“Ellie, the FBI, Lance, Witsec, none of this makes sense. I get the FBI would be kept out of the loop. Witsec is its own world. But Witsec doesn’t work that way. They would have moved you right away. Do you know how you got pregnant?”
“They kept us in a daze to keep us compliant. It was in the water we drank. But if we didn’t drink…we’d die. Once a day, they gave us an injection. Once in a while, I’d lose time. I assume it happened then. It didn’t always work. They’d…” Eleanor lowered the part of her shirt covering her shoulders to display the X’s. “The girls who got three disappeared. They kept my first. He’d be almost three now. Eight weeks was all I had.” She closed her eyes.
“Did you say what I think you meant?” Gwen grasped Eleanor’s hand.
“My entire life was consumed by evil…until I made it here.” Eleanor blew her nose. “I begged the FBI to believe me. The kidnappers stole my life; they stole my son, and I believe there was another baby born in that icy cabin.”
“Ellie, Mr. Crockett can help you. Tell him.”
“The man who shot me…it was a warning to not tell anyone. He said he’d kill the people I cared about. Do you know what it’s like to lose everything? I really wanted this job to work out, but the fact I keep watching over my shoulder doesn’t help. Wes Crockett is the first man I haven’t been afraid of. He made me wish again. I know what these people can do. Hazel is dead because of me. Brandon is fighting for his life. I think the explosion was them—and the helicopter—how many more will die?
“I’ll make sure Aaron can manage the program. Then, I’ll disappear on my own. When I’m gone, tell Wes I believed him.”
Gwen clenched her jaw. “Please reconsider, Ellie…” Her voice rose with distress.
“The only thing I regret is not being able to help Troy. What happened to him can’t define him. He can be whole again. I told Brandon, and I’ll leave my notes for Aaron and Troy’s regular therapist to help him. I have some treatment ideas. His friend Kyle is good for him. Wes and Kip are too.” She stifled a small gasp. “I wish things were different. I guess I can live on the memory of one night.”
“Ellie, you don’t have to. Let us help you. We can protect you,” Gwen begged.
“But you can’t protect all of you and my two… I was a good therapist. I’m so tired, Gwen. I can’t deal with more hurt tonight. I can’t talk anymore.”
“Maybe a good night’s sleep will make things better. Please don’t do anything drastic.” Gwen hugged her.
Eleanor walked her to the door. After locking it behind her, she kicked off her shoes and, fully dressed, climbed into bed. Sleep took her quickly.
* * *
The desk light cast shadows over the computer screen on Wes’s desk. He was signing off on the routine center matters, barn requisitions, payroll, overtime approvals, vacation requests, roll call and assignments for the Center’s security personnel. Eleanor promised she’d hear him out, but after her day, she told him maybe tomorrow. He heard the exhaustion in her voice, but he also heard her decision.
If Brandon hadn’t been severely injured, she’d already be gone. His only chance to keep her there was to find Belinda.
Kip walked through the open door. “Lance retired for the night. Kieran and Mike are down the hall speaking with Ian. You okay?”
“Where do we start? Every jurisdiction has a different number who have disappeared. What we do know is, in the few bodies where there was enough tissue and fluids to test, they were loaded with fertility drugs and, in even fewer than that, the ME found they died of a medical cause. Not one of them showed abuse. In fact, they were healthy. One girl had one X in her shoulder, one had two, and one had none. What does that mean?”
“It doesn’t seem punitive by the fact the girls are otherwise healthy. A place keeper of some sort?” Kip sat across from Wes.
“I’m going to hold on to Witch and her squad from Tango Team to protect Ellie. I want Gator and his Tango Team squad plus Chad Thorn and the healthy members of Zulu Team to investigate each missing girl Hartung gave us. Gator can give Zulu Team some stability. What do you think?”
“Your voice carried. Sounds good,” Kyle said as he walked in with Troy. “We told the therapy monitor we were getting snacks.”
“I didn’t think about ears…shows you were I’m at.” Wes got up and closed the door.
“You weren’t loud,” Troy said. “I agree with your plan. Every piece of intelligence has been touched. Now, whether it was altered, we don’t know. Taking it to ground is the best way.”
Wes looked up at the ceiling. “We need to start with Ellie. I sent tech another email. We need her medical records from after she was found.”
Mike knocked and entered. “Mind if Kieran and I join you?”
“Sure, maybe you can help us expedite Ellie’s medical records from Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg. Tech can’t seem to find them,” Wes said, exasperated.
“Well, there is a good reason for that.” Kieran shook his head. “That’s what Mike and I were doing. Seems Agents Murrow and Nash were doing more than performing an aggressive investigation. They were playing fast and loose with the facts. Murrow’s daughter Theresa went missing after participating in a speed dating event at the Brass Oyster Hotel in Leesburg. He believes her disappearance is related to the other missing girls.
“We pulled Murrow’s financials. He’s been transferring two thousand dollars per month to an account in Charleston, West Virginia. My guess, it’s a ransom for Theresa,” Kieran said.
“What does this have to do with Ellie?” Kip asked.
“I think the kidnappers are demanding that he keep track of Ellie…find out if she’s told anyone what happened. We can see Eleanor is holding secrets. Those secrets are the key to our investigation. But if she can’t or won’t tell us, at this point, is immaterial,” Kieran said.
