Crossing the Line

“I told them to meet us here,” Cam told Jackie walking into her room. Since Logan still hadn’t returned Cam had been staying with Jackie to make sure she was okay. “I called Mom and Dad yesterday and they’re going to fly down as soon as they can,” Jackie said looking up from her spot on her bed. Cam waked over to give her a hug. Jackie looked awful, she had large bags under eyes from her lack of sleep, not to mention her eyes were constantly puffy from crying. “When are they going to be here?” she asked her words muffled by his chest. “Soon, although Dougie said something about Tuukka being late because of pastries. I didn’t ask question if he wants to cheat on his diet that’s his problem,” Cam chuckled. Jackie felt tears pooling in her eyes. “The pastries are for Logan, he bribes her with pastries to hear her real opinions on the games not just the sugar coated ‘you did great’,” Jackie told him letting a few tears fall. Cam laughed harder, “That’s absolutely perfect! That’s the epitome of their relationship.” Finding his logic and his laughter infectious Jackie joined in laughing with the tears still on her face.

The two didn’t notice Dougie and Adam come into the condo until they cleared their throats. “What’s so funny?” Adam asked. Dougie noticed how bad Jackie looked and started to worry more than when he had heard her crying on the phone. “My sister and her beau but other than that nothing because we have a serious problem,” Cam said shifting the tone of the room. Jackie took a deep breath, preparing herself for what Cam was about to say. “Logan’s gone. We don’t know where, we don’t why and we don’t know who took her. We know it was a male and that they’re heading south. We went to the police a few days ago and they’re tracking her,” Cam started filling the two in on the phone call and everything that had happened since. “What can we do to help?” Adam asked. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Dougie asked sitting on the bed and letting Jackie switch from Cam’s embrace to his. “We just need the support, we need to find her. We called Mama and Papa Kaner and I had been saving to be able to buy Logan’s wedding dress someday since she doesn’t have a mom and dad to do that I was going. So that money went to hiring a private investigator to bring her home sooner,” Cam said getting a reassuring smile from Adam. “We didn’t tell anyone because we didn’t want Tuukka to get wind and do something stupid,” Jackie said wiping away her tears. “Didn’t want Tuukka to get wind of what?” Tuukka asked leaning against the doorframe. Jackie burst into tears when she saw him and sobbed inconsolably. “I’m going to tell you in the other room,” Cam said getting up and putting his hand on Adam’s lower back to guide him out of the room.

“I need you to remain somewhat calm even though this is bad, but it’s hard enough on Jackie as it is,” Cam started pacing in the living room. Tuukka crossed his arms but said nothing. Continuing to pace Cam told Tuukka everything that had happened and everything that they knew. When he had finished he had tears streaming down his face and Tuukka was livid. “It’s alright,” Adam comforted Cam while Tuukka stormed around the condo. “No, it is not alright. Some guy out there has Logan and we don’t know where he took her, why he took her or what he’s doing with her. He might be hurting her or touching her in ways that he shouldn’t. I love her,” Tuukka stated surprising Cam and Adam. Everyone knew he loved her but they hadn’t expected him to suddenly announce it. “I love her and I plan on spending the rest of my life making sure nothing happens to her ever again. She’s going to come home because I know she will and when she does I’m holding her tight and never letting her go. Ever,” he continued animatedly walking around the living room. “They said they’re going to do their best. I just want my sister home and safe,” Cam said sinking onto the couch with his head in his hands. The three of them sat up all night sometimes in silence and other times talking about how Logan was okay, how she was a fighter.

While they sat up, in the room next-door Jackie took comfort in Dougie’s embrace. “How have you been Jacqus?” Dougie asked concerned for her health and for the baby. “Stressed. They made me take a leave of absence from work because my doctor who also happens to be my boss was afraid that the stress of work on top of the stress of this situation could be problematic. So I’ve been taking Tazer on long walks and I have to do things like take baths with smelling salts and prenatal yoga to help keep my stress levels down. I talk to the baby a lot actually. I tell her things about Logan or about hockey or you or my family. They say that babies are more relaxed when they hear their mother’s voice so I thought I would try it to keep her stress down too since that’s why I’m doing all this,” Jackie rambled her hand resting on her stomach. Dougie smiled and kissed her temple. “Do you hear that baby girl? Mummy already loves you so much she’s willing to do anything for you,” Dougie said to Jackie’s stomach making her laugh. “I wish you had told me. I would’ve done whatever I could to help you feel better,” Dougie admitted holding her closer. Jackie sighed and closed her eyes. “I thought about it but I didn’t want it to ruin anybody’s game and it’s hard to talk about. Every time I try to say what’s happening I start to cry. I blame the hormones on top of the stress, it makes it so much worse,” Jackie said feeling tears prick her eyes as she spoke. “See, there it goes,” she complained fighting the tears. “Let them out Jackie, it’s not healthy to hold in your emotions,” Dougie comforted letting her cry into his shirt. He murmured about how everything was going to be okay soon while she cried her heart and soul into his shoulder.

Logan had lost count of how many hotels she’d been in. Each night they stayed in a different hotel, in a different city, under a different name. She wasn’t even sure where they were going anymore. For a while it had seemed as though they were going south but they drove straight through Rhode Island before heading west into Connecticut and now it seemed as though they were going somewhere in Northern Connecticut. Logan never asked though, in the week she had been with Alex she hadn’t spoken to him since she realized he was kidnapping her. The only time she spoke was on the rare occasion she was able to talk to a hotel employee. Each time she told them the same thing, her name and how scared she was because she didn’t know where she was going. Lying in bed waiting for Alex to get out of the bathroom she knew she could run for it but at the same time she knew she wouldn’t get far. Alex would drag her back to the room, heart broken that she didn’t want to be with him and tell her that he loved and didn’t want to hurt her but she forced his hand. So instead of getting more bruises than she knew she already would, Logan curled into a ball and thought about how happy she would be when she got back home. She pictured Jackie crying and hugging her, she pictured Cam spinning her around, she figured Mama and Papa Kaner would be there since Jackie must’ve called them by now. When she pictured Tuukka her heart hurt, she knew he would crush her into a hug. Logan forced herself to stop thinking about it because she knew she cry if she didn’t. The thought made her shudder. Earlier in their week together Alex had gotten into the shower with Logan even though she could’ve sworn she locked the door and when she cried he had tried to comfort her and later had hit her for not accepting his comfort.

Logan heard the bathroom door open and steadied her breathing. She hoped that if Alex thought she was asleep he wouldn’t force himself on her. Her heart shattered when he started whispering her name and touching and kissing her body. “I know you’re awake Logan, and I know you want me,” he whispered rolling her onto her back so he was hovering over her. Logan opened her eyes to see his face inches from hers. “I’m so lucky to have found you Logan,” he murmured forcing himself into her. Logan wanted to cry but bit her lip; she didn’t want to be hit as well. “Yeah you like that?” he asked taking her action as a form of encouragement. “Such a perfect body, so tight,” he grunted in her ear thrusting harder. She felt him release inside her and prayed her birth control worked. “You’re so good Logan, tomorrow night it can be all about you,” Alex promised kissing her gently. “I love you so much,” he sighed pulling her close to him and twisting their legs together. Logan fought the urge to cry as he drifted off to sleep. She should be home with pastries and Tuukka right now, or watching a movie with Jackie while for the guys to come home, or interrogating Cam about his mystery boyfriend even though she thought she knew whom it was. Logan was supposed to be in so many different places, she knew that where she was wasn’t one of them and found herself praying for a rescue.

Notes