Taken

Chapter 23

~ "This is the first time someone so young has been taken. Authorities are questioning if the same people are involved. The youngest son of the -" ~

"Shut that off, " Win's mom cried, falling into her husband's arms. The news storm was bigger than they'd seen for any of the kidnappings considering the family's social status and Mick's age.

Bright clutched at Win's hand as the world fell apart around them. They'd come as quickly as they could fighting through traffic out of the city and the crowd of reporters camping as close as they could to the private property of the mansion as security tried to maintain the situation.

"Should we tell them what we know?" Bright asked again, tense and stiff. Win hadn't answered the first time, too busy processing the knowledge that his brother was missing. Now he turned on Bright with a hiss. 

"What good would that do? And we don't know anything. Not really. Someone could ask for a ransom at any moment. His coach could have taken him, he's missing too. Or Mick is just hiding after seeing something happen to his coach. We don't know." 

"But if the aliens-" 

Win banged his fist down on the table causing everyone to jump. He apologized to his family and turned to Bright, saying as quietly as he could, "I know you're trying to help, but this isn't helping. If aliens have him, then he's even further from our reach than if some human took him." Win's voice broke and Bright wrapped his arms around his waist. 

"I'm sorry. I just-" 

"I know. I'm sorry too. We're both just scared and stressed out. So many things...so much. Too much." 

Bright sank into the couch and pulled Win with him, sharing his warmth when he noticed Win was shivering. He regretting bringing up the alien's now. He knew there was nothing they could do right now. All they could do is wait and hope Mick was brought back. The longest anyone had been gone was two days. So far Mick had been missing for 14 hours. 

"Why would they take my baby?" Win's mother wailed. "My precious baby." 

"Can we go to your room, Win?" Bright asked, his stomach feeling sour as he continued to hear her cry. "I'll hold you while you try to get some sleep. I know you're exhausted. Even if you can't sleep, you can close your eyes for a bit. Please?" 

Win glanced into his eyes, his shoulders slumping as he nodded. "If there's news-" he said to the room in general. 

Everyone agreed and waved him away, even started to murmur that the others should try to rest as well. Search parties were doing all they could while keeping the rest of the family safe. 

Win held tightly to Bright as they made their way down the long, gleaming halls. Family photos with Mick smiling out at them caused his breath to catch in his chest. His little brother... 

Bright tipped Win onto his bed when they reached his room, then crawled in behind him, pulling Win's tense figure into his arms. 

"I'm not going to be able to sleep," Win said, staring into the darkness of his room, a sliver of light from his bedroom window highlighting one of Mick's books lying open on his floor from the last time he'd probably come in to do homework.

"I know," Bright rubbed Win's shoulder, pressing his lips to the back of his head. He felt even more wretched for what he'd put Win through the other morning, plus the conversation at the doctor's office. He never asked Win how he felt about the baby but he wasn't sure he could right now. Aliens! he cursed. 

~

"Two?" 

Long nails clacked against the reflective stasis compartment.