he'd cooked up a surprise for the boy that he couldn't stand to wait another fourteen days to give to him. It wouldn't have been the first time. "There you are!" Roy smiled patting him on the back and offering him a beer. "I was wondering what happened to--" "Where's Chris?" "They're eating in the treehouse," Roy frowned, the look on his friends face smashing the idea that the tardiness was some part of a surprise. "What's the--" "Chris, get OUT here!" Johnny shouted into the opening. "What?" Chris asked, his blue eyes wide. Never before had his Uncle used such a tone with him. "Where is he?" "What?" "DON'T WHAT ME! Where IS he?!" "Who?" "Johnny maybe you should sit down a minute," Roy intervened grabbing him by the elbow. Johnny shook him off. "COTY, CHRIS! WHERE IS HE?" "I don't know!" "YES YOU DO! Three different people saw you boys following him! Now where IS HE?" "I don't...I..." "When?" Joanne asked calmly. "WHAT?!" Johnny shouted. "When did they see some--" "YESTERDAY! After school!" "Chris was with me after school yesterday Johnny. I picked him up for a dentist appointment." Johnny ran his hands through his hair breathing fast and hard. "But...you're friends of theirs right? So you'd know--" "They're not my friends! Not anymore! I HATE those guys!" "CHRIS! I SAW you palling AROUND with those guys YESTERDAY! STOP LYING TO ME!" "Yesterday you were at work Johnny, how could you have--" "THURSDAY! ALL RIGHT?! THURSDAY! I SAW him!" "But they're not my friends any more!" "Chris...Coty did not come home last night. Do you understand? What ever you or your friends did...you've got to TELL me! I won't go to the cops but you've got to TELL me where he IS!" "Johnny, now hold on a minute," Cap said taking over. "How do you know he didn't come home. Didn't the Nanny see him?" "I don't have a Nanny anymore. It never...it's so expensive and Coty...he can stay by himself no problem. Everybody I got seemed to think my place was some bed and breakfast there to serve them. When they weren't running up my phone bill they were having party's and messing around with the horses and...you wouldn't believe some of the things I caught them doin! Coty is SAFER by himself!" "So he wasn't there when you got home this morning, is that right? How do you know he didn't come home at all?" "I just DO okay? The same amount of milk is in the fridge, the same amount of grain is in the bin. The clothes he was wearing are NOT in the hamper and he always changes his clothes the MINUTE he gets home. Yesterday was report card day and there is NO report card on the table. Every other time he's gotten one, he--" "Well there you go!" Chet piped into the conversation. "He got a bad report card and he doesn't wanna show you!" "That's NOT IT Chet. I backtracked the trail he would have taken and I talked to everybody I saw asked if they saw him, and three people saw some boys following him." "Aw come on Johnny. Everybody knows your kid hides at the drop of a pin. You can't go blaming some kids that happened to be walking along behind him for his going missing." "Yeah Johnny, don't worry about it," Marco agreed, "he'll turn up. Just wait till he gets hungry. He'll get tired of hiding from you sooner of later." "HE'S NOT HIDING FROM ME! HE DOESN'T DO THAT ANYMORE!" "Johnny, a few weeks ago he hid on Roy twice!" Chet cut in again. "NOT ON ME!" "And technically the first time he just went out to the car," Roy said humbly, trying to find a way to support his friend. "Chris?" Johnny asked him again. "I don't know where he is Uncle Johnny, I swear!" "Is anybody gonna help me look for him?" Johnny asked fully frustrated. "You're NOT gonna find him till he wants to be found Gage!" Chet insisted. "Marco?" "He'll turn up Johnny." "They're right you know John. You checked the trail he takes home already right?" Cap reasoned. "So it's not like he twisted an ankle along the way and couldn't make it home. He has to be hiding, and the only way you're gonna find him is to wait for him to--" "You're wrong! You know that?! You're all wrong!" Johnny muttered leaving the backyard for his car. "Maybe we should..." Marco offered feeling a little guilty. "Uh Uh...not me! I spent ENOUGH time looking for that little twerp the other night, and there he was right under out noses! He'll find him...as soon as the kid is darn good and ready to be found!" Chet insisted once again. "Yeah...well..." Roy said quietly starting to put stuff away. "I ah...I hate to cut this party short but..." "Don't worry about it Roy," Cap reassured him. "We ate...and as usual, the food was fantastic." "See you at Johnny's," Mike whispered at Roy as he lead his wife by the hand out through the gate. "You're NOT going to find him Roy," Chet said shaking his head and grabbing another beer before they disappeared. "I mean if I thought for one SECOND we could find him...I'd go with you. But you're NOT gonna find him!" "Yeah...well...he's Johnny's son, so I've got to try." "One lousy way to spend your day off Roy. Let me know when the little bugger turns up." "Right," Roy whispered as he covered the potato salad. ~/~/~/~/~ "Well where was he hiding THIS time," Chet chirped as he came into the station and helped himself to some coffee. Eight tired eyes greeted him and he saw Brice in Johnny's place. "You're kidding! He didn't come home yet?!" "No," Cap muttered into his coffee. "Well...did he call the cops?" "Yeah he called 'em," Roy spoke very quietly, rubbing his eyes. "Well good! Are we...is the station gonna go help look?" "I guess Ten's is working on that." "Just ten's?" "Yeah." "But--" "The Police think he's just hiding again too," Roy tiredly explained. "Vince told him that when they do find him, Social Services