Page 3 of Avenging Angel

“I wasn’t alone,” I whisper into the cup.

Sarah pats my leg and smiles. “We never are.” There’s a slight scrunch to her nose when she stands up. “Once you’re done with the broth, why don’t we get you cleaned up beyond where the doctors injected the IVs? I have some of my granddaughter’s clothes from when she comes to visit. They should fit you perfectly.”

Appreciation for her kindness settles deep in my bones. After weeks of fear and cold, being cared for by someone without wanting anything in return almost hurts. “Thank you. I’d like to call my parents if that’s okay.”

“We’ll let Officer Petrov handle all of that. There are two FBI agents waiting for you, and they would like to talk to you first. They’re the ones who got you the medical attention you needed.”

All I can do is manage a nod because I don’t have the strength to argue. I’m alive, and it won’t be long before I’m reunited with my family. If three weeks in the wilderness didn’t kill me, then a few more hours won’t hurt.

Sarah disconnects the IV lines, admitting to me that she used to be a nurse. Then she draws me a desperately needed bath. By the time I get out of the Victorian sunken tub—a tub I filled up two more times before the water stayed clear—Officer Katrina Petrov and the two agents are waiting patiently for me in the living room.

Clean and clothed in something that doesn’t need to be burned, I force a smile as I take a seat at the kitchen table. Abel Graham sets a bowl of split pea and ham soup in front of me before taking his leave while Sarah pats my hand and stays with me for moral support.

“My name is Officer Katrina Petrov with the Eureka Police Department. I’m here to let you know that you are safe, Sadie. Your whereabouts are being kept tightly under wraps. We thought it best to have a woman present in case you needed to talk about anything that you may not want to say to a man. However, the two gentlemen with me are agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and they’ll be the ones who handle your case.”

“My name is Robert Finnegan,” the older agent says. “My partner is Roger Cavenaugh. You know, I have a daughter close to your age. Her name is Harper. She’s tough, just like you are. I can’t imagine a world where she would be taken from me, so please know that my partner and I are going to do everything we can to get justice, okay? It’s what I’d want if Harper had been in your shoes.”

“I didn’t see his face,” I blurt out. “And he didn’t touch me… not like that. He planned to pass off ‘the goods,’ or so he said.”

There’s a collective sigh of relief from everyone in the room. “Why don’t we start at the beginning,” Roger says kindly. “Rest when you need to by taking as many breaks as you want.”

So that’s what I do. I tell them everything. “He’d been watching me and waiting for the perfect opportunity. The man who took me knew that I’d had an argument with my parents about them taking my brother and me on a weekend camping trip when I had wanted to spend time with my friends. He waited until the middle of the night while I was on my way to the bathroom before he grabbed me. I don’t remember anything from the moment he placed a cloth over my mouth until I woke up in a cave.”

Roger takes copious notes as I tell the story. “You said a voice guided you through the tunnels?”

I nod. “I know that it sounds silly when you say it out loud.”

Roger smiles at me, his tone gentle and his eyes kind. “It doesn’t sound silly at all. It sounds to me like you had a guardian angel watching over you. I had a similar experience once, only I was trapped under a rockslide on Mount Rainier. It’s the moment I knew beyond any doubt that God exists.”

I fidget with my pendant. “What now?” I ask. “When can I see my family?”

Katrina looks at me with a sad expression, placing her hand over mine. “It’s going to be a bit longer than you hoped for. Agents Finnegan and Cavenaugh will be transporting you to a hospital in D.C. for further medical attention and to give you a safe place to recover. Then your family will follow. It’s important that no one finds out you’re still alive. As of today, Sadie Alekseev is dead, and the news stations are already reporting that they found your body.”

My face drains of all color. For a moment, I forget how badly I wanted to see my family because the words Sadie Alekseev is dead are the only ones I can hear. “Am I being put into Witness Protection?”

“Your family has already agreed to an option we’ve offered, Sadie. They’ll do anything to keep you safe because if you’re discovered to be alive, then you’ll be a loose end that needs to be taken care of,” Robert says matter-of-factly. “But it’s not exactly WITSEC. There won’t be any rules for you to follow or need for you to hide. You’ll be given a new name and a new home, but you’ll be able to live out your life normally. You’ll be able to go to school like everyone else. Just not near here or with round-the-clock protection.”

I sigh in relief. Witness Protection would feel like I’m still in captivity, and that’s not something I would ever want to experience again.

“All you have to do is choose a name,” Roger says.

I may be 14 years old, but I’m not ignorant. “You don’t think this is just a random abduction, do you?” I wonder if they’ve come to the same conclusion I did.

Roger shakes his head. “No, and the fact that the man who took you said he was getting paid to ‘deliver the goods’ indicates that it goes much deeper. But we need you out of harm’s way to do our jobs.”

“I want to help,” I tell them; the need to do something burning hotter than the fear still sitting like a rock in my stomach.

Sarah stands up and comes over to me, placing her hand on my shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. “There are other ways to help that don’t endanger your life or your family’s. Sadie, you have the opportunity to become a woman who helps others who have been through a similar ordeal and to give hope to others who may not have it. There’s a gift in that; a greater purpose.”

Those words, “greater purpose,” give me pause. Is Sarah right? Did I live so that I can help others?

Right then and there, I make a silent vow to myself that I will help girls like me, and I’ll do it by learning how to hunt, to track, and to catch this guy. The thought settles something inside me that has been spinning out of control since the moment I was taken. I may not be able to undo what happened, but I can make sure he doesn’t get to do it again. Because in the farthest reaches of my heart, I know that this is far from over. Even if it takes a lifetime, I promise I won’t rest until this man is caught.

“I’ll do it,” I say. “I’ll change my name.”

Agents Finnegan and Cavenaugh both look pleased, and dare I say it––relieved? Roger Cavenaugh clicks his pen and touches the tip to the paper in front of him. “What do you want your new name to be?”

“My dad always called me his little ‘Daisy.’”