-29-

"When are Rhiannon's parents due here?" Callie asked nervously. She sat across the table from Fenton and Frank in the dining area of the medical center.

"They are going to be the better part of 12 hours depending if they can get a flight out quickly." Fenton replied. "They were in California visiting relatives when the FBI reached them. A bit of good news. The doctor just conferred with me. He says that Rhiannon is responsive to the treatment to flush that drug from her system."

"I want to speak to her." Callie said firmly. Fenton looked at her with a furrowed brow.

"It might not be that easy, Callie. I'd love to talk to her, too. But, we must be tactful." Callie rolled her eyes and nodded quickly.

"I'm aware of that, Fenton. But, no doubt you have asked permission of the doctors to question her?" Fenton nodded with a sigh.

"I have." Callie looked back at him with the look. A look which suggested that it would be quite futile to keep her away from that interview. Fenton nodded. "Very well, my dear. But, please let us not overwhelm the poor child. We don't know how much she knows. Or at least is conscious of. The doctor said she could recall information from her short-term memory quickly or it could take longer. But we need to be patient with her."

"I know. But, you can understand what I am feeling here. This is not only a girl who was held in the same place Maddie was. But, she also clearly knew Maddie and interacted with her." Fenton nodded.

"I understand your feelings, my dear. Let us hope she can enlighten us."

"Do we know any updates on Emma?" Frank asked. "I spoke with her parents. They say the doctors aren't offering them much insight. I was hoping maybe to give them a better accounting of Emma's status."

"Well son, the doctor said that Emma is not as responsive to the treatment as Rhiannon is. He speculated that Emma likely had a bigger dose. And that also the drug had a longer time to affect her system. Combined with the physical trauma she is just going to take longer to give us an indicator that the treatment is helping."

"So, when are you hoping to interview Rhiannon?" Callie asked, seething with impatience. Fenton smiled back at her.

"The doctor said 11:00AM, if that is acceptable to you?" Callie returned his smile.

"Guess it will have to be, won't it?" She got up. "Alright, that leaves me about ninety minutes. I guess I will go check on Chet and Aimee. They were hoping to know any updates about Rhiannon. Plus, I want to check and see if Swanson has contacted him about Jaime." Fenton nodded.

"Very well. Have him contact me if there are any updates from Swanson. We are fighting the clock here. Which is why it's important to see if Rhiannon has any information she can give us."

"Yeah. I will join you at her room by eleven."


9:36AM Staff sleeping suite. Winchester Medical Center.

The room was still dark. Aimee was still in the comfort of Chet's embrace. She had her arm wrapped around him with her head resting upon his chest. They were both still asleep.

The door to the room opened silently. A beam of white light from the hallway cut into the darkness. Callie stood in the doorway. She looked down at the two figures laying asleep in the bed. Her eyes shifted side to side. She wasn't sure whether it was prudent to retreat. One thing was certain. Callie felt awkward as she looked down at her lover and husband. The mutual comfort they were sharing was evident. She wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. Chet had had a rough night. Aimee was an empathetic woman who would easily offer up comfort to someone who was in distress. Was it simply a matter of Aimee making Chet feel better...again? Callie pondered to herself. She had apparently stood there long enough to allow the light to Aimee to stir. Her eyes began to flutter. Her head rose slightly and looked over at the source of light. Upon seeing Callie her eyes shifted down to Chet. He was still asleep. Aimee did her best to swing herself out of bed without waking him. She steadied herself and quietly got up. She walked over to Callie and offered a meek smile. Callie gestured that they should go outside, so as not to wake Chet up.

Callie led the way to a nearby waiting room, which was empty at the time. She sat down on a sofa. Aimee joined her.

"Good morning, Cal." Aimee yawned, doing her best to not overreact. She knew that Callie had seen her laying asleep with Chet. Though to look at her, it was quite difficult to determine if that fact actually was distressing to Cal. This would soon become evident.

"Good morning." The words were short. It was the type of 'good morning' that would have gotten her fired if she still had worked as a barista and her supervisor heard. Aimee's eyes dropped to the floor.

"You're mad." Aimee managed to utter with little enthusiasm. Knowing what may come. Callie sat back and took a long, deep breath. She was being short. But, she wasn't entirely sure she was angry. Maybe she was just scared.

