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A choked laugh escaped me. "This is a weird time to tell me to chill."
"Come on now. Remember who I'm talking to. I ain't seen you crack not once since this started. You think I won't notice when you're going a hundred miles an hour in your head, ready to burn this whole city down if it meant seeing your girl safe?”
My mouth worked but nothing came out. I had built myself this new identity. Somewhere beneath was the guilt, the ghost of who I used to be.
His words broke through the dam I had been desperately holding up. The floodgates opened, and I found myself wrapped in Joe's embrace, my body shaking with sobs I couldn't suppress. "It feels like losing Patrick all over again," I managed to say between the tears, the raw pain in my voice. "Except this time, it's Lina. The helplessness and the fear. it's all too familiar."
Joe held me tighter, his voice steady and reassuring. "Listen, Hank, don't do this to yourself. Not here, not now. This isn't like Patrick. This time, you can do something. This time,you're going to fight back and bring your girl home. Lina wants out. She needs out. She deserves every ounce of whatever crazy idea comes up in that big brain of yours to bring her back home."
His words, like a beacon in the storm, pierced through the despair, igniting a spark of resolve within me. I took a deep breath, wiped away my tears, and nodded. "You're right. Thank you."
Gathering everyone in the main hall, I didn't make any emotional speeches. But as I looked around, it wasn't just about saving Lina anymore. It was showing her this crazy, messy family she'd become a part of. None of us would win trophies for being the perfect Daddy. But we had something stronger; we fought for each other.
"Thank you, all of you, for being here," I began, my voice firm despite the emotional turmoil. "Lina is lucky to have each of you in her life, a family she chose. And right now, she needs us more than ever."
I looked around the room, at the faces of friends who had become family, each one ready to do whatever it took to bring my sweet girl back. "We need to divide and conquer. Joe, you and Mike start by checking any of Finn's known haunts, any place he's mentioned or been seen at before. Elijah, I need you and your Daddies to help us hack into any of Finn's known online accounts, see if he's left a digital trail we can follow."
"Jenna, you're on social media duty. I want you to scour every corner of the internet, see if anyone in our community's talking about seeing Finn or Lina. Use those contacts you brag about. We need eyes and ears everywhere."
"And I," I continued, feeling the weight of leadership settle on my shoulders, "will coordinate with the authorities. I'llkeep them updated and make sure they're doing everything they can. But I'm not just relying on them. We're taking action too."
I could see the determination in everyone's eyes, a mirror of my own. "Let's use every resource at our disposal. We're not just waiting for news. Lina is counting on us."
The room filled with a renewed sense of purpose as we broke into our assigned tasks. The sun rose higher, casting light not just through the windows, but also into the darkness of our situation, reminding us that as long as we had hope and each other, we were not powerless. We were going to bring Lina home, whatever it took.
Chapter 17: Lina
IN THAT COLD, DESOLATE ROOM where the shadows seemed to crawl closer with every passing second, Finn's arrival was like a dark cloud blotting out the faintest glimmer of hope. The door creaked open, and light spilled in, casting his shadow before me. His movements were deliberate, predatory as he stepped into the room. With a flick of the switch, the harsh light blinded me momentarily, revealing Finn. He removed his mask slowly, theatrically, revealing a sinister smile that chilled me to the bone. His eyes, cold and devoid of any human warmth, fixed on me with a gaze that seemed to pierce through my very soul. The air around us thickened with his malevolence as he stood there, surveying his captive. Then, without a word, he turned and left, the darkness swallowing his figure but not the lingering echo of his menacing presence.
My thoughts found their way to Daddy—my anchor in the tumultuous sea of life. The warmth of his embrace, the safety of his presence, and the unwavering love in his eyes became my sanctuary. Among the countless memories that I clung to, two stood out.
The first memory was of a rainy afternoon when I was disappointed that I couldn’t meet Mike at the park and play. Daddy had surprised me with an indoor picnic. The living room had been transformed into a magical fortress, blankets draped over chairs and fairy lights twinkling like stars. Daddy's eyes sparkled with joy as he presented a spread of my favorite snacks, each prepared with meticulous care. We sat there, surrounded by the warmth of our makeshift sanctuary, as he read my favorite book aloud. His voice, steady and soothing,had wrapped around me like a comforting blanket, shielding me from the storm outside. Nestled in his arms, I felt an overwhelming sense of belonging and peace. The world outside could wait; within the walls of our fortress, I was treasured, loved, and safe.
The second memory that offered solace was the day Daddy had taught me to bake. I was good at cooking while he excelled at baking, thanks to his brother Patrick. The kitchen was our playground, flour dusting the air like snowflakes. Daddy's patience was infinite as he guided my hands, showing me how to knead the dough with just the right amount of pressure. His laughter filled the room, a melody that chased away any shadows lurking in my heart. When we finally pulled our creation from the oven, the pride in his eyes was my greatest reward. We sat together, savoring the fruit of our labor.
These snapshots of unconditional love and care became my lifeline in the darkness. With every breath, I whispered silent prayers, hoping against hope that Daddy would find me. In my heart, I knew that as long as Daddy was out there, fighting for me, I had a reason to hold on.
But soon, the days blurred into an endless loop of despair under Finn's calculated torment. His presence was a constant shadow, looming over me, his tactics evolving into a more sinister form with each passing moment. It was on one of these endless days that Finn decided to attack the very foundation of my sanity—my cherished memories with Daddy.
Sitting across from me in the dimly lit room, a cruel smirk played on Finn's lips as he began to weave his web of lies. "Do you remember the day you and your Daddy went to the amusement park?" he asked, his voice dripping with a feigned casualness that didn't reach his cold eyes.
I nodded slowly, a flicker of warmth igniting within me at the memory. "Yes," I replied cautiously, wary of his intentions.
Finn leaned forward, his smirk widening. "You seemed to remember it as a joyful day. But you're wrong," he stated flatly, his gaze locked on mine, challenging me to dispute his words.
Confusion clouded my thoughts. "What do you mean? It was a wonderful day. Daddy won me a giant teddy bear," I said, my voice wavering slightly under his intense scrutiny.
"Oh, Lina," Finn sighed, shaking his head with mock pity. "That's not how it happened at all. You're misremembering. What actually happened is that you wanted to win that teddy bear, but you couldn't. You begged your Daddy to win it for you, but he failed. Every single game, he failed. You were so disappointed, so embarrassed by him. You cried the whole way home, remember?"
His words hit me like a physical blow, twisting the knife of doubt deeper into my heart. I tried to cling to the truth, to the happiness of that day, but Finn's manipulation was insidious, planting the seeds of uncertainty in my mind.
"That's not true," I protested weakly, my voice barely a whisper. "Daddy won that teddy bear for me. We were happy."
Finn's laugh was harsh, devoid of any warmth. "You're so lost in your fantasy world. I'm telling you the truth. You need to accept it. Your memories are wrong. Your mind is playing tricks on you. You’re losing your mind. I’m the one trying to save you."
As he continued to distort the truth, I felt my resolve wavering, the edges of my reality beginning to fray. Finn's relentless gaslighting was designed to break me, to make me question the very fabric of my existence and the authenticity of the love and happiness I had known.
The struggle to hold onto my sanity became my battleground. The fight wasn't just against Finn; it was against the creeping doubt he tries to create. But no matter how much he tried to warp my reality, I knew the truth of the love that Daddy and I shared, a bond unbreakable even in the face of Finn's cruel manipulations.
