by Peggy Slocum
As the Subaru enters the street, Sarah’s face and hands press against the rear passenger window.
“Elliot, that’s Sarah! We need to help her!” Elizabeth shouts.
“Get in. My car’s running.” Catrina offers to help.
Elizabeth scans the entrance of the hospital searching for Edwin and doesn’t see him. She glances back to the gray Subaru. Watching the car speed away, she decides to get into the front seat.
Without hesitating, Elliot takes the back seat and slams the door.
* * *
Edwin makes it to the double doors in time to catch sight of Elizabeth and Elliot getting into a brown Cadillac and speeding away. Edwin runs down the stairs keeping his eyes on which way they go so he can catch up with them. They’re heading toward the highway. Good, I’ll be able to follow them. Oh Lord, please help me not to lose them, he prays as he starts his car, joining the race against time.
* * *
Elizabeth reaches for the phone inside her purse. “I’ll call Edwin and let him know what’s going on.” She starts to dial his number. “That’s odd, I don’t have any bars.”
“Huh, I don’t have any bars either.” Elliot checks his phone. “So much for calling backup. Get as close as you can, and I’ll try to shoot out a tire.” Elliot directs Catrina.
“OK.”
“We need to hurry,” Elizabeth says. “The sun is setting. It’ll be harder to follow them in the dark.”
The brown Cadillac continues to close on the Subaru as it works its way through the rubber-necking, rush-hour traffic a car length at a time closer.
There it is. Elizabeth strains to focus on the bumper of the car that had stolen Sarah. “The car’s in gunshot range.” Elizabeth tries to raise her arm to point at the vehicle. What’s wrong with my arm? It’s heavy and slow. The gray Subaru pulls away. “Elliot, something is wrong. We shouldn’t be taking this exit.” Elizabeth strains to force her head to face Elliot. A thick fog hovers throughout the backseat with Elliot slumped over in the center.
Still in control, Catrina pulls the Cadillac to a stop on a side street.
Catrina is involved? Elizabeth asks herself. Oh dear Jesus, please help me to save my baby girl. I don’t know what to do. Help me, please Lord, please. Elizabeth struggles to breathe. Her consciousness fades, and she starts to fall forward.
The words of Isaiah 40:31 enter Elizabeth’s mind, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Elizabeth’s heavy exhausted limbs rejuvenate as the Spirit of God removes the effects of the poisonous gas. She reaches for the door handle and escapes from the car with renewed strength.
Catrina’s conditioned immunity to the gas allows her to remain conscious, although groggy. “No, you can’t go.” Catrina speaks with great effort.
Elizabeth runs around the back of the Cadillac to rescue Elliot. He is unconscious from the full dosage he inhaled. His body is dead weight and slumped forward with his head wedged against the back of the driver’s seat. She grabs him under an arm pit and tries to lift him, but fails. She gets a tighter hold and prays, “Oh Father, please help me, I’m not strong enough.” She feels two strong arms reach around her torso and take hold of Elliot, pulling him out of the car as Catrina steps on the gas. The Cadillac lunges forward, dropping Elliot’s feet to the blacktop as Elizabeth tumbles backwards. Catrina accelerates and disappears out of sight, taking the first cross street.
Grateful, Elizabeth whirls around. “Oh Edwin, Praise God! He led you to us!”
“Yeah, it appears just in time.” Edwin helps Elizabeth stand. “Let’s get him in the back of our van.”
“That was Catrina, the woman that was in charge of Sarah’s floor this morning. She made us think she was helping, but somehow she was involved. I didn’t realize soon enough.”
“This is even crazier than I thought,” Edwin says. “Do you know which way they took Sarah?”
“They were still on the interstate going straight, driving a little gray station wagon.”
After loading Elliot, half conscious, into the back seat of their minivan, Edwin makes a U-turn and heads back to the exit.
As they speed toward the exit, Elizabeth asks, “Is that a construction detour?” pointing at the on-ramp.
