Page 86 of Keeping Penny

She heard him step toward her, and she held her breath. A split-second later, his warm hand closed around her own. Bowie couldn’t help but relax a little.

“Come on, Bowie. Let’s go call your mom.”

They made their way through the rocks, and Bowie was glad for the guide. She liked doing things on her own, but since she had no idea where she was, having Shawn’s hand to hold on to made it easier not to fall.

The rocks ended and the sound of their footsteps made her think they must be on the pier. It sounded kind of hollow, as if they were walking on wood instead of concrete.

“Seriously, there’s no one else out here. And it’s still dark! How the hell did she get down there?” Bud asked.

Since she didn’t think he was really asking her, Bowie didn’t answer. Shawn stopped and dropped her hand. She heard the rustle of fabric, and when Shawn spoke again, it sounded as if he was crouched right in front of her instead of standing.

“Do you know your mommy’s number?”

Bowie nodded and told it to him.

“Here you go, honey.” Shawn picked up her hand and put his phone in it.

Relief almost made Bowie cry again. He hadn’t lied. He really did have a phone and he’d done as he said he would.

Bringing the phone up to her ear, she held her breath as she waited for Mommy to answer. She had no idea where she was, but she knew without a doubt that her mom would find her and come get her. And she’d get Kylo-Pyro some help too. All Bowie had to do was wait a little longer.

* * *

Penny hadn’t slept. Not even for a minute. How could she sleep when the two people she loved most were missing? There hadn’t been any clues. The police, who’d arrived late last night and taken a report and put out an Amber Alert for Bowie, didn’t seem to have any idea where they might even begin to look.

She was in her room, not wanting to disturb the others who were all camped out in various places in the apartment. Edge had taken Chaos’s place when Jen and Fred had returned, and the rest of the Night Stalkers were still out there, searching, hoping to see something, anything, that might lead them to not only their friend, but Bowie as well.

Their determination not to give up made Penny cry all over again. But she hadn’t heard from them in hours, and any hope she had that they might be able to find them was waning.

Laryn, Mandy, Zita, Jen, Fred, and Edge had hovered over her all night, until Penny had finally lied and said she was going to try to get some sleep. She ordered Laryn to use Bowie’s bed, because having a pregnant woman sleeping on the floor or the couch didn’t sit well with her.

Everyone else crashed where they could. Even Jen and Fred stayed, despite her apartment being just down the hall. No one wanted to leave. They were all there supporting Penny, and having so many friends was comforting. She’d never had the kind of support she had right now, and if Bowie hadn’t been missing, she would’ve felt all warm and gooey inside.

Since leaving everyone in the living room, Penny had alternated pacing her bedroom and lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, imagining the worst.

When her phone rang, she snatched it up and saw it was Tex calling. She’d programmed his number into her phone, and her heart began to beat faster in the hopes he was calling with good news.

“Please tell me you found them,” she said as she answered.

“Not yet. But I do have intel,” he said.

Penny swallowed hard in disappointment, but any information was better than nothing.

“My guy had a chat with Colvin. He’s definitely behind this. As suspected, he used some of the cash he brought with him from the UK to basically pay off a guy, who knows a guy, who knows a guy. It’s convoluted and not important right now, but because there were so many people in play and he paid in cash, I couldn’t follow a digital trail of the contacts.

“Bottom line is that Colvin’s reputation as an oil man is a front. He makes peanuts in that job compared to what he makes pedaling human flesh. His threat to take your daughter and sell her was one of the most honest things he ever said to you. There was no huge debt from your husband. There was a debt, but it was a couple grand, not the exorbitant amount he claimed.”

Penny closed her eyes. John hadn’t been a good man. Was a terrible husband and father. But it made her feel a little better that he hadn’t spent tens of thousands of dollars at strip clubs and on prostitutes.

“With a little pressure, Colvin gave up the names of his contacts, and both myself and the FBI are tracking them down now. This goes beyond you, Penny. It’s international. There are a lot of other people who supposedly owed him money who’ve gone missing.”

Penny felt bad for not caring about anyone other than Pyro and Bowie at the moment. “Okay, but…where is my daughter? And Pyro? Are they…did they…” She swallowed, unable to put into words what she wanted to ask. It was too horrible.

“We don’t think there’s been enough time,” Tex said gently. “We’re close, Penny. Stay strong just a little longer.”

“I don’t think I can,” she whispered.

“Yes, you can,” Tex said firmly. “You’re cut from the same cloth as my wife. She’s a pillar of strength. My rock. You’re the same for Pyro and that little girl of yours. We’re so close,” he repeated. “We have the names of the men who were tasked with the retrieval, and the FBI is hunting them now.”