by C. F. Fowler
Margery looked at the deputy and said, “When he’s finished with one of us he takes them out the back of the barn with his dog… I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget the sounds of screaming I heard!” She burst in tears again and buried her face in the blanket.
They went through the keys and finally found the type that fit the collar locks. While Josh worked to unlock the women, Gordon unlocked Marion’s collar and checked her pulse again.
“We have to get her to an emergency room.”
“He uses animal tranquilizers when he brings women here,” Margery said through her sobs. “He’s pretty confident about being able to come up with the right dosage. She’ll sleep for a while.” Her neck was discolored from the months of wearing the collar and the punishment administered.
“She may sleep but she’s been beaten pretty badly.”
Josh came over from releasing the last woman and said, “Probably Jergins’ doing, the little coward.”
Gordon held onto Marion until the paramedics arrived, and he prayed. She remained unconscious for a long while in the hospital, and Gordon never left her side.
The local authorities called the FBI when they found one of the women was abducted from Nevada; crossing state lines allowed to feds to enter the picture.
The authorities searched the land stretching out the back of the property. Bits of bone were found as far as a mile away and collected for testing. Charges would be brought for any DNA matches found for any women reported missing.
Chapter 16
The State Police pulled up to Jergins’ address and found the door ajar. They pulled out their guns and prepared for the worst. Upon entering, they found a white male lying naked on the living room floor. He was dead. They proceeded to search the house and found a little girl chained in the basement. The child told police an angel told her to go to sleep and sang to her. Children’s Services was called in, as was the coroner for the dead body. A preliminary exam pointed to a heart attack, but a more extensive exam would be necessary.
Jergins had found a way around the system. He had adopted the girl from an Internet site. Sadly, some websites exist to unload unwanted children for a variety of reasons: health, inconvenience, whatever reason an irresponsible person could come up with for deciding a child needed to be elsewhere. They didn’t care where.
Finally, Marion awoke to feel both of her hands being held on either side of the bed. Gordon held her right hand and Catherine her left. She wore an oxygen mask, which she immediately tried to remove.
“No, no, no. Leave it on,” Gordon said as he stood up to look in her eyes. “You had a punctured lung and you need to keep the mask on.”
“Oh, my two favorite people,” she mumbled. She was still drowsy from the sedative.
Gordon smiled. “So Catherine is here. I figured she might.”
“What time is it?”
“Try what day is it. You’ve been in the hospital for two days! You had us scared to death. Josh went down to the cafeteria to get us some coffee.”
“Catherine, what happened to the little girl?” Marion’s first thought was the poor girl chained up in the basement.
“I went back to her and stayed with her. We heard him come home. He was dancing and singing upstairs. The little darling started to cry and I tried my best to soothe her.
“There was silence, so I went up to see what he was up to and found him dead. I knew you’d think I killed him but the Lord took him. I sang the little one to sleep and stayed until the authorities arrived.”
Marion relayed to Gordon what Catherine had said. Gordon told her what he knew. The autopsy findings would take weeks. They may never really know.
“The important thing is there is one less pedophile in this world and I’m fine with that,” Gordon said. “One thing I don’t understand. Your cell phone wasn’t in the truck. How did Josh track you?”
Marion closed her eyes and smiled. She felt pain and moved her hand to her ribs. She felt the bandages. “I told you before.” And once again she patted her hip. “You assumed I was referring to my phone. I have an implant in my hip. Everyone at the agency does. Comes in handy.”
Gordon shook his head. “You have two broken ribs, a multitude of lacerations and bruises. But you’ll be fine.” He caressed her face and took her hand again and kissed it. “Thank God for implants!”
“It’s amazing your injuries are so mild the way Jergins kicked you when you were unconscious,” Catherine said, floating around to Gordon’s side of the bed.
“Catherine, I hope you’ll come to our wedding. Right, Gordon? We want Catherine there too.”
“Absolutely! Catherine, as soon as Josh gives us the date consider yourself the first invitee!”
Catherine smiled. “I’d be honored. Just call my name when you need me. I’m going to check on my babies.”
“You don’t think you’ll be attached to another pedophile?” Marion hoped she was released.
“No, I feel attached to you two. I think I can help you better than haunting them on my own.”
Marion smiled, “That’s great!” She closed her eyes again and said drowsily, “Honey, Catherine’s moving in.”
Gordon’s thoughts went wild. “Moving in?”
“Don’t worry, sweetie. She’s just going to attack them our way rather than her way.” Marion opened her eyes again. “I love you.” And then she drifted off to sleep.
Two months later Gordon and Marion showed up at Josh’s house at the appointed time. Marion was surprised to find a hairdresser, manicurist, make-up specialist, and a wedding gown complete with seamstress. She hadn’t wanted all that, but she had agreed to accept Josh’s arrangements and she stood by her word.
Once dressed and ready to go, she discovered Gordon’s mom had helped with the decisions. She embraced Joan and thanked her for the beautiful dress. While Joan ran to her seat Josh came to take his place beside Marion. Once the music started and they proceeded down the aisle, she saw Gordon standing on one side of the minister and Catherine on the other. She gasped at the handsome man waiting to marry her. Josh warned her not to cry or her make-up would be ruined. She smiled and took a deep breath to hold back the tears.
“There’s no way Gordon would pay for that tux. Thank you, Josh.”
The wedding was perfect and they honeymooned in Hawaii.
Marion and Gordon had found each other over the past year in their calling to help people. Then Catherine found them in her quest to protect innocent children. Catherine turned away from vengeance and found peace with her partnership with Marion and Gordon. Marion found love with Gordon and friendship with Catherine. Peace, love, and friendship are empowering and uplifting and much more desirable than vengeance or retribution. Each of them was strong on his or her own, but together they created a formidable partnership.
