 
MARNIE

by Winona Wendy Joy
Published on Smashwords by  
  Western Grebe Publishing

Copyright 2015 Winona Wendy Joy

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for buying this ebook. It is licensed for your personal enjoyment and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you want to share this book, please purchase another copy to share. If you're reading this book and didn't buy it, please buy a copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
TABLE OFCONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

About the Author
Chapter One

Marnie, rushing to be on time, just couldn't be late again. Last time she had been promised she'd be fired.

Imagining her supervisor's face all screwed up with anger and him yelling loud words at her, Marnie ran across Willamette Boulevard, not noticing a car whipping around the corner at the cross street. The car struck her directly on her right side and sent her body flying up in the air and landing with a dull thud into the windshield, crushing the windshield into a million, tiny, splinters.

In a split second, before her unconsciousness reigned, their eyes met, Marnie's eyes in sudden surprise, the driver's eyes in disbelief, except he had a firm, set, grimacing mouth.

Being hospitalized was not in Marnie's schedule. As soon as comprehension returned, she knew she was fired. Who would take care of her siblings now? What about this hospital bill? She had a hundred worries and pain to match. Lapsing back into dark, not-caring anymoreness helped the worry dissolve, just like detergent in the washer helped dirt to disappear.

Coming in and out of consciousness, she, being the oldest of three children, had to keep the family together, because both their mom and dad were now dead from exactly the same thing: a traffic accident.

"Oh, please, don't let me die, especially like our parents died. Carrie and Blake would never get over that."

Carrie now twelve and Blake ten, were totally supported and taken care of by older sister Marnie. Not daring to ask for any help or even to tell anyone about the death of their parents, all three children had carried on as if nothing had happened, feeling they had no other choice.

~~~***~~~

There were grandparents back in each of their parents' own country, where they had fled from, but none of the children had ever met them and didn't even know their names, nor where they lived. Marnie knew for quite sometime that one of her parents always sent money back to their home country, so she thought that, when the money stopped going to the grandparents, or whoever was receiving the money, they would send a letter to inquire; but no letter had ever come yet. If and when a letter did come, then, she would have an address to write to them about what had happened and ask them what the children should do.

A year and a half had passed since Mama and Dada were gone, and no one ever inquired about the children living alone. In New York, hardly anyone paid any attention to neighbors, since one could have a new set of neighbors every other week.

~~~***~~~

Except for Marnie quitting high school and getting a job all on her own by fibbing about her age, everything stayed the same, at least when looking from the outside in.

Blake and Carrie had stayed in school; and if a parent's signature was needed on a school form, Marnie just signed.

Marnie had an extraordinary way with numbers. Math was her best class in school, and knowing the three of them would need money, at least until she heard something from the grandparents or someone, Marnie dressed up in her mother's suit, panty hose, and two inch heels, and then went out to apply for a job. At the very first place, a big electronics company where computers are manufactured, the interviewer liked her resume, which she had copied from the Internet, but not word for word. The Interviewer did ask for her Social Security number. Since she didn't have one, she replied, "I left it at home, and I will call you with it later today." Sure enough she had heard of Social Security numbers and knew neither of her parents had one and that they, in fact, were not citizens, so they couldn't apply for one. Marnie sailed on in the interview, and her new boss hired her on the spot after he told her what was needed in his department and upon hearing her suggestions. "What a brilliant young lady," he thought.

In a week, Marnie was so well set in her job as payroll manager, it no longer bothered her about the Social Security number, having thought out how to pay herself without one. Not being even 18 yet, she was an exceptional young girl.

~~~***~~~

Remembering the day the children heard about their parents' death seemed like it was just yesterday. Every detail etched in her mind forever. Marnie was doing homework ,while trying to beg the two younger ones away from the TV to do the same, when the door bell rang. Not giving it one thought that this sound of the door chimes was about to change all their lives, she slowly opened the door. There stood two men in suits. She thought all she had to do was mention her parents weren't home yet. One man mumbled an introduction. She didn't hear nor understand the name, but she did hear and understand him saying something about...a terrible accident...a car...hitting her parents...deceased.

Whatever else that was stated, Marnie missed, not being able to take it all in. Closing the door on the two strangers and walking back down the hall to the living room, she hated to share the terrible news with her brother and sister, but share she must. Trying to formulate the words in her mind, she burst out crying and falling to the floor. Carrie and Blake, alarmed, ran to her. Marnie just wailed and yelled, "Mommy and Daddy are dead." All three children, crying and sobbing for the longest time, finally ended up on the couch in the living room, huddled together in total shock and grief.

~~~***~~~

None of them knew what to do, except remembering how their parents were so secretive and afraid, they decided not to tell anyone and to go on and pretend as if nothing had happened. At first it was the hardest thing, but then it became second nature to lie and fib if confronted by any adult, which was hardly ever; since her parents had no friends, no acquaintances to speak of, and no relatives in this country.

The children were baffled by all this but they followed suit, modeling exactly how their parents had acted. With no friends of their own they used one another to make do.

What an odd household. Fear reigned supreme.

~~~***~~~

The one and only person in the family of five that had not been truly afraid was Carrie. She thought, "What for? If I'm afraid I won't have any fun, and fun is what I want the most."

All twelve years of her life had been of her family hiding away in their home, acting afraid of every noise, every phone call, and every knock or ring at the door. Early on, Carrie decided to see what life was all about by not hiding out in a type of death life.

Of the five, Blake felt the most fear. He, being the baby of the family, never ventured out on his own physically or mentally. Carrie scared Blake most of all with the stories she would make up. How could she even think up such stuff? She was one of the people making him afraid of the world, because Marnie, Mommy and Daddy all babied him to the utmost. The kids at school scared Blake even more than Carrie did, and they knew for sure he was "chicken." Some of the guys even called him "chicken"; and when it made him cry, it all got worse than ever. Then everybody laughed, even the girls! One time Carrie came to his rescue when the big tub of lard, Larry, was bullying him, shoving him and saying, "Cry, cry, cry."

Carrie saw it, and came running over, shoved that bastard so hard he lost his balance, went skidding along, and ended up in the dirt, face down. "Having my sister save me, made me feel good and bad," Blake thought.

~~~***~~~

Carrie and Blake came home from school as usual. Heading straight for the fridge and then the TV, they zonked out for several hours. Finally, noticing Marnie had not come back from work, they got ready for bed without a word and went to their separate rooms. Only Blake lay awake worrying. "It's not like her to not call or not come home at all. Oh, please, please, don't let her be dead like Mama and Dada."

Not knowing what or who he was begging, he did beg on and on into the night, till finally wearing himself out; sleep came.

On the other hand, and in the other room, Carrie instantly fell asleep, not worrying for one minute. She did think maybe Marnie got a date and that she would be there when they woke up in the morning; and if not, she would think what to do when the time came.

~~~***~~~

At the hospital, Marnie finally became conscious enough to think that she would call home as soon as she was able to use the phone. Drifting back through pain, she was given a pain pill, and then blessed relief of nothingness came. She slept on.

~~~***~~~

Waking up before Blake, Carrie made their breakfast, then called to him, "Get up, and come to eat breakfast."

Blake's first words when coming into the kitchen were, "Is Marnie home?"

"No, not yet, but she called, and her job had to send her to another location for a while, don't worry," Carrie instructed.

She didn't want her brother sick with worry and fear all day long at school. She decided she would just think what to do and what to say as time progressed.

~~~***~~~

Carrie had an uncanny ability to actually be where she was. In other words, in her mind, to focus on the very next thing and not to worry about the big picture or the whole thing. She only did what was in front of her to do. In fact, she thought most people way off base when she realized that most everybody were trying to be normal. With a strong gut feeling she knew there to be no normal. Only what most people did was believed to be on the normal curve and whatever made "that" normal? She wanted to know.

Also, Carrie didn't have a big investment in her body. She knew her self, her Real Self, was much more than her puny body. She could feel it with an intense knowingness. Never having been to church or known anyone spiritual, she would have laughed if she were to be called any word related to spiritual. If she had to label herself, she would say, "I'm a Realist," not even knowing what it meant. She did know she was different than the average kid, learning this from the other kids at school, and from her brother and sister.

When her sister, brother, or anyone acted emotionally upset; Carrie couldn't see the payoff. So she thought of most things on face value and or matter of factually. Like one time when their father was angry with their mother and hit Carrie, she immediately knew what it was about, unlike her sister and brother lamenting, "How could he ever hit you?"

It didn't affect her in the least. And she didn't take it personally. For a twelve year old to have these certain insights was rare but came to be of great value in her near future.

~~~***~~~

The near future came immediately. Since Marnie did not come home, Carrie took it upon herself to get money somehow. The first few nights, laying awake, thinking how to do that very thing, excited her sense of adventure and her hunger for excitement. Too long she had suppressed curiosity. Too long stuck at a desk or behind walls at home with eyes always looking on, too long of being quiet and of seeing the entire family fear ridden.

After dinner the fourth day that Marnie was absent, Carrie left the apartment, locking Blake in securely and warning him not to answer the door, no matter what. She said she would be back before he went to bed and told him to watch his favorite movie on the video player, so he wouldn't worry.
Chapter Two

Heading toward the subway station still dressed in her school uniform: a vest, short skirt, knee sox and loafer shoes, all in navy blue, Carrie had complete faith she could seduce a man. Sitting on the train, staring at her lap in the little pleated school skirt, she noticed a slight mound for the first time where her legs came together. Must be my pubic bone she thought; adding in her mind: "you little money maker." Being so young, she actually had no idea what to do, where to go, and what to say. Never mind, she felt fearless, excited, and happy.

Downtown, noticing a male figure walking just ahead of her, she hurried past him so he would notice her, and he did. Asking her, "What are you doing on the street in the dark all alone, little girl?"

"I'm older than you think," she answered.

He returned the conversing, "And how old is that?"

"Sixteen. How old are you?" Carrie asked.

"I'm twenty seven," was his response. She noticed a nice restaurant and went in. He followed her. She sat down in at an out-of-the-way table, and so did the man after he got her permission. Asking if she was hungry, he also asked if he could buy her dinner. A Waiter came, she ordered a hamburger, chocolate milkshake, and French fries. Carrie waited for the gentleman to order. He only wanted a cup of coffee.

He said, "I already had dinner."

Well, so did she, but she wanted to delay his departure, so she picked away at the food. Finding out one another's names was easy, they just said them. His was Alan.

For at least an hour they talked and nibbled on the food. Alan ate some of the French fries, Carrie drank the whole milkshake and a few bites of the burger. That was all there was to it. Except upon leaving, Alan whipped out his cell phone and insisted on getting a taxi for her.

He also asked, "Do you want to come back at the same time and place, Tuesday next?"

"Ok, I will," Carrie answered. They only shared small talk and most of what Carrie shared about her back ground was a lie, because she had been raised to never trust. He handed her folded money that she stuck in her pocket without looking at it and dashed out into the street as soon as she saw the cab pull up.

At her apartment, going to pay the fare, she handed the bill to the driver, he said, "Haven't you anything smaller?" Finally she saw it to be a hundred dollar bill.

Yes, she had her own money in her purse, a few dollars, she handed it over, taking the big bill back. When Carrie got inside the apartment, she saw Blake was in bed already, so she quietly tip toed into his room. She stood by his bed a few seconds and covered him up.

Then she heard him say, "Carrie?"

"Blake, yes it's me."

Answering, Blake confided, "I was so scared I came to bed and waited for you."

Having a tinge of guilt she answered him, "Everything is all right," and left the room.

~~~***~~~

After a nice hot shower and snuggling under the covers, Carrie could not help thinking how easy it is to get money from men.

"Why doesn't Marnie do it? Sure would beat going to work at a nine to five job, like she does. Wow. All the guy did was talk. He did not even touch me. I'm disappointed, but maybe next time there will be more to it. He could have thought he had given me a five or ten dollar bill and not a hundred. Probably just a mistake, or he really likes me and wants me to come back next week. I've got to see what this is all about, this sex stuff. I'm sick of being a virgin," she thought, and that was her last thought before nodding off to sleep.

~~~***~~~

Marnie was so tired of just lying there in bed. "Oh, when can I get out of this hospital? What must be happening to my poor little brother and sister?"

The doctor, speaking with her that very morning, told her, "You are coming along quit nicely, and you could be going home soon."

With two broken ribs and one arm the same, the only other thing wrong was all the lacerations on her legs from when the windshield had exploded. Her right leg did hurt a lot, but if and when Marnie complained, she was readily given one or two pain pills. Thankfully, she would soon doze off, forgetting about the pain, forgetting worry, and even forgetting about the children.

~~~***~~~

Tuesday next, as Alan had put it, came around soon enough. Carrie looking forward to the "date", decided to dress up sexy. Trying on some of mom's clothes made her look a scare crow, since they were all too big. Putting back on her little school uniform and looking in the mirror, she decided she looked sexy enough. Today the entire uniform was burgundy colored, plus burgundy loafers on her feet. She had read some men get turned on by the slim, young, schoolgirl type. Hoping it to be true with Alan, she left the apartment after again assuring Blake that all was well, and she was just going shopping, because they were just about out of food. Locking him in securely and heading to the underground subway stop, she rode downtown.

Back home, Blake was not suspicious in the least, only scared. Going from room to room, then realizing he was nervous and pacing, he decided to eat some cereal to calm his nerves. He wasn't hungry, but eating made him feel more relaxed, less scared, and full. After filling his bowl with plenty of Cocoa Oh's, remembering Daddy always called them Dreary Oh's, he went for the milk to finish off his meal. Staring into the refrigerator, disappointed; no milk! Pouring the cereal back into the box, thinking, "I'm glad she is going to buy food, but why couldn't I go too?" Puzzling over his question to himself, he hurried into his room, jumped into bed, and covered up over his head, fully dressed. Still hearing the TV from the living room, Blake went to sleep immediately, which was good, because then he could forget his fear of being left alone.

~~~***~~~

Carrie arrived at the restaurant right on time, seating herself just where she would be in perfect view of the door. The same waiter came over. "No, I don't want to order yet," she told him. "I'm waiting for my friend." Leaving two menus, the waiter left. Carrie sat there alone.

Alan, running late, tried to hurry and in doing so, put himself into a dark funk. Thinking of the three children left all alone now, usually made him sick. Especially knowing it was his very own organization that made them orphans, always turned his stomach. He and the others on the team were employed to keep their eyes on the parents, not kill them. Ever since the morning he heard they were taken out, he had been looking after the children. The day Carrie came downtown alone, Alan had been following her, even on the subway and it wasn't easy getting in front of her on the street right before she noticed him. It was the first time that they met.

Being sure Marnie was hired at a high enough wage to support all of them was his initial assignment to himself.

"Now, with Marnie hospitalized, everything is more difficult than ever," he thought.

Entering the restaurant, the first person he saw was Carrie. It made him feel sick that such a little girl could think he was after her body, it truly turned him off. Sitting there with her, he realized her intelligent and brave self to be more important than her body would ever be, to him. He just wished she knew it to be true. She was stuck on the idea her only valuable commodity was her body. "How sad this whole mess is getting to be," he mused.

Walking over to her table, he was able to muster up quite a believable smile and persona for Carrie's benefit.

Carrie, genuinely happy to see Alan was so relieved that he even showed up again.

~~~***~~~

For some reason Carrie had been having doubts of what was going on, because on the fourth week of their "dates", and every time they met, it went the same: Greet one another. Small talk. Peruse menus. Order. Eat dinner More meaningless talk. Him mentioning the time. Calling the taxi. Handing her x amount of dollars. Telling her it's for the fare. Her later discovering he had given her two hundred, and one time three hundred, in crisp new one hundred dollar bills.

Carrie worked it out in her mind that Alan did want her physically in the worst way, and that explained the reason he gave her the money. She thought Alan knew her to be too young, and he was just waiting. Carrie had to be very thankful, because the money was always more than enough for Blake and herself to survive one more week, every week. She still had never heard anything at all about or from Marnie and dared not tell anyone, and not to ask anyone either, about her sister. Not even Alan.

~~~***~~~

Marnie's leg infection became worse. Much worse. They called it MRSA, a staph infection, and told her it was finally threatening her life. Marnie, being so scared and dulled by drugs, could hardly hear what her doctor was saying. She did catch the word, "amputation" and, after hearing it, she shut down all thought, sinking back into blessed oblivion away from consciousness.

Waking the next day, Marnie; aware of great pain, even more than ever before, pressed her buzzer, and a nurse hurried to her bedside. He looked very worried and spoke fast: "I'll get your doctor and check if I can turn up your pain drip."

Soon Dr. Jacobson entered. Pulling up a chair, he sat down, looked into Marnie's pained eyes, and said, "Marnie we had to take...amputate...your leg, or you would surely have died within hours. I'm so sorry, my dear." Marnie looked down, after hunching up on her elbows, to see the empty space under the covers where her right leg should have been.

She could hear someone screaming, "No...no...no...please, no!" Then realizing it to be her own voice, surprised herself to silence.

Dr. Jacobson quietly spoke. "We will help you, Marnie, as much as we can. It will take a long time till you are comfortable with this new experience of yourself."

Marnie yelled, "New experience! New experience! You make it sound like I'm going on a scenic drive!"

Whimpering softly, she turned away as best as she could, from facing the doctor to staring at the wall. The nurse messed with the pain drip, and then, Marnie was left alone. She cried loud and soft, and then drifted back from this nightmare in the room to sweet, sweet, nothingness.
Chapter Three

Alan knew his boss, Gary, the head of the organization they both worked for, had ordered the parents killed. He had no proof but reasoned that it would take proof, and nothing less, to help.

The two operatives who informed the children of their parents "dying in a car wreck," were from out of state, so none of the children would accidentally run into them in the future.

The parents, Harold Smith and Emily Smith, had entered the country under very suspicious circumstances eighteen years before being eliminated. A cargo ship destined for San Francisco had not reported a quick stop off the coast to take Mr. and Mrs. Smith off of the ship secretly. We all know how secret secrets can be, so getting the report from a crew member, working undercover for the government was the beginning of the United States watching, tracking and monitoring the movements of the young couple, who finally made their way across the country to New York.

Emily Smith, being the cousin of the past lady premier of Russia, had lived in the mansion, along with the rest of her family. Emily was orphaned at a young age, and most people had no idea of her existence, or even that she lived with the first family of Russia. Always in the background, and not being in the immediate family, gave her freedom from the spotlight that the rest of the family suffered. This made her unknown to just about all of Russian society, except for the secret service members who guarded the Premier and her family.

Growing up practically unafraid, made Emily ill prepared for life in the United States. After getting off the ship, her husband, Harold, had a long conversation with her about staying under the wire and that a man had contacted him, convincing him their lives were in danger because of her past connections, and because of how they had arrived in the country. From the true fear and grim look Harold projected, Emily knew it to be true.

In fact, they had fled when after two times, attempts to kill her cousin had failed. The Premier's husband, however, was not as lucky. Going into hospital for a minor surgery, he was met with his death by poisoning, an autopsy revealed later. These were concrete reasons why Harold and Emily were fearful.

Together they decided to hide in plain sight: New York City, where seemingly they could get lost in the hordes of the population.

~~~***~~~

Marnie was on the way home from the hospital, after being in physical therapy to improve her mobility for over a month. Not knowing what or who she might find at home, she was nervous, as the taxi drove nearer to her front door.

Marnie had not spoken to or seen her siblings once. Afraid they would not be there, heart pounding rapidly, so anxious, what would they think of her now; with one leg off? Would they accept her? Still love her? Help her?

Finally arriving, Marnie paid the taxi man, got arranged on the hated crutches, standing on her one leg, swung out the door of the cab and stood up. She had nothing to carry except her purse, and it was an over the shoulder type bag. The Driver asked her if he could help her to the door.

"No thank you, I'm fine."

She was anything but fine really, preserving, crutching over to the entry door, she unlocked it; just about dropping a crutch, but managing to grasp it in the nick of time, and she entered the front hallway.

Carrie and Blake were doing their day's homework at the dining room table when they heard a key in the lock. Both jumping up to view the front door, big eyed, holding breath, and pale faced; waited. As soon as they saw Marnie's face they both smiled and ran to her, laughing out loud, and screaming, "Marnie, Marnie! You are home! Where were you?"

Both at the same time, the children noticed their sister's crutches and Carrie asked, "What happened, you have crutches?"

Blake, hugging Marnie around the waist, whimpering, "I missed you soooo much. I was so worried, I love you Sissie."

~~~***~~~

Marnie tried to disentangle from the children to get over to the couch, and that is when they noticed her leg...gone. Both of them stood back, wide eyed, amazed and thunder struck, not able to mutter a word. Then Carrie managed, "What happened?"

The very words Marnie had been worried about for the entire month since her leg had been amputated. She answered, "I am so relieved you are still here. I was just worried sick about you both. How have you managed?"

Carrie, now the sister who felt she was the one with the upper hand, or in fact, that she was now the older sister, said, "Oh, no you don't, you have to go first then we will tell you how we have managed. You have to tell us what happened to you...now!"

Marnie begin narrating about her last morning on the way to work and how a car had come out of nowhere, hit her and had taken off like a bat out of hell, broken windshield and all, not even slowing down. How she was in hospital, and there she got staff infection in her leg, and, to save her life, they had to cut it off. She ended with, "Tomorrow, we'll all attend a little memorial service set up by the Chaplain who befriended me while I was in the hospital."

Carrie looked at her with horror and shrieked, "Who died? We didn't even have a funeral for our own parents. Who now?"

In response Marnie answered, "Our parents were so burned in the car wreck, there were no bodies for us to have a funeral. This service is for my leg. It is dead and gone. The Chaplain explained to me that by the act of the memorial service and the leg's ashes being put to rest, it would help us all to accept what has happened to me better. I am still not able to really believe it. I look down and wonder, where is my leg? Oh, yes, it is gone, cut off my body, now I am way different. Will people like me, accept me, where will I work, what will I do? All kinds of worries are now in my mind. I hope you two can help me out."

~~~***~~~

With both her brother and sister, tears in their eyes, Carrie answered, "Marnie, we will help you, we love you and we'll be with you no matter whatever happens to any of us our whole lives. We only have each other. Blake, don't you think so too? And do you want to go to the memorial with us?"

Blake felt older and happy that he was asked, included, and not just told, even though this was the worst thing that had ever happened to any of them, except of course for their parents deaths. He always felt so afraid. It did help to heal that feeling somewhat He was not as afraid as when he first looked at the empty spot near Marnie's real leg.

"Oh yes, I will always be there for you both, my favorite and only sisters!"

Relieving some of the stress, they all laughed, happy to be back together again.

Marnie announced, "Now it is your turn, Carrie. How did you two survive, is the rent paid, the electricity and the other utilities, did you go to school?"

Blake announced, "Later, I'm hungry!"

Carrie said, "Yes, lets eat first. I will tell you all about it after dinner. It's not nearly as important as your news, Marnie."

Carrie and Blake were truly secretly shocked, seeing their sister without one of her legs.

"Our poor sister," Carrie thought. "Will she be able to be normal? Will she get married and have children like she wanted? Oh, my God, I hope she will be able to live and cope with being an amputee. I feel so bad for her. If there is any help in this whole world, please help us all now. We really need it."

Blake was much more fearful for them, because he now knew anything could happen any moment and change everything. When his sisters were not within his view, he became extremely anxious, beginning to breath shallowly, and feeling asthmatic. His heart beat so fast and his head ached when the sisters were away from him. It was really hard to let go of worry, even for a minute.

~~~***~~~

At the little memorial the next day, Marnie was greeted by the hospital chaplain. When she introduced her siblings to him, he mentioned that he expected to meet their parents.

Marnie told him that they were deceased and that was why they could not come.

The chaplain showed them to their seats in the small chapel, took a very small box from a bag, and set it on the alter. Soft music was heard for a space of five minutes. Then the chaplain gave a little talk about how Marnie's leg had already helped a medical school and some of the tissue was donated to a tissue bank to go on and help others. Even a burn center would be benefited. Ending with a little so called prayer, then it was over.

~~~***~~~

Back at home, the girls went into their bedroom to talk while Blake left them for the living room to watch TV.

Carrie told her sister that the memorial for the amputated leg was nothing like she had expected, and yes, it had helped to bring closure, and understanding for her. She hoped that both Marnie and Blake felt a little better too.

Marnie wanted to know how Carrie had been getting money in her absence. Carrie was not bashful telling about Alan and his generosity. Marnie was horrified that her little sister thought it was okay that a man was giving her money, and a lot of money too.

Marnie said, "Are you sure he hasn't touched you? I just can't believe a guy would want to talk and give away so much money! Don't lie Carrie, I know you are good at making things up and telling things to suit yourself, and to make yourself look good, to who ever you are talking to at the moment, but right now it's me, and I want the truth, now!"

Somehow Carrie managed to convince her older sister that she was telling the truth. It took a long while.

The conversation ended with Marnie making Carrie promise that she could meet Alan as soon as possible.

Marnie would not be able to manage the trip to the restaurant with just crutches at her disposal so it was decided Alan would be invited on a taxi ride to meet her. Carrie would go inside the restaurant the same as usual, while Marnie waited in a cab outside. Then Carrie would tell him that her sister wanted to meet him.

~~~***~~~

The next Tuesday both sisters got ready to meet with Alan. This time Carrie tried to look more grown up, fearing that Marnie would now tell Alan the truth about her age. Donning dark blue jeans, a light blue top with a sash that tied on the side, ballet flats, and with just a touch of pink lipstick to top it off, she decided she now looked cute enough

Carrie was not the only one interested in her attire to meet with Alan. Marnie went into her mother's closet again and found nothing very appropriate to wear. Like Carrie, she opted for blue jeans and a cute top with cut outs around the neck and the shoulders. Thinking her leg, or more to the point, her lack of a leg, would not show so much in jeans, as it would in a skirt, maybe he wouldn't notice.

~~~***~~~

They told Blake to stay put, not to worry, and to watch TV until they came home. He was going to have a special treat of his favorite ice cream to take his mind off of being home alone. Blake saw there was Tillamook Ice Cream in the freezer, Oregon Marion Berry, a whole half gallon. He couldn't wait for his sisters to leave and assured them he would be all right, and that he would not be afraid. After they left, Blake dug into the ice cream, not bothering to put a serving into a desert bowl. He knew himself and didn't want to make so many trips back and forth to the kitchen to refill his bowl. He could not stop until he had eaten all that was in the new unopened half gallon tub. It was like a drug for him, like heron or alcohol was for an addict. Feeling much comforted, he lay down on the couch and fell fast asleep. Being drugged with the sugar and fat, Blake was out like a light. Passed out.

~~~***~~~

Pulling up to the same restaurant as usual, the taxi driver put the meter on waiting time. Then, Carrie dashed inside to check if Alan was there already. He was.

"Hi, Alan, there is someone I want you to meet outside in the cab. Can we skip dinner this time and you come out and meet my sister?"

Alan was very surprised with this turn of events, but smiled broadly, even with his eyes, a whole face smile, and accepted gladly.

