Hope Is What We Crave (#Wattys2016)

Chapter Five- Joel and Moriah

A/N- Hello! Just a warning, if you are a Joel's girl, well.....Just....read with the knowledge that yes, I am one of you, and I may have cried while writing this. I'm sorry!! :(

Joel's POV
It had been two days, and no sign of the girls. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. It was also two AM, and I'm still awake. Moriah was asleep, and I finally started drifting off, when I heard a thump downstairs. Moriah stirred, being a light sleeper.

"What was that?" She asked sleepily. I kissed her, gently rubbing her shoulder.
"I think it was just Adelina bumping something . You can go back to sleep." She rolled over, snuggling into my side, falling asleep again. Then, half a second later, Adelina jumped up onto the bed. I lay there, quiet and nervous, and then I heard creaking. I slowly sat up, reaching over to the nightstand for my cellphone. The board right outside our bedroom squeaked, and then two dark figures moved slowly into the room as I lay down. One stopped beside Moriah, and the other one came to my side. I saw the gun, and in a split second, made a decision. I jerked, grabbing for the gun, and within seconds, it was the two of us grappling for control of it. Then, I heard a frightened gasp, and a low, menacing voice.

"Hands on your head, or she ain't gonna be able to breathe much longer." We stopped, and I stood, seeing the other man holding a knife to Moriah's throat. I slowly knelt, doing as he said. I heard a click, and felt the gun barrel right against my neck. The tall man with the knife pulled out a rope, tying her wrists together.

"Get up." He snapped, and she looked at me, and I could see the terror in her face. I nodded, and she complied. He started leading her out, and the other man followed. I waited, and then followed. We'd had a security camera put in, and it was aimed at the stairs. I realized we'd left the downstairs light on when I saw the face of the tall man leading Moriah out. I leaned over the railing, and yelled down at him.

"Hey! Leave my wife alone!" But he was out the door. Then, I felt someone put their hand on my shoulder and turn me around, and I saw the other man's face.
"Nighty night." He shot me in the shoulder and side, and then shoved me. I felt my back hit something, and I cried out in pain. It felt like my whole body was on fire. Then, I hit the ground. He came back to me, grabbed my hair, and slammed my head against the corner of the wall Then, everything went black. I woke up, lying there against the wall, my whole body hurting. I saw Moriah's cell phone lying a couple feet away on the floor, and slowly, I inched over until I could reach it. I slowly and painfully dialed Luke and lifted the phone to my ear. It rang four times, and then he picked up.

"Moriah? What's up? It's five in the morning." I closed my eyes, struggling to breathe against the pain.
"Luke....it's me. It's...Joel." I heard the confusion in his voice.
"Joel? What's going on? Are you okay?" I felt myself fading, but struggled to explain.
"Need....help. Moriah.....she's gone." I heard him start panicking a little, and the phone slipped from my hand and crashed to the floor.
"Joel? Are you okay? Joel? Joel?!" Then, it was gone. It was black, quiet, and there was no more pain.

Luke's POV
I heard some kind of clatter, and I gave up. I hung up, rolling out of bed and just throwing some clothes on. I left a note for Courtney on the coffee maker, and ran out the door. Five minutes later, I reached their house. I didn't understand what he meant, that Moriah was gone. I put my hand on the knob, and the door swung right open. The lock was smashed, and the wood was splintered. I hurried in, heading up the bedroom. No one. I headed back down, and then I saw it. There was blood on the rail. It wasn't much, but it was there. I hurried down, and that was when I saw him. Joel was lying on the floor, one side of his head bruised and bloody. I knelt beside him, placing my hand on his shoulder.

"What did they do to you?" I whispered, seeing that his shoulder was also bloody. I pulled out my phone, calling the police. They said they'd also send an ambulance. Then, I saw the camera in the corner of the stairs, and it was connected to their laptop. But then, I saw the laptop, and it was smashed. These guys had been thorough. I heard sirens outside, and they knocked on the door.

"It's open!" I yelled, and they came in. Three paramedics, and Dianna Parker was the officer in charge again.
"What happened here?" I sighed, watching as the paramedics tried to figure out what happened.
"I don't know. He called me, and he said Moriah was gone. I also found some blood upstairs on a step and on the railing." She winced, and one of the paramedics ran outside, and came back in with a fourth and a gurney.
"If it's alright with you, I'm going to head on with them." I told her, watching as they lifted him up.
"If we find anything, I'll call you myself." She promised, and use followed as they took him out to the ambulance.
"Are you related to him?" I nodded.
"Brother." She nodded, allowing me to climb in beside them. I looked at him, laying there, and my heart broke into a million pieces. First my daughter and niece, now my brother and sister-in-law. Would we ever have any peace again?! I just couldn't live without my brother.