"I wouldn't say that, Aimee. But, I am a bit concerned." She gave a nervous chuckle. "You see, when this all started, and Chet came up with this plan to use you as a partner. I mean to have you guys posing as a couple. Well, I honestly thought that within a day the two of you would be at each other's throats. But, I am seeing that the opposite has happened. You two seem very close. And not really in situations where you are likely being observed and have to put up a front. So, I guess I am a little confused. There were two beds in that room. So, why were you in his bed with your arm around him?"

Aimee slowly exhaled. It was a valid question for Callie to have. Especially in light of how little she knew. But, this was not likely a good juncture to share with her that she may have a thing for her husband.

"Well, that is a valid question, Cal. Last night, Chet was feeling pretty restless. I think that seeing those photos and video of Maddie just sent him into a state of sorrow, anger and just being overall distressed. So, I offered him what support I could. I felt a lot of sympathy for him. So, yes, I slid in next to him and ran my fingers through his hair and made him feel less alone. I helped calm him. And, I'd be lying if I said that maybe it helped me as well." Callie nodded slowly. She knew Aimee to be a very compassionate woman.

"You're a decent person, Aimee. I know that you would help anyone you could who was in a bad way." Aimee gave a wry smile.

"I guess I could have texted you and told you to come in and maybe offer him some comfort. Maybe that would have been more appropriate." Callie shrugged.

"You know, I'm not even sure what is appropriate anymore. I am married to him. But, I've also spent the last year with you. If I had some subconscious jealousy happening, I'm honestly not sure which one of you I was jealous of. And at this juncture of time, I don't think it's really all that important. All that really matter is getting Maddie back safely. Whatever is happening between any of us can get sorted out later." Aimee reached down and took Callie's hand.

"It is all so very confusing." She admitted. "But, please know that I do love you. As for Chet, he is a wonderful man. He is not the usual man. At least not one I've ever met. So, I guess that is why we do get along. He has been kind to me throughout all of this. I know you and he are suffering the most out of any of us. I am greatly distressed about what I saw last night. But, I know it pales in comparison to how you and Chet feel. That is your little girl. You two created her and love her very much." Callie smiled and nodded. She reached over and wrapped her arms around Aimee.

"I'm sorry if I came off a bit of a bitch. I know you mean well and have been supportive of both Chet and me. You have played a role in getting Rhiannon back. And with any luck you will be able to get Maddie back in this next deal." Aimee returned her hug. They shared a kiss. "I miss those kisses." Callie said with her eyes closed. Their faces still touching.

"I do too." Aimee said softly. She also was getting very fond of the kisses that she and Chet had shared. But, this was not the time to open all of that up. She knew she had to be supportive to both Callie and Chet. Any personal feelings needed to be kept at arm's length for the time being. Callie pulled back and took a breath. She knew she would love to just sit there and make out with Aimee. But, that would be pretty selfish. And there were other things a lot more important at hand.

"Did Swanson ever get back in touch with Chet?" Aimee blinked and nodded.

"Yeah. About two in the morning. Chet had originally offered Swanson an extra hundred thousand for Jaime and her sister. Swanson came back and said the deal could happen for $125,000. Chet said that was fine. Swanson says he will iron out the details and get back to him. Chet said he needed to meet a schedule so the sooner the better." Callie nodded.

"Hopefully soon means very soon. If the feds spill the beans about Emma. Or it leaks out the Rhiannon was found, it greatly reduces any chance that Chet will get the chance to do this next deal."

"Yeah. Maybe Rhiannon can tell us more."

"Fenton and I are going to interview her soon. The doctors have said their treatment seems to be helping her. But it remains to be seen what she can actually remember that might be helpful to us."

"Well, hopefully it goes well. I guess since we are running slow this morning, Chet and I will be on hand to know how the interview goes."


"So, we have the green light for Jaime and Jesse to go with the other 8 girls?" Swanson's voice had a sense of urgency. Reese was not to be rushed.

"Swanson, I can't argue with the hundred grand for the pair. I'm just surprised that your friend Walt would want to pay that much. You are certain he is who he says?" Swanson gave an audible sigh.

"Look, he's not heat. If he was a cop, we would have been pinched the moment the kid walked through the motel room door." Reese tapped his finger nervously on the top of his desk as he looked down at the phone.

"That's true. But, you checked him out using the resources to determine if he was law enforcement. But, what if he is something else?"

"Reese, I'm not sure I follow you. If he aint law enforcement, why should we care who he is?"

