CHAPTER 1

Three months later - January

Snow covered the mall once again, but after nearly two months of snow it was no longer a novelty. Local people walked by and through it, hardly noticing the way it clung to the heavy laden pine branches or drifted up against the back of the Vietnam Memorial. Children on a field trip from Virginia were much more impressed. The snow to the south of Maryland had been brief and transitory, hardly there long enough at a stretch to ensure a snowball battle.

Their chaperones tried to keep them focused on the great works or architecture but of course at the age of eight they were much more interested in pelting each other with snow and lying down to make snow angels. Then there were some who were simply so entranced with everything that they seemed to lose track of where they were supposed to be.

Clarissa Patterson was one of those. She watched a bright red cardinal flit down into a nearby bush and then quickly fly to one of the higher spruce trees. His red feathers were a signal flag to her, luring her away from the group. The voices of her classmates grew fainter as she ran down a short path following the flight of the bird, and nearly ran into someone coming from the other direction.

Watching from a distance, she saw the group of school children getting slightly out of hand. She smiled at them laughing and playing in the snow, but when one little girl started breaking away from the group she felt her heart speed up. She almost broke into a run when she saw the girl heading down one of the paths to the Lincoln Memorial, and she followed the small footprints down and around a clump of trees. A flash of blue and she saw the girl ahead of her, and someone else kneeling beside her.

"Hey! What do you think you’re doing? Get away from her, right now! Federal Agent!" She had her badge out of her pocket in the time it took her to say the words.

Clarissa turned around, her eyes wide with surprise. "We weren’t doing anything wrong," she said, alarmed. "Monica was just showing me where the cardinal lives."

As the angel stood up from behind Clarissa, Alex felt all her muscles instantly relax and she lowered her hand and smiled. "Monica? What are you doing here?" She was incredibly happy and also relieved.

"Well, right now I was just talking to wee Clarissa here, and then I was going to take her back to her class." She looked down at the little girl. "I’m sure they’re looking for you by now, and you really shouldn’t wander off. It isn’t safe to be alone, especially in a place you don’t know."

Clarissa looked around as if suddenly realizing that she wasn’t where she was supposed to be. "I didn’t mean to wander," she said plaintively. "I was just following the bird."

"I know, but why don’t we just get you back now. Okay?"

The girl nodded and with Monica and Alex on either side the three of them retraced the girl’s steps back to her little group. The chaperones were beside themselves with gratitude when they saw her being led back to them, and a few stern words ensured that it wouldn’t be happening again. Monica gave one more little wave to the smiling girl, and then turned to fall in step with Alex as they headed towards the reflecting pool and the rebuilt FBI headquarters.

"You can’t believe how glad I am that you were the one with that little girl," Alex said, breathing another sigh of relief as they walked.

"You did seem awfully upset when you found us," Monica commented. "What were you expecting to find?"

"You don’t want to know," Alex replied with a shake of her head and a tightening of her jaw.

Monica didn’t say a word, but continued to look at her friend, waiting for an explanation.

"We’ve had a rash of kidnappings around the area," Alex finally answered. "So far all of the girls have been returned, but with every case it looks like whoever it is is escalating."

"Escalating?" Monica didn’t quite understand.

"The first girl was taken and she said the guy took pictures of her and fed her and she went to sleep and woke up in the park. Well, every girl since then has been molested. Not raped, and no actual physical injuries, but each one is just a little worse." She had watched Monica blanch as she explained things to her, and she hated seeing the haunted look in the angel’s eyes.

"You think he will hurt the next girl more?"

"That’s what we’re afraid of. It’s made me hyper-aware of every possibly dangerous situation. So I’m sorry I kinda came at you back there," she finished with a quirky grin.

"No… no, I understand."

"So," Alex tried to kick-start the conversation when Monica said nothing else for the next minute of their walk. "You never answered my earlier question. What are you doing here? On assignment?"

"No… not yet. But Andrew is."

"And you just get to come along for the ride?"

Monica nodded her head and smiled, though her dark eyes were still troubled and Alex wished she had never mentioned the children being molested. It was hitting too close to home for the angel, despite how far Monica had come.

"I’m glad. I never like knowing you two are apart. It just doesn’t seem right. Do you know what his assignment is?"

"No, he didn’t say much about it. He may not have known himself," She was now wondering if her husband’s case had anything to do with the rash of kidnappings and if he indeed did know and was choosing not to tell her.

