Kidnapped (Book 1)

Gone

               Matt had gotten a call from a coworker for him and Ross to head down to downtown Denver, which was about a thirty-minute drive. When Matt asked what the problem was, the answer was that it could involve the case. When Matt wanted further details, he was denied them. He was told to wait until he got there. The car ride over there had Matt thinking of a million different thoughts. When they arrived, police were already at the scene and an alleyway was blocked off. The men approached the scene where they were greeted by the first responder.

             "I'm sorry to bug you guys but I was told to call you specifically. We got an anonymous call from a payphone saying a woman was killed in this alley. The caller said her name and then hung up. That's why we knew to call you." The man said, frowning.

             "What the hell do you mean?" Matt asked, wrinkling his forehead.

              "Just look for yourself." The man said, pointing the way, refusing to speak.

              Matt thought the man was crazy, what was so bad that he couldn't just tell Matt what was going on? He ducked under the crime scene tape, with Ross right behind him. They walked down the alley until the end, where a pool of blood was surrounding the body. Matt's eyes traveled to the neck where it had been slit, managing to hit every major artery in the neck. Then what he saw next broke his heart into a million pieces.

             Once Matt looked at the face of the woman, he realized why they had called him. In front of him laid his lifeless wife. She had been getting off from work since she was still in her navy blue scrubs. Tears filled Matt's eyes, unable to look away from her. His body was tense, almost paralyzed as he stared into her lifeless eyes. Despite the fighting between the two, he still loved and cared for his wife.

           Then a single thought snapped him out of mourning and into pure panic. Kelly. He grabbed his phone and quickly dialed his house phone. Ross was examining the body while Matt called. The lines had been disconnected. He dialed her cell phone and was unsuccessful in reaching her. Tears streamed down Matt's face as he threw his phone down in rage.

           "Ross, please come with me and see if my daughter is okay. She's not answering and my wife was supposed to be home with her." Matt said panicking.

            Ross got in the driver's seat and drove Matt to his house as fast as he possibly could with sirens blaring and everything. When he reached the house, the lights were off. It was seven thirty, she wouldn't be asleep. Matt rushed up to the house and the door was unlocked already.

           "Kelly! Kelly!" Matt yelled.

             Ross rushed in while Matt was searching for his daughter. Matt knelt down after searching her room and everywhere else in the house except the basement since she rarely went down there. He found no trace of her. Kelly's book bag was in her room so Matt knew she had come home after school. She said Maddie was supposed to spend the night, so where were they?

           "She's gone." Matt cried out.

            Ross followed Matt down to the basement, just to make sure she wasn't down there. He turned on the lights and was horrified by what he saw. He saw a cloth and a trickle of blood on the carpet. Matt examined the cloth and smelt them, shaking his head from the strong, bitter smell.

         "Chloroform." Matt said to Ross.

           "I'll call a crime scene team to come here." He said pulling out his phone.

             Matt couldn't believe everything that had happened in such a short period of time. He knew that as soon as he found this bastard who hurt his family, Matt would kill him. His wife was dead and his only child was missing. Tears fell from Matt's eyes as he processed what was happening. He wasn't ashamed of crying in front of his boss, he needed to release the guilt and sorrow building up inside of him. Matt couldn't stand to be in the house any longer, he rushed outside, letting the evening air fill his lungs.