by Ann, Bry
The first thing I hear is a little girl crying, which makes Shiloh, followed by Cooper, creep closer. I glance back at Kyle. His jaw is clenched tight, his body rigid.
“Essie?” I call into the grey room. Before I even swing my head, Brad is moving. Followed by Shiloh.
“Sweetheart?” Shiloh coos, in a tender voice so opposite of what I’ve heard from her so far.
With Kyle now by my side, I go to the old bunk beds while Brad, Shiloh, and Cooper attend to the child. Everyone else is securing the scene.
“Essie?” I choke.
“Do you have them?” Carson’s worried voice rings in my ear. Thankfully, Collin answers him, assuring him we have the girls secured.
“Essie…” I approach the bottom bunk, where a frail female body is huddled under a white and red blanket.
“Is that…”
Kyle doesn’t even get the words out before I'm running to Essie’s side and ripping the white blanket off of her. There is no red. That’s blood. No.
Terror shoots through my body when I see her.
Busted lip.
Black eye.
Blood. Blood. Blood.
Sure signs of sexual assault.
“Oh God, Essie.”
With the gentlest of fingers, I move a few strands of hair from her face. As soon as I ripped the covers off Essie and made her body visible, Ellie started crying harder. Body-wracking sobs.
“Get her out of here,” Kyle says in as gentle of a voice as he’s capable of.
“She’s sick,” Ellie sobs.
“Come on, sweetie,” Shiloh whispers, scooping Ellie up in her arms.
As soon as Shiloh heads for the door, Ellie loses her mind. She starts screaming at the top of her lungs. Kicking and screaming and fighting in Shiloh’s arms so violently that the relatively small woman buckles. Brad quickly catches her while Cooper takes Ellie, bundling her in his arms to try to muffle some of her screams and restrain her flying limbs.
“We’re gonna have company,” Kyle mutters, glancing at Collin, who has now moved fully outside the door, gun at the ready.
“MY MOM! MY MAMA’S HERE! YOU CAN’T TAKE ME!”
Every heart in this room rips to shreds. Her mom, Pamela Reynolds, is no longer alive. She was dead before they kidnapped Ellie, probably under the ruse that they had Pamela still here.
The tiny child gives a pretty good fight. Even Cooper struggles. He takes a few tough hits, but she has no shoes and is already malnourished, so luckily there’s nothing that stops him from getting her out. I still hear her screams from down the hall.
“MOM! MAMA! THEY PROMISED! M-MOM!”
Bang! A minute later, gunshots fire. Kyle’s hand lands on my shoulder.
“You got her?” he questions urgently. “I got your back. Get her out.”
Trying to refocus my thoughts, I bend down under the top bunk to grab Essie. Emotion clogs my throat, but I have to hold it together. I slide my hands under her and lift. Not one sound of pain escapes her lips. I'm not sure if she’s conscious or mentally vacant or… where she is, but wherever it is, I'm grateful she’s not here to see this. To feel this.
Kyle is right by me as we leave the doors. As soon as Collin sees us, he comes to the front of me. From the little glance I get, I see Luca slamming some older man to the ground and slapping handcuffs on him. I jump in the black car as soon as I see it. Cooper’s driving.
“Get her to the ambulance now.”
He nods. We couldn’t have an ambulance right out front. It’d be too conspicuous. With a loud screech, Cooper parks.
An EMT meets us right outside the car with a stretcher. I can barely look at Essie. In fact, since the room, I haven’t.
Without sparing me a glance, the EMTs start moving Essie and spouting off medical data. Essie’s already in motion. I run to follow, ignoring Shiloh, who’s still trying to calm Ellie as they lead her off to get checked out.
“Sir, you can’t—”
“Watch me,” I snap, jumping on board right before the doors close.
The EMTs immediately get to work. Sirens. Blood pressure. Temperature. IV. Meanwhile, I attend to Essie. I really look at her now that I know she’s safe. I couldn’t afford the mental anguish before. I had to focus.
Her skin is pale. So, so fucking pale, washing out the rest of her already dim features. Her eyes are shut, almost peaceful. Her lip is split on the left side. That same eye is already turning black and blue.
