FAITH TO BELIEVE - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

         Andi and Terry hugged Madeline.  “Be good for grandma and grandpa today and we’ll do something special when you come home.  But you have to be good.”

         “I will Mommy.  I promise.”  Madeline waved goodbye, and with her whole My Pony collection went up on the porch with her grandmother.

         “We’ll see you after work.  Love you Mom.  Thanks for taking care of Maddie for us,” Andi said.

         “It’s our pleasure.  You know that,” her mother said.

         “We’re going to make cookies today,” Madeline said.

          “That sounds good.”  Andi waved goodbye as she got in the car.

         Terry turned the car into the road and headed back to town.  “Moppet’s birthday is in two months.  What do you want to do for her birthday?”

         “Have you here for it,” Andi said.

         He turned to look at her.  “I’m doing my best. So far I haven’t had any field assignments since I’ve been back.”

         “I hope it stays that way, at least for a little while.  I know I sound selfish, but I missed you so much in all the time you were gone.”

         “Did you?  You went out with Larry.”

         “You need to calm that jealousy streak down.  There is no one else for me, or ever will be.”

         He turned to look at her for just a moment, and set his eyes on the road again as a car came in view.  “Even if I am killed in battle?”

         “When and if that time comes, and I pray God that it doesn’t, I will have enough of your children to keep me busy until I join you in glory.”

         He looked at her his eyes dark with his desire for her, a smile on his face.  “Mm yes, there is that.”  A short while later he dropped her at the bank.  “I’ll pick you up for lunch.”

         “What time?”

         “11:30.”

         “I’ll be ready.”  He gave her a kiss.  Andi stood and watched him pull out of the parking lot, and head toward the base for just a moment before she went inside.

         She saw Pete as she entered.  The look on his face was serious.  “Don’t tell me I messed up a home loan.”

         “I’m sorry I wasn’t in time to catch your husband.”

         “He has his cell phone on him.  Want me to call him?”

         “You had better.  Come into my office and use the phone.”

         Andi went into the office and he closed the door behind him.  She picked up the receiver and punched in the cell phone number.  “Terry, Andi.  Pete wants you to come back here right away.  ...  No I don’t know why.”  She turned to look at Pete.  “Why?”

         “This.”  He showed her a note in his hand.  “Oh my God!  Terry get back here!  A note was delivered to the bank.  ...  It says,” she choked and almost couldn’t say the words.  “It says, do you know where your daughter is?”  The line went dead, and Pete caught a hold of Andi and set her in the chair as she started to collapse.

         Pete stuck his head out the door.  “Janet get me a glass of water right away.”

         Before the water was handed to him, Terry was through the doors of the bank.  “Where is she?”

         “In here.  I have the note.”  Pete handed him the note as Terry went into the office to see Andi looking as white as parchment.

         “Andi sweetheart.  I’m here.  The first thing we need to do is call your parents.  Do you understand me?”

         Andi looked up at him.  “My baby!”

         “I know.”  Terry looked at Pete.  “Do you mind?”

         “No.  I’m going to call the police on another line.”  Pete hurried from the office.

         Terry dialed the number for her parents.  They had just left them, not a half hour before.  Surely in that time nothing had happened.  He waited through several rings.  He knew there was a phone in three rooms of the house and down in the barn.  Someone had to pick up.

         Andi watched him and waited.  “There’s no answer is there?”

         Pete came back in the office, as Terry put the receiver back in place.  “Did you get a hold of her parents?”

         “No.  We need to get back out there,” Terry said.

         “The police are on their way.”  He looked up as an officer came through the doors of the bank.  “He’s here now.”

         Terry went with Pete to meet them.  Pete handed the officer the note.  “This was waiting under the door when I got in this morning.  I tried to call the Kearney house, but they had already left.”

         The officer looked at the note.  “You called her parents?  I had a chance to go over the notes from the two other occasions that you contacted us about a note and phone call you received.  I understood you were going to have your daughter at your wife’s parent’s home until this was taken care of.”

