Full Circle (29 page)

She dialed, not caring what time it was and the Camp Director answered instantly.

"Ms. Raintree, I called earlier, several times."

"What's wrong?" she demanded.

"Is Alex with you?" the Director asked.

"No," Josie barked out in panic. "He's supposed to be with you!"

"Alex missed two roll calls. He didn't show up for a game this afternoon and wasn't in his bungalow at bed check. I didn't want to notify the police until I was sure he wasn't with you," the Director said.

"Alex has been missing since this afternoon and you're only now making contact with me!" Josie yelled.

"We did call, ma'am, repeatedly."

"We've been in the middle of a tornado crisis since two this afternoon! We've had many people to account for here in Rawlings. Why in the hell didn't someone call the sheriff's office? Someone there could have contacted me. For God's sake, he's a twelve-year-old boy! Call the County and the State Police! Have you questioned his friends and his roommates?"

"We have, and they claim they don't have any idea when he left, but kids that age stick together. I'll contact the police right away. Will you be available if we need to call you?"

"Of course I'll be available. I've been available all day. You didn't call any of the emergency numbers we gave you!" Josie shouted as she tossed the phone onto the kitchen counter in exasperation.

"What's wrong?" Jack demanded, coming into the kitchen with Buck following right behind.

"Crap!" Josie snapped, as her knees went weak. Jack grabbed her before she went down and slid her up onto a barstool.

"What?"

"Alex is missing from the camp! That idiot Director said he's been missing since early afternoon."

"He's probably on his way here," Jack said. "His friends are hooked up with all the latest computer technology. He probably heard the weather warnings and the later reports about the tornados. He'll be heading home."

"How," Josie asked. "He doesn't have any money. Oh, God, you don't think he tried to hitchhike, do you? If he's out there hitchhiking, I will pulverize him!"

"I'm sure he's smarter than that," Jack said with a grimace. "He has money. I gave him a hundred dollar bill and told him to use it only in an emergency."

Buck cleared his throat. "I gave him a fifty and told him the same thing."

"Great," Josie groaned. "You jump all over me for breaking the rules, but you don't have a problem breaking them yourself! Alex is a little kid, and if he's flashing money around, he's a target for mugging or whatever!"

"If he took the bus, he would have to come in through Buster's all night café and bus stop," Buck said. "I'll head over there and wait around for awhile, check out the bus schedules with Sissy Davis."

Josie grabbed her keys, "I'm heading up the highway to look for him."

"Slowdown," Jack said, snatching the keys out of her hand. "Call whichever Deputy is on night duty and tell them to patrol the highway northwest of here. Call the County people too. You know most of them, and they'll keep an eye out for Alex. You need to stay here because this is probably where he's heading."

"I need to do something!" Josie snapped.

"You need to calm down. You need to get something solid in your stomach and stay put. Josie, you're running on pure nerves. Alex is a smart kid. He's been in much tougher situations and managed to get out in one piece. Although running away from camp is a serious error of judgment on his part, and there will be consequences."

"Consequences? Jack, you can't—"

"I wasn't planning on it," Jack said mildly, "but there will be punishment. You can't let this slide, Josie. Plus, he's going to have to go back to the camp and accept whatever punishment they dole out, too!"

"I want him here in one piece," she said anxiously. "Then, I'm going to skin him alive!"

The call came in at 1:45 a.m. and Jack intercepted it before Josie could snatch the phone. She had refused to move a foot away from the phone. He held up his hand, warding her off and smiled. "Thank you. Hold on. The County guys have him. They picked him up at a bus stop in Franklin. Here, you talk to Alex while I call Buck and tell him to meet them at Shaffer's Crossing."

While a relieved-beyond-belief Josie took the phone, Jack called Buck and sent him out to the halfway point between the two towns. Josie talked to Alex and assured the County officer with him that the person picking him up was his grandfather. When she hung up, she burst into tears.

"I should have gone," Josie cried.

"Buck will put a scare into him long before he gets here," Jack promised. "He thinks a lot of that boy. You're getting emotional, and that means you're exhausted. Go upstairs, take a hot shower, get into something warm, and when you come down, I'll have that pasta heated up for you. Alex is probably going to need to eat too, but if I know him, he'll go for the pizza."

Thirty minutes later, Alex and Buck arrived.

Josie hugged the boy so hard, he was squirming. She thrust him away from her, inspected him for any damages and pulled him back into another hug.

"You scared me silly! You are in so much trouble!"

"Awe, Josie, I can handle myself," Alex whined.

"Wrong tact, squirt," Buck mumbled behind him.

The boy looked over, lowered his head and looked up at her with pleading eyes. "I had to come. I needed to know if you were all right. You promised you'd call if anything happened. A tornado hit, and you didn't call! I tried to call you, but I couldn't get through! I was scared something had happened to you."

"You couldn't get through because we were in the storm shelter!" Josie said firmly. "You know if you can't get through to me that you can call Georgina or Jack or Buck or a dozen other people!" She turned to the other men. "Did you get any phone calls from Alex?"

