Page 51 of Rocky

“They took Mommy!” he cried.

He was hysterical, and I hoped I’d misheard him. I got down to his level and held his shoulders to keep him still.

“What did you say?”

“Daddy and two men took Mommy. They hit her on the head, and she fell on the floor.”

“Wait a minute! Are you sure?”

He nodded. “Daddy was holding me, and Mommy tried to get me. They took her away.”

I took my phone from my pocket and went to the app for the tracking device I’d put in Rue’s necklace. She wasn’t far away, but they were moving in the opposite direction.

“Fuck! C’mon!”

Briar ran as fast as he could, trying to keep up with me. I found Russell with Rosemary and must have looked distraught because they immediately asked what was wrong.

“Deacon took Rue. Briar saw the whole thing. We have to find her.”

“What!” Rosemary shouted.

Russell wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Calm down. You have to keep your cool in front of Briar. Take him and find your sisters. I’ll make sure y’all get home safe.”

“I’m not—” She began to protest.

“Rose, now is not the time for you to argue. The longer we wait, the longer it will take to find her.”

Rosemary nodded as she wiped her tears.

“Okay. C’mon Briar.”

She extended her hand to her nephew, and he took it. When she tried to walk away from Russell, he held onto her.

“When you get your sisters, grab RJ, and meet me at the entrance of the center.”

She nodded before he kissed her forehead and released her.

“They can’t be that far. There are barricades up everywhere,” he said as we headed in the opposite direction as Rosemary and Briar.

“It’s been about twenty minutes. The necklace I gave her has a tracking device.”

Russell looked at me with a frown.

“Fuck you. I had a feeling it was necessary, and I’m glad I trusted my gut. She’s eight miles away and still moving.”

“What do you want to do?”

“Do you have to ask?”

“Are we involving the police?”

“Those who need to know are already expecting him to come up missing.”

“I’ll round up the crew.”

We had enough staff members and volunteers for the block party to continue while we took care of business. Those who needed to know were told we had an emergency.

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