Page 46 of Go the Long Way

She nodded and tossed Jakob the truck keys, which landed with a jangle on the empty side of the queen bed. She turned back down the hall with a speed Jakob could only hope heralded that pot of coffee he could already tell he would be desperately needing —

But not before shoulder-checking Alex as she passed him.

"Hey!" Alex shouted, whipping his head around in outrage.

Jakob could hear the faintly retreating sound of a raspberry in reply.

God, what had he done in a past life to deserve this?

"Jakob…" Alex sputtered, turning back to him; a ragged, almost pleading edge to his tone.

Jakob got the impression that Alex wasn't the kind of kid to plead for anything. Like he had long ago learned it would never be of any use. But the look on his face —

"Alex, I know you only met me yesterday," Jakob told him in a low voice — as reassuringly as he could manage while still sitting in his bed; him in his boxers and only a duvet for cover as an unknown, agitated young man fidgeted in his bedroom doorway. "I know I can't ask you to trust me that easily. But… But Ethan does, right? Trusted me to get you here, to keep you safe? So I'm not gonna ask you to trustme. Just to trust Ethan. We'll sort this out, all of us, together. But — Alex? I can't do anything until I can put some pants on."

"But…" Alex argued reflexively, before ducking his head for a moment, the tips of his ears turning red. When he looked back up at Jakob, there was still stubborn determination in his face, but somehow it seemed like there was now less… pure, outright desperation, frankly. At least less than there had been before. "Yeah.Okay.I'll — I'll just…"

He made a sort of jerky hitchhiking gesture over his shoulder before turning and heading in that same direction; his footsteps sounding strangely loud on the creaky wooden floorboards of the old farmhouse.

Jakob sighed as he reached for his cane and swung himself over and out of bed.

Pants first.Thenhe could see about rescuing the damsel in distress.

He snorted as he hurried to pull on a shirt. He could just imagine solid, steady Ethan's reaction to being called a damsel.

Jakob padded barefoot down the hall after the kids. His cane thumped hollowly on the wooden floor in a counterpoint to his footsteps as he worked the morning stiffness out of his leg on his way. As he neared the kitchen, he could already smell the coffee brewing, the aroma already buoying his spirits; like some sort of wizard’s magical potion of fortification in some tabletop game, giving his character a stat boost before a fight. Something to help prepare him for the battle ahead, maybe, before finding out what all the fuss was about.

Trust Ethan, Jakob told himself, repeating the same advice he had given Alex.You owe him at least that much. Whatever it is, we'll manage it. Just trust Ethan, and it'll… it'll all work out okay.

But as he rounded the corner and saw two worried faces snap up to meet his gaze, a lit phone screen between them on the kitchen bar's counter; Jakob tried to ignore the little tendril of worry now snaking its way through his chest.

Chapter 21

Distraught Father Pleads With Kidnappers: Please Bring My Son Home Safe

By Mackenzie Preston

SAN MORADO (WP) — Local boy went missing yesterday when playing in the front yard of his home. The child's father, whose name is being withheld at this time to protect the identity of the victim, is a decorated police officer and well-respected member of his local community.

"He's a gentle soul, very trusting," said the boy's father. "He doesn't have many friends, and I think his kidnapper might've taken advantage of that."

Authorities say the last verified sighting of the boy was at about 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, when he was seen getting into a green hatchback. Police say they are currently questioning the owner of the vehicle, Ethan Hillsman, 39, a resident of San Morado, who teaches art at the boy's school. Sources say police suspect Hillsman might have used his influence over the child to lure him away from his home. Hillsman matches the description of the man seen driving the car at the time of the alleged kidnapping, but police say they have not yet made any arrests.

Police are also looking for a second unidentified man for questioning who was seen in the car with Mr. Hillsman at the time, described by eyewitnesses as an older man with a beard, wearing a dark sweater and a baseball cap. It is as yet unknown what role this potential accomplice might have played in the boy's alleged kidnapping.

The boy's mother, who sources say suffers from early onset dementia, "…just wants to see her boy. She doesn't understand that someone has taken him, why anyone could want to hurt her son," according to the boy's father.

"Please, wherever you've taken him, just don't hurt him," his father told reporters in a tearful plea to his son's kidnappers. "I know he's got to be so scared. I don't know why you've done this, but he belongs with his family. Please, bring my boy home."

No motive is known at this time, but with the spate of recent convictions of teachers for having inappropriate relationships with their students making headlines across the country, San Morado Police Chief Barbara Johnson has released this statement, "It's critical that we find this boy quickly and return him to his family, before any harm can come to him. If you have any information as to the current whereabouts of the boy or his alleged kidnappers, please call our tip line at 1-800-555-TIPS"

A vigil is planned tonight at St. Sebastian's Church at 7 pm, and a charitable fund for the boy's family can be found atBringAlexHome.plea

Chapter 22

[Ethan|Today — 7:44 am]

It’s bullshit, Jakob. It's not true — not a word of it