The woman said to HIM, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? John 4:11
The rain had stopped falling, but that only spurred Detective Gary’s drive to find his niece. He didn’t like being put in suspense. His niece was not only missing, but also her mother hadn’t heard the news. And now, he was rushing to beat the media to it. As Mike drove them to church, Gary gave thanks to God. First, for his sister, Marcy. Her strength and courage in embracing a new life in Christ had been nothing short of incredible.
He’d watched her transformation happen. If anyone had told him the sister he’d known could, in the farthest imagination, become the responsible mother she was, he wouldn’t have imagined it. She had worked hard, trusted the Lord as her Savior, and committed to the things of God. Few knew how much it cost her to become who she was now like he did.
To say he was proud of Marcy was an understatement. To encourage her, he tried to come around as often as he could after he moved out. He’d stayed with them for a while so a male figure would be in the background and deter any dangerous persons. Only when he was sure they were good, did he move.
Marcy, in turn, tried to keep him in their lives, probably to make up for his early years when she hadn’t been there. Years he couldn’t mention to Julia without something slipping. She might’ve wondered why he came around so often. But they were making up for lost time.
Something near the road caught his eye. A blinker. As he read the license plate, his heart skipped a beat.
“That’s my sister’s car. There’s been an accident.”
His own ride slowed to a stop, and he got out. His shoes pounded the asphalt, and soon, he rounded to the driver’s side, his heartbeat slowing to a crawl.
The sedan had skidded off the road and rammed into a tree. No one was in the driver’s seat. But her absence wasn’t what led to the sinking feeling in his belly.
It was the pool of blood staining the car seat.
“Hi, was an accident victim brought in to your hospital today?” He listened while his stomach clenched. “Alright, thank you.” Hanging up, he rested against the seat. “This is the fourth hospital and still nothing. Any chance the station has information to help us find where Marcy was taken?”
The detective who’d also just hung up from a call shook his head. “They’re still searching and will call us back soon. I was just thinking… If she was hit by another vehicle, as I didn’t see any damage to the back of her sedan, is it possible those who took Julia caused this?”
Gary’s brows rose. “You could be right. I was so focused on finding her, I didn’t think.… Would they take her though? I mean, with the pool of blood on that driver’s seat…” He gulped.
“She’ll need medical attention for sure, maybe urgently too,” Mike confirmed his concerns. He patted him on the shoulder. “I’m praying, Gary. You’re not alone in this, my brother.”
“Thank you.” His words rang with the comfort Gary’s heart needed but couldn’t settle with until he saw his sister and knew what happened.
Was she a victim of a hit-and-run?
Had she been targeted by the people who took Julia?
Was she still…alive?
The last one caught him in the throat again, and he shook himself back to action. Whenever he let worry in, it could debilitate him. Action checked worry.
His cell phone rang, and he picked up the call from the station at the first ring. “We have news. It appears your sister is an accident patient brought to the ER about an hour ago. The hospital is All Saints Hospital by Ring Road. The ER nurse in charge, Maxine, will meet you when you get there.”
“All Saints Hospital. Go!” Gary kept his ear to the phone as he pointed forward for Mike, who gave the accelerator a rev and entered traffic. “Thank you so much. We’re on our way.” As he hung up and focused on the road, his heart pounded.
Marcy was identified, located, and in a hospital. He let out a pent-up breath.
No matter what happened and how she arrived there, she could get urgent medical help. He drew in a deeper breath, refilling his long-deprived lungs.
She was in the ER. She wasn’t dead. More necessary than the oxygen, the thoughts ushered hope into his tired limbs.
At All Saints, he sailed on quick steps to the Emergency Section, passing some ambulances parked, while others were releasing patients to the medical teams.
Inside, the smell of disinfectants and medications stung his nostrils. He sneezed and covered his sneeze. A lady in white scrubs approached. “Maxine?” he asked, guessing who she was.
She gave a small smile. “Correct. I assume you’re Gary, but may I see an ID? I can only discuss the patient’s condition with her family.”
He brandished his badge. Satisfied, she led him through the maze of healthcare personnel attending to patients. “She’s in pretty bad shape. I hope you can stomach it.”