"Where are you staying?" Alex was trying to draw the angel out more in order to bring her completely back to the present.

"We just got here a little while ago and he was called away, so I don’t know yet or how long we’ll be here," Monica explained, pushing her dark thoughts aside, "How have you been feeling?"

Alex smiled, relieved to hear her asking questions again, "Other than a bit of morning sickness, very good. Paul stands beside me in the bathroom holding crackers each morning and if I weren’t puking my guts out, I’d think it was cute."

Monica gave a small laugh and shook her head, "He always wants to help."

"Yes, and I can’t fault him for that," She glanced at her watch before looking up once more, "Actually, he should be getting home shortly, so why don’t you come with me? If you happen to be here for awhile, you now have a place to stay. You know that you and Andrew are always welcome."

She only considered it for a split second, knowing that God would let Andrew know where she was, "I’d appreciate that, Alex."

"Good, then let’s get a move on as I’m freezing. Paul will be so happy to see you."

Moving to follow Alex, Monica glanced over her shoulder one last time at the group of children who were now being herded to their awaiting bus and she felt a tiny shudder go through her as she remembered the things that Alex had said. She could only pray that God would keep the wee ones safe.

*****

"Damnit!"

Alex and Monica exchanged a worried glance over the first sound they heard from Paul upon entering the house and the female agent was quick to take the lead in heading for his study.

"Paul?"

"He’s got another one, Alex," He muttered, clicking on the attachment to the e-mail he was reading to reveal a picture of a blond haired, blue-eyed little girl, "She’s been missing since this morning."

Alex’s expression turned to dread at the news as she approached him to take a closer look at the picture. The child was smiling, her eyes lit up in pure innocence and she felt her stomach churn at the thought of anyone taking that look from them. She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly as she placed her hands on his shoulders, "And we’re off duty for the day and hopefully she will be found soon."

"Yeah, but in what kind of condition? As if molesting isn’t bad enough, but how soon before he turns one into his little sex toy?" He was ranting, but it came to an abrupt halt when he turned around and saw the little angel standing in the doorway and his heart thudded in his chest. He knew she had heard his words, judging by the flash of pain in her dark eyes.

"Hey sweetheart," He forced a smile as he approached her, deciding that maybe pretending he hadn’t said it and that she hadn’t heard it was the best approach, "I didn’t realize you were here," He ducked his head to kiss her cheek and watched her manage a smile.

"I ran into Alex a little while ago and she said it would be okay for me to stay with you. Andrew is on assignment here somewhere and I’m not sure how long he will be."

"Of course it’s okay!" He exclaimed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he exchanged a regretful look with his wife, "You know we always love to have you and Andrew."

Monica nodded her head as she moved past him to gaze at the image of the little girl on the screen, silently praying that Andrew had not been called to take her Home, "What’s her name?" She asked softly.

"Krista Steiding," Paul replied quietly, "Seven years old. Disappeared on her way to school this morning. Her mother didn’t even know until a classmate came by to drop off her homework, thinking she had been home sick today."

"Bastard," Alex muttered under her breath, her hand subconsciously resting on her barely protruding stomach. They needed to find this son of a bitch. That was the only thing that would make the streets safer for these kids once more.

"I was about to start dinner," Paul offered, deciding a change of subject was in order though he doubted any of them would be thinking of much else, "I hope you’re both hungry."

"Starved actually," Alex piped up, moving past Monica to click away the attachment. She could clearly see the range of emotions in her friend’s eyes and she hoped that Andrew wouldn’t be away long. "Eating for two and all…"

Paul chuckled as he caught her around the waist as she moved back towards him and kissed her softly, "I love hearing you say that," He whispered into her ear.

She grinned at him, "Now if you would just make up your mind about if we are going to know the sex of the baby before delivery, I’d be happy. You keep waffling about it."

"I kind of like the suspense," He said in defense.

"But knowing makes it easier to buy things in advance-."

"That’s what yellow and green are for, baby…good neutral colors with no gender specifications attached."

"Paul…" She shot him a warning look but it was tempered by the fact she was also attempting to hide a grin.

The agent neatly side-stepped the issue by moving to Monica’s side and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "So, would you like to help with dinner?" He knew she enjoyed at least attempting to cook and he still felt like he needed to make up for the look he had unintentionally put on her face earlier.