"Because, he might be just as much of a threat. Suppose he is a PI? Suppose he represents a parent of one of these girls? We have been running this show for several months. Barely finding locals willing to give 30k for the average girl. Now, this supposed big spender who has no proven history in this half of the country finds us. Supposedly representing clients in the middle east. Isn't that a bit convenient? I mean it's not like we can start calling Arabs in Dubai asking about his credentials." Swanson grunted.

"Reese, man... I am not sure what to say. Can't we just feel confident in that the first transaction went well, all is going to be fine?"

"Look, fat ass. If anything, I am trying to save you from getting pinched. You have a guy willing to drop hundreds of thousands of dollars on this upcoming deal. He has spoken to being in a hurry because his client is in a rush. I'm just saying we should be cautious." Swanson sighed deeply.

"How do you suggest we proceed then?"

"You have a source at the sheriff's office in Winchester. Ask them if any PIs have been nosing around about Heather Norton. Or about kidnapped kids in general. Any other diligence regarding your pal Walt. Let's just go the extra mile before we set a transaction. Just to be safe."

"Well, I suppose you are right. I just don't want to lose this big fish."

"We won't delay things too long. If all is on the level then he has nothing to sweat. But if he's a private dick, he needs to be made an example of." Swanson exhaled slowly.

"Alright, Reese. We will cover a couple more bases before we set a date. Horton and I will look into things and get back to you."

"Good." with that, the call disconnected. Swanson tossed his phone down on the table and rolled his eyes. He glanced at Horton, who had heard the conversation.

"Fucker is getting paranoid." Horton took a drink of his beer and tilted his head.

"Maybe so. But, I got kind of nervous when Walt texted you back and agreed to give you an extra 25K for Jaime and her sister. No haggling at all. Just a calm acceptance. I mean you have him on the hook for $625,000. He didn't ask question one about any of the girls. I mean, Hell, he might just have a shitload of cash and not care. He may be getting double that amount from the Arabs. But if he is a private investigator or has some other agenda, maybe we should check things out a bit more before moving forward."

Swanson nodded slowly.

"Yeah. I guess so. I just don't think there is anything to suggest he is a cop. We would have been pinched last night the second I showed up with the kid. But, I guess if he is a PI with some other agenda. How much do you think you can glean from Marcia?" Horton shrugged. Marcia Janssen was an acquaintance of his. The two of them had been involved back in the day. She worked as a data clerk for the Frederick County Sheriff's Department. She knew that Horton had the potential to skirt the law. Where they used to live up in the mountains there was a certain latitude granted to those who produced substances like meth amphetamine or alcohol. Marcia knew Horton to have dabbled in the former. But, she was blissfully unaware of his connection to any of the human trafficking along the seaboard. She had occasionally granted him inside information concerning potential drug raids and other classified matters. She had run Walter and Brandy's photos for any history or known connections to law enforcement.

"Depends how I ask her. She might get suspicious if I ask her too much about things like trafficking. But I think I can get some data from her. As usual. She doesn't likely want to see one of her kind get pinched. As long as she doesn't get wind of what I have been in to. But, if I slip her a few bills she might help with anything she might be privy to."

"Ok, you best pay her a visit. See if she can offer any intel in general. Even if Walt isn't involved with anything, it wouldn't hurt to know if something else may be brewing." Horton nodded.

"Yeah."


10:51AM Winchester Medical Center. Waiting area.

"Callie, this is Dr. Ophelia Gibbs. Doctor, this is Callie Morton. She is an investigator, as well as mother of one of the missing girls that has been kept with Rhiannon Stevens." Dr. Gibbs, who appeared to be about 40, had dark brown hair and blue eyes. She was tall and wore glasses. She and Callie exchanged handshakes.

"Nice to meet you, doctor." Callie said cordially.

"A pleasure." Dr. Gibbs offered her a warm smile. Fenton cleared his throat.

"Dr. Gibbs is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician. She was brought in to evaluate Rhiannon as she was demonstrating some developmental issues. We were trying to ascertain if they were due to anything that the perpetrator was responsible for." Callie nodded.

"I understand. So, doctor, do you have an opinion at this point? As Detective Hardy has no doubt pointed out, we are eager to ask her some questions." Dr. Gibbs nodded.

