Kidnapped!

" 1 "

Brian and Justin walked through the park, each holding one of Gus' hands. The little boy was singing happily to himself. He loved being out with his father and Justin. The big boys were discussing where they would go for dinner since Gus would be spending the night with them at the loft. It wasn't always easy to find a restaurant that Brian liked that would tolerate a four year old.

Every once in a while Gus would pull up his feet and hang suspended between the two men. They would swing him back and forth a couple of times eliciting giggles from the little boy. Then they would set him back on his feet. It was one of Gus' favorite games.

As they got near the slides Gus pulled his hand away from his father.

"Slide, Daddy," he said.

"Okay, Sonny Boy, go ahead, but stay in sight."

Justin released Gus' hand and the little boy ran up to the slide quickly climbing to the top of the ladder and sitting down ready to take the plunge.

"Watch, Daddy!" Gus called.

Brian waved and watched as Gus slid down the winding tube and emerged at the bottom. He quickly ran around to the back to climb up once again.

"Why don't we just go to the diner? It's the simplest thing," Justin said.

Brian stood thinking on the pathway. "You just want one of those humungous burgers that have half a cow in them."

"Of course…"

"Look out!" someone shouted.

Justin felt someone elbow him and he was suddenly flat on his back beside the path. A skateboarder was careening away as he looked up.

"Justin," Brian said kneeling beside him. "Are you all right?"

"I … I think so." Justin sat up and looked around.

"Skateboarders should be banned from this park," said a man who had come over to see if Justin was all right.

"Fucking asshole!" Brian reacted as he and the man helped Justin up.

"I'm fine," Justin said brushing himself off. "Just took me by surprise."

"He could have missed you if he'd had any control of that board," the man said.

"I wish he had," Justin replied rubbing his ass. It stung from where he had landed so unceremoniously on the edge of the paved path.

"You have lots of padding, Sunshine," Brian said trying to be light about what had happened.

"If you're all right…" the man who had assisted them said and walked away.

"Thanks," Justin called after him

"You're sure you're okay?" Brian asked still concerned.

"I'm good, but you may have to take it easy on my ass for the next day or two."

"Maybe I can get compensation for loss of conjugal rights," Brian said his tongue firmly in his cheek.

"It's my ass that's suffering, not your dick," Justin retorted continuing to rub the cheek that had taken the brunt of the fall.

"Want to sit down?" Brian asked indicating a nearby bench.

"That's the last thing I want to do."

Brian pulled Justin into his embrace and kissed his cheek. "If I ever see that fucking asshole on the skateboard I'll rip his balls off and sauté them for dinner!"

Justin chuckled and then Brian's mention of dinner reminded him of the diner and then Gus. "Brian, where's Gus?"

"Shit!" Brian said looking over to the slide. There was no sign of Gus. "Gus!" Brian called. "Gus!" No one responded to his calls. "Oh fuck, Gus, where are you?"

Brian and Justin rushed over to the slides. Frantically they looked all around the area but there was no sign of the little boy. They ran around asking any and all if they had seen the little boy in a brown jacket. Justin forgot about his sore ass as they raced around all the playground equipment looking for Gus, and asking the few children who were playing if they had seen him.

"Fuck, Justin! He's gone! Where could he be?"

"I don't know," Justin frowned.

"What are we going to do? It's not like Gus to wander off."

"Call 911, Brian. If he wandered away we need to get the police looking for him immediately."

"Gus wouldn't just wander off. He knows better than that," Brian said, but he pulled out his cell phone and called the police anyway. While he talked to someone, Justin continued looking around the park asking people if they had seen Gus.

Very quickly a squad car pulled up to the park and two officers got out. Brian and Justin rushed over to them.

"My son's missing. He was on the slide and then he was just … gone," Brian said the fear evident in his voice.

"Calm down, sir," the officer said. "How long ago did this happen?"

"Maybe fifteen minutes," Justin said looking at his watch.

"Tell me what happened."

"We were walking in the park, and Gus saw the slides. We let him run over there and told him to stay in sight. Then a skateboarder knocked me down, and by the time Brian helped me up, Gus was gone."

"Your name is?" the officer asked.

"Justin Taylor. This is Brian Kinney. Gus Peterson-Marcus is the boy who's missing."

