They met with furious and inpatient Mark at the stairs, he took the bag from her walked to the garage and started the car. As soon as she put her seat belt on her took without saying a word to her.
On the way to the airport Melissa got a call from Lisa, they were devastated since they couldn't find Tommy. He had gone to the park with her aunt but she lost him when she got distracted. She had called Lisa for help and when they couldn't find him around the park they had the park management call the police to help find him but it had been three hours since and no one has seen him or had any news.
"Oh my God."
"What happened?" Mark was surprised to see her so shaken, Since he had met her she always challenged him and fought him in everything. Though he was upset with her for hiding his son he still cared.
"Tommy is missing, they took my son."
"What? Where, how and who took him?"
"The call just now was Lisa informing me that they can't find him. My aunt took him to the park like she always does on weekends but she lost him. They have searched all over the park but he is nowhere to be found."
"Have they reported to the police?" What he feared had happened.
"Yes, Lisa told me that the police are looking around the park and any other place he may have gone to but. My son is so obedient and responsible he couldn't have left his grandmother on her own."
"Its Okay, we will find him. I'll have my contact look for him, how long has he been gone?"
"Three hours but what if they took him because of my investigation. What if I don't see my little boy again. Mark, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about our son sooner. This couldn't have happened if I did. I should have stayed in the province, my son would be safe. Please tell me this is not happening."
"Stop blaming yourself, don't cry we will find him." He wished he had brought his driver, he tried focusing on his driving but he also had to console the hysterical Melissa.
Mark contacted the chief of police and some private detective's to help find the child. By the time they got to her aunt's house they still had no information about her child. The cameras around the park didn't catch any child leaving the park but they got a suspicious man walking out with an ice cream cart. The same as the one Betty remembered seeing Tommy going towards before he disappeared
"Lisa, do you have any news about Tommy? Where is my aunt?" She asked as soon as Lisa opened the door. There were a few men in uniform in the room but her aunt was not there. She knew how shaken her aunt would be and though Mark had assured her they will find Tommy, she was afraid of never seeing her son again. There were many kidnapping case's in the area and mostly the children are never united with their parents. She couldn't stand losing him like she lost her parents.
"Calm down Melissa, the police are doing everything they can to find him. We will find him soon please don't worry." Lisa tried to console her
"My aunt, how is she? I need to see her and know what really happened."
"She didn't take it well,I asked the doctor to give her some medicine to calm her down since she was shaken up, her health has not been good lately but she is resting in her room and doing much better. Please Melissa don't question her so hard the police have all the information, just trust they will find Tommy and bring him home." Lisa hugged her and tried to comfort her. They have been together since Tommy was born and she took him has her child. It was hard for her to, but she had to be strong to support Melissa and her aunt.
She took her to the room, her aunt was awake just lying on the bed. She looked jaded and older than how she left her.
"Aunt" they hugged and both started to cry. "I'm sorry I lost Tommy, one minute he was there beside me the next I couldn't find him. What do we do now, who could have kidnapped him."
"I don't know, I will die if anything bad happens to my son. Aunt why is this happening now that I told Mark the truth, he will never forgive me if we don't find Tommy and I can't live without him aunt. This is so hard and not fare, I lost my parents and I might lose my only son as well."
"It's okay Melissa, aunt the police are looking everywhere for him, they will soon find him and bring him home. Please calm down, we have to be strong and pray that he his found. We have to stay strong for Tommy."
"Lisa is right dear, Tommy is a smart boy. We will find him soon, come let pray to the virgin Mary for his protection that nothing bad happens to him." The three held hands and prayed for Tommy to be found.
The police put up an add on social media for anyone who may have seen the ice cream man whom they suspected had kidnapped the boy. They got his picture from the security cameras and that of Tommy for anyone who might see them.
There had been many kidnapping in the town. Mark used his connections in the military to do aback ground check on the man. He suspected that the man was working for the Mafia linked with the organization that took down Mr Whites company but he couldn't tell that to Melissa.
She would keep on investigating if she knew about it or confront Diana and her family which would put her life in danger.
......
Tommy was woken up by the ringing phone, Looking around, he was in a small room and there were two men watching after him.
"Yes boss, we have the boy but there is a problem." He heard one of the men talk on the phone. Tommy was so scared and worried they might have hurt his grandmother. He left his grandmother to buy ice cream and didn't know how he got to the house.
"The police are everywhere looking for this brat, I'm afraid we can't leave for the city today boss." He didn't really get what the person on the other side of the phone said but the thug looked scared.
"The boss said we have to get him to the city by morning. He has to be shipped out of the country with the rest." The kidnapper who was on the phone told his partner.
"But its too risky,we have to lie low for some days. If we move now they will surely catch as."
"We have the orders, it up to as to deliver. Check if the boy is awake, he has slept for more than five hours."
On hearing their conversation Tommy pretended to be sleeping. He had watched movies and cartoons of how children got kidnapped and managed to escape. Since his mum and that police were looking for him he had to run away and hopefully he would get someone to take him home.
"He is sleeping, this will be easy to move him without any suspicions. I'll check the car make sure we have everything we need, we have to move tonight." Tommy closed his eye and pretended to be a sleep.
"Okay, we should have left already, we stay here longer and the cops might catch up with us."
The house was in the middle of the forest. Looking out of the window all Tommy could see were trees, endless trees and it was getting dark but it was a full moon night. He wanted to go to his grandmother to see if she was all right. Before his mum left for the city, he told him to take care of his grandmother but he had left her behind when he saw his favourite ice cream.
If they take him away his grandmother would be all alone, he had to get back home, he missed his mother so much.