Devin's Daddy - Chapter 10
Matt hummed happily to himself as he drove home from the airport.
"Wonder if I should have called to let Jeff know my flight got delayed?" Matt thought to himself. "Naw. Jeff would have called on the cell phone if anything was wrong."
Still humming happily, he pulled into the driveway, and immediately stopped as he saw what appeared to be every cop car in Cameron parked in front of his house, which had lights gleaming from every window. Matt parked his car as close to the house as he could get, and muttering grimly to himself, he got out and strode towards the front door.
"So help me God, if anything's happened to Devin, I will kill my idiot brother with my own bare hands," Matt muttered under his breath.
Matt yanked open the front door and was about to enter, when a rookie put out his hand and said, "Excuse me sir, but I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave. No one but family are allowed in here right now."
Matt gritted his teeth and said, "I am family. My name is Matt Hardy and I live here. What in the world is going on?"
The rookie eyed him suspiciously and said, "Could I see some ID please?"
Matt pulled out his wallet and threw his driver's license at the rookie. The cop caught it, stared at it for a moment, and then handed it back to Matt.
"Sorry about that, sir. We have a bad situation here, and we have to be pretty careful. The rest of the family is in the kitchen with the Chief."
Matt checked his anger, smiled, and said, "Thank you."
He headed into the kitchen, where he saw Jeff, Amy, and his dad sitting at the kitchen table talking with the Chief of Police for Cameron. Jeff had his head in his hands, clearly upset.
He didn't look up as he moaned, "I can't believe I let him go outside. Matt's gonna kill me. Hell, I would want to kill me, too. God, I hope that bitch doesn't hurt Devin."
Matt felt a finger of fear stab him and gasped. Jeff looked up, saw Matt, and turned whiter than a sheet. He quickly got up from his chair, and hid behind his dad. "I know I deserve it, dad, but please ask Matt not to kill me," Jeff begged his father.
His dad looked at him not unkindly and said, "Well son, I love you both very much, but I quit trying to step between the two of you a long time ago. I promise I won't let him kill you, and I don't think the Chief here would take too kindly to the idea, but if Matt wants to beat the tar out of you, I might just look the other way."
Jeff gasped in disbelief as Matt said pleadingly, "Will someone please tell me what in the world is going on here?"
Everyone starting talking at once. The Chief tried to explain, Jeff was begging for forgiveness, Amy was pleading Matt not to be too hard on Jeff, and their dad just sat back and starting counting softly, "One, two, three..."
"Shut up!" Matt yelled at the top of his lungs.
Everyone quieted down.
"Thank you," Matt said sarcastically.
"Now, one person at a time. Jeff?"
"Well, Devin asked me if he could go out, and I told him no at first. I was trying to take a nap because me head was aching so damn bad, and he was making a racket, so I told him he could go out for a little bit, but to stay in the yard. I thought he was playing in the yard, but Amy pointed out he had been out there a long time in the cold, so we decided to go look for him, and we found this." Jeff handed Matt the note Mandy had left.
Matt read the note in the clear evidence bag, and handed it to the Chief, his hand shaking. "And after that?" Matt asked quietly.
"We called the police," Amy said. "Then Jeff called your dad. We tried to reach you on the cell phone, but it wouldn't go through."
"My flight got delayed," Matt explained. "We were probably landing right about then, and I had the phone off."
Matt looked at the Chief and said, "I don't mean to be rude Chief, but what are your men still doing here? Why aren't they out looking for my son?"
"Some of them are son," Mr. Roberts said. "The ones here are finishing up the forensic evidence of the crime scene, and I had planned to leave a couple of rookies to make sure no one but family gets in the house. I've already spoken to the state police, and they've set up roadblocks and stationed some of their men at the airports. We'll find him, don't you worry."
The Chief stood up and headed for the front hall. He stopped and looked Matt dead in the face.
"I've got to get out there and help coordinate the search. Now, I don't want to hear any word about you killing your brother there. He didn't mean any harm, I reckon, but if it's an asswhupping you've got in mind, guess I don't need to worry too much about that."
The Chief slapped Matt on the back and left. Matt could hear him snapping orders at the rookie that was posted at the front door as he turned his deadliest look on Jeff.
"Amy, dad, maybe you'd be kind enough to leave me and Jeff alone for a few minutes," Matt growled. "Seems like we've got a few things to discuss."
Amy started to protest, but Matt's dad hushed her and quickly pulled her out of the kitchen. Jeff stood in the middle of the kitchen, rooted to the ground, scared stiff.
Matt walked up to his brother until he was so close they could breathe the same air.
"Don't worry little brother, I'm not going to hurt you. Yet."
"What can I do, Matt? You know I would give my life for Devin!" Jeff said.
"And you will if he gets hurt," Matt vowed. "I'm not going to touch you now, but if Devin isn't found, or if he's hurt..."
Jeff didn't need Matt to put it into words. He knew his life wasn't worth shit if his nephew wasn't found safe. He swallowed nervously, and nodded his head in understanding. Matt gave him one last look, and then left the kitchen. Jeff collasped into a seat like a wet noodle.
"Why me?" Jeff moaned. "Why does this shit always have to happen to me? Why can't God pick on some other unsuspecting bastard?"
Jeff buried his head in his hands and wept, sick, exhausted, and worried about his nephew.
Somewhere In Virginia
"I still don't understand why we're headed north Randy," Mandy whined.
Randy glanced at her in thinly veiled disgust and said, "I've told ya a million times already. The cops will be looking for us all over North Carolina by now. You said this Matt guy found out everything about us, so they probably know we live in Vegas. They'll expect us to head west, or for an airport. They won't expect us to head north. Plus, I've got a friend who owns a place in the mountains here in Virginia. We can hide out there until things cool down."
"Well, you know what's best I supose," Mandy said.
"And don't you forget it girl," Randy warned her.
Devin whimpered in the backseat.
"Can't ya keep your brat quiet?" Randy snarled. "These mountain roads are dangerous! I need ta concentrate!"
"I'm sorry Randy," Mandy said quickly. "He's probably tired."
Mandy turned around to look at Devin. "Hush now darling. I know you're tired and confused, but we'll be somewhere you can rest soon, I promise."
Devin looked at her as if she had grown two heads. "I don't know you," he said hotly. "Either of you. And when my dad hears about this, you're gonna be in a world of trouble!"
"Mandy..." Randy growled warningly.
Mandy looked at Devin, frightened, and said shakily, "Of course you know me honey. I'm your mom. And this is your stepfather. We're going to take care of you now."
"I don't have a mother!" Devin exclaimed. "She left me with my dad years ago, and even if you are her, I don't want you! I want my dad!"
Smack!
Devin choked back a cry as Randy backhanded him.
"I warned ya Mandy. Ya keep the brat quiet, or I will," Randy growled.
"He'll be quiet Randy," Mandy said rapidly. "Won't you baby?"
"Yeah," Devin said sullenly, rubbing his cheek.
"I'll be quiet," Devin thought to himself. "Until the first cop comes around!"
The unhappy trio sped into the mountains of Virginia.