“Yeah, you better brace yourself. I’m not messing around with a detour. We’ve lost too much time already.” Edwin holds the gas pedal to the floor as the minivan charges the construction barrier.
“Don’t do it!” Elizabeth shouts and closes her eyes tight.
“Hey, watch out!” Elliot hollers from the back seat.
“Elliot! Praise God!” Elizabeth opens her eyes. “I was so worried about you.”
Elliot, staring straight ahead, does not respond. He swings around to peer out the back window. Confused, he glances to the front and then back again. “Did you see that? That’s impossible,” Elliot says, amazed. “That didn’t just happen.”
“What’s he talking about?” Elizabeth asks Edwin.
The awe in Edwin’s eyes and his thick smile confirm that Elliot’s hallucination is a reality. “Blessed is the Lord on high! He took us straight through that wooden sign and those plastic cones. They didn’t even wiggle.”
“But that’s impossible!” Elliot says.
“Yes,” Edwin agrees. “But the good Lord can do anything. He makes the impossible possible.”
Elizabeth gazes out the back window at the receding construction barrier. “No way to go around them except through them. It’s a miracle!”
* * *
Elliot runs his fingers through his hair, still in shock. “That could’ve messed us up. What were you thinkin’?”
“I don’t know. But I do know there’s no safer place than in the center of God’s will. If we weren’t where he wanted us, we wouldn’t have passed through an obstacle like that,” Edwin answers.
“Why doesn’t he do things like that all the time?” Elliot asks. “Then maybe people would believe.”
“He does,” Elizabeth says. “Their eyes are closed, and they see what they want to see.”
“What about Sarah? Why is he letting this happen to her? Surely a God that can take us through a solid barrier can zap her into this van.”
“Yes, that is true,” Edwin responds. “But God has a plan. We only see a small …”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. ‘A piece of the puzzle, but he sees the finished work.’ I’ve heard that so many times, I have it memorized.”
“Elliot, God loves Sarah more than Edwin or I ever could and if …” Elizabeth’s eyes well up with tears, “ … if she dies through this, she will be with God. I will be heartbroken, of course, because, I can only see what is in front of me, and I will miss her. But I will see her again and that’s the truth.”
“Son,” Edwin says. “God has shown himself to you several times during the past couple days. It’s time to pay attention and listen to what’s he’s telling you. He’s reaching out to you, and you have to make a choice. Choose God and the life he has waiting for you or keep doing things your own way until the day you die without God and be ready to face eternity in hell all alone. Romans 6:23 says, ‘for the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ When Jesus was nailed on the cross, he could’ve gotten off at any time. He didn’t even have to get on the cross, but he did it to free us from the mental and physical pain of the world. For example, the breakdown you had about a year ago when you beat that guy and threw him over the side of the building because you thought he killed that young girl …”
“He screwed up and when she dropped from the building, her screams just rang in my mind. I thought she died, it happened so fast.”
“Was that the first time you had a missing person case?” Edwin asks.
“No, and they don’t usually end happy like this one,” Elliot says. “And I remember every case, wishing I could have done
something to save them.”
“That burden is too big for anyone to carry without shutting down inside. No wonder you exploded. See, that’s why Jesus died on the cross to set the world free from their burdens and sin. Your burdens are too heavy for anyone to carry. You need to give them to God. When Jesus died on the cross, he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders so that we don’t have to. He descended into hell to defeat death and break the chains that bound you and me and loosed our shackles to set us free. God rose him from the dead on the third day. So, now there is a way to escape hell’s grip and that’s through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus went to hell so that we don’t have to. You can give your worries to God. He wants to replace your bitterness, anger, and sorrow with righteousness, peace, and joy. God will come and live with you and fill that void that doesn’t seem to be filled by obsessions.”
“Like a hooked-up Vette?”
“Exactly,” Edwin agrees.
“I believe, guys. Get me to a church after we find Sarah.”
Tears stream down Elizabeth’s face. “You can do it right here. It’s easy. Romans 10:13 says, ‘for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ ” She reaches her hands between the seats to hold his hands. “Go ahead, dear. Pour your heart out to God. He’s listening.”
