Running Home (24 page)

“
Carmen, you do everything wrong; this is why we punish you,” he replied while unbuckling his belt. I knew what was going to happen next as I wiped a tear that fell down my face.

Closing my eyes
, I tried to push the memories to the back of my head; buried so deep inside that hopefully one day I would be able to forget.

My mind was sluggish
, and nothing seemed to hurt anymore when I finally came to. Glancing around the room, I realized I was finally alone again. My shirt was torn and my jeans were not buttoned, but at least I still had my clothes on. The light was getting duller through the cracks in the boards, and it was too much to continue to keep my eyes open. Laying my head back down on the ground, I closed my eyes and fell back into a drug induced sleep.

“Fall For You” Secondhand Serenade

Walker

I was going stir crazy, waiting for any sort of new information at the office. Sheriff Ramsey finally told me I had to leave; I was a ‘complete emotional wreck’, and ‘hindering’ the investigation. I told him to take a ‘fucking leap’, and stormed out of the building. Gloria managed to wrangle me into her car and called Mom who was at the café with Mrs. Montgomery. Gloria dropped me off in the front of the café, and made me promise that I wouldn’t do anything stupid. I didn’t consider
anything stupid
when dealing with getting Carmen back.

I watched a
s the cars drove past the store. My obsession with watching for that black Cadillac was getting to me. Derek sent me a text that they ran the plates on the car and it pulled up registered to a known drug dealer in Los Angeles County. I fucking could have guessed that before they ran the plates. An A.P.B was sent out all over the surrounding counties to be on the lookout for the vehicle, and it took everything in my mother and Mrs. Montgomery’s power to keep me in that store and not out searching for the fucking car. I didn’t understand how I was being a hindrance in the investigation. All I wanted to do was get out there and look for Carmen. Just waiting wasn’t helping any; I wanted to find her.

“Walker
, sit down son, and try and eat something please,” Mom begged, as she pointed to one of the many pie slices and sandwiches that she had cut up and served. The three tables that normally served customers were filled with food, and looking at them made me sick. I shook my head, and continued to stare out the window. Something had to break soon; fucking anything.

I knew Mrs. Montgomery had walked over and was standing next to me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look in her eyes. Just a couple days ago
, I promised her I would look after Carmen, and now I couldn’t even find her.

“Walker, this isn’t your fault. You need to listen to me
, son. They will find her, Walker; you need to have faith in your team members,” Grams said, as she laid her hand over mine. Her soft skin was cold to the touch, and it shocked me that she wasn’t burning up like I was. I felt like I was roasting, since I came upon the blood upstairs. It was like my body was in a furnace, or possibly hell. Yeah, hell was closer to the way I was feeling right now.

“I do have faith in them
, Mrs. Montgomery; it’s just that I need to be out there. It’s my Carmen that’s lost, and I need to find her,” I said, still keeping my eyes firmly locked on the world outside, carefully not to miss anything that went by. A couple people from town were walking down the street when I pounded on the glass. “Move! I can’t see around you people!” Grams just shook her head and headed back to the kitchen where Mom was cooking up a storm. The jingle of the door rang as my head snapped over to the sound. “We’re closed asshole,” I snapped at the customer. I knew it wasn’t fair for me to take my anger out on others, but what other option did I have at the moment.

“Walker Gene Mason! Get your butt in the kitchen now!” Mom demanded
, as she rushed over to the older gentleman.

“Whatever,” I scoffed
and threw my hands up in the air. Maybe I could go take another look upstairs, I’ve got to be able to find something they missed earlier.

My heart physically hurt
, as I carefully took each of the steps up to the apartment. Glass still covered the landing, and the police tape still hung over the entrance. I ripped the yellow tape down as it felt like it was mocking me, taunting me with words that she will never be found. “Fuck you,” I snarled while watching the tape flutter to the ground. The door was covered in powder as I carefully turned the knob and entered the place. The blood on the floor is completely dried and has taken on the color of rust, stuck on the floor as a reminder that she is out there somewhere hurt. I know it’s her blood in the back of my mind. As much as I would like to believe it’s not, I know it belongs to Carmen. I stare at the broken shards on the floor and glance back at the door. There had to have been a struggle, but why is the only thing that is broken was the glass window? I wandered around the small kitchen, looking at the doors, glancing in the drawers, searching for the unknown.

I brace
d myself on the counter that was covered in a fine dusting powder. I couldn’t even get my mind clear enough to process the scene. This was why I was removed from the case; I’m too broken over this to be able to help.

“Walker?” My mom called, walking through the door with a broom and a bucket in her hand. My eyes reach
ed hers, just as the tears slid down my face once again.

“Why don’t we clean this up
, baby boy?” She said softly.

I nod my head and walkover to grab the
broom; at least we won’t have to look at this mess ever again. Mom offered me a small smile as I began to sweep up the glass pieces in the entry way; a simple task to help sooth my mind. Anything to keep me from going crazy, even though I firmly believe I’m already there. Without Carmen, I might as well be certifiable. So much for the future.

It only took a couple hours to clean up the mess in the apartment. I actuall
y felt bad for all the people whom we ever had to dust their belongings in this powder stuff. Cleaning it up was a total bitch. I think the worst of it was the blood; knowing that she could be possibly hurt was torture as we scrubbed the tile and grout.

“Mom
, I’ve got to do something. I can’t just keep sitting here, waiting for a damn miracle!”

“What do you want to do
, Walker? Tear through the town, and drive yourself crazy? You are already on the edge of breaking, son; try and keep it together. You know that if the department needed you they would call. Baby, let them do their job.”

“But
it’s my job too! I can help,” I cried out. I went through all the training they had, and I knew how the system worked.

