A Child's Cry by Carla

The party was in full swing. He and Sarah were standing on either side of Adam, laughing as the boy blew out the candles on his birthday cake. A beaming face looked up saying, "Look, Daddy. I..." the ringing phone awakened Chris abuptly bringing him out of his most wonderful dream. As he fumbled for the phone, he glanced at the bedside clock seeing it was 4:00am.

"Larabee," he growled.

"Chris, it's Erin. I need you," cried the voice of Chris's distraught sister over the line.

Chris sat up on the side of the bed, now fully awake. "Erin, what's wrong?"

Breaking into sobs, she said, "She's gone Chris. Katie has been kidnapped."

A cold fear raced through Chris at the thought of his five-year-old niece being stolen. He spoke more sharply than he intended, "Calm down. When did this happen?"

"Last night. The police have been here ever since."

"I'll be on the first flight out. Hang on, sis. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Three hours later, Chris was enroute to Dallas, Texas. Before leaving, he called his team members to let them know of the situation and his travel plans. Work was the last thing he worried about as he knew that his team was more than capable of holding down the fort. He thought about his sweet niece. Katie was the light of her mother's life. With Erin's soft blond hair and her father's vivid blue eyes, she was a heartbreaker. Her Uncle Chris was wrapped tightly around her little finger especially when her tiny cherubic face erupted into smiles and giggles. He prayed for Katie's safe return to her mother's arms.

Upon arrival at Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport, Chris quickly navigated his way to car rental thankful he could avoid the crowd at baggage pick-up as he had only packed one carry-on. Fortunately, this was not his first trip to Dallas so after renting a car he was able to quickly get underway to this sister's house on the outskirts of town. As he drove, his thoughts were once again on his niece and the pain he knew Erin was feeling. Katie had just turned two when Sarah and Adam were killed. Through his own actions of self- destruction, he had lost a lot of connection with Katie for the first couple of years after their deaths. Over the past year, however, he had rebuilt much of that connection and the small child was like a balm to his still wounded soul. His green eyes hardened with anger at the thought of anyone that could hurt a child. He vowed to himself that everything would be done to bring Katie home safely and God help anyone whe tried to prevent him from doing just that.

Erin answered the door almost before Chris finished knocking. Throwing herself into his arms she began to sob against his chest. He wrapped both arms around her and held her tightly with one hand while stroking up and down her back with the other. "It's all right. Everything is gonna be all right," he soothed.

Erin rested in her brother's arms for several moments. When she regained her composure, she looked up at Chris and smiled shakily. "Chris, thank you so much for coming," she whispered. All I could think of was how much I needed you."

Kissing the top of Erin's head, Chris said, "You know I'll be here when you need me. Let's go inside and sit down. You can tell me what happened, okay?"

In the living room, Chris sat in a chair across from the couch where Erin sat. His sister was pale and shaky. Her long blond hair was a tangled mess that hung down her back, dark circles framing her eyes. "You doing okay, sis?" he asked.

She closed here eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she nodded. "We were in the back yard last night about 7:30. The phone rang... I went inside to answer it. I was only gone a minute. I went back out and she was gone. I don't know how someone got inside the gate and took her in the length of time I was in the house. I just don't understand. I called the police. They took down the report and search the neighborhood but there were no signs of her. Shouldn't they be doing something more?"

Chris sat forward in his chair and leaned towards Erin. "It seems as though they followed correct procedure. Unfortunately, asking questions and taking reports are the first steps. It's an important part of the initial investigation but a pain in the ass to the people involved. Erin, does Dylan know?"

"Not yet. I couldn't reach Dylan at his apartment so I called his associate, Al Neeley. He said Dylan is in France trying to work out a business deal. Erin sighed and shook her head. "It's as if Dylan split up with Katie as well as me when he moved out. She doesn't understand why her daddy doesn't love us anymore. Anyway, Al promised to get word to him."

Chris moved over to the couch beside Erin and took her hand into his own. "Just stay focused on Katie and don't worry about Dylan. He's a big boy who knows what he left when he walked out on two special ladies. My team knows I'll be here as long as you need me. You're not alone."

Tears began to well in Erin's eyes once more. She leaned over and rested her head on Chris's shoulder. "You've always been there for me. I just don't know what to do next."

"I'll go down to the police department and talk to whomever is handling the case. Erin, I'm sorry but until the kidnapper makes contact, it's going to be a waiting game."

