Chapter Text
The Missing
By Little Wing
"Think that she's had enough of us today?" Gabriel Patterson asked as he and Judson followed behind their beautiful friend and business associate.
"It's possible that she's just tired of you," Judson Cross said, laughing inwardly at how much energy his young friend had. Gabe's voice was the only bright spot; only half of the street lamps were on and those gave off a dull glow barely lighting the street.
"No way!" The smile gracing his lips was full and showing all of his pearly white teeth.
"I'm tired of both of you actually," she said not turning to face either of them. Smiling to herself she said, "especially you, Gabe." Ribbing him every so often was just so much fun. She could tell that he hated it, but he went along with it and had even gotten very good at handing it back.
"Ouch!" Judson said with a laugh, watching Gabe's reaction to the hard comment.
"That hurts!" He exclaimed as he quickly covered his heart with both hands and doubled over with a pretend wound.
"And you guys wonder why I'm tired of ya," she half laughed, as Judson and Gabe's laughter caught her.
"Awe, come on, Mac, ya know you love us." Judson quickened his pace to catch her.
"And what gave you that idea." She looked at him a twinkle of laughter in her blue eyes. "I thought that Gabe was right behind us?" She suddenly stopped.
"He was," Judson turned to look behind him. There was no one there. His heart began to race as his green eyes scanned the street for their young friend. Nothing. There had been no noise, no sound of a struggle, not even a sign of a struggle. There was just the empty street and the newly dampened pavement glistening in the dim street lamps. "Gabe?" He moved away from his spot next to Mac and back toward where he'd left Gabe. Where could he've gone? He thought as he moved about the street like a distraught father looking for his lost child.
"Judson," he heard Mac shout from further up the street. She was waving something at him. Quickly he moved toward her, hoping that she'd found something.
"Find something?" he closed the gap between them as he spoke. He could see that the object she'd been waving at him was an envelope.
"Saying that it's a clue wouldn't be saying much," she handed him the thin white envelope, "it had your name on it."
Taking a deep breath, Judson tore open the envelope exposing a single slip of paper folded in half. Carefully he removed the paper from the envelope and unfolded it. Scanning it quickly he stopped breathing. He had to scan over the note a second time to make sure that he'd read it correctly the first time; he had.
"What's it say?" she reached for the note. There was no way for him to say what was printed upon the piece of paper held firmly in his grasp.
END PART 1