The waiter, too, was surprised that the odd couple left as soon as the little girl had arrived. This was different. Looking out the big plate glass window, he saw the taxi and someone inside, but he could not make out a face. Then, hurried on with his work, going back to pick up an order in the kitchen.

Alan held the back door of the cab open for Carrie to enter and for her to sit next to her sister.

Carrie introduced them before the cab driver said, "Where to folks?"

Marnie said to Alan, "I would like to talk with you and get to know you a little bit, but I don't know where we can go, you see I am not mobile. I just had an operation on my leg and can't walk. I can crutch a little ways though."

Alan answered, "I know just the place to take two beautiful ladies like yourselves. It is an out of the way restaurant uptown and the entrance is only about ten feet from the street. Can you manage that, Marnie?"

Marnie nodded yes. Then, they were on their way and arrived in just minutes.

Settling at the nicely appointed table that had a wonderful, view of the river and city, all three looked one another over, especially Marnie, eyeing Alan. He seemed nice enough, but of course, she was not sure...yet.

They embarked on small talk and were soon comfortable enough with one another to enjoy eating dinner together.

Afterwards, Marnie, trying not to, grilled Alan to find out his true intentions toward her little sister. Alan answered her questions satisfactorily for both sisters, assuring Marnie that he liked the company of Carrie and felt she needed a friend, and that he needed a friend too. He enjoyed looking forward to each Tuesday evening. Dinner with Carrie had turned into the highlight of his week.

He explained, "I work a lot and have no time to socialize; and since we all have to eat anyway, it's been nice having someone to share dinner with."

Marnie, was afraid to bring up the money, so she didn't, thinking she would save that topic until she could privately speak to him. She didn't want to embarrass either one, Carrie or Alan.
Chapter Four

Coming home to the apartment after the meeting with Alan, the girls found the front door partially open and it looked as if it had been jimmied.

"Oh, my God," was said out loud in unison by both sisters. Calling out for Blake, with fear that something had happened to him, they ran into the living room, and there he was, fast asleep on the couch with an empty ice cream container beside him.

Marnie put her crutches down and sat on the floor in front of Blake asking him loudly to wake up.

"What happened, Blake? Who was in here? Are you all right?"

With so many questions riveted at him from a deep sleep, Blake sat up, rubbed his eyes and said, "What are you talking about? Nothing happened. I was asleep the whole time after I had the ice cream and watched TV."

Carrie ran all through their home checking things out and found their parents bedroom was the only room molested. Their desk rifled through with papers all over the floor. An old trunk was opened with the contents of it spilled out. Even their parents walk-in closet had been ransacked. Clothes off the hangers and on the floor, suitcases off the shelves and opened. Marnie hobbled into the room with Blake following, wide eyed. They were both flabbergasted by the big mess.

Marnie asked Blake, "How could you sleep through this? They must have made so much noise."

Blake answered, "I don't know. I am sorry, I should have been awake to protect our place."

Privately he admonished himself for eating so much ice cream, for really passing out. Talk about unconscious, talk about eating to a black out.

His attention pulled back into the room by his sisters lamenting the mess and questioning, "What could they have wanted?"

All three of the siblings started talking at once. Marnie feeling so helpless to protect her little brother and sister now that she could not walk, run, or even hurry. She knew they needed help. "What can we do and who can we call to help?"

Carrie reasoned, "Not the police, never the police, remember what Mommy and Dad always told us? We can not ever trust anyone, only ourselves. But someone has to help us, because look what happened, even with one of us at home. There must have been two of them. One watched Blake while the other one tried to burglarize our parents things in here."

Blake disagreed, exclaiming, "I think we should call the police, our parents are gone and maybe they could help us, there has to be someone."

Marnie asked Carrie, "Do you trust Alan?"

Blake piped up with, "Who is Alan and why don't I know who you're talking about? That's not fair!"

"Oh, don't complain now," Carrie put forth. "Yes, I trust Alan, I think he is our only hope of knowing what to do; let's call him. I have his number."

She ran to get it.

Marnie, being the diplomatic sister of the three, voiced, "No, don't just call him; we have to explain to Blake who Alan is and see what he thinks of the idea."

Carrie arriving back in the messed up room, begin to tell Blake of her friendship with Alan, even letting Blake know that Alan had been contributing to their well-being, financially.

Marnie raised her eyebrows and squinshed her mouth together at this bit of information. Saying with her look to Carrie: Too much information.

Carrie responded out loud, "Well, he has to know since you said he gets a vote on what to do."

Blake responded, "I'd like for him to come over, we need someone, and an adult would be best."

Marnie again frowned at this, stating, "I will be of age next week you know."

"I know, but since you don't know what to do either, I say, call this Alan guy soon as possible."

Carrie said, "That settles it, I will call."

Marnie looking at both children saying, "Not so fast, we have to take a vote."

All three raised their hands immediately.

In less than a half hour Alan was standing in the entry way. Sticking out his hand to meet Blake, and nodding to the sisters, he said, "Let me see what happened."

They led the way into the bedroom, Alan had been there many times and certainly knew the way, but did not let on to the family that he was practically as familiar with their home as they were. His organization had sent him, countless times, inside to take pictures of any documents he could find in the Smith's bedroom.

~~~***~~~

Entering the room, Alan grew livid within himself, because he now knew all this was happening as he was having dinner with the sisters. Angry at his higher ups for using him, as they used everyone to their own ends. "Whatever that was", Alan thought.

Marnie spoke first, "We don't know what they would want, or who could have done this".

Trying to see how much the children knew about their parents, he asked, "Why didn't you call the police, instead of me?"

Now Carrie told him, "Our parents told us to never call anyone, to never ask for help, and to never ever let any outsiders into our lives, let alone our house, but our parents are gone now, so we have to do what we can to try and survive."

Alan felt sorry for them having to live like this, full of fear, and he was surprised Carrie had struck up a conversation with him at all. He felt responsible in a way too, because he was for sure, being less than honest with them. "When and if they ever find out, they will really never trust anyone, let alone...me," he thought.

He walked around checking all the windows, looking at the mess strewn over the room and all over the floor and in the large closet, even in the master bathroom.

Alan asked Blake to get some tools and went back to the front door and proceeded to secure it as best as he could until he could go to a hardware store in the morning. Then, asking them if they thought they could sleep, get up, and go to school okay.

Marnie was the first one to nod, yes.

Carrie told him, "Marnie would be here alone after we leave for school."

Alan agreed to come by early in the morning before he went to work and right after Blake and she left for school.

~~~***~~~

Alan had a lot of thinking to do after arriving back at his own apartment.

"Why, oh, why am I mixed up with all this mess? Of all the people in the world I do not want to be at odds with, it is these three. I care so much for Carrie, not like she thinks, but like a daughter. I am so worried about her well being, her safety and now her sister and brother too. What, oh, what am I going to do to get out of this? I could just disappear, but then, what would happen to them? My boss has put me in such a damn, messy position. I wish I could just do away with him if I had a chance. Gary, what have you done and why have you done it? Well, I will get to the bottom of it if it is the last thing I do," he thought, promising himself just before nodding off to sleep. But not for long, he soon woke up with more worry.

Alan did not know it, but if he did get to the bottom of the mystery, it would be the last thing he would ever do. The highest elected person in America had her fingers connected to his organization.

The excuse for any misdeed by the organization being,

"For the good of all. To stop terrorism, to serve and protect, horse shit! Anything they chose to do could be made to sound like it would be for the good of either the environment, the human race, or history itself. Usually it was entirely for the good of the upper level politicians. The ones who ran the United States. The people who ran the world were the ones with the money. No lie; when people said money talks. Money did just about everything, except keep you warm at night, or feed you what you really crave, and that's love. Only love is stronger than money, and it feels like most of us have forgotten that little truism.

~~~***~~~

Smith was not their real name. The poor little ones did not even know that fact. Alan felt terrible, got up, made himself a stiff drink, hoping that would relax his nerve wracked mind and body, so he could get to sleep. Finishing the drink off, he settled back into bed, and the whirlwind of his mind just kept going around and around.

Finally getting to meet Marnie was such a shock, because she was just beautiful. Long, dark hair with just a hint of wavyness, pale smooth skin, and such good straight posture, in spite of her leg. All three of the children seemed exceptional to him. Clearly Blake and Carrie still truly needed the guidance of parents. Marnie, even after going through the horrid nightmare of losing her limb, was well off emotionally, it appeared. He remembered her demure look, then her beauty. She'll never be a bathing suit model now," he thought, "but it would only be, because of her leg being amputated. Her body and face are certainly a knockout."

He took it back about the bathing suit model, as an amputee, she would still win. It didn't really matter about the leg. Alan wished he was not so drawn to them all, that he could be as callous as some of his co-workers. Cold, uncaring, and able to close their minds to human suffering. He was not.

"I might have to put out some big bucks to find out why the parents were taken out, but I am going to do it," he thought. "These kids deserve the truth, and I deserve it too."

A plan was slowly materializing in his mind. He would go see Hal in the Records department, after visiting with Marnie. Then he was going to the hardware store, fixing the doors to their apartment so no one could ever get in again, even if he had to hire a carpenter, and a locksmith, and put in iron doors. He knew just the guy that would help him, and that would not keep any written record of the job.

Alan knew the children were at enough risk without the organization and their landlord knowing anything of the repairs. Especially, that the apartment would now be burglar proof, with new keys and doors like Fort Knox. Both doors now would have peep holes. These were the new modern ones. They were not detectable from the outside of the door. Visitors would not know that someone inside could view them before opening the door.

~~~***~~~

Morning came as usual. Alan hurried, getting right to his mental list of errands that he had made up for himself the night before.

Marnie seemed fine, except for the shock of the break-in. Over a cup of coffee in the kitchen, she had a chance to ask Alan about the money he had given Carrie, while she had been in the hospital.

Alan sluffed it off, saying, "I had money and wanted to help keep her off the streets, so I hoped I gave her enough to satisfy her. I was being a good friend, and that's all." He continued to assure her, "There was no way that there was anything between the two of us sexually in the least. I could never do that."

Glancing into the master bedroom, seeing that it was just the same, a big mess, he told Marnie, "Leave it, I would like to spend some time in there, helping you put it back in order, but later."

The carpenter friend of his was not busy at the moment and would come over right away. Alan, relieved, was running late and could use some help. After explaining what the job needed, his friend assured him that, "It will be done fast, right, and quietly."

Alan, greeting Hal in Records, requesting what he needed, was surprised to be met with such a cold reception. Hal and he had been buddies forever, and it was a surprise when his friend said, "I can't help you, Buddy. Those records are under lock and key, and I sure don't have any access to them. For twenty years there has been a mystery about a certain locked area, and anything to do with the Smiths is in there. I can try, but nothing will come of it, sorry."

~~~***~~~

Marnie, listening to the hammer being pounded by the nice guy Alan had sent over, felt better already. The paper thin hollow doors that were their front and back doors would be replaced, and so much better. Solid, with the door frames reinforced, and the best locks, guaranteed not to let anyone enter without a one of a kind proper key.

Marnie called her doctor's office to check on the physical therapy appointment time, and was greeted with news that her prosthetic leg would be fitted today and that she might come home with it. "How exciting and probably painful," she thought. "I hate it, but what is left for me to do, nothing. I am so grateful I wasn't killed and that only my leg was lost. I could have lost a lot more. My life."

~~~***~~~

Marnie picked up the phone to call her old job for the first time. She spoke to her supervisor and related all that had happened during her absence. The company seemed to know all about it, so that was a relief. Marnie's job would be held for her until she could come back. A temp had been hired to fill in for her. Hearing she was covered with accident, medical, and hospital insurance was such a huge relief. Her supervisor helped her feel hopeful that things were going to get better.

Saying good-by, Marnie sat at the kitchen table, marveling about what the family had been through in the past, and thinking that it looked like the future held some bright hope for them all, at last.

~~~***~~~

After her fitting for the new leg, Marnie felt so weird. The leg being hard as plastic, which it was, plastic, and it encumbered her ability to walk as much or more than the crutches. At least with the crutches she did not have to think: "Put foot down. Now the other, the fake foot. Take a step. Space them right distance so I won't fall. Balance...Stay upright. Slow...Slow...Slow. Think...Think. Breathe."

"I wonder if I will ever get the hang of this", she asked herself.

~~~***~~~

After school, the two sisters were alone in the kitchen. Carrie, stirring up some cheese and macaroni for dinner, Marnie, sitting at the table, chopping vegetables for a salad.

Carrie, sat down beside Marnie, looking into her eyes and shocked her sister with, "I am pregnant."

Marnie just about cut her finger, being in mid-chop.

"What? You said Alan did not even touch you. What is the deal Carrie? So, you are no longer a virgin? Speak to me!"

"I wasn't lying when I said Alan didn't touch me, he didn't. And I am too still a virgin. Let me explain see, we like each other, and so I thought I was pregnant when I could see he wanted sex with me."

Flabbergasted, Marnie said to her little sister, "We have to have the age old 'birds and bees' talk, and I mean tonight! Don't you know how people get pregnant? This is basic mom and daughter stuff. I guess I am elected. Carrie, you can't go around just saying stuff like this. You will give me a heart attack and get Alan in the worst trouble any man could ever have. I am talking prison trouble. You wouldn't want that would you?"

Carrie, hanging her head, mumbled, "No, I wouldn't. He's really nice, and we might get married when I am old enough, so there! You don't know everything."

She stomped out of the kitchen leaving the macaroni scorching, and also her sister scorching too.
Chapter Five

Practicing with the new leg was Marnie's main concern these days. Up and down the hallway, through the living room, turn away from the big windows with a little turn that at first had made her fall flat on her face. Now, walk slowly back to the stairs. Then, sit down on her rump and ascend the stairs one by one, scooting up backwards, still sitting.

"Someday I will walk up these stairs and not think a thing of it. Right now I just can't fall anymore, my poor stump can't take anymore abuse, and keeping my balance on level floors is hard enough."

~~~***~~~

After the children were in school on a brilliant fall morning, Alan and Marnie met for a quick coffee at Starbucks. Settling down in a comfortable seating area, Marnie, without the hint of a smile, said to Alan, "Carrie told me last night, Alan, that she was pregnant."

Explosively, he; in a raised voice not for public use, answered, "What? I can't believe it, who in the hell is the father? I want to know right now, and I will find him and beat the hell out of him. Any guy can see she's a baby, but I don't think those kind of guys care a hoot about the girl at all, or her age. Marnie, I am really, really pissed, please speak to me."

Poor Marnie, now sorry she brought it up at all, looking contrite, but before answering, she did let a hint of a smile slide over her face.

"Alan, please calm down, the whole thing is a false alarm on Carrie's part. She did not even comprehend how a baby is created. I had to tell her all about it, I was so upset that she might not be a virgin anymore, and she confessed she had no idea actually what she was talking about. When our parents died she was only ten and I presume mom was going to get around to the talk, but our mom died first. Now at twelve, she thought that just thinking about you would make her pregnant! Have you ever heard of such an outrageous thing?"

Alan, dumbfounded, looked so relieved, mumbling, "Thank God."

Now they both were smiling, but not laughing, since this was such a sad turn of events.

~~~***~~~

Alan realized he was in up to his neck and felt so helpless to know what to do, how to help the children, and he wasn't able to admit how much he liked Marnie, she being such a pretty, intelligent, and absolutely nice woman, kept him thinking day and night of a solution for this nightmare.

Hal, Alan's friend who worked in the records division, called with news and wanted to meet after work uptown. Where to meet was discussed, and it was decided to be an out of the way, small, dark, cubbyhole of a place called "Curly's Bar and Restaurant."

It was hard to see when Alan went in, but his eyes adjusted after a few seconds. He could see Hal in a far corner with his back to the door.

Greeting one another and ordering drinks, Alan asked, "What do you have for me Buddy? I sure do appreciate it, whatever it might be."

Hal responded, "You're never going to believe this. I could lose my job and maybe more for finding it out, let alone telling you. Your little family isn't parentless. The parents are alive and well, they're being held as threats to our government at an island prison out in the middle of the Atlantic. There is no good way this is ever going to turn out. First, the government didn't even know there were any children involved. The parents kept so much to themselves, under the wire, and made absolutely no waves, that we thought they were just a man and wife couple. Each pregnancy hidden, and when she gave birth, it was always at home. What a rotten way they all had to live, just because the mother was related to the Premier of Russia. I have no idea if either parent ever did really do anything against our government, but a trumped up charge was made, and they were taken away. Then the children were made known. We, our company, was supposed to start taking the kids out too, but you know what happened to the oldest girl, I assume?"

Alan answered, "Yes, she has lost her leg over it, but at least not her life...yet!"

Sitting there quietly, both friends could not believe what they had been talking about until Alan broke the silence, "How did you get the keys?"

Hal answered, "What keys? There are no keys, only a remote entrance card held by two people, Gary, and Gary's superior. I got in through the ceiling during the night, got caught in the building, and had to stay all night. Then, in the morning, I pretended like I just came to work. I had a shirt handy in my desk, right from the cleaners, just in case I might be stuck some night in the city. You know? I might get lucky down town and not have time to go back home and get ready for work in the morning."

As the two good friends parted, still inside the bar, they gave each other a rough bear hug.

Alan assured Hal, "There will never be any mention of this conversation by me to anyone, ever."

~~~***~~~

After leaving Hal, Alan had a lot to think about. Finding out the parents were still living was a very good thing, but not knowing if their children would ever see them again, greatly saddened Alan. "I wonder why they weren't put to death like the rumor being spread around in the begining led everyone to believe. Maybe, because there was no proof the parents were into espionage or terrorism. Alan, becoming more angry by the minute over the entire, pitiful situation, wondered who was really responsible for the abduction of these innocent people.

~~~***~~~

Marnie couldn't keep her mind from wandering and then thinking, about, well, really obsessing, about Alan. What was she to do? She truly liked him, and so did Carrie.

"I know Carrie is too young for any serious love, but she would never forgive me if she thought I took him away from her. Oh, well, I don't even know if Alan likes me either. I do know he seriously "likes" us all, though. Surely I'm not going to fall for the very first guy that shows any attention to our family, or the first guy that comes along. But I can't help the way I feel. No matter what I'm doing, I think. I wonder, does Alan like this? I wonder, does he like that? Alan, Alan, Alan. I'm driving myself crazy. Okay, I promise myself to not think about him for a whole hour."

In another minute her mind was stuck on Alan again.

"I give up," Marnie conceded and went on thinking about him.

~~~***~~~

Carrie was so embarrassed about telling Marnie she was prego. She thought, "Marnie better not of told anyone, and I mean Alan. If she told Blake, that would be okay, because he doesn't know any more about child birth and the body than I do. Well, I know Alan is too old for me, and I doubt that he'll wait for me to grow up, so I'm going to start talking to that new guy that just came from California and lives in our building. He is cute, and I bet I can make him like me. He looks older than I am, but not fifteen years older, like Alan. I'm going to ask him his name the next time I see him. With his blond hair and muscles he is sooo cute. I like that. I wonder why I'm thinking so much about boys now, I never did when I was ten and eleven. I only thought of Blake as my brother, and not a boy, like no differences were in us when I was younger. Playing with him, I never once thought of him as any different than me. He liked to play "tea party" with me, and he didn't complain when I made him take a baby doll and pretend he was the mama, probably because I played with his Legos, trucks, cars and guy games without complaint too."

Taking the garbage down to the lower level on the elevator that very night, Carrie saw the new kid. She dumped her garbage in the dumpster, and he came over by the elevator, waiting to go up.

"Waiting for it too," she asked. "So what's your name?"

His answer, "Keith, I just moved here from California."

Carrie found out what apartment and floor he lived on and that he had a younger sister, Amanda, and also that his dad was stationed over seas in the Army. A Lifer. His mom was a stay at home one and baked great cookies all the time. Her name was Janet. They had moved all around, about ten places while he was going to grade school. Keith shared that he was one year older than Carrie, but that he was in the same grade at school as she was. Letting her know he started going to school a year late, because when he was little, due to them moving, and because they were living over seas in Japan during his first school year, there was no English speaking teacher, so he missed out on learning anything.

After loitering around in the hallway, talking, they bid one another good-by and went to their separate doors.

Carrie, thought how well that had gone, that she really liked him, and hoped he liked her too. Now that Marnie was back and at work, Carrie no longer had to worry about money for the household so in her mind she gave up the idea of earning money with her body, reasoning that Keith probably did not have any money anyway. She decided to go steady with him, being real sure he would ask her soon enough.

~~~***~~~

Blake hurried towards home as fast as he could before any bullies came out of a side street to harass him. On the main drag he was safe enough, so he stayed on Webster Street as much as possible.

Blake, busy thinking, "When I get home, I'm going to eat something good. Let's see, what do we have? Well, not enough, that's for sure. Someone better go to the grocery store. Don't they know I'm a growing boy and need food. His other self said to him, yeah; but that much food? Oh, I know, you be quiet. I will start a diet tomorrow. I don't want to be a fatty like Fat Larry, so I'll diet as soon as I'm full today. I'll have a better resolve after eating. Now, what can I eat?"

Food was always on Blake's mind, he didn't understand it. Always hungry, not just hungry, ravenous.

"I know there's some crackers, my favorite! I wish there were Wheat Thins or Triscuts, but I think there's just soda crackers. With peanut butter and jam on each one, they're great. Most people like cheese and crackers, but not me. I like sweet stuff, and I need it. Maybe I have a rare body and need more sugar than most people. I would actually steal some if I had the chance. Makes me feel so good for a couple of minutes, then it makes me feel real bad. I don't get it. I wish I could find someone to talk to about all this soon, before I weigh a ton. I would never get to kiss a girl if I weighed a ton.

~~~***~~~

Later, after dinner, Carrie mentioned to Marnie that, "There's a new boy in our complex. His name is Keith, and I think I like him. If he asks me out, I want to go out with him."

Marnie answered, "I thought you liked Alan as a boyfriend."

Carrie said, "Not anymore, I decided he's too old for me, and he wouldn't be as much fun as Keith might be, not as cute either. Alan is a wonderful person though, and okay when there was no one else, and not even you, because you were in the hospital, but now, I have moved on, you know what I mean?"

With a mental sigh of relief, Marnie answered, "Oh, I know what you mean. I'm glad because of the big age difference between the two of you. You still like Alan as a friend, though, don't you?"

"Oh, yes, I always will, he's a great guy, and I want him to stay friends with all of us. I hope he isn't too sad, because of me breaking up with him."

"Carrie, You're not going to tell him are you?" Marnie asked.

"No, I don't think so, he will just see me with Keith and he'll get the message."

"That's good," Marnie replied.

~~~***~~~

For Carrie's birthday, a celebration was being planned by Marnie, Blake, and Alan. They would decorate the house while Carrie was sent out for a couple of hours, on some trumped up errands; and they would have everything ready to decorate, the minute she left the apartment. A big birthday banner, balloons, and confetti would all be artistically strewn about and tacked up.

Inviting Keith would be a tricky matter for Marnie, but she devised a plan to invite his younger sister, Amanda, and their mom, Janet, thinking, "He's more likely to come, if he's not coming alone.

The day of the party turned out beautifully, because so much advance planning had been put into the get-together. All seven attendees were excited to be there having fun. After visiting, eating a light luncheon and the ice cream cake that was decorated especially for Carrie, music was put on the stereo. The furniture pushed to the sides of the living room, except for the couch and the loveseat, the rug was rolled up; everyone started to dance with each other. Amanda and Blake hit it off and danced together, Keith and Carrie. Marnie and Alan. Janet, having fun, too, played the part of Disk Jockey. What a good wholesome evening Alan mussed. No alcohol, drugs, porn, or all the rest that people now days think they need in order to have a good time. After everyone happily had an exceptional evening, goodbyes were said, and then, quiet prevailed on the happy, but tired, Smith household.

Marnie thinking, "We have to do that again soon. It's great to have friends and celebrate milestones. We sure missed out on a lot when our parents were alive. I had no idea it would be so much fun, and that I would get so much appreciation and satisfaction from making other people happy. It makes me very happy, in fact the happiest I have ever been in my life. I'm grateful I got to dance and it wasn't so bad either. Practicing before hand with my new leg paid off. Alan keeping me from falling really helped too. He is wonderful, I think I am in love. Or maybe it's that other word, the one I don't like, lust. Whatever it is, I can't stop thinking of him. He is just the best. I wonder why he has never married, I wonder so much about him, but he doesn't share anything with me that is personal, well, neither do I. Seems like we have all been taught to be closed-mouthed. That could change if we just step out and try. Anything can change when we want it to change enough. We are the only ones who can change ourselves and our lives. No one else can do it for us, only us, by changing our thinking. I will start right now and I WILL think it's good NOT to be so secretive. If Alan asks me anything, I will tell him the truth, and maybe he will do the same for me. Life is too short to be afraid anymore, too short to be secretive. I'll be transparent, I won't have to remember anymore fibs, I won't need to cover up, like I always had to before.

~~~***~~~

After the party Carrie too, was deep within her own thoughts. She was elated to be made the center of attention, given presents, and a cake with her name on it in frozen frosting.

"I really liked dancing with Keith, what a hunk and so cute! I thought it was great that he danced with Amanda when I danced with Blake. Even when he danced with Marnie I didn't care, I just thought he was being a gentleman for dancing with her, because Alan was out on the patio making a phone call, and Marnie had been just sitting there alone. I really had a great time all night. This is the first birthday party any of us got to ever have. In fact, it is the first time we have had any visitors over to our place in our lives, except Alan, and that just happened lately. I like this new life where we aren't being told to be afraid of our shadows, afraid of a knock at the door, a noise, just afraid of everything."

~~~***~~~

Blake, thinking in his bed that he had fun and that all the preparation was sure worth it.

"But I never get to feel special, I never had a party, no one pays any attention to me hardly. Well, Amanda did, so I shouldn't think that. Both my sisters do, I have to admit. But I still want a party and an ice cream cake, wow, was that ever super. I even got to sneak into the kitchen and eat some extra, while no one was looking. If no one sees me eat, it doesn't count, does it? Maybe not, I hope. I don't want to be too fat, or Amanda won't like me and neither will any other girls. Next time, I might even kiss Amanda if we have another party. My birthday is next and I won't say anything about it. I'll see if they do such a good job for me. Probably not, because they might think I'm not worth it. Who would ever care about me? I'm still so scared all the time. Insecure is what my teacher wrote home about me. Well, yes, that's me all right. How does secure feel? I have no idea, but I bet secure people don't want to eat all the time. I can't wait to be secure. I wonder how old you have to be to feel secure, to not be afraid, to not sweat every time anyone talks to you or looks at you, to not have my heart beat out of my chest when I see the bullies, the enemies, and the school principal...or just anybody, really."

Finally, falling into a fitful sleep, Blake dreamed of a land made of ice cream. Buildings, ice cream trees, flowers, and the furniture was all made of ice cream. He came equipped with his favorite tool, a big spoon.
Chapter Six

Marnie worried just like a mom would worry about her younger brother and sister. What could she do for Blake? She knew that he was overeating every chance he got and that he was emotionally scarred from how their parents had hidden from the world, how they died, and how she lost her leg. Maybe she would talk it over with Alan the next chance she got.

