Desperation

Chapter Eight: He Needs Me

(Jonathan's POV)
   My phone vibrated in my pocket. I ignored it, telling myself I was working. Whoever needed me could wait. That was a problem with me. I always put my work before everything else, even my health or my social life. I felt like it was more important. I'd been that way ever sense the crash. It just kind of relieved the pain. I solved the murder. The car crash was caused by an old friend of mine who was angry at me for god only knows what. I blamed myself over it.
   I felt then vibrate again. In the back of my mind, I worried if it was the kids. They were kind of like a new family to me. Bailey was my new son, and all his friends were my responsibility now, too. I shook the thought. Michael could tell something was bothering me. He's been my friend sense elementary school. He knew me inside and out. I knew him like that too, I guess.
   He looked at me. "You Alright?" He asked. I nodded. "I'm just confused. It's not adding up..." I lied about what was bothering me. My phone buzzed again. Agitated, I picked it up and snapped at whoever was calling. "What is it?" I asked in an angry tone. "It's Bailey!" Chris's voice yelled. She sounded panicked, like she was crying. I knew this girl. She was tough. Nothing could ever make her cry. "Wait, What? What about Bailey?" I asked.
   "He's gone. He's gone. I don't know where he is, John we can't find him." I heard the roar of a fire behind her voice. I was confused. And scared. "Where are you?" I asked, hearing someone talking to another person behind me. "There's a fire in the Anderson's old trailer!" They cried. I knew where to go. Quickly I threw myself into the squad car and sped off, leaving Michael where he stood without explaining. I felt bad, but that was my boy. My child. I couldn't lose another kid. No. I refused.
   I sped to the house, through the small crowd of people surrounding it. The place was ablaze. I saw Zach and Mel standing outside screaming into the house. What the hell were they doing there? They were suppose to be at my house. I ran to them asking what was wrong. "Chris went inside to look for Bailey, I'm sorry John-" Zach explained. I cut him off. "What the hell!" I screamed at him. I climbed in through the window and didn't have to go far, Chris was in the living room standing in an opening, everything else was on fire. "God dammit Christine!" I screamed, running and grabbing her and pulling her back out the window.
    "Bailey is still in there! He has to be!" She was screaming and crying. She had burns on her arms that looked rough. "Stay here." I ordered, going back inside. I searched everything that wasn't already gone, every room. He wasn't there. He wasn't anywhere. The smoke starting to fill my lungs and I ran back outside. "He's not in there, Chris." I said between coughs. I'm forty nine years old. I  not cut out for this. The fire truck finally arrived and out the fire out, and an ambulance. I sat in it with Chris while they treated her burns. "Tell me what happened. Everything." I ordered.
   "Bailey was stressed so we decided to burn down his moms trailer to help him relax, he went inside to cover the place in gasoline and the next thing we knew the place was on fire and he was gone." She talked so fast. I watched the firemen go into the building. If Bailey was burnt up they'd find his body. "Your grandmother is coming. Don't worry, Chris." I said, patting her shoulder and going to Zach. "As for you. What the hell. You shouldn't have broken the fucking house arrest!" I screamed. I was trying my best to keep calm. Trying to think of what to do.
   "I'm sorry.." Zach mumbled. He's been crying, too. If they didn't bring Bailey's body out, then he wasn't dead. They hadn't brought out anything. No remains. He's still alive. Somewhere. "Dammit dammit dammit.." I ran my fingers through my hair. I had to find him. He's still alive. None of this made sense. "Zach. Tell me everything you know, is there anything I don't know?" I asked. "The other day someone came to the house and just stood at the door. He was wearing a hoodie like the one the killer had on so I think it was the same guy," he said. "He came to the house but he didn't know any of us was there. He knew Bailey was there because he lives in this town I think. That's the only way. He was after Bailey." Bailey. All of this has always been about Bailey.
I was stupid to have not figured it out before. My mind clicked. It was like a light was turned on. This was the missing puzzle piece I needed. I thought back to Jeb's case. Ralph was an everyday neighbor who called the police the night Jeb beat Melissa. He's the reason he was caught. Leita was the one who arrested Jeb. I don't know Hudson's connection to the case. Bailey probably knew that himself. Hudson was probably a distraction that gave Jeb enough time to take Bailey. Jeb had been let out of prison. He probably still wanted Bailey. He probably wanted revenge.
"That bastard.." I mumbled. Michael finally showed up. "Michael, we have to send a search team into the woods-" I cut my own self off. "Where were you all standing?" I asked Zach. "Behind the house." He pointed. That didn't make sense. If they were back there, and the town was in front, it was impossible to get away without getting caught- no. There was a way. I ran to the side facing the junkyard, and there was a window. He must've gotten out through the window, and went through the junkyard. He couldn't have gotten far on foot. He could've and should've still been in the junkyard somewhere, it was a huge place that lasted miles.
"In the junkyard. We need all the people we can get in the junkyard. He needs me."