         “Yes, just now.  There was no answer.  We dropped Madeline off there about a half hour ago.  Everything was fine,” Terry said.

         “Where do they live?” the officer said.

         “Out on County D.  Fire number 3587.”

         The officer spoke into his radio.  “This is Officer McCormick.  Send a squad to County D.  Fire number 3587 immediately.  Mr. Kearney hasn’t been able to get a hold of his in-laws.  They dropped the little girl there a half hour ago.”

         “Roger,” a voice came back on the radio.

         “We’re going with you,” Terry said.

         “It might not be wise for you to do that sir,” the officer said.

         “That’s my little girl we’re talking about.”  Terry looked to see Andi come from the office.  “Sweetheart I want you to stay here with Pete.  I’ll call you as soon as I know anything.  Someone left that note before we dropped her off this morning.  I’m sure that she’s fine.”

         “That is my little girl.  Those are my parents.  If anything is wrong, I have a right to know.”

         “Andi,” Pete said.

         “Pete.  You can’t stop me.  That’s my little girl we’re talking about, and my parents.  Terry couldn’t get a hold of them.”

         The officer stepped away from them for a moment and spoke into his radio.  “I don’t know what we’re going to meet up with, but I want an ambulance out there when we get there.  The Kearney’s are going with me.”

         “Roger.  An ambulance is on its way.”

         Terry understood the necessity of that, with one look at Andi.  “All right, let’s go.”

         The officer led the way with siren’s blazing as they rushed through town and out into the country.  They pulled into the driveway to find an ambulance, and a couple squad cars there ahead of them.

         An officer came up to them, as they were about to step out of the car.  “It’s not advisable that you come any further.”

         Andi felt faint.  She looked at Terry, her eyes huge with fear.  “My baby.”

         “Ma’am.  Please.  Stay in the car,” the officer said.

         She looked up at him and pushed her way past him, and shook off his arm as he tried to restrain her.  She was in the house moments later, Terry right behind her.  An officer tried to block her way into the dining room, but she saw, and fainted into Terry’s arms.

         “Take her out to the ambulance.  The coroner has already been sent for,” the officer said.

         “My little girl?”  Terry watched as a paramedic took her from his arms, and placed her on a stretcher and took her out.

         His attention came back to the officer.  “We haven’t found her.  We’ve searched the whole farm before you got here.  So far we found just her parents, and the horses.”

         “Her father too, and the horses?”  Terry had a questioning look on his face.

         “He was in the barn with the horses.  He had a bullet through the heart and the horses throats have been sliced.”

         Terry remembered the words to the first note.  Carnivals, parades, fairs, parks, carousels, circuses.  The one thing they all had in common was horses and children.  He felt sick to his stomach, and hurried outside.

         He looked at his watch.  He hadn’t been to the base yet.  He would be A.W.O.L.  He had to call in right away.  He pulled his cell phone from his pocket, but it dropped to the ground.

         The officer looked at him.  “Sir?”

         Terry looked up at him.  “Have to call in.  I’m A.W.O.L.”

         “What’s the number, sir.  I’ll call for you.”

         Another officer came up to them at that moment.  “Nothing.  No sign of the little girl.”

         “Then he’s got her with him,” the officer said.

         Terry’s mind reeled.  That was his little girl they talked about, his Moppet.  He looked at the officer.  “The number is 555-9265.”

         A paramedic approached him.  “Sir.  Come with me.”

         “My wife?”

         “Is in shock.  So are you.  Come with me.”

         Terry’s mind flew to the past four years in the prison camp.  He had endured and seen many things.  He had nightmares every night because of it, but none of it had pertained to his wife.  His daughter was missing.  He was in the back of the ambulance.  “Must find her.”

         “We’ll find her.  We’re going to do everything we can.  Right now I need you to cooperate with me,” the paramedic said.

         Terry felt a jab in his arm, and looked up at the paramedic.  “What was that?”

         “Something to keep you calm.”

         The officer who had taken the phone number approached him.  “I called your command.  I talked to someone named Steve.  He’s aware of the situation and as of right now you are on emergency leave.”