"Alan is so helpful with everything I talk to him about, especially Blake and Carrie. Being a guy, he can really help Blake. I can do for Carrie all right, at least I hope so, for the girl stuff.

Since Marnie went back to work, she was more comfortable each day than the day before with her ability to walk, work, stoop, bend over and balance. Each day was easier than the day before. Most likely her muscles were at work, building up, and improving her stamina. Still going to physical therapy, but now only one time a week, because of being back to work, she didn't have the time to go more often. Her balance, her stump, and even her gait were so much better. Marnie was glad, because she loved her life and job.

Marnie had one secret that she was afraid to let people know about, even her doctor and her surgeon. It was that she only felt good after she had taken a pain pill. Knowing this was a bad sign, but reasoning with herself that her leg still really pained her, she continued to take the pain pills. When she did not have any in her system, she felt edgy, nervous, headachy, and out of sorts. After taking one of the pills, the terrible feelings vanished, so did the pains in her stump and legs. It had been only six months since the last reconstructive surgery. She told herself and that doctor would not keep prescribing pain pills if she did not need them. "I will stop when the doctor stops prescribing them for me," she said, and that was the deal she made with herself. Being such a naive person, Marnie mused, "I wonder if these narcotics are bad for me?"

~~~***~~~

Back in his office at the United States Federal Building on a dreary, cold, rainy day, Alan shuffled through paperwork on his desk, but he could not get his mind off of the Smiths, especially the elder Smith daughter Marnie. Chiding himself for being such a fool, he accepted himself to be head over heals in love with her. The constant worry about the parents being alive, imprisoned on some island, kept him awake nights, thinking of what could be done to make this mess come out right? It seemed there was no real answer. Also, another meeting with his friend Hal had gleaned no answers either. Between them both, they knew that to alert anyone above their Supervisor Gary would be useless because the top people were aware of the huge injustice done to this family' therefore, no one would help, for fear of being fired or taken out just like the Smiths. If justice was to be won, what could they do to create it? Fear prevailed, so Alan thought to leave things as they stood was the best policy, at least for the time being.

~~~***~~~

Alan decided to ask Marnie out on a real date, the old fashioned kind. Now that he knew they both liked to dance, it would be easy. First, they'd have dinner, and then, go dancing at a great place he had been wanting to check out that had a full band and most importantly, a great drummer. They played all types of music, but specialized in Rock and Roll, just like at Carrie's birthday party. Everyone likes Rock and Roll music. Such fun it had been to watch Blake and Amanda rock to the music of the 60's and 70's, what with them being so young. Keith and Carrie too, none of them were even born when it became popular, but Rock and Roll never ages, no matter what new musical sounds develop, like Rap, Hip-Hop, or Disco. No matter what, it just doesn't measure up to Rock and Roll.

~~~***~~~

Marnie, looking in her mirror on her bedroom dresser, accepted the outfit she was questioning; and just as soon as she started to exit the door, the phone rang. Running back to her bedside table, she picked up her purse, searching for her cell phone, finally answering, a business-type voice asked, "Is this Miss Marnie Smith?"

"Yes, who is this?"

On the other end the answer came, "I am calling you for a study of amputees. Your name came up as being a new young amputee. Most are of an age that are set in their ways, and we want to ask if you will be willing to try out some new material that is being tested to use for a new type of prosthetics?"

Marnie answered, "I would need to have more information about your firm, in writing, and in person, but right now I'm just going out the door. I have a prior date."

After making arrangements for the caller to mail a brochure to her, she was satisfied that she could see if she was interested enough to call back for a face to face interview. Not thinking it was too weird to talk about, seated across from Alan on their first real "date," she related to him all about the phone call.

Immediatly, concerned for her safety, in view of his knowledge of her parents; he told her to, "Be careful, I just don't trust people who call or who come knocking on the door."

She invited him to be present if and when a person from the prosthetic company came to visit. This relieved him of anxiety for the moment. He didn't want anymore funny business from his organization, like the night they ransacked the Smith home; and even if it wasn't his people, he was still suspicious and glad she had invited him.

Alan and Marnie felt happy to be together, having a wonderfully and memorable time. Making plans to see one another soon, they went their separate ways. Marnie didn't want Alan to take her home for fear Carrie would see him and know they had been out together. It was too early after Marnie meeting Alan for Carrie to think there was anything between the two of them. Both Carrie and Blake were insecure, and Marnie knew it, so if there was anything she might do to alleviate the insecure feelings, she would do it.

~~~***~~~

The day came for the prosthetic company representative to visit. All the Smith family was present, plus Alan. A ring at the bell caused Marnie to jump up, walk through the quite large living room, down the entry way hall, and open the door. There stood a nice looking man in a business suit, with a broad smile, showing good teeth, and friendliness. He held out a card and his hand for a shake, she took both and opened the door for him to enter, and then saw on the card his name was Raymond Smith! As soon as they got to the living room, the family and Alan sitting there, were all introduced by Marnie, each in their turn. Lastly, they all laughed after she mentioned his name was Raymond Smith. He looked at them with a mystified look, wondering what was so funny about his name. He knew lots of Smith's and never once thought it odd his was the same. Of course, he already knew Marnie to be a Smith from her paperwork sent by her doctor. But the Smith children did not know it was such a common name, due to not being world wise. They thought that it was funny. No one explained the outburst.

Raymond got on with his informative spiel, explaining all about his company and even showing a little video to help do the job. He asked for any questions when he ended his talk.

Alan asked, "What's in it for Marnie?"

Raymond answered, "She'd be paid fairly, but more importantly, she could end up being the spokesperson for the whole industry. Maybe something big could come of this."

Marnie asked, "Will I be able to keep any of the legs? You make them sound wonderful, even one I could run in, play basket ball, or do any sport! You said that with one leg you wanted me to try, I could wear high heels and not trip or fall? That would be great!"

In response, Raymond said, "As we go along, we'll see what fits you, and we'll find out if you can keep the ones you like. Some are just prototypes and that's where you come in with the testing. I'm sure it won't be long until you have the best legs in the world."

They all laughed at this little quip.

Then Marnie offered tea, coffee, and cookies. Soon after, came the signing of legal paper that would assure Marnie would be compensated and ending by making an upcoming appointment for her with the staff at the prosthetic specialists institute. The three adults felt good about what had just transpired.

Alan breathed a sigh of relief because he thought the entire affair was valid and not a front for anything sinister.

~~~***~~~

True to form, Carrie and Blake were both jealous of the attention shown to Marnie this day. That she had suffered a terrible loss and that no one could replace what was lost, was not thought of in their immature minds.

All their lives the lop sided triangle of two younger children and an older sister played out in jealousy, and fits of being passive aggressive by the two youngest siblings.

Carrie had actually loved the time she was "in charge" when Marnie had been hospitalized. In her mind, she told herself she was sorry for what had happened to Marnie, but she was glad for the time she was "the boss". She got to "boss" Blake around, buy the groceries, pay the rent, go downtown alone, and meet with Alan. It had all been so exciting. She didn't look forward to having those feelings again, when she grew up. Carrie felt already grown up in her prideful little head, and that is what caused her anger toward her older sister.

~~~***~~~

Blake, on the other hand, was jealous of both sisters, but mostly Marnie, because she always told him what to do, when to do it, and how long to do it.

He thought, "I want to be the one to do what I want to do. Just because she is the oldest doesn't give her the right to act like our parents. I don't get to choose anything or to do anything I want to do!"

In his mind, as far as Carrie was concerned, she just scared him all the time. He figured out she was a bully too, just like the boys at school, only she was his sister and he was supposed to like her. Remembering playing with her as little children and having lots of fun, escaped his thinking right now. Carrie jumped out at him in the dark, just to hear him scream. She told him dragon stories when she knew he hated dragon stories. Blake knew they were scary.

When Blake was alone in his bedroom, with all the lights off, and after he was supposed to be asleep, she often jumped through the doorway screaming in a loud voice, "Here comes the dragons to get you, burn you, and eat you up." Of course Blake knew there were no dragons on earth, but there were plenty of scary things he thought of whenever she mentioned dragons.

The only comfort he truly felt in his life was when he was planning what to eat. Looking at food, putting food into his mouth, chewing, and swallowing it. But when becoming overly full and feeling stuffed, sick and terrible, he always promised himself he wouldn't do it tomorrow, that he might even "diet." None of his pants fit now, and using a big safety pin to keep them together was a huge hazard, what if the kids at school saw it? Pulling his shirt down over the top of his pants as far as it would go seemed the only option. Blake was able to stretch the shirts, but not the pants. They were jeans.

"I don't dare ask Marnie for any new ones, she just bought me two new pairs about two months ago. She'll be mad at me for gaining so much weight if she sees the jeans no longer fit me.
Chapter Seven

Alan and Blake were to go to the show together the next Saturday, and they were both looking forward to going. Marnie thought it could be the begining of Blake feeling better about himself. He really needed a special person in his life that cared about him, and that should be a man.

Seated in the darkened theater, waiting to see a new science fiction flick, Alan asked Blake, "Would you like to go out to eat afterwards?"

"Oh, yes," was the enthusiastic response from Blake.

The movie pleased them both; and finding a nice restaurant nearby, they entered it, seating themselves near the street window. While waiting for their dinner order to come, Alan asked Blake, "Is there anything bothering you?"

Thinking about it with a furrowed frown on his forehead, Blake answered, "Yes, I need some new pants and I don't want to ask Marnie to buy them, because she just got me some and I already outgrew them. In fact, I don't even want her to know about it, because she might gripe that I'm eating too much and stuff like that."

Alan, feeling sorry for the lad, told him, "We'll stop by a department store after we eat, and you needn't worry about Marnie knowing. It will be just between the two of us.

~~~***~~~

Blake decided to wash his new jeans a couple of times before he wore them, so Marnie wouldn't notice they were brand new. Maybe they would look a little wrinkled and worn after being washed. He wasn't sure why he was afraid of Marnie knowing, probably she might really say something about his over-eating so much and he just couldn't hear that. He knew he was fat and getting fatter by the day, he sure didn't need anyone saying it out loud, the words actually coming into his ears. That would just hurt too much! Thinking that people thought he was fat was one thing, but hearing it was absolutely another thing.

As usual Blake used the large safety pin to hold his jeans together to go to school the next day. All was well, and he just about made it through the whole day without being teased, embarrassed, yelled at or anything else. Mrs. Johnston, the teacher for the last period, ruined the entire day by calling on him to go to the blackboard, first in line, and asking him to write out a mathematical equation. The problem was not the math at all, he knew that inside and out, the problem being that he was called on first so that he would have to reach up high to start the row of numbers. She always had about ten kids write on the board in a layout order of the first being high up on the board, the next one under that row and so on and so on. Blake knew his safety pin might show when he reached up, so he got as close as possible to the board. In just a few seconds, he started to hear laughter, then the taunting began.

"Fatty pants falling down. Too fat for your pants. Blake, Blake do you want a milk shake? Look a safety pin is holding up his jeans. How about a diaper for your pin. What next, baby clothes?"

Mrs. Johnston, did not stop it, but she did say in a loud voice,

"Blake, just keep on, I have to step out in the hall for a minute."

She was sneezing and reaching for a Kleenex when she left the room.

Now the yelling was unabated, louder and louder, all kinds of fat slurs were being yelled at Blake. He could not believe his ears; he was in so much pain, he couldn't see the black board anymore. Even fat Larry was loudly calling him fat. Could he be fatter than fat Larry? Not looking at the room full of yelling kids, Blake too, exited the room, slamming the door behind him.

Mrs. Johnston yelled after him, "Where are you going Blake, get back here, you can't leave."

By now, he was crying, not able to see at all from the tears. His runny nose and a pounding headache felt like a sledge hammer. All the way running home, he could hear the children in his head ranting at him about his fat body. Blake had never felt so bad in all his life, it was just everything. He knew if his parents were alive, none of this would be happening. If they hadn't died, he probably wouldn't even be fat, or so he thought.

~~~***~~~

"No one's home yet, Carrie will be there within the hour, and Marnie after that, so I have to hurry. I will show them. I want to leave this place, I hate everyone, I just want to be numb, but the only time I'm numb is when I'm swallowing food, and look where that's got me," he thought.

Blake ran from room to room trying to find just the right thing and the right place. His mind was racing. He didn't care where he was going, just so long as he was going somewhere away from there.

Finally in his dad's closet he found what he needed. Two long, sturdy leather belts. Then running into his own room, he found his own belt, the one that would not fit anymore.

Sadly, he had a flash of when the belt was bought for him. His mother and he were shopping for school clothes over a year and a half ago, and the belt fit nicely with a pair of trim, lightweight, beige pants. They also bought a blue shirt to top it off. He had been so thin.

The belt itself was very short, but it would be ideal for the use he had in mind. Blake buckled all three belts together, thinking, "It is long enough, and it will hold me."

In the basement of the apartment building where no one ever passed by, he looped the belts over an exposed overhead pipe and buckling it together to hold onto the pipe. Then he pulled and tugged to move a big wooden box that was used for recycling paper, placing it directly under the belts for him to stand on.

Getting up on the box, Blake put the bottom end of his own belt around his neck and buckled it up real tight. It hurt. For the first time he thought of pain.

"I hope it won't really be too much pain," he thought. "This is so tight, it already hurts, but not as much as living on earth. I hope all those kids feel bad tomorrow when they hear about me being dead. Maybe they will be sorry for all the bad stuff they yelled at me and for all the bullying they have been doing to me this whole year. Maybe they will learn that bullying kills people and then stop bullying other kids after today. It hurts more than anyone knows."

Next he tried to move the box, so he would actually hang by the neck from the pipe.

"This would work if the box wasn't so heavy. I can't move it by kicking it. I should have thought of that."

Unbuckling the part of the make shift noose that was around his neck, he got down on the cement floor, drug the big box back to the proper spot next to a sink, and headed back upstairs to his apartment.

Dashing in through the front door, he heard Carrie call out, Blake?"

He didn't answer. She was in her room and wouldn't be down right away. He grabbed a chair out of the kitchen and dashed back out the front door, hoping no one would see him. He had to do it in the basement, because there were no pipes in their apartment. The rods for clothes and the shower curtain rod in the apartment wouldn't hold him up. "They'd just break," he reasoned.

On the way back down to the basement, that old biddy Mrs. Atkins stuck her head out of her door and yelled, "Where are you going with that chair, Sonny? What'cha doin?"

He just kept going, not even glancing in her direction.

Finally, the chair was in place, the noose around his neck was all buckled again, and Blake was thinking, "Now I'm ready to die. Where ever I go next has to be better, and I don't care anyway."

He was sorry he would maybe hurt his sisters, but he couldn't help that. He really had no one. Alan was the only person that was nice to him in ever so long, well, maybe Marnie too. A feeling of guilt rippled across his mind when he thought of Marnie.

Then he had a happy thought. "Wherever I end up, I might even get to see Mommy and Daddy, they might be there too."

Kicking the chair away, his last conscious awareness was of a massive strain and pain at his neck and then came blankness, a precious oblivion hitting his brain with a thud.

~~~***~~~

Carrie, wondering where Blake had gone in such a hurry, looked in the refrigerator and pulled out celery and tomato juice. She was going to watch her favorite late afternoon show on TV while eating a snack of peanut butter and celery, knowing full well they weren't supposed to eat in the living room, especially not on the couch.

"When Blake comes, he'll like that I have already got the after school snack ready," she thought.

Marnie, coming in the front door, yelled, "Why isn't the door locked? Hey, Carrie, Blake, where are you?" Standing under the archway to the living room and only seeing Carrie, she asked, "Where is Blake?"

Carrie said, "I haven't seen him, but I heard the front door open and close, so he must have been the one to leave it unlocked. It wasn't me."

"You mean you haven't seen him at all since school got out?"

"I said I heard him come in and leave!"

"How do you know it was him?"

Carrie looking down mumbled, "Didn't. Not for sure".

Alarmed and calling out to Carrie to help her find him as she went, Marnie hurried up the stairs as well as she could, considering she was still learning how to navigate stairs with her artificial leg.

Both girls searched every corner of their home, under the beds, in the hamper, closets and cupboards. Not finding him, they were getting anxious. Blake had never been late in his life. Something must have happened to him.

Marnie called the school and asked to speak to his last period teacher. When Mrs. Johnston came on the line and was asked about Blake, she gave no clue, except that she thought he might have been upset, because he left school during class.

"Something out of his character for sure," Marnie reasoned. "He wouldn't leave in the middle of class unless something was very wrong."

When she called Alan, he said, "Since it's now only five P.M. and Blake is missing only an hour, I don't think it is time to call the police, but I'll be right over."

His response made Marnie a little less anxious and feeling like it wasn't all on her shoulders to find her missing brother. Now, another adult would be present to help her cope, and to know what to do next.

Alan came, and by that time, Carrie was in tears, because she felt responsible that she hadn't run downstairs to see who came in and left. Could someone have taken Blake? Both Carrie and Alan looked all over the apartment complex, calling Blake's name where ever they went. Knocking on Keith and Amanda's door, Marnie asked for Blake. Janet answered, saying, "No, I haven't seen Blake. Keith is home, I'll ask him, and when Amanda comes back, I'll ask her if she's seen him."

Keith went with Carrie and Alan to look for Blake. They went to the park two blocks away, and they checked the bike rack at the apartment complex to see if his bike was there. It was. By now all concerned were getting afraid something could have happened to Blake. Alan decided now was the time to call the police and get some help with this problem.

~~~***~~~

Amanda loved taking the elevator up and down, she had never lived where there was an elevator before. On the very top floor she went to the roof of the building. She could see quite far and studied the view from each direction. The roof being lovely with potted plants, flowers and even a few large potted trees, it was a good place to play. Some benches were strewn around for residents to relax on, and visit with one another. While sitting on a bench, she was thinking about a recent documentary about Portland Oregon. Many of the high-rises there have grass planted on the roofs, even gardens. She wished this place was just like that.

Next Amanda decided to take the elevator all the way down to the basement. There was nothing to do down there, it was dark and dingy, but since she had went to the top, she wanted to go to the bottom too. Amanda wished she had her skate board with her, or at least her roller blades, because the floor was all smooth and roomy, except for the recycling area and farther over by the covered parking spaces. Even so, she ran around singing to herself, wishing she had a playmate right now.

"I hate moving, I hate moving, oh, I hate moving," she said out loud. Again she said it and started singing the line over and over as she skipped and danced around.

"What's that?"

Amanda screamed as soon as she saw blood on the floor and Blake's body lying there, looking lifeless with his head in the pool of blood.

~~~***~~~

Amanda did not wait for the elevator, she took the stairs two at a time, running to her own apartment. Bursting in the door screaming, "He's dead! He's dead, help, help! Mama, Mama, come quick! Blake's dead!"

Grabbing her cell phone, Amanda's mother went with her daughter down the stairs, over to the dark corner where there were lines to hang wet clothes. Seeing Blake, she knelt down and touched him as she dialed 911.

The operator, hearing the emergency, said," Help is on the way." Then she asked Amanda if she knew Blake's phone number.

"No I don't, but I'll run up and tell his sister, okay?"

Amanda got to the Smith door and burst in without knocking just as Alan had dialed the police station. She yelled, "He's dead, he's dead! Blake's dead! Come quick, I'll show you! He's in the basement."

Keith and Carrie followed Amanda while Alan and Marnie went down on the elevator. Marnie could not manage the stairs. She wasn't fast enough.

There in a dark corner they came upon Keith and Amanda's mother, and Blake, looking lifeless on the floor. His arms and legs were sideways and so much blood around his head. Both sisters were crying, nearly hysterical.

Janet said, "He's still alive! I called for an ambulance already, they will be here in a minute. Keith, you go up and wave them over and show them where we are, please. Marnie, I am so sorry about this."

"Is he really not dead? Do you see him breathing?" Marnie managed to get the words out.

Janet nodded as she was taking her heavy sweater off to cover Blake, she knew about traumatic shock.

Alan immediatly took in the scene knowing what had happened by the three belts that were hooked together. He could see that the belt around Blake's neck had broken apart, but the buckle part and a little of the belt still remained hooked at his neck.

"Poor child, a suicide," he thought, "I didn't help him in time. I should have done more."
Chapter Eight

The Emergency team rushed to where the family members were all standing, and some of the residents came, traipsing down the stairs and out of the elevator.

One of the Ambulance people took some quick pictures of Blake as he lay; before anyone touched him.

"Protocol in any questionable situation," Alan reasoned.

The EMT team hurried, making sure Blake's breathing was stabilized.

Still crying, Carrie and Marnie could not speak to the EMT people, so Alan found out the hospital's location, gave the family's name and address, as Blake was carried on a stretcher, over to the ambulance.

Marnie, tearfully asked if she could ride in the ambulance.

"Only one person though," the woman driver told her.

At the hospital waiting room next to a small chapel, two Police officers came through the door and over to the withdrawn, worried looking, little group that was waiting for any word of Blake. All they knew was that he wasn't dead, but near death.

One of the officers, asked Marnie, "What's the reason Blake would've wanted to take his own life?" Before answering, Marnie noticed the name on the badge was Nancy McAllister, giving herself a few seconds to form an answer.

"I am not sure, but I called his last period Teacher, Mrs. Johnston, and she said he left school during class and she thought he was upset."

The officer was jotting down on a small note pad the information being related to her. Then she asked Carrie the same question in a slightly softer way.

Unable to talk, Carrie's only answer was a sudden burst of fresh tears. Marnie leaned closer to Carrie, put an arm around her shoulders, and hugged her sister close to her.

Alan had gone to the nurses station, trying to get any information.

"What is the doctor's name? Does Blake's prognosis look good, and where is he now?"

The head nurse was called to speak to Alan. She responded, "We really don't know anything, except Blake is in the operating room now, we have no idea of his prognosis yet. Can you get the next of kin to come and sign the papers giving permission for any surgery that might be needed, as soon as possible? Thank you, Sir."

As Alan was heading back to the waiting room, a small, dark, white coated, youngish man rushed past him, heading for the same waiting room.

When Alan entered, he overheard, "I am Doctor Tokuyama, and I need permission to relieve the pressure off of Blake's brain. It requires surgery immediately."

Marnie answered, "I am his sister and guardian, I will come sign the form now. Please, please, hurry, Doctor Tokuyama, and save his life."

"I will try, is all I can do, the rest is up to him and his own healing abilities."

Both the doctor and Marnie hurried out of the room. The doctor on a run and Marnie trying to keep up, in spite of her false leg hurting and giving her terrible trouble, which she hardly noticed this day.

~~~***~~~

After waiting over two hours, the little group welcomed news from Dr. Tokuyama. Entering the doorway, he looked at Marnie and Carrie who were huddled together with Alan at their side.

The doctor told them, "At this point, we're unsure how his recovery will progress. Blake has had a traumatic brain injury, called a TBI for short. He is in a coma. I had to make incisions into his skull, because his swelling brain needed space to swell. At his young age, the prognosis is very good. The younger, the better, for this type of serious brain injury to heal. Even though he's young there'll be a long road to wellness, if he does recover fully. Now, we are going to have to wait it out and see what happens. I suggest you go home and try to get some rest. Only one family member at a time will be allowed to stay with him."

Dr. Tokuyama turned to leave, and as he did so, he was thanked and showered with words of gratitude and appreciation from the group that had waited patiently for his return. With a tight smile and a little wave, he left them.

Marnie was the first to say she would stay. Carrie did not want to go home alone, still sniffling and upset. She asked Marnie if she could stay too.

"You heard the doctor, Carrie. I'm sorry, honey. You'll just have to go home."

Janet intervened, "Can she come stay with us just for tonight, and I'll bring her back tomorrow? She can sleep in Amanda's room. My two children are upset too, and together we can all get through this much better than alone. We can't just leave Carrie up there in your apartment all by herself."

Marnie answered, "Yes, that's a good idea. Carrie, do you want to stay with them?"

"Okay, I do. It's better than our place all by myself."

Alan invited them to ride with him back to their home, since he had driven them in his car to the hospital.

~~~***~~~

Sitting in the hospital room, looking at Blake's pale face and his head swaddled in bandages, Marnie was in deep thought.

"Why would a ten year old boy try to kill himself? I wonder what happened for him to want to take his own life? I have to help him! I'm so sorry, and I feel guilty. No wonder he did it. First, our parents killed, then me nearly killed. He might have thought he had nothing to live for, that there was no hope, no help for him.

"I will make sure he gets all the help he needs. Carrie too. It is not their fault that they have no parents, no guidance, and seemingly, no love. We need to become more close knit. More loving and kind.

"I'll go to school, speak with Mrs. Johnston, and the police too. I wish, I, myself, wasn't in so much pain all the time, I could do better. Much better. Okay, I will do better. I swear I will not take any more pain pills. They make me less aware, less caring, and most of all, less loving. That is the first thing I can do for our family. I will stop taking these pain pills, these Vicoden, starting right now."

She nodded off to sleep, sitting up in the big, lounge chair beside Blake's hospital bed. Blake, eyes closed, had not moved at all.

~~~***~~~

Janet finally got all three children settled down in their rooms and asleep. It had taken a good deal of time, and it was after Midnight, after steaming cups of hot chocolate, and after loud talking, some crying, and even a little laughing.

In a twin bed in Amanda's room, Carrie lay awake a long time, reprimanding herself for being so mean to Blake most of his life. Yes, when she was little they had played together. They had no one else. But after she started to school, and saw what a fraidy cat he was, she had really laid it on him, always teasing him, but most of all, trying to scare him.

"I wonder why I did that? Maybe because I am scared myself, and I tried to put my pain, anger, hate, and fear onto Blake just to make me feel better, if only for a short few minutes It isn't worth it! Just look what happened! I'm in just as much a mess as Blake, but I've never faced it. Well, I will now. I'll do anything to help make him better and to make me better too.

~~~***~~~

On the drive back to his own home, Alan was saddened by the day's turn of events. He felt shaken to the core of his being. These beautiful children's sufferings, just had to stop.

Alan decided to meet with his friend, Hal, again. On the way home from the horrific day of Blake being lost, and then Blake's near death, he knew he had to do something, anything, as soon as possible before this entire family was destroyed. Maybe with Hal's help, and between them both they could come up with something concrete.

~~~***~~~

As usual, Harry Gutenbein had been hanging around the hospital waiting room, hoping to chase a case for the team of lawyers who employed him for that very purpose. He took little notice of the happenings when the little boy was rushed into the Emergency Room. After all it was just a little boy. He needn't get involved with that since it wasn't the kind of case his employers would be interested in. A famous person or a movie star was always preferred since those people had money to spare. After thinking about it, Harry did call Irene, his newspaper friend on the New York Post.

