Interaction 2

“A young man to surprise?” she asked.

“He isn’t expecting me,” Mark replied with almost a glee underlying in his voice.

“No, he is probably not expecting you or someone like you,” she replied. She looked up at him and had to smile. She had seen this man many times outside her office. She knew she could daydream about him without letting people know she was doing anything other than working. She had done that many times. She didn’t think he of all of them would offer to help her in any way, though. She thought he would run as far away from her as fast as he could, just like the others who showed a little interest in her only to find out she had kids. She knew what she had given up. She knew better than anyone else.

“Like me?” he prompted.

“What?” she asked as she was lost in her own thoughts.

“You said he wouldn’t expect someone like me,” he replied.

“I meant male and in the military,” she said. “The boy is a normal boy for the most part. Sixteen and ready. He wouldn’t expect me to have a man with me.”

“I see,” he replied, and he continued to walk as she scanned the crowds in the entrance. She looked over and spotted her younger daughter with her group of friends, and as the friends pointed out that she was there and not alone, all the girl's mouths dropped. She chuckled to herself, knowing he had that effect on her as well. “See them?”

“No. But I do see my younger one,” she said as she started to steer them towards the group of eight teenagers that were with her daughter. “Gina, have you seen your sister?”

“A while ago. Kenny said his fathers were going to pick them up.” Gina responded.

“What?” she asked.

“Yeah, Miss J. Kenny was acting all proud of the fact.” one of the friends she couldn’t place offhand said. She whipped out her phone and started to call her daughter. The first time it went to voice mail. She called it again, and it went again to voice mail.

“Gina, say goodbye,” she said.

“Why, Mom?” she whined.

“Now,” she said. She looked up at Mark, who had taken the whole situation, and he just did what he thought someone should do and wrap her in his arms. He could see the sheer panic in her eyes as she couldn’t get a hold of her daughter.

“What do you want to do?” he asked softly.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Two options. We call the police, or we go to their house,” he said. He was keeping his voice steady and low to help to try to keep her as calm as she be.

“I don’t know what to do,” she replied. He held her close as he fished out his phone and made a call.

“Hey Brian, I have a problem. My friend’s daughter was taken from the mall by her boyfriend and possibly his father without permission. The daughter called and wanted the mother to come to get her, but by the time we got here, it appears she is gone.” Mark said calmly, and he was still holding on to her while now rubbing her back. He knew she was on the verge of a breakdown. “Okay, thank you. We are in the main entrance with her other daughter.”

“Gina call home,” she said. “See if she is there.”

“Okay, mom,” Gina said as she looked at her mother, knowing something bad was happening though she didn’t know entirely what. She got off the phone and shook her head. That was the last hope she had for this to be okay. Mark walked over to the guard that was at the entrance looking for them as Gina moved closer to her. “Who is that guy?”

“A friend from work,” she replied. “His name is Mark.”

“Sure, yeah,” Gina said. “What is he doing here?”

“He is a friend of sorts. He wanted to help me,” she said without thinking.

“Help you?” Gina asked.

“You know it isn’t easy having the four of you,” she said. “He just wanted to help scare Kenny if needed. God knows I don’t.”

“Mom, the police are here,” Gina said. She looked up, and they were blanketing the mall. Mark looked at her and walked back.

“Do you have a picture of her?” he asked.

“I do,” Gina said as she held up her phone.

“Okay, Gina, is it? Then I need you to come with me. Let’s let your mom sit for a second.” Mark said.

“Mom?” she asked.

“Go with Mark,” she said with a weak smile. She wasn’t going to be able to handle this much longer without breaking down. It was starting to hurt to breathe. She did need to sit, or she was going to fall over.

“Miss J, Come over here.” one of Gina’s friends said as they guided her to a seat.

“Thank you,” she said as she sat down and tried to breathe. Mark took notice and was back at her side in a flash. He was kneeling in front of her.

“It is going to be okay, mouse,” he said calmly. “Gina is giving them all the information, and they might want to talk to the other kids as well. Breathe sweetheart. They will find her, I promise. Whatever happens, I won’t leave your side. You are not alone.” He was rubbing her back, and his words filled her head. She was trying to believe him, but she had this horrible feeling something was going to happen beyond their control. It was eating at her. She was nearly on the verge of tears again.

“What is going on, Akechi?” she heard. She opened her eyes, and the group of men that she had just left at the bar were now in front of her.

“Her oldest daughter is missing,” he said softly.

“Missing?” they all said. He looked at them and nodded as she closed her eyes again.

“Okay, start at the beginning.” the leader spoke.