         Terry’s mind went into action.  He took the phone from the officer and quickly dialed a number.  “Admiral Montgomery please, this is Commander Kearney.”  He waited only a moment.  “Admiral I have a serious situation that I would like your help on.  ...  My daughter has been kidnapped.  My in-laws are both dead, and the new colt and his mother have had their throats sliced.  ...  Thank you sir.  We’re out on County D, fire number 3587.  ...  I’ll be here.”

         The paramedic took the phone from him before he could hang up.  “We’re taking him to the base hospital along with his wife.  ...  My name is Langley.  I’m a paramedic.  ...  Yes sir.  Just as he said.  The little girl is missing.  No sign of her.  ...  Yes sir.  I’ll tell him.”

         Terry took the phone from him.  “What did he say?”

         “He’ll meet you at the hospital.”

         Terry looked at Andi, who stared at him with eyes that didn’t register.  “Andi sweetheart, we’ll find her.  I promise.  I called Admiral Montgomery.  He’s going to help.  He’s meeting us at the hospital.”

         The tears rolled down her cheeks.  “My baby.”

         The ambulance pulled out of the driveway as the coroner pulled in.  Terry watched it stop in front of the house before the whole scene was lost to his sight.

         The paramedic was with them in the back of the ambulance.  “I need to fill out some paperwork.”

         “Of course.”  Terry gave him the necessary information.  “My wife’s name is Andrea Rose Kearney.  Birthday,” he tried to think clearly.  “April twenty-second.  Age, twenty-five.  My name is Terence Matthew Kearney.  Birthday, June thirtieth.  Age, thirty.”

         “Address?” the paramedic said.

         “135 Mowbray Arch.  Work address, Norfolk Naval Station.”

         “How are you feeling sir?”

         Terry looked at him, and at Andi.  “I’m fine, sweetheart, how are you feeling?”

         Andi looked at him.  “She’s gone?”

         “She’s in shock sir,” the paramedic said.

         Terry took her hand.  “We’ll find her.  I promise.”

         The ambulance pulled into the Naval hospital complex and drove around to the emergency department.

         Terry walked beside the stretcher that held his wife.

         Andi saw everything, but registered none of it.  Her mind numb to everything except the fact that her parents were dead, and Madeline was missing.  He had her.  She choked on her sobs as her shoulders shook and reaction set in.

         Terry watched her.  “Sweetheart.”

         Andi turned toward him, and focused on him, as she reached out to him.  “She’s gone.  Dead?”

         “We don’t know that.  We’re going to do everything we can to find her.  I promise.”

         “Trauma six,” a voice said.

         They wheeled her into a room, and lifted her onto a bed.  “Mrs. Kearney.  Focus on me.”

         She looked at him.  “Who?”

         “My name is Dr. Whitney.  You’re at the Naval Hospital.  Do you understand me?”

         Andi nodded her head, and looked at Terry, who had a hold of her hand, then back at him.  “My baby.”

         “I understand.  Mrs. Kearney.  How old is your little girl?” Dr. Whitney said.

         “She’s-” Terry started to say, but was stopped by the doctor who held his hand up to him.

         “Sir.  I need your wife to answer these questions.”  He looked back at Andi.  “Mrs. Kearney.  How old is your little girl?”

         Andi looked at him.  “She’s four, no, three.  She’s going to be four in a couple months.”

         “Good.  Now tell me what her name is.”

         “Madeline.  Madeline Louise Kearney.”

         “Good.  Now tell me about Madeline.”

         Terry watched the questioning.  His heart knew a pain he had never thought to feel as he thought of his daughter in the hands of a psychotic man.

         Andi’s brow scrunched in thought.  “Maddie was, is, a very happy little girl.  Full of life.  Fun to be around, she puts enthusiasm in everything she does.  She picked out our van not too long ago.”

         She couldn’t go on as heart-wrenching sobs shook her shoulders and caught her breath.  “Tell me she’s still alive.  Tell me I’m going to get my baby back!”