"Paul, you know I’m not exactly safe in the kitchen," she said, as the familiar relaxation she always felt with Paul and Alex began to creep over her.

"Nonsense. Practice makes perfect." He waited a beat before adding, "And I think there are some salad fixings in the fridge with your name on them."

She laughed as Alex slapped him on the arm. "It’s okay, Alex. He’s right… and anyway, salad is my specialty."

Ten minutes later the three of them were talking and laughing in the kitchen and anyone glancing in would have been hard-pressed to guess that they were looking at two seasoned federal agents and an angel of God.

The phone rang, interrupting their conversation and Alex hurried over to catch it before the machine picked up. Paul was busy stir-frying mushrooms and onions to throw over their steaks, and Monica was deep in concentration as she cut up carrots, celery and any other vegetables she could find. Neither of them noticed how Alex’s face fell as she was talking on the phone, and it wasn’t until she rejoined them that Paul looked up and his expression changed to one of concern.

"Baby? What’s wrong? Who was on the phone?"

"Jerry," she said, referring to one of the men in her division. "They found her."

Monica’s head shot up and Paul moved his pan off the burner and gave his wife his full attention. "Where?"

"School playground a few miles from where they found the last one."

"Alive?" he hated to ask but he was surprised she hadn’t already offered that information.

"Barely. She’s on life support and they aren’t sure if she’ll make it through the night."

Paul slammed his fist against the counter, hitting the handle of his spatula and sending food splattering to the stove and floor. Then he saw the devastated look on his Alex’s face and closed the space between them pulling her close to his chest.

"She… they aren’t sure but…"

"Shh… don’t think about it right now," Paul said quietly. "We can’t help her, but we can get this fucking bastard off the streets and we will. We will catch him and he’ll pay for what he’s done."

"I know that, I know. It’s just hormones…" Alex was surprised at how hard this case was hitting her, but she was grateful for Paul’s strong arms around her.

"It’s not just hormones, baby, and I’ve got a mess all over the stove that proves that."

Neither of them had noticed Monica leave the room, but as they pulled apart they glanced over towards the table where she had been working and saw the abandoned cutting board.

"Monica?" Alex called out as she looked down the hall.

"Maybe she just needed a minute," Paul said, but he followed her as she walked out of the room and towards the stairs.

"Monica?"

The little angel was standing by the front door, looking out the window. "I think Andrew’s coming," she said quietly.

"Right now?" Paul asked, amazed as always by their connection.

She nodded her head but made no move to leave the window. Alex and Paul shared a concerned look, but didn’t press. Even if Andrew wasn’t on his way, it was clear that right now Monica needed to believe that he was, and they weren’t about to put any doubts in her mind.

"Well dinner’s nearly ready, so we can take it from here," Alex said. "I’ll set an extra place."

The couple silently headed back to the kitchen, with Paul automatically placing one hand at Alex’s back as they walked. He would never take for granted the fact that he had that opportunity every day.

*****

She saw him coming up the sidewalk with his hands shoved in his pockets and immediately flung the door open. She wanted to run down the steps and throw her arms around him, but his expression stopped her and instead she stood just inside, holding the door. She shut it as soon as he entered and then turned to him, her face full of questions. Andrew grabbed her fiercely and pulled her into his embrace before she could ask any of them. His kiss against the top of her head brought her some peace, but not enough.

"You were with her," she finally asked, and he knew who she meant.

"Yes."

"You didn’t tell me that’s what your assignment was going to be."

"I didn’t know for certain. I knew it was a child and I knew it would be bad. I was just sent to the park to be with her if she wasn’t found in time."

"You could have told me that much," she replied quietly. "I could have helped."

She felt him shaking his head. "It wasn’t your assignment, Monica."

"You just didn’t want me to see."

He was quiet for a moment, "You’re right," He stated firmly, "I didn’t want you to see. There was no need for you to see it, but it also wasn’t your assignment."

Monica pulled away from him, her emotions conflicting, "I’m not going to break, Andrew. You can’t protect me from every assignment that could involve sexual abuse."

The haunted look in her dark eyes was one he had not seen in quite some time, and it fueled his purpose, "No? Watch me," The words had escaped before he even had time to consider them.

