“Excuse me, Miss, can you please help me find my daddy?”
A polite little boy tugged at my sleeve, distracting me from my phone. The food court in this bustling mall was packed with friendly faces escaping the summer heat, yet for some reason this kid chose to approach me. He couldn’t have been older than seven, his cherubic face framed by a halo of wild locks and his S's whistling through his missing front tooth. He’d fit right in with the rowdy first-graders I taught.
He looked up at me with nervous eyes, one hand gripping my sleeve, the other holding a phone. Kids these days, mastering technology before they could walk. I didn’t get my first cellphone until I was fifteen, but I was positive all my students were already coding their own apps.
“My daddy said to call if I got lost, but I can’t ‘cause my phone’s dead.”
“Hey, buddy, don’t worry. Why don’t you give me his number? We can call him from my phone.”
“I don’t remember it,” he said, his voice wavering.
I patted his arm as I comforted him. “Hey, no problem! We’ll just go to security. They’ll make a big announcement over all the speakers in the mall so your dad will know where to find you, how’s that?”
He nodded, holding out his hand, and I took it, tossing my coffee and abandoning the table I worked hard to secure. A couple of teens pounced on it at the same time as a businessman, and although I would’ve loved to stay and watch the fight, I had to reunite a little kid with his father.
“What’s your name, buddy?” I asked as we walked.
“Benjamin Drell, six-and-a-half years old,” he replied before giving me his address.
“Ah, okay. But don’t give your address like that to strangers, Benjamin. Only to police officers or someone you trust.”
“But I trust you.”
“Well, thank you. But you just met me and you alw—“
“Hey, you there, stop!”
We turned towards the angry man running over, and so did the people around us. I hugged Benjamin and took a confident stance, but the kid didn’t seem to need my protection as he pointed with an excited smile.
“That’s my daddy!”
The man came to a stop in front of us, his wary eyes darting between Benjamin and me, and Benjamin grinned as he held his hand, linking the three of us.
“Hi, daddy! She was helping me find you!”
The man’s features softened and he bent over and tilted the kid’s chin up. “Benjamin, don’t you ever scare me like that again!” He turned to me with a grateful smile. “Thank you for helping my son.”
I didn’t release Benjamin's hand. “You’re welcome. I hope you don’t mind, because I can see Benjamin knows you, but can I have proof you’re his dad and legal guardian, please?”
The man looked surprised, but he complied as he pulled out his phone and swiped through a few photos of him and his son together. “My wife passed away last year, so it’s just Benji and me. I don’t have legal documents on me, but I swear I’m his father.”
“This is my daddy, Miss! He’s single.”
I looked down at him, amused. Kids these days.
“Aha, alright Benji, that’s enough,” the man said with a flustered chuckle before addressing me. “Thank you again, I really appreciate your caution.”
“No problem,” I said. “I’m a teacher, so we have to keep an eye out on abductions, especially from family members.”
Benji looked up at his dad. “Can she have lunch with us?”
“Hoo boy, my son’s really putting me on the spot, isn’t he?” the man said with a short laugh. “Well, I would like to thank you. How about I treat you to lunch? Or at least a coffee?”
“Oh, thank you, but I’m sorry, I’m already meeting someone for lunch,” I replied with an apologetic smile.
He gave a good-natured shrug. “Ah, I tried, eh, Benji?” He extended his hand to me. “My name's Terry, by the way.”
I couldn’t wiggle my hand out of Benji’s to shake it. “Nice to meet you. I’m Dora.”
Benji, swinging our linked arms, grinned. “Like Dora the Explorer?”
“Same name, yes! But I don’t go exploring much, unfortunately.” I winked at him and he giggled.
“Come with us, Miss Dora. I’m having a kid’s meal, you can have my toy!”
“Thank you, Benji, but I’ve really got to go, buddy. Enjoy your lunch with your dad, okay?” I gently pried my hand out of his grip and ruffled his hair before I looked up at his dad. “Terry, it was nice meeting you. You boys try not to lose each other again!”
