by Elle Gray
She supposed she could call her friends. Sam and Emily would likely both be up and starting their day at the Bureau by then. Maybe they’d pick up. But they’d want to know about the case, about what had happened. They’d want to weigh in on the investigation and pose theories. And that was just about the complete opposite of what Olivia wanted right then. She was craving a more tender conversation. She wanted to tell someone how overwhelmed she felt without having to tell them why. What she really wanted was someone she could rely on to tell her problems to. But ever since she’d moved from the city, she was more alone than ever. She guessed she’d just have to keep her fragile little feelings to herself for a while.
At that moment, the door opened gently and a police officer entered the room. The woman was soft-faced, with rounded features and pink cheeks that brought out the bright blue of her eyes. Her brown hair was scraped back into a tight bun, far too tight to be comfortable. Olivia nearly had a headache just from imagining her hair pulled back so taut. But the woman was friendly enough. She must have been here to see the young girl, but she didn’t have the air of someone dealing with a potential kidnapping case.
“Morning,” she started with a nod to Olivia. “I’m here to get some fingerprints and a visual on the girl. We want to see if we can track down her family as soon as possible.”
Olivia stood to shake the woman’s hand. “Hi. I’m Olivia Knight with the FBI.”
The woman let out a low whistle. “Didn’t realize the Feds were already on this one.”
Olivia shook her head. “No, I’m not here in that capacity. I’m actually the one who found the girl. But I’d like to be of use to you if I can.”
“Maggie Stone, Belle Grove PD. Yes, I’ve heard of you, Olivia. New to town, ain’t you? Not many people can sneak in and out of this town unnoticed... especially not federal agents who settle down in the old ranger’s cabin in the forest. Everyone in town has been talking about you.”
The thought made Olivia feel uneasy. She had hoped to blend into the background for once, not put herself right in the spotlight. But in a little town like Belle Grove, she was probably the most exciting news in some time. An FBI agent in their midst... it was unheard of. But this case was sure to overtake as the biggest thing to happen now.
“Well, all good things, I hope,” Olivia broke the silence with an uncomfortable laugh. “What happened here... I just want to help. Make sure that it doesn’t get any further. If this girl can tell us anything at all, we might be able to track down who did this to her and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“Again? You think whoever held her hostage might have others?”
“I mean, it’s possible. The girl clearly isn’t from town, so maybe others have been taken from further afield and kept under the same conditions. That’s the worst-case scenario, of course. I’m just theorizing.”
“Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I know you Feds are all doom and gloom, but things like this don’t happen often around here,” Maggie said with authority, puffing her chest out a little. “We’re a good town, a safe town. We’ll get fingerprints from the girl and see if we can get her to talk. We can start there.”
“I’m not sure she’ll be able to give a statement today. She was in a severe state of shock, and she hasn’t so much as stirred since she arrived here. She needs to rest.”
“Hmm... alright. Well, the fingerprints are still a must. We need to try and figure out who she is and where she came from ASAP.”
“Won’t you need a warrant for that?” pointed out Olivia. “I don’t think the hospital will just let you—”
“Eh, I’ll get a warrant. Went to high school with the judge,” Maggie shrugged her off. “Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. You Fed types are too strict. Right now what’s important is making this ID so we can find her parents. Way I see it, as the woman who found her, right now you’re a temporary guardian and can give consent. Remind me later to get you the forms.”
Olivia considered the options. On one hand, they were already breaking so many privacy laws. But as she looked down at the girl, she knew they really couldn’t spare a moment to get this girl home safe.
She finally nodded, staying close to the girl’s side as Maggie carefully took some fingerprints from her. When the older woman straightened back up, she gestured towards the door.
“Comin’ with? I’m sure your insights could be useful at the station. And given that you found the girl, maybe you can talk to the parents when we find ‘em.”
