As he turned to leave the basement, Lainey felt the first effects of the shattered bottle as the fumes filled the room and wafted upwards. Soon, they were all once again asleep.
Anthony slung the gass mask off once upstairs. He was furious at the women and paced the floor. How could they not see what he was doing for them? Why did they not want to become clean? He was trying to help them.
Soon Anthony calmed down and returned to the basement. He was feeling disappointed. He had wanted to help these women, but they were just like Mother. She had left him alone every night to go sell herself to men.
When Anthony looked at her, he felt the shame of being her son. He had driven himself to attempt perfection, to be a model son and then grow to be what he thought was a model man.
They hadn’t been able to afford cable TV, so Anthony had watched hours of reruns from a long-ago era. He remembered yearning to have the home life that Leave It To Beaver provided. A perfect home, a perfect mother, and good boys.
He would watch endless shows just the same, Father Knows Best, My Three Sons, and others. He couldn’t bear to watch contemporary shows where the children were disrespectful, and the parents were flawed. That wasn’t the life he wanted.
So, as Anthony had grown, he had done his best to emulate the men on those TV shows. He dressed like them, attempted to think and talk like them. But, he never fit in. He was meant for an era long past.
Now, all he felt was the disappointment. He had once again failed at his mission. He had had high hopes earlier in the day, but had failed again.
He didn’t want to live anymore. No one appreciated his work. He stood looking at the three women now hanging limp and asleep. He would just dispose of them and then he would dispose of himself.
The ether fumes were not affecting him since he had put the gas mask back on before re-entering the basement. He went to the first woman and removed her cuffs. Her body slumped into his arms and he carried her to the waiting pool and laid her head into it.
As her head drifted to the bottom, bubbles rose and then, there were no more. He pulled her out, laid her aside, and turned to get the next one. The one with fire and courage would be next, and he reached up to undo the cuffs which held Lainey.
Carrie was standing with Sam as she heard, then saw the blue Plymouth approach. It was traveling slowly on the side street next to the lot where they stood.
Indecision slammed Carrie. She needed to run after the car, but she couldn’t leave Sam until a patrolmen came. Making a quick decision she said to Sam, “Sam, stay right here. I’ll be right back.” Carrie watched to see affirmation in Sam’s eyes, then took off running towards the street where the car had passed.
She cursed the darkness, but finally the car passed under a streetlight and she was able to get the tag. She committed it to memory and ran back to Sam.
She had pressed Randy’s name to quick dial on her phone, and soon he was on the line. At the risk of being incoherent, Carrie babbled out as quickly as possible her situation.
They needed to run a scan on the license plate and try to find that man as quickly as possible. Just as she was hanging up the phone, red and blue lights bathed the darkness.
Sam stood still just as Carrie had left her, not moving an inch. What had that man done to her, Carrie wondered.
She gave the patrolmen a quick synopsis of what had happened and the dilemma she was in. Her SUV was now a crime scene, and she needed to find Lainey before it was too late.
Gerald had been the OSBI agent on call should Carrie and Lainey need him. He was there almost simultaneously with the first patrol car.
As soon as she had done all she could do, she and Gerald jumped into his SUV and were driving down the street where Carrie had seen the Plymouth.
“You know by now he could be anywhere,” said Gerald.
“I know. But no one would be on this street if they didn’t live here. No one who doesn’t have to, drives on these streets in the daytime, much less at night.”
Gerald nodded. Carrie was right. No one wanted to be around here, ever. For the next several minutes they methodically worked their way back and forth combing each street within a half mile of where she had seen him.
Carrie looked down at her phone to see Randy calling. “Yes?”
“I’ve got an address!” exclaimed Randy. “I’m texting it over to you now.” I’ll send patrolmen as well.
They were only one block from the house. It relieved Carrie as they pulled up in front of the house. The house and surroundings were completely dark both inside and out.
Gerald snapped a full clip into his gun after handing Carrie his backup weapon. They stepped out of the car and shut the doors gently in order to keep from alerting the killer.
“Is anyone here?” asked Gerald.
“The car is here.”
They tried the front door, and it was locked tight. They walked around and tried the backdoor which was also locked. Then Carrie noticed a faint glow on the lawn on the west side of the house. She walked around and saw the small window to the basement.
The window was about nine by twelve inches. She got down on the ground to peer into the window. It was grimy and difficult to see through.
Finally, her eyes were able to distinguish movement. She saw a woman hanging from the ceiling, limp and lifeless. Then she twisted around to see what was at the other end of the basement and what she saw caught her breath. The man was laying Lainey, limp and lifeless into a pool of water.
She took the butt of her gun and slammed it against the glass. But as it shattered, she realized she could not get through the small opening.
“Gerald go, now. Bust the door down.” Carrie yelled. Gerald responded and as she was picking herself up off the ground she saw the man who was laying Lainey in the water, turn and simply look at the window.
Carrie was only two steps behind Gerald as he burst through the backdoor. They found the door to the basement which was locked with a deadbolt from the inside. This door was a thick solid wood door and would not be easy to break through.