I tried to ignore Benji’s crestfallen face as I turned away and jogged over to the food court. Once there, I spotted Daphne leaning against one of the columns, dressed in her realtor best, her arms crossed.
“Hey, Daffy. Sorry I’m late!”
“Hey, Dork. What happened to ‘5:30 on the dot’? I’ve been waiting for ten minutes!”
“Ten minutes isn’t that devastating,” I said, hooking my arm in hers as we walked over to our favorite Pad Thai kiosk.
After grabbing our meals, we walked around in search of a place to sit while I told Daphne about Benji and Terry. She was about to ask me a question, but a table opened up and she darted towards it, slamming her tray down and startling everyone around her. She slid into her seat with a satisfied smile and I chuckled as I sat across from her.
“So,” she said as she broke apart her chopsticks, “was Terry cute?”
“Yea, he’s got that tall, lean, clean-cut thing going for him. Gave those brown eyes to his son, who’s adorable, by the way.”
“And Benji invited you to lunch?” Daphne laughed when I nodded. “Now there’s a little matchmaker in the works.”
“Yea, kids these days.” I chuckled as I took a bite of my spring roll. “Speaking of matchmaking, how are you and Jordan hitting it off?”
“Ah, it’s going well,” she replied with a mouthful of noodles. “Her thesis is driving her mad, though, which is driving me mad. All she talks about is her research. I can’t wait until she presents it, then we can really work on getting to know each other …” She wiggled her eyebrows. “… in more ways than one.”
I shook my head in amusement and dug into my lunch. I’d barely taken two bites when Terry crashed into our table, panting and frantic.
“Oh, thank God, you’re still here! Dora, you have to help me!”
“Terry? What … how? What’s wrong? Where’s Benji?”
“He ran off! He was disappointed you didn’t stay for lunch. It isn’t your fault! He just misses his mom and you look a lot like her. He’s too young to understand. I talked to security and they’re searching but the photos I have of him aren’t that recent. You’re the only one who knows what he looks like today. Please, can you help me?”
Daphne spoke up before me. “Of course we’ll help. Let us know where to start looking.”
“Thank you, thank you! I searched the toy stores and the play area. Maybe you can search the top two floors and I’ll search the bottom two?” Terry pulled out his phone. “Here, take my number so we can contact each other in case— … when we find him.”
I entered his number and gave him a missed call. “Don’t worry, we’ll find him. Daphne and I will keep in touch.”
Terry thanked us profusely before running off, and we jumped right up and began our search.
We scanned the restrooms and every store on the third level, from electronics to lingerie, before we moved on to the second level. After weaving through two stores, calling out Benji's name, we heard a meek reply from beneath a display of multicolored Crocs.
I crouched down. “Benji! There you are! Why’d you leave your dad? He’s worried sick!”
“Did he tell you to look for me?” he asked, failing to conceal a smile.
“Oh, he’s a devious one, isn’t he?” laughed Daphne.
I sighed. “Benji, that wasn’t very nice. Your dad is very worried. Always stay with him in big, crowded places. There are strangers that may not be very nice. Stay with people you trust, okay?”
Benji crawled out from under the display. “I trust you, Miss Dora.”
Daphne mimed an “awwww” and I gave her the “shut up” expression.
“Do you trust me too, Benji? I’m Dora’s sister, Daphne.”
“Like Daphne in Scooby-Doo?” he asked.
Daphne didn’t hide her exasperated sigh. “Do kids even still watch that show?”
I nodded in reply as I held out a hand to Benji, who took it. “Terry, we found him!” I said through the phone.
“Oh, thank heavens!” he said in relief. “Is he alright? Where was he?”
“Hiding under a flamboyant display of Crocs. He’s safe and sound.”
“Thank you! I’ve seriously got to have a word with that boy. Listen, I’m going to grab my car, I’ll meet you at the parking lot across the fountain. I think my son needs a time-out.”
“Alright, we’ll be right there.”
