Aubrey (Axis Rising)

040:

         

*****040:

The police had to be told what was going on. It wasn't random, I had a right to defend myself, and no particular gang was targeting us, except the one out of Sonora Mexico. The detective immediately assigned to us was brought up to speed by our new lawyers, under the strange direction of John Crimmons, our adoption lawyer. He'd said he was going to refer us, and had, but he was still in charge.

But none of them came to the doctor's office, in fact, just the opposite, they wanted me to come to the precinct for questioning, and I declined, understandably. But I couldn't leave my wife and our children in such a delicate condition.

At six Angie left to go take care of her family and Abbie rang that she needed a break and Tracy was coming, but could Hannah watch the kids until Tracy got there, and I said no. If Hannah was in any way involved with Jack, then leaving her with Felicity was bad.

Very bad.

And that was when Abbie dropped the bomb.

She'd already done it.

She'd left Hannah in charge of our three.

I called Lance who was in Dana Point working, and then picking up his own kids for shared custody day or whatever. No sense being mad at Abbie, I doubt she actually knew what was going on. I called Tracy. She was an hour out. I called Kell, he was on the other side of the country.

I called my dad, he was stuck in traffic downtown, and that could be hours as well.

Aubrey was not in any danger, but Felicity might be. It had to be me.

I called Ben. "Dude, I got to go home. Meet me at home okay?"

"I'm almost to you right now."

"Turn around and go to my place. The kids need you."

"Okay."

So, I kissed Aubrey good bye, put on my smiley happy face for her benefit, not that she couldn't see right through that if she'd been looking, but she was internal at the moment, recovering from her blood sugar dip, and didn't notice.

And I took surface streets all the way back, about forty minutes with afternoon traffic.

And when I pulled into the gate release key pad, I could see our place, just around the closest curve. And there, glaringly in front of me was Hannah's car, parked right next to another, unfamiliar one.

I felt sick.

That was always the dilemma with fights, wasn't it? You can take anything, but if they have someone you value, you'll do what they say to avoid getting your loved one killed. Right? If they had my kids, what would I do?

I did not pull into my own driveway. That would alert anybody to my presence. I pulled down the street looking all around for security, or evidence of other thugs. I pulled over when I couldn't see the house anymore, but could still see the cars. If they were going to steal the kids they'd have to leave in one of those cars, right?

What if they'd already killed the kids? What about Hannah?

They hadn't. I assured myself. Don't think negatively, even though this day has been one of the most negative in ages.

I dug in my pocket for that card. It came out bent. I stared at it till it went blurry.

John had cautioned me not to call them, or get in touch with them. But here I sit, my eyes on the rearview mirror my adrenaline rushing.

It was as real to me as Teotihuacan. I wasn't about to let that happen again.

I called the number.