Page 70 of The Lost Zone (Dark Water #3)

“It’s her,” she announced. “The DNA from the hair matches the DNA from the skull. We’ve found Solange.”

It was late when he left Ghost Eye, and Storm Jasper was howling outside, buffeting the city with wind and rain.

Josiah decided against visiting the Canary Quarter right now.

He was tired and he wanted to give Alex the good news.

He thought of calling him, but with the ongoing rollercoaster of the investigation already having a bad effect on Alex’s fragile mental state, he decided to tell him in person, in case he had another extreme reaction.

Even though this was good news, it was still overwhelming.

The house was in darkness when he got home, which was odd.

Usually the lights were on, and Alex was in the living room.

Sometimes, Sem was up, but more often he was resting in his room.

Josiah pushed open the door cautiously. Something didn’t feel right.

The place felt empty and cold, like it had been before Alex moved in.

“Alex…?” He flicked on the light. There was no sign of Alex, but there was sign of a scuffle. The coat stand in the hallway had been knocked over and his thick winter overcoat was lying on the floor. Josiah reached into his pocket for his stun gun and edged cautiously into the living room.

“Alex?” That room was also empty. Trying the kitchen next, he found the small back window smashed in, with shards of glass everywhere.

The back door was shut, but it was unlocked and opened easily.

Someone had clearly broken the window, reached in, and unlocked the kitchen door.

The key was still in the lock. Josiah usually kept it in the cutlery drawer, but someone had taken it out and used it.

He took the stairs two at a time. It was at moments like this when his army alter ego took over and he felt calm, collected, and completely in control.

The upstairs was in darkness, just like below, so he almost tripped over the body lying on the landing in a pool of blood.

But who was it – Alex or Sem? He flicked on the light, barely breathing, and his heart skipped a beat. Sem.

He crouched down beside him and turned him over, fearing the worst. There was an ugly bruise on Sem’s forehead, but the blood was coming from his previous wound on his abdomen.

“Sem?” Josiah reached for his wrist. He could feel a pulse, thready but there. He put in an urgent call to Sofie, then picked Sem up and carried him to the spare bedroom. The movement woke Sem, and he gazed up at him blearily.

“It’s okay. You’re going to be okay. Sofie’s on her way.” Josiah settled him gently on the bed, covering him with a blanket. “Sem, where’s Alex? What happened?”

Sem opened his mouth and muttered something, but his voice was dry and rasping. Josiah held a glass of water to his lips, and Sem took a few sips, then cleared his throat.

“Man broke in. Had a gun. I came out to see what was happening and he hit me. Alex tried to protect me, but the man hit him with the gun, making him fall down the stairs. I think he dragged Alex away, and I passed out.”

“When did this happen?” Josiah glanced at his watch. The fact the house was in darkness implied it was some hours ago.

“Afternoon,” Sem mouthed, his eyes closing.

“Damn it.” Whoever had Alex was long gone.

He couldn’t leave Sem until Sofie arrived, but he had to tell Esther about Alex’s disappearance, so he needed a plan – and fast. He put in an urgent call to Big Jen, who said she’d be there within the hour, and a few moments later, Sofie arrived, looking pale and anxious.

She stitched up Sem’s opened wound and checked out his head.

“It’s a nasty bruise. He might have a concussion, but he’s okay,” she said, pacing the room. “Who did this?”

“Someone desperate to get their hands on Alex,” Josiah replied grimly.

“Tyler?”

“Possible but unlikely. Getting custody of Alex won’t help him right now and might make things worse.”

“Who else could it be?”

“I have an idea.” It could surely only be Neil.

He was convinced it had been Neil he’d seen in the garden, staking out the house.

Neil, enraged by the fact Alex was living with – sleeping with – Josiah, had been checking out the building, biding his time, waiting for his chance.

Then Josiah had gone to his house this morning and spooked him.

It was likely that Neil had always intended to abduct Alex.

Josiah’s visit had merely accelerated his plans.

“Listen, Sofie. I’ve called Big Jen. She’ll take Sem to her place. I have to tell Esther that Alex has been taken, and I don’t want you or Sem implicated. You understand that we have to move him, don’t you?”

“Yes, of course.” Her eyes radiated her worry all the same.

“Before he goes…” Josiah sat on the bed beside Sem and shook him gently awake. “Sem – I know your head is hurting, and you can’t see straight, but is this the man who took Alex?” He pinged up a holopic of Neil.

Sem stared at the image hovering in the air in front of him. His eyes glazed over, then his eyelids fluttered shut.

Josiah squeezed his shoulder. “Sem, is this the man who took Alex?”

Sem’s eyes flickered open again, and he squinted at the holopic.

“Is this him?” Josiah demanded.

“Joe! Go easy on him,” Sofie remonstrated.

“I have to know. Sem! Look at this photo – is this the man?”

Sem gathered every last ounce of his concentration to focus on the picture. “Yes,” he said at last. “That’s him.”