Daphne and I each took one of Benji’s hands and made our way to the mall entrance. It was a blistering Tuesday afternoon and not many people were hanging around outside. We strolled over to the crosswalk and made a point of looking both ways twice, imprinting some traffic rules on Benji. A grey, windowless van drove up and we waited for it to pass by, but it slowed down and lingered in front of us instead, blocking the crosswalk.
“Ugh, seriously? They—”
The rest of Daphne’s rant was cut short as the van door slid open, and the three of us were pulled inside so fast I barely had time to comprehend the situation before I was out cold.
…
I woke up to a snoring sound, only to realize it was me. I was crumpled into myself against the corner of a wall like a discarded accordion. I groaned as I lifted my head off my chest and wiped away the drool, the gritty floor grinding and crunching as I shifted my weight. My pulse accelerated as I squinted through the darkness, dazed and lost, my head and body aching.
“Dora? Dor, please tell me that’s you!”
“Daphne? Daphne! Where are you? What happened?”
“What happened? We fell for the oldest fucking trick in the book!” Daphne spat out as she struck something metallic and it reverberated. “That psycho used his kid to lure us in and here we are in his basement or wherever the hell this is.”
“What!” I scrambled to my feet, the stale air dense in my lungs.
“Dammit, Dora! How could we not see it?”
I reached out, trying to make sense of my surroundings. My cell was not much larger than a phone booth and the walls felt like solid brick, except for one side which has coarse, metal bars top to bottom. They shuddered and clanged as I shook them, and I drew back in fear when I felt a soft touch on my fingers.
“Dor, did I just touch you? I think we’re in adjoining cells. At least, I hope that was you I touched.”
I reached out again and felt for her hand, grasping it tight. “Yes, it’s me, Daph. I can’t believe this is happening.”
“We have to get out. I’m not going to spend my life as a psycho's plaything or be trafficked or whatever.”
“What do you have in mind?”
Daphne answered my question by screaming for help at the top of her lungs. I wished she’d given me a warning as my ears rang at her shrill tone echoing throughout our dungeon.
A door creaked open, sending a hazy tunnel of light over a flight of stairs, and Daphne clammed up so fast the absence of sound was like a vacuum. An elongated shadow appeared against the wall, accompanied by a threat.
“If you don’t keep quiet, I will hurt the child.”
This man’s tone sounded warped, like someone trying, and failing, to deepen his voice. He didn’t seem to be Terry.
“You sick lunatic!” Daphne yelled. “It’s not enough to use your own son to bait people, now you threaten us with him as well?”
“What? I’m not talking about my son!” the man said, forgetting to disguise his voice.
This definitely wasn’t Terry.
Daphne hadn’t caught on yet. “He’s not even your son? That’s even worse, you deranged motherf—”
“Daph,” I hissed under my breath, “this isn’t Terry.”
“What?” she hissed back at me.
“Sir,” I called out, “the boy’s name is Benjamin. Please, tell me, is he safe?”
“Safe from you, yes,” the man said, attempting to regain the falsified deep voice.
“I don’t understand. What do you want?” I asked, hoping I didn’t already know the answer.
“You are blasphemous and unclean in the eyes of the Lord,” the man replied. “We cannot allow a child to grow up in such immoral conditions. We have saved him and you have been brought here to be cleansed of your vile, ungodly ways.”
“What on Earth are you talking about, you freak? You don’t even know us!” Daphne yelled.
Forced, heavy footsteps descended the staircase and we were treated to the silhouette of a short, stout man who was trying to look taller than he was. Despite his efforts, he didn’t look physically intimidating, but he didn't need to be when he had a weapon. He walked up to our cells and slammed a baton against the bars, almost striking our fingers, and Daphne and I released each other’s hands as we drew back.
“I will not allow sinful acts under my roof!” he barked, his phony baritone cracking.
I stared in shock as it dawned on me. “Sir, Daphne here is my sister.”
An awkward pause lingered in the air for a few seconds before he said, “All your kind are liars, you’ll say anything to save your depraved skins.”
Daphne finally picked up on the situation. “Sir, I assure you Dora is my little sister. She’s engaged to Benjamin’s father. We were on our way to his car when you picked us up.”