"Yes, I understand there is some urgency. I have examined Rhiannon. As you are no doubt aware she has been a victim of rape. She has been so heavily groomed that sexual actions are second nature for her. This was even more easy for the suspect to accomplish because of Rhiannon's diminished mental capacity." She looked down after having used the term. "I don't want that to be misinterpreted. I received electronic records from the family doctor which have confirmed that she was lower functioning long before she was abducted."

"So, I was told by those who rescued her that she was perhaps functioning below her age level." Callie said. The doctor nodded.

"Yes, she is 14 years and 5 months of age. But, from what testing I was able to do, and her records show... she is probably functional in her mental capacity to that of an 8-year-old."

"The couple who rescued her also commented that she called them mommy and daddy to excess. Are you saying that Rhiannon wasn't groomed to address people that way and that it is simply predisposed of her to speak that way?" Callie's leading question was met with uncertainty.

"Well, Mrs. Morton, I cannot discount that the perpetrator may have drilled that into her head. Especially if he had some type of daddy daughter fetish. But, she may well have been openly calling her parents that already. I think he groomed her using a no tolerance and fear-based method. She may have been hesitant at first, but then he likely beat her enough to make it a lasting impression. She conformed quickly so as to avoid further beatings." Callie nodded.

"We received a video last night which showed Rhiannon, my daughter and another girl. All in a tub of water. I observed that Rhiannon seemed, well, experienced. She initiated a lot of the contact. How can you attribute that to a girl with the intellect of an 8-year-old?" Dr. Gibbs nodded.

"Well, that is more than likely explained if she had observed enough sexual actions to be able to duplicate what she saw. If this person was showing her an excessive amount of pornography, it wouldn't be unreasonable for Rhiannon to duplicate what she saw. And if she had done that enough times, she would naturally become quite good at it. If she were given drugs to lower her inhibitions then she was likely very open to sexual exploration. Even if she didn't really know what sexual intercourse meant in any mental context. As humans we are most open and naturally disposed to the act of fornication. When we are growing up our parents and environment help guide us in this journey. We essentially become modest, reserved and understanding of these acts. With Rhiannon having the intellectual level of an 8-year-old, it's not unreasonable to think that her parents never really got around to guiding her in that way,"

"So..." Fenton asserted. "She is essentially mimicking what she saw on video and was instructed to do by our perp? She is unlikely to understand what she is doing? Even if she may visually present to be demonstrating as a person with actual experience and understanding of the act she is participating in?" Dr. Gibbs nodded.

"In a nutshell, yes."

"Does she remember her real parents?" Dr. Gibbs tilted her head.

"She knows her mommy has yellow hair and green eyes. She knows her daddy is tall, dark haired and carries a brief case."

"Do we have any way to determine if she is referring to her real father or the perp who apparently liked to be referred to as her daddy?" Dr. Gibbs looked down.

"Yes. Unfortunately, we asked her about her other daddy. She is really not offering much detail in terms of what he looks like. But she does tend to be able to use certain references about him. Many of them are sexual in nature."

"So, getting her together with a sketch artist will not yield much?" Fenton questioned. Gibbs shook her head.

"Not unless you are wanting to put out an APB on his penis." She said with a wry expression. "She was much more intimately familiar with that part of the anatomy when we prompted her. I think there is probably more to it. I suspect she has a lot of detail suppressed. And, of course there is the distinct possibility that she is consciously avoiding talking about him in detail. She may be protecting him. In her definition, he became her protector."

"God, that's sick." Callie muttered. Dr. Gibbs nodded.

"Indeed, it is. But, it's actually fairly common in kidnapping scenarios where there is dependence or intimacy of any kind."

"Can I ask her about Maddie?" Gibbs nodded.

"You can. But, again, don't expect her to give you the detail that I am sure you are hoping for."

"Do you think she has recovered sufficiently to give us any details about where she was being held?"

"It's really hard to say. I just implore you to be gentle with your inquiries."

"We will doctor." Fenton promised.

"If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to have me paged." Callie smiled.

"Will do. Thank you for taking the time."

When the doctor left, Fenton sighed and looked at Callie.

"Well, there you have it. Let's go see what Rhiannon can tell us. But, let's be sure to be delicate. The poor child has been through so much."

"Quite right." They left the waiting area and made their way to Rhiannon Steven's room. They quietly stepped in. There was a nurse holding a clipboard and writing when she saw them.

