30Chapter 3: Hot Water
Unless I was there I would have never believed that Blubber boy could kick down a door, let alone lift up his leg in that fashion. Never in a million years, and apparently nether did his partner Walrus Man. We both stood opened mouth, a look of shock embedded our each of our faces as the cheap motel bathroom door came down with a crash, a cloud of dust and paint chips left hanging in the air.
Blubber boy ran into the room, gun drawn and ready for action. It wasn't until then did Walrus man and I realize the seriousness of the situation as he began drawing out his own gun too and I began my escape. I knew it was long past time to cut my losses and make a break for it. Oh shit! Sam please be safe! I prayed as I took one last look around the room and made a break for the front door. But blocking the way was an angry and red-faced motel manager. I froze like a deer caught in front of a cars light. I knew I was already to late.
"You little brat! You're not going anywhere!" He yelled as he threw a wild punch in my direction.
I tried to move out of the way but failed as his fist landed into my chest knocking the wind out of me and pushing me to the floor. I knew damn well Walrus man wasn't far behind. Panic was quickly taking affect of me as I gasped for air. I looked up and screamed as he tried yet another attack on me.
"AAAHHH!" I cried as the manager charged at me like an angry bull. I threw a hard kick into his thick chest with deadly force. He crumbled to the ground, the wind knock out of him. In the back of my mind I wondered if I used a little too much force.
"Paybacks a bitch. Huh?" I whispered as I got to my feet.
It was at that moment that I felt walrus man jump on top of me, pinning me to the ground. All of his weight seemed to suck the life right out of me. I gasped for air and thrashed out in vain. I'm going to die, I thought as I struggled to breathe.
"Get off me you great …" I gasped, but never got to finish the sentence as I felt the handcuff's snap shut around my wrist.
Sam! I thought. Let him be okay. My eyes flickered to the bathroom door as Blubber boy came charging out. No Sam! I smiled slightly as I gave in to the cops request.
"The other kid's getting away!" He yelled as he help the manager up. The manger gave him a funny look as he climbed slowly to his feet.
"What's going on?" He yelled, obviously annoyed that he had no idea what was happening.
Blubber boy ignored him and picked up his phone and began to call for backup. I knew things had just gotten a whole lot worse for me. I listen carefully to make sure I was right about Sam.
"We've got the older brother, but the younger one jumped out the window," He said to whoever he was talking to.
There was some static on the other end and then some words that I couldn't make out. Blubber boy's face turned red. Well, redder than it had been.
"No, he's gotten away, and we need backup!" He yelled into the receiver.
There was some more talking, and I gave up trying to make sense of it. He put the phone away.
"Where did your brother go?" He yelled at me. I was leaning up against the side of the bed red face and exhausted. I didn't exactly know what to say.
So I smiled. "I don't know." Hey, it was all I could come up with. Looking back, I could have said Wal-Mart. I could have said anything.
"We're taking you in for questioning, and resisting arrest!" Walrus man grumbled as he pulled me to my feet. "Maybe then you'll talk."
"Aren't you going to tell me my rights?" I asked smugly.
They ignored me as they dragged me outside. There was a bunch of people in their pajamas watching to see what was going on. Great, I thought, I'm famous. They put me into the patrol car, which, incidentally, smelled of doughnuts. Jelly doughnuts. I smiled as the irony of it all sunk in. Doughnuts, I scoffed. Touché.
The ride to the station was a quiet one. No one spoke a word to me after I told them what was so funny. Hey they asked, and after that I didn't bother supplying a conversation. Instead I listened closely to the police radio. They had no idea where Sam was or how old he was. They were out there looking for a 10 year old with black hair. Yeah, real smart! I thought. Seeing how Sammy was 13 and has brown hair and a fever. But he had to be safe, I was sure of it, but what about me? How was I supposed to get out of this? Did dad expect me to automatically know what to do if we got in trouble because of him? Sometimes I felt he wanted to much out of me. I thought as we drove into the police station parking lot.
I was in the 'interrogation room', which in this case, since it was a small town and these weren't exactly detectives, consisted of a chair, a table, and a coffee machine. A box of half eaten doughnuts sat on the table, though no one was thinking of eating any right now. In other word their break room.
"I'm going to ask you one more time, where is your father?" Walrus man blubbered at me.
He had asked the same question for the last hour and we were both beginning to lose are patience. I would answer, "I don't know."
And he would go get himself a cup of coffee after every few tries. It was driving me nuts but it was sort of funny.
"I don't know." I said again, smiling. I could see I was getting to him. I had thought he was going to get serious, but it seemed that this was going to be a piece of cake. Or so I thought.
"Where is your brother? You must be worried about him?" Blubber Boy asked from a corner of the room his arms crossed over his chest a smug look on his face.
I frowned as dangerous thoughts flooded my head. Sam is fine. He is with Uncle Bobby and he is fine. I kept repeating it over and over again in my head. But deep down I knew he wasn't, he was all alone out there in the dark. God he hated the dark. Not so much the dark but what hid in it. Please be all right, I prayed.
"Hey are you listening to me?"
I was getting ready to say something funny as the door behind me swung open relieving a happy looking cop. What is it time to quit already? I thought, puzzled by his happiness.
"We got him!" he said as if it was Christmas morning and he had just received what he wanted.
"Who?" Walrus man and blubber boy asked. As I swerved my head in his direction. Did they have Sam? I thought.I prayed it wasn't, that Sam was still free and maybe on his way to Bobby's.
"The Father. We caught him at the motel. He put up a fight, but he's being taken to the hospital."
"What?" I screamed as I jumped out of my chair and at the guy.
Dad, no not dad! We need you. Sam needs you. I need you. Dad, please be okay. My mind flashed to the night mom died when Dad said he would always be there for us. As we watched the house burn. Please be okay Dad!