Background
Anna is a young mother striving to find a way out of an abusive marriage. She meets a stranger, Troy. Troy fights his own demons. Can they help each other find love, or are their struggles too much?
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At the hospital, the doctor assured Anna the one-inch scratch on Michael's left cheek wasn't life threatening.
As Anna filled out paperwork, Paul held Michael and said, "You've had quite a day, haven't you?" He cuddled the baby closer.
Anna glanced up from the forms. "This will never be over. I'll be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life." She signed on the final line. "I'm ready to go home."
As the three of them walked through the hospital's glass-sliding front door, Troy walked up. "How could something like this happen? Where was Everett?" His eyes met Paul's. "I thought he was supposed to ensure nothing like this would happen."
"I haven't had a chance to discuss it with him, yet. I will." Paul handed the child to his mother. "Why don't you spend some time with Betty and me? I don't think you should be alone at least until we figure out what went wrong. We'll stop by your apartment so you can pack some things."
Anna nodded. "What about my car?"
"Once you're settled, Dad and I'll bring it to the house." Troy turned toward his motorcycle. "I'll meet you there."
*****
At the Sorenson home, Betty showed Anna to a spare bedroom. "While Paul and Troy get your car, why don't you rest? I'll watch Michael. Dinner won't be ready until around 6:30."
Anna sat on the bed. "Maybe I will rest for a few minutes."
Betty carried Michael from the room and closed the door.
*****
When Anna walked downstairs, Everett sat in the living room with Paul and Troy. Paul glanced up. "Do you feel better?"
"I guess I fell asleep." She glanced around the room. "Where's Michael?"
"He was hungry so Grandma Betty went ahead and fixed his dinner."
Anna checked her watch. "I guess I slept longer than I thought."
Paul motioned for her to sit on the davenport. "Everett has some information."
"I'm sorry this happened. I protected your son but couldn't catch the abductor. He's a tall, muscular, white male. I wasn't able to get close enough to get a good look at him. I followed for a few blocks but lost him in traffic. His car was a late model dark blue Chevelle. The license plate number was blocked by dirt. Probably intentionally."
"It doesn't sound like Bobby's father. He's short. Who else would want to take my son?"
"The Rodgers must have paid somebody to abduct him. It would be too obvious for them to do it." Paul stood. "I can't imagine Mr. Rodgers going along with something like this. Maybe his wife abuses him and he didn't have a choice. She's more dangerous than I thought." Paul paced the living room floor, then glanced at his PI friend. "What's the going rate for a hired abduction?"
Everett scratched his head. "It depends on who they hired. I doubt this guy's a professional or he would've gotten away with Michael. To be honest I wasn't expecting anything this soon after the trial. I thought they'd wait a few weeks." His eyes met Anna's. "I'm sorry." He turned toward Paul. "I'm guessing around ten-thousand dollars. Everything's closed for the weekend, but I'm planning to search for a money trail first thing Monday morning." He paused. "Come to think of it, that car was souped up. Isn't Bobby a mechanic? I bet he's an associate of his."
Betty walked into the room carrying Michael. "No more shop talk. Dinner's ready and you know my rule about discussing business around the dinner table."
Anna took Michael from her, kissed his cheek, and tightly held him. "We'll do our best to protect you, my darling."
*****
After dinner, Anna helped Betty with the dishes, gave Michael a bath, and put him to bed. When she walked into the living room, she sighed. "Is it all right if I go out back for a while? I need some fresh air."
Betty nodded. "Of course. Please make yourself at home."
Anna carried a lounge chair from the patio and set it by the flower garden. She picked an Indian blanket, stroked a petal with her finger, and closed her eyes. The crickets' music is so peaceful. I wonder what their song is about?
At a sound, she jumped.
"Sorry I startled you. Would you like some company?" Troy set a chair beside hers.
"That would be nice. I was listening to the crickets and thinking about this flower."
"About the flower or about the legend?"
"I'm wondering if it's possible for the Indian maiden to have two white knights."
Troy chuckled and moved a strand of hair behind her ear. "In the case of this very special Indian princess, it is possible. The tribal chief and his handsome son are her white knights and protectors."
"I'm under the impression the chief's son struggles with humility." She giggled.
"Not at all." He winked.
Anna stared at the first stars. "It's a beautiful night. I heard on this morning's news that tonight's moon will be a full harvest moon."
"Those big orange moons are beautiful. Is that the reason you came outside?"
Anna brought the flower to her nose and sniffed. "Not really. I'm wondering if Michael and I'll ever be completely free and at peace."
"I wish I could promise you would, but I can't. I can promise I'll do everything I can to make it happen." He stood and took her hand. "Walk over here with me."
Anna rose and followed. Troy went behind her and pointed. "This is the best place to see the moon rise."
They watched in silence as the large orange ball rose in the sky. After a while, Anna turned and her eyes met Troy's.
Author Notes
I want to thank my husband for the artwork of the Indian Blanket. Most of them have dried up in the Texas drought this year. Thank you for reading and reviewing. I appreciate the help and support you give me.
SAFE (stop abuse for everyone)
www.safe4all.org
National Domestic Violence Hotline (800)799-7233
Each state has it's own hotline number.
Every 40 seconds in the United States, a child is reported missing or abducted. That translates to over 2,000 children per day (under 18 years of age) or 800,000 per year.
The rate of reported missing children in the United States is 11.4 per 1,000 (Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children, October 2002; National Crime Information Center)
Of the 800,000 children reported missing annually, approximately 69,000 are abducted:
Family members account for the majority of these reported cases (82 percent)
Non-family abductions account for 12,000 of these reported cases (18 percent)
Of non-family abductions, 37 percent are by a stranger
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