147 Kidnapped Arc 3

On it," Paul said.

Leonard turned to look on his brother. John breathed well and sank on the couch, exhausted but he was still worried. He wished he could hear Paul say she was completely fine. A minute after, Paul spoke again.

"I can't see her. It's only a vehicle moving. The driver is … I think this is … that Peralta last night?"

"What?" John shouted. The rest exclaimed as well.

"We missed tracking him after he left the party last night. Damn," Leonard said, cursing the thought of missing to send someone to follow a very important person and the best witness if convinced.

"You can't see her, you mean?" John asked Paul, his heart pounding faster like a car losing its brakes speeding away.

In basement three, Paul viewed a gray Mitsubishi Lancer running on a partly cemented road. The signal from Diane's earrings was on it but no Diane was inside the car. He guessed she could be in the compartment.

Paul heard John's cry and understood the fear broiling in the latter's head, Diane could be dead. He glanced at a girl facing another computer. "Meena, check Diane's vital stats."

"Oki," Meena said as she pointed the arrow on Diane's name. Her computer monitor showed a human mannequin. Running lights moved up and down over it, then it stopped. The mannequin showed a red ball surrounding the right portion of the head. Then the vital stats results appeared at the left side of the mannequin.

"Diane Castillon, pulse rate normal, breathing normal, BP normal. She is experiencing type three pain at the right portion of her head and at her back," Meena said.

John heard it all and partially relieved unless she had seen her personally.

"What do you mean by type three pain?" John laid his body flat on the couch and let his hands dangle on his side, feeling worn out. Everyone saw his chest obviously rose and fell. He was barely able to breathe of dread for Diane's condition.

"That is severe pain but subsiding now," said Meena after she saw the red ball became orange.

"Thanks, Meena, Paul," said Leonard.

They left John lay there as they arranged everything inside the house while reading the papers and every page of the books and ledgers, hoping to find the list Peralta mentioned.

Later, John went back to the hospital carrying he believed was Daisy's clothes. He politely asked a nurse to bring it to Daisy's room. He had no courage to face her at this crucial time, he might spill out if the mother asked him about her daughter. Most of all, his hands were still shaking and his mind was still unnerved. He was completely shaken to know Diane was kidnapped and in great pain crouching in the car's back compartment.

"Peralta is running non-stop," said Paul.

"Why are we not following him? Maybe utilize the chopper? So when needed the chopper could help Diane on air," said John.

"Bro, we already send one but it's still on its way," said Leonard.

"I want to use another chopper."

"John, have a grip of yourself. Don't worry, Richard and Jenna are there. They will rescue Diane when they reach the car's location."

John assented in silence. What can he do? If he was there, he would not be of much help; he was not as strong as Richard or as agile as Jenna. Now, he regretted not practicing any martial arts seriously when he was under Paul's tutelage.

"Any progress so far?" John asked again.

"Nothing." Leonard cast a glance at John and saw him downright desperate. "John you better go to work or sleep or do something else. Exercise or shoot some in the training room. Let out that steam brewing inside you. We will call you when we have progress."

"I'll stay. Even if I'll do those things you said, I would still be on edge. I …" John looked upward, his hands resting on his hips and let out a long sigh as he held the tears from welling up. Leonard placed his hands on John's shoulder and brought him to the room where Diane stayed when she was there.

"Rest here, cry if you like. You're not much of help if you're in this state." Leonard walked out and closed the door. Leonard felt sorry for him. This younger brother of his rarely cried since young. Their parents were afraid if he had dysfunctional nerves. He recalled when John was six, he fell from a tree with an inch of a lacerated wound on his head. It was bleeding well, yet he did not cry at all. But this time he cried.

'He really loves Diane,' Leonard thought.

John leaned against the wall after Leonard left him alone. Then his body sagged down in a slow manner on the ground as the choked tears came pouring out. He pounded his fist on the floor while saying, "I'm sorry, Diane. It's all my fault. This would not have happened if I stayed." He wept soundlessly.

Lino drove on a dirt road to a secluded village. The chopper was almost nearby and the rescue team steadied to slid down the rope to save Diane.