Chapter 39

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As a special treat I'm adding 2 chapters today! So please notice that you have to read Chapter 38 before Chapter 39. Thanks for your support!

Nate heard the news over the police scanner on his way to the bank. Had he heard right? Michael was packing a gun? Nate was surprised to hear it but maybe he had a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Taking in to the bank would be a bad idea. Surely he would know that.
Nate needed no directions to the bank. He could hear the sirens from three blocks away. Nate followed the noise to the SunTrust bank. At least twenty marked cars were parked in front of the bank. Their owners standing beside their vehicles, doors open for shields and guns drawn. All of them were pointed towards the front door of the bank but no one made a move to go inside.
Flashing his badge allowed him access under the tape. Microphones and news cameras followed him to the tape. How did the media already know? Nate had purposely ignored TV for weeks. He did not need their spin on his case.
He searched the faces of the men anxiously awaiting the man with a gun to find the one man he was looking for. Finding Commander Brett Herndon Nate made his way over to discuss the situation they had before them.
“What’s the FBI doing here already?” Herndon spat on the ground next to him. Nate was unsure if the gesture was directed towards him or just to relieve himself of the extra saliva that must have accumulated in his mouth on his twenty minute stake out.
“This is my case. That’s my guy in there.”
“How do you even know what guy where here for?” Once an ally Nate suspected that Herndon now saw a way to get glory for himself and attention for the Sheriff’s Department.
“Don’t mess with me, man, I was on my way here to pick up Michael Fleming before I go the call. Now all of a sudden my guy has a gun? Does your department have something to do with that?”
“Are you calling my detective a liar?”
“If the shoe fits.”
Herndon let out a curse. “Agent, don’t get in my way today. I have a shot at this guy and I want to take him down.”
“You don’t even know why you’re here to take him in. I’m talking to this guy. The FBI has jurisdiction in this missing person’s case. He is a person of interest in the disappearance of three girls. You will not stand in my way.”
“It’s our arrest Agent. This is my jurisdiction.”
“You may take him in but I will question him. After I talk to him then we can decide if he’s yours or mine.”
Herndon grunted and spit again. Nate took that as an affirmative. He had no time to wait for an actual answer because when he looked up he saw Michael exiting the bank building.
“That’s him. He has the gun.” The words came over Herndon’s radio. Herndon drew his weapon and pointed it at Michael.
“Drop your weapon.”
The confused look on Michael’s face confirmed Nate’s fears that this was somehow a made-up charge. Michael froze where he was.
Herndon yelled again, “I said drop your weapon.”
Michael held his hands straight into the air as a sign of surrender. He was immediately rushed by three sheriff’s deputies and tackled to the ground. He was handcuffed before he could protest. Nate approached cautiously.
“What are you doing? What are you talking about?” Michael’s words cut through Nate. If this arrest wasn’t clean then anything coming from it would be fruit of the poisonous tree.
“Is this him?” Commander Herndon asked a detective exiting the building. Nate recognized him as Detective Jack Williams, Cole Easton’s partner. The same Cole Easton they would be burying in less then a week. Next to Jack stood a small woman with a boyish blond haircut and dark glasses. Large hoop earrings almost reached her neck, a very large necklace covering her body.
Nate jogged over to Detective Williams. “What is this? I came here to talk to this guy and you’re arresting him. For what?”
Jack turned to the girl. “You saw the gun didn’t you Jennifer?”
Jennifer’s eyes grew round and wide. She looked from Nate to Jack and back again. Nate stared at her willing her to tell the truth. Whether Michael was guilty or innocent Nate did not know but he didn’t want his arrest to be based on a lie. Finally the woman spoke, “Yes…yes, I saw a gun. At least I thought I did.”
“If you talked her into this he’ll get off.” Nate pointed his finger at Jack’s chest.
“Pat him down. You won’t be disappointed.” Jack smiled at Nate. He didn’t miss Jennifer’s grimace from beside Jack. She must not like his smile either.
“Got something Commander!” A female deputy who had been standing next to Michael held something high in her hand. Nate left Jack standing with his smirk and strode over to Michael and the officer’s surrounding him.
“What is it?” Herndon asked.
“Looks like some pictures. Pictures of some naked kids.” The female replied. And at that moment Nate decided he did not care of Michael’s arrest was clean or not.

Ashley hit the side of the SUV and felt the blood trickle down her face once again. From where she lay she could not see out the windows and did not know where she was headed. Kyle lay beside her. From all appearances his wounds had stopped bleeding. Ashley tried to roll over and get a sense of where she was but the ache in her back wouldn’t let her move.
What she did know was that she was still alive and for that she was grateful. At least she thought she was. When they finally came to a stop Ashley prepared herself for a fight. She had not been bound or gagged. She was hurting but she would try. Her life may depend on it.
But it didn’t matter. She could not defend herself against two large men who reached in and grabbed her by her ankles and dragged her to a standing position. One large set of hands wrapped a dark cloth around Ashley’s eyes but not before she saw water in the distance.
Her heart began to pound. Where they going to throw her in the water? Was she going to die here? Once again she found herself crying out to a God she had given up so many years ago. Once again she wondered if Nate might have been right about the God he served. If he was and she died in that water where would she go? The question continued to plague her. She tried to think back to Sunday school lessons she had heard so many years ago but her mind could not form coherent thoughts.
“Don’t touch me!” Kyle’s voice came from behind Ashley but she could not see him or anything else for that matter.
“It’s okay bud. We’re going to be okay. Can you be strong for me?” Ashley prayed her lie would hold true. She heard no answer from Kyle. She squeezed her eyes shut to keep the flow of tears at bay. One tear slipped down her cheek from underneath her blindfold. She had no hands to wipe it off her chin so there it sat irritating her skin.
“This way.” A male voice jerked her to her right. She heard metal squealing and then some whimpers that did not belong to Kyle or her. Where was she? The blindfold was removed as a large hand shoved her forward. The same metal sounded behind her followed by a loud thud. There was no light to see by but there was the distinctive smell of urine and there was the sound of crying.
“Where am I?” Ashley said feeling the walls around her. There was metal all around her. Odd bumps in the wall made her think of shipping containers. The kind that would be at a port. The water. That was it. She was being held in a shipping container. Who was here with her?
“Kayla? Kayla are you in here?”
The whimpering grew louder. Then it was on both sides of her.
“Who else is in here?”
“It’s Julia.”
“Julia Lambert?” Not that there could’ve been another.
“Yes. Who are you?”
“My name is Ashley Parks. Do you girls know where you are?”
“No,” the two girls said in unison.
“Do you know that everybody is so busy looking for you?” No answer. “Have you girls seen Lizzie?”
“Who?” Ashley had no idea which girl was speaking.
“Lizzie Andrews. Has there been anyone else in here with you?”
“One girl but she hasn’t come back. Otherwise it’s just been me and Kayla.” Ashley said nothing about the one girl they spoke of. These girls were already scared enough. They did not need to know how many girls had already died.
“Kayla, can you hear me?”
“Mmm-hmmm.” They weren’t exactly words but at least Ashley knew that Kayla was in there and that she was alive enough to talk.
“Kayla, I want you to know that your brother is okay. Your brother, Kyle and I have become really good friends. He’s okay and he’s been helping me…” Sobs interrupted her words. Heavy sobs filled the metal container from what Ashley could only assume to be the back of the shipping container. And then a second set of tears wracked their prison. And Ashley let a second tear fall. But only one because she would not be confined by these walls and neither would these girls. God had put her here but maybe, just maybe, He had put her here for a reason. To save the lives of the two girls sharing her horror.