         “Sweetheart.”  Terry brought her focus on him.  “Sweetheart do you remember something Maddie said.  She said that you were going to have a baby boy, and he would be nice to her.  Do you remember that?”

         The doctor looked at Terry.  “Is your wife pregnant?”

         Terry looked up at him.  “I don’t know.”

         Doctor Whitney looked at a nurse.  “I want some blood work done before I prescribe a tranquilizer for her.”

         “Yes doctor.”

         Terry looked at the doctor.  “She is, isn’t she?”

         “You tell me.  Commander.  Does the possibility exist?”

         “It’s entirely possible.”  Terry sat in a chair.  With everything that had just happened, it was altogether possible that Andi was also pregnant.

         Andi looked from the doctor to Terry.  She was confused.  “A baby?”

         “We’re going to find out Mrs. Kearney.  We’re going to get a blood test done.  I need you to try and stay calm,” Dr. Whitney said.

         Andi focused on Terry.  “She said that he would be good to her.”

         “That’s right Andi.  So she can’t be dead.  She’s alive, and we’ll find her.  I promise you we’ll find her, and Mr. Farin will rot in hell for what he’s done,” Terry said.

         Dr. Whitney looked at him.  “You know who did this?”

         Terry turned his attention to the doctor.  “We have a good idea.  I was in a prison camp for four years.  My wife thought I was dead, and had started seeing someone.  There were words between us when I came home.”

         “I see.  Welcome home.”

         “Thank you.  It’s been good to be back until this morning.”

         “I can understand that.”  Dr. Whitney turned to Andi.  “Mrs. Kearney, tell me more about Madeline.”

         Andi looked at him.  “Maddie didn’t like processed food.  Only homemade.  It had to be made from scratch, or she wouldn’t eat it.”

         Terry watched as the doctor wrote down what she said.  He knew it would help to find his Moppet.  In the past month she had become the center of his life along with Andi.  He didn’t want to live without her.  The hole that would create would be the size of a crater, and he feared for Andi.  She had seen her mother in the dining room a bullet hole in her chest.  The look of surprise on her face.  That scene ingrained on his memory.  He doubted he would ever forget it.  He was glad he hadn’t gone into the barn, but just the description alone was enough to give him an idea of the gruesome details.  Her father with a hole in his heart, and the horses.  No horse should go through that.  Everything had changed for them.  Permanently.

         The nurse came back in the room.  “Commander Kearney.  Admiral Montgomery is in the lobby to see you.”

         Andi looked at him with fear in her eyes.  “You’re not leaving me!”

         Terry looked at the Dr.  “Can he come back here?”

         Dr. Whitney saw the distressed state of Mrs. Kearney.  “Yes of course.  Nurse, tell the Admiral he can come back.”

         “Yes doctor.”  The nurse left and a lab technician entered the room.

         “I want blood work done for a possible pregnancy.”

         “Yes doctor.”  The lab technician wound a tourniquet around her upper arm and drew a vial of blood and left.

         Admiral Montgomery entered the room as she left.  He looked at Andi on the bed.  “Terry, what happened?”

         “As I said on the phone, her parents were killed this morning and our little girl has been kidnapped.”

         “Talk to me.”

         Andi looked at the newcomer.  She had met him a couple weeks before at the ceremony.  What was his name?  Terry told him about her parents, and listened as he told him about Madeline.  “Why?”

         Terry looked at Andi.  “Sweetheart.  This is Admiral Montgomery.  I told you about him.  He was in the prison camp with me.  He’s going to help us find Maddie.”

         “Find Maddie?”

         “Yes sweetheart.”

         “Maddie’s alive?”

         “I believe so, yes.  Or we would have found her with your parents,” Terry said.

         “My parents.”  She started to cry again.  Her mother had been on the dining room floor with a bullet through her chest, a look of surprise on her face.  She would never forget.  Could not forget.  “Both?  Maddie?”

         “Your father was found in the barn with the horses.”

         “The horses?  He killed the horses too?”

         “Yes.  I’m sure the police already have his ID broadcast throughout the state, and the D.C. area. We’ll find him, and we’ll find Maddie,” Terry said.

