Chapter 98:  A Preemptive Strike

The Living Room, The Rawsone Residence, Denver, Colorado....

Julia Rawsone could barely believe her ears as she stood in the center of her kitchen with her parents, her father in law, and Maureen in attendance as Det. Gordon informed them that they had found something that appeared to have been a farm in the Bortnik family records and that once he concluded his current case he would proceed to venture to the farm and retrieve Hadrian Rawsone if he'd been indeed kidnapped by Bortnik and see his way to putting the unruly whelp beneath the nearest prison. She had yet to speak with Gary about all that was happening much less the baby, but she found that she'd been much too wrapped up in what was going on with her husband to adhere to what her lover wanted from her. Colin seemed to be doing better now that they had conformation that Det. Gordon would be looking into the situation with Hadrian personally, as he trusted the man to find his elder son as he had before when no one had a clue as to where he'd disappeared to.

"I want to be there when you go to the farm." said Julia determined to give Alexei Bortnik a piece of her mind.

"No." said everyone in unison due to the apparent danger Alexei posed and her being newly pregnant.

"Someone familiar has to be there." protested Julia annoyed. "What if Hadrian is back and looking for me...It was him that called me that night not Lonnie."

"And there is a chance that Lonnie was simply trying to draw you out or Alexei has some sort of plan to hurt you." reasoned Colin. "It's best if Det. Gordon goes and that's final."

Jasper had no objections to Colins words concerning his pregnant daughter staying out of harm's way and neither had Ann.

"What if the tail's gone cold and they aren't at the farm?" asked Julia beginning to panic at the thought of Hadrian never returning to them. "What if that weirdo's done something to him that can't be fixed?"

"It's best not to speculate." said Maureen. "For all we know they are still there and if not I'm sure there are clues as to their whereabouts that Det. Gordon will no doubt be on to, after all he's the one that found him before and I'm sure he'd be able to find him again."

"Hopefully not in a pool of his own blood this time." remarked Colin rather haphazardly earning glares from everyone else aside from Julia. "Sorry."

Jasper rolled his eyes and turned his attention to more positive thoughts.

"He'll be home." he said reassuring his wife and daughter. "He wouldn't miss a Jets game for nothing in the world."

Julia sighed, she recalled how much he loved football and the party they had before his disappearance.

She thought it cute that Hadrian and Samantha had bonded over pigskin, potatoes chips, and touchdowns every chance they got. While Jessica and Hadrian had bonded over art and color theory and their respective sketches. Despite her folly in terms of their marriage, Julia had missed when things were a lot more simple. She had not had the affair and Gary was merely a family friend and the girls were home all the time when not at high school. There was music and laughter in the house when everyone had been home and it all seemed to change and appear as if it had been a lifetime ago.

Julia sighed and began pacing the floor.

"I hate all this waiting." she growled in frustration at the seemingly hopeless situation. "Who knows what that freak is doing to my poor husband."

Try as she might, Julia couldn't get the images of the man she spent most of her young life with having sex with the blond bastard Alexei Bortnik out of her mind. She had heard them upstairs and in her bed, the bed she shared with her husband for nearly twenty years before all this.

Her stomach churned at the memory and her rage continued to boil the blood in her veins.

Hadrian wasn't some sex crazed brute given to whatever whims his cock had. He was a kind and gentle person with consideration for everyone including that bastard whom had turned their lives upside down for his own selfish needs.

The recollection of his voice being so frightened when last she spoke to him had her once more on the verge of tears. He'd been so lost and confused. She could almost see the panic on his face as he spoke to her about awakening in such a strange place so far from home.

"He needs me." said Julia finally breaking down as Colin and Jasper attempted to comfort her. "He needs me and I can't do a thing to help him."

"Try and relax." said Maureen calmly. "For the sake of the baby if nothing else."

Julia sighed once more as she wiped her eyes.

The baby.

The baby she had possibly conceived with either her missing husband, or his so called best friend.

The reality of her transgression had been sinking in faster than a stone thrown through murky water. Julia Rawsone took a moment to compose herself before venturing over toward the stereo system and flipping on the song that Hadrian had played for her for years ever since they got married.

Colin had a look of utter confusion filed across his face as Julia continued to stand near the stereo.

"What's with the song?" asked the elder Rawsone with an arched brow.

As the tune hit even Maureen had to smile in reaction to the memory of her dear friend and his odd taste in music.

"It's something Hadrian always plays for her." she said clueing the older man in. "He use to play it all the time and it grated on my nerves, but it was always so very him."

"If only he could hear it." said Jasper with a sigh as he watched his daughter burst into tears over the familiar lyrics.

Ann approached Julia and pulled her into her warm motherly embrace.

"He doesn't deserve this." said Julia sadly as the tears kept coming. "He was always such a good person."

"Well get him back." Ann assured her. "He'd probably be a little worse for ware, but we'll have him home again with us you'll see, Det. Gordon will come through."

Colin made his way out to the front porch where he attempted to collect himself as he thought back to his plan once Gordon did finally locate his eldest son. At the first sign of contention, they would have him committed if only for his own good and to keep Bortnik away from him. It would be a preemptive strike to keep Lonnie at bay as well and the disappearances would be at an end and so would the strangeness going on with him.

Colin thought his plan a good one.

Only he had hoped that Julia would still feel the same when the time came.