A Call for Help

As I walked down the hall towards my apartment, I wasn’t upset. I was pissed. Only Christopher’s crazy ass would be bold enough to just walk up to the babysitter’s and pick up Kara.

Partially, I know I’m to blame. I never figured he’d find me. Even if he had approached the Director at the school, they weren’t going to let her go without notifying me since his name wasn’t on the pick up list. I hit the speed dial-number on my phone of the one person who always seems to know every damn thing but this.

Dispatch.

The phone didn’t have a chance to ring before he answered.

“Tony-,” I started.

“I know Terra.”

“Then where the hell is she?” I growled. I could feel my control slipping more and more as I let myself into my apartment.

“I don’t know,” he answered.

“I don’t want to hear that, Dispatch. You know every damn thing else! Don’t tell me you don’t know where she is!”

“I don’t know!” He snapped. “I know that Ean called for help at 10:30. I know that you took her to the babysitter at 11:10.. I know that Christopher showed up around 12:15. I was able to track them to the grid on the corner of 8th and H before he went off the scope.”

“What do you mean, went off the scope?”

“Just that. They completely disappeared.” He sighed. “It’s my own fault. I tried to call you and let you know what was happening, but I couldn’t get through to anyone’s cell. I saw Leroy’s signal popup, but since I suspended him and he wasn’t supposed to be there anyway, I refused to contact him. Derrick’s signal came up shortly afterwards, but he wouldn’t answer the other line. I couldn’t send Tellico after you because you couldn’t answer. So instead, I had him try to follow them. He followed them through the line until they disappeared. I think the whole thing with Luminous was a distraction so that I wouldn’t be able to reach you.”

I sat down and put my head in my hands. “Dispatch. I want Leroy in on this. Call a meeting of everyone and put it to vote if you want, I don’t care. I’m calling him.”

“Look Terra, there’s things about Leroy you don’t understand.”

“Then tell me, dammit! I’m sick of the games.”

I heard him sigh. “Before he became a member of the Urban 30, Leroy operated on his own, barely on this side of the law. Sure, he’d bust up drug rackets, but then he’d keep half the money. His dealings were extremely shady. When I approached him about joining the group, it was with the stipulation that he would work together, with us, as a team. No solo jaunts, and nothing borderline.”

Pacing the floor, I got more and more pissed. “I understand that. Really, I do. But what you have to take into account is that he’s always been there for us, regardless of who’s in trouble. He’s been a team member and a team player. Set up the meeting now, Dispatch. I’m on my way.” I hung up.

Before I could sit down to think, I heard a tap at my door. I hesitated for a moment, then thought about it. Christopher wasn’t going to come back tonight.

I opened the door and froze. My father stood in the doorway.

“Daddy? What are you doing here!”

“We’re going to get my granddaughter back. With or without that so-called group of yours.”