Elliot closes his eyes which are welling with tears and overflowing down his cheeks. “God,” he says, “I can’t keep my hate and anger locked up any more.” Elliot clenches his right fist and rests his forearm on his leg. He bows his head and prays from his heart, “I need the peace that Edwin and Elizabeth have. I don’t know how this works God, but I know I’m ready for you to change my life. I know I can’t live the way you want me to, and I need your help. Oh God, please forgive me for my sins.” Elliot forces himself to keep from sobbing. “Jesus, I can’t do it my way anymore. Please come into my heart. I don’t want to be alone anymore. Thank you, Jesus.” Elliot’s face brightens as he continues to pray and a joy beyond his understanding sweeps through him. His sadness disappears. Elliot has begun his new life of freedom, in Christ.
Chapter 16: Jade
“That long building at the end of the block must be it.” Beth drives down Sycamore Street. “You should be the one to contact Jade since you have more experience.” Beth shoots a glance at Symphony. “Unless you don’t want to.”
“I’m good. You should drop me off here. I’ll walk the rest of the way. When you see me getting close, go in and distract the staff on duty.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’m glad you came on this case with me, Symphony. You’ve turned out to be a valuable asset.”
“Thanks and good luck. I’ll call you when she’s ready to talk.”
“Great. Be careful,” Beth says as Symphony shuts her passenger door. Beth arrives at the large safe house and pulls to the curb. She watches through the rearview mirror for Symphony.
Beep. Beep.
Beth’s phone announces she has a new text. She presses the “Enter” icon. Five new texts from the same person? She checks the mirror and notices Symphony nearing the building. She’s not close enough yet. She enters the most recent text.
“hello my beautiful beautiful girls.”
“Ugh!” Beth grumbles aloud. I’ve been so busy I forgot about the text creep. “One whack job at a time” she says, exhausted and irritated. Beth checks the mirror again. Symphony seems close enough. I need to start distracting the staff. She closes her phone and grabs her purse. Clearing her mind, she readies herself for the unannounced meeting.
* * *
Symphony watches on as Beth is greeted by an unshaven male staff member with a super-sized mid-section. He welcomes her in without asking for identification. Men. Symphony sneaks off toward the back of the house to find a way in. Beth’s either really good, or he has no business working in a place like this. I’m glad I’m not on his watch.
She glances from one end of the building to the other and decides on the fire escape. Perfect. Flipping her phone open she presses the “Pics” icon to check the room number. Thirty-seven. She scales the thin, rusty metal steps to the third floor. I hope it’s the right floor. Symphony pries open the hall window. That was easy. How safe are these survivors anyway. You’d think security would be a little tighter.
Symphony climbs through the window. Oh … that explains it. An automatic camera is panning from the hall to the corner, where the exit is and then to the window. This sucks. She moves fast when the camera is about to point at the window. She runs to the hall, scanning for a room she can hide in. Gotta come up with a plan of attack. In the middle of the hall, she spots a bathroom. Sweet. Not allowed to have a camera in there.
She dashes for the room without a second to spare. She enters the ladies’ room. Never thought I’d be getting paid to do this … and be legal … well, kinda.
Symphony opens the door a crack. The surveillance camera pans towards the exit sign. She pokes her head out to read the room number across the hall. Thirty–nine. Are they going lower or higher? Symphony stretches her neck further to read the apartment door to the left. Great, it’s the second door from the exit. She reaches in her coat and pulls out a small device to be ready when she gets to the room. As the camera’s whirring motor begins moving toward the corner, she rushes to room thirty-seven. Being discreet, she knocks on the door while watching the camera move to the window. As it begins rotating towards the hall, Symphony places her device in the keyhole, causing the door to open. She disappears inside, avoiding detection by the panning camera.
“Leave us alone!” a frightened young woman yells as she charges at Symphony with a bat in her hands. She swings the bat at Symphony’s head.
