Finding Family, Finding Love

Chapter 10: Charles Raven

(Brooke POV)

I opened my eyes slowly my head was pounding, moving slightly I tried to look around. I didn’t recognize my surroundings, suddenly I remembered the night before…

~~~Flashback~~~

I met up with Kevin at a small café down the street from my apartment. I didn’t understand why he just didn’t pick me up from the apartment since he knew where it was.

Later that night we were just sitting at the café drinking coffee when he asked if I wanted to go for a walk on the beach down the road. I wasn’t about to say no to a romantic walk with a gorgeous guy. Halfway to the beach I knew something was wrong…I couldn’t walk straight and I was beginning to feel lightheaded. Next I saw nothing.

~~~End Flashback~~~

I tried looking around once more only to feel the stiffness of my body. I groaned softly gaining the attention of the only other person in the room whom I had failed to notice.

“Hello Princess, glad you’re awake. I was getting bored.” I heard a deep voice from the opposite side of the room out of my line of vision.

I forced myself to sit up and I looked around frantically trying hard to breath through the tape across my mouth. My movements finally brought the man in question into view. I tried to scream but found it more difficult than breathing. I glared at him as he walked closer and bent down to look in my face. I realized then that I had been stupid this man, whoever he was, was not Kevin.

“What’s the problem sweetheart? Cat got your tongue?” I could hear the laughter and the hatred in his voice. I couldn’t scream, I couldn’t talk, all I could do was glare. My eyes widened as he suddenly leaned forward. I pressed myself back as far as I could go into the wall to get away from him, with my limited mobility it was very hard. With a maniacal grin he leaned kissing me roughly over the tape. He pulled back and whispered, “Don’t worry honey, I’m not going to hurt you……much.”

I felt the tears falling from my eyes and he made it worse with his next words, “Let’s have some fun.”

(Ava POV)

I sat in my quiet apartment alone for the second day in a row. It has been two days, two days since Brooke was taken. Horatio had sent Erik and Calliegh out to find Kevin and they found him. We had ran into him at the club and he had helped me take Brooke back to our apartment but this guy, Charles Raven, had followed us waiting for his moment. Charles had taken Brooke to dinner not Kevin. I looked around the apartment holding back my tears. I knew what I had to do. I didn’t want to do it but I need too. I got out my cell phone and dialed my mother’s number. It rang twice before she picked up.

“Hello?” She answered. I could hear music and laughter in the background. It sounded like she was having a party.

“Mo..om.” I said my voice cracking despite my resolve not to cry and be strong.

“Ava? Ava….baby…what’s wrong?” At her question I heard the music and laughter stop.

“It’s Brooke.” Responding as a tear fell down my face.

“What wrong with Brooke baby?” She asked. “I’m putting you on speaker, Mac and everyone is here.”

“Ummm…hey guys…uhhhh…I don’t know really if I’m aloud to say anything but Horatio didn’t say I couldn’t. Ummm…you can’t say anything to her parents, Horatio made that clear that I couldn’t say anything to them. Uhhh…Brooke’s been…she’s been kidnapped. The stupid fuckers at the prison let the wrong guy and now he has her. He’s had her for the past two days. I don’t know what to do. I…I…I can’t just sit around here waiting. I…”

Mac came over the line trying to calm me down.

“Ava…sweetheart…Try to calm down. Brooke needs you to be strong for her and believe that she’ll be okay. I think it might be a good idea for you to go to the lab and hang out with Horatio. The crime lab here always used to calm you down. I also think that maybe you should either stay with Horatio or have a friend stay with you at least.” I heard a chorus of voices agreeing in the background.

“Okay I’ll do that… I love you guys…I really want you to know that.”

“We love you too baby-girl.” I heard Don’s strong voice come over the line.

“Thanks Donnie. I think I’m going to let you guys go and pack me some clothes. I have some people to bother at the Miami-Dade crime lab. Love you guys, bye.”

“Bye” A chorus of voices answered.

Closing my phone I placed it back on the coffee table and went to the hall closet, pulling out my black duffel bag. In my room I changed out of my pajama bottoms and my grey t-shirt, placing them in my bag to sleep in later. I looked through my closet finding a green day shirt I grabbed it and pulled it on. I grabbed a few more shirts and threw them in the bag. I found my light blue jeans, pulling them on I threw a couple others in the bag with shoes as well. I packed the rest of my necessities and grabbed my jacket. I grabbed my phone and took the elevator to the lobby. I stood on the curb of my apartment building for what seemed like forever before I called for a cab.