“She texted me that he was to forward,” she said. She took out her phone and held it up to them. They read what her daughter's last texts were. “So, I left. Mark came with me to help out if the boy got to teenage boyish. The presence of a man would deter that. When we got here, I didn’t see them. Her sister, my other daughter, and her friends said that one of his fathers was here to pick them up. She wasn’t supposed to leave the mall.”

“Picture?” one of them asked.

“The mall security is printing some up,” Mark replied.

“I’ll go see what the status is.” one said.

“What is the boy’s address?” the tall one said as he bent down to her level.

“It is in my contacts under Kenny. That’s his name,” she said as she handed over the phone. He took it and copied the information down. “What is her name?”

“Reena,” she said.

“Okay,” he stated as he patted her on the head. As he stood up. “Steven and Yuri, you are with me. I think we need to pay this young man's home a visit.”

“Gladly.” the two said. The one she knew as Steven bent down, “If she is there, we will find her and bring her home.”

“Thank you,” she said. She looked up in time to see her father and her two other kids push their way into the mall, which had its doors barred now and the police standing guard. Her youngest and only son threw himself at her and hugged her.

“What’s going on, mom?” he asked.

“Boogs, I can’t find Reena.” she said as she looked up into her father’s eyes, “I don’t want to hear it, dad.”

“Well, you knew that boy was trouble, but you didn’t listen.” her father said to her rather harshly.

“Dad, now is not the time,” she said as Lista, her youngest daughter moved closer to her. She wrapped an arm around the girl, who looked like she was about ready to burst into tears as well. “I have this now. Thank you for bringing them. You can leave.”

“I don’t think I can,” he said as he motioned to the doors.

“Goddamnit,” she said under her breath. “Fine, but I don’t need you standing right there.”

Mark, who was good at the undercurrents of every situation, looked her over as she seemed to find her feet again now that three of her four children were right by her side. She stood up and took her son's hand and guided Lista along with her to where Gina and the police were.

“You’re the mother?” one asked.

“Yes,” she said.

“You’re the father?” one asked as she felt hands on her shoulders to help brace her up. She knew it was Mark.

“No.,” he replied. “Friend of the family.”

“Oh.” the detective stated.

“Where is their father?” he asked.

“They don’t have one,” she stated.

“Excuse me?” the detective asked.

“They don’t have one. I adopted them ten years ago,” she said just loud enough for him to hear not everyone or the kids.

“Oh.” the detective replied.

“She was supposed to stay here until I picked them up. Her sister was here with her friends, and Reena was supposed to hang out with her boyfriend,” she stated. “I dropped them off before I headed to a work event for a few minutes but was called back by a text message sent by Reena. Mark came with me to help if I needed any.”

“So you were expecting a fight.” the detective asked.

“Not really. Kenny, Reena’s boyfriend, for the most part, is a good kid. He has some issues, but he has never given me any problems in the past.” she said.

“So why the help?” he asked.

Mark smiled and said, “I used the situation to get to spend a few more minutes with her. It wasn’t so much to help but to be with her.”

“Oh.” the detective said again. “So there is something more between the two of you?”

“We are friends,” Mark said.

“Have you had access to the children before?” the detective asked.

“I didn’t even know they existed a few hours ago,” Mark said as he laughed.

“Right.” the detective stated. “As soon as something more comes in, I will let you know.”

Boogs pulled on her hand, “Mom are they looking for Reena?” he asked in his sweet voice.

“Yes, buddy,” she said. “Right now, they are looking inside the mall for her, and some of Mark’s friends are looking for her outside the mall.”

“Will she be okay?” he asked with his perfect little green eyes wateReenag up. She took a deep breath and was surprised when Mark bent to his level.

“We are going to find your sister, okay, buddy. I can’t guarantee that she will be a hundred percent, okay, but we will do everything we can to make sure she gets that way,” he said. She was surprised when boogs let go of her hand and hugged Mark. Mark, for his part, did not let his own shock show too much on his face. Instead, he hugged the boy back and then lifted him up in the air and held him there as his little hands wrapped around Mark’s neck and would not let go. Lista was by her mom and did the same.

Gina came over and looked at her siblings and had finally come to the realization something was very wrong. She wanted nothing more than to go home but understood why she couldn’t. She looked at her mom, who was nearly on the brink of losing her cool, and then her brother and sister, who were scared. The only one who didn’t fit was the man who came in with her mom. She looked at him and his calm demeanor as he looked toward the group of men who were standing in a semi-circle and talking on their phones. Gina saw the head shake from one of them, and as Mark turned, she could see the look in his eyes before they reached her mother. It was a cross between fear and anger. He locked eyes with her and tried to smile to help calm her down. She walked over and hugged him as well.