DEAD WOMAN WALKING (THE BLOOD IN MY VEINS #1)

THE FAMILY REUNION IV

twenty—three. | THE FAMILY REUNION IV

PALE, CLAMMY HANDS THRUSTED THE missing persons paper towards a middle aged couple. The older men looked at the haggard looking male in front of him before cautiously walking away. Sam frowned at the retreating couple before staring down at the stack of papers in his hands. He stared into his missing friends eyes, a dull ache banging at the back of his throat. He used the pad of his thumb to stroke the smiling face of one of his closest friends. He remembered the night she had gone missing like it was yesterday. He was with some irrelevant blonde woman when Mia had called him out of the blue, like she did every other night. Her voice sounded urgent, like she was sure someone was out to get her.

And he didn't believe her.

Even in the days leading up to her kidnapping, he had failed to take her paranoid was seriously. And just mere hours later when he had banged on her door for work, she was gone. Vanished into thin air. That night was the night his mental health deteriorated. He couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, hell, not even a second went by when he didn't think of what could have been if he was just a better friend to her. She could have been dead, or tortured, or raped. He was in a real dark place, until a couple days ago.

Sam. It's me, Mia. I don't have much time before they come looking for me, but if you're getting this then I am still alive and kicking. Please don't stop looking for me. Come to Faldo's bar as soon as you can, but I don't know if I will still be here by the time you arrive. You are my only hope. Please.

When he got that message, he wasn't sure whether to jump for joy or to curse himself, but his friend was alive. Mia had made it. She had heard of his efforts to save her. He had always known his partner was a sharp and strong woman. In a heartbeat, he reported what he had seen, only to have his evidence handed over to the FBI for some reason. The last he had heard, they had raided Faldo's bar and arrested the pervert, but most of his henchmen were already unconscious with severed blunt force trauma. Mia was no where to be found.

It wasn't long until he feel back into that black hole that was his depression.

He ran his fingers through his messy hair, letting out a deep sigh.

"Samson?" He heard a masculine voice call him from behind. He slowly turned around to see the walking figure of Lucas, the FBI director who gave him and his partner alike the creeps. However, for the matter of his missing friend, he had nobody else to turn to. Sam waved his hand, quickly walking up to meet him halfway.

"It's just Sam." He said nervously. Lucas, who was always dressed impeccably sharp, with his stupid suit and his stupid slicked back hair and his ridiculously clean shaven face. Sam frowned, he was just jealous he had his shit together. He, on the other hand was dressed in a dirty white shirt and black joggers. Damn, he had let himself go.

Lucas looked at him his a tight lipped smile that looked creepy paired with his dead eyes. "Sam, right."

"I've been trying to reach you, man." He said, relief flooding in his voice. Since everything in Mia's apartment was in custody, he didn't get the agent's card. "You don't know how stressful Mia's kidnapping has been in me."

The agent chuckled. "That's actually what I've come here to talk to you about."

Sam looked at him in confusion.