“I know you can
, baby boy, but it’s different when it’s someone you love. Sometimes the feelings can cloud your judgment. Now is the time to step back, and try and deal with your emotions.”

“You are sounding like you don’t expect us to find her
, Momma,”

“That’s not what I said
, Walker. Have a little faith,” Mom said calmly. I got what she was saying, but it didn’t help any. I placed a soft kiss on her cheek and headed down the steps outside.

“Where are you going?” Mom called after me.

“I just need to get out of here, go for a walk or something.” I needed space; time to clear my head. Mom was right; my mind was clouded and confused. Keeping a level head right now was something I needed to accomplish, and hanging around here just caused more anxiety.

People stopped to offer their condolences on the situation as I walked down Main Street. I th
anked everyone and kept walking. Where I was headed I couldn’t tell you, but I wasn’t ready to stop and stand still. This town was so quiet; very few cars were on the road, and nature was calm. How could everything on the surface be so right, yet behind the scenes the world was falling apart? Well, my world at least.

My cell r
ang as I passed the barber shop. Cramming my hand into my jeans I quickly pulled it out.

“Mason?” Derek’s voice came over the cell.

“What’s going on, Derek? Have you found her?” I ask impatiently. I held my breath as I waited for Derek to reply.

“We got him. An officer from
another county pulled the black Cadillac over out on route 240.”

“Was Carmen with him?”

“No, Walker, but they are questioning him over at their station. I’m headed over right now; where are you?” Derek asked quickly.

“Standing out in front of Paul’s.”

“Stay there; I’m coming to get you.” Derek stressed. The line instantly went dead as I stood there in shock. I slowly started to process what Derek just told me. They had the guy in the black Cadillac, but no Carmen. I was going to beat the shit out of this guy until he tells me where she is………
game over buddy
.

Derek came screeching up to the curb and motioned for me to hurry. Slamming the door Der
ek pulled back on to the street. “I was told not to tell you about this. So, picking you up right now is probably a no go, too.”

“Thanks Derek, you don’t have a clue what this means to me,” I gushed. This gave me hope that Carmen was still out there, waiting for me to come find her.

“I get It, Mason, this is why I called. Just promise me you will keep it professional. Bringing you with me is a huge risk. Don’t make me regret it.”

“I get it. What else do you know? Was he injured when they picked him up?” I hoped that the blood
that we cleaned off the apartment floor was his and not Carmen’s.

“I don’t have any details
, other than they already started questioning him and his car is being towed to our facility,” Derek stated calmly.

I kept my mouth shut and watched out the window, silently counting the mile markers as we passed by.

I watched from the other side of the two-way mirror, wanting to smash this fucker’s face into the metal table he was sitting behind. The smug little bastard just sat there with a nasty smile on his ugly face. His answers were short and vague, providing no detail to Carmen’s location at all. He claimed over and over, that he was just passing through town, and had no clue who Carmen was. Everyone already knew he was a lying sack of shit; we had the hotel room information and the note.

“Keep running your mouth
, dumbass, eventually you will slip up,” I mumbled to myself, wishing they would let me go grounds with him in that locked room.

“So
, he hasn’t given us anything to work with, but we have started a search around the woods out by 240,” Derek said as he walked back into the room.

I poun
ded my fist on the glass window. “Son-of-a-bitch!”

“Magillis is heading out that way with Waylon right
now; I’m going to head back to the station and brief Sheriff on what we got here.”

“I’ve got to help, Derek;
let me help,” I pleaded with him. I know I’m not part of the case, but seeing that asshole sitting in that room in perfect condition I realized that it was Carmen that was hurt. I could no longer just stand around and wait for something to happen; I needed results.

“We have officers already on
route to start a search grid,” the sheriff from the other county alerted Derek.

“Thanks for the
help. I’ll have Sheriff Ramsey touch base with you soon,” he replied, motioning for me to follow him out. I took one more glance at the man who ruined everything. He was lucky he was detained already; otherwise his outcome may not have ended well.

“Sheriff
, I need to be out there! You know Waylon works best with me giving the commands!” I yelled as the sheriff and I went rounds back at the station. Derek had already got an ass chewing for taking me with him, and was still standing behind me as I made the plea to Sheriff to let me work.

“Sheriff
, you know it’s the truth. That dog and him have special powers when they get in that zone. Magillis is a good handler, but doesn’t have the connection that Mason and Waylon have,.” Derek added to the pile of thoughts being thrown around the room.

“Please, I need to do this. You know I can handle myself and Waylon. Let me go, let me help.” I wasn’t above
begging for this situation. I would get down on my knees and grovel at his feet if that’s what it took.

“Alright
, Mason. I sent Magillis out to the old Lumber Mill to see if Waylon could pick anything up. Bryer County has started the search grid on the other end we agreed to work the area until we came together. I’ll radio Magillis to hold off on the search till you get there,” Sheriff declared.

“Thank you,” I babbled.

“Raylon, take him. GET GOING,” Sheriff barked, as Derek and I looked at each other and rushed for the back door.

“How big is the search area?” I asked Derek
, as we rushed out to the old 240.

“I think they set the perimeter for a twenty mile radius.”

She had to be out there. Why else would that douche be driving out there? No one ever came out on this old highway, especially ‘tourists’. Well, if she was out there I was going to find her. I was absolutely sure of that.

We pulled up in front of the old abandoned warehouse, and I noticed Waylon going nuts in the back of Magillis’s patrol car. Jumping out of Derek’s car, I ran over to get an update of what was happening.

“We are working on sweeping all the different buildings of the old mill, and I was just about to pull Waylon out when Sheriff called. Glad to see you out here
, Mason,” Magillis informed Derek and I. I quickly opened the back of his car and greeted my best friend.