"Please, hang on, Baby. They’ll find you. Don’t give up." She whispered, knowing the longer Joe was missing, the less chance she had of ever seeing him again.

Clutching the picture to her chest, she cried.

*****

Laura awoke suddenly. Staring at the ceiling for a moment, she realized she was alone in bed and wondered where her husband was. Immediately everything came flooding back to her. Joe had disappeared. Frank and Fenton had gone in search of him. She had spoken to her husband after he arrived in Chicago with Frank. They found the file Joe had left behind. Other then alerting them to a planned assassination of Senator Jacob Hurley, they had run into a brick wall. He had promised to call when he had more information. She hadn’t heard from him since.

Sitting up, Laura propped the pillows behind her back, and gazed out into the darkness. She knew why Fenton hadn’t called again and it wasn’t because he had no new information. She knew her husband and her older son. She knew that by now they had to have uncovered more information as to what had happened to Joe. She also knew that whatever they had uncovered was not good and that’s why there had been no more phone calls. Laura sighed knowing Fenton was trying to protect her, to keep her from worrying about Joe. Didn’t he realize her imagination was worse than any truth could be? Or was it…

Hearing movement in the hall, Laura listened intently. Soft footsteps padded down the stairs, fading as they reached the first floor.

‘Vanessa.’ Laura’s heart broke for the young girl.

Why had life suddenly taken such a cruel turn for Joe and Vanessa? Prior to the beginning of the year, they were the happiest couple Laura had ever seen. Since the day they met, it seemed as if they were destined to be together. Soul mates. Vanessa had slowly brought Joe back from that horrible place in his soul, where he had taken up residence when Iola Morton died. She was outgoing, fun loving, adventurous, and always had a smile on her face. A mirror image of Joe. He had fallen for her right away, hard and fast. Laura had seen immediately that Vanessa was different from the endless string of girls Joe had dated after Iola, and Laura thanked God many times for bringing her into Joe’s life. Their relationship – their life together – was the envy of most of their friends…until that awful night.

Laura still shuddered whenever she thought about the phone call Fenton had received from Police Chief Ezra Collig. Vanessa had been raped and the police couldn’t find Joe to let him know. It had fallen to Fenton to break the news to their youngest son. That one horrible night was the catalyst that had sent Joe and Vanessa’s perfect life spinning out of control.

Joe had been arrested and tried for murdering the man who had raped Vanessa. Thanks to Frank he had been found innocent but not before the trial had opened up a Pandora’s box of memories Joe had been repressing since childhood. He had almost lost his sanity, but again Frank was there to pull him back to his family. When Vanessa had been kidnapped three months later, it was Frank who kept Joe on an even keel until they were able to find her.

Suddenly Laura felt as if a weight had been lifted from her. Frank had always been there for Joe, at the lowest points in his life, the ever-protective older brother. Saving Joe from himself and anyone else who tried to do him harm. She knew in her heart Frank would not return home without the baby brother he adored.

Hearing muffled cries from downstairs, Laura got out of bed and put on her robe and slippers. She hoped that somehow, she could bring Vanessa to that same realization.

*****

Desperate to block out the pain, Joe had spent the past hour trying pull up the happiest memories he could recall and focus on them. It had worked initially, but the burns, bruises, broken ribs, open wounds and burning lungs all conspired against him vowing not to be ignored. Even the relief of Rashman ignoring him had worn off long ago. Joe hadn’t had to endure any new torment in the past sixty minutes, but even that didn’t offer much comfort. He knew Rashman had much more in store for him. At one point Joe had the crazy idea that Rashman didn’t want him to tell them where he had hidden the file – Rashman seemed to be having too much fun and apparently didn’t want it to end anytime soon.

Trying to remember favorite gifts he’d been given helped for a little while, until movement in front of the campfire brought an immediate halt to Joe’s imagery. He watched as Rashman and Malick got up and walked to the trunk of the car – or as Joe now thought of it, the chamber of horrors. Malick pulled out two sleeping bags, while Rashman retrieved a glass jar and gallon jug of water. Malick walked to the campfire and began spreading out the sleeping bags, while Rashman continued on towards Joe.

‘Great. More water. Freezing temperatures. Broken ribs and burning lungs. I see pneumonia in my future.’ Joe thought, wondering what else he’d have to go through before this was over.

Putting the glass jar on the ground, Rashman placed two fingers under Joe’s chin, raising it slightly. Rashman looked him in the eyes for a moment and smiled, not saying a word. Removing the cap from the jug of water he held it an inch from Joe’s lips.

"Want a drink? You must be thirsty by now." Rashman teased.

Joe glared at him, knowing Rashman had no intention of letting Joe have even one precious drop of water. The last time he’d had anything to "drink" was when Rashman poured the bucket of water over him earlier and he had accidentally inhaled some of it. With a chuckle, Rashman lifted the jug over Joe’s head and tilted it, slowly moving it over his arms and upper body, making sure every part of his body was soaked.

Even though he was prepared this time, Joe still gasped at the chill of the cold water. Initially, it felt good on his arm, quieting the throbbing pain caused by the burns, but his relief was short-lived. Once the initial coolness had worn off, his numerous injuries screamed louder than ever.

When the jug was empty, Rashman smiled again. "I’ll be back in a few minutes…once that water has had time to…sink in. Then I’ll introduce you to your new friends." He smirked. With a glance at the jar he had placed on the ground at Joe’s feet, Rashman turned and walked back to the campfire.

‘Friends?’ Joe thought looking down at the jar.