         “And I’m going to do everything I can to help find her,” Admiral Montgomery said.

         The nurse came back in the room and handed a report to Dr. Whitney.  He looked down at it, and up at them.  “It’s confirmed.  You’re definitely going to be parents, and from my estimation, you’ll have this little one by Christmas.”

         “Just like Maddie said,” Andi said.

         “Yes.”  Terry should have been overjoyed, but with what had happened that morning, he was heartsick about his little girl.

         “Congratulations.  I remember that she said you would have a baby boy by Christmas.  I guess she was right,” Admiral Montgomery said.

         “Thank you,” Terry said.

         “Mrs. Kearney.  I’m going to give you something that is going to help you sleep.  I want you to rest.  I don’t want you doing anything at all for the rest of the week.  Do you understand me?” Dr. Whitney said.

         Andi looked at him.  “I’m pregnant?”

         “Yes Mrs. Kearney.  I want you to rest for the rest of the week, and then I’ll let you go back to work.  Where do you work?” Dr. Whitney said.

         “First Federal bank.  I’m a home loan officer.”

         “Next week you can be a home loan officer.  This week I want you to rest, and sleep the rest of the day,” Dr. Whitney said.

         “My little girl.  Maddie is missing.”

         “I know.  That’s why I want you to sleep.  I’m going to give you something right now.  Your husband is going to take you home.  Do you understand?”

         Andi watched him prepare a syringe.  “That will help me sleep?”

         “Yes.  I’m sending you home.  Bed rest for the rest of the day, and no work until next Monday.”  He filled out an appointment card.  “I will see you in my office next week before I release you to go back to work.”  He looked up at Terry.  “You had better get her home right away.  The sedative should take full effect in about half an hour.”

         “Thank you doctor.”  Dr. Whitney helped Terry get Andi from the bed, and into a wheelchair.

         “Stop by the desk.  They’ll give you instructions, for her care, and her prenatal vitamins.”

         “Did you give the police a description of the man you believe did this?” Admiral Montgomery said.

         “Not yet.”  Terry gave him a brief description of Larry Farin, then wrote his address and phone number down, and gave it to him.  “I appreciate anything you can do.”

         “This is also a matter for the F.B.I.,” Admiral Montgomery said.

         “I know.  My home is going to be crawling with federal officers before the end of the day.  Thank God Andi will be asleep through it all.  I almost wish I would be.  It’s so unreal.”

         “I know.  I’ll be in touch.  Are you prepared for a ransom?”

         “I’m not prepared for any of this.  It’s too soon,” Terry said.

         “I’ll talk to you later.  My prayers are with you.”

         “Thank you Chet.  I appreciate whatever you can do.”

         “We’ve been through too much to consider anything else.”

         Admiral Montgomery left and Terry wheeled his wife out of the room and stopped at the nurse’s station.  He returned to a quiet house.  No one came at him and jumped in his arms or shouted ‘Daddy.’  At that moment it really hit him.  He turned to Andi.  “Andi, sweetheart.  How are you feeling?”

         “Tired.  I just want to close my eyes and forget all this.  Tell me this is only a nightmare.  We’re going to pick her up at Mom and Dad’s later.  Mom and Dad are really alive and she’s going to be her usual precocious self.”

         Tears slid down her cheeks as he led her into the house, and up to their room.  They passed her room.  Andi looked in at her bed all made up and tucked in just so.  “I taught her to make her bed just a few months ago.”  Her Bible storybook waited on the bedside table for her bedtime story.  She leaned into Terry, who took her on to their room, helped her into bed, and stayed with her until she was asleep.

         He had some phone calls to make.  The first to his own parents.  They needed to know.  They would come and be with Andi.  He also had to call the bank.  He decided to make that call first.

         He picked up the receiver, and listened to the silence of the house.  The tick of the clock on the fireplace mantel.  The furnace as it kicked in.  The stillness all around him.  He expected Madeline to ask him to play a game, or read him a story.  Tears slid down his face as he punched out the number for the bank.

