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I look around the room. I want to be happy. I want to celebrate. But I want Beth more. We are still holed up in Jeff’s office, where I have been for most of the night. Oscar taking the official phone call that I have just been voted in for governor now puts us firmly in the spotlight. I can hear my supporters outside in the large hall, and even more gathering around outside. Choosing the center for my election night headquarters was a great idea, something that the local community welcomed. But Beth still isn’t here. My eyes hone in on Jeff, and I watch him out in the hall, running around, ensuring things are running smoothly in his center. He turned up about an hour ago, having gone out earlier to grab more supplies. We have double the number of people here than we were expecting.
Eddie and I both grilled him when he returned. But he came up clean. He doesn’t know where Beth is and he, along with everyone else in this office, is deeply concerned for Beth's wellbeing.
Aside from my mother, it seems.
“Seriously, Harrison, you need to go and make your acceptance speech,” my mother says, and my eyes flick to her. I love her, I do, but right now, I hate her. Hate her with almost every fiber of my being. I don’t say anything to her. I don’t have to. She knows. It is rolling off me more violently than those thunder clouds outside. She can feel it. Everyone in this fucking office can.
“The Police Chief is sending a specialist team, but they might be a while. Tonight is crazy for them,” Eddie says, and I nod.
“Maybe…” Oscar starts, and my eyes flick to him.
“Maybe what?” I snap at him to hurry up and spit it out. I’m on the edge, barely hanging on. My need to snap is simmering at the surface.
“Well, you need to do a speech. The entire state will be listening in. Maybe request their help?”
“Oh, you cannot be serious? She has probably gone off with another boyfriend or something,” my mother chimes in again, starting to huff and puff around the room.
“Get out,” I say calmly. I can’t even look at her.
“Oh, Harrison…” she starts.
“I said, GET OUT!” I yell. My voice raised for the second time this week, all at the same woman.
I watch her stand there, looking at me, her eyes wide as she swallows the words that were about to come flying back out at me. She purses her lips then, before grabbing her luxury leather bag, and tetters on her heels out the door. As the door closes, I breathe out and rub my forehead. This night is not going anything like I had imagined.
“Right, I will make my speech and talk to the press. Set it up,” I say to Oscar, and he rushes out the door to organize the crowd. I can hear them out there, cheering and clapping, excited that their man just won the position of governor. While I am holed up in this small office, trying to keep it together.
I run over a few things with Eddie, gathering some key points before I walk out to address the crowd and waiting media. As soon as I am out the door, the cheers go up. I give a small smile and a quick wave before I walk up to the podium.
“Thank you, everyone,” I say as I wait for the noise to die down a little.
“Today, we won.” As I wait for the clapping to cease, I look over the crowd, seeing the familiar faces of my brothers, some friends, business acquaintances.
“Thank you for championing for me, canvassing for me, highlighting the very important causes we commit to now that we are in power. I could not have done this without you,” I say to another cheer that on any other day would fill me with joy.
“I want to thank my brothers for their unwavering support.” I look at them all, deliberately not mentioning my mother.
“I would also like to thank Oscar, my campaign manager.” I wave my hand in his direction and give him a brief nod in acknowledgement. We are all happy, but reserved, the feeling of dread too close to the surface.
“I also want to make special mention to my girlfriend, Beth,” I say and pause, because there is a frenzy as soon as I mention her name. Cameras flash incessantly, the crowd cheers, and people holler and whoop. I smile a little, because the acceptance of her is immediate.
“Beth and I met a year ago and have become close over these past three months as I started the campaign. Without her, none of this would be possible. But she isn’t here tonight.” The crowd goes silent.
“Beth was due here five hours ago after I dropped her at home earlier today, and she hasn’t been seen or heard from since. None of her family or friends have seen her, and she is not answering her phone. We have fears for her safety.” Shocked faces and quiet murmurs are the first response. This is not how I expected my first speech to go. I look around the crowd and see the paparazzi on the outskirts. I look for his unique yellow hair, but I can’t see Max, his curly mop nowhere in the crowd. It is then that the penny drops.
“Beth, if you are listening to this tonight, please know that I love you, and I will find you,” I state through gritted teeth, angry that I didn’t notice him missing earlier. Max has followed my entire campaign. On the biggest night of it, he is suspiciously absent.
I step away from the microphone, the blinding lights of camera flashes going off in every direction, and I walk off the stage and back into Jeff’s office to chat to my team.
“I know who has her,” I state, fully convinced of it.
“Who?” Eddie asks as all three of my brothers crowd around me.
“Oscar, get me the media list,” I bark at him, my patience now all out the window.
“What have you found?” Ben asks, stepping up to my side, the four of us boys together giving off a commanding presence.
I tell them all about Max. Once I give them his description, Eddie nods, clearly remembering him as well. Oscar scans through our media contact list to find any details we may have of him.