Olivia glanced back at the young girl, who was still completely out of it, her blonde hair fanned across the pillow and her features looking a little more peaceful. She didn’t want to leave her on her own, but she also wanted to make sure that her family could get to her as soon as possible. She nodded to Maggie.
“Okay. I’m game.”
“Good. Let’s get moving. No time to waste.”
Olivia quickly informed one of the nurses to contact her if the girl woke up, and then followed Maggie out to her car. Maggie sighed as she settled into the driver’s side.
“Let’s get this over with,” she muttered. “If I never have to deal with a case like this again, I’ll die happy.”
Olivia knew how she felt. Her job could be horrific at times, but seeing children in danger was always ten times worse than anything else. Vulnerable young people who’d never done anything wrong in their lives... when they became victims, it just seemed incomprehensible. Who would want to hurt a child? To make them suffer and see them crying? In Olivia’s mind, it was like stepping on a puppy’s tail and showing no remorse. A person who could act like that was beyond disturbed. The possibility that they were dealing with a person like that made her sick to her stomach.
They drove through the town in silence. Olivia watched the world go by outside her window. The town really was beautiful, especially so early in the day when the sun was only just beginning to rise. Just past the hospital were neat rows of big houses. The town was waking up: people were leaving their homes for work, or taking their children out to school, or fetching their morning paper from the front porch. Friendly grins were plastered on the faces of these people who were now her neighbors. They were completely oblivious to the things that had happened in their hometown overnight. She could see the blissful ignorance on their faces.
She envied them a little.
The cop car meandered down the hill toward the town center, just off the Potomac coastline. From atop the hill, Olivia could see the cold, black river beneath dark clouds. The view fit her mood more than the smiling rich suburbanites at the top of the hill. It was like the further they sank into the town, the further into darkness they went. After all, the sun always shined on the wealthy.
Olivia rolled her eyes to herself. She was already being judgmental of people she didn’t even know. She reminded herself that she knows all too well that life is unpredictable. Anyone can be struck by tragedy at any time, and some people hide their struggles behind a smile. She settled back into her seat and told herself to keep her mind on the case.
It was starting to drizzle as Olivia and Maggie got out of the car and headed into the station. Maggie greeted the receptionist warmly, but she seemed hurried, and Olivia couldn’t blame her. The sooner they got answers, the better.
Maggie put the wheels in motion to check the girl’s fingerprints in the system. She sighed.
“Hopefully this’ll help. If she’s a missing person, they’ll have uploaded her fingerprints to the database. If she’s escaped an abusive family member... well, that’s a whole other can of worms.”
Olivia nodded. “We can only hope that we’ve found someone whose parents are missing her dearly. But at least she’s safe, whatever has happened. I’m sure we’ll get some answers now.”
They waited with bated breath. Olivia could feel her heart pounding hard in her chest. She so desperately wanted good news that she even turned to prayer, though she’d given up on praying a long time ago. It hadn’t wo
rked for Veronica, or her mother, or anything, so far. But she prayed regardless. She prayed that the girl would have a safe home to return to. She prayed that there would be a happy ending to this tale.
“Nothing so far, Maggie,” called one of the techs. “We’ve already searched the county and statewide missing persons databases.”
“Try the federal database,” Olivia offered. “Here.”
She leaned over the man’s shoulder at the computer and started typing up access codes to get to the federal database.
“And… who is this?” asked the tech with a concerned frown on his face.
“Fed,” Maggie chirped. “And don’t you forget it.”
Once the federal database was called up, Olivia gestured to the tech to resume searching. He nodded, a look somewhere between respect and intimidation playing on his face.
No sooner did he upload the fingerprints than the computer system finally dinged.
“We’ve got a match!”
Maggie and Olivia shared a wide grin, then both leaned in to read the screen.
The picture of the girl on the database, looking happy and healthy, was almost entirely unlike the girl in the hospital room. But it was definitely her. Beside her photograph was her name.