“Don’t go away forever,” I murmur for only her ears. “Please, Essie. You have your whole life ahead of you. I know it’s sucked so far, but I promise, I fucking swear I’ll make sure the next half is good. Just fight, angel. Fight.”
* * *
The visible injuries to her body aren’t terrible. She needed a few bandages, some gauze, and her face will need time to heal, but where things got bad are the wounds we can’t see. Due to the beating, her past injuries, and how chronically malnourished she’s been, her chances of having children in the future went down even further. Not that she had much of a chance the first time she was rescued, but now they’ve virtually obliterated any shot she had. And lastly—this guts me—there was tearing. Obvious sexual trauma.
Of fucking course. Those fucking bastards.
None of this even includes the irreparable damage done to her mind. I take a deep breath to rein in my emotions. Now is not the time nor the place.
I walk through our office, pausing when I see Ellie huddled in a giant, white zip-up hoodie by Kyle’s desk. Kyle is sitting forward with his elbows on his knees trying to engage with her, but she’s not paying attention. Her entire little body is drowned out by the jacket. Her hair is damp, her head down, her hands are fiddling with the strings on her jacket. She looks so lost. So sad. So little.
Brad’s team should be here in just a few minutes, which… thank God. We could use Shiloh’s gentle touch. It’s funny using that word to describe her because she’s a hardass, but with the child, she’s different.
Carson slides up next to me, looking unsure and uncomfortable with Ellie’s state.
“There are no words to describe how depressed she looks.”
“She’s grieving,” I murmur.
“She’s experiencing a whole lot more than grief,” Collin cuts in out of nowhere, coming up behind us. He walks right on through to Ellie. He drops right down on his knees in front of her and takes one of her little hands in his. He shows us how it’s done, because not even a minute later, Ellie falls into him and starts sobbing. Her cries are high pitched and small and rip my heart out.
She’s here today to identify Simon Rogers as the man who coerced her into being kidnapped. She’s so brave for agreeing to do it, but she just wants to see anyone who killed her mom arrested. She also has to meet with Child Protective Services. Fuck, that kills me.
“Ellie!” Shiloh screams across the office, feigning excitement. Dean grins at her. Luca rolls his eyes, but it’s subtle. Brad’s unreadable. And Cooper doesn’t seem to hear her.
Ellie looks up from Collin’s chest, snot dripping down her nose.
“Shiloh?” she squeaks.
Shiloh runs over and scoops her up, spinning her in a big circle right there in the middle of the office. Brad smirks at her, but it’s subdued.
How did Essie get along with Ellie?
I can’t think of Essie right now. The doctors said she needs a few days, conscious or not, before they are allowing people in. Even the FBI.
“Bad day, huh?” Shiloh nudges Ellie once she’s set her back down.
Ellie nods, sniffling. “I miss my mom.”
Shiloh swallows, visibly struggling to keep it together. It’s only Dean coming over and setting a comforting hand on her shoulder that keeps her from falling apart.
“I know, sweetie. I know. But guess what?”
“What?” Ellie squeaks.
“You can’t see your mom, but she can see you! She’s with you every day, making sure you’re okay! That’s what brough
t me, Collin, Kyle, Dean, and everyone else to you.”
“And-and the sick lady?” Ellie sniffles. “Did the men hurt her real bad? Is she still sick?”
I freeze, emotion clogging my throat. Kyle, being the good friend he is, crosses the room in an instant.
“Let’s go,” he whispers.
“Where?” I sigh. “No, I want to stick this through.”
Kyle looks wary, but he understands. Without a word or visible sympathy of any kind, he stays by my side.
“The doctors are taking care of Miss Essie.”
“Her name is Essie?” the little girl asks.
“You don’t know her name?” Collin asks before I can.
Ellie shrugs. “She was sick a lot. She tried to not be sick, but…” Ellie shrugs again. “The men were so mean. I think they made her sick.”
Shiloh chokes and Ellie doesn't miss it.
