Forever by Janie Crouch

Chapter Eighteen

Fifteen Years Ago

Ethan - 9

Jess - 6

“Ethan?”

He shouldn’t have come here. He knew Jess could see the hay bales from her bedroom window especially with a full moon like tonight. He hadn’t meant to worry her or wake her up, but he hadn’t known where else to go.

“Hey, Jess.”

“Did you walk over here?”

“Yeah. Through the woods.” It wasn’t that far. Plus, he’d needed some time to think.

“Is everything okay?”

Jess was young. It was hard to remember how young she was when she was already doing school work way past Ethan’s level. She was smart, but she was still young, and he didn’t want to scare her.

But he was scared.

Jess lay down next to him on top of the pile of hay and slipped her hand into his. He immediately felt a little better.

“Is it about Aunt Wavy?” Jess asked.

He nodded, not surprised she’d already heard. It wasn’t every day one of the town’s favorite people was kidnapped by a terrorist group. A bad one.

“My dad cried.” Ethan could barely get the words out himself. He’d never seen his dad cry.

The entire Linear Tactical team had been at his house, discussing plans and options. Ethan was supposed to have been in bed, but he’d snuck into the stairwell so he could hear.

But hearing his dad cry had scared him.

“They’re going to find her,” Jess whispered. “Mr. Ian really likes Aunt Wavy, and he has the whole Zodiac Tactical company. He’ll get her back, and your dad will help.”

“Do you really think so?”

She squeezed his hand. “I know so. They will get Aunt Wavy back. They love her too much not to.”

Jess said it with such finality that Ethan’s panic eased a bit. Dad had been in the Special Forces and Mr. Ian had been a Navy SEAL. They’d been trained to help people in dangerous situations. To rescue people.

“You’re right. They will get her back because they’re heroes.”

“Yes.” Jess brought her other hand around to hold his in both of hers. “That’s right.”

“Someday, I’m going to be a hero too. Just like them.”

“I know.” She said that with just as much finality too.

And Ethan believed.