Chapter 12
Sunlight woke him up. It was coming through the window and shining right on his face. Clarity was slowly coming to Taylor's mind as he realized the handcuffs were still on him and he was sitting in a chair with wheels, like a desk chair. His legs were tied now, to the chair. My brain hurts, he thought. When he rolled his head back it hurt terribly as did his neck. He guessed he'd spent the night with his chin on his chest in this chair. The least they could have done was lay him down. Now, not only was he a hostage, but he was sore everywhere. And thirsty. And hungry, he hadn't gotten to eat that burger or drink that shake last night. He was beginning to remember last night very clearly now. He hoped his brother was alright.
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Isaac looked over at Zac, finally asleep on the couch of their parents hotel room. He hadn't seen him cry like that since he'd accidentally killed their pet turtle by putting his mother's best perfume in the water because it had begun to stink. He'd been inconsolable then and he was now too. Isaac felt just as bad but he hadn't wanted Zac to see him cry. He felt responsible as much, if not more so than his younger brother. He was the oldest, he should have been with them.
And if he hadn't wanted to call that girl... Damn! He had really liked her too. Lee was different than most of the girls they met. He knew she knew exactly who he was, but she didn't seem to care one way or the other. And she made him laugh. Guilty or not, he decided he needed to talk to her again. He needed to talk to someone and his parents were busy with Zac and the police and all. Zac didn't need to be going over it again or be feeling worse than he already was, and he wasn't sure what the younger ones knew yet. He knew his parents wanted to explain it to them in their own way. He picked up the phone and dialed the same numbers that only hours before his now missing brother had given him. After two rings someone picked it up—her mother probably. "Hello?"
"Um, is Lee there?"
"No, she's not, she's at work. Can I take a message?"
"Yeah, could you tell her Ike called?"
"Sure thing."
"OK, thanks, bye."
"Goodbye."
He hung up the phone and stepped over to the window. There was the city looking just like it always did. But now, he knew his brother was out in it with two people who had God knows what planned for him. Why didn't they just call and ask for ransom or whatever so they could get it over with?
"Ike?" He nearly jumped out of his skin. When he turned, his sister Jessica was standing next to him looking out the same window.
"What's going on? Where do you think Tay is?"
"I don't know honey bunny.
I wish I did. I wish I did."
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