She would appreciate a story of a ten-year-old's severe attempt at suicide. Had to be something there, or it would never have happened. She could maybe get a good "human interest" story out of it. She turned him onto lots of news that later turned into lawsuits, and over the years, he did what he could for her. They were more than acquaintances. They kept one another's backs scratched, when possible.

~~~***~~~

Marnie came out of Blake's room at early sunrise on the look-out for a cup of coffee. Knowing popping a pill would really help right now, she rejected the thought. Today would be the first day she would not take one single pill. She would do it for Blake, if not for herself.

A small, pretty, blond woman smiled at her after Marnie asked her, "Do you know where the cafeteria is located?"

"Yes, I'll show you, if you like. I'm on my way there too. I'm Irene Taylor. Mind if I sit with you?"

"No, that's fine. I've been up all night, and I just need a cup of coffee."

After both women were seated, Marnie thought Irene inquired a little too much, but Marnie, as always, was polite and civil, asking the stranger who she had come to the hospital to visit.

Irene answered, "It was a friend, had an accident, not too serious. He'll be all right. And you?"

Marnie said, "My little brother had a fall and he's in the Intensive Care Unit, in serious condition. I have to get back, in fact, I hate to leave him."

The two women wished one another well, and they left the cafeteria.

~~~***~~~

Irene Taylor had been on the staff of the New York Post for over ten plus years. She could smell a story from a mile away. Irene went to the Nurses' station to see if she could check out the reason the little boy got hurt.

The Nurses' station was vacant. Irene knew, that at this time of morning, the hospital was short staffed, and that the day shift hadn't arrived yet. Leaning over the counter she tried to see the computer monitor. No dice. She could see a white board on the back wall though: Blake Smith, Room 912, TBI. Irene knew what those initials stood for. "This is serious," she thought.

Looking down, reaching over the counter, she moved some files with the edge of her purse by holding it out by the strap. One file fell to the floor. Hurriedly, Irene stepped over to the hallway and looked up and down. She could see two Nurses entering a room way down at the end of the hall. This gave her time to run behind the counter, pick up the file, see that it was, in fact, Blake Smith's file, and note his address.

Quickly shuffling all the papers into the folder, placing it back on the counter, she walked away from the nurses' station before anyone saw her. Irene left the ICU floor. She had found out what injury Blake Smith had suffered and his home address, even his sister's name. Not bad for an hour's work. Now, all Irene had to do was to find out why this smelled like such a newsworthy story.

~~~***~~~

Irene drove directly to the address she had seen on Blake's file. It was a large apartment complex with gated, private parking underneath, and in a good part of the city. She parked on the street.

~~~***~~~

Walking along the walkway leading to all the apartments, Irene met an elderly woman. The woman was well bent over, and had to look up to see into Irene's face. Stopping to greet the woman, Irene engaged her in kindly conversation for a moment.

Then the woman said, "Have you heard what just happened here last evening? Oh, by the way, I am Mrs. Atkins, I live here, and last night we had an exceptionally stressing event. Well, I saw the boy run by with a chair and I even yelled at him to stop. He wouldn't. So, can you believe it, he tried to hang himself in the basement? I'm still so upset, I couldn't sleep all night.

"See, when they were all down in the basement waiting for the ambulance, I went down on the elevator, and I saw him, with my own eyes, lying there on the floor under the clotheslines. Blood all over, they say, from his head injury when he hit the cement with all his weight. A pudgy little fellow he was. I hope he'll be all right. What did you say your name was?"

"I'm Irene, and I just left the hospital. I was with Blake's sister, Marnie."

Mrs. Atkins responded, "So you know they have no parents. All three of them, just young-un's, living there all alone. No company for years, until here lately. I keep a watch out, you know. I'm always thinking that, if I can help out sometime, I will. We do have a new family on the third floor. The three Smith children have now made friends with them. They all got together about two weeks ago, and such a terrible racket came from their apartment. They call it 'Rock and Roll' music, I think. There was this one man and the two kids from the third floor, and their mother, I think. The Smith's live on the fourth floor, it must have been a party, sure sounded like it."
Chapter Nine

Irene begin to think all this was just neighborhood drivel until a big question was answered by her unsuspecting victim of gossip.

"Mr. and Mrs. Smith must have been foreigners, because I said hello to them many times, and they just looked at me like I wasn't there. He must've had a government job, because he was so secretive, acted guilty, and he was looking very suspicious too."

Irene asked, "Do you know how the parents died?"

"No. not really, the children are as quiet and low key as their mom and dad were. None of them has ever said one word to me, but I do know things, because I keep my eyes and ears open. I think they died mysteriously. Because one day, I see the parents and the next day and ever after, no parents. And do you know, that no one ever came to that apartment, until this young man, lately, and now, of course, the two, new neighbor kids. I am not nosey. I live right kitty-corner across from them, and my window faces their door. So I keep an eye out for them, you see."

Irene, getting bored was just about ready to wish Mrs. Atkins adieu, when Mrs. Atkins asked, "Do you want me to show you where this terrible suicide attempt took place?"

Both women went down to the basement on the elevator. Mrs. Atkins leading the way.

Standing near the spot where Blake had lain the night before, Irene could see the entire scene as if it were happening just now. She had to get Mrs. Atkins out of the way, so she could do some real detective news work.

Feigning faintness, she asked the elder lady, "Is there any place to get water down here?"

"Oh, yes, right over here at the sink, but wait a minute, maybe the water isn't turned on, let me go see."

The second that Mrs. Atkins' back was turned, Irene, whipped out her cell phone, found the camera app, and got busy snapping pictures of the blood pool, the clothes line, and the belts still hooked together and hanging over the pipe above.

"It works, the water works, hey, over here. I have it running, so it will be fresh and clear for you."

Irene hurriedly pocketed her cell and went over to where Mrs. Atkins was running the cold water.

"Thank you," Irene managed, as she dipped her hands under the running water spigot, got a handful of water, faked drinking it, and faked feeling better, even patting her face with a little water, but making sure not to upset her makeup.

"That is so much better, thank you!"

Mrs. Atkins lamented, "Why hasn't someone, management, or the janitor, cleaned this mess up yet? I am going directly to the office and complain."

Irene mentioned, "It did just happen, and it's early morning. Maybe the janitor isn't on duty yet, or maybe they need a police clearance to do so. There's the yellow, police tape all around the area. That means, keep out, you know."

"Well, this is a special case, and no one wants to see this here. It's so depressing and terrible just to think of it, let alone actually see it. It makes me sick."

Irene thought, "That is what you think, little lady. A lot of blood thirsty readers will want to see it, and I'm just the one to deliver. The bloodier the scandal the better the sales."

"So, I gotta get going, Mrs. Atkins. Thank you for being so kind. It's been nice, even if it is such a sad situation."

"Oh, that's okay, not many people will stop and talk to an older person nowadays. I know they think I talk too much, but it's hard being alone all the time. I could go to Bingo, to church, or to some groups they have in the neighborhood, but I do stick to myself. You never know who you are dealing with in this day and age. Just look at what happened right here last night."

As Irene walked away with a little wave, Mrs. Atkins was still talking to herself.

On the fourth floor, Irene went to the Smith's door, thankfully, she had noted the number that was printed on the mail boxes in the lobby when she entered the building. She rang and then knocked. No answer, then she even tried the door knob. It didn't open. Standing back a little she whipped out her cell, and snapped a picture of the front door, not knowing why or what's the big deal about this family and their story.

Checking further, later on at her desk, in the Obituaries, there was nothing at all about Mr. and Mrs. Smith's death. Irene didn't question this, lots of people didn't want an obit. Plus, they were expensive. Next, she looked up deaths on a web site of the department of records. Nothing. Now she was baffled. Why nothing? It didn't make sense. Next she googled their address because she didn't have their complete names. Nothing.

Marnie Smith was not that common. I have never met a Marnie in my life, so I will google her name. She did. Nothing. Marnie must work, I will check the credit ratings website. She has to have a credit rating if she works. Again, nothing.

Now, Irene, really puzzled, had the questions about the Smith family in her teeth, like a bulldog, and wouldn't let go. She had a friend in the Department of Human Resources, she called him and told him her dilemma. His answer was, after looking up the name, that he had no idea, except that they must have been illegal aliens. Irene thought that was a pretty good explanation, but it didn't really answer the "Why?"

~~~***~~~

Blake had been unconscious all the first day and night. Marnie went home to change, check on Carrie, and was back at the hospital as soon as she could be back. Her main objective was to be there when Blake woke up. Carrie had wanted to come back with her, but Marnie promised her she could come to visit Blake tomorrow.

Stopping at Janet's door, Marnie asked if Carrie could spend the night again.

"Oh, yes!" Janet answered, "The kids being together seems to take all their minds off what has happened to Blake. Carrie is just fine here. We'll take good care of her as long as we're needed."

~~~***~~~

While Marnie was sitting beside Blake's bed, Alan came through the door to keep her company. It was so good to have him in their lives, she didn't know what she would've done without him. They engaged in small talk for about an hour.

Alan asked Marnie what she thought of Blake's terrible accident.

"We both know it was no accident, Alan. I'm heart broken about it, of course. I have to get him into counseling and some addictions group as soon as he gets well enough."

Alan queried, "What addiction does Blake have?"

"He's a food addict," Marnie answered.

This information caused Alan to smile inwardly and say what he thought. "Who isn't a food addict at times. I get caught up in it myself, often. Most ex addicts of any kind, go ahead and use food as they once did their drug of choice, to make themselves feel better. I know I did it intensely when I stopped smoking cigarettes."

Alan, answering in this way caused her to remember she had sworn herself to be honest with him.

"I, too, am an addict, Alan. In fact, right this minute, I feel like I can't hang on one second longer. I'm so addicted to pain pills, because my surgeons and doctor prescribed them for me, I don't think I can stop."

"How long have you been trying to stop?" Alan asked.

"Today is the first day. Last night, I was truly honest with myself about Blake's food addiction, so I had to get honest and look at myself too."

"What are your symptoms so far of detoxing? Any shakiness, sweating or nausea?"

She answered, "Yes, I feel all those at the moment."

"You shouldn't just stop 'cold turkey', it's dangerous. Why don't you start today by tapering off until you can talk to your doctor about being completely drug free? I'll be here for you, Marnie. You know I care for you, don't you?"

"No, how am I supposed to know that? You never bothered telling me, or even hinting at it! I'm not a mind reader, Alan!"

Alan turned away, muttering, "Well, I do, Marnie, is that settled? Do you have any of those pain pills with you now?"

Marnie answered, "No, it is not settled until I tell you I care for you too. Now about the pills. Yes, I have some."

"Give me one, I will cut it in half. It will tide you over and help you with detoxing. Blake and Carrie both need you so much, and by the way, so do I, Marnie."

Blinking back grateful tears, she accepted the half pill, and took it with a sip of water after pouring some into a plastic cup from a pitcher on the bedside stand next to Blake's bed.

Alan stepped around the bed and took Marnie in his arms where she snuggled against his strong chest. She felt at home. Like she had just come in from a storm and now was safely in the harbor, or at least being guided to a safe harbor.

At this moment Carrie and Janet entered the room. They looked embarrassed seeing the embrace.

Janet smiled and said, "We have come to take over for you. I hope it is okay that I kept Carrie out of school. My two did go, and they weren't too happy about it. I felt there was no way Carrie was able to go to school yet."

The four changed places. Out on the road in the car, Alan reached over and took Marnie's hand, saying, "I really mean it, Marnie, I'm falling for you big time."

She answered, "I'm hungry, can we stop for food now? We can talk later."

~~~***~~~

Unlike most people, Irene Taylor had access to many information gathering avenues. In her experience, there was hardly a person she couldn't find. "Give me a computer," she always thought, "and I can make miracles happen."

She finally ended up emailing a good friend who worked in the political field, which was a joke between them both, because they had gone to first grade school, then high school together. They didn't get to go to college that way, though. Her friend, Elenore, went to an Ivy League school, and Irene went to the state college. Elenore went away to Harvard. Her career turned out to be politics. At 28 she was already assisting their state Senator and had her eyes on the White House in some capacity. Her own dad, a Congressman, had a lot of bearing on her decisions.

Irene told Elenore the story of the kids without parents and that no information could be found about them, no friends, no public records, and the strangeness of it all.

Elenore responded that she would dig into it and get back to Irene.

~~~***~~~

Marnie, tired as she was, still invited Alan up to her home when he was dropping her off.

He said, "No, I need to go home, shower, and get back to work for the rest of the day. I will come get you about five, though, is that all right?"

She nodded her head in the affirmative, smiling, closed the car door and let herself in the locked lobby door.

After a quick and much needed shower, Marnie, laying under the cool sheets settled down and allowed herself to think of the things Alan had told her today.

She was jarred back to reality in a hurry when her mind slipped back to poor little Blake. Her heart just about ripped in two thinking about all the pain he must have been hiding.

She asked, "Whoever you are, wherever you are, please help Blake and our whole family, please."

Then she gave in to much needed sleep.

About four P.M., the door bell woke her. She had set her alarm for five P.M. and wondered who that could be, since she knew it wasn't Alan. At the new peep hole, she discovered it was Alan. Letting him in with a smile, she asked, "Why so early, didn't they need you at work? By the way, I want you to tell me exactly what you do at work sometime, please."

Alan entering, saying, "I couldn't keep my mind off of you, and had to come over."

Marnie, said, "Let me run and get dressed first."

Alan, held out his hand to her and she took his hand in hers. He drew her near him, looking down on her beautiful face, so unaffectedly looking up at him. He bent down and kissed her full on the lips, feeling like this is where he belonged. Never needing to do anything else in the world, go anywhere else or experience anything else. A small fire begin to build.

"Marnie, please don't get dressed, can we spend an hour alone until we go back to the hospital?"

"If you mean in bed, the answer is no. I have never been in bed with a man yet, and I don't intend to start today when I'm sad and upset about such a terrible thing that happened to my brother. I'm waiting for my wedding night."

Alan felt strictly rebuffed in a very good way, thinking Marnie had way more scruples than he had, and that she was way more thoughtful, and he was glad of it.

"Ok, Sweet Marnie, I appreciate what you just said, and I'll wait right here until you are dressed and come back. Can I make us a cup of tea or coffee? In that case, I'll be waiting for you in the kitchen."

In the kitchen, Alan had to do some real serious thinking. "If I want Marnie forever, I have to tell her of my life, my work, and what's going on behind her back. She won't have me unless it is forever, so I better keep it light from now on until I can get honest with her or make my mind up that I don't have the right to ask her to be mine in the way that she wants, and that's marriage. I want marriage too, but not with all this baggage hanging over our heads. Being honest, I might lose her. Our government has put a big stumbling block up for us."

Tea Kettle whistling woke Alan from his meandering thoughts.
Chapter Ten

Blake vaguely remembered the happenings leading up to his ill gotten fame. The first time he opened his eyes after being in unconsciousness for nearly two weeks, he saw Marnie was sitting there next to his bed. In his state of mind he thought she was his mother, and he said, "Mama?"

Marnie was so excited she knocked over the water pitcher as she jumped up with such joy, shouting, "Blake! Oh Blake, no it's not mama, it's Marnie, honey."

Then she punched his call button. A nurse came running in, and when he saw what was going on, he called the doctor on the intercom.

Dr. Tokuyama came into the room and questioned Blake as to what day it was, what year, who is the president and what is your name. Blake answered all the questions, after a fashion, stammering and sometimes thinking about it a little long.

The doctor was very happy. Smiling, he said, "Congratulations Blake, you are going to make it back to your old self. Just keep resting for a little while longer, and then we'll have you up and about."

The doctor left the room with a quick, happy step, giving a nod and a big smile towards Marnie.

Blake and Marnie were alone again. Marnie, thinking it was too early to talk with Blake about what had happened the night he came into the hospital, was surprised when he said, "Marnie, I guess I didn't kill myself, did I?"

She answered, "No, honey, you didn't, and I am so glad you didn't. So is Carrie and Alan. Even our new friends have been worried sick about you. Janet, Keith and Amanda."

"Oh, do they know? I was hoping no one would find out. I must have hurt my head, it sure does hurt."

"Do you want me to call the nurse for the pain, honey?"

"Ok, that would be good. Thanks, Marnie."

By the time the nurse came back, Blake was asleep and the nurse said, "I'll wait with the pain meds until after he eats dinner, otherwise he will be too groggy to eat. It will be his first meal in two weeks and the doctor gave orders to let him have dinner."

As the nurse was leaving the room, he turned and said to Marnie, "I guess all our prayers were answered."

Marnie thanked him, and he went to get Blake's dinner tray.

~~~***~~

It wasn't until two days later that Dr. Tokuyama gave his okay for the family and friends to all visit Blake at the same time. He was doing so well, that the doctor thought it would do him good to see all the people who cared for him.

Blake was well on his way to recovery. The hospital staff really loved this little boy and all of them that could; would pop in to check on him often. They had gotten him out of bed, helped him take his first wobbly steps over to the bathroom, then over to the hallway, and then back to the bed.

Within himself, Blake had an ongoing argument. It felt like he was two people. One was bad and one was good. He knew he had lost a lot of weight while being fed intravenously, fighting for his life. In his heart, happy he did not die, this way he could maybe start over and make something worthwhile of his life. Even if all he did was to grow up to be a good man like Alan.

"That would be enough," he thought. "I don't have to be rich and famous. All I want to be is good and not afraid. Already Alan is helping me with this by just listening to me, and I mean really listening. Looking me in the eye, not interrupting and only talking when I ask him something. Yes, I want to be just like Alan when I get big, and now I have a chance to get big!"

He noticed Carrie was treating him very differently. As soon as he gained consciousness, she seemed softer, not so vicious, and even kinda sorry.

One time in the hospital room, she actually said, "I am sorry, Blake."

"Really, what are you sorry for, Carrie?"

"That this happened to you, that you felt so bad that you wanted to do it. I didn't know. I want to be a good sister now. I am sorry for the way I was before. I was awful to you, I don't know why, I guess I had my own problems, big ones too. If you can forgive me, I'll be grateful, but even if you can't, I'll be a good sister for you from now on."

With a serious look, Blake swung his legs over the side of the bed, hopped down, and standing, pulled Carrie up by the arms from her chair, and gave her a big hug.

"I don't deserve that, Blake, but thank you. I'll do better, you'll see."

~~~***~~~

Irene Taylor on another story and then another and another, couldn't let go of the Smith's. She knew something was amiss there. It had to be. The old lady, what was it...Mrs. Atkins, had given so much away that didn't add up and didn't make sense. Irene called all over the place, inquiring,

The only one returning her calls was her best friend, Elenore. They met at Starbucks for a quick cup. It was to be only a few minutes of meeting. Both young women had busy lives. Both doing a balancing act with career, socializing, exercising, travel, and a limited love life.

Irene, the first to arrive, sat on a cushy couch with a chair facing her for Elenore. Seated so, in the first few minutes of their conversation, Elenore shared, "Irene, you have got to drop this Smith family story. There's nothing there, please, if you don't drop it, you could get into drastic trouble."

Irene immediatly knew this was something big here, not nothing, as Elenore had just stated. Political people didn't talk like that unless there was a "cover up." She had been around way too long to not see it, feel it, and want to dig into it.

"What on earth would make you think I'd drop it if it's still a mystery? Now, more than ever, I think you should tell me what you know. Mostly because you know I'll find out anyway and you might as well just get it over with. Have you ever in your life kept a secret from me?"

"Well, no, but this is a warning. I was warned too. Not always nice things happen. And it's usually for the good of the people, you know. All I can tell you is the parents were Russian, came here without a VISA, and hid out for years. We finally got them because they were a threat to society. And the only other thing I know is their last name is not Smith."

"No lie, Holmes, as in Sherlock?" Irene said flippantly. I guessed that wasn't their last name the first time I heard of this story. So were they spies? Or maybe terrorist? Why would they just disappear? No coroner's report, no police report, no nothing. I did hear they got into a car wreck, tell me at least that part is true."

"No it isn't. I'm not sure what happened to them, but I've told you enough, and I have to run now. Hope to see you at the black and white ball, Saturday night. Are you coming to it?"

"I will be there, but only if you have something more for me on the Smiths!"

With an exasperated look, Elenore scooped up her bag, leaned over to Irene, and gave her a peck on the cheek, waving as she sang out,

"Cheerio."

Irene sat there a long time, debating on another cup of coffee, thinking, "Russian, huh? What next? Murder? I know a scandal is coming up if nothing else. Then she hurried out to go about her day.

~~~***~~~

At Blake's school, Mrs. Johnston felt absolutely devastated about her part in Blake's terrible attempt of suicide. His sister came to see her soon afterwards. Marnie Smith had asked her all about what had happened that afternoon.

Mrs. Johnston thought, "I knew the kids were always teasing that boy. I should have talked to all of them, but I thought that would make it worse. And I didn't want to embarrass the boy. My God, I'd let him kill himself and die, but not embarrass him? Where is my thinking?

"I'm going to make sure the teachers in this school have some training about what to do about bullying. I'll force my hand if our principal doesn't agree. We need it, I didn't know what to do and now look! We are all lucky he isn't dead, and such a sweet child. I wonder why his mother didn't come see me about it, and only his sister.

Oh, God, I feel terrible. I went out in the hall and the yelling at poor Blake got worse and louder. So I was having a coughing fit, big deal. When I went back in the room I should have reprimanded all the children, at the very least. Blake leaving like that wasn't at all like him, I should have known he was devastated. I'll stay in touch with Marnie Smith and let her know the school's progress with the bully training. I swear to change this activity in our school, and then I swear to work to change it in our state, and make the training mandatory for all teachers in our state. Who knows; I might go national, start a blog, even tweet. These children don't have a chance. They end up killing themselves or other children. God help us!"

~~~***~~~

Alan's meeting with Hal was such a shocker he was knocked for a loop. Hal very secretly told him, "I stayed late, that means all night, and then I snuck in through the ceiling again, to the secret room. I took pictures of all the written material on the Smiths. I'm going to give you what I have and then I'm done with it. This stuff is dynamite, Alan! I think there's not much you can do, in my opinion, to find out what happened to the parents. Just never, ever, mention my name if any of this stuff gets out, swear it, okay, Alan?"

Ray took a folder out of his brief case and shoved it across the table to Alan.

"Thank you so much, Buddy. I swear, you went way beyond the call of friendship, and I so appreciate all the effort. I'll see you at work, thanks again, Hal."

~~~***~~~

All that night, what Alan read was exactly as Hal had alluded to, a nightmare.

He found out both parents were being held on an island in the Caribbean called La Inaqua. The island prison needed little security due to steep cliffs making it a natural prison entombment. The people being held were the elite of the world. No reason given for their imprisonment. Some entire paragraphs were blacked out as in secret information. The pictures of Marnie's parents were there too. A sad look in both their faces. The mother looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

Alan was steaming mad after reading the material. He stayed up a very long while, knowing he would not be able to sleep for thinking and worrying about the entire affair. Not being able to eat dinner, but gulping down a vodka tonic instead, gave him indigestion which made him get out of bed as soon as he had gotten in it.

Sometime during the early morning hours, Alan made a decision to have a talk with Gary. Alan was afraid, so he would give it a few days thought before he talked to Gary. He had to devise a plan before doing so, and he wasn't ready yet. By making this decision, he finally felt he was going to do something, anything, and it made him feel much better. He crawled into bed just before his alarm would've gone off, except he muted it first.

~~~***~~~

Carrie went back to school because she thought she was ready, and she didn't want to miss too many assignments. In these few weeks since Blake's suicide attempt, she had grown up by leaps and bounds, becoming much more subdued, patient, and empathetic.

At school, a bunch of kids stared at her as she walked into class. No one mentioned Blake. Only one girl did, she might even call her a friend, she hurried over.

"Carrie, I have really missed you. Are you doin okay? Is Blake gona be all right? I'm sorry about what happened, oh, and can I eat lunch with you?"

It was Josephine Anderson, but everyone called her "Jo".

Carrie answered, "Yes, I'm okay, and Blake is too. I'll see you at lunch then, thanks, Jo."

In the hallway, after first period, Mrs. Johnston sought Carrie out and said, "Carrie, I'm so sorry about Blake. If you ever want to talk, I'm here for you. Do you think Blake will be coming back to school soon?"

Carrie, answered, "I'm not sure, Mrs. Johnston, He's still getting well, and I don't want to talk about it yet, but thank you. I gotta go now."

She hurried down the hall to her next class.

Carrie didn't know exactly what to think about Jo and Mrs. Johnston being nice to her. It surprised her, since neither one of them had rarely spoken to her before; however, she would take what friendship she could get to make the situation more tolerable. As it was, school had always been a chore. She tried to look out for Blake and keep the kids from teasing him. She liked walking with him from home to school and back. The kids did not bother him as long as she was by his side. Before, some were so mean, bullying Blake every chance they got, especially fat Larry

Catching herself with her new found empathy, she decided to never call Larry fat again, because that's why the kids made fun of Blake. Remembering the time she had shoved Larry, and made him fly across the school yard in the dirt, gave her a little tinge of guilt. She did to Larry exactly the thing that made Blake decide to kill himself. It was a painful realization.

~~~***~~~

Lately Blake and Carrie had been talking together, and he did share some of his pain with her. It made Carrie much more aware of her own part in bullying at school, and at home when she had focused on Blake. Not able to face it head on, she gave some excuses for herself. Knowing that someday, she would have to come clean within her own mind and turn over a completely new leaf. Maybe she would talk to Mrs. Johnston, or somebody who could help her think about this stuff.

Carrie actually cut down on her thinking of boys, since Marnie had explained sex to her. She thought, "Never mind. That doesn't sound good at all. I don't care if I ever do that nasty thing. Sounds kinda sticky too."

She still thought of Keith as a friend, but no longer batted her eyelids at him, trying to flirt. Amanda and Keith came over just about every night, or Carrie went to their apartment to kick back, to do home work with them, or eat dinner if Marnie was to be late.

Carrie now knew Alan and Marnie liked one another, and she was truly happy about it. They were old enough for all that sex stuff, and she wasn't. She was happy with the way things were and felt glad she hadn't gotten herself into great big trouble when she was trying to run the streets the night she met Alan.
Chapter Eleven

Alan had an appointment with Gary, the organization's top supervisor. He made Alan somewhat nervous, but Alan was determined, regarding the Smith situation, to try to go through proper channels before taking matters into his own hands. Walking through Gary's office doorway was intimidating. As far as offices were concerned, Gary was living the life of luxury compared to Alan and all the other employees who worked in small cubicles. Gary's office was gigantic with a "to die for" view.

Gary greeted Alan off-handedly, looking up from some papers, waving him to a chair in front of the massive Teak desk where he was sitting. Alan reached out to shake hands, which seemed to surprise Gary, who thought it beneath him to actually stand up, lean over and extend his hand to a lowly Operative. That's what Alan was thinking, with no proof, except the look on Gary's face. Finally their hands met, they shook, and Gary regained his seat.

Gary asked Alan, "So, what can I do for you? I'm surprised you were my next appointment."

By now sweating, Alan responded, "Gary, I've been watching the Smith children, and I have a few questions for you."

Frowning and interrupting, Gary said in a loud voice, "Let me stop you before you even start, Alan. That topic is off limits between you and me. The less known, the better. Please don't ask me or anyone to explain that situation. It's top secret, and no one is to ask any questions. This meeting is over right now." Smiling a stoney cold smile, Gary acted first, extending his hand to Alan.

Alan, knowing he had been dismissed in no uncertain terms, quickly shook Gary's hand, muttering a thank you, and left the massive office. He felt like a child who had been reprimanded and told to "Shut up!" about things that weren't his business, and that he'd better just do what he was told, and do it silently and quickly.

The meeting with Gary had Alan really steamed and feeling so inadequate. Unable to help Marnie and the children, he went out the building, into a nearby bar, and had a double whiskey.