“She’s my sister.” He swallowed hard, navigating through the different patients being wheeled across to rooms. “I’ll take anything for her. Let me just see her breathing.”
Soon, she stopped in front of a room. “She got out of surgery, but we are monitoring her for any internal bleeding. She should be dead considering the extent of her injuries. Her survival is a miracle. So, don’t let how she looks scare you.”
His quick nod signaled their entry into the room. Marcy lay on the bed with tubes protruding out of many body parts. She appeared pale, and red blotches dotted her face as if she’d been through a beating. Wrinkle lines formed on her forehead. He gripped the back of a chair as his vision grew hazy. “She is blessed to be alive.” He grasped the nurse’s arm. “Thank you, to all of the hospital team, for rescuing my sister.”
The nurse nodded. “A Good Samaritan brought her in.”
He closed his eyes, his investigator’s mind still trying to comprehend how all this happened. But more important was her recovery. “I hear that. I’m grateful for that too. I know you acted quickly.” He gave the woman’s arm a gentle squeeze before letting go. “Otherwise, she wouldn’t be here. I’m grateful.”
“You’re welcome. We thank God for saving her life. Are there any other family members we should be expecting to visit her?”
“No.” The reality of Julia’s situation hit him afresh. “She has a daughter who went missing, and we’re searching for her.”
The nurse’s gaze narrowed. “Is it connected?”
“To her accident, you mean?”
“Yes. To her accident?”
“We don’t know yet. We are looking into all the possibilities. In the meantime, the police will have an officer posted outside her door at all times, just in case this turns out to be linked. You call me if you hear anything.” He glanced at his sister. “Please give us a few moments.”
“Of course.” She kept her voice soft. “I’ll be right outside.”
When she stepped out and gave them room, he approached the bed. A puffiness beneath the blanket surrounded Marcy’s belly area. His own belly sank. How badly hurt was she?
She had struggled when she’d delivered Julia. She’d complained of belly issues for years. Getting hit on her belly would not be helpful at all. He drew close, cradling her head in his hands. A tear dropped from his eyes onto her forehead, and he swiped it away. “Hey, Sis. I’m sorry this happened. I’m not sure who did this to you, but I’m thanking God that you survived. I will do everything in my power to catch them and to put them away. Please don’t give up. Keep fighting. I love you, Marcy.” Releasing her head, he straightened.
He couldn’t breathe Julia’s name.
No.
He could only pray Julia was still alive and could come and see her mother. Bowing his head, he prayed like his sister’s life depended on it—because maybe it did. “My Lord Jesus, please save Marcy! Please, God. I need my sister, and Julia needs her mother. I cannot parent a teen, soon to be an adult. I want her to enjoy more years with Marcy. Please hear my cry, please heal Marcy, and please lead Julia home again. In Jesus’ mighty and precious name, I pray, amen.”
Feeling like a load was lifted off his shoulders, he raised his head when the door opened.
A freckled youth—probably in his early twenties—peered around the door. “Hey, I’m the officer to watch her.” He pushed a shock of red hair back from his forehead, his ginger brows crinkling. “Are you okay?”
Gary sniffed, then nodded. “Yes, thank you. I’ll give you my information should you need to get in touch, day or night.” He slid his card into the man’s hand.
“Got it.” The officer read the information, then pocketed the card.
“I’ll be back out there searching for her daughter, in case I don’t respond immediately.” Then, casting one more glance back at the bed where Marcy lay and praying things improved with her soon and that she scaled through, Gary stepped out of the room.
“Done?” Maxine asked, slinging her stethoscope over her shoulder.
“For now. I have to get back to the case, but I will check in to see how she’s faring. Here’s my card. Call me anytime, day or night.” He offered her the card, and she pinned it to his sister’s chart. Observing the security cameras around the room and feeling content, he prayed the security around her would be enough to keep her safe and that, if they failed, God would keep her safe.
“I’ll do that. And please stay safe out there. We’d appreciate not having two family members fighting for their lives in a hospital.”
Her words warmed his heart. “I appreciate that. Thank you.”