Being a large man with a muscular build, Gerald rammed his body against the door four times before there was any sign of weakening.
He then stepped back and with one solid kick, punched a large enough hole through the door so they could crawl through.
As they rushed down the stairs, they saw Lainey laying with her head below water and the man smiling up at them. To the side of the pool lay another woman, limp and lifeless.
They ran to Lainey and pulled her from the water as the man reached down, picked up a large glass shard from the broken bottle and slid it across his throat.
As Carrie pumped Lainey’s chest, Gerald called for an ambulance and worked on the other woman. He soon realized that she was gone, and worked to help Carrie with Lainey.
“No Lainey! Wake up. Don’t do this to me!” Carrie was feeling intense fear of losing someone unlike any fear she had felt in a long time.
As she pumped Lainey’s chest she cried, and she prayed. “God please don’t let her die! Please stop this horrible thing. Please God!”
Suddenly, there was a cough and a sputter and water came gushing out from Lainey’s lungs. They rolled her over and helped the water to pour out.
Carrie then sat back and wept for joy, relief flooded her. Gerald laid Lainey back on the concrete floor and moved to check on the man who now lay dead in a pool of his own blood.
Lainey’s eyes were closed and her face was pale. Then, hearing Carrie’s sobs, Lainey reached out and clasp Carrie’s hand.
“God is good,” said Lainey softly, and smiled.
He went to Carissa and quickly took her down, working to revive her. As she was coming to she looked into the face of a handsome man with dark golden skin.
“Am I dead?” she asked Gerald.
He smiled. “No, you’re not dead. You are very much alive.”
Chapter 21
Friday morning Carrie was once again exhausted. They had
kept Lainey overnight at the hospital for observation. Carrie had stayed with her for a while, but then knew Lainey needed rest as much as she did, so she had come home.
After sleeping for several hours, she woke feeling peaceful for the first time in over eight years. She was feeling again. Yes, there was acute pain, terror at almost losing Lainey, but the joy she had felt at seeing Lainey take a breath was worth the pain.
She replayed the memory of finding Lainey, thinking she was dead and the sheer panic she had felt. Then how Lainey had smiled at her and said, “God is good.”
Carrie laid there dwelling on that comment. She had never known God, so she couldn’t really pass judgement on whether He was good or bad. But last night, when He had rescued Lainey, she knew He was good — very good.
Had He answered her cries out to Him, desperate to save Lainey, or had He just saved Lainey on His own? She didn’t know. But she knew she wanted to experience the peace she knew Lainey felt. She had begun to, and she wanted it to continue.
She finally got up, stretched and decided to shower. As she passed her dresser mirror, she realized she had a smile on her face, and it caught her off guard. The reflection was foreign to her, and she laughed to herself.
Standing there, she remembered the envelope that was resting, waiting in the drawer in front of her.
She gently slid open the drawer and reached back for the letter. The weightiness suggested several pages. She had felt, maybe known, it was a letter to her from Pride. Even in her numbed state, it had hurt too much to think about, so she had shoved it to the back of the drawer, to the back of her mind.
But, now she wanted to read it. She took the envelope and made her way to the sofa and curled up under the soft quilt she had laid there.
The paper crinkled as she opened it, and she felt it ripple through her entire body. Three or more sheets of lined yellow paper from a notepad carried blue ink in a deliberate handwriting.
Dear Agent Border…
Over an hour later, Carrie carefully folded the yellow pages back into their original position. Her mind was calm. Peace seemed to have settled on her like a thick blanket.
She thought about how Pride had talked of her life and how she had almost died before realizing her desperate need for change.
She had gone to church growing up, but couldn’t bear the thought of going back into a judgemental institution, only to be criticised for her lifestyle. Even though she had had a desire to change, she didn’t think they would understand.
One day at her lowest point, she noticed her mother’s bible on a shelf in her room, took it down, and began to read. She hadn’t stopped reading it for the last forty years.
What Pride knew, had learned, was that change can’t come from sheer force of will and determination, but from just resting in Father God. The more she had just trusted Him and rested in Him, the changes had just came.
Her desires had changed, so she had automatically changed her life because of those different desires. Some things had challenged her, but she felt an ability to make better choices than she had ever had before.
Finally, after many years, she had found a church that didn’t care what her past or present situation was. They had loved her and welcomed her, so she had eventually gone back to church.
But, she had spent many years at home just reading her bible and praying. She knew that it wasn’t about a building, or an institution, but about relationship. She had learned that God loved her and He just wanted her to let Him love her. Carrie, He wants us to let Him love us.
Carrie sat and pondered those words. Let Him love us… Let Him... Let… The thought of how she had built up walls to completely shut everything and everyone out, came to her mind.
She had shut Billy out when he had wanted to love her and she had shut out friendships and co-workers. She had only allowed people into her life she could easily toss aside once she was done with them.
Shame overwhelmed her. She felt like a despicable person. She felt dirty and mean.
