“AJ? Get someone to bring her sisters and boyfriend out to us. We’ll keep them all in one place until we find this bastard.”
“It’s okay, kid. You’re going to be okay now,” said Jak. “Do you know where he went? Is he still in his home?”
“No,” she said sniffling and wiping her nose on the blanket. She looked down at the snot and grimaced. “I’m so sorry. That was so low class of me.”
“I think we can forgive a little crying snot considering the situation,” smirked Jak.
“I heard him on the phone with someone saying that his mother had disappeared. They told him he was a disappointment and he needed to find a wife soon. He thought I was unconscious.”
“Did he hit you?” asked Ham.
“He did but that’s not why. He tried to drug me, but I saw him pour it into the water bottle. When he wasn’t looking, I dumped it beneath the sofa.”
“Good girl,” smirked Ham.
“Anyway, he said he was going to find a woman and bring her back. He’s headed to the parades. Do you know how many young women will be drunk and fall for his crap?”
“We’re well aware,” said Gator. “Any specific parade or direction?”
“He didn’t say, at least not where I could hear him. He’s so creepy. I mean, he was stand-offish in the classroom but when I met with him about my grades I knew right away that something was wrong. He got me out to his car and hit me over the head, putting me in the trunk. I heard him swear and then he walked away, I think back to his office.”
“That must have been when we found him,” said Jak. “We were so close, Nicole. Sorry it took us so long.”
“Sorry? You guys have no idea how relieved I am to see you. I met Finn and his brothers when we were having lunch and suspected they weren’t ordinary in any way. You guys just proved it to me.”
“How did we do that?” smirked Jak. She just looked at him and smiled.
“Learn to hide your tattoos better.”
“Where is she? Where’s our sister?” yelled Nancy as she came through the clinic doors.
“I’m right here,” smiled Nicole. Her sisters hugged her tightly, kissing her face as her boyfriend wrapped them all in a big hug.
“Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?” he asked with an odd expression.
“He didn’t touch me. Not in that way. He hit my face a few times and kicked me, but the doctor says it’s just bruising, nothing more. I was very, very lucky.”
“We can’t thank you all enough,” said Nancy.
“We’re glad we got there in time,” said Ham. “We’re going to ask that all of you stay right here, including you Weil, until this is over with. We have to find him before he takes another woman.”
“Believe me,” said Nicole, “I’m happy to stay right here until you guarantee me he’s gone. I would like a shower if that’s possible.”
“Of course, honey,” said Marilisa. “You can shower in the nurses locker room and we’ll give you some clean scrubs to wear.” She started to get up and get into the wheelchair when Ham turned to her.
“By the way, how the hell did you get out of the leg chains?” he frowned.
“Oh. Um, well, I wasn’t always a nice girl,” she said looking down. “I was late to the good girl party.”
“Very late,” smirked her sister. “Our sister is exceptionally good at picking locks.”
“I’ll be damned,” smirked Gator.
“The chains on my feet were easy. It was just a regular lock. The ones on my wrist were older and harder to get into. I could run with those, so I wasn’t too worried about them.”
“You did good, kid,” laughed Gator. “You did real good.”
“Come on fellas. It’s time to find our boy. Like a needle in a haystack is what this is going to be,” frowned Finn. “A needle in a haystack that smells like alcohol and piss.”
