Running Home (12 page)

“Him?” she questioned.

“That boy meant the entire world to me, back then. He was there for me, through thick and thin, and I never did deserve his devotion or loyalty. He is the one regret I have about leaving. I should have stayed for him, for our friendship. He is the only person I can say I have ever truly loved in my entire life, and I walked away from it.”

“What are you going to do? Just go home?”

“I want to, and I know I need to. But I don’t know. I basically ran away one day, without any goodbyes or see ya laters. I didn’t try to contact anyone over the years, and it’s probably for the best that I didn’t. I don’t know if I burnt the bridge to the ground and my possibilities of being welcomed back are slim to none. But I think I have to try.” I shrugged my shoulders and started to pull another load out of the dryer. I had only a few more months here, and then I was free. Free to run home and start over. Home was my only chance at survival.

“Wanted You More” Lady Antebellum

Walker

“Walker, get your head out of your ass and come out with us tonight,” Derek yelled into the phone.

I had just worked a twelve hour shift
, and wanted nothing more than to head home and sit on my ass with a cold beer. It had been a little over a year since Sadie ran out of my life, and hell, I tried hard for the first couple of months to find her. But she vanished even with all my connections she had basically vanished. I guess one really can disappear if they want to.  I hadn’t gotten over the heartbreak, it still hurt every day. I gave that woman my entire heart. No reserves; just full out non-judgmental love. I thought I knew everything about her, but after what happened things started to not add up, and the life I thought I was living turned into shambles. Everyone in town couldn’t believe what happened, and I was getting tired of hearing how they never saw it coming and how sorry they all were. Really, did they think I noticed it? I have slowly come to the conclusion I’m meant to be alone, and there is nothing wrong with that. I just don’t want to try and pretend that there was reason for all this crap to happen in my life.  I really just want to forget about it all numbness is what my mind and body craved.

I had
just popped the top on my Bud Light when the kitchen door flew open, and in walked Derek and Bridger accompanied, by my lazy dog.

“Alright
, dude, go shower, change, or whatever you need to do, but we are going out,” Derek demanded as he walked into the living room, and kicked my feet off the coffee table.

“Shit
, Derek, I told you I didn’t want to go out tonight,” I sneered.

“You have played the hurt an
d wounded card for way too long. We are going out; end of story, my man,” Bridger added in, as they both stood over me.

I tipped the rest of my
beer back and then slammed it down on the table. Leaning back on the couch, I crossed my arms over my chest and gave them a smug look. I wasn’t doing anything tonight and they could go pound sand. Without warning, I heard a crack and pain instantly shot through my shoulder.

“What the fuck
, Derek!” I roared.

“
It’s been over a year; stop fucking sulking, and deal with shit. I know it hurt man, shit, it blindsided you. But, eventually you need to stop fucking being a pansy. Get off your ass and live again. Go get your dick sucked, have a one night stand………. have a threesome! Just start living; I’m sick of watching you mope around town. On that note, go shower; no one will come near you smelling like that,” Derek shouted as I sat in shock on the couch.

“I’m not that bad,” I mumbled.

“Shit, please princess, you’re more emotional than my thirteen year old sister,” Bridger commented.

I shook my head
, as I got off the couch and headed into the bathroom. I thought I was having fun; apparently everyone else didn’t think so. “You have twenty minutes to make yourself pretty; don’t overdue the makeup tonight,” Derek taunted from the living room.

“Fuck you,” I yelled back at him.

“That a boy!” I heard him say, while I was turning on the shower.

We drove into the next town to hit
up a small country bar. There weren’t many pickings for the night life atmosphere, unless we wanted to drive the two hours into the city, and I don’t think Derek planned on being sober for too long anyway. The bar was packed with nine-to-five workers like me, just searching for an escape from their normal day life.

“What can I get you gentleman?
” a cute bartender asked us as we headed up to the bar.

“Three Bud Lights
, please,” I responded to her, and slid a twenty across the bar top. She nodded her head and pulled the bottles out from underneath, popping the tops. “Keep the change,” I winked at her. One night of total disregard wasn’t going to kill me; in fact, I had the next two days off. Why not get a little wasted and enjoy the single life? I was only twenty-five, for gosh sakes, might as well act like it.

Several beers
, and two shots later, I was having a great time. No longer did I feel the need to mope; I was a free man.

“Why in the world did I ever think I was ready to get married?” I slurred
, while tipping back more of my beer.

“Dude
, I did it, and let me tell you it’s HELL. All I ever hear is, Derek do this, Derek do that, Derek are you listening?”

All three of us started to laugh
hysterically. Derek married right out of high school, and had two kids by age twenty-two. I thought that was the life I wanted, but now, I was fully content with the life I was living right now. I had a great job with the department, and making the decision to stay out at the farm house was the best thing I could have ever done.

“Cheers to living life again!” I yelled over the music.

“Cheers to getting laid!” Bridger added.

“Cheers to the kids falling asleep and my wife letting me cop a feel tonight!” Derek screamed.

We all pounded the remainder of our beers back, and Bridger set out to get us some more. Who knew how we were getting home tonight, but for once, I didn’t care. “Keep em’ coming Baby,” I shouted to the bartender. It was going to be one hell of a night.

I felt like absolute ass the next morning
, waking up. Rolling over in the unfamiliar bed I realized I was sharing it with the bartender from last night. Hell I hope I had fun, considering I didn’t remember shit.

“Well
, how are you feeling there, Officer Mason,” the woman giggled, as she flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder.

“Like crap,” I managed to croak out.

My mouth was completely dry, and it felt like I took a sledge hammer to my head. I pulled the covers back from my body, and I realized I was stark ass naked.
Oh well,
I thought to myself as I wandered down a hallway, in search of the kitchen. I found the dingy little sink and opened the cupboards, till I found a glass that looked somewhat clean. I had gulped down at least three full glasses, when a pair of arms snaked around my waist.

