Chapter 10 - No Way.

I began to feel uneasy as I waited patiently for Kent at our usual meeting spot. I was so sure that he would have shown up by now, but he was nowhere to be found.

A few minutes later, I saw a young man approaching me; it was as though he had no will of his own. As soon as he reached me, he asked, "Are you Adam?" 

"Yes, I am," I replied. I looked at him; it was as though his senses and his will were never there anymore. I had never seen anything like that before in my life.

Hearing this, he handed over a note to me. I collected the note, and immediately he turned back without saying another word. As soon as he left, I opened the note and the content was disturbing. The note read:

"Hey Adam, this is Kent. What you are about to read right now may seem unreal to you, but it's the truth. I kidnapped your wife and I have my reasons for doing that. You came to me for help; this is me helping you the way I know how. Don't come looking for me and Caroline. By doing so, you are putting your wife's life at risk. I would rather kill Caroline than let Hendricks have her to himself. Adam, remember you came to me for help; this is me rendering the help. Just to echo into you, I kidnapped your wife."

The moment I read the last word, my whole life became numb. The feeling that rushed over my body afterward was that of loss and betrayal. How could Kent do this to me? How could he kidnap my wife? These are the questions I kept asking over and over again within me, as if there is someone who will provide the answers I needed.

I walked out of the alley like a soul that had lost everything; well, I had lost everything. Caroline is my everything—how will I find her, how can I locate her once again? I didn't know what to do. I opened the door of my car and sat down without knowing what else to do.

Should I go home? I didn't know. Should I start looking for Caroline? How would I do that? What am I going to do right now?

For the first time, I drove back home without feeling anything within me. I wish I could say more about how I felt inside, but at that moment, I just wasn't feeling anything. It was as if I was dead inside.

The moment I arrived at home, I went straight to my study. Something was definitely wrong with me; this was not how I was supposed to be feeling right now. When Caroline was sick, I remembered how I ran up and down to get her well again. She is still alive but has been kidnapped. I know I should do something, but I literally didn't know what to do.

I sat down in my study, clueless about what to do next. I put my head on the table and began to weep uncontrollably. The four walls of my study became my weeping companions; every cry that left me was an expression of sorrow from my heart. The melody of my tears was pure sadness, and I felt it deeply.

I cannot lose Caroline, I cannot lose her—that was the only thought I could muster. This went on for a few minutes, and then, drawn by my voice, Becky came into my study.

"Mr. Adam?" Becky called me.

"Yes, Becky," I answered her with the same voice I had just been crying with.

My face was full of tears and mucus running down my nose like a baby.

As she saw me in this state, she too became overwhelmed with sorrow. Managing to compose herself, she came towards me.

"What happened to your wife, sir?" Becky asked, her voice tinged with the fear of not knowing what was going on.

"Kent kidnapped Caroline," I replied, crying.

So surprised to hear this, she said, "Wait, sir."

"Is Kent not the vampire who took you to Hendricks?" Becky asked.

"Yes, he is," I replied.

"Wait, was he not the one that came here with you the other time?" she inquired further.

"Yes, he is," I replied to Becky.

"Oh my God," Becky echoed. "I cannot believe this," she said. "I never would have thought the whole situation would go this way," Becky added.

I am very overwhelmed with grief every time I think about what Kent did. Yes, I know I sought him for help, but I never expected him to "help" me by taking my very reason for existence. I never imagined him doing this to me, not in a million years.

I know I just met him not quite long ago, but I had placed this level of trust in him. I cannot imagine him doing this. How can I reconcile the same person who has been warning me about Hendricks acting this way? I trusted him to a degree. I really trusted him. This is not what should be my reward. As I keep seeking a solution to my plight, it seems like the same solution is the gateway to another problem.

I was in this state of serious contemplation when I heard Becky say, "Sir, I think I know how we can get your wife back."

I felt something inside of me; it was like a flame of hope and assurance being reignited within me.

At first, I believed I did not hear Becky right, but at the same time, I knew what I had just heard her say. I just wanted to confirm it again.

I looked at her, surprised to hear that word but at the same time, it was those words that led me to my next move.