I hid my bewilderment at Daphne’s unnecessary additions as I plastered an earnest expression on my face and nodded, discreetly relocating my thumb ring to my ring finger.
The man wasn’t convinced. “It’s so easy for your kind to deform the truth and make a mockery of natural society.”
“We believe in natural society and strive to protect it!” Daphne said. “Dora’s wish is for Benjamin to grow up in a complete, God-loving home after his mother tragically passed away. Her and the father aim to get married soon.”
The man took a step back as he mulled my sister’s words. “And you?”
“Oh, I’m with Jordan. A very intelligent PhD student. Brilliant. I can’t wait until we have children of our own and settle in the suburbs.”
I stifled a snort at the blatant lie she ended her story with. Daphne hated the idea of setting down. I was impressed, though, at how easily she rose above his prejudiced insults and spoke to save our lives. I just hoped her odd choice of overplaying her act would work against this zealot and his pompous pig-headedness.
The man’s demeanor was getting increasingly agitated as he struggled with accepting the truth. “Lying is a sin. Your kind only know of sin and, here, we work to crush th—”
“What you’re doing here should be commended!” Daphne interrupted with passion. “It can’t be easy seeing flagrant sin all around, corrupting our communities. We thank you for looking out for the children.”
I nodded as I managed to procure an approving smile.
The man’s shoulders eased up and he finally spoke with his natural voice. “Yes. It’s a never-ending struggle. They’re like a virus. Infecting the vulnerable through schools and media. They brainwash our kids.”
“Oh, I agree,” I chimed in. “Maybe you can suggest some wholesome shows and sites for little Benjamin. I can pass them on to his father once you let us go. I’m sure my fiancé is very worried about us and would be thrilled to know Benjamin is safe.”
The man still seemed hesitant, but Daphne wasn’t giving up. “Tell me, are there any actual sinners down here at the moment?” she asked with an air of innocent intrigue.
“No, we haven’t caught any for months,” the man replied with a sorrowful frown.
“Perhaps that’s a good sign! You’ve cleaned up well!”
“Oh no, they’re sly vermin. They hide in plain sight. But we’ll find them.”
“With your devotion, I don’t doubt it!” Daphne said as I nodded in agreement.
Thankfully, her passionate flattery did the trick as the man unlocked our cells.
“I deeply apologize,” he said. “We acted upon the mistaken assumption that you were a homosexual family.”
“Give it no mind, my good man,” Daphne replied, really putting a lot of schmaltz into her act. Her theater background was proving handy. “You’re doing God’s work. How many blasphemous people have you rid the world of so far?”
“We had an unfortunate incident that nearly shook our faith and broke our family apart.” He turned his gaze up and pointed towards the ceiling. “But, with the grace of God, we found our mission. For the past two years, we have purged six couples and ten promiscuous singles. We have saved four children and found them worthy, God-fearing homes.”
As her sister, only I could see the contempt hidden behind Daphne’s awestruck expression. “What dedication! Why haven’t you told the world of your selfless acts?”
“Ah, the world will never understand,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s been corrupted, the purity leached by the devils of society. These are desperate and trying times.”
I nodded. “Indeed, sir, it may be a thankless mission but we’re here to thank you for caring about our youth and community. Please, if you may lead us to Benjamin, we would love to reunite with his father.”
“Yes, of course,” he said, ushering us up the stairs.
After ascending, a living room rose in our line of sight. I spotted Benji sitting on a couch in front of a TV, a plate of apple slices on his lap, a glass of milk in his white-knuckled grip, and the arm of a wiry woman around his shoulders. They were watching Dora the Explorer and I was grateful he wasn’t being subjected to anything traumatic, in spite of what the woman looked like.
The moment Benji turned and saw me, relief washed over his face, although he was still too afraid to move.
“Thank God,” the woman sighed with exaggeration as she heard us approach. “If I have to hear this brat ask for this horrid show one more—” She turned, only to see Daphne and me standing alongside the man.
She jumped up, but kept a tight grip on Benji’s shoulder. “What’s the meaning of this, Joseph?”
