When Dad told us he witnessed a murder, I didn't think it was as bad as it really was. The murderer, Raymundo Salazar, was never caught committing any of his crimes. He was in a gang, and he intimidates each of his witnesses. His next witness to intimidate was Dad. After Sean and Jack went to bed, I walked into Mom and Dad's bedroom.
"I know what's going on," I said quietly, "Please don't keep anything from me like you do with Sean and Jack. I'm a big girl, Dad. I know when something bad is going on."
"Danny, I don't want you telling her," Mom said, "I don't want Josie to have to worry about the possibility of getting killed."
"Why would I get killed," I asked, "I deserve to know what's going on."
"Remember when I told you I witnessed a murder, Josie," Dad asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"Well," Dad said, "It turns out that the murderer was a drug lord. A very bad drug lord."
"What does that mean," I asked as I sat down on the floor next to Mom.
"Salazar likes to intimidate his witnesses," Dad said, "He'll hurt or kill a member of the witness's family members or hurt the witness to convince them not to testify against him."
"So, you're going to put all of us in danger so you can testify against Salazar," I said in disbelief.
"Your father has made arrangements to have cops take us to Grandpa's tomorrow," Mom stated, "I've decided to be generous to allow you to stay home from school so you can pack some clothes."
"Are there going to be cops picking us up tomorrow," I asked.
"Yes, and I have two more getting your brothers from school," Dad said. I started growing worried about what was going to happen.
"Daddy, please be careful," I said as tears began to fall, "I don't want anything to happen to you." I never called Dad "Daddy" unless I was extremely scared, upset, or sad. Dad pulled me up to where he was sitting and he wrapped his arms around me. I buried my face into his chest and let it all out. Mom came up beside me and held my hand. I've never been so frightened.
After I finished crying I went to bed. I woke up that morning and went downstairs to make myself some scrambled eggs. It was unusually quiet.
"Mom, Dad, are you up," I called. I looked at the clock and it read 8:42. It was strange considering that Mom and Dad both wake up at 6:30. I walked upstairs and checked to see if Sean and Jack were home, but their beds were empty. The next place I checked was in Mom and Dad's room. I opened the door and walked into a puddle of warm liquid. I looked down and saw Dad with a bullet hole in his chest next to a puddle of blood. I looked around for Mom and I found her body with a bullet hole in her head with blood dripping down her face. I screamed and cried.
Salazar killed my parents, and he probably has Jack and Sean as well. I ran and grabbed the phone in Mom and Dad's room and I tried dialing 9-1-1, but nobody answered the phone. I tried calling grandpa, Uncle Jamie, and Aunt Erin, but the calls wouldn't go through. I heard the front door open, and I cried for help. Whoever it was started running up the stairs.
"HELP," I cried, "My parents have been murdered, and my younger brothers are missing, please send help." Next thing I know, a Peruvian man is standing in the doorway of Mom and Dad's room. He looks at me and smiles as he pulls out a gun and pulls the trigger. I sat up in my bed screaming so loud that the whole neighborhood could probably hear me. Mom and Dad came rushing into my bedroom and I started crying again.
"Joselle, are you alright," Dad asked.
"It was just a dream, baby," Mom said reassuringly as she pulled me into a tight hug, "You're going to be okay. Do you want to talk about it?" Sean and Jack walked into my room.
"Boys, go back to bed," Dad ordered, "Josie just had a bad dream. Close the door and go back to bed." Sean closed the door as he and Jack walked back to their bedroom.
"It was Salazar," I said through the sobs, "He shot and killed both of you, kidnapped Sean and Jack, and then he came into the house and shot me, too." Mom looked at Dad with that are-you-still-sure-you-want-to-do-this face.
"Joselle, I promise you I won't let anything bad happen to any of you," Dad said as he took me out of Mom's arms and placed me in his. Dad kissed me on the forehead and he didn't let me go.
"Danny, would you mind sleeping in here or on the couch for the rest of the night," Mom asked Dad, "I want Josie to sleep in our bed with me just in case she has another nightmare."
"Please, Dad," I said, sniffling. Dad picked me up and carried me to his bedroom and he laid me down on his side of the bed. Mom climbed in on the other side and laid down beside me.
Mom turned to me and said, "Come here, baby girl. Your father and I promise we won't let anything bad happen to you." Mom turned over and laid on her back as I moved in closer until I could rest my head on her chest. Mom wrapped both her arms around me and squeezed me tightly. I finally managed to calm down and I fell asleep in Mom's arms.
Mom woke me up at about 8:00 that morning and sent me in my room to pack. I was still scared that something bad was going to happen to one of us. About an hour or so later, two men knocked on the door.
"Josie," Mom called, "It's time to head out to Grandpa's."
"Coming, Mom," I yelled from upstairs. I walked downstairs with my suitcase and made my way to the door. The officers showed us their shields. I instantly knew they were fake. Dad showed us the differences between real shields and fake shields. I looked at mom and she looked back at me.
