Ben (The Sherwood)

“There has to be another way,” Matt declared.

AJ snorted. “I know you have feelings for the woman, but would you risk our mother’s life for a piece of ass, Matt.”

That caused an explosion between my two brothers. Matt shoved AJ. Heath had to get between them to stop any further altercations.

“She’s a human being,” Disa said.

She was right.

“Not a piece of property that you just turn over without conscious thought of what he will do to her. Not that I want anything to happen to Rachel. I also happen to love your mother.”

“I agree with Disa,” Elijah said. “You can’t just give this woman back to him. We need to call Dad and get him home, so we can tell him what happened.”

“This is what happened,” AJ snapped throwing the picture in front of Elijah.

My brother was a sensitive soul. He was tender and kind to most people. He stood and handed the picture back to AJ. There were tears in his eyes. “You are a dick AJ. You always have been one.” He walked out of the dining room and Jenny went after him.

Matt called Dad and told him he had to come home. I didn’t even want to see his reaction. My mother was terrified. I had never seen her afraid of anything. She was bound and gagged and tossed in a corner in a dingy room. A room that had no clues as to where she was being held and she was afraid. That fact tore my heart out. I didn’t like it that my mother was afraid.

I called her doctor’s office. “What are you doing?” Matt asked. “Finding out if she made it to her appointment,” I told him.

The receptionist answered my questions only because she knew me well. Mom hadn’t made the appointment. “Is she, all right?” Betty Sue Donaldson asked me.

“She’s fine Betty. I’m sure. Probably a flat tire. You know Mom. She’s always leaving her phone somewhere and can’t call home or cancel her appointments when things come up.”

She chuckled and agreed with me. Then I disconnected the call and laid my phone on the table beside the empty envelope. “So, she was taken some time, after she left the house at two this afternoon and four-thirty when I tried to call her after court. Her appointment was at three forty-five.” My brothers agreed with my timing estimation not that it helped us any.

Dad arrived fifteen minutes later. I could see the worry on his face before he even saw the picture that AJ handed to him. To say that he was stricken didn’t begin to cover his reaction. My father slipped into an empty chair to keep from falling to his knees.

I slid the letter across the table to him. He read it then AJ told him what he had told us, “I say we give Ron Parson what he wants. Lilah,” he repeated.

Dad shook his head. He rubbed his hands over his eyes which were watery and sad. The man was lost right now. “AJ if only it were that simple. He’ll kill your mother and Lilah.”

“How do you know that?” He snapped at Dad and leaned on his hands, both palms flat on the table by our father.

“Ben, call Hawk.”

Dad got up and got the whiskey out of the cabinet behind the table. He poured himself a shot downed it and poured another. “I left Seth in charge of the bar. I hope he’s ready for this.”

“Dad, how do you know?” AJ asked.

Our father snorted at AJ. “He can’t have any witnesses AJ. You aren’t stupid. Once he has Lilah. He won’t need your mother.”

Hawk was at home. He sounded terrible, coughing and sneezing as he answered his personal cell. “Hawk, I know you’re sick, but Ron Parson has Mom.”

“Fuck,” he coughed then he sneezed. “I told those boys to leave shit alone, but they just couldn’t listen. I’ll be right there.”

The women left the room with the babies since Hawk sounded like he was dying. AJ let him in the house when he arrived ten minutes later.

Dad poured him a whiskey shot. If this kept up, I might want one too. He looked at the letter then he looked at the picture of Mom. He blew his nose then he looked at Heath.

“Well, Heath, AJ what are you going to do to get your mother back because your dad is right…if you give him Lilah, Rachel is as good as dead.”

THE END