“Miss Dora! Miss Dora, I’m sorry for hiding!” Benji cried out, teary-eyed.
“Hey buddy, it’s alright!” I soothed. “These people just wanted to talk and now we can go home. Isn’t that nice?” I reached out a hand. “Come, let’s go see your dad!”
The lady dug her claws into Benji’s shoulder as she snarled at me, “Hang on there, you filthy sinner.”
“Marjorie, dearest, we were mistaken. They’re sisters, and this boy is the son of a widower whom this lady is engaged to,” Joseph said, gesturing towards me. “The other is married to an educated young man.”
While Joseph talked, another lady not much younger than me meandered into the living room, holding a bowl of cereal. She leaned against the door frame and crunched with an open mouth, observing the scene with subdued curiosity.
Joseph’s words didn’t appear to convince Marjorie as she eyed us, so Daphne decided to butter her up as well. “This gentleman here, Joseph, is it? Joseph explained your mission and we really appreciate the work you’ve been doing. We’re impressed you‘ve taken such direct initiative.”
I nodded with fervor once again in support of Daphne’s praise, and Marjorie, while still looking skeptical, tilted her chin up in a sanctimonious pose.
Heavy footsteps drew our attention and we turned to see an actual physically intimidating man walk into the room, cradling a shotgun on his shoulder. If we stretched our imagination and said Joseph and Marjorie were the brains, then this guy was definitely the brawns.
Any ideas I had about eluding them by running just evaporated. We were going to have to continue relying on our words. I glanced at Daphne, nervous, and saw a bulb flash behind her eyes. I hoped her idea wasn’t too out there.
“You know, I live in a neighborhood where there’s a house filled with sinners. Benji, bud, you better cover your ears,” Daphne said.
Before Benji could comply, Marjorie covered his ears for him, curiosity softening her stern expression. Benji tensed up as he looked at me and I smiled and pretended to cover my own ears, winking at him to ease his nerves.
“In what way? What have they done?” Joseph asked with a bit too much eagerness.
“Oh, what haven’t they done?” Daphne said with a dramatic sigh. “Twenty girls living together. All homosexual, promiscuous nymphomaniacs.”
Marjorie gasped. “Disgusting.”
“Tell me about it, they’re tarnishing our quaint community!” Daphne shot the corners a furtive glance before whispering, “If you promise not to say where you got your information from, I can give you their address and you can help purge our neighborhood from scum like them.”
Marjorie looked at Joseph and he grinned. “Twenty! Marjorie, dearest, can you imagine!”
He walked over to the cereal-eating lady and shook her shoulders. “Abby, your mistake gave us gold! You were wrong about them but they brought us almost double our entire haul!”
Abby replied with a smile that didn’t quite reach her calculating eyes, and I felt uneasy as I wondered if she knew where Daphne was going with this.
Joseph turned towards the man with the shotgun. “Luke, we need to get Seth and his group too, we aren’t enough. We’ll need the vans, we can’t have a shortage.”
Joseph’s enthusiasm appeared to have rubbed off on Marjorie as she let go of Benji. He jumped up and sent the apples and milk flying as he ran and wrapped his arms around me.
“I’m sorry, Miss Dora,” he sniffled.
“Benji, this isn’t your fault,” I said as I hugged him back. “Now, let’s say goodbye so we can go see your dad!”
Benji mumbled a goodbye while his face remained buried in my stomach. Marjorie tutted irritably at the mess he left behind, but Joseph returned the farewell before he slid closer to Daphne, eager to hear the location of their next prey.
She gave him a winning smile and listed the address of the vacant house she’d been trying to sell for the past three months. “Now, don’t you say you heard it from me!” she said with a wink.
Joseph nodded. “Thank you. You’re one of God’s angels sent to protect the world.”
Daphne brushed away the compliment with a bashful hand wave. “Oh my, no, I just feel more confident now that I’ve met you. We’ll be anticipating your blessed work, don’t disappoint us!”
I nodded yet again, hoping we weren’t laying it on too thick. I just wanted to get Benji to safety.
