Julian continues to stand towering over me as I sit on the curb. “He’s here.” Julian motions for us sit in the car, so we can talk in private. “We need to come up with a plan.”
“Well, the fat fuck at the front desk doesn’t give answers with cash.”
“Then, we wait.”
We sit quietly, waiting as we watch all the motel rooms hoping for a sign of Andy. I call Charlotte briefly, letting her know where we are, and what is happening. She doesn’t ask too many questions, trusting our handle on the situation.
“Adriana’s asleep. I slipped a pill into her coffee that your mom gave me from your dad’s prescriptions. It won’t last long, though. Please be careful,” she pleads. “And I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I whisper into the speaker.
I hang up the cell and tell Julian that Adriana is sleeping. Amidst the conversation, a motel door opens. A man dressed in a caramel-colored velour tracksuit exits the motel room carrying a can of beer. The dirty scum walks over to the vending machine and nervously looks around. It’s the same man on the video, the mole blatantly obvious as Julian points out. He walks back to the room and closes the door behind him.
Julian and I give each other a look and get out of the car, quietly walking toward the room. I place my ear on the door and hear the sounds of the television. On the count of three, we lean against the door, then force it open barging into the room, The man panics, scurrying to the bathroom and tripping on a suitcase in the middle of the floor.
Julian follows him and grabs his jacket, slamming him against the wall as he yells for help.
“Tell us where Andy is, or you can kiss this life goodbye,” Julian grunts.
“I don’t… I don’t know,” he stammers, shaking his body trying to release himself from J
ulian’s grip.
I lean up against him and place my hand under his neck as Julian holds him against the wall. My grip is tight and choking him to death seems inevitable.
“Tell us now,” I spit back, directly into his face.
He coughs, almost blue in the face. “The next town over. They aren’t here… I swear!”
Julian drops him to the floor, and his body slams against the dirty tile. I’m just about to kick him in the ribs when Julian beats me to it, the man curling over as he begins to cough up blood.
Serves him right, piece of worthless shit!
He catches his breath enough to explain that it wasn’t his idea, that Mary Jean was desperate to take Andy. He only agreed to the plan because she paid him five thousand dollars.
Adriana’s five thousand dollars.
Julian takes his belt off and wraps it around the man’s wrist. I push him out of the room and shove the scum into my backseat warning him if we don’t find Andy, we’ll dump him in the desert for the vultures to feed off him.
It’s only thirty minutes to the next town, but I make it in fifteen, driving at record speed. The sleepy motel appears over the hill, and we pull into the driveway, the gravel hitting the tires as I slam my foot on the brakes. This time, the front desk is manned by an older lady. She hunches as she walks to the counter, lifting her head to look at the photograph Julian holds of Andy. At first, she is reluctant, and then she nods. We beg her for information, and I hand over another wad of cash. She refuses, pushing it back toward me and writes something on a piece of paper. The number says room thirteen. I smile graciously, and we rush out the door in search for room thirteen.
It’s down the very back corner, and as soon as we’re there, I close my eyes for a split second and pray to heaven above that Andy is alive and safe. We repeat our actions, barging our way through the door with our bodies. The room is silent, and immediately I’m drawn to Andy, lying on the bed curled into a ball. I rush over to him and check his breathing. He is asleep.
Relief washes over me as I fall to my knees thanking the Lord he has protected my little boy. I take count of his body, making sure his limbs, fingers, toes, and every part of him is intact. Dressed in his favorite superhero pajamas, he continues to sleep quietly and peacefully.
Julian is standing above Mary Jean. He looks at me, tormented and riddled with guilt as his face falls. Careful not to wake Andy yet, I walk to where Julian is standing and notice the empty bottle of pills beside her. Julian feels her pulse and shakes his head at me.
She is gone.
Beside her, there is a note. I pick it up, taking a deep breath before reading it.
Adriana,
Please forgive me for my mistakes and what led me to this moment. They say there is no greater pain than to bear a child, but burying your own son is much greater.
Every time I stare into Andy’s eyes, I see my baby boy, Elijah. It hurts me every single day, and I can’t escape the grief nor the guilt for still breathing when my son is no longer given the chance.
I know you will take care of my grandson.