When You Were Mine (Stone Lake 2)

I close my eyes. The pain is too intense. I swallow down my misery, knowing that me falling apart isn’t going to help my son.

“Go. Go get with Ben. Figure out how to get our son back,” I tell him, my voice so inhumanly raw that I don’t recognize it.

“You… I need to make sure you are—”

“I don’t matter, Gavin,” I tell him, reaching out to hold the side of his face. “Just save our son,” I urge him.

I don’t have a lot of hope, but I’ve loved this man for most of my life and if anyone can bring Joshua back to me it would be Gavin.

“I will, I promise, Luna,” he vows, and I can see the same pain and worry I feel etched on his face, but he’s fighting through it to do what needs to be done. I need to do the same; I need to be strong. I swipe at the tears on my face, and nod encouragingly, swallowing down the sobs that want free. Gavin watches me closely for a minute and then he kisses me, a kiss that’s sweet despite the saltiness of my tears that overpower it. I watch as he walks over to Ben and the other deputies. A couple other men have shown up recently, and I don’t know them, but I’m pretty sure they’re FBI.

I hear them all talking about dividing the town up in perimeters and examining them in groups of two. I guess that makes sense, but it just seems like it would take way too long to get results. I pull out my phone as an idea hits me. I’ve been looking at this as a mother, not as the Mayor. I have pull. I need to get helicopters in here. They can scan the area quickly without wasting manpower and might be able to let Gavin and Ben know where they need to search first. I’m just about to call the Governor’s private number when I get a text from Joshua’s phone. My hand shakes, and I bite my lip so intently the coppery sting of blood seeps into my mouth.

I run my thumb over the message so I can view it, my heart not beating, it feels like it’s frozen.

“If you want to see your son alive again come alone to the old high school. If you have anyone with you, or cops tailing you, Joshua is dead. You have ten minutes. If you aren’t here by then, then you can blame yourself for Joshua’s death.”

I read it, looking over at Gavin and the men still talking. I have two choices, but one choice will be gambling with my son’s life and I’m not prepared to do that. I’m not stupid enough to think that I can do this on my own, but I need to get there first to at least distract whoever this is. I walk to Gavin’s desk and grab a pen and a piece of paper from it. I jot down really quick where I’ve gone. Then, try to figure out really quick how to get Gavin the message so he reads it after I’m gone and not before. I fold it up and walk over to Myrtle.

“I’ve got a migraine. I’m going to go lay down on the sofa in Ben’s office. Can you make sure Gavin gets this if he starts wondering where I am?”

“I sure will, honey.”

“Thanks, Myrtle,” I whisper, then glance over my shoulder one last time. I walk to Ben’s private office. He doesn’t use it much, preferring a desk out front with all his men, so I know it will be empty. I also know there’s a door that leads out back to the alley by it.

I quickly make my way out and then sprint to my car. I have to get to Joshua; I just hope this whole thing doesn’t backfire on me…

Gavin

“Nothing?” I ask Myrtle as Kingston and I make it back. We’ve been out combing over Roy’s house and the land surrounding it for the last two hours. We’ve also not found one damn thing. There’s not one sign of Joshua or the fucker who took him. No sign of Juniper either and she’s still not answering her cell.

“Sorry, Gavin. The other guys have come up empty too. Danson is still down at the old dock, but so far, any place you frequented when you lived here years ago is empty.”

“We’re coming up empty on any of the places that Joshua might be drawn to, also,” one of the deputies adds.

“He couldn’t have just disappeared,” I growl, frustration and desperation warring with each other inside of me. “Do we still have roadblocks set up on all the roads in and out of Stone Lake?” I ask Kingston, but I already know the answer.