FORTY-THREE

SOMEWHERE IN YELLOWLEAF

Although detective Harris insisted that Roderick and Pete stay behind, they too stood their ground. They told Harris that he was already wasting time. Harris was becoming impatient, stating that he feared for Roderick and Pete's lives. He went on to explain that there was a possibility of bullets flying in all directions, but his words fell on deaf ears.

"I can't be sitting in comfort while other people risk their lives to save my only son!" Roderick asserted. No-one had the power to try and convince Roderick to do otherwise. Carl was the one who could have tried, but he too wanted to go. He treated Dylan as his own son, although he called him 'sir Dylan'. Carl saw Dylan since he was less than a year old, and he loved him with his whole heart. He too felt that it was necessary for Roderick to go and find his son, if he so wished.

Since they were wasting time in the talks, the team finally decided to go. Along with them were more than fifteen of Roderick's personal body guards. They were planted in various vehicles, making sure that the bullet proof vehicle in which Roderick, Pete and Carl rode was well covered.

Detective Harris received a call and soon updated the others "the officer at the pharmacy door managed to give him a recording device. It was a pen, but his men discovered it too early. Anyway, that same guard also stuck a tracker on Eden's shirt. Let's go!" He was sitting in the front seat. Roderick's usual driver drove the car, while Roderick sat in the back with Pete and Carl on each of his sides.

"He dumped his car at Yellowleaf university grounds!" someone was updating the detective through the phone.

"Send me that link!", Harris shouted before whipping out a tablet and typing frantically away.

His phone remained active, he did not end the call, and he spoke again to his team "keep your distance! Do we still have him?"

"Detective, he did not stay at the university. He moved past the grounds to the woods."

"To the woods? Let's head there! Team C, remember airport base does not necessarily mean that the place is at or near the airport. We're combing through the whole of Yellowleaf! Do you copy?"

"Copied sir." Team C leader cried out.

"Sir ,we suspect that someone has picked him from the woods. The tracker shows that he made a U-turn and he headed somewhere towards the deserted areas!" the man continued to update Harris.

"Let's keep at it! Remember we want him alive!!" detective Harris shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He still felt that the presence of Roderick was a hindrance to him. Now he needed to make sure that Roderick and Pete were protected, while he also needed to find Dylan. Harris could not imagine what it would mean for him if either Roderick or Pete died under his watch. Or worse still, what if both of them died? Roderick, the country's richest man and Pete, the son of the second richest man! Who would want those multi-billionaire dying at their hands?

Roderick felt his heart throbbing and it felt like it was just going to jump out and land on his laps. At one moment he felt cold, and then the next moment he felt very hot. He sweated and sneezed, it seemed like everything with his body had just gone wrong. Of course Roderick had been through some situations before; he held many people on their deathbeds; he saw many people losing their lives; he witnessed a lot of painful things in life, but the case of his own son made him feel like a novice.

Roderick trembled in his seat, knowing that the man that they were following was the one with his son, and Dylan's life at that time lay in that man's hands!! It was impossible for him to imagine a life without Dylan. A morning without him peeking into his father's office door and smiling, "dad!", would not be a morning at all. Those late night calls where the father and son chatted happily. Roderick recalled Dylan's laughter when he spoke with Ciera and Arianna. What would life be without Dylan.

In his seat, Pete also fidgeted a lot and wished if it were possible to develop some wings to enable him to fly and go and land wherever his friend was. He wanted to see him. Pete told himself that, even if Dylan is badly injured, I just want to see him. He wanted to hold him close, and tell him what a special friend he was.

"The suspect headed towards the old industrial area!!" came officer Fraser's voice.

"Everyone U-turn!!! Let's head towards the old warehouses! Officer Fraser, lead the team towards the northern entrance. Team C, continue with the search for airport base! Block all entrances and exits which lead to the industrial area. No mistakes. Do you copy?"

"Copied, detective!"

"We want him alive!!" Harris repeated his orders.

"Yes detective!"

"I repeat, no mistakes! He must not see that he is being followed; keep your distance!"

When they were closing in on the warehouse, detective Harris gave Roderick a stern stare and ordered, "with all due respect, sir, you cannot proceed from here! I cannot stand to have you dying under my care! The field is dangerous. You are a man of authority, doctor sir! I know you never take instruction from anyone but for once, please take my instruction."

The way he said it left Roderick with no option but to listen to him. Yet he could not leave them to go alone. He wanted to be there. He needed to see his son and tell him son, I came for you.

"I am coming with you!" Roderick said with finality.

"I'm coming too!" Pete's voice echoed.

"We should have given them firearms." one of the bodyguards said, darting his eyes quickly from Roderick to Pete.

"No thy don't need that! Protect them! You die first before they die!" Carl shouted at the bodyguard. Pete was already running. Everyone followed the detective and his team.

The tracker led them into a room, but the room was empty. After a few eye searches, the detective announced that he could tell that the place had been inhabited just now; meaning that the people who were there had just left.

"Search the whole premises!" Harris screamed.

The most painful thing for the search team was in knowing that they once visited that same place, and left with nothing. The whole place was filled with plain clothes officers who ran from one corner to the other. Harris persisted that there was a secret room, and it had to be found. If only he had done the same on the first day, they would have found Dylan!

Sure enough, a well concealed door was found, and they all went in. A flight of stairs ran down, and they followed them down into dark rooms. It did not take long before they saw the room in which the hostages were held. It was easy to see. The room was less dusty, and one could tell that it had been in recent use.

On the floor, Roderick saw a crumpled up paper and he picked it up. It was a prescription from one of his hospitals, with Dylan's signature on it.

"He was here! My son was here!" he almost cried as he held that paper, looking at the signature which he knew too well. He looked at the couch and lifted off a dirty cushion to reveal a child's pair of trousers. It looked new. "This looks like it has been recently used."

"There is baby soap found under the couch. And just outside we have empty bottles of baby food and a heap of used baby diapers." Pete mentioned.

Upon hearing that, Harris' voice bellowed, "There is a baby with them! Register that, Fraser! We have a baby in this building! No fire! We want everyone alive!"

"Yes sir!", Fraser shouted in response.

The baby soap, trousers, the prescription and empty baby food tins were all collected in to the evidence bag. The officers ran from one room to the other. Carl was obviously by Roderick's side, and he kept asking if the latter was ok. Roderick hardly answered anything of what was asked, he just continued running. Besides on the treadmill in his gym, he could hardly remember the last time he ran.

Numerous bodyguards encircled Roderick and Pete. An officer entered a small room and picked a piece of paper written bible verses and some notes, "do not fear, for God is with you...never will I leave you, never will I forsake you....my God will meet all your needs....I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me..."

"Keep that paper as evidence, let's move!" Detective Harris said.

They moved towards the exit of the long corridor, and yet it did not lead to outside. Instead it led them to another room which looked more like a big hall. There were lots of cigarette stubs in that room.

"Collect all evidence!" the detective shouted.

They were headed towards another smaller room when officer Fraser's voice came, "suspect spotted. Suspect spotted. Suspect is armed! I repeat, suspect is armed!"

"Wait here!" detective Harris pushed Roderick and Pete in to a corner before he ran. The bodyguards instantly crowded the corner like a swarm of bees.

"Please save my son!" Roderick shouted in desperation.

They heard Fraser saying something and Harris responded, "Officer Fraser!! South-east entrance! Hold your fire! We want him alive!"

Carl stood in front of Roderick and Pete, using his body to shield the two.

"I will protect you both. Even if it means me dying, I will protect you." Carl said in a shaky, rusty voice.