One Last Fight

by Brenda Kennedy

  We drive by the cemetery before we go to Chelsea’s. I want to see Jamie. I miss her. Gracie and I sit on the ground, and I hold her close. I talk to Jamie and pray to God that they find Madison unharmed. I pick the weeds and brush away the leaves. When I rearrange the flowers and other items on her grave, I see another single white rose hidden beneath the other flower. I hope it’s from Chelsea, but I am afraid it’s from someone else. Mom and Margie visit and then we leave to go to Chelsea’s.

  Margie and Mom wait patiently for me to get Gracie from her car seat. As we begin to walk down the sidewalk, Chelsea comes out to meet us. She hugs Mom and Margie warmly before she hugs me. We both cry. I think it’s a cry of relief. We know that our shared daughter may be returning home soon. Not to Robert’s and my home, but to Chelsea and Drake’s home. Oddly, I’m okay with that. As long as Madison is returned safely, it doesn’t matter whose home she’ll go to.

  We get inside and I introduce Mom and Margie, and Chelsea introduces herself; her father-in-law, Steve; and her son, Caden. I smile at Caden and he gives me a small wave. I’m still surprised at how similar Jamie and Caden look alike. We talk about the news of the nurse. Drake already called them and they are just as shocked as we are.

  Chelsea asks, “They really think that maybe she took Madison?”

  “They aren’t sure, but I think it’s a good possibility.”

  Chelsea says as she sits down, “Drake said last night that the call center was getting a lot of hits in the Myakka area.”

  “They are. I was at the church where they set up the command center and there are a lot of flags in that area,” I confirm.

  “Does this nurse live in Myakka?” Steve asks as he takes a seat beside Chelsea.

  I look at Mom and Margie. “I have no idea where she lives. The last I knew is that she was still in the psychiatric hospital receiving treatment for her condition.”

  “What is her name?” he asks.

  “Simms, Melissa Simms,” I say.

  “If you’ll please excuse me,” Steve says as he stands and walks away.

  Once he is out of the room, Chelsea says, “He is so much like Drake. He’s probably already searching online for everything he can about Nurse Melissa.”

  We sit around talking, and when the room gets quiet, Chelsea apologizes for not having the television on. She explains that with Caden here, it is best to not expose him to the media about his missing sister. She looks at me apologetically and says, “I’m sorry.”

  I know she is referring to calling Madison “his sister.”

  “Please, don’t be sorry. They will always be siblings.”

  “Thank you,” she says as she begins to cry. “I’m so hurt and angry about all of this. Not just this, but everything.”

  “I know. We are, too,” I confirm.

  “This has been a very trying several months for all of us. Not only did we just learn of the baby swap, but we also learned our biological daughter is deceased. I didn’t even know you could mourn and love someone you didn’t know until very recently.”

  I know what she means. “We love Madison and we don’t even know her. If something happens to her, it’ll be like mourning Jamie all over again, but this time, we’ll be mourning her sister Madison.”

  After an uncomfortable silence, Margie says, while looking at Caden, who is sitting on the couch, “Do you have any board games we can play?”

  He looks up at her excitedly and says, “I have Chutes and Ladders. Do you like that game?”

  Margie smiles, “I happen to love that game.”

  “Yay, me, too. I’ll go and get it.” He stands and runs down the hallway.

  “Walk, please.” Chelsea laughs, then adds, “He loves that game.”

  “Good, me, too.” Margie stands and rubs her hands together like she is warming up for some tournament.

  I feed Gracie while Caden, Mom, and Margie play the board game. Chelsea stays with me and she sadly tells me that Gracie looks a lot like Madison did when she was a baby. I often wondered if they looked alike. Of course, Gracie looks nothing like Jamie did. Jamie looked like Caden.

  “When all this blows over, I’ll have to show you some pictures of Madison growing up.”

  “I would like that, thank you.”

  Steve enters the room and announces he’s going to get lunch for everyone. Once Gracie is done eating, we join everyone at the table. This is a great distraction for Caden and for us.

