"Oh my god! Kaiababy are you okay?" Sam hollered. Why did she call him baby? I couldn't stress about that now. He was slouched over the steering wheel, barely conscious. The engine finally fell dead.

"Sam?" Kai spit out blood. His eyes opened enough to find me at her side.

"Max?"

"Don't move KaiaI'll get help," Sam said, almost ignoring me completely. It hurt my feelings but I had bigger things to worry about.

"Kaiamy unclea" I started. He pointed to the front door and passed out.

"Kai! No!" Sam screamed. Her voice was dry with terror. I ignored it and picked up Kai's cell phone, dialed the police and handed it to her. My words had officially left me now and I stared at her with dark and broken eyes. She was in shock or on her way to it. I leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Max?" She reached for me as I walked away toward the front door.

"Uncle!" I called, and rushed inside. When my call was followed by silence I almost gave up right then and there. I pushed myself inside when a tiny whine came from the bedroom. I ran to it and found Oz curled along Frank's chest. They both lay motionless on his bed. He whimpered louder as my shadow fell upon them.

"Oh no, Frank!" I yelled. Oz jumped on me softly as I reached down and pulled Frank to my face. He was still breathing but only faintly. I looked him over and found nothing physically wrong. He was not harmed at all. I picked him up, not worrying about that and ran for the door. Oz followed with a major limp. His right front paw was injured but he ran harder as my pace quickened. As I rushed past the living room I almost didn't notice the note on the wall. I ignored it for the moment and lay my uncle on the porch.

"Sam!" I called. She ran up to me with Kai's blood on her shirt and hands.

"The paramedics are coming. They'll be here soon," she cried. I smashed my fists into the floor next to Frank's quiet body.

"I'm so sorry Uncle! I'm sorry!" I cried from clinched teeth. Sam grabbed me and held me.

"Max this isn't your fault," she tried to convince me, but I didn't believe her and from her tone, neither did she. I stood up and walked back into the house and snatched the note pinned tightly to the wall. It tore at the edge as I yanked on it. It had one word written across itaSALVATION.

"Madi!" I screamed. Fire engulfed me from head to toe. Sam watched, terrified, and quickly covered Frank's body as I exploded. Flames shot from me and out the windows, breaking the glass. It pushed through the open front door and into the night.

"Max!" Sam screamed for me to calm down. I fell to my knees as I watched my gift shoot over the top of her and my injured uncle. The flames disappeared instantly and she watched me with broken eyes. She fell silent and numb, sliding down to the side of Frank. In my fit I had completely destroyed the piece of paper they had left. Our only clue to finding who had done this, and I ruined it. My stupid temper! My head started to pound with a blinding headache.

"Max what just happened here?" Sam asked in a daze. I watched her, not saying anything at first and hung my head in defeat. She leaned closer with a soft cry at the back of her throat.

"Sacrifice," I whispered to myself. Slowly I looked around me, trying not to lose control again.

My city was in ruins and I had no one to blame but myself.

"aAngels - lend me your mightaForfeit all my lives to get just one rightaAll those colors long since fadedaAll our smiles all confiscatedaNever were we toldaWe'd be bought and soldaWhen we were innocenta"

Absolution - 29.

*Sing For Absolution: Muse*

Slow motion again. As the world slowed I tried to focus my blurring eyes on the light fixtures that lined the ceiling of the hospital hallway. I felt like I was walking through an invisible ocean. Each step felt heavier after the next. Everything and everyone around me though was moving at light speed.

On my left side the hospital staff rushed Kai's bloody body to a waiting room. He was banged up but they seemed not to be too worried about him. A couple of nurses were preparing him some space to lie down but then rushed to help with my uncle. His gurney rolled up next to Sam's mother who was half crying and half screaming. I'll never forget the look on her face. She was so scared. A kind, male nurse cautiously gave her a dose of painkillers for her minor burns. He readied an oxygen mask for her and I turned my eyes back to Kai. He was moving and conscious again. A silver lining to this morbid cloud.

"Sir! Excuse me sir?" a nervous nurse asked from behind me. I didn't hear her at first; I had focused on Sam at the end of the hall. She was bookended by two police officers who were asking her about our missing daughter. I needed to get to her. She was in complete shock now and all I wanted to do was hold her.

