Page 78 of Avenging Angel

“With the FBI combing the area, locals rallying to form a search party, and campers leaving the area after posting on social media, there’s too much heat and visibility to make the transfer. I was held captive for a week, specifically as a waiting period for all of that to die down.”

“Then we have some time,” Faith says with hope in her eyes.

Owen cracks his knuckles and gets back to work. “That is the one thing we don’t have this time. We need to find Brad before Logan Bloom gets to him first.”

Hours pass as the ten of us formulate a plan that, though risky, gives us the greatest chance of success. As we’re wrapping things up, Scott’s wife, Grace, shows up with Dottie, carrying enough bags of home cooking to feed an army.

“I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!” I exclaim as I nab one of the bags. “Thank you!”

Owen looks at Angel. “Make a note. Never get between Daisy and a meal. Your life may depend on it.”

I open the container; the smell of fried chicken, biscuits, and garlic mashed potatoes assaulting my senses in the best way possible. My stomach rumbles and grumbles while my mouth waters with anticipation.

While Dottie passes out the rest of the meals, Grace sits down next to me. “How are you holding up?”

“Honestly, I feel okay,” I tell her. “For the first time since I was taken, I feel hope. That is because you didn’t give up on a story all those years ago and because you still believed I was alive. You didn’t even know me then. I was just some girl who the news said ran away and then froze to death in the wilderness. But because something kept niggling away at your heart, you didn’t relent in your search. Thanks to you, I’m finally in a place where I see an end in sight.”

Grace rests her hand on my arm, careful to avoid my greasy fingers. “Not your end, right? You’ve had some close calls.”

I shrug one shoulder in an attempt to dispel the nervousness I feel about our plan. There’s so much that could go wrong. “I pray that my time has not yet come, but I may not have a choice.” Glancing over at Angel scooping mashed potatoes into his mouth, I smile. “I pray that when this is over, I still may have a purpose and a reason for living beyond the moment.”

Her eyes follow my line of sight, then she gestures to everyone in the room. “You’ve always had a reason to live beyond the moment, Daisy. It just took you this long to realize it. Love, whether romantic, friendship, or family, makes everything worth it. Do you know what I see when I look at all of you?”

“A family,” I say, figuring that’s where she’s headed with this.

“Well, yes, there’s certainly that. But it’s more than being a part of a chosen family. I see God’s hand on the Southern Knights, and I can see His artistry as He’s turned you all into a beautiful work of art. You’re each a piece of stained glass that, when put together, forms a colorful and perfect picture. If one piece were missing, the whole thing falls apart.”

I can’t help but smile. “You have a way with words.”

Grace chuckles. “I’m an investigative reporter. It comes with the territory. So does seeing the small details that often get overlooked. Each of you brings something unique to the table, and your lives were entwined long before any of you knew it.”

She points her finger at Jaxon first, then goes around the room. “Jaxon is connected to Faith from his time in the DEA, then connected to Roger from his time with the Shining Knights. Roger is connected to you and Owen from helping your family after you were abducted. So is Director Finnegan at the FBI, a very powerful ally, I might add. Angel is connected to Faith, and now to you.”

“But he’s not a Southern Knight,” I tell her.

“We’ll see. Vinny is connected to Angel and Faith through their father. I’m connected to you, Daisy, because 20 years ago I was assigned a story of a missing girl in Glacier National Park. I’m also connected to Scott, first from our childhood and now by marriage.”

A light goes off over my head as understanding dawns on me. I finish her game by pointing at Jeremy and Jack. “Those two are connected to Scott from working together as bodyguards before joining the Southern Knights.”

“Exactly. One could chalk it up to the theory that everyone on this planet is connected by no more than five intermediaries….”

“The theory of six degrees of separation.”

Grace smiles. “That’s the one. But how do you explain ten people in a room with no more than one degree of separation? Two at most. That’s not a coincidence, Daisy. That’s God’s hand, pure and simple.”

I swallow the bite of food in my mouth, then wipe my hands with the paper napkin. “I assume you mentioned all of this to make a point.”

“Not really. You brought up ‘purpose beyond the moment,’ and I thought it would be beneficial to see that catching the man who altered the course of your life was never your sole purpose; not in the grand scheme of things.”

When Grace stands up, she moves in front of me, placing her hands on my shoulders. “I don’t have any special insight into what God has in store for you all, only a sense of surety that He does. With this mission, you hold a much greater power in your hands than Noctira’s NSR556TLR digitally-modified sniper rifle.”

“And what power would that be?” I ask. “Prayer? Because I’ve been praying a lot.”

The corners of Grace’s mouth lift, and the edges of her eyes crinkle in delight. “Prayer is definitely the major weapon at your disposal, but I was referring to forgiveness. You’ve spent two decades focused on revenge, Daisy.”

“Justice,” I correct.

“Justice that isn’t yours to deliver, at least not in the way you’ve wanted it.”