  Caden stands from the table and does a victory dance when he wins. We all laugh at his playfulness. “One more time, Caden. I think you just got lucky,” Mom jokes.

  “That’s what Maddy says when she loses. My sister always says I’m lucky.”

  My heart skips a beat when he mentions Madison as his sister.

  No one says anything and Margie picks up the cards and begins to shuffle. “Well, maybe it’s my turn to get lucky.”

  I’m glad for the distraction of the game. I sit at the table with Gracie and check my cell phone for a missed call or text from Robert. There isn’t one. Chelsea watches me and I shake my head. She nods and focuses her attention back on the game.

  When Caden wins again, they decide it’s time to do something else. Mom and Margie are doing a great job at distracting Caden and me.

  “Later, Steve shows up with food for everyone. He doesn’t stay, but says he’s going to the church to see if they need any help.

  After we eat, Mom says, “What do you want to do now, Caden?”

  “Do you know how to make cookies?” he asks, hopefully.

  “Caden, no,” Chelsea says. “This isn’t a good time for that.”

  “As a matter of fact, we are the best cookie makers around,” Margie says, proudly, talking about her and Mom.

  Caden’s eyes get big and he says, “You are?”

  “We are. If it’s all right with your mommy, we would love for you to help us make some.”

  “Mommy, can I?”

  Chelsea looks from Mom to Margie. “Are you sure?” she whispers.

  “Yes, positive. But to make the best cookies ever, you have to have sprinkles. Sprinkles are the glitter of cookies. Do you have sprinkles, Caden?”

  He jumps down from the table and runs into the kitchen. “We have rainbow sprinkles, and chocolate sprinkles, and we have dinosaur sprinkles, too.”

  “Are you sure?” Chelsea whispers. “We can play another game, instead.”

  “No, we’ll need cookies to celebrate Madison’s return,” Margie smiles.

  “Thank you. I hope you’re right.”

  After what feels like hours, Chelsea and I get a text at the same time. I’m scared and relieved to check it.

  Robert: They have the address of Melissa Simms and her mother.

  Leah: What does this mean?

  Robert: It means they are getting a search warrant, and they’re going in.

  Leah: Is Madison there?

  Robert: We’ll know soon. I’ll call you as soon as we know something.

  I learn that Chelsea’s text was similar to mine. We sit in the living room while Mom and Margie are in the kitchen with Caden. We talk about our texts we received and Chelsea cries. I know it must be tears of relief, or maybe it’s fear, or it could be a combination of both. Madison is still missing so it must be fear.

  I tell her we went to the cemetery on the way here, and I asked her if the single white rose was from them.

  “No, Leah.” She wipes away the tears and says, “We haven’t been leaving Jamie white roses. Drake only buys red roses. They represent love and he never buys anything else.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m positive. I left an angel and a wreath once and the children left a doll and some balloons. But the white rose didn’t come from any of us. Maybe your mother or your mother-in-law left them.”

  “Maybe,” I lie. I know the rose didn’t come from them. “Will you hold Gracie while I use the powder room?”

  “I would love to.” I hand her Gracie and she
tells me where to find the restroom.

  I text Robert and tell him the white roses are not from Drake and Chelsea. I also tell him I think the nurse has been to the cemetery to see Jamie and she is the one who has been leaving the flowers.

  Robert: I’ll pass that along to Bruce and to the detective.

  Leah: Be careful.

  Robert: I will. I love you.

  Leah: I love you, too.

  While Caden goes and washes up, Chelsea and I inform Mom and Margie about Madison.

  “What are you going to do?” Margie asks.

  Chelsea says, “Wait here for news. What else can we do?”

  “We could go to the command post and wait for news there. I know they’ll hear something before any of us do,” Mom says.

  I look at Chelsea and she looks at me.

  She says, “Let me get Caden and myself sweaters.”

  Chelsea

  I text my father-in-law, Steve, to tell him we are going to the command center to wait and offer any assistance we can.