After leaving the hospital, he climbed back into the vehicle with his partner. They soon merged onto the road leading away from the hospital.
A whistling sound heralded an approaching object. “Get down!”
The vehicle swerved. Something shattered the rear windshield and planted itself on the front dash. Mike managed to navigate out of traffic. Pausing by the curb, he stared at the object—a dart with a note attached. He exchanged glances with Mike.
Without a word, Mike tugged the note free, then read the words in all caps. “BACK OFF OR WE CAN TAKE YOU OUT.”
A shudder ran through Gary at the threat. It was one thing for his sister to be fighting for her life in a hospital. And something else for Julia to be missing. It was another thing for Julia to be missing because she saw something. Then it was something else for Mr. Swelling to be conveniently absent from his home when they had gone there earlier. But someone shooting a darted threat to him, asking him to back off, telling him what to do? Those were unacceptable options!
Gary would not back off. Not only would he not back off, but he was also going to double down his efforts. He would not allow himself to be threatened.
No.
He would fight for his family. And put the culprits behind Julia’s kidnapping behind bars. And, God willing, Julia would soon be reunited with her mom.
“I’m not backing off. Are you?” He turned to his partner, whose jaw clenched.
And Mike’s hands fisted. “Backing off? Never. Let’s go get them.”
They eased back into traffic and approached the highway. “Call the station. Report what just happened. And let’s get this note and the dart to the station. I doubt we’ll get any prints off it. And considering we touched it with a gloved hand, it shouldn’t have a print on it.”
Mike punched the speed dial on the dashboard call menu for the station, then relayed what they’d experienced. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to find the person or persons who shot the dart.
But it had to be people who knew to find them at the hospital. And for that alone, he’d tighten the security around his sister.
“Where are we about finding Mr. Swelling? He has some questions to answer about this,” Gary asked.
“The station sent us an update, but I hadn’t checked it out yet with the shooting darts and all.” His partner then requested to be connected with the investigating officer at the station before he swiped through the images sent to their mobile pads and stopped at one, then faced the road again while Gary browsed the details.
When someone responded to their call, Gary posed the question again.
“It’s interesting what we found,” the officer replied over the speakers. “Mr. Swelling has no record in our system. We have no information on him beyond generic information. But we spotted something…unusual. We searched our information database, homeowner’s information, and every source of information we could find. It all led to the same thing.”
“Which was?” Itching for information, looking for anything to help him find those threatening his family, Gary ignored the inner caution.
“He had one glaring problem. There was no image of him anywhere. At all. His photos are missing from every database where he is mentioned. He has an overseas bank account with a German bank, so we’re going to check that account out and see whether we can find any useful information.”
“What are you thinking?” Gary sought his opinion.
The officer paused. “This is starting to sound like a human trafficking issue. You know, a girl spotted something that looked suspicious. She calls it in to a police officer and then gets snatched. You get to the suspect’s home, and it’s put up for sale and made to look like nobody’s living there, even though it was occupied recently. Now, we have the said owner whom we can’t locate. This is an MO for human trafficking. And I’m worried about Julia. I’m worried about her safety. But we’re doing everything we can to help you, Gary. We’re on your side. And we’re also sorry about the situation with Marcy. The boss told us, and I’m glad she’s alive. She’s such a sweet lady. We’re praying for her recovery.”
“Thank you so much. Marcy needs all the prayers we can get. She’s in bad shape. However, I’m trusting God. She made it out of that accident alive and made it through surgery, so I’m believing God that she’s going to make a full recovery.”
“Amen to that. That’s all I have. I’ll keep you guys posted.” The officer disconnected the call.
“So where to now?” Mike asked.
“We go back to the station to deliver the evidence of the note and the dart. And then we’ll pick up the trail of whatever they found out about Swelling. One way or the other, we’re going to crack this thing.” Gary pressed his head against the headrest. “We’re going to find Julia by God’s grace. Marcy is going to come out of this alive and tell us who did this to her.” He made the confessions to boost his own faith. Then he rubbed the pulsing points beside his eyes. “In the meantime, I need to inform Julia’s father that she’s missing in case he cares to know.”