Symphony ducks and jumps away. “Calm down,” Symphony scolds. “I’m here to help you. I’m a friend of Sarah Perkins. Are you Jade?”
“Yes,” Jade answers, nervous and clenching the wooden baseball bat in her hands prepared to swing again. Jade rushes to the window searching for anyone suspicious lurking below. “I told them I didn’t want to see anyone. How did you find me?” She rushes to the door. Uneasy, she peeks through the peep-hole.
“Your newspaper clippings didn’t tell us why you don’t want to see your mother.”
“That woman is not my mother!” Jade rebukes Symphony, almost hysterical.
“OK, OK. Look, in order for me to help you, you’ve gotta stay calm.” Symphony watches Jade flump down on the bed and tremble. Man, her fear of Mrs. Freedman couldn’t be more obvious. Anyone else might mistake her for a common junkie, but I know true fear when I see it. I remember my mom having that same fear in her eyes, on her bed begging for her own nightmare to end. It was a bullet to her head from my dad.
A shimmer of liquid forms in the corner of Symphony’s eye but not enough to spill onto her cheek. I watched him do it. After the gun went off, he threw it. The snub nose slid across the floor and hit the closet where I was hiding. I jumped back, too scared to scream. He might have heard me anyway; I don’t know, but he looked at the closet and ran. I never saw him again. It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about that night.
Jade calms down. Is that a tear I see her pushing back? This girl is for real. Maybe I can trust her.
“Is your daughter here?” Symphony asks.
“Yes.” Jade points to the closet.
“You can come out, Vicky,” Symphony says, assuring her. “I’m here to help you.”
A frightened young girl opens the closet door a crack and peers out, before running to cling to her mother.
“Will you talk to my employer?” Symphony asks. “She can help you.”
“No, just leave us alone. She hasn’t found us. Just do your homework and you’ll figure it out.”
“My friend Sarah was taken today. Do you think it had anything to do with Sarah talking to you?” “Yes.” Jade fidgets with her hands. “You have no idea what that woman is capable of.” The phone in Jade’s room rings, interrupting Jade. She answers. “Hello.”
“J
ade, it’s Maggie,” She says, shaken.
“Are you OK?” Jade senses the fear in Maggie’s voice.
“Yeah, but I was attacked.”
“I’m sorry. What happened?” Jade says, fearing the worse.
“I think it was the people that are after you. They stole your files, which means they know where you are. I don’t have time to set up an exit for you. So you better start runnin’. They knocked me out, and I don’t know how much time has gone by. They could be there anytime; you’ve gotta hurry.”
“Yes, I will …” How did they find Maggie? Jade hangs up the phone. She grabs the duffel bag hanging from the closet door knob.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” Vicky asks.
“Get your backpack, Vicky. We gotta go.” Jade starts to scramble about the room throwing clothes and essentials into her bag. “I’m sorry, I can’t help, but that was Maggie. She’s been attacked and they’ve stolen my files. They’re on their way. Search the clippings. You’ll find what you need.”
“Come with us. We’ll protect you,” Symphony says, trying to reason with Jade. “Besides, you won’t get far on foot.”
“Do you really think your employer can help us?” Jade throws her duffel bag over her shoulder.
“Yes.”
Jade grabs the bat in one hand and Vicky in the other. “’K, com’on we gotta go.”
Symphony opens her phone and calls Beth. “Beth, they’re in trouble and we’re leaving. Where can we meet?”
“Oh, Mom. Maybe you lost your keys bringing in the groceries through the back door last night. I’ll come over and help you find them. I’m on my way. OK, I love you. Bye,” Beth says, hiding her conversation with Symphony from her new overweight and over-interested friend.
“Yeah, see ya out back.” Symphony presses the End key.
* * *
Beth pulls into the empty parking lot behind the safe house, scanning for Symphony, a stranger, and a young girl. After a minute, Symphony appears from the shadows leading Jade and Vicky toward Beth’s Jeep Cherokee. Three passenger doors open simultaneously, as if cued by a conductor.