is going to investigate the situation." "What does THAT mean?" "It means they're gonna put him in a foster home until they nose their way through every aspect of Johnny's life since the moment he was born. Being a single father...hell will probably have to freeze over before he'll get him back again," Marco explained thoroughly. "On the other hand," Brice cut in with his usual lack of emotion, "it is the job of Social Services to protect minor children. They are guided by a strict set of rules to help ensure a child is kept in a safe environment." "Shut up Brice," Mike hissed abandoning his cup of coffee and walking out of the dayroom. "Mike?" Roy asked following him, feeling more than a little surprised at the tone the quiet man had just used. "What?" Mike asked quietly as he began to prepare to wash the engine. Roy shrugged and looked away. "It's just not right, you know?! If they take Coty away from him..." "I know." "We've got to do something." "What?" "I don't know! Stick up for him! Let those welfare people know what kind of a father he is! He's a GOOD father Roy." "I know..." "He really is! But their gonna see one thing and one thing only. A single father...and with a job like he's got? He doesn't stand a chance. Between the hours and the danger..." "I don't think they can use that against him." "Oh yes they can! They might not come out and SAY it, but if you think they won't--" "We'll do everything we can Mike. If things go as far as a courtroom...we'll fill it with so many character witness's, they'll BEG us to go away. I mean think about it...between us, the department, and Rampart--" "Will the people at Rampart stick up for him on this?" "Oh yeah!" Roy reassured him picturing Dr. Brackett giving his statement, asked for or not, "he'll have plenty of people to put them right should they take him and try to keep him." "But would it be enough?" "I don't know. Mike sighed and started on the engine as if trying to scrub all the bad feelings away. ~/~/~/~/~ Despite Johnny telling the Police about the people who claimed to have seen Coty being followed by some other boys, the Police did nothing about it until it started to grow dark Sunday night, and he still had not turned up. First Vince went to talk to Chris and only then found out about the incident with the kitten at the school. Chris gave him the names of the three boy's and their addresses. After talking to Travis' father for half an hour before being allowed to talk to the son, the boy claimed he didn't know which kid they were talking about. After more questions, his story changed to never having seen the kid on the day in question, and again to never having seen him after school. There the story stayed no matter how Vince tried to get more information. Vince's opinion about the situation changed drastically after talking to him; the hairs on the back of his neck making him feel that Johnny was right, and Coty was not just hiding. Next the Police headed over to Eddie's. The mother informed him that the boy had been shipped off to his grandmother's for a couple of weeks early that morning. Eddie was probably all the way to New York by then, she told them. Vince tried calling the number the woman gave him, but could get no answer. As the Police car pulled into the driveway of the third boy's house, Vince saw the kid duck into the garage. Following procedure, Vince knocked on the door of the house to ask for permission to talk to the kid first. Permission granted, the mother lead the officers into the garage. As they entered the garage, Vice saw the boy in the back, closing the lid of a steamer trunk. "Davis?" his mother called to get his attention. Davis turned around to look at them. "This Police officer would like to ask you some questions about one of your school mates." Davis nodded and sat down, surprising his mother that he hadn't show the least bit of surprise at a cop wanting to talk to him. "Do you know Coty McConnely?" Vince asked. Davis glanced at his mother and nodded. "Did you see him at all after school on Friday?" Again Davis nodded. "Answer 'Yes' or 'No' properly," his mother told him. "Yes Sir," Davis obliged. "Did you and a some of your friends follow him home from school that day?" "Uhh...yes Sir." "Was there any reason you did that?" "No Sir." "You just decided to follow him home." "Well Travis said--" "Travis Sornsen?" "Yeah?" "Said what?" "Well it was his idea." "And you went along?" "Yes Sir." "And what did you boys do?" "I don't know." "What do you MEAN you don't--" the mother cut in. "Ma'am?" "Sorry." "Davis, all right...what do you mean you--" "I went home. I left. I didn't wanna do it anymore." "Do what?" "Nothin," Davis said casting his eyes toward the ground, "I mean..." "Davis, Coty is missing. No one has seen him since--" Davis' mother gasped. "My god...that little one from his class?" "Yes Ma'am." "Oh my God. Surely you don't think DAVIS had anything to do with--" "That's what I'm trying to find out Ma'am." "Davis if you hurt that little boy I'll--" "I DIDN'T. I didn't touch him! I just told you I left!" "Okay Davis, start from the moment you saw him after school and tell us what happened." "I..." "From the moment you saw him." "Well Travis said it was time to do our plan." "Plan?!" "Ummm...yeah," he admitted weakly. "What plan?" "To...to just follow him, you know. He went home sick the day we were going to do it before so...he said we should do it now." "So you and..." "Me, Travis, and Eddie started following him. I just thought we were gonna scare him or something." "Go on." "Well then he took off through someone's yard, and I didn't wanna get in trouble for trespassing, so I said I was going home and Travis called me