After convincing Erin to rest, Chris went to the Dallas Police Department to check out any new leads. As he drove, he thought of his brother-in-law, Dylan Richardson. Each man had an immediate dislike for the other. Chris thought Dylan to be a pompous ass while Dylan thought Chris to be a know-it-all hotshot. They had mutually agreed for the sake of Erin and eventually Katie to keep their opinions and attitudes to themselves no matter how difficult. Now after the way the man had treated Erin by just walking out, Chris did not care what attitude he expressd to or about Dylan.

"Can I help you?" asked the desk Sargent.

"I need to see the detective in charge of the Katie Richardson kidnapping. I'm ATF Special Agent Chris Larabee."

"Okay, let me get him for you."

Moments later a tall middle-aged man entered from one of the back offices. He walked over to Chris and offered a handshake. "Agent Larabee, I'm Detective Bruce Jenkins. I understand you wanted to see me."

"I wanted to talk to you about Katie Richardson."

"I don't understand. Why would the ATF be involved in a kidnapping?"

"Sorry... it's not. I'm Erin Richardson's brother. She called me this morning."

"I see. Let's go into my office and talk."

Chris couldn't help but notice the plaques and certificates of performance that hung on the walls. This man had been around awhile.

"You're not from this area, Agent Larabee?"

"No," Chris replied, "I live in Denver."

"Do you have any idea who might want to kidnap your niece?"

"None"

The detective sighed heavily. "We have nothing to go on. None of the neighbors saw anything out of the ordinary during the day, you know, no strange people or vehicles about; no tossed clothing items, no ransom note, no nothing. Agent Larabee, I'm going to ask you something and I want you to understand I am only trying to cover all bases. Would your sister bring harm to the child?"

"Absolutely not," denied Chris vehemently, "Erin loves Katie more than life itself. No way would she hurt her."

"Well, tell me this. What do you know of the father?" the detective asked.

"Erin has never told me otherwise, so to my knowledge Dylan has been a good father; that is up until six weeks ago. I don't know what happened between him and my sister only that he decided one day he didn't want to be married anymore. The next day he was moved out. Erin said there's been no contact with him at all even on Katie's behalf. Erin didn't know that Dylan is in France. I understand his business associate is locating him."

"Yeah, that's what she told me. I'm sorry to be blunt, but until we either find a body or contact is made from the kidnapper there isn't a lot we can do."

Chris's face was grim. "I hate to say it but I do understand. But that doesn't mean Katie is a lost cause. She is going to be found. Thank you for your time, Detective."

It was late afternoon when Chris arrived back at Erin's. His sister looked a bit more rested and in more control. She sat in the living room with a lady he did not know.

"Did you find out anything?" Erin asked anxiously.

"Nothing new. I'm sorry, Erin."

"Chris, this is my friend Amanda Collins. She lives across the street. Amanda, this is my brother Chris Larabee."

"Nice to meet you Amanda. Have you seen anything out of the ordinary in the neighborhood?"

"No, I'm sorry," Amanda said, "I've been in Paris for the last several weeks on a buying trip. I just got in a while ago and wanted to see Erin."

"Buying trip?"

"Amanda is a buyer for a chain of finer clothes shops located in the Southwest," Erin said.

"Sound interesting. If you ladies will excuse me, I have to check in with my team. Again, nice meeting you Amanda. Erin, I'll be in the den."

"Team?" Amanda asked after Chris left the room.

"He's an ATF agent in Denver," Erin replied.

Hugging Erin tightly, Amanda soothed, "Well, if anyone can find Katie, I'm sure he can. Now, I really have to run. Make sure you call me if you need anything at all."

It had been nearly 30 hours since Katie disappeared. Both Chris and Erin were exhausted but couldn't bring themselves to sleep so instead they sat reminiscing. They talked of Katie and of Chris's job. Erin was so happy Chris had finally found some peace in his life. She had met the six men that worked with Chris and was amazed at the fierce protectiveness and respect they had for each other. She knew they were the ones who brought Chris back from the brink and was eternally grateful in the knowledge they would kick his butt if he ever tried to backslide.

Chris was in the midde of telling Erin how Buck had locked JD and Ezra... when the phone rang. Chris grabbed it on the first ring.

"Agent Larabee, this is Detective Jenkins. We just received word from Paris authorities that Dylan Richardson is dead. He was found in an alleyway with a single gunshot to the head. Looks like he's been dead three maybe four days. Please convey my condolences to your sister. I'll be in touch."

Chris was slowly losing patience. "Erin, I'm not going to argue with you. I don't know if the murder and kidnapping are connected but I'm not taking any chances. Reservations have been made. You're going to Denver."

