The Obsession

Chapter 27

   Gone. He's gone. Gone? "What do you mean by gone?"

   "I mean Jonathan took Xander again, Isabella. We couldn't stop him. He took him. Now we can't find him or Xander. I didn't want to hide this from you anymore. Like everyone's been doing. Like it'll actually help you." He rants quickly.

  "Taylor, calm down." He stops talking and looks at me with surprise.

   "Why are you so calm?" I shrug and sigh deeply.

   "I guess I'm used to this sort of thing. Max is almost dead, Xander was taken from me again. What else is there to be upset about? Honestly, there's nothing we can do. Unless we can catch Jonathan. Which is unlikely. However if we do, you better let me murder that mother fucker." I walk out of the room and down the stairs. I hug the thin jacket to my body tighter and walk outside. Taylor quickly runs outside behind me.

   "Isabella," He grabs my arm and turns me to look at him. "You actually think we can catch Jonathan?"

   I bite my lip and look at the ground. I look back up at Taylor. "Yes." Taylor just stares blankly at me, as if trying to understand. "I know, I'm hard to understand. I honestly don't either. All I know is that I'm sticking with finding and killing him. So all I know is get ready. We're going to catch a murderer."

--

   A Week Later

   Not a trace. Not one single lead. He's...gone. Fell off the face of the earth. Or so we think so.

   Taylor and I have searched everywhere for Jonathan. Every place in town. He's nowhere. Absolutely nowhere. We have one last choice. To San Jose. If he's not there then we don't know where he is.

   "Ready?" Taylor asks. I nod and we walk out to his car. We begin the long drive to our destination. After hours of driving, we finally reach San Jose. Taylor stops at a rest stop. "So where do you think he'd be?" I sigh and think.

   "He wouldn't be at the house. Too obvious. I don't know anywhere else he'd be." I think harder. "Max's old house." I mutter.

  

   "Where's that?" I tell him where and he begins the drive. We reach the house quickly and step out of the car. We walk to the door and listen. No sounds of any life. Just the sound of the old police tape swaying in the wind. This house hasn't been sold still. It's just a ghost house.

   Taylor opens the unlocked door and walks inside. I follow after him and check the rooms. No where. He isn't here.

   "Where could he be?" I ask Taylor after searching every room.

   "I don't-" The sound of a child's voice is heard. Taylor and I look around and listen closely.

   "Mommy?" A muffled voice says. It sounds like...

   "Xander!" I yell into the house. I can hear him. He just isn't in any room.

   "Isabella-"

   "I have to find him, Taylor!" I snap at him. He grabs me and pushes me to the wall. I gasp as the wall hits my back. 

   "Would you stop for a second?!" Taylor yells. The whole house goes silent. "Okay. So we already know the house is empty. He must not be in the house. We have to check outside. Now just stay calm please and stop." He lets go of my arms and runs his hand through his black hair.

   "You're right. I'm sorry." I mutter. Taylor and I walk outside and around the house.

   "Isabella!" Taylor yells. I rush over to him. He stands next to a secret door on the ground. A large padlock locks the door. "Xander must be in here. Jonathan must be in town somewhere. He wouldn't leave his own child to die." Taylor plays with the lock. "How do we get inside?" Taylor asks himself. "Do you happen to have brought anything to cut locks?" I give Taylor a strange look. "Thought so."

   "How are we getting inside?" Taylor walks inside with me following. He sits on the dusty couch and lays his feet on the coffee table.

   "We wait." I raise my eyebrow at him.

  "Wait?"

   "Yea. For Jonathan to come back. He will. Just sit and wait with me." I sigh and sit next to Taylor.

   "How long will this take?"

   "I don't know. You'll live, Bell." The name Bell sends shivers up my spine. It's Jonathan's name for me.

   Taylor and I sit in silence for about an hour. We both think deeply. Not one word is said.

   "Are you alright, Isabella?" Taylor finally speaks up after the hour.

   "Yea. Just thinking about when Jonathan comes back. I'm afraid he'll do something." I take a deep breath. Taylor takes my hand.

   "It'll be fine. He can't hurt us. I have my gun." He reassures me.

   "That's reassuring." I answer sarcastically. Taylor chuckles and nods.

   The sound of a door closing is heard outside. Taylor and I instantly stand up and walk to the door. I look through the peephole and see Jonathan walking away from a car I've never seen before. 

   "Okay so the plan is to corner him down in the room so I can handcuff him." Taylor pulls out a small, black handgun. "If he tries to hurt you, shoot him." My eyes widen a bit. Taylor wraps my hand around it. "You'll be fine, Isabella. I'll go first and you follow. Grab Xander and get to the car." I nod and Taylor rushes out the door. My brain starts fumbling. Where's the car? What happens if Jonathan hurts me? What do I do?

   I take a deep breath and calm myself down. The car is hiding behind some trees. Shoot Jonathan if he hurts me. Follow Taylor. I nod to myself and follow Taylor. We stop at the closed door on the ground and slowly open it. It opens silently.

   Taylor walks down the dark stairs. He disappears from sight in seconds. I take another deep reassuring breath and follow Taylor down into the dark.