~~~***~~~

After Blake was released from the hospital and Carrie was back to school, Marnie was thinking of getting on with her life and going back to work. Amazed at herself that she could temporarily forget, for even a minute, the terrible situation Blake had been forced to endure, she made arrangements for him at a live-in, treatment center for food addictions. Not only were there children with overeating problems, there were kids who hardly ever ate, and those children too, called bulimics who binged with food and then released all their food by vomiting. Marnie didn't want to expose Blake to these different types of disorders, but he desperately needed help, which she was unable to offer.

~~~***~~~

The first day at the treatment center was the scariest for Blake. He was to get settled in. He unpacked and then looked around the place.

There were nineteen other children besides himself. The surroundings were nice, and Blake thought, "I don't know how Marnie could afford a place like this, it looks expensive. I just couldn't go back to school though, so she had to put me somewhere, I guess. I hope both my sisters come on visiting day. I miss them already. I just got here, and I'm home sick on the first day."

He got to go to the curriculum of regular elementary school and was glad to not get behind his grade level. School took most of the week days time. Although, once a day, for one hour, he was called out of class for counseling, as were all the other children. This counseling was nothing but talking. At first there were tons of questions to be answered. Blake decided to lie on a lot of them, because how was he supposed to be honest about his over consumption of food? It would hurt too much to let anyone know how important eating felt to him.

There was a sweet little chapel, spacious grounds with manicured shrubbery, and even a little creek running through. After investigating the entire estate, Blake decided to stay.

Each resident had a roommate and his was Whitey Jones. Blake didn't like him much at first. Both boys stuck to themselves, hardly speaking. In the school they were even more standoffish from one another.

The food was boring as could be. Just so called good food. You know, stuff that grows out of the ground. A little protein, vegetables, limited fruit, and no wheat. No sugar, no wheat products, or stuff like deserts, and no fried foods either. The children were told that those items were what usually set people off on a binge.

Blake thought, "Well, I love those things. When I leave, I will too eat them. No one can tell me what to do or not to do. In fact, I'm not going to listen to these people if they are trying to take sugar, white flour, and deep fried stuff away from me."

It wasn't long until the children were introduced to the idea that the food they loved set up a craving in their body. The cravings would tell them to eat more of the same. That, in fact, sugar and wheat acted just like a drug and caused addiction in some people. The physical results reacted exactly like heroin. They saw x-ray pictures and videos that Scientists had taken of brains proving that sugar and wheat can alter the brain the very same way.

This actually made Blake think that if all he had to do to be of a normal weight was to make sure he didn't eat these few foods, then it would be worth it. But they made him feel sooo good, and sooo bad too. He had to remember how bad it made him feel at all costs. The good wasn't so good after all.

As days and weeks went by the counseling wasn't all that painful either. Blake stopped fibbing about his life, fears, pain and being bullied. The more honest he got, the more free he felt. Then he began to feel empowered instead of fearful, valuable instead of weak, and worthy instead of worthless. He no longer needed the crutch of his so called drugs, the addictive foods, to get by in life.

With the exercise hour everyday, Blake began to feel strong physically. Learning the great idea that his body worked perfectly well if it was given a daily workout, and also that exercise was better than pills for depression.

~~~***~~~

Whitey and Blake eventually became best buds. Blake told Whitey of his life and that he only had his two sisters in the world.

Whitey only had his mother, no siblings. His dad died long ago when he was two years old. He and his mom lived in upstate New York on a little patch of wooded land where they kept chickens, his dog and, some goats. It sounded great to Blake until he heard the rest of the story. Whitey's mother was grossly overweight. Over five hundred pounds. It made Whitey's life hell, with the same old bullying at school, teasing, and low self esteem, the same as Blake suffered. Also, the situation made Whitey mixed up about love. He hated his mom and loved her. All this led to his own food addiction. He ate just like she did and was very overweight by the time Blake got to meet him.

Whitey mentioned to Blake one day when they were on their thirty minute walk, "Blake, you sure were brave to try to kill yourself. I wish I'da tried it."

Responding Blake practically yelled, "Brave, brave, my eye! I was hopeless. Do you hear? I was hopeless, far from being brave. If I'da had any hope, I would not've done it. Took me weeks to get to this place, here, where most kids in here come in the first place, I had to get well enough in a hospital to even get admitted here."

Both boys stuck together for most activities. Whitey slowly began to lose weight, and Blake slowly began to heal in all ways.

Being hospitalized and intravenously fed after his suicide attempt, caused Blake to lose a lot of his fat. It was inevitable that he would have gained it all back without the emotional help he was getting. Some of the children at the center judged Blake as having no weight problem, compared to their own, just by his size alone. This taught them that they could never tell just by looking at someone, what they were going through.

Learning to be active helped Blake's body normalize to the right size for him. In fact, exercising lifted his depression totally. And by now he truly enjoyed good, organic, real food.

~~~***~~~

Carrie and Marnie both missed Blake terribly, but they attended the visitation day religiously every Sunday. The three would walk the beautiful grounds, or sit by the creek on one of the many benches spread throughout. They ate the center's fare in the dining room together. Marnie was given a packet on her first visit about how Blake would be changing his life. The packet had information pertaining to food, exercise, counseling and support meetings for when Blake would be back home. She was assured he would need a support group to stay abstinent of the foods that triggered his food addiction. She was told to think of the sugar and all, as though Blake had an allergy to them, because in essence he did, shown by the fact he couldn't just eat one. Or that he couldn't just eat a little bit, he always needed, and wanted more, more, more. This brought on craving.

Marnie was getting ready for the day he could come home. She emptied out all junk food, with Carrie complaining in the back ground, "It's not fair, I want to eat these goodies instead of throwing them all out. Can I just eat some?"

She went around the corner into the living room and ate as much candy as possible, so Marnie wouldn't catch her doing it. Marnie quietly followed Carrie and confronted her with, "Always remember Blake trying to kill himself, Carrie, when you whine like this. Just think would the few minutes in your mouth make up for losing your brother?"

"Yeah, but we can't protect him from it forever, can we?"

"No not forever, but until he gets stronger, until he's abstinent from junk food, for as long as it takes. It is the least you and I can do. Let's try eating his way, if not for us, for our love of Blake, okay?"

Carrie backed up, turning around, lost all defiance and answered, "Yes, okay. You're right. I love Blake more than I do sugary snacks and stuff. Right now I would do anything to help him, and you know what? It will help us be more healthy too. I am not giving up anything, I am getting something. Better health and that will be a better life!"

~~~***~~~

So many other new stories came up; that Irene Taylor didn't have time to think of the Smith story for quite a while. She had lunch with her best friend, Elenore, who had slipped with such a shocking statement, Irene could hardly wait to get back and report it to her Editor.

Elenore had heard Mr. and Mrs. Smith were alive, imprisoned on an island in the Caribbean. She told Irene she was just outside the door, not really eavesdropping, but waiting, understand?...waiting for the last person seeing the senator, to leave the senator's office. The door was ajar, just a little bit. Elenore heard hushed voices and came closer to the small opening of the door, it was just a crack.

One of the voice's said, "Mrs. Emily Smith never has been a threat whatsoever and the husband, Harold, is even less of a threat. It is all a terrible mistake. Now, no one knows how to put it right, except to take out the rest of the family, or return the parents to their former lives, and how could we do that without us looking like a bunch of dumb asses? Yes, quite a dilemma for all of us concerned."

Elenore called Irene to meet her for lunch as soon as she could, because she had faith Irene could think of someway to right this wrong. A lot of high profile stories came through Irene trickling down through the right channels to make a difference. The main thing Irene needed next was the true names of the Smiths. Without the names, she thought everything was at a dead end. Hoping a literal dead end was not in store for the couple and their children.

~~~***~~~

Marnie and Alan, dating, were seeing little of one another, only whenever possible. Alan was so torn up about not being able to help the family in any true way, he couldn't ask Marnie for marriage or loyalty even. So their relationship remained in limbo and mostly just on a superficial level.

Marnie was busy with work, visiting Blake, taking care of the home, and Carrie. She hardly had the time to focus on Alan anyway. She still felt he could be "the one" for her, but was too busy, with little energy left for their relationship and romance.

Often Marnie felt a little fluttering in the pit of her stomach when she saw Alan walking towards her from afar. She loved kissing him good night, talking with him, and sharing food together. But she knew better than to do any heavy petting or necking. They could be carried away in minutes to the point of no return. Neither one of them wanted that to happen, she thought.

Alan was drinking a little too heavily lately. She reasoned he was worried about Blake. She was right in that respect, except he was worried about the entire family, especially her parents. He didn't know what to do, or even how to do anything to free them from the hell his job had put them in.
Chapter Twelve

Irene Taylor had some down time and went to spy on the Smith family and maybe talk to that Mrs. Atkins, the nosey neighbor, again. For some reason, she just couldn't let the scenario alone. Parking on the street, she moseyed up the sidewalk, and was passed by a very good-looking man.

Going up to the fourth floor, she started to knock on Mrs. Atkins door, but she saw the good-looking guy go into the Smith's apartment.

Changing her mind, she went to the same door that he had entered, and knocked.

Marnie answered saying, "May I help you?"

Irene said, "Hello, remember me? I met you at the hospital quite a while back. I was just going over to my friend, Mrs. Atkins'. I wanted to check and see how your brother was doing? I do hope he's fine and well by now, is he?"

A man's voice yelled, "Who is it, Marnie?"

Alan appeared at the door. Irene thought, "What a wonderful looking couple. Both he and she are what I call beautiful people."

"It's a lady I met..." Marnie hesitated.

Irene, thinking fast said, "Hi, I'm Irene. Marnie and I met at the hospital, and I was just wanting to check on Blake." She gave one of her big "I hope you like me" smiles.

Marnie leaned forward and asked, "Will you come in for just a minute? Irene, this is Alan, we were going to have tea, would you like some?"

Irene thinking this couldn't be any better if she had prayed for it, said, "Of course, thank you, just for a minute though."

"How is your friend from the day we met at the hospital, Irene? Did you mention then, that he was in an accident?"

"Oh, he's fine, and good as new. No repercussions at all."

Marnie added, "Blake's doing well, but he isn't home or I would want you to meet him."

In the living room Marnie offered Irene a chair, Alan sat down and so did Marnie.

"May I offer you tea or something to drink, maybe?"

"Oh thank you, Marnie. I know I'm intruding, so I'll just be staying for a little bit; a cup of tea does sound good."

Marnie went to see to the already boiling tea kettle in the kitchen. Coming back into the living room she carried a small tray that had three cups, sugar, cream and spoons arranged artistically, in one hand. In the other hand she gripped a flowered tea pot with steam pouring from the spout.

They sat around talking small talk about the weather, traffic and what was new at Marnie's job.

At that moment, Carrie barged in. She had been eavesdropping up on the top stair. She wanted to see this stranger's face.

Irene was surprised someone else was at home and turned to meet her. Marnie introduced them, asking Irene her last name and what she did for a job all in the same breath.

"Hi Carrie." Then looking towards Alan and Marnie too, Irene answered, "Irene Taylor, I write for the New York Post. I'm a newspaper lady." Smiling, she again apologized for barging in, saying, "Thank you so much for the tea, it was just what I needed. I have to run now, it has been nice, and I'm so glad Blake is a lot better. Maybe I can meet him sometime."

All around good bys were uttered, and she left, walking across the way to Mrs. Atkins door.

Mrs. Atkins, hovering just inside her door, opened it even before Irene had a chance to barely knock.

"She must have been looking out her window, or heard me knock when I knocked on Marnie's door," Irene mused.

Irene only wanted to stay a minute to keep an opening for any future needed excuses to be in this vicinity. Mrs. Atkins was so glad to have a visitor, she asked Irene into her kitchen so she could put the tea kettle to boil. Irene hated tea and wanted coffee in the worst way, but had learned to take whatever was thrown her way very early in life. She knew that the only way a reporter can get anything out of anybody was to comply.

Mrs. Atkins wanted to know what she was doing at the Smith's, and Irene kept it superficial, so she wouldn't have to explain. After the tea, Irene begged off looking through Mrs. Atkins old picture albums and left with a promise to come back soon.

~~~***~~~

Alan had a nagging feeling all that night. There was something on his mind. He ate dinner with Carrie and Marnie, watched a movie, and chatted, but couldn't ditch the weird idea that he had missed something.

All went well and Alan drove home, got ready for bed as usual; and after the lights were out, he couldn't get to sleep no matter how hard he tried. Thinking he would get up and get a beer; it hit him.

"This is it," he thought. "The answer to all our problems." Jumping out of bed, stumbling over to his computer, he looked up New York Post Writers. There she was, listed as plain as day, Irene Taylor. There was a phone number beside her name.

Alan grabbed his cell phone and called the number as fast as he could...a recording. "What do I expect, it's midnight." He hung up, and for some unknown reason, he called the number right back. Later, he thought maybe he was going to leave a message. After the second ring there was an answer.

"Hello."

It was her. Alan told her he had to meet with her.

She said, "I've been waiting for your call."

They met at an out of the way place, located half way between her office and his apartment.

Irene spoke as soon as she was seated, "This place closes in one hour, we have to get to the point. Alan, isn't it?"

He said, "Yes, I'm Alan Nordstrom. I have something I want you to work on with me. I really need a friend and I need help. Please, don't think I am nuts, but I have this story that needs to be told, and I can't do it, but you can."

Irene responded with, "That is what I am here for, Alan."

It seemed to him that she kinda knew what he was going to say, but he knew that would be impossible. So, he took the next hour and told her all about the Smith family. Only, of course, what he knew. There was so much he didn't really know or understand.

Irene, after hearing what he had to say wanted copies of the papers he had in his possesion. He had them with him, but he didn't want to give her everything he had that proved the parents were alive.

Irene drove to the newspaper offices, with Alan following in his car. The night watchman was surprised to see such late entrants, and allowed them inside. After copying the entire file for Irene, Alan confided,

"I'm sorry there is so much blacked out information in the file, Secret Service you know."

"I can deal with that, we have ultra violet light technology that can see right through those blacked out lines right here in this building. By this time tomorrow, we will know the identity of the parents, and we will see why these children are at such high risk. I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am about Marnie's leg, Blake's suicide attempt, and Carrie out in the city streets all alone. When I think of what could have happened to her...or to all of them, I get so angry."

Alan agreed with her, "No lie, I've been sick about it since I've been investigating the family. I was told to survey them, and report any suspicious activety. Months and months went by and no suspicious activity at all, just the opposite, really. That's what made me suspicious in the first place. This family was no threat in any way to this country."

Irene wondered, out loud, "How in the world did you have come by the files?"

Alan let her know that how he got the files would never be known to anyone. Irene agreed that not knowing made it easier to never give that part out.

Leaving Irene busy at her desk, Alan found his way back home as soon as he could, and for the first time in months, he felt this was no longer an insurmountable problem, that he was not alone, and that maybe Marnie and he could have a future someday.

~~~***~~~

Irene's magic ultra violet x-ray machine did it's work, and she was able to find the correct identity of the missing Smiths.

She then contacted a reporter friend stationed in Russia to make sure her information was correct. It was.

Finally, she was able to go to her editor with the story, and he told Irene to send it to print. There were some big holes in the story, but it was hot news and might save the Smith's lives in the long run. At least that was the plan of Alan, Irene, and the editor.

The only real proof the paper had to back up their story that the United States government had imprisoned two innocent people, leaving their under age children to fend for themselves, was the files stolen from the impregnable locked file room. Also, the paper's Russian correspondent collaborated the entire story. Irene never wanted to implicate Alan, so she told her editor that the copies of the files were sent to her personally by a messenger to her desk and that she had no idea who was behind the information leak."

~~~***~~~

Marnie was at her desk in payroll the next morning when the mail person brought her a copy of the New York Post newspaper. She laid it aside and continued figuring the hours worked by each employee for the previous two week period. At lunchtime she took her lunch out to a little, tree-lined lunch break area to sit at a picnic table and enjoy the food she had packed for herself early that morning. Marnie always ate lunch after the regular lunch period was well over with, because she didn't want to sit and chat with anyone. She just wanted to space out within herself, to come down from the stress that the figuring in her job entailed.

After eating, Marnie glanced down at the newspaper, which she had brought with her to the picnic table. On page two there was a real startling article. She read it through two times, because it sounded eerily familiar to her, but not really. The names of the parents who were taken, she had never heard before, and she knew nothing of the country they were from, let alone the politics.

While she was sitting there contemplating the story, who should walk up, but Alan.

So surprised, Marnie said, "What are you doing here? We agreed to see each other after work."

Alan had a weird look in his eyes. A look of real fear and it alarmed Marnie immensly. She said, "What's wrong Alan, it looks like you have seen a ghost! What is it?"

Alan practically stammered his response, "Marnie, first of all, I want to say, I am soooo sorry. I wish none of this had happened. Now you know most everything. Aren't you upset? What can I say to help you understand my side of it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, you read the paper, didn't you? I can see you are on the very page of the story. All I want to hear is that you forgive me."

"Whoa, whoa...slow down. Forgive you for what? I DON'T understand,You have to start from the begining and let me in on why you look so scared. I really don't know what you are talking about, please tell me."

~~~***~~~

By now Alan was as white as a white sheet. Realizing Marnie didn't really have the slightest idea what he was talking about, Alan remembered in the news article, no names were given, it only said the situation was still being investigated and that more would be printed soon.

He could either make up something and hope she would never find out it was him or his organization that had imprisoned her parents. Knowing already this would be a useless approach if they were to have lives together, he knew he had to come clean with her. He would always be fearful of her finding out, no matter what happened now. He even quickly thought of quitting his job and getting another one before she found out he was involved.

~~~***~~~

While he was sitting there thinking, with Marnie staring at him and staring through him, his cell phone rang. It was Irene.

"Meet me."

"Where? The same place?"

"Yes, in 20 minutes."

"Okay."

In bidding Marnie good by, he implied an urgent business deal was at hand and he had to go. Leaving her with, "I'll come over tonight and then we'll talk, is that all right?"

Marnie nodded her head, "Yes."

Alan arrived at the designated meeting place in less than 20 minutes, he sat waiting, and was about ready to order a drink when Irene breezed by him. She dropped a note and with her eyes, told him to pick it up. It said to meet her out behind the bar. She headed toward the women's rest room, and he got up and turned in the same direction when the bar lady said, "Don't you want to order?"

"No, just a minute."

Behind the building, Irene waited. She was facing the building, kinda hugging it. She didn't want to be seen from any windows of all the tall buildings surrounding the bar.

Alan said, "What are you doing?"

"I'm hiding."

"What for?"

"We have to get away from the city and really talk. We can't do it here. I have been threatened and followed. Don't use your cell phone to call me either, unless you buy a throw-away."

"Aren't you being a little over dramatic Ms. Taylor?"

"Not at all, look at this." she said, handing Alan a note.

Only two words appeared on the otherwise blank piece of paper. They were cut from a magazine, the words read, "YOUR DEAD."

Alan said, "It's a prank. They didn't even know how to spell "YOU'RE."

"Okay, so don't meet me at an out-of-the-way place, I'm out of here...right now. This note isn't all," Irene said.

"No, no, wait. I know a place, but it's about 50 miles out."

"That's okay, but watch that you're not followed," Irene replied.

Alan told her the directions and they parted.
Chapter Thirteen

It took way over an hour this time for them to meet up again near a wooded area out in the middle of a well manicured park. They were sitting at one of the picnic tables that was off to one side of the empty green space of lawns.

Irene opened the conversation with, "The editor of the New York Post was told to stop printing anything about the Smiths immediately, which is no big deal, but the call came from the White House. We were both alarmed and didn't know what to do next. I told my boss this issue is begining to be more complex than two lost souls in the middle of the Caribbean, it is affecting Freedom of Speech now. And can you believe the White House? He didn't say who called, said he couldn't tell me, but it was a person very high up. He did say, of course, it wasn't the president, though. She wouldn't be involved, they'd just pass the buck to an underling."

Alan sat there thinking what to do. He really had no idea. He thought that with the entire senario out at the public level, the parents would have to be released, given an apology, and a million bucks, at least, and be reunited with their family. But no, now this.

Both parties, preoccupied, paid no attention to a black car driving up, four men getting out, going into the woods and disappearing behind brush and trees.

Alan finally spoke, "I think we should go ahead with the news blast. Every word the truth as we know it. Our government has always gone way too far, and no one stands up for what is right. What are you willing to do to stand up for what is right?"

Irene immediatly answered, "I'm for the truth as much as anyone, but this is getting so scary, Alan, it's dangerous."

"I know it feels dangerous to you but this is what your career is all about, Irene, printing the truth and letting the people know what is happening. It could actually reunite an entire family that has been wrongly shattered, and each member of the family has been imprisoned in their own way. Don't you want to go for the "good?"

Before she had a chance to answer they heard the report of a gunshot directly behind them. Starting to run toward the parking lot, Irene fell and Alan, paused to grab her arm and help her up, as a man in a black suit ran up to them and stood back a few feet; holding a gun on them.

The other three men came out of the treed area and Alan could see one of them was Gary, his boss. Gary frowning was the controller of the group. He said, "We have to take their cars with us, two of you drive their cars, to destination plan A. Alan, come on...you too, lady, you're coming with us."

Irene, overwhelmed with fear, did exactly as she was told. No one had ever threatened her before, well, except her sister when they were little. She wondered if she would get to see her sister again, or if this was the last ride she would ever take.

Alan, on the other hand was not buffaloed so easily. He confronted Gary.

"What do you think you are doing Gary? That you can kill people, make them disappear, ruin lives right and left? I'm not going with you. I'm an American citizen and have rights to freedom of movement. You just leave us alone, we aren't doing anything to bother any of you."

Gary answered, "Have you seen the papers? You know who wrote those lies, don't you?"

At that remark, Irene interjected, "Lies? I beg your pardon, every word written can be proven or the paper wouldn't have printed it. Have you ever heard of freedom of the press, if not, freedom of movement?"

In response to this Gary took a gun from a shoulder holster he had under his coat jacket. Pointed it right on Irene's skull saying, "I'll show you freedom of press, lady. Don't you know who runs the show in these United of States?"

Irene thought Gary was trying to be funny. Funny at a time like this. He MUST be crazy. They all are crazy, that's what's wrong, she thought. Then she said, "No, who does run the show, Gary?"

"You must be real stupid if you don't understand it is money, big money, and the biggest money there is told us to get you two. Enough talk, lets get going."

Shoving and pushing the two prisoners who were now handcuffed, Gary thought the handcuffing had gone well. They sprung the handcuffs as soon as possible, when the two were confronted at gunpoint.

Irene hated the idea of not being free. She was small in stature, and had very small hands. Small enough she hoped, to slip out of the rather big handcuffs. The guy putting the cuffs on her had not looked down except to snap the cuff shut. Irene's loose cuffs went undetected.

The four suits had gotten them into the car, held at gunpoint by Gary. He ended up sitting in the front seat. He turned around towards the back seat facing the two prisoners. The driver, without ever saying a word, started the car and drove.

Followed by the other two cars right behind the lead car. They drove behind them for a few miles, then turned off onto another road, to do with Alan and Irene's cars, they knew not what.

The car was so stuffy, Irene thought she was going to faint until she recognized that it was a panic attack, or an asthma attack. First she could not breath well, then sudden rapid heartbeat with sweating, and uncontrollable coughing. She did manage to get some words out, yelling and gasping,

"I need air, and someone open the windows."

Gary used the electric lever on his door. There was no such device on the rear doors. Both of the back seat occupants had noticed, way before this request was necessary, that the back seat doors were child proof. Gary only opened Irene's side window about two inches. She sat up to the input of air and took big breaths between coughing fits. Feeling better, she still feigned trouble. It sometimes worked to have two things going on at one time.

"Who knows, we might need a diversion," she thought. She knew she could get out of the handcuffs easily, but she would just wait. Maybe something would happen.

Alan asked, "Where are you taking us?"

No one paid him any attention. He, being beside himself with livid anger, banged the back of Gary's seat with his foot as hard as he could, leaning over in front of Irene to do so. Then the thought came to him that Gary would not kill them, especially in bright afternoon daylight. They were still on a two way country road, a better place than in the city to try something. So, Alan just acted like he was going to bang the back of the front seat again, but instead he banged Gary in the head as Gary turned to look back at them. Alan used his entire body weight, standing up to do the head butt as hard as possible. The blow caused Gary to drop the gun. It went onto the front seat between Gary and the driver.

Alan fell back against Irene and onto the back seat. He had almost knocked himself out with the head butt. Shaking his head, Alan heard the driver yell, "Gary, are you all right?" Glancing to his right, the driver saw Gary leaning to one side against the side window.

"Are you all right?" he repeated.

Gary's head must have hit the window with the unexpected bashing. The window now had a long narrow crack all across it with smears of blood through the middle of the crack. He was slumped over, head against the window, and a little trickle of blood coming out of his left nostril. Gary didn't answer the driver.

Alan realized it was now or never, they had to do something, but at the moment he decided, the driver reached down, picked up the gun with his right hand while steering the speeding car with his left hand. He twisted his shoulders and started to point the gun at the back seat.

Alan reared back and lunged forward as hard as he could and smashed the driver in the head, the same way he had immobilized Gary. This made the driver lose control of the car. It also made the gun go off inside the car with the loudest noise ever, the bullet hit the back seat, side window; glass shattering, right beside Irene, but she managed to duck as she pulled her hands free of the cuffs, and retrieve the gun which bounced onto the back seat between Alan and herself.

The car, now out of control, veered over the center line, flew across a ditch, went right through a cattle fence and stopped as it slammed into a huge Oak tree in the middle of a large field of corn.

Irene commanding the gun, ran around to the driver's side door, demanded the driver to open the door, and waved him out, but he couldn't get out. The steering wheel had pushed up too close to his chest, so she threatened him with the gun and asked politely for the handcuff keys. He fished them out of his upper pocket and handed them over, groaning all the time. Irene, still pointing the gun at the driver, managed to unlock Alan's hands from his cuffs.

Together, Irene and Alan went to the other side of the car where Gary still dangled unconscious. They got the door open, and took both cell phones from the center console. Alan told Irene to, "Handcuff the both of them."

She took the drivers left hand, cuffing him to the steering wheel. Then she handcuffed Gary's left hand to the steering wheel too, slumping him over onto the shoulder of the driver.

The last thing they did was get the car keys to open the trunk. Retrieving Irene's purse. Then they went on their way.

"What to do now?" was the uppermost question on their minds. Getting away from the wreck, and the two hunters, was imperative. Alan was afraid to use any cell phone, knowing their whereabouts could be traced immediatly.

Alan's head hurt intensely with a splitting head ache. He hoped he didn't have a concussion.

Two miles of hiking through the woods brought them to a little store with an attached gas station out front.