a Sissy and just went so..." "You went home?" "Nnnn...no. Not yet. I followed for a while." "And then?" "Well Travis punched him." "Travis--" "No. First...well we just followed him for a while, then we got to this creek thing and Travis ran after him and told him to give him the kitten. Then Coty said 'no'. Then Travis punched him." "The kitten," Vince muttered flipping through a note pad, "that's right, you boy's tried to drown it in a toilet earlier that day, right?" "They did WHAT?" the mother screeched. "I didn't...I just watched...I" "What happened after Travis punched him?" Vince said regaining control of the conversation. "Well he ran...he started to run so Eddie tripped him, and then Travis sat on him so he couldn't fight. I thought he squished the kitten but he got Coty's shirt open and got the kitty and..." "Go on." Davis glanced nervously at his mother and licked his lips. "I uh...well I...I kinda left...see?" "You didn't see anything more?" Davis shrugged and looked at the ground. "Davis, we need to know everything you know, understand?" "I didn't do anything," Davis stated again. "Just tell us what happened." "Well he took it like this," Davis said demonstrating, "...and said Coty had to beg him or he'd twist it's head like this and snap it's neck." "Oh my God," the mother said covering her mouth, "I'm gonna be sick." "I didn't know he was going to do that! I just thought he wanted to throw it in the creek to get it wet again!" "Then what happened, did he kill it?" "I don't know. I...Coty tried to get it and...Travis kicked him. I...Coty dropped his backpack so I picked it up and started to run with it cause I thought...well I didn't really WANNA steal it! I thought if we took the backpack and ran...see...steal his backpack and run...but it didn't work. They didn't follow me. When I went back...I couldn't see them anymore and...well I didn't want to do it anymore. It was just dumb and I..." "You walked home." "Yeah." "And the backpack?" Davis stood up opening the trunk he sat on and pulled out the bag. "Davis," Vince said taking it from him and feeling a stickiness to it, "there's blood on here." "I...I know." "How did..." "His nose started bleeding all over the place when Travis punched him and--" "All right. Are you sure that's when you left? You didn't see ONE THING MORE." "No Sir." "All right, this creek you say you were by, do you know the name of it?" "No." "Find Gage," Vince whispered to an officer that was accompanying him, "tell him they need to start looking around a creek that Coty would have passed on his way. Hopefully he'll know where that is...Now Davis," he said turning back to the boy, "did you stop anyone on the street to tell them what was going on or tell someone once you got home?" "No." "Why not?" "I don't know. I didn't wanna get in trouble." Vince frowned at the boy's logic. "All right Ma'am. I want you to take him down to the station and have him tell the story again to another officer." "Why? He just told you what happened." "Yes he did, and my main object will be to look for any discrepancies between the two statements and for any additional details." "Can it wait until tomorrow, it's getting kind of late." "Yes Ma'am it is, and it's getting pretty late for Coty McConnely too." ~/~/~/~/~ The tones sounded at Station 51 to aid Station 10 in the search of a missing child. "About time," Mike muttered slipping on his coat and jumping into his seat. Roy grabbed the keys and stared Brice down, unwilling to let him drive this call. The man wisely submitted without a word. They were directed to a narrow, rarely used bridge over a creek where Mike carefully parked the engine off to one side. Roy pulled up directly behind him. Ahead of them both, Engine 10 sat with it's lights on, angled as best the engineer could to light one of the embankments beside the bridge. With twice the man power, and a smaller place to start looking, the men all grabbed flashlights and began an organized search. Vince had sent an officer to pick up the Travis kid and take him down to the station to question him again, but the effort had proved worthless. After the kid denied seeing Coty after school five more times, the father demanded they arrest him for something or let him go home. The boy was charged with assault, the juvy officer called, and the father had called a lawyer. An hour later, the ten year old was taken home to bed. A call had been placed to a New York precinct explaining the situation and asking them to question Eddie, but no one had yet to hear back from them. Throughout the night, Roy kept his eyes pealed for both Coty and his friend. He knew he was out there somewhere but in the dark he couldn't spot him. As daylight broke, Roy and the others took a quick brake to grab some coffee and some sandwiches. Volunteers had flooded in gradually through the night as word spread about what had actually happened to the boy. Sitting down on Engine 51's running board, Roy was happy to rest his feet for a moment. He finished one sandwich and rose to get another when he finally saw Johnny sitting on a blanket belonging to Tens. Roy grabbed two sandwiches instead as well as a couple cups of coffee and went to sit next to him. "You eat?" Roy asked sitting down. Johnny looked at the sandwich and shook his head. "You should eat." The man's eyes ignored him as they started to scan the woods before him once again. "Come on...couple bites at least." Johnny puffed at him in frustration, but took the sandwich and gnawed it down despite the fact it tasted to him like cardboard. "Pretty good huh?" Roy asked finishing his own. Johnny didn't comment. He was sure under normal circumstances it would have been delicious. |