  He texted me back and said he is already there and will see us shortly. Steve would have been at the house with Caden and me if we didn’t have company today. He is so much like Drake in his over protectiveness. Since Madison’s disappearance, if Drake isn’t there with me and Caden, his father is.

  I have called my parents to update them often on Madison’s disappearance. Both of my parents are in poor health and aren’t able to travel to get here. I considered not telling them anything but decided against it. They never miss the news or an episode of Nancy Grace. It would kill them to see their granddaughter on television, especially if they didn’t know.

  I called the assisted-living home where they live and asked them to monitor Mom and Dad closely. My parents married and traveled the world before deciding to settle down and have children. Well, they settled down and had a child, me. Dad always said they wanted children, but stopped after me because I was perfect and it wouldn’t be fair to compare my siblings to me. Of course, he’s kidding, but it is one of the nicest things he has ever said to me. I was loved and cared for so much as a child and as an adult. Drake and I invited my parents to come here and live with us, but they refused.

  We pull up at the command center; it is the first time I have ever been here. I have been staying home and keeping Caden out of the limelight. He knows some of what is going on, but I want to protect him. The first things I notice are the pink and white balloons tied to the church’s sign and the balloons at the entrance to the church. The balloons represent support for Madison.

  I hold Caden’s hand and we join Leah, her mom, and her mother-in-law. I see my neighbor, Mrs. Viney, just inside the door and she rushes over to hug me.

  Leah, Sue, and Margie walk away towards the front of the room. “We got the warrant,” someone yells. The room erupts with cheers. I sit down quickly before I fall. I hold Caden on my lap as I watch everyone in the room scurry around.

  “Do you need some water?” Mrs. Viney asks.

  “No, thank you. I would like to go to the chapel.”

  Robert

  Drake and I left the command post without a word to anyone. If we told them we were leaving to get Madison — if we can find a way to do it safely — I’m sure we would have been talked out of going or possibly detained. The mother and her daughter, Nurse Melissa Simms, live on the same property in two separate mobile homes.

  Myakka is a very rural area in Florida not far from where we live. Drake and I drove past the property several times before deciding on a place to park and observe. We decided if Madison was outside playing that Drake would do a snatch and grab. I would pull up and he would run out of the car and grab her. Of course, that is the best-case scenario. I would do it, but since she doesn’t know me, she would be traumatized.

  We decide to park the car across the street under a huge mossy tree where we will be well hidden, but still within sight of the two side-by-side mobile homes. “I think I should go up to the mother’s trailer with the flier and ask her if she has seen this child.”

  “I’m not following you. Why would you do that?” Drake asks.

  “Do you see the reward amount on the top of the flier?” I say, holding up the flier with the new reward amount printed on the top of it.

  “Say no more. For that amount of money, you think she’ll gladly give up her daughter.”

  “This amount of money could do a lot for someone. And by the looks of the property, she could use it. Plus, maybe the mother doesn’t know Madison was kidnapped. If she doesn’t watch the news, she may think that her daughter is babysitting a friend’s little girl.”

  My cell phone rings and it’s Bruce.

  “I wouldn’t answer that. He isn’t going to approve of you being here.”

  “No, he won’t. But maybe he has news.” I answer the phone, “Grether.”

  “Bobby, please tell me you’re not doing anything stupid.”

  “Stupid? No, I can honestly say it’s not stupid,” I say into the phone, never taking my eyes off of the side-by-side trailers.

  “Look, we have a search warrant and the officers are on their way. Leah, Chelsea, and the family are all here at the command post.”

  “Do they think Melissa has her?” I ask.

  “Thanks to you for increasing the reward amount, Melissa Simms’ mother called in this morning to report that she believes her daughter has Madison.”

  The money will make people do crazy things. Sadly, the mother should have reported it without being persuaded by the reward, but maybe she didn’t know Madison was kidnapped. “There are two trailers here; which one does Melissa live in?” Please tell me so Drake and I can go in now. Drake now focuses his attention on the conversation between me and Bruce.