She drew back slightly and he cursed himself for the way this conversation was going. After the things he had seen, all he had been able to think about was getting back here and holding her tightly, telling her how much he loved her. He had never thought about the fact that Paul and Alex were involved with this case as well, and that his wife had pretty much heard most of what had been happening. He also knew that ever since her attack six months ago, he had been fiercely protective when it came to her and that fact was only driven home more now that that they were married.

"He raped her, didn’t he?" The words were a whisper as she looked up at him, dark eyes demanding an answer and his silence was all the more answer she needed. A moment later and she had turned away and headed up the stairs.

"Monica!" His call went unanswered as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration, knowing he couldn’t leave things like this. The last time Paul left an argument festering, a building had fallen on top of his wife.

"Give her a few minutes, Andrew," Alex said softly as she approached him, having overheard part of their discussion, "She’s been upset ever since I told her what was going on, so it isn’t really you."

"I know," He replied, his eyes still on the stairs, "But I can’t bear to see her hurting about this. She’s had enough of that to last her several lifetimes."

"And she’ll realize that," She did her best to console him as she took his hand and led him into the kitchen, "I hope you don’t mind, but I’m considering you an unofficial witness. We need to get this son of a bitch and any information at all is helpful."

Paul looked up as Andrew and Alex entered the kitchen and he managed a tension filled smile, "Hey buddy. Where’s Monica?"

"Upstairs," His wife explained, exchanging a look with him, "Andrew was with Krista before they found her."

Laying down the wooden spoon he had been holding, he turned the burner to low and took a seat at the table, "So, what’s the story?"

"I don’t know much, only what I was told and the condition she was in while I waited for someone to find her," Andrew’s eyes held a trace of pain. He hated the assignments that had been caused by violence, but children were the worst. They were so defenseless and the thought struck him that he was still thinking of Monica that way as well, "She had been raped and beaten. My opinion is that she was left for dead, but she was hanging on with everything in her. I’m just not sure if she will pull through."

"Bastard," Paul’s voice held barely contained fury, "I doubt he left her for dead. The prick probably knew she was alive, but that there was no way in hell she would pull through. He’s doing exactly what we thought he would do…each case has been worse than the one before. He took pornographic pictures of the first and has raped the last."

"How many so far?" The angel asked as he leaned up against the wall. He was not about to get comfortable. He wanted to help his friends, but there was a little angel upstairs who needed him more.

"Counting Krista, six," Alex offered, her eyes flashing anger, "And he’s moving fast. Six in two months and the last two within a week of each other."

"If the other girls weren’t as bad off, then you must have a description."

But Paul was already shaking his head, "We have a criminal profile, but no physical description. None of the kids have seen his face. He grabs them from behind and it seems his car is never far away. By the time the girls are able to see him, he is wearing a mask…some warped, fucking clown face or something from what we can gather. After that, the girls are blindfolded, so they never see him."

"What about the girl he took pictures of?" Andrew pressed, his entire body tense at the things he was hearing, "Did he leave her blindfold on to take pictures of her?"

"No," Alex continued for her husband, "But she said he put something in her eyes that blurred her vision. From the little bit of information she was able to give us, she’d may as well have remained blindfolded."

"There isn’t even a pattern to where the kids are taken from. They’ve been taken from all around the city. We have next to nothing to go on and things are continuing to snowball." Paul was completely disgusted, "We need a break and soon."

"Well, it seems I’m here for awhile and I can only assume that this is why," Andrew sighed with a shake of his head, "So needless to say, I’d like you to get a break as well." He looked over at Alex, for the first time realizing that she was starting to show her pregnancy, "How have you been feeling?" It hit him then, just how close to home this case had to be hitting her as well. With a child getting ready to come into the world, having the streets in DC relatively safe for children was a priority.

"Not too bad. Some morning sickness..."

"Some?" Paul raised his eyebrows at her, "You’re on your knees in front of the bowl every morning like clockwork."

Andrew chuckled for the first time since entering the house, "It will pass, I’m sure, especially now that you are out of your first trimester."

"For some women, it goes on the whole pregnancy!" She exclaimed, "I think hell would be better than that!"

A retort prepared and on his tongue, the angel stopped suddenly, his green eyes flashing concern, "I’ll be back," The words were spoken quickly as he all but raced from the kitchen and to the stairs. He had heard it. The smallest cry that had echoed in his heart and he cursed himself for leaving her alone as he took the stairs two at a time.