“Mr. Townsend, we’re here to discus–”
“Get. Out.” I looked to my younger brother. “Joshua.”
He didn’t ask questions. Didn’t give me a confused look. Rising, he said, “Gentlemen, my brother is extremely busy. How about we reconvene in about thirty minutes?”
I didn’t stick around to hear what they had to say. I moved to my desk, and just as I was about to take out my cell to call my wife, my office phone rang.
“What?” I barked into the phone, knowing it was Mark on the other end.
“Mrs. Connors, the principal from Excelor Academy is on the line.”
“Put her through,” I insisted. A heartbeat later there was a beep. “Are the children all right?” I asked without greeting her first. My heart rate quickened.
“Mr. Townsend, the children are fine. They’re here in my office.”
My eyes shot to the clock that hung directly across from me, on my wall. It was close to one thirty. Patience was over thirty minutes late picking the children up. My mind went into overdrive. She was never late for the children. She knew their schedule better than she knew her own. She’d only be late for one reason.
“Do not let them out of your sight. Donotturn my children over to anyone. I will be there in ten minutes.” I hung up the phone and looked to Joshua.
“I’m calling Brutus,” he began, his hands already dialing. Brutus was the head of security for Townsend Industries and the family.
I pulled out my cell, hoping I’d see a missed call from Patience. She said she would be calling me. When I didn’t see anything I pressed the button to call her phone directly. It went straight to voicemail. Next, I called Daniel. His phone rang and rang.
I was outside of my office door on my way to the elevators before even realizing it. Joshua was on my heels.
“Give me the phone,” I ordered as soon as I recognized he was speaking with Brutus. We stepped on the elevator as Joshua placed the phone in my hand. “My wife is missing. My children were left at school. I’m on my way to pick them up now. We need an entire family lockdown!” I barked into the phone. I hung up the phone after telling Brutus we were to meet at my house in thirty minutes, once I picked up the children.
“We’ll find her,” Joshua stated, his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.
I remained silent because for the first time since I was a young child, fear gripped my entire body. My vocal chords were wrapped in it, and I couldn’t talk due to the anxiety coursing through my veins.
I got to the car, and told my driver to floor it all the way to Excelor Academy. I dared him to even think about stopping for a red light. We made it across town in under ten minutes. I charged through the doors of the exclusive, private school, ready to tear apart anyone that stood between me and my children. I burst through the main office door.
“Daddy!”
“Daddy!”
Kennedy and Kyle ran to me screaming.
“Where’s Mommy?” Kennedy’s innocent sepia eyes looked up at me, demanding.
My heart squeezed because for the first time I didn’t have an answer. I’d called over and over again on my way to the school, still only receiving her voicemail. Brutus was already on the task of pinging her cell’s location.
“Mommy’s scared,” Kyle said in a low voice.
I dropped down in front of him, taking him by the shoulders. “Do you know what happened to your mommy? Where she is?” I tried to keep the fear out of my voice. My heart plummeted when Kyle shook his head.
“I just know she’s scared,” he whispered.
I heard a sniffle and looked to Kennedy, whose eyes were watery.
“We’re going to find her.” I stood and carried both my children, Joshua walking alongside us as we followed my security to our awaiting vehicle.
****
“This son of a bitch is going to wish he never fucked with us,” Carter growled, coming up beside me. Carter, myself, Joshua, my father, and three men from our security, including Brutus, were all in my office. My mother, Michelle, and all the children were upstairs on the main floor. Tyler was across the country preparing for an away game. The security he was traveling with had been notified of the situation and he was soon to board a private flight back home.
Meeting Carter’s eyes, I nodded, agreeing with his previous statement. I squeezed my hands in fists, that helpless feeling overcoming me. By the time we’d arrived home, Brutus had traced Patience’s cell phone to the library where she worked. He and his security staff had went to the library, finding an unconscious Daniel in the front seat of his vehicle and Patience’s phone laying near the library’s back entrance. It’d been smashed, as if someone had stepped on it. There was a camera in the library’s back hallway but Brutus’ firm had to work to hack in to the library’s mainframe to get the video. Even that would save time over getting a police warrant, however.