Fifteen minutes later I was stepping out of the cab and walking into the lab, stopping by the front desk first.

“Hey Tracey. Is Horatio in?” I asked hoping he was. I didn’t want to go back to my apartment.

“Yes, he is in his office I believe. Here’s you’re pass. Lucky you not many get a permanent pass into the lab.” I rolled my eyes at the girl and grabbed the pass from her hand.

“Thanks.” I pulled my back up on my shoulder and attached to pass to my jacket, last thing I needed was to be thrown out for no pass. Walking through the lab I looked around. I saw Calliegh in Trace, Erik was in Questionable Documents, and then I stopped when I saw Ryan in DNA.

“Hey Mr. Ryan Wolfe.” Stepping into the lab I saw him jump in surprise.

“Hey, Ms. Morgan.”

“What you doin’?” I asked placing my bag by the door so I didn’t disturb anything.

“Processing some DNA.” He replied as it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Funny, do you have a match to whatever you’re needing a match for?” I rolled my eyes and smacked him on the arm for his comment. I don’t know what it was about Ryan but I was always comfortable around him. I have only known him for about five days now, I’m totally clueless.

“I don’t know we will find out in a minute or two. I’m just waiting for it to print the results.”

“Does this have to do with Brooke?” I asked quietly bringing my blue eyes to meet his brown ones.

“Yeah. We found the place that Raven has been using as his home. Brooke wasn’t there but she might have been recently.” At that moment the printer spit out the paper we were waiting on. After looking at the page his face lit up into a grin. He grabbed my hand bringing me back to the present. “Come on. I think we should show this to H.”

“Okay.” I bent down quickly and grabbed my bag as he dragged me out the door.

A few moments later most of the team was in Horatio’s office. “Okay we know that Brooke Martin is still alive that was confirmed today by a neighbor that lived next to Raven, now a DNA sample. Now all we need is a location and…” At that moment my cell rang interrupting him.

“Sorry, it’s probably just my mom, I called her earlier tonight before I came here. I think I worried her a bit.” I grabbed my phone flipping it open with a smile.

“Hello?”

“Ava?” I heard a whispered voice.

“Brooke?” I asked gaining the attention of everyone in the room. I pushed the speaker button.

“Ava, help me. This guy….he’s crazy…he just left.” I heard her sniffle and breathe heavily. “He won’t be back…for…,for awhile.”

“Ms. Martin…this is Horatio Caine with the crime lab can you hear me okay?” He asked.

“Yes!” She responded in a loud whisper.

“Okay good. Now can you tell me what you hear?”

“I can’t hear anything….I…I..,I can’t hear anything…noth…”I interrupted her.

“Brooke…honey…I know you can do this….remember when we were kids you were always the one that won at hide and seek. You said you could hear us. I breathed to loud or some shit…come on you can hear something. Anything…boats…people…or even fucking birds.” I saw Ryan smirk a little. I know most birds won’t be out at this time of night but whatever.

“Okay…okay…you’re pushy even….even when I’m in danger. Ummm…ow…sorry moved the wrong way. I hear….ummmm…water and metal…and boats? I think its boats. The water keeps…it keeps hitting something…”

“Like a boat dock Brooke?” I asked quietly but I knew she heard me.

“Yeah maybe a marina…shit…he’s coming back I gotta go….find me.” She said before the line went dead.

“A marina…there’s got to be tons around Miami.” I said looking at my dad and then at Ryan.

“We’ll search everyone until we find her starting tonight.” He said nodding at Ryan, Erik and Calliegh. They left the office leaving only My dad and me.

“Dad I want to go with you. I’ll stay in the hummer, I think I should be there. She doesn’t know anyone and she will be scared enough. She’ll need a friendly face someone she knows.” I pleaded.

“Ava…I don’t think that…”

“would be a good idea but I want to go…she’s my best friend…” I felt tear well up in my eyes again. “…I can’t lose her.”

Horatio gathered me up in a hug and slowly nodded. “You can go but you have to stay in the hummer. I don’t want you getting out until we have her in an ambulance.”

“Okay, I can do that I promise.” I said with a smile before following him out of the office. We got to the hummer and climbed in. I finally felt like I was doing something. I was looking for my friend and I was bound and determined to find her no matter what it took.