“Now, if we could just collect our bags and be on our way. We have to prepare for a charity potluck that aids amputee, cancer-ridden orphans.” Daphne's resentment was starting to become transparent as she laced her words with sarcasm.
Noticing their lingering reluctance, I spoke up. “Ah, yes. The poor children suffer enough without the ugliness of immoral behavior. If, along with our bags, you can provide me with a list of suitable children’s shows and sites, my fiancé and I would really appreciate your guidance in raising little Benjamin without negative influence.”
Marjorie cast us a final look before she went to fetch our bags, and Joseph gave me a meager list of children’s shows and websites I‘d never heard of. Dora the Explorer wasn’t on the list. It was nice of them to allow it to taint their TV set for Benji’s sake, although I was pretty sure it wasn’t the Dora he was requesting.
Joseph held our bags hostage as he, Luke, and Luke’s shotgun ushered us into the garage where the grey, windowless van was parked. I attempted an innocent stroll to the back so I could glimpse the license plate, but my wandering made Joseph uneasy and he blocked me.
“Please, get in,” he said. “I’ll drive you to a neutral spot and you can take a taxi from there.”
With Benji’s safety in our hands, we didn’t argue as we sat in the back of the foul, cluttered van with Luke for company. Once the door slammed shut, darkness took over. The van began moving and I tried to focus on monitoring the trip's directions, but the multitude of circular turns left me lost. This obviously wasn’t Joseph’s first rodeo.
Despite being sweaty and stifled, we tried to keep the atmosphere light for Benji’s sake by playing games. He suggested “I Spy”, but after realizing black was the only viable color, he switched to “20 Questions”. After each of us got two turns, not including Luke, the van came to a halt.
Joseph was true to his word, dropping us off in a neutral spot that was, apparently, in the middle of nowhere. We thanked him and he nodded, handed us our bags, and peeled away. None of us managed to get his plate number in the dark.
“Where the hell are we? Can you believe that asshole? Leaving us here after we practically drowned him in flattery and admiration.” Daphne dramatically brushed off her clothes. “Ugh, I feel so dirty.”
“Daph, language,” I scolded as I hugged Benji close.
I looked around as the moonlight revealed vague details. “Daphne, wait … I think this is Milner’s Rock! Isn’t that the tree Finn accidentally crashed into?”
Daph snorted. “Are you serious? What does prim and prude Joseph know about Milner’s Rock?”
“Probably one of their hunting grounds? This place is usually swarming with teen love.”
Daph shuddered aloud. “Eww. Ugh, I can imagine him creeping around, self-righteously leering. Well, there’s no one here now. It’s too hot for any type of intimacy. I’m melting.”
Daphne rummaged through her briefcase for her phone and I searched my tote for mine. I pulled it out and was not only surprised to see that it was already 10:23pm, but that I also had eighty-four missed calls from Terry. He’d almost drained my battery. I called him right away.
“Hello?” Terry’s voice sounded strained and anxious.
“Hey, Terry! My God, you won’t believe it when I tell you we were kidnapped! My phone might die soon, so I just want to let you know Benji is safe and we’re calling the police, okay?”
“D— *crackle* I’m sorr— *crackle* offend— *crackle* back saf—”
“Terry, can you hear me? Man, the signal sucks out here. We. Are. Okay. Benji. Is. Safe. Here, talk to him!” I tried to make my voice cheery to convey our safety as I handed the phone to Benji.
“Hi Daddy! ... … Hello? ... … Daddy, can you hear me? … … Daddy?” Benji looked up at me, frowning.
I took the phone back. “Hello, Terry?” The static was overwhelming and, soon, the call dropped.
Daphne was having the same problem as she walked around trying to get a signal. “Ugh, I remember when no signal was a good thing when we’d come up here. Peace and quiet as we—”
“Okayyy, Daph. Children present!” I said.
Finding ourselves stranded, we decided to walk down the road towards the city. After half an hour, approaching headlights blinded us. I was wary about hitchhiking, but our phones were dead, we were soaked with sweat, and Benji was exhausted, laying his head on my shoulder as I carried him on my back.
