Hard to Love {A Hotchniss Story}

Chapter 38

Jennifer and Penelope explained everything that had happened and as soon as they were done Aaron left the round table room and rushed into his office. He went into a blind rage and started throwing everything down on the floor and at the walls until David came in and stopped him. "Calm down?! He has her Dave, he has Emily!"

"I'm aware of that, everyone is, but you trashing your office won't bring her back." David hated to see Aaron that way and he wished he could allow him to let out everything he was feeling, but that would make him lose his concentration thus they would all lose precious time. "We've got to get to work. We need to find Declan and lure Doyle to us."

"We can't do that." Aaron said firmly. "Emily worked hard to hide Declan from Doyle and she had every reason to do so. Beside, if Doyle couldn't find him, I doubt we can. We know nothing about the boy, not his real name, not what he looks like, nothing."

"Then we'll have to find another way. But we will." David said and watched Aaron for a few moments. "Let's get to work."

"We have to find her." Aaron insisted. "We must find Emily. After the life she's had, the last thing she needs is this."

"I know."

David knew, Aaron knew, Jennifer, Derek, Spencer and Penelope, they all knew. But they couldn't move faster, they had very little to start on and without Emily there it wasn't easy to anticipate Ian's moves. That until one day Jack was gone. Hailey was devastated and Aaron was out of his mind. The note that was left had written on it the next words 'Borrowing kiddo for a while, don't worry, it's up to Emily if he gets home breathing or not. So, good luck! All my love, Ian Doyle.'.

While the team was trying to find Jack Emily was taken aback by his appearance in the dark basement where she was kept. All she had there was a mattress, occasionally some food and water and very few dim lights. "Jack." Emily whispered when Ian brought the kid to her.

"Emily?" Jack said, in his voice hope, hope that she would save him.

"Why Ian?" Emily asked when they came closer.

"On your knees Jack, now!" Ian pushed him to the ground and with a grunt Jack did exactly what he was told while he looked right into Emily's eyes, begging for help.

Then Ian moved closer to Emily and without hesitation he hit her across the ace so hard she fell onto her side and Jack let out a loud scream. "Tell me where Declan is, now!" Ian grabbed Emily by her hair and made her sit facing Jack, so the kid could see what he was doing to the woman. "Please, let him go!"

"You got raped for this kid. Wanna try that again?" Ian whispered in her ear before he pulled her hair harder. "Where is my son?"

"Don't do this!" Emily said as loudly as she could considering how weak she had been feeling. She had been there for weeks, she couldn't say how many, maybe even months.

"Tell me, or this time I'll be the one fucking you in front of the kid, not your dad, not Foyet, me. Then I'll put a gun to his head and make little lovely Jack over there do it too." All those words were whispered in her ear so Jack heard not a word, but Emily was horrified. She could take it, she was ready to take it, let Ian do whatever he wants, but she couldn't add more to Jack's trauma, that she refused to do. "Then I'll shoot his brains out."

"Fine." Emily gave in. Her whole body was aching, physically and emotionally.

"Fine what? We get to have your way with you-"

"Fine, I'll tell you where Declan is." Emily said. "Let Jack go, I want proof that he's safe, that he's with his parents. Then I'll tell you."

"No, you tell me now and you're both free." Ian said vehemently.

"No, free him, and I'll tell you. As long as he's in danger I won't say a word." Emily insisted. She was playing a dangerous game, she was in no position to do that, but she wasn't going to risk Jack's life.

"Take the kid upstairs, a scratch on him and you're dead Alex." Ian said and the next second a huge man picked a screaming Jack up and took him upstairs. "You, stop playing!" Ian grabbed Emily by the neck and the moment she opened her mouth to scream he put his gun inside. "I'm done with your games. One bullet and you're dead."

Emily started chocking after a while and he let go of her. "If I'm dead you'll never find Declan." Emily said between coughs, she could still feel the taste of the gun in her mouth.

"Let's give you a preview of what I'll have the kid do to you, if you don't tell me where Declan is right now. What do you say?"