They had heard no sirens, saw nor heard any cars to speak of, so they thought the wreck had not been discovered yet. With the driver crunched behind the steering wheel, both of them unable to get out, incapacitated and locked in by the cuffs, the wreck might not be discovered for quite awhile. From the road, no one could even see the car, for the high corn surrounding it, except upon close inspection someone could detect the tracks through the corn field. That someone would have to be going awfully slow or walking along to see the tracks.

Discussing what to do, they both came to a decision to not go into the store and to not be seen at all, if possible. Too risky. The store person would remember two people stopping by without a car. Way out in the country side, there was hardly ever anyone on foot.

~~~***~~~

With sundown upon them, it was getting darker by the minute. Deep shadows hung through the trees where Alan and Irene hiked. Their plan was to get back to civilization where they wouldn't be noticed as much as out in the country on foot.

It wasn't long until they couldn't go any further because there was no light. They stayed far from the highway, and any houses, so as not to be detected.

"Irene, we might as well give up and find a place to stay till sun-up."

"You mean sleep in the woods? What if a bear comes? What about snakes, just wild animals in general? I'm scared!"

"We have a gun, remember?"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot for a minute. Okay, let's start looking while we can see a little bit."

In the dimly lit forest, they bedded down by half-sitting and leaning against a huge fir tree, whose low branches made a natural roof.

Alan had gathered fir branches for covering their bodies, trying to fend off cold that he knew would be freezing around two A.M. until sun-up.

They scrunched up as well as they could to keep warm.

Alan felt nauseous and got up, walking some distance from Irene, he was sick in the far woods. He didn't want to alarm her, even though, he himself was already alarmed. Trying to remember back to any information he had retained about concussions, and thinking he remembered he shouldn't go to sleep for quite a while was all he could remember. Finally, he did remember that, if his brain swelled, he could die. This last thought was the one that made him decide to talk to Irene about it.

"I might have a concussion, Irene, and I want you to keep an eye on me and don't let me go to sleep right away, okay?"

"You're scaring me, what if you do go to sleep, what am I supposed to do way out here, call an ambulance? I am sorry for being trite, I'm just scared."

Finally, they both settled down to fitful sleeping on and off again, with Irene looking closely at Alan every time she woke up to make sure he was breathing right.

He then opened his eyes and told her, "I'm all right. My head still hurts, but it's getting a little better now."

Alan held his arm out to Irene who then snuggled up to him, both of them using one another's body heat to conserve the warmth between them in their closeness.

The next time Alan went into the woods it was to relieve himself, and he brought back more soft branches for cover. It had become colder than he thought it would be during the middle of the night, not knowing the elevation was so high.

Getting back beside Irene, encircling her upper body with his arms, he smelled her hair.

Begining to feel amorous toward her, he started to think, "How can I love Marnie, if I can feel this way toward Irene?" He reasoned this feeling was just an animal instinct, and that men were meant to feel sexiness when any woman was in their arms and this close with their bodies. He decided guilt was not what he wanted to feel. Glad that he now felt he didn't have a concussion, he reasoned that if he did, his body wouldn't be thinking about sex, his body would be all about saving his life from brain swelling.

Then, deciding he did really love Marnie with all his heart, that if he did have sex with another willing woman, he could still love Marnie, ever after, in spite of what society tried to teach him.

Drifting off to a guiltless sleep, finally, Alan dreamed of breasts, a sea of breasts, large, small, dark, and light pink. He was floundering around in the center of the sea of all types of breasts. He felt very happy.

~~~***~~~
Chapter Fourteen

Marnie, that evening, had prepared a special dinner for Alan, hoping they could talk later after Carrie went off to do homework and to bed. She wanted to hear what had upset him so much when he had dropped by her office.

After the special dinner was ruined by waiting for Alan to come, and after she and Carrie had eaten their share, way late, Marnie went to bed to read and wait for him.

Finally, too sleepy to stay awake, and too tired to worry anymore, she drifted off. It was a fitful sleep. She was wandering in a field, dreaming, looking for Alan, finally she lay down in the open field, looked up into the blue sky with lazy, puffy, white clouds and murmured a prayer of safety for him. Then, she fell into a deep sleep to be awaken by her phone alarm.

Morning, and it's time to get ready for work. Looking at her cell to check it, she saw no word from Alan.

"Well, what could have happened to him? I will call him when I get to work."

Marnie thought to be very mad at Alan, then in the next breath of a thought, she was afraid. She still was not sure she knew exactly what he did for a living and berated herself for not finding out. She hardly had any information about his life, except what she had gathered by some of the urgent phone calls he received, his work clothes were always a business suit or nice slacks and sports jacket. The only clue this gave her was that he must have worked in a business office.

At work, when Marnie called Alan's cell number, there was no answer. Her spirits plummeted even further.

Where was he? What could have happened to him? She didn't even know where he lived. Oh, yes, she had been there once, early on, but it was dark, and in the taxi, she was busy looking at Alan and not at any streets or landmarks. When they arrived, she was in unfamiliar territory. After all, New York was humungous, well, big.

Trying to get interested in something besides being upset about the missing Alan, Marnie decided to work on payroll, that usually numbed her mind from all else.

~~~***~~~

Alan felt terrible that he couldn't tell Marnie that he was all right, that he wanted to see her, and that he loved her. There was no way to tell her, because right after the car crash, both Alan and Irene had thrown their cell phone batteries away to disconnect their phones from the all knowing and all locating satellite tower signals.

When they had been to the little store earlier, a big semi was parked beside the store. It was stacked high with hay. Alan snuck over to the back of it and shoved Gary's and the driver's cell phones in between the bales of hay. He hoped it would go a long way and throw the feds off as to their whereabouts.

Alan heard Irene get up and go into the woods. Upon her return, he said, "I was to have dinner with Marnie and Carrie last night. Me being a no show most likely has Marnie worried.

"I'm sure she is, but there's nothing we can do about it, is there? She'll be all right. What are we going to do now?

"Well, I think we have to just keep on walking until we hit a town. We passed a small village on the way, about five or six miles up the road. We can call for help from there at a public phone, if there is one. What do you think? Who should we call? We can't call anyone I know because they are all connected with Gary and the organization I work for."

"Alan, who exactly do you work for, anyway?"

"I haven't even told Marnie the answer to that question for obvious reasons. Let's figure out who we should call?"

"Maybe someone from the newspaper. I can trust my editor. Hopefully, if 'they' tried to buy him, he wasn't for sale. If he pressures me to my whereabouts, or the Feds that attacked us, I will know he is bought or in deep trouble too."

Alan answered her, "OK, lets call him and you can play it by ear. Is there anyone else you can trust? Sorry to say the only ones in the world I can trust, I don't want mixed up in this mess, and that is Marnie, the younger children and another close friend whose name I will not mention."

Irene, looking down as they walked along, stopped and said, "I'm hungry, let's stop and rest. We can't just keep expending all this energy without food."

She abruptly stopped, sat down on a big rock, dumping her purse out on the soft carpet of moss in front of the rock, and looking down, she exclaimed, "Yay, gum, a candy bar and two little boxes of raisins. I carry snacks with me since I'm on the run all live long day usually. A real lunch for me is a real treat, so I thought I might have some semi food in my purse."

She opened up the candy wrapper, snapped the nut filled chocolate covered bar in two pieces and gave Alan one half. She shared one box of raisins and two sticks of gum with him. Saying, "This is our rations for the long hike. I hope we make it. As for any other trusted friend, I do have one that I can trust. I might call her instead of the editor, I'll be thinking about it as we walk."

~~~***~~~

At Alan's work, it was whispered about that the director hadn't shown up for work and couldn't be reached at home. A few of the other men were unreachable too. A mystery was forming as to what could be happening.

It wasn't long until Hal, Alan's close friend, in the records department, checked to see if Alan had shown up for work. His suspicions grew, with a gut feeling that Alan was in trouble due to what he had discovered in the secret room.

Also, there was the visiting dignitary from the FBI that capped it all off for Hal, asking to see both Gary's and Alan's files.

~~~***~~~

Finally, Irene and Alan, limping along, so tired at later than mid day came to the village of Pleasanton. There were a number of stores, and as they tried to act nonchalant, sitting on a bench along the main street, they spied a pay phone. Irene asked, "Do you have any change? I know I don't. I never save it in my purse."

"Neither do I. We'll have to get some for the phone when we pay for our food at that diner."

Both, very hungry, ate substantially well, and had cups of coffee, which made them feel better than they could have imagined.

Alan had no feelings of a head injury, and most importantly just a slight head ache.

Going over to the public telephone, Irene proceeded to put money into it, dialed Elenore's number and nothing, no dial tone, nothing. The phone didn't work. After all they had been through, she could have burst out in tears, which was so unlike her.

Alan assured her they would find another phone. They went back to the restaurant and found the waitress they had tipped extra well. Irene asked her if there was another pay phone around town. She knew there was one in the lobby of the local library. After telling them where it was located, they thanked her and proceeded to it.

In the library, again Irene dialed Elenore. Elenore's voice mail picked up. Irene hung up.

Alan asked, "Does she have another phone number?"

"Yes, I will try it." She did and Elenore answered. Irene had rehearsed in her mind for miles what she would say to Elenore or her boss, the editor, but now that Elenore answered, she just wanted to cry and yell out help, help. But that would never do, so she put her adult voice into the receiver and told Elenore, "Elenore, call me back on a pay phone. This number is 981-829-7734. I have been kidnapped! I will wait right here." And she hung up.

It took a good thirty minutes for the phone to ring. Alan tried to make himself inconspicuous, waiting, while Irene hung around the phone area with a magazine, leafing through it.

"Hi Elenore, please listen carefully. I am in big trouble. Do you think you can safely help me and a friend of mine? We were kidnapped and got away. It is about that secret you and I were talking about at lunch the last time we met. We are in Pleasanton New York, stranded, and we can't go home. We have no vehicle anyway. Can you think of anything or anywhere for us to hide out?"

Elenore was taken by such surprise that she stammered for a little while. She managed to say, "Can you stay there for another day? I would have to arrange some things first."

Irene answered, "Okay, but I can't call you back, tell me now what day and what time. We will be in front of the Pleasanton library to be picked up. Oh, and Elenore, please call the Post, ask for Personnel department, tell them I had a big personal emergency, and not to expect me at work for a while. Make something up. I don't want to be missed yet."

"I will. Tomorrow at noon a car will pick you up, the driver will say, I was sent by Elenore, Okay?"

"Yes, we will be here, oh, thank you, Elenore. I love you so much."

"I love you too, don't worry," and the line went dead.

~~~*~~~

Irene hung up, turning, faced Alan, and said, "First, we have to get through the night, then meet Elenore or whoever she sends for us, here in front of the library, tomorrow at noon."

Alan responded by saying, "I think you should get a room at that hotel we saw next to the diner."

"Well, what about you? I can't be in a nice warm room and you out here somewhere."

"Don't worry, I will be with you, but I think only you should check in, and I should stay low until dark, then I will quietly join you. Hopefully with no one seeing me either. If 'they' are looking for us and check the hotel, you will be a single lady alone, therefore, under less suspicion."

Irene was quiet for a minute as they left the library. Now the hotel was in view. She noticed some low windows on the first floor.

"Ok, I'll check in, and try to get a room on the first floor, saying it is too hard for me to walk the stairs, or something. After dark, I will let you in the window or let you know the situation inside. Maybe there will be no one on duty at the desk all night. Such a small town, off the beaten track, I doubt the desk will be monitored."

"Sounds good to me. It should be dark in about 4 hours, and in the time being, I will wait in the woods for your signal from the window."

"I have a pen light in my purse, and I will flash it a couple of times, let's say at eight o'clock on the dot."

With wane smiles, they parted from one another.

All went well with Irene's check-in. A room on the first floor, with a large window that actually opened. It was close enough to the ground that all Alan had to do was practically step inside. She tried opening the window as far up as it would go and decided it would be easy enough. She would turn off all the lights so as not to create a silhouette of Alan for anyone to notice.

After getting settled in her room, Irene wandered out into the hallway, peering into the small lobby to see if the desk clerk was at the desk. He wasn't. She stood there for quite awhile and no one came or went. Quiet place, she decided.

Going back into the room, Irene took a well deserved shower, which felt wonderful. Afterward, she so wanted to lay down and sleep, but dared not do it, because with her cell phone disabled she had no alarm clock with her. There was a nice ornamental clock on the wall, so she could at least see the time.

At the decided time, Irene snapped off all the lights She opened the window, and was so surprised to see Alan right there ready to spring into the room. He said, "No light."

~~~***~~~

The rest of the night was uneventful, except Alan took a long shower, and by the time he stepped back into the room, Irene was fast asleep on the bed. They had not discussed any sleeping arrangements, so he didn't know exactly what to do.

He decided to sleep on the floor. Looking around for an extra blanket, he saw they were all on the bed over Irene, and he didn't want to disturb her.

Alan carefully, lifted the blankets, got under them and within just a few minutes he was sound asleep too.

In the first dim light, Alan got up and was jotting a note to Irene when she opened her eyes.

He whispered what was on the note, "I'm back out the window. I'll see you in front of the library at noon."

She murmured, "Okay." Then, turning over, she was sound asleep in a few seconds.

Tapping her lightly on the shoulder, Alan said, "Sorry to wake you, but you have to close and lock the window, now."

Irene, getting up, held her arms out to Alan. He entered the circle of her warmth. The embrace said so much, but he said, "We'll be all right. Let's not worry too much. We need to stay positive."

Hugging one another for a few more seconds, she said," I agree. You be safe and I'll see you at twelve."

After Alan left and after a visit to the toilet, Irene could not go back to sleep. Deciding she was too hungry to sleep, she just lay there thinking, but it wasn't long until she did sleep again.

Irene was at the library five minutes early. No Alan.

She waited on a bench outside the front door. At exactly noon, a black Beemer drove up, a guy called over to her. She walked to the car and he said, "Elenore sent me."

Just then, Alan appeared and got in the back seat, sliding down, so he couldn't be seen from any window.

Irene got in the front seat, and then, the car accelerated quickly up to speed.

The driver said, "I'm Elenore's boy friend Nick Adams."

Irene acknowledged him by asking, "Why haven't I ever met, seen or heard of you before? I'm her best friend Irene Taylor."

Calling from the back seat, still slumped out of sight, Alan said, "And I'm Alan Nordstrom."

Nick answered, "You guys have never heard of me, because Elenore's dad refuses to accept my politics and actually he refuses to see me personally too. So, as not to fight with her parents, we have been together for over a year now, but no one is aware of it. See, I ran opposite her dad in the last Senate race. He hates my guts."

"Well, that explains it," Irene said. "Lately I've rarely had the chance of being able to see Elenore. I'm glad no one knows about you, and she can trust you. How much do you know about us and the story?"

"I know as much as Elenore knows, and I think that is enough for me to want to help you guys out."

Alan called out his thanks to Nick and told him how much he appreciated it. In her turn, so did Irene.

Nick told them, "I'm taking an extended vacation as of now, so no one will miss me."

In unison both passengers voiced, "That's good."

"We will be going to my sailboat, and you will be safely hidden. Elenore will meet us there in a couple of hours."

~~~***~~~
Chapter Fifteen

Thinking that Marnie would be worried about him, bothered Alan so much he asked Nick to stop at a pay phone, far from the boat, so he could call her.

Nick thought that wasn't a good idea but was shot down by the pain in Alan's voice.

Alan gave it a lot of thought and was dropped off in front of a drug store to use the phone that was out front. He decided to call the home phone. No one would be home. Carrie was at school and Blake was still in the treatment center, most importantly, it wasn't a cell phone.

When the answering machine finally picked up, he said,

"Hi, Marnie and Carrie. I'm sorry about the other night. I have been called out of town and will be gone for a while. Don't you worry, I'm fine. I'm just on a job. I'll tell you about it when I get back. Both of you take care of each other, and give Blake my love too. Bye for now."

Alan had to make the call to keep Marnie from alerting the Police by listing him as a missing person. He didn't want any waves, any more than what was already in place.

~~~***~~~

Marnie came home from work a little early with a drastic headache. She didn't want it to turn into a migraine, so she was going to rest, reasoning it was from the stress of worrying about Alan's whereabouts. She was so relieved when she heard his voice on the answering machine and his explanation. She knew he didn't have to keep her posted, but was so glad he had called that her headache all but disappeared immediately. She sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in hand, pondering.

There were a lot of questions in her mind about Alan's life. She was not sure she could trust him, but she did. She was sure she loved him on a level she had never felt for anybody before. At four P.M. Carrie burst into the kitchen.

The first thing she asked was, "Has anyone heard from Alan yet? I dreamed he had a problem, and we weren't there to help him."

"He's all right, honey. You can go listen to the answering machine for yourself and hear his message, it's for both of us."

~~~***~~~

Finally the car stopped, Alan glanced out and saw they were no where he had ever been before.

Irene voiced it directly, "Where the hell are we?"

"We're near the dock. I'm going to park in this long term parking, and we will walk over to the boat. It's about a mile, do either of you have a problem with walking that far?"

Both Irene and Alan begin to laugh hysterically.

Then Alan managed to share, "In fact just the day before yesterday we walked over twenty miles all together."

It felt so good to relieve the tension of the past few days. The laughter felt great.

After parking the car in an out of the way space on the tenth floor of the parking garage, paying a machine, and posting the pay receipt on the windshield as instructed on the ticket, they began to walk.

By the time they came to the water and boats, all three were out of breath and sweating.

Nick spoke, "I've never walked here from that spot, sorry it was so far, I usually park nearby, right there in that lot for the marina residents."

They walked down the tar papered ramp and along the cemented dock until they were adjacent to a lovely, large sailboat that looked about forty feet long, well trimmed and named: "Another Time."

Nick said, "Welcome to Another Time, I hope we spend helpful and hopeful time aboard."

"It's beautiful, Nick." Irene voiced a unanimous opinion.

"Sure looks ship shape," Alan said. "Where's Elenore?"

In no time Elenore came aboard, she too was out of breath and sat down on one of the couches to rest before speaking:

"I parked in the same place as you did." Looking in Nick's direction, she went over to him, bending down, gave him a kiss. Then looking towards Irene, said, "Sorry to spring Nick on you like this, but didn't you ever wonder why I wasn't even dating, or with anyone?"

"No, not at all, I just thought you were busy, like me."

Elenore continued, "So let's get started on a plan. Nick, how many days provisions are on board?"

"About three weeks worth, if we're not picky. Last night after our talk, I came here, checked the stores, went to the Grocery, came back and stocked the pantry. Most importantly I filled up with fresh drinking water and gas for the engines."

Irene asked, "What are you thinking of? Sounds like a long trip to me."

Nick spoke first, "We're thinking of going to that island and kidnapping back the parents of those children."

Alan, big eyed, said, "There it is in a nutshell. Why didn't I think of that? Maybe because I actually know how hard it is to waltz into an encampment prison like that, ask two people to come with us and leave?"

Irene, dumbfounded, said, "Not a good idea. Sure sounds dangerous. We have to do research, we just can't take off half cocked like this. I for one don't want to do that. We could be killed. What were you two thinking of, hopefully you have some good information for us."

Elenore spoke next, saying, "It isn't half cocked. I looked into everything I could last night about that island, and the imprisonment there. I copied every file I could find pertaining to the place. I made written copies of it, so we could study all of it while under way, not knowing if we could even get on line on the ocean without being detected.

"Weeks ago, I was able to steal the password of the Vice President with access to everything imaginable. There are very few or no guards at all on that island, because no one can get off. The prisoners are free to roam around at will. A so-called Security boat arrives every two weeks. I tried to find the date sequence, but it wasn't listed anywhere.

"Being in a great hurry, I didn't get to read too much of what I took. Also, I bought a new computer today on the way here. It could be of some use, if we can figure out how to gain access to the internet and still stay under the wire."

"Now, I'm thinking it just might work," Irene laughed. "I'm glad you called my office for me. What did they say at the paper, by the way?"

"They said you had just had a few days off and asked what was the emergency with a relative being sick and what's up with these relatives of yours? So I told them in Personnel, who took the call, that it was the same relative. He was now worse and you'd be out of cell range, so not to expect a call either. I got at least two weeks off for you without any further questions."

"Boy, am I ever glad you made that call. This could be, no, it will be, the biggest story of my life, and I don't want to blow it. Thanks so much for covering for me at the paper, and for all the copies you made, Elenore. So, let's have a vote, who is willing to do this?"

All four raised their hands in unison.

Nick said, "We're off. Irene, Allen, any experience sailing?"

"No," Both shook their heads

"Well, that's okay, there is always a first time, and it's never too late and all that, etcetera."

Nick got the yacht underway, and when they were out of view of the shore line, each occupant felt a little safer.

There were maps to be studied and much to be discussed, because the exact location of the island was still a mystery. Nick reasoned that in the files that Elenore had taken, the location would be pin pointed. He was a very good navigator, having traveled the world's oceans with his family all his life, with just his dad and himself, making two long voyages across the Atlantic.

Dinner had to be prepared, enjoyed, and then cups of good, after-dinner coffee, to go along with the talking late into the night.

Deciding who would do what after their arrival to the island was the longest discussion.

Finally Nick said, "Let's just get within reach of this island before we decide who will be heroes, okay?"

Sailing wasn't nearly as hard as Irene and Alan initially thought it would be. They took to it with willingness to learn and with hard work. All four aboard had no doubt the trip would take at least one to two weeks to get to the island, but they had no exact idea. Everything had to do with wind, weather, luck, and distance.

~~~***~~~

Meanwhile, the Smith family was getting on with their lives.

Blake managed to lose all the fat he had accumulated from his food addiction. No longer obese he felt kinda normal. Exercising daily gave his body definition, strong muscles, and excellent posture. Blake wasn't the same boy who tried to hang himself in the car park a few months ago. He was actually so thankful that the belt had snapped because it couldn't hold his weight. The only thing he could think that would be good about being dead would be; he might have gotten to be with his parents right away. Even that was not for sure. No one ever proved it, not to him, and he never heard of life after death being actually proven to anybody. Church people always said stuff about faith. He didn't think he had enough faith to be sure. Some church people seemed like they did though. His room mate, Whitey, thought when he died he would be with his dad again. Whitey hoped his over weight mom wouldn't die before he died though. At least, he had faith in the hereafter, that there was one.

Whitey lost a lot of weight too, and both boys were feeling better about themselves and their lives.

Every day they went to group sessions where a Leader would share a little of their own compulsive overeating life, experiences, then bring up a topic that all the children could talk about. It was so good to have other people who had suffered the same types of abuse and addiction as Blake and Whitey, and to actually talk about it, out loud, honestly, with people who understood.

Bullying was a common topic and so was low self esteem. Being selfish and self centered, another regular topic. Thinking of other people or other activities besides eating helped addicts, because like most compulsive's, they usually thought of themselves most of the time. Finding out that if they got interested in other people, they hardly ever thought of overeating or themselves.

Being stuffed until feeling sick was not appealing anymore, like it once was.

It felt so good to be free of the imprisonment of the food addiction. To be able to think of something or someone else was a relief. In their prior lives, it felt as if food had it in for them. Like food was after them and not the other way around.

Now, seeing more clearly, made all the difference in the world. They learned it was the same as alcoholism and drug addiction, that they were as addicted as heroin addicts to heroin. Learning this by seeing x-rays of brains with these substances and without them. Such a shocker. The heroin addict's brain was lit up just the same as when a person overate sugar or wheat for some people too. Any type of sugar or wheat. Finding out even sugar free items were unhealthy was a short disappointment, until fruit was discovered to be the sweet replacement. After only days of being off of all sugar or wheat items, they didn't feel the craving for it anymore.

Some of the children still overate, even though they were clean of sugar, but their compulsion was for any food, not just sugar. So these children learned that three meals a day and only two snacks in between caused a drastic weight loss.

Blake wanted to leave the treatment center as soon as he lost his weight. Wanting to show his school classmates, who had been so mean, but the trained staff talked about the statistics of people who left early. The people who left early usually gained all their weight back, because compulsive eating was so ingrained that the new habits hadn't developed into a different lifestyle yet. Doing something to make a new habit was proven to work well if it was done consecutively for ninety days, minimum.

~~~***~~~

Carrie stayed in her own little thought world most of the time. She did have a couple of girl friends at school, but at home, Keith, Amanda, and Carrie were inseparable. Marnie had to call Carrie just about every night to come home from Janet's when dinner was ready. Afterwards, she had to stay home, so she was glad when dinner was late, or Marnie late coming home from work.

Carrie was begining to have real feelings for Keith, not just the feelings in her head like before when she thought it would be cool to have a boyfriend and brag to other girls at school about it, but now that she really did like him, she was quiet and shared this fact with no one, not even Keith.

She knew it was prudent to wait, and if he liked her as well as she liked him, he would be the one to come forward, not her. She did feel little shatterings in the pit of her stomach when he was near. Not letting on, she noticed every move he made. In her eyes, he was the cutest guy in the world with a very buff body to match.

She had seen weights in Keith's living room and knew he worked out with the weights. It started her thinking about her own body. She wondered if she appealed to Keith, physically.

Since Carrie did not exercise, she started at first jogging, then took up running. She wanted to be as fit as he was, so she could keep up with him if they hiked or went out for a run. She even bought some five pound weights to improve the definition of her very thin upper arms.

She felt content with her life except for missing Blake, wondering daily how he was doing, and wondering when he was coming home.

Marnie and Carrie still visited Blake most Sundays. They'd have lunch, then the visit. They walked around the grounds or inside if it was raining. She recognized she loved Blake very much. That she wished him well and she was truly sorry for the way she had treated him before his suicide attempt.

Carrie's counselor said that she shouldn't feel so guilty, that if she herself hadn't been so messed up, she wouldn't have heaped her pain on Blake.

It made her feel a little better, even though she had thought of that months before she started going to counseling.

Carrie was embarrassed within herself whenever she thought of her childish thoughts and actions towards Alan.

"What a goofy little girl I was then. I hope Alan and Marnie forget all the stuff I did then. I had no idea about sex, love, and feelings. I didn't know what the most important things in this world are until Blake was just about dead. It hit me at that moment, that I had been totally wrong about just everything."