"Sir?" the soft voice asked with more volume this time. I turned to find a worried look on her face but I didn't answer her. I only stared blankly. She motioned toward the room beside us. There Frank lay, pale and lifeless.

"I need to know what he was doing before he fell unconscious. Sir?" she prodded. I ignored her question and looked past her. I was spinning from the madhouse before me. Like gravity, my stare fell back to Frank's bed. My body began to tingle with fire and I felt my sanity slipping. Another few minutes and I would lose it for sure. Gently, the impatient nurse tugged at my arm. I continued to block her out and ran to the end of the hall.

"Sama" I said, dazed. I grabbed her and squeezed as tight as I could. She returned my embrace instantly with a thousand tears. The police officers gave us our privacy for the moment and walked away.

"Max, I told them everythingawhich was nothing. I have no idea what happened tonight. What do I do? What do I say?" she rambled in quiet hysterics. I held her tighter as my guilt reached up and choked me. The lights flickered back and forth as the power struggled to stay on as the storm outside grew darker. Sam began to shake in my arms.

"Max, why is this happening?"

"I'll make things better Sam. I promise." I had no idea how or where to start.

"Buta"

"Kai's doing better already. Your mother is strong like you and she will be okay." I was making things up. I didn't even believe what I was saying.

"Madison," she gasped. I tucked her hair behind her ear and wiped away as many tears as I could.

"I'll find her," I swore.

"She's gone," she cried louder.

"I won't ever stop. I swear to you!" I cursed along with the building hurricane outside. Thunder pounded the walls harder. Sam said nothing as our embrace filled with my heat. Her eyes settled themselves with a deep breath. Finally she said one last thing.

"I know you will Max. I know we'll find her, but what about Frank?" she asked coldly. I swallowed back my fear and held her tighter. The sight of him not moving burned into the back of my thoughts. I just wanted to talk to him one more time. I wanted to laugh with him. I needed his wisdom. I needed his strength. I felt feverish with despair. It took all my strength to not break down.

Monday - 12:13 a.m. - November 27th.

"Just breathe," I whispered. It had taken all night to calm Sam enough for her to finally fall asleep. She was gently tucked in next to her mother. Her breathing was stuttered and she kept moaning lightly as she slept. I was exhausted but couldn't sleep. Not now. Not with this nightmare unfolding around me.

Kai was now unconscious again but this time from his medications. He snored faintly in his bed next to Sam and her mother. I leaned down and placed my mp3 player next to him on the bed. Gently I rolled my thumb along its cool glass face.

"You and I share the same spirit, the same soul my brother. Maybe this will help," I whispered softly. I placed my earbuds along his ears and clicked on a soothing song of hopeawith a great beat. Music was the best therapy I knew. Heck, it was the only kind I knew.

"Hang in there," I whispered. I wanted my friend whole again.

The lights in the hospital hallway flickered with a crash of thunder outside. A gentle cough came from across the hall, in Frank's room. I ran to his side quickly and quietly.

"Max?" He coughed again, his eyes pulled open in a grimace. He looked so tired, so old. I found it hard to see him like that.

"Uncle Frankayou're awake." I smiled as best I could. It took him a moment to wake from his groggy slumber, but when he did he knew something was beyond wrong.

"I feel like road kill," he coughed again. A smile made its way along his failing face.

"You look like crap," I teased, and tried to make myself laugh. His smile widened and his eyes focused hard on mine.

"Thank you my boy."

"What happened back at the house Uncle? Who did this?"

He let out a soft moan. "I don't know."

"I'm sorry for asking right nowa" I trailed off, feeling guilty for asking him anything while he was in such discomfort.

"It's fine."

"Unclea" I started and my voice cracked.

"What is it son?" he asked, and when he did he didn't sound sick at all.

"Why does this keep happening to me?" I began to falter. He tried his best to sit up.

"What happened Max?"

"We'll talk about it in the morning Uncle. You need your rest right now." I tried to run but his hand caught my arm.

"The last thing I remember is having a coughing fit until I blacked out. I know I've been leading on that I've been better than I am, but I know that look on your face. I've seen it before. There's something more than concern for my health going on here," he huffed.

"In the morning," I tried again.

"Spill it," he demanded, with another wet cough. "Whatever has happened, we can fix."

"Madison's been kidnapped," I broke. His eyes pulled together tightly. I couldn't look at his face.

"She's what?" he gasped.