"Chris, I can't leave. What if the kidnapper makes contact? What if the police need to get in touch with me?" Erin's head was reeling with thoughts of Katie and now Dylan.

"Jenkins is in agreement that you should go. You have to trust me. I'll take care of everything. Now you have a flight to catch. When you get to Denver, Vin Tanner will pick you up at the airport. I know you remembr him. He's the one that got that huge stuffed bear for Katie. He'll take you to the ranch and will stay with you. Please, sis. Let's go."

An hour later, Chris breathed a sigh of relief as Erin was finally on her way to Denver. He stopped by the police station to advise Detective Jenkins of how to get in touch with Erin through Vin or the ATF office if need be. After leaving, he remembered his promise to let Amanda know what was going on. A sudden thought jolted Chris. He wasn't sure if there was anything to it but he decided, not for the first time in his life, to act on a hunch.

Amanda wasn't home so Chris went back to Erin's. A short while later he saw Amanda's car pull in the drive. About an hour later, she came out of the house with a couple of bags in her hand. After she pulled out of the drive Chris left the house and followed. Fifteen minutes later, Amanda pulled into a warehouse building. After she had been inside for a few minutes he decided it was safe to go in. He crept to the front and cautiously opened the door. Inside the warehouse were several racks of clothing and a few sewing machines. He remembered Erin telling him Amanda was a clothes buyer and assumed this was her workstation. He saw three rooms off to the side that he wanted to investigate. The first two held more racks and bolts of material. He was about to go into the third room when he felt a flash of pain in his head and everything went black.

Chris awoke slowly trying to remember the train that had hit him. He felt something on top of his chest. He cracked open his eyes just enough to see what was using him as a bed. A pair of beautiful blue eyes was looking at him. Grabbing the figure on his chest he sat up abruptly, ignoring the pain in his head. "Oh my God, Katie," he whispered. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, he hugged the child to him fiercely. "Katie, are you okay? Tell Uncle Chris if anything hurts."

A laugh erupted from Katie. "Squeeze tight," she squealed as she hugged her uncle. Chris sat her upright and gave her a quick once over. She appeared in good shape. No marks or bruises marred her. She and her clothes were perfectly clean. "Let's get out of here and go see Mommy," he said. It was then that he saw the woman sitting in the corner holding a gun on him.

Rising to his knees slowly, Chris pushed Katie behind him shielding her with his own body. He said softly, "Amanda, please let me take Katie home. She needs her mother. Please, put down the gun."

"Now why would I want to let her go back to her mother?" she asked only it didn't sound like Amanda's voice. It was deeper with the words more pronounced.

Chris continued using his softest tone. "She belongs with her mother. Every child needs a mother."

"We didn't," in that same deep voice.

"We?"

She spat out, "Are you hard of hearing? Yes, we."

Chris was thoroughly confused and his aching head did not help matters. He prayed Katie stayed quiet so as not to agitate Amanda. "Amanda, I don't understand."

The woman stood and started to wave the gun wildly. "Stop calling me that. Do I sound like Amanda to you?"

"No"

"Then why did you call me that?"

"I'm sorry. Who are you?"

"My name is Teresa. You stay over there and behave. I don't want to shoot you but I will if I have to."

Several hours later, Chris sat quietly holding a sleeping Katie in his arms. Teresa had gone silent refusing to answer questions or even speak. Every time Chris moved though she brandished the gun in his direction. He desperately tried to think of a way out but he refused to take any chances with Katie in the room. A bit later, Teresa crawled over closer to Chris but not close enough.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hi," he replied.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Chris. What's yours?"

"Jessie. You Katie's Unca Chwis?" she responded.

"Yes, I am. How old are you, Jessie?"

"This many," she said holding up four fingers. "Me and Katie have fun playing."

"You do? I bet you're both fun to play with, but right now Jessie, aren't you tired? Wouldn't you like for us to leave and go someplace where we can rest other than lying on a cold floor. Why don't you give me the gun and then we'll leave, okay?"

"UhUh, can't."

"Why not?"

"Teresa get mad. She do bad things again."

"What kind of things, Jessie?"

There was no answer.

"Jessie?"

The woman sat up straight once again and backed up away from Chris. "Sorry, cutie. Jessie can't play anymore."

Chris sighed knowing Teresa was back. "What kind of bad things was Jessie talking about?" he asked.