"I think I left my wallet in my car," Mom said as she started making her way back into the house. Both of the impostors grabbed us. Mom and I tried fighting them off, but they grabbed hold of us and drugged us. They shoved us in the back seat and they got in and the taller one started driving. I could hear the two talking evem though I was drifting in and out of consciousness.
"What do we do with the younger one," I heard one ask.
"We could torture her, or do other things," I heard the other one say.
"We were only supposed to take the wife," the first one said, "But two is better than one."
"I have an idea," the other one said,"We can torture the daughter while the mom watches." Oh, God. I'm scared out of my mind. I silently prayed to God that Dad would find us. When we got to Salazar's headquarters, they taped Mom's mouth shut and tied her to the bunk beds. They tied me right next to her, but I was standing. I could her Mom's cell phone ringing. I secretly prayed that it was Dad. The taller man answered Mom's phone. He put it on speaker phone.
"Where are my wife and daughter," I could hear Dad scream, "I swear to God when I find you I will rip your heart straight out of your chest."
"Daddy, help us," I yelled. The shorter man got up and punched me in the eye. I could see Mom watching in horror with tears flowing through her eyes. I knew if she could help me she would.
"Not a word from you," the taller one said, "You may only speak when spoken to, got it?"
"Y-yes," I muttered.
"I can't hear you," the taller one said as he nailed me right in the stomach.
"YES," I screamed. When he punched me, I felt a bunch of cracks and a boat load of pain. That blow broke at least two ribs.
It felt like an eternity later when I heard Mom's phone ring again.
The shorter man answered this time, and he put it on speaker.
"Dad," I tried to yell. It hurt so much to breathe. The taller one came back and busted my lip open. He then took his cigarette out of his mouth and jammed the lit end into my forearm. I screamed so loud, and my chest started hurting like hell. Mom looked so horrified.
I lost track of time when I heard gunshots. Mom and I looked at each other to make sure we were both okay. My blood sugar was plummiting, and I collapsed to the ground. I could hear Mom trying to scream my name. I heard Dad come running in. I watched as he untied Mom and took the tape off of her mouth.
"Linda, are you okay," Dad asked as he hugged and kissed her.
"Physically, yes," Mom answered frantically, "Mentally, no. Go get Josie. She just collapsed. Her blood sugar is getting too low." Dad untied me and picked me up.
"Dad," I whispered. I tried to take a deep breath, but I stopped and winced in pain.
"What did they do to you," Dad asked as I fainted. I woke up to see Mom sitting next to me at the hospital and holding my hand.
"Try not to move too much, baby," Mom said, "The doctor said you have two fractured ribs from that blow you took. And they said your cigarette burn is a third-degree burn."
"I'll be okay, Mom," I said, "I'm just thankful that Dad got to us in time before I died."
"I'm so grateful that we're both alive," Mom smiled. Dad stopped by and brought clean clothes for us after he testified.
"How you doing, Josie," Dad asked.
"I'll be okay," I said as I tried to smile. Dad kissed me on the forehead.
They let me out of the hospital as soon as I finished my IV and got my blood sugar stabilized. Mom had to help me change out of the hospital gown. We all left to go to Grandpa's for Sunday dinner.
When we got in the door, Sean and Jack ran up to Mom and I to hug us.
"Easy on your sister, she's very sore," Mom said.
"Did you get hurt while you were at the spa," Sean asked.
"I fell trying to get out of the mud bath," I said.
"Did you have a good time at the spa, though," Jack asked.
"We did," Mom said as she played along.
"I'm just glad I got my two favorite girls back," Dad smiled as he hugged me gently. It took me a while to completely heal from my broken ribs. Every once in a while I would have violent nightmares about what happened when Mom and I got kidnapped. Once they started occurring more often, Mom and Dad decided that I should get checked to see if I had PTSD. I remember one Saturday morning, Dad came into my room to talk to me.
"Morning, sweetheart," Dad said as he walked to my bed.
"Morning, Dad," I smiled, "What's up? You never usually come in here."
"I wanted to talk to you, Josie," Dad said, "It's kind of serious."
"Okay, go ahead," I said, "I'm listening."
"Remember how I told you I was in the Marines," Dad asked as I nodded, "Well, I'm the only surviving member of my platoon. I've seen things no person should ever have to see."
"People getting seriously hurt or killed," I asked.
"Yeah," Dad said as he looked down at the floor, "Don't tell your mother I told you this, but being in the Marines led to me having this thing called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder."
"I know what PTSD is, Dad," I said, "And know you think Mom and I both have it."
"That's what I came in here to tell you," Dad said, "Your mom and I think it's best if you were on medication to help with the nightmares. We want you to agree with it, but it's your decision."
"Are you on medication for it, Dad," I asked.
"No," Dad answered.
"Then I don't want to be put on meds for it," I said, "I'm a Reagan. I think I'm strong enough to handle this without pills. I take enough medication as it is, I don't want anymore." Dad sighed and said he loved me, and he walked out of my room and went downstairs. I could hear them talking about me downstairs.
