The Ties of Family (RotG Fanfic)

Chapter 41

Sophie crossed over to the window as fast as she could, nearly tripping over her brother's stuff which lay strewn over the floor. She was most relieved to see Jack and the spirit was surprised to see her in such a state. She threw open the window and practically dragged him in.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's going on?" Jack asked, startled, releasing himself from Sophie's grip. He surveyed the dark bedroom. "Where's Jamie?"

"I... don't know," Sophie said. "But I know there's nothing good about his absence."

Jack arched an eyebrow, noticing Sophie's worried look. The spirit began to feel a little uneasy himself. "Where's Jamie?" he asked again.

"I don't know!" Sophie half-yelled, before hurriedly lowering her voice. "You know my mom's fiancé? I think he has something to do with Jamie's disappearance." Sophie then plunged into the whole story, relating everything to Jack, trying not to leave out any details. All the while she cast furtive glances at the door, should Mr. Bane or Mrs. Bennett walk in at any moment and catch her talking to the air.

Jack was silent when she finished. Sophie watched him expectantly, as he mulled things over. Just then, Mrs. Bennett's voice floated up the stairs, calling out to Sophie, informing her that they were about to head out to dinner.

"Find him," she said urgently to Jack. "If you can." She then turned and hurried out of the room, calling back that she was on her way down. Jack watched her go before taking off through the window. He soared upwards till the street lights of Burgess became tiny pinpricks in the darkness and scanned that part of the city. Several kids looked up and pointed at the sky in his direction excitedly much to the bewilderment and annoyance of their parents.

The spirit had zero knowledge about kidnappers despite being a guardian who dealt with children. Kidnapping cases were rare during his time, and he hadn't exactly been watching any thrillers after the television came into existence. His first thought was to fly to the North Pole and seek North's advice, but that would take too much time. He flew over the city, racking his brains for a place Jamie might be in. Where would a kidnapper put a child after abducting him or her?

Somewhere no one would be able to find them.

Jack kept flying forwards, eyes concentrating on the hustle and bustle on the streets of Burgess about a hundred meters beneath him. According to Sophie's story, the boy and the man had left in the morning for the park. The man had returned in the evening. There was enough time in between to take the boy out of town and lock him up somewhere and return.

Jack swooped downwards and began flying towards the outskirts of Burgess.

#

Jamie continued struggling for all he was worth despite the ropes cutting into his flesh, and his arm screaming in pain, determined to get free and get out of that hellhole himself. He doubted those accomplices were still hanging around; he heard several cars driving off earlier. They must've been pretty confident he wouldn't be able to escape on his own. He didn't doubt they had locked up the warehouse.

The ropes were loosening. Jamie could feel blood trickling down from his wrists and paused momentarily, panting slightly as the pain in his arm was augmented. His eyes watered from the pain in his arm. The tightness of the bonds around his wrists seemed absent after his hours of struggling. Gritting his teeth and ignoring the pain by thinking of his mother and what sort of life they would all lead if he didn't stop the wedding, he continued in his effort to get the ropes off and after what seemed like an eternity of pain and torture, he managed to slip them off.

"Well, all things considered, that was easy," he muttered to himself.

Adrenaline pumping through his veins, he undid the ropes binding his legs with one hand and great difficulty. Once the bonds around his ankles had came loose, he wasted no time in getting to his feet and tugging at the gag. He wasn't all too worried about the gag. He had to find a way out of the place.

It was almost impossible to see in the darkness. He stumbled over empty crates and boxes, and hoped no one was about as the sound resonated throughout the dark warehouse, his eyes trying to adjust to the darkness. He had even resorted to calling out Pitch's name, but the Boogeyman didn't seem to be inhabiting the darkness there.

Jamie reached an area where several windows had not been boarded up. He wondered if he could climb out through one of them, but it seemed almost impossible to get up there and anyway, it was a sheer drop to the ground. The doors of the warehouse were locked and bolted. Jamie risked kicking at one but it was too strong to be broken down by him alone. He was only relieved no one was about as there didn't seem to be anyone who had heard him. Finally he sank to the floor in a dark corner, exhausted, a musty smell filling his nostrils. He wiped at the beads of sweat on his forehead, aware that he was smearing blood on it, but he couldn't care. Wondering what time it was, he tried to form an escape plan in his mind.

#

Mrs. Bennett was feeling restless and both persons sitting beside and opposite her at the circular table could sense it. She seemed to have lost her appetite as well as Sophie, who was hoping her mother would bring up the subject of her brother.

"You know, maybe I should talk to Jamie," she finally said, breaking the awkward silence that had been hanging over them for the past thirty minutes. Sophie almost couldn't conceal her joy. "Did he say which friend he was putting up with?"

Mr. Bane shook his head. "He obviously didn't. But don't you worry about it. Teenagers! They always think what they do is right."

"He's not putting up with anyone," Sophie said, trying to keep the calm in her voice. She met her mother's gaze.

"What do you mean, Sophie?" asked Mrs. Bennett, an emotion that seemed like relieve present in her eyes.

"I called all his friends," Sophie responded, earning herself a penetrating glare from the man. She was right, then. He had something to do with it. "Everyone he knew, everyone he could possibly put up with." She leaned forwards. "He's not staying with anyone and no one has seen him since this morning."

If looks could kill, Sophie would be lying dead on the floor with all the glares Mr. Bane was throwing at her. Mrs. Bennett was looking worried. "Where is he, then?" she asked, looking from Sophie to her fiancé, whose face was instantly cleared of his angry glare and replaced with a look of mock concern.

"Possibly somewhere far from here," Sophie took a wild guess.

"Is he running away?" Mrs. Bennett exclaimed quietly. Sophie barely stopped herself from lunging forwards, grabbing her mother and giving the latter a good shake. Mr. Bane looked almost relieved at Mrs. Bennett's reaction. As long as she stayed away from the idea of Jamie being abducted, he was safe.

"He could have," he said, as Mrs. Bennett turned to him with a questioning look. A knowing look inhabited her face as she turned away and met her daughter's eyes.

And it dawned on Sophie that her mother was not as dense as she had thought.

Another terrible chapter! I'm so sorry...