“Amelia Barnes,” Olivia read aloud. “Missing person from Seattle, Washington. Fourteen years old…”
“Seattle?” Maggie raised an eyebrow. “Then what the hell is she doing out here?”
“Beats me,” replied Olivia, but already her mind was racing with thoughts of the worst. Thoughts she’d never dare to admit out loud to startle a small-town cop like this.
Trafficking.
Maggie puffed out air. “Fourteen... so young. It says that she was taken from her bed in the middle of the night three weeks ago. Whoever took her managed to get inside without breaking any windows or forcing their entry. They also ensured that they left no evidence behind. The parents had no idea she was gone until the following morning…”
Olivia had to take a deep breath to deal with this information. It was clear to her that they were dealing with a professional.
“It sounds like it was premeditated. They had to have had some sort of plan, right? They must have gone in fully suited up. Gloves, a face mask... maybe even a hairnet. It’s nearly impossible to break into a home and leave no evidence behind.”
“That is an odd one,” Maggie agreed. “And if they didn’t force their entry, then how did they get in? It doesn’t make any sense. But it looks like Seattle PD had nothing to go on.”
Olivia was just as baffled as Maggie. She’d never known a case to arise with no evidence at all. A thought floated through her mind. Veronica and Paxton lived in Seattle, neither of them with an exactly stellar opinion of the Seattle Police Department. In fact, until recently, Paxton was a police officer for them. Maybe he could shed some light on this case.
“Maybe Amelia left the house on her own accord, then ran into trouble along the way,” Maggie mused. “You know what kids are like at that age. Always actin’ out, wanting to stay out late… But to end up nearly three thousand miles away? That’s a new one for me.”
Olivia didn’t get the impression that Amelia was like that at all, but she nodded anyway. “Maybe,” she admitted. “In any case, the parents must be worried sick. She’s already been gone for three weeks... we should fly them out immediately.”
Maggie turned over to the tech. “Spencer, send us the parents’ contact information and start looking into the next available flights from Seattle.”
“On it,” he nodded.
Maggie rested a hand on Olivia’s back. “This is good. Don’t look so worried, okay? She’s going to make it home safe and this whole ordeal can be put to rest.”
Olivia nodded again, not feeling nearly so sure. Something still felt off. The whole case seemed different now that she had more evidence. What kind of kidnapper would meticulously plan to steal a young girl away in the middle of the night, transport her all the way across the country, but then allow her to get free? Any experienced kidnapper would be keeping an eye on the situation, night and day. The suspect might have been a novice, but Olivia thought that didn’t seem very likely. After all, the girl was stolen away in the middle of the night without anyone noticing and without a trace of evidence. It was so subtle that it was like the kidnapper hadn’t even been there at all.
But Olivia didn’t have time to theorize. She had to make a call to the family. She fished out her phone and dialed the number the tech Spencer provided. It had barely rung once when someone picked up on the other end.
“Hello, yes?” a woman asked in a desperate voice. Olivia cleared her throat.
“This is Olivia Knight with the FBI. Am I speaking to Mrs. Barnes?”
“Oh, god,” gasped the voice on the other line as if holding back tears. “Yes, this is she. Do you have any information about my daughter?”
“Yes, ma’am. We have found your daughter, and she is alive and well. She is currently in the hospital in Belle Grove, Virginia, but she has no major injuries. She’s going to be okay.”
“Oh my god!” screamed the woman tearfully in big, gasping sobs of relief. “Gabe, they found her!”
A male voice came in on the other line as the parents rejoiced and weep together. Olivia fell silent to give them their moment.
“How—how did you find her?” asked the woman.
“Late last night your daughter showed up on my doorstep as if she was running from something in the woods. We got her to the hospital and ran her fingerprints through the system and they’re a match.”
“How did she end up in Virginia?”