         “Pete Granville please.  ...  Pete this is Terry.  ...  Not good.  Andi’s asleep at the moment.  Dr. Whitney gave her a sedative before we left the hospital.  Both her parents are dead, the horses throats have been slit, and Maddie is missing.  ...  I appreciate that.  The doctor put her on bed rest for the rest of the week.  ...  Can’t really give her too much.  Maddie’s Christmas wish is on its way.  ...  Thank you.  I only hope it will be when this whole nightmare is over.  I expect to see Maddie come running into my arms any moment.  It’s too quiet here, but I know it won’t last.  I expect the house to be crawling with feds before the day is out.  So I’ll enjoy it while it lasts.  It’s going to be insane all too soon.  ...  Thanks.  She should be back on Monday.  ...  I haven’t given it any thought yet.  The funeral will have to be soon though.  I’ll let you know.  ...  Thanks.  Talk to you later.  I still have to let my folks know what happened.”  He replaced the receiver, and went to check on Andi.

         He almost envied her.  He wished he could sleep through the nightmare.  He sat on the bed, picked up her hand, brought it to his lips before he reached down, and kissed her brow.  He loved her so much, and he loved Madeline just as much.  He didn’t know how he would cope if she turned up dead.  He didn’t want to think about it.  He would hold on to God’s goodness.  It couldn’t be His will for him to lose Madeline so soon after he had met her.  Just six weeks ago he hadn’t known anything about her.  She filled his whole life with her laughter, and her excited nature, along with his wife.  He could imagine Andi just like that at Madeline’s age.

         He had one more call that he had to make.  He went back to the phone and punched out the number for his parents.  They lived in Seattle, clear across the country, but he knew they would be there the following day.

         The phone rang on the other end.  “Hello mom.  ...  That’s why I’m calling.  Are you sitting down?  Is Dad with you?  It’s not good here.  ...  I’m sure you’re aware that Andi was seeing someone while she thought I was dead.  ...  Well he’s gone psychotic.  ...  Andi’s parents are both dead.  Their horses are both dead, and Maddie’s missing.  ...  She’s under a sedative right now.  ...  There’s not much she can do.  Andi’s pregnant.  ...  Christmas.  ...  I expect the house to be crawling soon.  ...  That would be great.  I’d appreciate it.  Call me later to let me know when your plane is due in.  ...  I’ll see you tomorrow.  Thanks mom.”

         He replaced the receiver and went to stand at the windows.  It was just after noon according to the mantel clock.  It felt like the longest day he had ever been through, and there was still a lot of day left.

         He went back to the bedroom to check on Andi.  The doctor said she would sleep the rest of the day.  He needed to get hold of the coroner.  He shook his head.  None of it was real.  The phone rang.

         He reached for it on the bedside table.  “Kearney residence.  ...  Mom.  ...  All right.  I’ll be at the airport to pick you up.  See you tomorrow.”

         Andi moaned beside him.  “Terry?”

         Terry brushed her hair from her face.  “I’m right here.”

         “Need to go get Maddie.  She’ll be waiting for us.  I wonder what kind of cookies they made today.  Macaroons are her favorite.”

         “We’ll go shortly.  Go back to sleep.”  He leaned down and kissed her, then watched as she receded back into a deep sleep.

         Leave it to Moppet to like something other than chocolate chip cookies.  There was nothing status quo about Madeline.  She was so different.  Didn’t like cartoons.  Ate only made from scratch food.  Loved a show about cars and trucks.  Could argue for a bargain deal on a car.  He shook his head.  She amazed him at every turn.  When he expected her to go right, she went far left.  He went into her room and sat in the rocking chair.  There were shelves of books.  An open toy box showed that yes, she did like dolls too.  She had a good collection of Barbie dolls.  She also had a good collection of trucks and cars.  Her brother wouldn’t need to worry about something to play with when he arrived.

         A smile touched his face for the first time.  A son.  He had no doubt.  With that realization was also the fact that Madeline said that he would be nice to her.  So they had to find her.  They would find her.  Alive.  He had to hold onto that.