Both Jack and Buck shook their heads mutely.

"It won't wash, Alex!" Josie warned. "You are grounded for life! You're going to have kids before you get ungrounded!" She stood looking at the boy who did not look the least bit repentant, grabbed him and hugged him again tightly. "Oh you! I'm so glad you're okay!" She kissed him on the forehead, which had the boy backing away.

"I hate to break this up, but it's after two in the morning. We all need to get to bed," Buck suggested. "Alex, hopefully I'll see you tomorrow—alive. Josie, Jack, you two better get this kid in bed and get yourselves there too. Don't forget to call that Camp Director and tell him Alex is here. Tomorrow will be another busy day cleaning up the mess."

Alex endured a hug from the old man and pulled a large slice of pizza out of the box on the counter nearly swallowing it whole. "What are we doing tomorrow?"

Jack got him in a wrestling hold and knuckled his head. "The high winds caused a lot of damage especially to yards and gardens, and a ton of trash needs to be picked up. Guess what you're doing tomorrow? A lot of senior citizens in town could use a boy who needs to work off a punishment detail."

"What do I get paid?" Alex demanded.

"Nada," Jack said, his voice stern and warning. "This work is for the good of the community. In times of disaster, everyone should think beyond their personal needs and do what is best for the community."

"You've got him scared to death," Josie whispered to Jack as she put the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher.

"He is not scared; he's still trying to con me into paying him. Volunteering will be good for him. Buck and I got a list of the elderly in and around town from Georgina that your department regularly checks in on. We're going to make the rounds from house to house. We're commandeering your truck and yard tools because the Rescue Squad still needs Buck's SUV and my Jeep isn't big enough. If anyone needs help with clean up, we'll do it. Cleanup like this could take days. I heard Mrs. Freeman is organizing the older high school kids to do the same. It won't hurt the kid to work his butt off for a couple of days. A few blisters on his hands from raking and shoveling will be badges of honor for a good deed done. He has to learn that he doesn't have the right to worry the people that care for him."

Josie's eyebrows went up when he patted her on the bottom—a bottom that was still a little tender. "I understand now, how worried you were, too. Don't work him too hard and make sure he wears sunscreen."

Jack gave her a long slow kiss and steered her out the back door.

"Gross!" was Alex's response as Jack turned back to the kitchen.

"Mrs. Greer," Josie repeated for the fourth time to the caller. "I do not know Aiden's location except that he has not shown up for work for three days. I understand you are worried, but your nephew is a grown man. He does not have to check in with you every day. On the other hand, he has a job to do as the mayor of this town and the town council would appreciate him showing up. If you do see or hear from him, please tell him that, in a time of emergency, the mayor is expected to be present and accounted for."

After a slight knock, the door opened and Georgina stuck her head inside, holding up a cup of coffee.

Josie waved her in, mouthing 'Thank You.'

"Yes ma'am, I understand your sister is ill and is worried. Nevertheless, as I have said, Aiden is a grown man. No ma'am, I am not being rude. I have my hands full at the moment, as does every law officer, fireman, rescue squad member and volunteer in Rawlings and every other town within a fifty-mile radius of the tornado touchdown zones. We were not the only area hit. If you want to put out a missing person's report on your nephew, you may do so. Yes, ma'am." Josie pushed her finger down on the receiver button. "Please, give me a break from over-protected momma's boys!"

"Mrs. Greer?" Georgina asked, rolling her eyes.

"The one and only," Josie said, sucking down her coffee with a loud slurp. "It seems she took over for her sister when it came to molly-coddling Aiden. Good grief, the man must be forty! Anything else going on I should know about?"

"Nothing the guys can't handle," Georgina said, sitting down in the chair across from Josie's desk.

"Nice blouse," Josie said. She eyed Georgina's low-cut, but not indecent, ruffled red number. "Did you give up on wearing the uniform?"

"I decided it was too confining and restrictive," Georgina said with a smirk. "It's a little difficult to find matching lipstick that goes with boring beige."

"Tan," Josie corrected. "Men prefer calling it tan or khaki. It's a more macho name for a color."

Georgina shrugged. "It's boring. Those damn tornadoes cost me a date!"

"Anybody I know?" Josie asked, looking interested.

Georgina smirked. "Clay. We were supposed to go up to Holbart for dinner, but that was before all hell broke loose. That damn tornado messed up our plans, and all the deputies have only had one eight-hour shift off in the last forty-eight hours. Clay said if he has time this evening, he'll come over and help clean up my yard."

"That sounds promising," Josie said with a smile. "I'm glad you got him that far. Don't let him slide backwards now."

"I don't intend to," Georgina snapped. "It's already taken me eight months to get this far. I swear that man thinks we're still living in the 1950s. Honestly, who thinks in terms of color nowadays? I keep telling him it doesn't matter and besides, as soon as I can get that man past my front door—I'll have him in bed in a matter of minutes. When I get through with him, the last thing on his mind will be skin color."