Olivia sighed. This part of the job never got any easier. “Honestly, I’m not sure, ma’am. We found no major injuries but she has been sleeping and recovering in the hospital from what seems to be malnutrition. We believe she was being held hostage. As of now, she’s still asleep.”
Olivia’s heart wrenched as she heard the sound of the woman breaking down on the other end of the line. Her sobs sounded raw and painful.
“Oh, thank you, thank you. You don’t know what this means to us. Our baby... our baby…”
Olivia smiled sadly as the woman took a moment to compose herself. She sniffed on the other end of the line.
“I’m so sorry…”
“It’s understandable for you to be feeling emotional, Mrs. Barnes. It’s okay. I’d like to advise you to head to the airport as soon as possible. We are already arranging a flight for you and will send you that information shortly. We will get you on the next available flight from Seattle to DC.”
“Can you repeat the name of the town?”
“Yes, it’s Belle Grove. We’re about an hour south of Washington, DC. I’ll return to the hospital now to keep an eye on Amelia until you’re able to get here, but she’s in good hands.”
“We can’t thank you enough, Olivia. We’re heading out to the airport right now. You’re a saint. Thank you. Thank you.”
The call ended before Olivia could say goodbye, but she didn’t mind. She was so pleased for the family that she forgot to be afraid about the fact there was still a kidnapper out there. Someone who had the nerve to steal children away from their homes in the middle of the night. Someone who might be capable of so much more harm. Of physical abuse, perhaps.
Or even murder.
Four
Olivia exited the Seattle airport with a headache resting just behind her eyes. It had been a long flight straight from the hospital, where Amelia and her parents were reunited just hours ago. Olivia was there to see the moment they found each other, which admittedly brought a tear to her eye. Amelia’s parents were so overwhelmed, crying and hugging their daughter, and Olivia knew she would be safe. And since Amelia had been transported across state lines, the kidnapping was now a matter of federal jurisdiction.
It was her day off, technically, and there was no good reason for her to follow the case. She hadn’t been assigned to it, and now that Amelia ha
d been found, Olivia was sure there would be less hubbub about it. But she wanted to know more.
The state Amelia was in, and the further development of the case, was really worrying. Olivia was starting to get a bad feeling that what she saw the night before was only the tip of the iceberg.
So after leaving instructions with Maggie to keep the family in town for a few days, she headed to the scene of the crime. Or at least, the city where it happened. Which meant meeting up with her brother-in-law, Paxton Arrington, to see what he’d heard of the case.
Paxton agreed to meet her in a cafe in downtown Seattle, so after a difficult half-hour of trying to find somewhere to park her rental car, she half-walked, half-ran to the place they’d agreed to meet, desperately using her phone for directions. By the time she came through the doors, she was more flustered than when she’d set off from the hospital.
At least Paxton had an amused grin when he spotted her walking in. He stood up to greet her.
“Long night?” he asked, in his typically cocky way. Olivia ran a hand over her hair self-consciously.
“You can tell?”
“No, you look great today,” he said sarcastically. That made Olivia smile a little, at least. Pax always knew how to make light of a situation. He gave her a quick hug and then sat down again.
They let the shared reason for why they hadn’t seen each other in a while go unsaid.
“I ordered you a coffee. I figured you’d need it.”
“Thanks. At this point, I’m pretty sure my blood is ninety percent coffee,” Olivia replied.
“Did you stay up all night?”
“I managed to get a few hours of sleep, but to be honest, I haven’t been sleeping well for a while.”
“Sounds familiar,” Pax replied with a sad smile, putting his hand over Olivia’s. It was only then that she noticed the tremble in her own hand. It vibrated gently under his touch. She couldn’t tell if it was her frayed nerves or her sleeplessness causing such a reaction.
“I’ll be fine,” she insisted. She hadn’t flown all the way to Seattle for a pity party. “I’m just glad Amelia Barnes is okay. You should’ve seen her face, Pax. Like a deer in headlights. I think she really thought her life was in danger.”