"They took her. To get to me! It's all my fault." I burned inside.

"Who took her son?" he asked calmly. I felt the tears push at my tired eyelids but I held them back. My breath filled with heat.

"I don't know." I felt so helpless. Frank's face fell white under the weight of my ignorance. I was failing him again. My tears were just about to break free when the lights flickered again and a rush of cherry blossoms stunned me. I almost fell over.

"I do," Asia said from behind me. Her long silhouette painted itself through the hospital room. My eyes turned to hers in slow motion. She looked tired and cold. My fires came to life inside me like a starving dragon.

"Asia," I whispered. She extended a worried glance toward Frank. He smiled softly toward her with a wave.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked with a flip of her hair to follow her into the hall. I turned to Frank and he nodded for me to follow. So I did.

"What do you know?" I asked. She watched my sullen face and slid her hand along my cheek. She felt how hot I was and frowned.

"First, are you okay?" She was direct. I was having a hard time focusing though. I didn't realize just how much I missed her face. She looked so amazing.

"I'm fine," I lied. She knew it and pressed again.

"Maxa" she stepped closer to me and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to reach out for her. Our two auras reached for each other. The sound of rain on the buildings roof sang to us.

"He's fine," Sam said from the doorway behind us. We were both caught off guard.

"What do you know about our daughter?" Sam accused. Asia pulled from me a little and tried not to let her quick temper take over.

"Samayou should rest," I said, as she ignored my words and walked up to me. Her body leaned into mine as her eyes searched Asia's. Sam was marking her territory. Asia drew in a long breath.

"Tell us," Sam ordered. I pulled my stare from Asia's hypnotizing eyes as quickly as I possibly could. Reluctantly Asia gave in. Her blue stare centered on Sam.

"Devon," Asia said cold. Sam stared in disbelief. He couldn't still be alive. He couldn't. His ghost seemed to be haunting me. It seemed that would never change.

"But Devon's dead," I whispered nervously. My voice had already filled with my famous anger.

"Yes, but not his spirit." Asia looked through Sam as if accusing her. Sam withered as if she knew what Asia was talking about. I was lost. If only they had seen what I had chased at the Thanksgiving beach barbecue.

"Spirit?" I almost choked on the word. Sam seemed to relax a little. Her heavy green eyes fell to the hospital floor.

"Avery," she whimpered.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Devon's older brother," she added. My mouth fell dry. She slid her fingers through mine. Asia looked away when she did.

"He has an older brother? What about his older brother?" I sounded impatient.

"It seems that Devon's family isn't any better than he was. The Wahlberg's are known outside of the islands as a very powerful business family. They do what they want, when they want, to whomever they want. They're known for some of the most vicious business tactics you can think of. Out of a large family of spoiled thugs and criminals, his older brother Avery, is possibly the worst of the bunch. He used his family's money in the most deviant ways, with the most evil kinds of people," Asia said as fact. Her eyes accused and fell heavy on Sam again. She tried to shake off Asia's finger pointing.

"Avery never believed Devon just disappeareda" she said blankly, before looking up at Asia intensely. My temper came alive. Just hearing her say his name still upset me.

"Avery had plenty of questions for the police after you left," Sam continued.

"What?" I couldn't believe my burning ears.

"Plenty of questions for me," Sam wilted. I was officially mad.

"Why have I never been told about Avery?" I asked Sam in the calmest tone I could muster. Sadly, it still sounded like I was scolding her. She looked up at me, hurt.

"Maxa" she whimpered. My mind snapped.

"What does he look like?" I asked already knowing the answer. Sam looked at me confused.

"What? Why?" she asked. My phantom was not a ghost at all. Just an over protective brother. I tried to settle my anger as that thought washed over me. Sam did not answer me and reached out to pull me closer. Asia rolled her big blue eyes, annoyed and stepped in between us.

"He hired a Japanese company. Oki Ryoyo Industries," Asia cut in. Her words didn't make sense to me.

"O.R.I. Technologies?" I was so lost now. "What the hell does an Asian tech company have to do with this?"

"They are best known for their pioneering research in weapons and computer spyware, but they have a lesser known interest in other things. Supernatural kinds of things," Asia rumbled impatiently. Thunder rumbled in the background. I couldn't fathom what I was hearing. I felt trapped in a real life comic book.

"Great," I shrugged. Sam reached for my warming hand.