“It’s okay, Miss Shiloh. Essie promised she was still there. She just didn’t understand a lot of things. But she talked about animals and math and police sirens. I like all those things!”
My hands curl into fists. I can’t handle her innocence. Apparently, neither can Shiloh, because while I look away, Brad’s voice cuts through the heavy silence that’s ensued.
“Shiloh, take five.”
I glance up to see Shiloh nod with her head ducked and run from the room. Brad feigns calm, but I see he’s concerned for her. Dean, on the other hand, follows her out with his eyes. Everyone else is more worried for Ellie, for good reason.
“Are you ready, Ellie?” Brad asks, trying to be soft.
Ellie starts to shake, but nods her head.
“We’re all gonna be there,” Kyle says, nodding at her for encouragement.
“Yes, and he’ll be behind glass, all chained up.”
“With handcuffs? You promise?”
“Yes, with handcuffs,” Brad says furiously.
Simon is the only main player we were able to retrieve from the compound alive.
“‘Kay, let’s do it,” Ellie whispers, being so fucking brave.
“Here, sweetie.”
Cooper takes her little hand in his and starts to walk her over. Her shorts are drowned by the jacket, so all that’s visible from behind is her white-blond hair, extra-long jacket, and tiny little legs that look far too skinny to work properly. She’s holding Cooper’s hand so tightly, her knuckles are white. The closer we get, the harder she shakes, but she keeps going.
“Will Miss Shiloh be here?” Ellie starts to cry.
Even Brad softens. “Does she help you?”
Ellie nods furiously. “Miss Essie and Miss Shiloh, but Miss Essie’s sick. If Miss Shiloh's sad, I can still do it, though.”
She looks at Brad with big, blue eyes, probably melting his FBI-hardened heart.
“Because…” Ellie wipes her snot with the back of her hand. It’s somehow cute when she does it. “He-he helped kill my mama. He made Miss Essie sick. He hurt them!”
Even at six, the little girl’s eyes blaze.
“What about you, sweetie?” Dean asks.
She shrugs. “He didn’t touch me, but one time. Miss Essie protected me. I have to help her.”
Every. Single. Man. Freezes.
“One time?” Collin’s voice cuts like a whip.
Ellie shrugs. “Are we gonna go?”
Brad glances at Cooper and Collin, who immediately go to work distracting Ellie. Not even a minute later, Shiloh is back with no signs of any kind of meltdown.
“Ellie! Ready to go, sweetie? We’re gonna get the bad guy in trouble, then go have lunch in a special room, just the two of us. Well, the boys will listen.”
Shiloh pretends to roll her eyes.
“But it’s just us in the room eating lunch.”
“Okay.”
Ellie gives a tentative smile.
“Let’s get the fucker,” Kyle mutters. I raise my eyebrows. “What? I fucking hate this bastard.”
“Trust me. You aren’t alone.”
Miss Essie protected me. I have to help her.
My brave girl. We’ll get you back. I promise.
* * *
“How do you like your sandwich?” Shiloh asks as Ellie digs into the white, spongy bread.
Cheeks full, Ellie replies, “Peanut butter and banana are my favorite.”
Shiloh laughs. “I'm so glad we had it here, then. I like anything with peanut butter in it. I used to make peanut butter and honey when I was a kid.”
Ellie’s eyebrows crease, pondering that.
“I’ll have to try that one day.”
There’s a look of longing on Shiloh’s face that comes as fast as it goes. Not a longing for food, but to be able to give Ellie that sandwich in the future.
“You do,” Shiloh says a little softer after she takes another bite. “So, you did so good in there! You got the bad guy.”
Ellie gives a wobbly smile. “Mama would be proud,” she whispers, staring at her sandwich. “Miss Essie, too.”
“Very proud,” Shiloh agrees. Shiloh approaches the next topic with caution. “Can we talk a little about your mom? I know it’s hard, but we want to make sure we get her story all right for the judges who are gonna get the bad guys.”
Ellie stops eating, stares at her lap, and gives the tiniest nod. Before Shiloh can speak, a rush of words are spilling from Ellie’s lips faster than I can process.