  “I have no idea who lives in which mobile home. Please stay put and let the authorities handle it. Robert, don’t do anything stupid and jeopardize the rescue of Madison.”

  If we went in without the police, would we be putting Madison in harm’s way? “How far away are they?”

  “They are on their way. Stay put. They have the SWAT team with them.”

  “Bruce, when they rescue her, take her to the nearest hospital.”

  “Of course.”

  I disconnect the call and Drake has a tic in his jaw. “The SWAT team is en route.”

  He nods.

  Then, we watch in shock as a woman runs out of the trailer; she is carrying a child with short dark hair, wrapped in a blanket. It could be a boy — I can’t see the child’s face. She rushes the short distance from her trailer to the car and puts the child into the backseat and then drives away.

  Before Drake and I can figure out what is going on, they’re gone. “She has Madison!” Drake yells. Drake pulls out and follows them, keeping a safe distance behind. He doesn’t want to rouse suspicion. They aren’t headed towards town; instead, she is driving further into the country.

  Thank God she isn’t speeding or driving recklessly.

  “I don’t think she knows we are following her,” I say.

  “Good. We’ll follow at a distance. Call 911.”

  I call 911 and give them instructions of our whereabouts. I know the police are en route and they aren’t far behind us.

  I learn while talking to the 911 operator that in addition to SWAT they also have an ambulance with them. They thought of everything. Drake has the phone plugged into his USB cord, so we can openly communicate through his car speakers. I do the talking and Drake concentrates on the driving. He nods his understanding.

  The car slowly pulls up into a small mom and pop store and we drive past slowly.

  “Shit!” Drake yells. “I need to turn around.”

  He watches for traffic and turns around in the middle of the street. I inform the 911 operator where Melissa and Madison are. We pull up at the store and I can’t see anyone in the car.

  “I’ll go in,” I say, opening my car door.

  “No, she has Madison. I’m going in, too,” Drake de
mands.

  We look around and then get out of the car. Drake looks into the backseat and sees Madison lying on the floor. He says, “She’s in here on the floor.” He tries to open the car, but the doors are locked. He taps on the window, but Madison doesn’t move or answer. Apparently, Madison is lying on the floor because Melissa wants to keep her hidden, and Madison isn’t moving or answering because she’s frightened.

  I look in the car and see Madison lying in a fetal position on the floor in the back. She is still covered with the blanket that was wrapped around her. “Go inside and distract Melissa and I’ll get Madison out,” Drake demands.

  “You may need a crowbar or a glass breaker or something to break the glass.” I walk into the small store and slowly close the screen door behind me. Melissa is at the counter, paying for a pint of milk and a loaf of bread. She is digging in her purse for some change when I enter. She doesn’t see me. The cashier looks up and smiles. I only nod. I stand near the newspaper stand, pretending to be mulling over which paper to buy.

  I hear glass breaking and so does Melissa. She turns to leave without her purchase when she sees me standing near the doorway. I have no idea if she has a gun or not. I hold up my hands to let her know I mean no harm. She freezes. Her eyes look behind me through the dirty screen door. I’m not sure what she sees. I want to turn around and look but I don’t. I hear a car door shut and a car pull out of the parking lot. I know Drake has Madison and has left with her. Mission accomplished.

  Next, I hear sirens, and I know the police are nearing.

  “Is anyone else in the store?” I ask the cashier.

  “No, just me.”

  Melissa’s eyes focus in on me.

  “We just came for our daughter.” I speak in a soft and even tone. I know I have a scowl on my face, so I try to soften it.

  “Is there a back room for you to hide in?” I ask the cashier without taking my eyes off of Melissa’s.

  “Yes.”

  I hear a door close and I know the cashier is already in a safer place. Melissa’s eyes become wild. She frantically looks around the small store for an escape.

  “It’s all right.” I keep my hands up and slowly begin to walk closer to her.