Pride had felt dirty, too. Carrie thought about Pride sharing how dirty she had felt when she began to be disgusted by her lifestyle. She described how shame and guilt had overwhelmed her, often to the point where she had entertained the thought of taking her own life.
It was at those low points she would feel God wooing her and comforting her. Then she would pick up her bible and read how that yes, He did indeed love her.
Pride had written how the bible said even Jesus himself had a prostitute in His family lineage. Then, when the men of the city threw a woman caught in adultery in front of Jesus, and had demanded He charge her with sexual sin, He had just written, no one knows what, in the sand until they all left. He did not condemn her. He responded to her with love and compassion.
Carrie closed her eyes. “God, I have no idea how to pray. I don’t even know if You can make me clean. But Pride says you can; not only can, but want to.
“I can’t stop doing the things I know I shouldn’t do. Even though I don’t want to do them anymore, I can’t stop. So if you are going to demand I do things I can’t do, then I’m going to tell you right now, I can’t. I’ve tried.
“Pride says all I have to do is trust You. I haven’t trusted anyone in so long I don’t think I even know how. I don’t know what to do except say, I want to try to trust you.”
Suddenly Carrie’s heart cracked wide open. She doubled over in body wracking sobs. Out poured years of pent up pain and emotion. Feelings and hurts she had stuffed so far down, she had forgotten they existed purged out through her tears.
Then, almost just as suddenly as it came, it was done. The tears stopped, the surge of rushing emotions subsided. It was all gone.
Carrie sat with her head on her knees completely still, totally at peace. I feel… what? I feel… clean! She raised her head and laughed out loud. How could this be? This is nonsense. But I feel relief no, I feel joy!
She sat very still for a moment as if afraid that making the wrong move would cause it to all dissipate as though it were a thin vapor. But it felt solid and substantial. It didn’t feel fleeting and fragile.
I see you Carrie. I’ve always seen you. My love for you is real.
Carrie’s eyes widened. Did I imagine that, she wondered. Did she just hear God speak to her heart, her mind?
She sat still a while longer waiting to see if she would hear more. But there was only silence, and peace. She smiled, curled up under her quilt and snuggled in for a nap. She slept soundly for the first time since her youth.
Chapter 22
The following weeks after finding the killer, details continued to emerge. Anthony Simmons had been an only child who never knew his father.
His mother had been a prostitute, and he assumed that his biological father had been someone who had paid her to have sex with them.
He had lost himself in a world of the past, old television movies and shows where things were simpler, more innocent. At school, he had isolated himself from the other classmates. He didn’t know how to explain what his mother did, so he avoided situations where he would be forced to do so.
Instead of social activities, he focussed on school work. He loved math and had gone to college on scholarships. His major had been accounting. The rigidness of the numbers had attracted Anthony. If everything was in its place, then the equation would be solved.
But being stuck in the past hadn’t worked well for Anthony once he had entered the workforce. He still lived at home with his now aging mother.
Never having learned how to socialize, he only spent time at home with the mother he resented. The shame of who his mother was overwhelmed him. He saw her as dirty, and therefore he was dirty. He had hoped by helping clean the girls, it would help him to feel clean as well.
Lainey recovered quickly and was back at work in fine form. The day that both she and Carrie returned to work, Randy looked up from his desk to see two smiling faces before him. What, two?
He looked from one to the other
in confusion. What’s wrong with Carrie? Or maybe he should say, what’s right with her?
He laughed. “I see you two are pleased this case is closed.”
“We are,” said Carrie.
“You did well. I know it was a close call there, but you were both professional and all’s well that ends well, right?”
They nodded and sat down. Randy went on to explain that Sam was emotionally tapped. She would recover quickly physically, but it would take some time to recover emotionally.
Beth had taken her, Maggie, and a few of the other girls from the raid on Tiny’s house into Safe At Last. They were currently at capacity but another safe home in town was able to take the remainder.
Counselors had committed to volunteering additional time to these girls in order to help them deal with the trauma they had suffered. That life had become their normal, so it would be challenging to reverse and heal the damage.
Since Tiny had been more or less caught in the act, he was singing to the feds who were working with the human trafficking task force to build a case against Alexander Volkov. They would need many more pieces to the puzzle before they would have a solid case against him, but it encouraged them to have Tiny’s testimony.
The man from the sketch, Hugh Bennett, had indeed been the caretaker of the amusement park, which is where he had met the girls. He had casually befriended them, recruiting their help to dismantle and clean up the park.
The day of Sam’s disappearance, he had come by asking for help. Cami had plans with friends later in the day, so Sam had gone alone. He had kept Sam and through time, brainwashed her into thinking she deserved him and what he did to her.
Cami hadn’t left that day, but when Sam didn’t return and her parents had seemed so indifferent about it all, she had left home too.
With no high school education, she had wound up working on the street and was soon caught in Gus’ web. The only fortunate thing was that she had wound up with Pride who had cared for her and watched over her the best she could.
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