CHAPTER 10

"Mr. Collins? Andrew?" Beth poked her head in the office door after a brief knock, "Just got a call from the city police. There has possibly been another abduction."

Andrew felt his heart sink. He had been dreading this moment, this possibility, "What do we know?"

"Eight year old boy was found missing from his bed this morning. Bedroom window was left open. The police are already on the scene and the officer who called said it sounds like our guy."

Andrew and Ben Collins were already grabbing their badges and Ben holstered his gun, "Andrew, your gun."

The angel looked at the object he had been avoiding and nodded his head. He hated the mere thought of carrying it, but knew he had little choice, "Do we have the address, Beth?"

"Yeah, 1245 Forrest Drive in Edgewood."

His heart nearly exploded in his chest. He knew that address, "What is the child's name?" His voice was tight and great sorrow had infected his soul.

"Aiden Clark."

x

"You should have been here!" Josh's angry voice echoed through the house as he stood face to face with his father.

"Son, it would have happened anyway…we don't even know what happened to Aiden. He could turn up any minute now."

"Or he could be gone forever!"

"Josh, please," Monica's voice pleaded with him as Jane clung to her as they sat on the couch. The little girl had broken into frightened tears with the angry words between her brother and father.

But Josh was not willing to be silenced now that his anger was emerging due to the tremendous fear he was feeling, "You are never here when we need you! Never! You are more attached to your office than you are to any of us!"

"Joshua!" Laura tried to intervene despite her own frightened tears over the fact that her son was missing.

"Mom, you know it's true! He sleeps here! We may as well be called the Hotel Clark!"

"That's enough," Ted managed to keep his voice controlled, though it was trembled with both frustration and fear.

"No dad! Why is it enough? Because you say so?"

Andrew's eyes grew wide as he and Ben walked in the house and he surveyed the situation. Laura Clark was crying, Ted and Josh Clark were all but screaming at each other while Jane cried in Monica's arms and his angelic wife looked on the verge of tears herself. Her helpless look went right straight to his heart.

"Mr. and Mrs. Clark, my name is Andrew and this is Ben. We're from the Save our Children Law Enforcement Agency."

Andrew's forceful words were enough to stop the bitter argument and for that he was grateful and he could tell by the expression on Monica's face that she was as well.

"Mr. and Mrs. Clark, could you show me Aiden's room, please?" Ben stepped forward now that some semblance of order existed.

As the frantic couple led the way up the stairs, Josh stormed out the front door and Andrew was able to give his angel a few precious moments.

"Shh, wee Jane," The little angel had been rocking the weeping child in her arms and now it appeared Jane had cried herself into a light sleep, still cradled in Monica's arms.

Monica forced back tears as her beloved husband knelt in front of her, unable to release her emotions when she saw the broken look in his green eyes. He didn't need to deal with her pain as well as his own.

"You'll find him," She offered, her encouragement only overshadowed by the tremble in her voice.

Her words and her attempted strength caused great guilt to flow through him as he reached up and squeezed her knee, telling her with his eyes all he wanted her to know; that he loved her, that they could not speak freely here, that he would do all he could to bring Aiden home safely.

"Tell me what happened." Andrew instructed softly as he released his hold on her knee lest someone enter into the room.

"All the kids were in bed when I got here this morning. Jane and Josh came downstairs for breakfast but Aiden didn't…and I got worried so I went up to check on him. He was gone…the bed sheets were stretched out across the floor and the window…was open." the pain in his eyes upon those words felt as if it were ripping her heart apart, "We looked all over the house for him before we called the police and their parents, but…he isn't here, Andrew. I know he isn't." Against her will, a tear escaped her eye and she carefully reached around Jane to wipe it away, "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Andrew stated firmly as he rose to his feet. Glancing around the room and seeing no one, he laid a tender hand against her cheek before he slowly and with defeat visible in his posture walked upstairs to join his partner.

She was unable to help but to release a tiny sob once he was out of earshot.