Chasing Demons

Chapter Five

When they finally arrived at the Abingdon Hotel, it was past midnight. Everybody went straight into their rooms.

Liam unpacked his dress shirts, pants, and ties and hung them in the closet. Then he sleepily crawled into bed and pulled out his phone to text Lennie.

Just got to the hotel.

Liam tried to call Lennie on FaceTime, but it ended on the first ring. They would both fall asleep on call together when he was away.

He tried once more, the same thing.

Liam started to worry.

He decided to send another text message.

I love you so much. You mean the absolute world to me. I don't know what I would do without you. Sweet dreams baby.

Liam set his alarm for 7:00 am and plugged in his phone, but he couldn't fall asleep. He was too worried about the missing boy.

His mind ended up drifting off to his childhood.

10-year-old Liam is asleep in his room. His father gets into bed with him. Exposed. He begins to brush up against him.  Liam wakes up and tries to ignore it and fall back asleep. He didn't want to make his father unhappy. His father told him that it was his fault his mother died and that now he had to pay for what he had done.

11-year-old Liam is in the shower. His father walks in. Uncovered. He jumps in the shower and touches Liam. Liam tries to focus on the water going down the drain.

12-year-old Liam is in the swimming pool in the backyard. His father jumps in bare. He pulls off Liam's swim trunks with his teeth. Liam watches the squirrels climb the trees.

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Liam woke up to the grating sound of his alarm. He looked at the clock and groaned. He had managed to get a couple of hours of sleep.

He got up, put on a white dress shirt and a checkered tie with different shades of blue, black dress pants, black dress boots, a black belt, and grabbed his weapon and badge from the nightstand next to his bed. He holstered his weapon on his side and grabbed his second gun from the drawer and holstered it in his boot. He always carried two guns.

He walked out to the hotel lobby where everyone else was waiting.

"You look like shit," Tommy mockingly laughed.

Liam disregarded his comment.

"Moreo and Marliani, head to the hospital to talk to the boy," said Leroy. "Walters, you talk to the parents of the missing boy. Hatano, you're with me at the police station."

Julian and Liam got in their SUV and headed towards the hospital.

Liam sat in the passenger seat in silence. He checked his phone, hoping to see a message from Lennie, nothing.

When they got to the hospital, they were greeted outside by a man that looked to be the sergeant of the Abingdon Police Department.

"I'm Sergeant John Matthews. APD," said the man.

"Agents Moreo and Marliani FBI," said Liam.

Sergeant Matthews handed Liam a file. "The boy's name is Charlie Bruskin, 16."

Liam opened up the file. There was only one piece of paper in it.

"His mother reported him missing eight years ago."

"This is it?" asked Liam. The paper only had the boy's name, his mother's name, and the date he was reported missing. June 21st, 2012. "You didn't even investigate?"