Daphne waved the car down, and we explained our situation to the teenage couple who had decided to brave the heat in the name of love. They offered to drive us to the police station, and they were kind enough to provide us with phone chargers, water bottles, and chocolate bars.
The moment a signal appeared, I called Terry again. “Terry, hey! Sorry about the bad signal!”
“Dora, please listen. I’m not upset. Just, tell me, is Benjamin safe?”
“Yes, don’t worry, he’s safe! We’re off to the police station near the mall. You can meet us there.”
“As you wish, Dora. I’m very grateful you’re deciding to bring my son back safely. That is a good step in alleviating the situation.”
His intonation sounded stilted, like he was being told what to say, and I frowned as I realized what was happening.
“Terry, I didn’t abduct your kid,” I said, causing Daphne to turn to me in shock. “I know today must’ve been a parent’s worst nightmare so I don’t blame you for assuming the worst in me. Honestly, Daphne and I assumed the worst in you too, for a moment.
“We were kidnapped. The three of us. By this crazy family. Don’t worry, we did our best to make sure Benji wasn’t affected and, thanks to Daphne, we made it out. We’ll tell you all about it at the station. We’ll see you soon. Okay?”
“As you wish, Dora. Please, may I speak with my son?”
“Sure thing!” I handed the phone to a sleepy Benji. “Here you go, buddy! It’s your dad!”
“Hi daddy ... … Daddy? Are you okay?” Benji sat up, worried. “Are you mad at me? ... … Oh ... … Are you sad? ... … I’m sorry for hiding ... … No, I'm okay, Miss Dora and Miss Daphne are with me ... … Yea ... … We’re in a car now ... … No, we were in a house ... … I don’t know ... … Okay ... … I’m sorry ... … I love you too ... … Bye.”
Benji hung up, handed the phone back to me, and snuggled close, sighing. The couple driving, who were waiting for the call to end, pounced with their questions, but we gave them the bare minimum for Benji’s sake.
When we pulled up to the police station, we looked around in shock as officers swarmed the car. They asked us to come out with our hands up and we all obeyed, including the bewildered couple. Only Benji didn’t comply as he hugged me tight.
When an officer pulled him away, he began crying and I called out, “Benji, it’s okay, they’re police officers! You can trust them! They’re taking you to your dad!”
Officers cuffed our hands behind our backs, and I gave the teenage couple an apologetic shrug, but they seemed rather enthralled by the whole thing. I looked around as we were escorted into the station and was relieved to see Benji reunited with his father, the latter who was giving me a disappointed frown. I shot one back at him.
…
At the station, the whole mix-up was resolved. Daphne's plan had already prepared the groundwork for a sting operation, and the police went along with it. They set up the scene and, for a few days, windowless vans staking out the area were greeted with an Oscar-worthy performance of what they considered to be flagrant perversion.
After four days, Joseph and his group made their move, and the police were ready. Out of all of them, only Abby opened up about her family’s disgusting crimes. Turned out, she was Joseph’s youngest sister and one of the “sinners” they despised. She was the shock that drove her family to amp their mission, and they gave her an ultimatum: convert or die.
It was a sad story, but she still participated in most of the kidnappings and was aware of the adoptions, “conversion methods”, and murder. At least she knew the victims’ names and where they were buried so their families could have closure. She also had the addresses of the couples who heedlessly adopted the kidnapped children.
As for Terry? Well, he apologized and I forgave him. I had no hard feelings. The incident was so bizarre that, had it not happened to me personally, even I may have doubted its verity. From Terry’s perspective, I was a stranger who disappeared with his child. He didn’t know me. I didn’t know him either. So, we sought to correct that. So far, things are going smoothly.
As for Benji? Well, he’s a smart, resilient kid who bounced back without any lasting trauma, although he did develop an aversion to sliced apples. He was also true to his word and, on our first family date, he offered me his kid’s meal toy.
~ The End ~
(Read on for a Behind the Scenes)