Page 62 of Higher Notes

The more Jason talked, the more pissed we got. This was our family, too, damnit and nobody better fuck with them.

“Mom, where’s Gabe?” Jason didn’t give the phone a chance to ring. Saw her name pop up and hit the speaker.

“The school called, I’m on my way to get him. Wait, how did you know?”

“Sikes and Snipe’s boss Fizzbo has eyes everywhere. He sent a picture of the man asking about Gabe. Mom, it’s Paul.”

She gasped. “They didn’t tell me anything except that there was an incident with Gabe and for me to come and pick him up. I figured he got into a fight or smarted off to a teacher. What does he want?”

Jason stared at me.

“Dana, it’s Wyatt. Fizzbo said school security told him Paul’s been asking to see his son. I’ll, um, I’ll text you his photo now for you to verify. Jason believes it’s him.”

“I’m almost to the school.” She decided to keep the kids in the same one so they could finish out the school year there and it was a short drive from her current job. “Oh my god, that’s him. He doesn’t look well.”

That was putting it mildly. The guy was filthy and most likely strung out. Assumptions shouldn’t be made but it was nearly impossible not to profile him based upon this photo. Plus, it was our job to grasp every angle we could from it. If he was high, that changed how we’d approach him.

“I’ll call you as soon as I know more.” Dana’s voice shook. Fuck, I wished we were there with her.

“Love you, Mom.”

“Love you, too, Jase.”

Now we wait, albeit not so patiently.

“Fuck!” Jason resumed pacing. “What’s taking so long? Anything from Fizzbo?”

I glanced at my phone screen and shook my head. “Negative.” As if he heard his name, a text came through.

Fizzbo: Boots on the ground! Sarge and Frogman are on site.

Jason’s phone rang. “Mom?”

“Jase, they can’t find Gabe!”

“What do you mean they can’t find him? How the fuck did they lose him?”

“I don’t-I don’t know.” Her stutter broke my heart.

Me: Status check.

Fizzbo: Per Gabe’s friends, perp was last seen speaking to Gabe along perimeter fencing. Gabe didn’t check in for fifth hour after lunch break. Students spotted Gabe leaving with perp. Sarge and Frogman are tracking. Will update.

“Fuck.”

“Was that Wyatt?”

“Yes. Dana, Gabe was last seen talking to Paul during lunch and those same friends said he left school with him. We have two guards tracking them now.”

“Jase, my baby. We have to get my baby back.” Dana was a mess and rightly so. None of us here were much better off and it fucking killed me not being on the ground searching for our boy. Had Paul been bothering him for some time now and maybe that’s where Gabe’s anger stemmed from? Was he feeding Gabe lies about his mom and Jason?

“Sikes, get us home.” Snipe wasn’t fucking around. He loved these kids as much as I did and being this far away we were helpless. Not something either of us did well with. Even if Fizzbo told us to stay put, we wouldn’t. Fuck. That. Shit.

“On it.”

Me: How quickly can you get us to Seattle?

Fizzbo: Working on it now.

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