"She thinks what I did was bad. It wasn't. I had to take Katie away before she got hurt. It was so easy. No one knew Amanda got back in town early because I made her stay here instead of going home. That night, I went over to Erin's and sneaked to the fence. I planned on killing Erin that night and take Katie. Luckily for Erin, Katie was outside by herself. I was just standing there and Katie came over to me. I picked her up and brought her here. I haven't mistreated her. I would never hurt a child. The only time she's been alone was when Amanda went over to see Erin and a little while today."

"Is that all you did?" Chris asked.

"Nope. Dylan and Amanda had been having an affair for a long time. Dylan left Erin for her. Only they didn't tell anyone. It was a secret. Amanda met up with him in Paris. Well, I showed up and killed him."

"I suspected they were having an affair when I remembered both were in France," Chris replied. "Teresa, I don't understand. Why did you murder Dylan?"

"He dropped his wife and child for another woman. He just walked out and didn't want anything to do with either of them. It hurts too much when that happens. He didn't deserve to live. Amanda's father did the exact same thing. I took care of him a long time ago."

"None of that is Erin's fault. Why were you going to kill her?"

"Because she would turn mean and hurt Katie. She'd be awful just like Amanda's mother. Katie is better of with me."

"Teresa, do you hold Amanda responsible for any of this?" Chris asked.

"No. Amanda is a victim. When Amanda's father left, her mother turned mean and cruel. She hurt Amanda terribly. You should see the scars on her body. Amanda couldn't deal with it so I came along to help her. I visited her father one weekend and killed him. I made it look like an accident. Amanda couldn't tell the cops what happened because she didn't know. Then one day her mother was beating her horribly. I took care of that, too. No one hurts Amanda around me. I'll tell you a secret. You met Jessie, right? well, she's like Amanda was when she was little. So sweet and always in denial. Another thing...Amanda doesn't know anything about any of this. She's too weak to be able to handle it. So not a word to her about anything."

The woman raised the gun toward Chris. "On second thought, I don't think I can trust you with my secrets. You're going to have to die. It's the only way. Put Katie down."

Chris laid Katie behind him once more then raised his hands out in front of him. "Wait, please. If you fire now, the gunshot will wake Katie. She'll know what happened. How can you sit there and say you were afraid Erin would turn cruel when you are about to do something yourself that will terrify Katie?"

The woman wavered. Her hand started shaking and tears ran down her face. Chris tried again. "Teresa, please let me talk to Amanda. I bet she's stronger than you give her credit. If she's not then you and I can help her. We'll help Jessie and Katie, too. Teresa, you've done what you think is right to protect Amanda. Please let her decide if this is how she wants to continue. Please."

For long minutes, neither moved. Finally, she lowered her head. When she raised it again, her eyes were confused and dazed. "Agent Larabee, what's going on? Why am I holding a gun?" Looking around Chris, she said, "Oh, God. Is that Katie? Is she all right?"

Chris held out his hand and said, "Amanda, please give me the gun. Don't worry, Katie's fine and so are you. It's all right. I'm here to help. Trust me."

Amanda handed him the gun and began to cry. Even though she had no memory of what had happened, she felt she had done something horrible. Chris held her in his arms whispering over and over to her in a soothing tone. A few minutes later, he awoke Katie and holding tightly to both, made his way out of the warehouse.

In the early hours of the next morning, Chris was sleeping with his head resting on Katie's hospital bed. The child was in good condition, however, it was decided for her to stay overnight for observation. Erin and all six members of Chris's team burst through the door and hushed quickly when they saw both were asleep. They all had left Denver late last night when Detective Jenkins called with the good news. Erin sat on Katie's bed and raised her daughter into her arms. She was crying softly when Katie awoke and smiled. "Hi, Mommy. Be weal qwite. Unca Chwis tired." Six men gathered into different areas of the room to watch over mother, child, and their friend.

Later that day, Team 7 gathered at Erin's house. Chris explained everything that had happened. He was delighted that Erin could see beyond what Amanda had done and was willing to help her friend recover from what was diagnosed as a multiple personality disorder. Thankfully, the doctors seemed optimistic that Amanda could be helped. After talking to the police and district attorney, Chris agreed to testify on Amanda's behalf if necessary. He truly hoped that Amanda would not even have to face charges for any of her crimes.

Chris was determined to be just as generous in his desire to help Erin and Katie through this ordeal. They were now in the process of planning Dylan's memorial service and hopefully, after that, they could all start to heal. Chris wondered if he might be able to convince Erin to move to Denver and live with him at the ranch. Maybe reminding her that finding a babysitter would never prove a problem, as he knew of six others besides himself who would gladly sign up for the job, might sway her. Right now though, he had a squealing, ecstatic niece to rescue from Buck.

THE END