“Mom never let me eat pancakes for breakfast. Only on Sunday if I snuck out the window to go to church with her so Mr. Mercer wouldn’t find out. We were too sneaky, though. My mom was way smarter than him. Even when Mr. Mercer did bad things, Mama promised we’d run. She’d always hurt him back first. She scratched his eye so bad one day he had to wear a white thing over it. I was happy, but mom told me not to be because it’s always bad to hurt people unless they’re hurting you, but even then, I shouldn’t be happy. Just run away. We ran away two days later.”
“That’s so helpful,” Shiloh encourages, jotting down notes.
“You don’t like Mr. Mercer very much, do you?”
That’s her biological father, though I don’t think she knows that.
“Because he hurt my mom! She’d be here if he didn’t make Mom run!” she screams, then immediately starts crying.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s okay. How did he hurt your mom?”
Ellie pins Shiloh with pained blue eyes. “Hit her. Pulled her hair. Touched her. He tried to hurt me, too, but Mama jumped on his back like a real life superhero and he hurt her instead. Never me.”
Ellie sniffles. Shiloh looks out the window, where she knows we are, and stares. Hard.
Arrest him.
“Kyle, Dean, go get the bastard.”
Both men, the most intense men on both teams, waste no time storming from the room, thankful to have a place to put their anger. Brad nods at Collin. That was a good call on his part.
“We’ll punish him, Ellie. For what he did.”
“Good,” the six year old says simply.
“Can you tell me how, um, you ended up without your mom and where you went?”
“Oh, um. When we ran, mom got hungry and tired ‘cause she made me eat most of what she stole. Some man came out of nowhere. He said some stuff to my mom. She said no. Then he stuck a white towel over her mouth. Mom got her mouth free and screamed for me to run. I’ve never heard her so scared. Even with Mr. Mercer. I didn’t want to run. I wanted to stay with her. But she cried and told me she’d find me, so I listened. I ran and ran and ran. I shouldn’t have left her. I sh-shouldn’t have listened then. She was too scared. She didn’t remember,” Ellie sobs.
“Didn’t remember what?” Shiloh whispers.
“That we’re a team. That no matter what happens, we have each other and we stay strong. That’s why she died, you know? Cause I wasn’t there. I'm half the strong. She’s the other half. She just forgot.”
“She could never forget, Ellie. Not ever. She wanted to protect you. None of this is your
fault.”
“I would have been hurt if it meant I could be with her.”
Shiloh takes a deep breath. “Where did you go when you ran?”
“Nowhere, really. A lady found me crying under a bridge. She wanted to call the police, but Mom didn’t like police, so I said no. I hung out there. It was warm. People were very nice and gave me food. I ate a lot of bananas. Then the guy, um, S-Simon found me. Said he knew where my mom was. I thought Mom sent him to come get me like she promised, so I followed.”
“You’re doing so good. Last couple things, then we’re done. You said you were touched,” Shiloh says carefully. “Can you explain?”
“Eh, some guy, Damon I think, touched me in a bad place, but Simon came in and punched his face. I don’t know why, but whatever.”
The one good thing that motherfucker has ever done, though I doubt it was for noble reasons.
“Last question, I swear. Can you tell me about how Essie came to be with you?”
“Oh, they just pushed her in. Literally. She was sad when she saw me. She said she was sick and pretty much right after started talking about elephants. Then they took her from me and hurt her really, really bad. She never talked again. But she made sure they didn’t hurt me before she left. She was nice, but scared when she wasn’t sick. I like her. Can I see her?”
Scared. Essie was scared? Of course she was, but the thought of her being scared breaks my heart. I just can’t see it.
“Right now, the doctors are making her better, but maybe later. Okay?”
“‘Kay. I hope they fix her.”
“They will. Now let’s get out of here. You did so well!”
“Did I help?”
“You helped us so much! More than most adults.”
“Good. Mom would want me to help. She’d want the bad guys punished for hurting her.”
“We’ll do right by your mama, Ellie.”
“That’s all I ask,” Ellie says, jumping from the chair and taking all her trash with her.
Shiloh glances at the wall in front of her with a look of longing on her face.
