Dark Days

Missing

©JRF2016

Darrick grabs his rifle and heads to the front door. Reid grabs his arm and he glares at him. "Lemme go Reid," Darrick sneers, "I gotta find the boy's momma."

"Darrick, it's getting dark already. You're not going to be able to track in the dark. We'll head out at first light." Darrick glances out the door and notices the sunlight fading fast. He sets his rifle back down and drops his face inside his palm. Rachel walks up hugging him as they sit down. "Why are you just sittin' here? We gotta find my momma! We're gonna lose 'em!" Conner puts his big hand on top of the boy's head as he stands up and pulls him in close to his chest. "Don't worry boy, me and your dad over there are the best trackers this side of the Mississippi, we'll be able to track 'em in the mornin'. Get some sleep, we gotta get an early start." The boy doesn't like it but he grabs the blanket off his bed and curls up on the couch next to his father.

He had told his young son to get some sleep but it wasn't happening for Darrick. He kept wondering if they hadn't left her, if they hadn't been over there with Reid, Rachel and the lot of them then he would have been here to protect her. They, whoever they are, wouldn't have taken her. He wouldn't have let that happen. He was just hoping that Mason knew that. He was hoping that Mason didn't blame him. He looks down at the boy lying on the opposite end of the couch, sleeping restlessly, and runs two fingers across the boy's forehead brushing a few strands of his sandy hair out of his eyes. "Momma," He mumbles as his eyes twitch under his tightly closed lids, "Where are you momma?" His question trails as it turns to whimpers. Darrick could feel his heart break as he saw a little bit if himself in the sleeping child.  

"Momma," a young Darrick ran through the ragged trailer he called home, "Where are you momma?"  The place was a wreck; it was obvious to the young boy that his mother had just received yet another beating from his father.  He felt like crying today, he had beat on her and Darrick wasn't there to help her and now he can't find her.  His father had always told him that boys don't cry.  He needed to man up and quit being a little pussy. Even now that's why he wouldn't show emotion. He couldn't, it had been beat out of him. He finally found her leaning against the counter with her head down.  He knew she was crying even though she tried to hide it.  "Are you okay, momma?" 

"Aww, baby, I'm fine."  He scowled at her and she quickly realized her mistake and corrected herself, "I'm fine, big guy."  This appeased the hardened young Darrick.  "Momma, I wanna be able to protect you.  I wanna stop him from hurting you again.  We should leave."  She smiled at her son, her hand resting on his small cheek, as her thumb ran across his face. 

"Darrick, wake up!"  Darrick jumps up to his feet swinging his fist as Conner dodges it.  As soon as he realizes what is happening he speaks to his baby brother.  "Sorry baby brother, we ready to go?"  He nods. They grabbed their gear and start out the door.  Darrick feel a tiny hand grab his own and looks down into Mason's bright eyes.  "I'm going too," he says firmly.  Conner opens his mouth to object when Darrick stops him.  "We were about his age when we started going out alone hunting."  Darrick slides his arm around the boy's shoulder, "Besides, it is his momma. He needs to go."

"Alright boy, but you better keep up.  Stay close to me or your daddy.  We can't have you gettin' lost too."  The boy smiles and nods to his uncle.

{Becky's POV}  She could hear muffled voices and shuffling footsteps but she could not tell where she was at.  She had been asleep on her own bed, but she knew that this was not it. She remembered waking for a brief moment to realize someone was carrying her over their shoulder before she passed out again.  She could feel the cloth on her face now.  Her eyes were covered and the fabric tied tightly around her face smelled so foul.  Like sweat, dried blood, mildew and various other smells she couldn't quite place, and wasn't sure if she wanted to.  The way the voices were muffled it was like there was a wall in between them and her.  She stayed deathly quiet and strained her ears to try and make out what they were saying.  She finally made a sound out, it was flesh upon flesh.  Someone was really getting pounded over there.  "Ryan stop before you kill the dude!  We need him if we're gonna get back in there and take that place!"  So there's someone else from their town, she deduced, she hoped.  Who was it and could she somehow communicate with them?  She heard their footsteps leaving that room and stopping in front of where she was.  She heard a door open and the men walk in.  She swung her head back and forth at where she believed the two men to be judging by the sounds of their feet on the hard concrete floor.  She could tell that one of them was kneeling beside her now.  She could tell by his stench alone, he obviously hadn't had a shower in a while.  Probably since everything went down.  She let out a little whimper as she thought about the glorious shower she had inside that house in back home.  She could feel in the pit of her stomach that she may never feel the water pulsing out of that shower head again.  She pulled her head back as the man pulled the blindfold off her face.  Her eyes locked on his as soon as that dank rag was off her head and she stared into them for a second before glancing over at the other man.  "Damn," the one kneeling next to her said, "You are a pretty little gal.  I think I'm gonna keep her, Jeremy."  Becky looked down at the man's hands and finally noticed the blood still staining them.  He must be the Ryan guy next door beating up whoever they had held in that room.  He reached over and brushed his hand across her cheek.  She jerked her head back falling against the wall behind her.  "My boy," she finally uttered as the man stood up, "Is my boy here too?"