“You
sure were fun last night,” the blonde said in a husky voice.

“Well
, I’m glad you liked it,” I snickered and rinsed out the glass, placing it in the sink.

“Up for another go at it?”

“Why not?” At least this time I would remember it.

I called Derek to come rescue me from this chick in the early afternoon. She couldn’t get enough
, and I was done after the first go around.

“Could
n’t you have at least let me leave with a somewhat normal one last night? I’m pretty sure she was a blood sucking leach, who wanted nothing more than to trap me in her apartment and keep me as a sex slave.”

“And what’s wrong with that? I see no problem there,” Derek laughed as he started out down the highway.

“She said she wanted to make a mold of my dick Derek. She wanted to remember me forever. I’m sure that’s at least a stage five clinger.”

“Dude she tried to suck your soul! Watch out! I bet you will have a new
stalker, Officer Mason,” he said in a seductive tone.

“Whatever ass, just take me home.”

I figured I needed to get out and finish painting the barn. I had decided to freshen up the red paint a couple months back, but never completed the project. Now was the perfect time to finish the job. I finally had my head back on straight, and life was good again. I wandered into the shed to grab the paint supplies, when I heard a car come rushing down the gravel road. A car door slammed.

“Walker, where in the hell are you?” a voice yelled out. Setting the stuff down
, I headed out of the shed wondering who was looking for me.

Sheriff Ramsey was wal
king up and down the house line. “Hey what’s up?” I called out.

“Seriously
, do you not answer your phone?” he barked.

I went for my pocket to pull it out and see if I had a missed call, but realized it wasn’t on me. “Sorry
, it must be in the house.”

“There is a little girl that has gone missing
over in Brown County. Get that dog of yours, and head out,” he demanded as he headed back to his car, shaking his head and glaring at me the entire trek back to his rig.

“Fuck,” I said out loud
, as I ran into the house to change. Scrambling into the kitchen I grabbed a bag of Beggin Strips off the counter and yelled for Waylon. “Come on boy, we got to get to work!” The big dog came skidding into the kitchen, and immediately fell into a sit at my side. Well, isn’t that a nice change, I didn’t have to drag him off the couch for once.

I
flipped on the lights as we sped to the station to get the details. Brown County had sent a deputy over to fill in our department and brief me in the situation when I arrived there. We were told that a three year old little girl wandered away from her aunt’s house on the outskirts of town, which buts up to a dense forest. The aunt remembered seeing the little girl over two hours ago, when she went outside to play with some toy;, after that there had not been a sighting of her. Immediate foot patrol was sent out, as well as ATV’s to comb the area. They requested our tracking assistance, since we were the only search dog in the nearest surrounding counties.

“If she is out there
, Waylon can find her,” I said with confidence to the deputy and Sheriff Ramsey.

“Take Officer Raylon with you for back up. Keep me radioed
, and if there is anything else we can do, please let the department know,” Sheriff Ramsey said as he nodded for us to leave.

Derek and I climbed into my patrol car with Waylon in the back
, and sped off to the last known location of the little girl. The forty minute drive weighed heavy on my mind. I just hoped Waylon would still be able to pick up the scent well enough.

We pull
ed up to a yard full of law enforcement vehicles, and quickly climbed out to find the head of command. The Sheriff walked up to us as we wandered over to the house, asking if we were with search and rescue. I nodded my head, and he gave me a quick grid pattern of area’s that had already been searched. Derek worked up some numbers on a map he carried, and I asked to have a personal belonging of the girl’s brought over for Waylon to pick up the scent.

I walk
ed over to the car and let Waylon out, clipping on his long line. I shortened the strap up and headed back over to where the Sheriff and Derek were standing.

“
Here is the sweater she was wearing earlier today. We are now past hour four, with no luck in finding her,” the sheriff commented.

“Don’t worry;
Waylon will find her if she is out there,” Derek reassured the Sheriff as he nodded to the woods. I took the sweater from his hands and dropped to my knees.

“Okay Waylon, we need to find her.” Holding the sweater for him to grab the scent I then pass
ed it off to Derek, who stuffed it into a plastic bag. “Suche,” I stated while letting the slack out in the long line. Immediately, he pulled us to the right and across the small road to the other side of the street. This wasn’t where the primary search grid was marked, since they focused on the area directly behind the aunt’s house. “Derek, let them know where we are heading,” I yelled behind me.

“Got it,” h
e hollered back at me.

Waylon pulled me into a densely wooded area as he took off and tore through the brush and trees. I carefully marked the area
, as we drove deeper into the woods, stopping several times to check the scent trail.

We
had been on full search mode for a good hour, when his ears started to perk up;I knew he was on to something fresh,  so I started to call out the little girl’s name.

“Emmy
, this is Officer Mason, are you out there?” I yelled repeatedly. Waylon took a sharp left and bound through some thick prickly bushes. There was full tension on the leash. I prepared to push through the thorns, when the excited bark of Waylon filled the woods. Quickly, I bolted through and ran in the direction of Waylon sitting there barking up a storm.

“Radio to dispa
tch, I have found Emmy; have medics on standby,” I radioed out as I dropped to my knees in front of the little girl. She was barely coherent, but made a small noise while Waylon licked the side of her face.

“
Zurück,” I instructed the dog and quickly glanced over the little girl for obvious injuries. When nothing looked apparent, I scooped her up in my arms and began to make the trek back to the entrance of the woods. “Kommen,” I demanded as he followed right behind me. A few yards down the path we had created, I ran into Derek and another officer on an ATV. Handing Emmy over to the officer, he quickly turned the all-terrain vehicle around and gassed it out of the woods.