Page 53 of Dying to Meet You

We tackle one another, rolling back to strike the wall. I’ve got an arm around his neck before I realize who I’m fighting. I don’t let go, adrenaline coursing through me. “Scholl?”

“Get off me.” He pushes back on me. “Let go.”

Very slowly, I release him.

We try speaking at the same time. “What are you-”

“Fuck, what’s goi-”

He tells me he knew he’d find me here. That whatever I think I’m doing, all I’m going to accomplish is getting myself killed.

So be it. But I’ll find Weston first and get him home safely.

We both stand. Before I can question if he’s here working, I see a piece of paper sitting on the metal cart inside the lab room. “What’s that?”

“I hadn’t looked around the lab yet. I saw someone out of the corner of my eye and ducked in here.” Matt joins me at the cart, looking down at the note.

In block print:Two down. In the lab across the hall, find the tablet. Weston wants to say hi.

I’m seeing red. Two? Does that mean Eden or one of the other kids has been grabbed?

Blood drains from Matt’s face, and my body feels like it’s going to explode when we pick up the tablet and hit play. Weston’s beautiful little face fills the screen. A noise of frustration comes from Matt.

Our son smiles and says, “Hi, Daddy H! Ai…” His face bunches up, finger scratching the side of his nose. “Aishi-Aishitemasu. That means I love you in Japanese.”

“Oh my God.” Matt groans next to me. “Wha-”

I cut him off, my voice rough with emotion, “Shut up.”

We may miss a clue if he blabs while it’s playing. The instant Weston appeared on the screen, my chest felt constricted.

A digitized voice can be heard off camera saying, “Weston, what do you want your daddy to know?”

His eyes widen looking at the person speaking. He clasps his hands together as he squirms in his seat. “Daddy? Can I come home now?” Matt slams his hand into the cabinet next to us swearing under his breath. I’m imagining making the kidnapper’s death as horrifying as possible.

The voice’s tone changes, getting sterner. “That’s not what you were told to say, Weston, was it?”

He shakes his head slowly before saying, “Thirty-nine. Star black. Three down.” The words are said carefully, like he had to commit them to memory.

Thirty-nine…minutes the security camera was down?

Star black…Starlit Fleet blacked-out SUV?

Three down…three of us taken?

I can feel my pulse raging, and Matt looks like he’s ready to help me put the kidnappers in the grave.

The screen goes dark.

“That’s it?!” His eyes look wild. “That’s all?!”

The voice was digitized, making it unrecognizable…male or female? Was it masked because we know this person or simply to protect them until they reveal themselves? Weston was uncomfortable but not scared…even when they were more forceful.

He knows them. I touch the ninja action figure of Weston’s I’ve been carrying in my pocket.

Matt is hitting the play button on a rant about the sadistic mind games being played. I’m running it all through my head…it’s a puzzle. We know who this person is…

I grab Matt’s arm. “I know where Weston is.”

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