"That's a lot of names."

"Gus lives with his mothers, but Brian is the biological father, and we had him for the day," Justin explained.

"Would you have a picture of the little boy?" the officer asked.

Brian searched through his wallet and pulled out the most recent photo. "What are you going to do?" Brian asked his voice breaking. "We have to find him."

"We'll talk to people in the park," the officer said. "My partner is calling for a detective to come and speak with you."

"Can you hurry? We've already asked everyone and nobody's seen him," Brian said frowning. "The more time that passes the farther away he could be."

"We're following procedure," the officer told him.

"Fuck procedure!" Brian cried and turned away as the tears built behind his eyes. Gus had to be found, and soon. He had to be all right. He had to!

"Brian," Justin said softly holding on to Brian's arm. "They're doing their job. They'll find him."

"You don't fucking know that! What if somebody took him? What if we never see him again?" Brian's shoulders shook with the pent up emotion.

"Don't think like that. They'll find him. I know they will."

Brian turned and allowed Justin to take him in his arms. He was so fucking scared. Gus had to be all right.

"Mr. Kinney," a voice said. "I'm Detective Margaret Lopez. I need to talk to you."

Brian took a deep breath and turned to the policewoman. "What do you need to know?"

The next ten minutes were spent retelling the story of how Gus had disappeared. The other two officers were out canvassing the park and the street across from the park. Justin felt like a fifth wheel but he stayed by Brian's side holding his hand and offering strength in any way that he could.

Suddenly one of the officers came running up. "There's a street person across the way," he said pointing to the street opposite the slides. "She says she saw this little boy being carried from the park and shoved into an SUV. She says the boy was crying and struggling."

"Gus…" Brian said letting the word hang in the air.

"Bring her over here," Detective Lopez ordered.

"I tried, but she refuses to move from her spot."

"Okay, stay here," she said to Brian. "I'll go talk to her. Give me the picture."

She was gone for several minutes while Brian paced and tried to breathe. Justin watched him afraid he might have a heart attack at any minute.

When Detective Lopez returned she looked subdued. "It's hard to know how much of what she says can be believed, but she says this is the boy she saw being stuffed into the SUV." She extended the photo towards Brian.

"Gus," was all he could say.

"It looks like a kidnapping."

"No," Brian cried. "Why? Why would anyone want to do that?"

"Do you have money, Mr. Kinney?" she asked.

"Some," Brian said slowly. "You think they want money?"

"That's usually the way it works."

Brian shook his head. "This can't be happening."

"Do you have any enemies?"

Brian looked up in surprise. "I … I don't know," he stammered trying to think of how to answer that question, thinking of people who might want to hurt him. "I can't imagine anyone I know doing this." He ran his hand through his hair.

"Well, you need to think about that," the detective replied seriously.

"But what can we do?" Brian asked. He felt Justin squeeze his hand and was very grateful to have the young man to lean on. He was sure he would be a raving lunatic right now without Justin's steadying influence.

"I think you should go home. If they are going to contact you, it will be at home, and you need to be there."

"But…" Brian began. "Gus lives with his mothers. Wouldn't they call there?"

"This whole situation is complicated," the detective responded. "Until we hear from the kidnappers we won't know what or who we are dealing with."

"They could call either place, or Mel's."

"Who is Mel?"

"Gus' other mother. She and Lindsay are split at the moment. They could call her."

"I suppose," the detective admitted. "Why don't you go inform the mothers and then go to your own home? We probably won't hear anything for several hours. We'll set up surveillance and monitor the phones at both sites."

"Isn't there something else we can do … besides wait?" Brian asked frustrated.

"I'm afraid not."

"Okay, but he fucking has to be found," Brian said dreading telling Lindsay what had happened. And Mel would positively assassinate him. He sighed. "Come on, Justin let's go get this over with."

Justin gave the cop the necessary addresses and asked her to keep them informed. Then he took Brian's hand and they headed for the Corvette. Brian handed the keys to Justin knowing he was in no shape to drive. When they climbed in, Brian turned and looked at the empty child's seat in the back. Justin watched as Brian's shoulders started to shake and the man's face contorted in grief.

"We'll get him back, Brian," Justin said gently taking Brian in his arms.

"What the fuck am I going to do if we don't?"

Return to Thyme's