Carrie continued, thinking, "I sure did grow up fast when Marnie got into that accident. I'm glad it's over and that we're all being somewhat normal now and not hiding in our house all the time. I love having friends, and I'm not afraid to talk, afraid that I will give the family secrets away. I was never even told what the secrets were, but I could feel them. Mommy and Dada were so jumpy when they were outside in the world. Shopping or anywhere, sorta like looking over their shoulders all the time or something. I miss them both so terribly and hope they are in a better place, as other people call it. I do wonder though. Will I go to a better place than this when I die? This place isn't so bad, but it is not great either, so there sure could be a better place. Or maybe there is a better way to look at this place."

~~~***~~~

Chapter Sixteen

Marnie was very curious as to where Alan could be and what he was doing. She continued in her daily life as usual, daydreaming about him constantly, relishing the few times they had spent alone, regretting not going all the way with him one minute, being glad she didn't the next minute.

Determined to find the answers to the mystery of Alan, she found out the address of his apartment by striking up a friendship with a guy that worked at the Department of Motor Vehicles by the name of Zack. She promised him, in a joking manner, a date if he got Alan's address for her. Fibbing to Zack a story about Alan being a relative that she wanted to look up with a surprise visit. She hoped she could get out of the date later, after getting the address. They agreed to meet at a Starbucks coffee shop, and they did; but when he slipped Marnie the address, he asked, "Now, will you go out with me on Friday night?"

Smiling as cute as she knew how, she thought, answering,

"Not this Friday, is next Friday okay? My little sister has a thing at school, I already promised."

"Well, okay, I guess that's all right. Let's just meet here since it is in the vicinity of where I want to take you."

"And where's that?"

"You'll just have to wait an see. Wear a nice outfit though, that's the only hint I'm giving you."

Marnie couldn't wait to get to Alan's apartment and try to give it the "once over." But she had to wait for the week-end because of Carrie and work. The place was way across town where she had never been, and she wanted to visit in the day light.

~~~***~~~

On Sunday, Carrie asked, "May I go to the skate park with Keith and Amanda, then to lunch, and to the movies? We'll be gone all day, but I promise to help you clean and do errands tomorrow, if it's okay."

"Are you sure you'll be all right being out all day and evening? I worry, you know."

Carrie frowned, answering her sister, "No, I didn't know you worry about me. How long has this been going on?" She smiled and started laughing at the frown now on Marnie's face.

"For your information, it has been going on for years now. You're my charge, I take that seriously. Not to mention, I love you. Okay, you can go, but I'm holding you to it about helping out tomorrow. I need down time too, you know. Oh, do you have the money for your outing today?"

"Yes, and I'm all ready, they are waiting for me out in the hall. Bye Marnie, oh, and I love you too, big Sis."

With a quick jump, Carrie got up from the chair, turned and ran out the front door.

Marnie heard the laughter out in the hall as the three friends were off to their Sunday adventures. She was glad Carrie would be busy today and not staying at home alone. Carrie would have been wondering where her big sister could be gone for so long.

Marnie left the apartment within minutes of Carrie's exit. She, too, had been ready for her own escape and adventures.

~~~***~~~

Marnie took the bus across the city, happy she didn't have to spend money on a taxi in order to save time.

Looking up at the huge apartment complex, hoping to get inside and at least see the place where Alan lived, Marnie waited near the door. The main entry needed a card key to get inside. An older gentleman was going up to the door; and as he was inserting his card, Marnie slipped behind him, trying to look like they were together. The door opened, and she entered right behind him. He turned and saw her.

She smiled, saying," I forgot that my Uncle is not home, I just need to come in and wait for him."

"Oh, that's okay, I didn't think a thing of it. What apartment is your Uncle in?"

Marnie told him an apartment number, but not Alan's. He offered her to wait for her uncle at his apartment.

By now they were on the elevator, alone, going up. Marnie answered, "Thank you. I will just go check, maybe he was running water and didn't hear me downstairs ringing when I rang."

"Well, I'll give you my number and if he isn't home, you are more than welcome to come wait for him."

"I appreciate it" she said. She reached over, shook his hand as the elevator made a sudden stop.

"By the way, what's your name and apartment number?" she asked.

Holding the door open with his foot, he told her he was Ted and the number of his apartment home.

Marnie completed her trip up to Alan's floor. Walking past all the apartments, she slowed down until she was just about to the number for his door. Stopping, she went over to the railing, looking out over the cityscape, noting the striking view and one last time wondering what she was doing there. The open air walkway showed no signs of anybody else coming or going.

The next door was Alan's, Marnie slowed, knocked very close to the door so her coat would cover the door knob and tried it. Locked. Of course, what did she think, he'd be gone weeks on end with his front door unlocked in New York City? A big picture window was next to the door with the drapes closed. She noticed a stick in the window and that the window was cracked open up to the stick. No one would notice unless they looked very closely. She knew she could not try to get inside at this time of day, it would be too risky and she couldn't do it anyway.

Marnie, kept walking, taking in all the surroundings of the place. There was a stair well. The stairs went to the very roof top according to a sign posted in the hallway. Marnie stood inside this area for some minutes thinking what to do.

She went down stairs where there was an outside door that led to the street in an alley. Marnie had hoped there would be such an exit, since her apartment complex had the same layout, and in anticipation she had brought duck tape. With the door almost closed, so anyone on the outside could not see her, she teethed off about two inches of duck tape and covered the latch and repeated the process twice again so there were three heavy layers of the tape over the latch.

Next she went all the way to the top of the building. "The view from up here is breathtaking," she mused.

Then she walked back to Alan's floor, again walking in front of his apartment, noting with precise attention the width of the opening in the window. It looked to be a little more than a few inches.

At home again, after taking the bus back, Marnie was resting in front of the TV. She put clothes in the washer, baked some breakfast cookies for next week, and picked up the living room before sitting down to watch TV.

Carrie dashed in the front door after rattling it, ringing and banging on it. Deciding Marnie was out, she finally used her key, and was surprised to see her sister lounging on the couch in front of the TV.

"Why didn't you come?"

"I knew you would eventually make it inside. How was your day? Was the outing as fun as you all expected?"

"Yes, we had a good time. We had lots of fun all day. But I hope I don't have to work too hard tomorrow."

Marnie smiled at her little sister. Picking up a tape measure that was laying beside her, she asked Carrie to come over to her. Marnie measured her so oddly that Carrie squawked, "What are you doing? Measuring my sides? What for?"

"Hold still, good, four inches. Do you want to go on still another adventure tonight with me?"

Then Marnie told Carrie her plans of breaking into Alan's apartment, and that they would be looking for information to tell who Alan was, where he worked, and where he had gone.

~~~***~~~

After dinner both sisters got dressed in dark clothes and felt like they were about to be young sleuths, except breaking the law wasn't the same as true sleuthing. They were afraid, but both were determined to follow through.

All the way on the bus, Marnie tutored Carrie about how to get through the window. Noting that afternoon that the thick drapes covering the window were a light beige color, Marnie told Carrie to bring a white hoody to slip on right before she was to attempt getting through the small space.

Marnie also had designed a wire hanger that could be used as a hook, to hook the stick while holding onto the window, and to pull the stick aside. If Carrie could only get her upper body in she could at least use the hook . The main point Marnie had impressed on her, besides to be quiet, was to go in side ways, not forward. Carrie was very slim anyway, but across her sides was less than four inches.

~~~***~~~

Getting into the building at the supposedly locked, stairway door on the street level was easy. But Marnie had worried the duck tape would be gone and their plan stopped before they even got inside. She noted a good security guard would have found it on his or her rounds. Relieved they walked up the stairs.

Reaching Alan's floor and the open-air hallway, they slowly walked towards his door.

"There's his door", Marnie told her sister. "Look at where the window is open as we pass."

"Ok, I see it."

They both continued walking back to the stairwell. Standing there, well, more like hiding there, they tried to calm down and to breath normally.

The time was two in the morning, no one was around. It felt safe to proceed.

Marnie gave Carrie her white hoody and the wire hanger. With a nod of her head, Carrie turned and walked the few feet to Alan's window.

Marnie stood in the shadows to watch.

Carrie stepped up on the sill, thinking, "It's a good thing I have been exercising so much."

Turning sideways, pulling in her small stomach even flatter, she managed to just barely squeeze in through the little opening. Her feet touched the living room floor, and her first thought was, "I'm in!"

Racing over to the front door, she let Marnie in. After closing, then locking the door, they both stood looking at each other with hearts beating wildly. Calming down a bit, they started to look around the place.

Carrie said, "I didn't even have to use the wire hanger. It was really scary though, are you feeling ok, Marnie?"

"I'm feeling way better now that we're in. Just not knowing what would happen was the scary part. Carrie, thank you for coming with me and getting us inside. Now let's look from room to room, and if you find any paperwork, call me, okay?"

Soon Marnie yelled, "His desk is in here. I'll look through it. I brought a note book for notes and I can take pictures too, with my cell phone.

"Don't you trust Alan?" Carrie asked.

"I could trust him if he would have ever given me just a little information, but he hasn't, and it is time I know what's up with him."

"Good thinking. Are you ever going to tell him we broke in here?"

"Yes, when I see him, I'll tell him, that is if we find out anything suspicious. If not, I'll just wait and see where we are headed in our relationship. Don't mess stuff up too much, we should try to put everything back just like we found it, okay?"

"Okay, but what are you looking for?"

"I'm not exactly sure. Just anything, maybe a check stub from his work, a letter from his mom, a garage park ticket, anything. Ask, if you think it might lead to the answer of the question, Who is Alan Nordstrom?"

"Okay, I'll go to the bedroom first. Marnie, after this, do I have to go to school tomorrow? It's sooo late."

"No, you don't, now go."

As soon as Carrie entered the bedroom, she was struck by how neat it looked. Nothing like her own room. Her own room was messy and looked lived in. Alan's room seemed right out of Better Homes and Garden's magazine.

She looked in all the drawers first, she found a gun on top of his teal and red colored underwear. She was savvy enough not to touch it.

"Marnie, come here. I found a pistol, but don't touch it."

Looking in the drawer, Marnie snapped a picture of the gun that was laying on top of the brightly colored briefs.

"Good work, honey, just keep calling me when you find anything interesting."

After a good hour of searching and being really tired, the sisters left the apartment as they had found it; to an untrained eye.

Marnie decided to look through all the pictures she had taken of documents, notes, and letters later at home. They were both beat.

~~~***~~~
Chapter Seventeen

Nick Adams studied the ship's maps and instruments, finding the islands were three thousand miles away. He shared this news with his crew.

As they all sat around the yacht's cabin, Nick said, "It will take about five to seven days to just get there, depending on the wind and weather; are you guys okay with the time frame?"

Everybody replied with an affirmative.

By now, each shipmate knew their new sailing skills well. Irene navigated, studied the charts, steered, from the captain's chair, as well as Nick, when Nick was needed elsewhere or asleep. Elenore and Alan switched back and forth, exchanging galley duty with whatever else had to be done on board, which were a variety of tasks, a great many challenges to the new sailors.

Sailing wasn't constant work though, they had fun among the four, but looming in conversation and in every waking moment was the question. "How do we get the two parents off the island without getting caught, drowned, or shot?"

Sometimes, it felt to them all, that they had undertaken a wild goose chase, except they were determined to see it through.

Elenore, the most computer savvy person on board couldn't use the new computer she had purchased on the way to the yacht. She bought it, thinking Nick had wifi on board, because earlier in the year, she had used her computer on the boat. He told her that he had stopped the wifi as soon as summer was over, not intending to sail over the winter.

She decided it was a good thing not to use a computer, less chance of being traced.

The weather got hotter and hotter the closer they sailed to Ecuador. Not being used to such heat all the crew suffered from it.

Nick thought it a good idea to stop for food and water at St. Rosina, before heading to the island of La Inaqua. Also, they might learn something of the security from locals. At least he was going to try to find out the day and time of the security supply boat's schedule for making the biweekly run to the prison island.

The ten days out at sea drifted along with tension, work, sleep and worry.

Finally, entering a softly curved bay and docking alongside a huge ship, the tired crew made their way onto the island of St. Rosina.

Nick was most interested to talk to anybody about La Inaqua, without causing undue suspicion. He made his way across to a ship repair site, striking up a conversation with the owner, who introduced himself as Andre'. He seemed friendly and maybe helpful. Pretending something needed fixing on the yacht was easy, since Nick had been sailing for years with knowledge of all his boat's mechanical workings. It was about lunch time, and Nick invited his new acquaintance to lunch with him.

Andre' gladly accepted, and over cool beers at an outside table in the shade of the cafe and Palms, they exchanged niceties.

Finally, getting around to talking about La Inaqua was not easy, but Nick brought it up by asking about all the islands. Andre' told him to stay away from there, that it was off limits.

Nick, asked, "Why, off limits? Is there anything wrong with it?"

"Oh, yes, you could get in serious trouble there, steer clear of it. That island is home to some big criminals."

"You got to be kidding me. What outfit or nation is imprisoning them?

"Nothing is official to us here, but the United States is my bet. I see the security boat pass, and also it comes into the yard often for upkeep and repair."

"Really, do you know the times it goes over there? I'll be sure to steer clear of those times for sure."

"Oh, yeah, it's scheduled for every two weeks and it just went over yesterday, so don't worry about it."

As they finished their lunch and another dark robust beer, Nick said, "Thanks, Andre' for the company, I will bring my boat in if I can't get it repaired on my own, okay?"

"Yeah, thanks for lunch too, I love keeping up with you Americans. Hope to be of service if you need me."

Parting ways, Nick went to find his other three companions. They were all sitting at another cafe, around a large, oval, highly varnished table made of coconut shells cut in thin rounds. He told them what he had learned. Then, they purchased groceries, refilled water jugs, and met back on board.

By evening all was ready to set sail by the early morning light.

~~~***~~~

Drifting freely with La In aqua in view, it was decided only one of the four would make an exploratory landing. The two men drew straws, because there had been so much argument about who would go. Alan got the long straw.

Alan took the dingy, a small lifeboat, with a gas engine attached, heading towards the island, hoping to land with a high tide. The rather large sailboat stayed far away for fear of being sighted.

From satellite pictures it was known the main building on the island was on the side where Alan was headed.

Alan beached the boat, hiding it well in the foliage close to the water's edge at this time of day.

Begining to look around and walking toward where he thought the main compound would be located, Alan, quietly making his way, looked up. He could see why no guards were needed.

~~~***~~~

Three sides of the entire island were walls of great steep granite cliffs, which no one could have scaled, up or down. And even if they could, where could they go with the ocean surrounding their prison home?

The other side, where Alan was headed, looked like the only entry way, but it too was a steep forested hike. With much jungle foliage surrounding him, Alan couldn't actually make out what was ahead.

Finally arriving at what looked like a fenced compound with a large locked gate, Alan just stood there thinking what to do next. He was in plain site of the buildings.

A man, Alan assumed a prisoner, walked over to the gate and said, "Can I help you? We never get visitors, I was shocked to see you standing there."

Alan, smiling so the man would not think him a sinister enemy, replied, "I'm looking for Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Harold and Emily."

"Oh, I'm afraid you are a little too late, Emily died three days ago. From natural causes, if you can call having no medical assistance during pregnancy and delivery natural. I'm glad though, to say the baby survived, he looks healthy in spite of everything."

"I'm so sorry about that," Alan said. The United States has sent me to collect Harold and the baby."

Alan ad-libbed, thinking he should put on the official act until he at least met Mr. Smith. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to get him out if people thought he was sent by the government, at least in some official capacity.

"I'll go get him for you, just stay here."

Soon, a good-looking man around forty years old, came out of one of the low, cement block buildings. Walking up to the fence, he greeted Alan, "I'm Harold Smith, what's this all about?"

"We're sorry about your wife, Harold, and I've come to take you back to your family. Is your new baby all right."

"Yes, I am trying to keep him alive, which is hard, since there is no breast milk to be had on this island, but we do have goats and that seems to be working well."

"We might have to take one of those goats with us, I think, we only have dried evaporated milk on board our boat."

Harold smiled, saying, "I so wish you would have come to help my wife, only three days ago, why now?"

"We actually knew nothing of your wife and child, I'm so sorry we weren't here sooner. The truth is I'm really in love with your oldest daughter, Marnie, who knows nothing of this venture."

Marnie's father's mouth fell open in sudden disbelief and surprise, saying, "Why Marnie is just a young girl, how can you be in love with her?"

"She's now over eighteen years old and a wonderful young woman. I am sorry to shock you with all this, but that is the reason I'm helping you out of here. My friends and I wanted to help both your wife and yourself out. We aren't doing this officially. That was a lie, because I had no idea what to expect, and under what circumstances I'd find you. We have to go as soon as possible. We don't want to be spotted."

"Sounds good, except for one thing, what are we going to do with this computer chip? The tracking devise they inserted the day we got here. It works like the ones they put in dogs."

Alan, quiet for a minute, asked, "Where is it on your body, Harold?"

"It's in my back, around from my shoulder. A place where most people can't reach, but you can."

"Do you know how deep?"

"No, but it took about a week for the skin to grow over it, but I really don't know. They gave me a little shot of Novocain to numb it, when they put it in."

Alan, thought another minute. "Can't you get another prisoner to take it out for you?"

"No; no one will do it, because if they're found out, they will be thrown over. It happened to one guy already since we came."

Alan had a plan, telling Harold, "When you can, come to that low place over there and I will reach through the fence and take it out with my pocket knife. Then you go put it under your pillow so it will show that you are still here. One negative is you might get infection, but as soon as we get on board, I will disinfect it."

"Then, when it's just about dark, I mean dusk, still light enough so we can see to get down, you bring your baby, and we'll get you over this fence. What do you say?"

"I'll be over there in a few minutes, you make yourself scarce. Most of the people here are busy at this time of day, so not many have seen you. Even if they do, no one will say anything, with the tracking chips they can monitor us all the time; electronically."

It was very unpleasant, to say the least, but Alan did dig out the locator from Harold's back by wedging one hand through the fence, without alerting anyone. Harold managed without screaming, but he did end up fainting and covered in sweat.

In the overgrowth where Alan couldn't be seen, he waited until early dusk, as planned. He saw Harold coming, but he didn't see a bundle that would be a baby. As soon as he got within ear shot, Alan said, "Where is your baby?"

"He is tied to me, he'll be okay. I just have to climb this thing and get over the razor wire without killing us both."

Alan responded, "How is your back? I'm sorry I didn't have any first aid with me."

"That's okay, a close friend in the camp bandaged me up as good as possible. The bleeding has lessoned at least, I think, and I put on a clean shirt. I wore an old rag for you to do the extraction, so I could throw it away in the incinerator."

"Good, Harold, I'm glad you got help."

"You could probably get the baby through down here, the wires are pulled apart wide enough in the fence, then pass him through to me. I'm afraid he might get hurt, tied to you."

"No, I'm not giving him up. I sure don't trust anyone. Would you if you were me?"

"Under the circumstances neither would I, let's not waste time, just get over here then."

They were not in view of any buildings, and if they had been, no one could alert anyone anyway, since they were truly prisoners on a prison island.

Harold was in better shape than Alan thought he would be, after being in prison all this time. Then it occurred to him that they probably had a weight room like the prisons back home. There certainly was enough room to exercise, run, walk, and even wander around the place. Unlike any prison Alan had ever heard of.

Alan saw that Harold had pulled a thick small mattress as he came out of the compound, behind him. He now threw it up over the razor wire at the top of the fence.

Now, he was struggling to get over the razor wire. He had on a heavy shirt, but light pants. Alan hoped he didn't get cut up, especially after the butchering surgery earlier to remove the detection chip.

Finally weaving his body up to the mattress, Harold heaved himself over and down right in front of Alan, practically falling, but with Alan's help, he stayed mostly upright. There was only one long gash showing blood through the thin spotted pants, everything else looked okay.

On the trail back down to the life boat, both men were quiet. The baby must have slept through the hurrying action, but as soon as they were seated on the boat and Alan was ready to start the motor, he could hear a faint little mewing sound. "Must be the baby crying," he thought.

~~~***~~~

Boarding the large craft took longer than expected, the winds were up, making it difficult to climb the ladder up to the sail boat, and get the life boat secured.

The other members of the crew quickly learned of the sad circumstances of Mrs. Smith, that she was deceased. They were practically dumbfounded when Mr. Smith, opening the front of his jacket, pulled his baby from it.

Soon the astonishment turned to loving, cooing sounds from the two women. Irene took the tiny bundle from Harold, and then Elenore said, "Mr. Smith, did you bring anything for him? Milk or a baby bottle? Diapers??

"No, sorry, nothing. There was nothing for a baby at the prison. I just used a soft rag for him to suck the goat milk, and any old cloth I could for diapers. Oh, please, call me Harold, not Mr. Smith. I'm so grateful to all of you for our rescue, thank you, thank you."

Asking Harold to sit and make himself comfortable, Nick excused himself to fetch a pot of coffee and cups.

Irene and Elenore left the main room, leaving to take care of the baby, with Harold's blessing and relief.

~~~***~~~
Chapter Eighteen

All three men were mulling over what to do when Allen remembered Harold's wounds. He retrieved alcohol swabs, and antibiotic cream from the first aid kit that hung on the wall. Dressing the wounds, Allen asked Harold if he was hungry,

"Not really, they did fed us quite well. I think that's why the baby is so healthy. Thank God. Emily was pretty healthy too, only she died in child birth. I'm not even sure if the authorities knew she was pregnant. I know they don't know our baby exists yet."

Nick said, "We have a long trip ahead of us, Harold, and we need you to help us figure out how we are going to re-enter you back into society along with your family. Maybe with all of us thinking about it, a plan will develop. Any ideas?"

"No, I'm sorry, I'm still in shock to be right here, right now", Harold said. "When only a few days ago, I lost Emily, I thought my life was over; and I would have jumped off one of the cliffs, if the baby had not died. But I had something to live for, and so I stayed. Now, I have my other three children to live for too, thanks to you folks!" Harold paused to take a deep breath. "I can relieve your minds of one pressing item," he said. "The authorities won't know we are gone for a long time, because two friends that I trust have our tracking devices. After Emily died I gave hers to one who will move around with it regularly. I did the same with mine. After you took it out today, I gave it to another friend to keep it moving. All we are to those who watch is a little dot on a computer screen." Now, Please tell me, how my children are doing? Are they still together? What's happened to them?"

Nick turned to Allen and said, "Alan, that's your department, I'll go check on the ladies and the little one."

Alan, looking over at the sad father of the family that he loved, began by telling him about the governmental agency he worked for and to what extent he was involved with the disappearance of him and his wife. He told about taking care of the children as best as he could, of falling in love with Marnie, and making the decision to go find her parents, so he could marry her. Being as honest as possible, he told of Marnie not having any knowledge of his involvement.

Harold's grim, sad look reappeared when Alan told of Marnie's leg amputation, and of Blake's addiction. A new look of relief when he heard of Blake's recovery, of Irene, Elenore and Nick's involvement, and that all the children were still together.

Alan felt good to get all this off his chest, out in the open and not to be condemned for his part in spying on the family or working for their enemy.

~~~***~~~

Marnie took Blake out of treatment for first one day, then a week end, and now he was coming home to stay.

Both his sisters were so glad to have him safely back with them. They had overhauled their entire food ideas. Eating healthy gave them more energy and took their blue days away. It was an added bonus not to feel negative and depressed regularly.

The center taught Marnie and Carrie to leave all boxed, bagged, canned, and imitation foods at the grocery store. To only buy whole foods that they could recognize as real food.

The day Blake came home, they had a celebration dinner Marnie cooked. Baked chicken, fresh broccoli, brown rice, and fresh greens with tomatoes. For desert she made strawberries covered with real whip cream, sweetened with a little Stevia, sitting atop fresh baked biscuits made of whole grain amaranth and millet flours.

The family, would all work together to keep one another healthy.

~~~***~~~

After Marnie, burglarized Alan's apartment, she was met with such shocking photos of his secret life that she decided to give up on him. If she ever saw him again, she would tell him exactly what she thought of his sneaking into their home years earlier, she had the dated photo's to prove it. What on earth could he have done that for?

There were pictures taken of her parents on the street, in a coffee shop and at their jobs. The most confusing one was of the inside of the home, dated three years ago, way before Carrie or she had even met Alan. Whatever could be his deal? It frightened her to her innermost being, and she didn't want anything to do with him ever again.

After looking at all the documents and pictures, Marnie realized she didn't even know who Alan was. She intended to forget that she ever loved him by focusing more and more on her job and family.

~~~***~~~

Marnie managed to put Zack off for two more weeks after she got Alan's address from him, through Alan's DMV records, but after deciding to break it off with Alan, she went out with Zack. She found him an amiable young man. He was much younger than Alan, so he didn't possess Alan's status, or good manners; but Zack did hold his own and Marnie liked him a great deal.

She dared not tell Carrie about what they had found, in order not to worry her. None of it made any sense anyway. Carrie had enough on her plate with her brother just getting back to the same school as Carrie. She still liked Keith, and was trying to work things out with him. Marnie thought Carrie had all she could handle at the moment.

The last time Marnie went out with Zack, he tried to kiss her, but she didn't feel with him anything like she did with Alan. Since Zack and she had only been out on two dates, she didn't feel bad about pulling away and not allowing him to kiss her. She had to wait and see.

Down deep she was still waiting to hear from Alan. She knew she still loved him, but she was so confused by his actions that she would cut her thinking off whenever she caught herself begining to dwell on him, their lives together, and what might have been.

Even if there was a decent explanation, Marnie knew there was none that could make her understand why Alan had spied on her family and especially her parents. It infuriated her so much that someone would do that, sneak into a home, take pictures of everything, and now disappear.

If she let her mind go, Marnie would wonder if Alan had anything to do with her parents death and the car accident that killed them. It truly hurt to think like this, but she just couldn't help thinking that he was sinister in some way. "Well, he had a gun, didn't he!" she asked herself.

On the other hand, when Marnie was in the hospital, he had been kind to Carrie, and then afterwards he was so caring to all three of them. It was so confusing that her mind would go round and round, then she would give up, and on purpose, focus on another topic, another worry, or another place or person.

~~~***~~~

The first day Blake was back to school was hard, but he was so different, feeling like he was no longer afraid, probably because he just about died, it had changed him, and deciding to live now made all the difference.

Walking in with Carrie was a relief. No one would say anything if she was by his side. He even smiled at Mrs. Johnston, his teacher again this year. She smiled back, saying to him, "Hi, Blake, it's so good to have you back, and you look wonderful. See you in class."

Blake had to go to the office first to make sure he was re-registered, and there Carrie had to leave him. He waited to speak to the principal and then to the school counselor. Then he could go to class.

Class was already underway, of course, and as he walked in, all eyes stared at him. He just smiled at Mrs. Johnston, waiting for her to tell him where to sit. She re-introduced Blake to the class as she pointed out an empty desk.

He sat. None of the children said a word to him until the hour was over and as they walked out the door a couple of kids did speak to him.

"Glad your back, Blake."

"Hi Blake, I missed you, you look great."

He couldn't help hearing from one guy say, "So, tryin' to kill yourself didn't work, huh?"

Then at lunch that bully, fat Larry came over to his table where he was sitting with Carrie, Keith and Amanda. Larry asked, "Ok, so Blake, why didja do it?"

Blake, looking Larry in the eye asked, "What do ya mean, why did I do what?"

"You know, try to kill y'urself? I really want to know. I mean, I really need to know. I feel like that all the time. I think I'll do it one of these days. So, anyway, how did ya do the other thing? How'd you get skinny? You can see I'm way bigger than you ever were, and I gotta get this fat off me. It's ruining my life. Oh, and I'm real sorry for treating you so bad last year. Do ya believe me?"

Blake, feeling sorry for him, asked, "If you're serious, have your mother call my sister, Marnie. She can give your mom all the information."

Larry gave a wane sort of a smile, and said, "Can I sit here with you guys to eat lunch? Nobody wants me to sit with them."

