"Yes," Patrick Wild said. "He thinks this is a game, Jennifer. Your son thinks he is following a map that will lead him to the hiding place of all he wants in life. Your son needs to learn to be responsible if he keeps on thinking this life is a game. Look at today's date. It has been two days since we last heard from him."
Jennifer turned her eerie, opaque eyes towards her husband. "I tried to warn him but he didn't listen to me. My ears has been wide open since he left this house in his search for independence. You cannot tell me you do not believe in such things as independence."
Patrick Wild did not want to waste time going down this road. He did not even want to waste time arguing with his wife about the decision their son had made which was badly affecting them now. "It doesn’t matter what I believe in now. We need to help our son before it is too late. We have to find him before someone bad finds him."
Jennifer sat straighter. "Since you have come up with the decision to look for him, where do you want us to look? We can't just say he is missing because you know what will happen if we make that call to the police. It will raise issues we don't want to raise."
Patrick reasoned what his wife had said to him, accepting the fact that she was right and they had to make sure their next actions were swift and wise.
"I know someone who is going to help us," he finally said, bringing hope to the conversation they were having for almost an hour now. "He has his eyes on the city and can find anyone with the right amount."
"So, you know someone in the city who can help us and you decided to keep your mouth shut while we wasted time arguing?" Jennifer asked, squeezing her face.
Patrick exhaled and shifted the tie on his neck slowly. "I kept this information away from you for good reasons so I beg you don't judge me. I was hoping we wouldn't get to this point but with the recent events happening, it is best we see this as a real threat to our family rather than to silent."
Jennifer sighed. It was a sigh of honor, relief and confusion. All mixed in one small moment.
"You don't like my methods?" Patrick asked.
"It is far from that," Jennifer tried to explain herself. "I think I informed you that our son left here on his own accord and was not taken away from us by anyone."
"You did tell me that," Patrick affirmed. "What does it change? He is still out there, moving freely in the city with no one watching him. In case you don't know, honey, I don't want anyone to hurt him and that is why I am doing all I can to make sure he is safe. It has been two days since we have last heard from him. There have been no phone calls, no text messages and no information sent to us about his whereabouts and his present condition. Yet, we have been quiet as if nothing has changed. If we don't act now, forgive what I am about to say, but it would not be a surprise if we never see him again in our lives."
"I understand how you feel," Jennifer said with a weak voice. "You have to do everything it takes to protect our son, honey. Please, call whoever you need to call just to make sure our dear boy is safe."
Patrick stepped away from his wife and grabbed his cell phone. He dialled the number of a friend who lived away from the city. His friend's phone rang about three times before he answered the call.
"Greetings!" Patrick Wild said with all his power invested in that single word.
"I am here to serve," his friend on the other line responded with humility.
"Splendid! I have called you because there is an issue on ground that I feel only you can solve. Before I go on with this issue, I would love to affirm you are duly capable for this job."
There was a silent pause on the other end as his friend cleared his throat before speaking. "Have I ever let you down, Mr. Wild?" He asked.
"For now, you are yet to displease your name," Patrick responded.
"Have I ever been given a task only to end up failing and proving myself useless to the call?"
"For now, you are yet to look away from a glorious call to action."
There was another pause as his friend at the other end cleared his throat again. "Have I ever been labelled a man of more words and less actions?" He asked for the third time in a row.
"For now, you are still diligent in your duty and nothing bad has been found on you."
"Okay, Mr. Wild," his friend said, believing the words Patrick had said to him. "You may proceed with your reason for calling me. I want you to be rest assured that I am paying attention to every solid detail you have to share with me."
Patrick Wild grinned at his end before going into detail the nature of his family problem. He explained to the man the argument between his son and his wife, Jennifer Wild and how he had left their house about two days ago without contacting them.
"I will see what I can do at my own end, Mr. Wild," his friend assured him. "I will give you a call soon."
Patrick hung up the call and exhaled as his wife entered the room he had found himself in because of the call he just had with someone who he felt could help them.
"Any good news?" Jennifer asked.
"Wait," he responded.
About five minutes later, Patrick's phone rang and he picked it up immediately before Jennifer could notify him about his vibrating cell phone on the desk.
"I have got good news for you, Mr. Wild," his friend on the other line voice was excited. "Your son is in a hospital with one Christabel Bloom."