"Sure, you can, do you know my sister, Carrie, and these other two? They're Keith and Amanda, our good friends, and they're our neighbors, too."

Blake decided then and there to never treat anyone like the children at his school had treated him, even Larry. It was Larry who had treated him the worst. Blake could now see it was because Larry had felt so bad about himself that he had to make someone else feel worse than he felt. Then it would take some of Larry's pain off of Larry for at least a minute.

After that first day, all the kids talked to Blake and liked him, even girls. He couldn't believe it. Maybe by deciding to stay fit and eating well, he could actually help somebody. If he could help Larry, he was sure he could pass on his new found life and ideas to other kids who might need help. But only if they asked. At the treatment center Blake learned only people who wanted help could be helped.

There were daily and weekly groups of meetings for people with his type of addiction all around in the community, at the library, in church basements, in bank meeting rooms, and even at school. The meetings with people like himself, really helped him to never feel alone. They helped him with self honesty, and gave him a valuable social life. He would take Larry to one next time he went.

Whitey went to the group meetings too, in his home town. Blake's old friend and room mate from the center kept in touch with him regularly. It was great having lots of friends. People who understood his pain, and joy.

~~~***~~~

Nick Adams finally sailed his yacht into the harbor and then into it's own slip.

No plan had been cemented on how to handle the re-entry of the ex-prisoner and his new infant son into society. More importantly, none of the five aboard could come up with a good way to keep themselves safe while putting the torn family back together again.

Irene decided to call her newspaper and let them know she was back. After speaking with the editor, she announced to her friends on board, "I've got to go and get on with my life. I'm going back to work early tomorrow. I suggest we all find out what we can and meet back here in two days to decide how to proceed. We need to make a plan, so no one gets hurt or killed."

All around agreements were made. Nick suggested Harold and baby stay on board for the two days. The facilities were much better than most hotels. Food was plentiful and most importantly they would be safe, since no one had seen them yet.

Alan would search out any news from his one trusted friend at his agency. Maybe he could learn what had happened to his boss and the other strong arm who had attacked Irene and himself. He wanted to see if his absence was noted in conjunction with Gary.

Alan would check in with Marnie. He had missed her so much, and he couldn't wait until she saw her dad again, alive! Alan knew she had been grieving for her parents, and he hoped it wouldn't cause too much additional suffering for her to know the truth about her mother's real death. Alan would be so happy to see Carrie and Blake again. They were already like a family in his heart.

Elenore would get back to work at the state Senator's office and see if there was any news from the island prison, or about it.

Nick had his life's business to attend.

This tentative plan was agreed upon. Each went their own way, except Harold and his little son.

Harold was thinking of what he would name the boy. He had named Blake himself, but he had let Emily name the girls. They had not wanted any names that would stand out. Just common regular names.

Both Emily and Harold knew they were hunted from the first. It was a depressing feeling to know they could never take the children and do what other people got to do with families. We had to always watch out. More than once our lives had been endangered.

Keeping the children from the eyes of the U.S. government was utmost in their minds every day. To the point that in every pregnancy, Emily stayed in the home the last two months so as not to be found out. Delivering without a doctor. All she had was me, Harold thought.

He knew he would like to name the new baby Alan, for the second name at least. Perhaps David Alan. Thus, Harold spent two, happy days, caring for his new-born son, musing over his new situation, and being off the island, free, and with choices. He had much to hope for.

~~~***~~~

Even before Alan got home, he called Marnie at work. Her office assistant told him she was not available. He hung up and proceeded to his apartment.

As soon as he entered he knew someone had been in his home. The alarm was flashing, one tiny red light in a decorative elephant statue, sitting on a book case. There were many flashing red lights made into it. But only one of the lights gave the notice the apartment had been entered. It was on the back left leg of the elephant.

Alan hurried to a hidden camera to check who had broken in. When he saw Carrie and Marnie, he immediately said, "Oh, shit."

He used many more such expletives as he watched the video. All the rooms of the apartment were well wired, except the bathroom. He refused to spy on that room, thinking that just wouldn't be right. To protect himself, in his line of work, all his residences had been electronically monitored.

No wonder Marnie wasn't available when he called her. He doubted if she would ever be available, probably not in this lifetime .

Alan could see that neither one of the sisters had taken anything, just pictures of everything. He kicked himself for not having a safe put in and storing all the incriminating pictures and documents in the safe. In his last apartment he had done just that with no break-ins. This new address was thought of differently, first of all there was twenty-four hour security, plus a door man, and a security card key was needed to enter the building.

Oh, well, the horse was already out of the barn and probably lost forever, so why think of what he should've done and could've done?

"I won't kick myself while I'm down," he thought. "I have to have a second chance with her, or all this has been for nothing. Man, what do I mean, nothing? What was I thinking? We saved a man's life and his newborn son, and that has to be for something, even if Marnie never speaks to me again. I'll meet her after work and try to get her to listen.

First though, he called his good friend at his agency head quarters, Hal, in the records department.

"Where you been, man?" Hal asked. "Jeeze, everyone is talking about you and how you tried to kill Gary."

"Is Gary all right?"

"No, he's in the hospital, not that anyone around here has visited him though. Seems he had a severe head injury and has never come out of it. Do you know anything about it?"

"I'll tell you, but later, in person. Can you meet me?"

"Ok, don't come near this place. You're wanted for questioning big time. Let's meet at our same place as before. Be careful, people are out to get you. How about two this afternoon?"

Alan answered, "Ok, see you then. And Hal, thanks a lot."

~~~***~~~
Chapter Nineteen

Irene entered her editor's office with a big smile. He looked up, frowning, and grimacing, and waved her over to a chair, saying,

"Where ya been? It sure is taking your relative a long time to die or get well."

"I could actually get my feelings hurt over that, Dan, but I'll try an forget you said it. I told you where I was when I had my friend call the office. There was no cell service out there in the boonies."

"Oh, come on Irene, we both know your lying through your teeth. You can tell me whatever you want, but I warn you, I have to get a story out of it for this paper and for the both of us. You left right after you dug up that mess about the missing parents of those three kids. So, what's up?"

"Honestly?"

"Yes, Irene, can you at least be honest with me? We have known each other over ten years, and I don't think we have ever lied to one another until now, and I'm referring to your sick relative that doesn't exist."

"You know me better than I thought, Dan," Irene said. No, I wasn't caring for any sick relative, not this time. I...I mean we, my friends and myself, went to rescue those parents. And we did it, up to a point, sorta."

They both sat back, and Irene told the story as best as she could, not giving any hint of where Harold Smith was at the moment, and not giving up the names of her friends.

Dan, the top breaking news editor of the Post, wanted to print it all, but was afraid of what the earlier call from the White House had meant. He argued back and forth with himself, mostly, that if he didn't print it, freedom of speech was dead. And if he did, a lot of heads would roll. Most likely the top heads would find lower heads to roll, in place of their heads, as usual.

Irene interjected at this point, "Just hold out for another day and a half, I'll get back to you, and then we can decide."

Dan gave a firm nod, and it was left at that. Irene left to make a call. She phoned Elenore, to come with her to have a very stiff drink.

~~~***~~~

Harold busied himself with cleaning on the yacht, rocking, bathing, feeding and playing with his son. He enjoyed just holding him and staring at his little face. Realizing, more than with any of his other three children, that this little person was half of Emily, gave him solace, now that she was no longer with him. With the other children, he gave it no thought of what or who they were part of, taking it for granted they were just babies they both loved and welcomed. Maybe it was that he had two days to himself with the infant that made his thinking deeper. Always, before, he was at work or in prison, anxious, afraid and worried. Now that his wife was gone, he felt nothing worse could happen and decided to live day by day instead of worrying about everything that could happen. It was so restful on the boat, just him and little David Alan.

~~~***~~~

When Marnie heard that Alan had called, her heart flipped over, and she nearly fainted. She thought, "now I know what they mean by women swooning."

Then near closing time, she called Zack to meet her outside her building. They would go for a drink before she went home. She was worried Alan might show up and wasn't ready to confront him yet.

Alan, waiting patiently at a coffee shop across the street from the high rise where Marnie worked, saw a young-looking guy waiting at the entrance of the building. He thought nothing of it. Alan would wait till he got a glimpse of Marnie, then he would dash across and try to get her to go somewhere with him, and then he would try to get her to listen.

Then, she came, wearing an orange scarf with a navy blue blazer, Alan jumped up and was at the doorway of the shop when he saw the guy hurry over to Marnie, kiss her on the cheek, take her arm, and guide her down the sidewalk. First, Alan was dumbfounded, then his heart started to hurt, and it felt ripped out of his chest.

"How could something like this happened in less than ten days?" he thought. "Wow, now I know I have to talk to her as soon as possible, she just has to listen to my side of it. Especially after my meeting with Hal this afternoon."

Hal had given him all the scuttlebutt going around the agency. The strong-arm guy with Gary that day was a guy name Darrell, who came back to work and told everyone that Alan had tried to kill them both. He said that they were in an accident caused by Alan. Darrell said he walked and got help for Gary, otherwise Gary would have died, because Alan just left them both there, handcuffed to the steering wheel.

Alan thought it funny that not a word was said about Irene, which was a good thing so far, best not to even tell Hal either. The less Hal knew, the better off he'd be, safety wise.

Knowing his agency thought he tried to kill the top agent, got him to wondering how he ever got into his apartment without being apprehended. Maybe he got in, because it was early in the morning, and he used the back entrance.

"I can't go back there, that's for sure," he thought. "Where to go? If I go to a hotel, all my ID is in my own name, and I'm probably wanted by all the authorities."

There was no other place to go, except back to the yacht. Having no car, he took the subway all the way to the water front and walked at least two miles to the boat.

~~~***~~~

After the two days were over, everyone showed up back on board the yacht as planned. Each of the four friends told their own story as to how they had found their outside world.

The most disturbing was Alan's retelling of his misadventures with his agency and with Marnie.

Irene related what her editor had said to her and then she said, "I think all of us, especially you, Harold, have to make a decision of how to handle your coming out of hiding and making the right people pay for this injustice. We really need some input from every one of us and, we need it now."

Harold said he wanted to keep under the wire again, thinking the government dare not touch him in view of the government's drastic mistakes. But when he thought of how Emily lost her life, he became angry, and in tears over the injustices done to both of them, and in essence, his children, too. Then, he wanted the government to admit what it did, and pay for his family's pain for all those years.

All on board thought it would ultimately be up to Harold what would happen now.

~~~***~~~

Harold finally decided, after much conversation, to try and expose the culprits. If he were to die now, at least it would be worth something in terms of freedom and freedom of speech, but he mused that he didn't want to die at all, now that he had a new infant son to look after and his other three children too. He would fight with truth for all of them.

In the end, Irene would get her editor to come on board with camera people, a TV van, and lights. The taping would be on the six o'clock evening news. All of it would be reported in the New York Times, next issue. Their plan just had to work.

No one wanted the three children to see and hear about their mother's real death, their father, and new baby brother on the evening news. Irene and Emily both volunteered to try to get them to the boat. With the children present, the violent, gut wrenching truth of what happened to this family would be even more believable.

~~~***~~~

As Elenore and Irene waited for someone to answer the Smith's door, they became panic stricken, thinking no one was home. After about five minutes of apprehensive waiting, finally Marnie answered. Asking, "May I help you? Oh, what do you want? I recognize you, your from the paper. I was just fixing to leave, though."

Both the friends at the door gave a wide, toothy smile, trying to make Marnie feel at ease. Irene answered, "Marnie, this is Elenore, my best friend. We were wondering if you, your brother and sister, would like to be part of a young people's panel for the news and my paper. We're way behind schedule for this event, and we're sorry we didn't notify you sooner, but it couldn't be helped."

"What panel? What's it all about? My little sister is here, but not my brother."

"It will be on TV tonight, and it's being set up right now. We could go together and get Blake, then go over to the location where it will be aired. The subject is, "How Young People make it on their own in a large city like New York." We hope to help other young people, like yourselves, to see that they are not alone and there's caring people in this city to help. It's a wonderful project, and you'll really be helping a lot of our youth."

Marnie hardly trusted anyone outside of her brother and sister. She used to trust Alan, but he had done such a job on her, she was afraid of going anywhere with these two women, until she thought of all the awful things that had happened to herself, her brother, and sister, then, her heart went out to other children who might be in a similar situation.

"Well, come in then, I'll go ask Carrie if she wants to be part of it, and if she is willing, then I'll go too, hold on, I'll be right back."

The two ladies stood in the entryway holding their breath. If the children wouldn't come, there was nothing they could do, except go on TV as planned with only Harold and the baby.

Carrie dashed down the stairs with her coat on and her hair flying like any young teenage girl, asking, "Will I be on TV tonight? I'm not afraid, I want to do it! Marnie said to tell you she'll be right down too."

They picked up Blake at school. School was out, but he was attending an addictions group held in the counselor's office. It was only half over though, so Carrie ran in to get him.

He wanted to know what was happening. On their way to the boat, they told him as much as they had told his sisters.

Finally arriving at the pier, Blake yelled, "This isn't a TV studio."

Irene responded, "Just wait and see, you get to go on that big yacht over there. The one named: "Another Time," the blue and white one. Camera men will be here real soon, just hold on. This is a special show."

After boarding, no one was in sight, the children all sat around on the upholstered benches in the state room. Irene with Elenore at her side, started out by saying, "We know you children have been alone for a long time and we're sorry. We do have a surprise for you. Alan Nordstrom, who you all know, made this night possible. Well, he's mainly responsible, but I and Elenore and her boyfriend Nick, who owns this boat, helped, too.

Marnie's eyebrows went up in surprise after this statement, with her mouth open in disbelief, she saw another man and Alan come out from behind the galley area.

Alan introduced Nick, then he spoke to them, "We have been on a long trip, and we have a wonderful surprise for you, that'll be on TV in about an hour and a half. Before the TV people come though, we wanted you to be able to know the surprise first. To kinda get used to the idea. And Marnie, I love you, don't forget that."

Marnie looked down at her lap, not acknowledging the announcement at all. She wouldn't even look Alan's way. She felt trapped by yet another lie this man must have hatched up. She was seething.

Alan went out the room and came back in a minute. He had Harold following right behind, holding a baby!

As Marnie glanced up to see who was behind Alan, she couldn't believe her eyes. Jumping up, she exclaimed, "Daddy! Daddy, is it really you? Where were you, what happened, where's mama?"

Running over to him she was crying and wanted to hug him, but Harold had to hand the baby over to Irene first, so he could hug his oldest daughter. Both were crying really deep tears of joy and grief. They kept holding one another away, looking into each other's face, unbelieving this could be true.

Carrie and Blake sat on the couch wide eyed, staring in disbelief. Carrie knew it was her dad, but Blake could hardly remember what their father looked like, it had been such a long time ago. This man was old with grayish hair, and what about that baby?

Harold finally spoke as soon as he could stop crying enough to form words, "I'm so thankful you're all here. I and your mother love you so much."

Carrie, then Blake went over to him and there was a big group hug. Harold said, "Wait, we have to get your new little brother in on this family hug."

First Marnie, then Carrie, and lastly Blake, spoke in disbelief, "Our brother? What do you mean? Is he really our brother?"

"Yes," Harold said. "Let me introduce you to David Alan. He's only twelve days old."

Marnie again got wide eyed when her father said Alan was the baby's middle name. She honestly didn't know what to think. She felt so blown away by being with her father, seeing that he was alive, and now a baby! So much to take in all at once. She began to entertain thoughts that there might be an explanation to make sense of why Alan had all that stuff in his apartment about her parents, and their home too. And he had a gun!

The three children, with mouths open in real shock, looked at the baby, then Marnie said, "Here, let me take him first, then you both can take turns next. But Dad, we want to see Mama too, where is she? Please, where is Mama?"

Harold had them all sit down, explaining the past years to them and Alan's agency's part in it, then Alan, rescuing the baby and himself from the prison. How their mother died just before the rescue put tears in all the eyes aboard.

~~~***~~~
Chapter Twenty

Harold said, "A TV crew is coming in a little while, and we are going to expose this terrible injustice. We'll all be on TV tonight, and hope the exposure will keep us safe from the bad guys. Otherwise, we'd just have to hide the rest of our lives as your mother and I had to do since we came to this country."

Marnie then spoke up, "Daddy, why did you and mom have to hide?"

Their father answered, "I really don't know for sure, but here is what I think. Your mother was related to the premier of Russia, who was her cousin. At the time, her cousin, a woman, was premier for one term. Emily lived with them during her childhood. When Emily and I met, we decided to come here, but we had to come secretly, because we knew we weren't welcome. It all had to do with communism at that time. When we got off the ship, we were secretly followed until the government agency that Alan worked for faked our deaths by a car accident."

~~~***~~~

A large man came up the plank. Irene jumped up and introduced her editor, Dan, all around. Soon the yacht was buzzing with people and excitement.

Irene would lead the interview, then they would all be included in the telling and the showing.

Dan, after being introduced, went to talk with Harold alone, in the boat's master quarters, with the doors closed for privacy. Dan had brought papers for Harold to read and sign before the camera's could roll. Harold knew it was just legal stuff and didn't mind signing to hold the Post at no fault, just in case.

The entire taping would be about forty five minutes of viewing time, so to get the whole story would be difficult.

After the lights were in place, Irene seated on a short stool to the right, while everyone else was seated to the left of her, on the long upholstered bench of the yacht's main room. Begining with Irene introducing herself, then came Harold, Marnie, Carrie, Blake, baby David, Alan, Elenore and Nick.

Everyone except Harold had five minutes to express their experiences. It would be hard without prior practice or warning before this night, but the entire story was so important everyone did their best to help people understand.

Harold was a factual person and only took a little over five minutes. His most emotional minute was that of explaining the death of Emily, his wife of twenty years. Saying, "She didn't have to die. There was no medical help for any of us prisoners, ever. She had no help at all, and finally she bled to death in child birth. I would have jumped over the cliffs into the ocean if she had not left our newborn son, swearing me to care for him."

Marnie, next, told how two men had come to the door, explained their parents were killed in a car wreck, burned beyond recognition, then just left. The children never saw their parents again, and no one, ever came to help them or even talk to them.

She told that she got a job, quitting high school to do so, and supported the family until she was hospitalized.

By the time she told how her leg had to be amputated due to someone trying to run over her in a car, Harold and all the TV people were in tears.

She passed it on to Carrie at that point. Carrie told how all three were afraid, she said, "We were really messed up. I tried to get money, I was only twelve, out on the streets. But the very first night I met Alan, and from that time on, he protected me and supported us while Marnie was in hospital."

Blake tried to explain about his food addiction, the bullying at school, his feeling so alone and always afraid. He couldn't go on and Marnie spoke up, "Blake attempted suicide in the basement of our apartment building, by hanging himself by the neck with belts buckled together. They broke, and then he became near death with a concussion after falling to the cement floor. We were worried sick, while he was unconscious in the hospital. After he got well enough, I took him for help at a treatment center that offered counseling, health education and a program of recovery that would continue after he was released. He still attends meetings for support and he's still abstinent from the foods that help create his addiction, mainly sugar and wheat, and their products."

At all this information, Harold sat crying audibly. It was the first time he had heard in depth the awful lives his three children had lived after he and their mother were captured.

Then it was Alan's turn. He related all he knew. Especially about his agency, it's relationship to the heartbreaking experiences of this family. How Irene and himself had been shot at, handcuffed, taken for a ride, their cars stolen, the wreck, Gary and Darrell's actions on that day. About learning the parents lived, but he would not reveal his informant. The present circumstances spoke for the truth of the entire matter.

Irene, too, spoke of that terrorizing day and night out in the woods, afraid every minute that Gary and Darrell would find them, shoot them, and then there would be no help for the Smith family.

Elenore had her turn, stating what she had heard from a high ranking government official's office, someone speaking about the parents not being dead. And that she had a part in helping to locate them. She could not tell who said it though, because the voices came from behind closed doors.

Nick, joined at the end of the interview, that it was his boat they used to sail the small crew to the prison island to attempt to rescue Harold and Emily. How he had been the one to go out of New York, up in the woods to collect Irene and Alan. That they had called Elenore for help. He stated Elenore was his fiancé'. He thought this is a great time for her dad to hear this, yes, on TV. It would serve him right for not accepting him in the first place. For denouncing Elenore if she even went out with him. It felt right to him.

The very end of the show had Dan, a highly respected person in New York, add that he got a call from the White House to leave this story alone after the first small write up on the matter two months ago. He said he would not say who called, but that he had proof it was from the White House and even proof who it was that spoke, a warning threat not to print anything further.

Dan said he felt that the Smith family was owed a huge public apology, and compensation, from the United States Government. That this affected every American and no one could make up for all the pain this entire family had suffered, and that someone had better take responsibility, and soon.

~~~***~~~

It was the next day that all hell broke loose. The New York Post's headlines in super big, black print screamed: Innocent Family Held Against Their Will, and The New York Times: Wife Dies In Captivity.

Behind expensive, thick, closed doors, very rich, high level governmental servants were busy trying to figure out who to blame for this humungous mess.

Alan and most of his co-workers could guess who that would be. The only person not able to speak for himself due to his coma: Gary. Usually, just like the Smith's, the innocent would be blamed. Not that Gary was really innocent, after all he did exactly as he was told by, as he had put it, big money. The very big money he had obeyed, would blame him and ultimately put him away, if he ever regained consciousness.

Darrell, out walking his Dalmatian, quickly met with a fatal accident. A car skidded out of control on wet pavement, hitting both he and the dog. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, but thankfully, the dog survived. In the reports that followed, he then was made a scapegoat too. He was quickly blamed, along with Gary, for kidnapping and imprisoning the Smith children's parents.

Without notice, most of the island prisoners, where nothing at all could be proven, were air lifted back to their home countries and left at the various airports, with enough money to make a new start.

Two prisoners out of fifty were kept in custody and brought to the United States to be incarcerated in a regulation facility. Real charges were drawn up against them, only because the charges could be proven to be true. As an aftermath of rescuing Mr. Smith and his baby son, most of Harold's fellow prisoners were set free. Making Harold truly happy that all this had come to light.

~~~***~~~

When the paper came out, after the news on TV, everyone was talking, calling, writing, Facebooking, blogging, and aghast, that such a dark, awful thing could have happened in this country. Top people in governmental agencies know that the public doesn't know a fraction of what really happens and that this family was an anomaly, exposing the underbelly of our fear-ridden selves..

International news was awash with the story. Talk shows wanted access to the family, or at least a member of the family.

Irene fended off most of the news mongers, as she put it. Being one herself, she understood their intense need to "get the story." She did agree to the family's story to be aired on the show, Forty-Eight Hours, thinking this show was a high enough caliber series to give the subjects in question time to retell the story in proper depth. It was to be slotted for next week.

The Smith family was kept busy getting to know one another again, and happily, to add their baby brother to the family circle.

Harold, dismayed by the tragedy that had befallen his children, felt depressed, blaming himself for not being there to protect them against the terrible experiences they suffered in his absence.

Every time he looked at Marnie's leg, a pain hit his heart like a ton of cement. She never complained, but that didn't make it any better. Harold made an appointment with the doctor who had operated on Marnie's leg to find out what had happened. She hadn't made it clear to her dad.

Dr. Jacobson greeted Harold, congratulating him on his freedom, then went into detail about Marnie's amputation, the infection, her speedy recovery, and how she just about became addicted to pain pills. In ending, the doctor asked about Harold's health, did a little once over check up, asking if he felt depressed. Harold couldn't help to nod his head yes, he was depressed. The doctor gave him a script for an antidepressant and the name of a good doctor friend, for Harold to see.

Harold took Blake out alone, to a nearby park, trying to get close to him again, asking him about his ordeal, getting Blake to share some of the pain of it. They bonded more than they ever had before the parents disappeared.

Harold went to the treatment center to see Blake's counselor, check out the facilities, and to find out what the program, and this type of addiction, was all about. Learning the addiction was to cover up feelings really made him feel sad, because he knew that leaving Blake all alone, full of worry and anxiety, had partially caused the addiction.

The counselor shared that all addictions, except true allergies, were to hide painful feelings and or truths that the individual could not deal with on their own, without medicating. Either by food, so they overate, or drank, gambled, did drugs, or whatever, in order not to feel. Facing the feelings were the healing part of treatment, and in compulsive eating or not eating in the case of Anorexia.

~~~***~~~

It was a few days before Marnie saw Alan alone. She immediatly apologized for breaking into his apartment. Tearfully she told him why she had done it and how scary it was for Carrie and herself.

Alan took Marnie into his arms, telling her that he too, was sorry he couldn't have been honest with her from the start, that he really didn't know what to do.

"I felt caught up in a web of lies and deceit with no way to get out of it. Then when I found out about your dad and mom, Well, I thought, your mom too, was alive, I just knew I had to get them out for you and for everybody."

Both stood there in each other's arms crying for the longest time, healing wounds that would have lasted this lifetime, if they hadn't been honestly dealt with.

"I love you Alan. Do you think it will ever be all right for us?"

"Of course it will be all right, we will get married and have our own family. Everything will be all right."

"You have to ask me first."

Alan fell to his knees, tore a small, black velvet box out of his pocket, handing it to her, while asking,

"Will you marry me, Marnie Smith, be my forever and ever life mate?"

"Yes, Alan, I will. I will."

Now, laughing through tears of joy, the emotional roller coaster finally ended for both of them. They were together now. Love had prevailed.

~~~***~~~

Harold received a visit from a Lawyer telling him that a bank account had been opened in his name with a balance of seven million dollars, for him to do with as he pleased.

Harold asked, "Who is the money from?"

"From the United States Government, and here's a letter of apology for you, signed by the President and the Secretary of Defense. They admit an error was made at the time of your capture. They mistook your wife for another person close to the Premier of Russia, and that person was on a terrorist watch list.

Harold, all his children, and deceased wife were made legal citizens. The proof was handed over to him from the lawyer.

Harold took the documents, finally feeling better than he had felt in years. Not really happy, but at least relieved, knowing he was now free to come and go like any other American citizen.

The first thing he did was to plan a family meeting to invite all his children, along with Alan, Nick, Irene and Elenore, on a trip back to his homeland Russia to meet his parents, Emily's parents, and all their relatives. He told them their last name was really Kaednik, but if they chose to, they could keep the name of Smith. Each one could do as they pleased in that regard.

Marnie chose that time to share that Alan and she were engaged to be married, that now they could be married in Russia with lots of family present, that her name would change to Mrs. Nordstrom anyway. Alan glanced over at her with a smiling frown, saying,

"I wanted to ask your dad for your hand, first, Marnie, now he knows."

"Oh, you can ask away, and the answer will be the same no matter when or how many times you ask. Yes, yes, yes!" Harold responded.

Everyone laughed, hugging the happy twosome.

###
 About the Author

Winona Wendy Joy born in Ontario Oregon, grew up in Portland Oregon,  
and has lived in Hawaii, California and Colorado in adult years.  
Currently residing in Bay City Oregon, within walking distance to the  
great Tillamook Bay, with David Seed, Author.

Winona is also the Author of: THEY SHOULD'A JUST KILLED US, her first  
published book.