"Hi." Callie said with a smile towards her. "Dr. Gibbs said it's alright for us to come in and ask Rhiannon some questions today." The nurse nodded and smiled back.

"Yes, of course. I will step out. Please do not hesitate if you need anything." The nurse stepped from the room. Maddie and Fenton stepped forward. They found Rhiannon quietly reading. She had her long reddish blonde hair tied back. Her silver wire rimmed glasses rested upon her button nose. She had a loose fitting t-shirt on which was adorn with colorful flowers. Hesitantly, she glanced over the top of her book and viewed her visitors cautiously.

"Hi there!" Callie said softly, offering the youth a warm smile.

"Hi." She returned without much emotion. Callie took a seat near the bed, while Fenton choose to stand further back and observe for the time being.

"My name is Callie. I thought I'd come in and say hello." The girl glanced back up over her book for a moment. "What's your name?"

"Rhiannon."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Rhiannon. So, you like to read? What are you reading today?" She slowly held up her book.

"Nancy Drew. It's a mystery series." Callie smiled broadly.

"Wow, really? I used to read that when I was younger. My daughter did to." Rhiannon put the book down and looked at Callie with interest.

"Really?" Callie nodded.

"Yes. I have a daughter named Maddie. She is your age." Callie took out her phone in hopes to show her Maddie's picture. She looked over to Fenton to determine if it would be an ok idea to show her Maddie's photo. He nodded approvingly. Hoping Callie could build a rapport with the girl. Callie brought up an image of Maddie that she took a few months ago. "In fact, I suspect you may know my daughter." She showed Rhiannon the photo. Rhiannon looked down at her phone for a moment. Then she nodded, smiled and looked up at Callie.

"Yes, I fucked her." Callie was taken aback by her use of the term and the casual nature in which she applied the term. Callie was uncertain of how to respond. Fenton Hardy stepped forward and smiled down at the youth.

"Hi Rhiannon. My name is Fenton. I am a detective. Kind of like the one in your story." Rhiannon looked up and him and smiled.

"Oh? Are you as smart as Nancy Drew?" Fenton smiled and looked down towards the floor.

"Well, some might say. But, I wanted to ask you something. Do you know what that word that you just used means?" Rhiannon looked down for a moment.

"You mean fucked?" Fenton cleared his throat and nodded.

"Yes, my dear." Rhiannon's eyes shifted about. She seemed a bit confused.

"Well, my daddy used to use the word a lot. Especially when we were all naked and playing with each other. When I fucked Maddie and Jaime that day, my daddy said I fucked her good." Callie and Fenton looked at each other. Clearly, Rhiannon had likely never heard the word before her captor introduced it to her. And doing so in such a way it had little meaning beyond just being a reference term for sex. Callie smiled down at her now that she had a better perspective of why she used the term.

"We understand, Rhiannon. But, if I may make a suggestion. That specific word is not a very good word. Maybe when it comes up, you can say having sex. Because that is what the word fucking means." Rhiannon smiled at her and nodded.

"Ok, Callie. So, I meant to say that we had sex." Callie nodded and smiled again.

"I understand, baby. Was that the only time you had sex with her?" Rhiannon thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, with Maddie. Jaime and I fuc...I mean had sex lots of times." Fenton slowly sat down next to Callie.

"Rhiannon, do you remember the man who kept you there? You called him daddy. But, he wasn't your real daddy." Rhiannon's body tensed a bit at the mention of her captor. She slowly nodded.

"Yes. I remember him. We fuc...I mean had sex. A lot. It hurt more than when I do it with Jaime."

"Do you remember if he used any other names?" The girl shook her head.

"Can you tell me what he looks like?" Rhiannon's face flashed a look of fear almost instantly. She shook her head profusely.

"No! No! I don't know what he looks like!" The child had definitely been triggered. Fenton smiled and nodded.

"It's ok, Rhiannon. You don't need to worry about answering that. How about we talk about Maddie instead?" She nodded slowly.

"Ok." Callie looked at her warmly.

"Good. Do you remember talking to her?" Rhiannon shook her head.

"Not really. We just had sex a lot that day."

"Was Maddie given any pills that you remember?" Fenton asked. Rhiannon thought, then nodded.

"Yes, she was given these little rectangle pills. She liked them I think. They made her feel better."

"Do you remember much about the place you lived? The green colored walls?" Rhiannon again nodded.

"Yes. I remember everything was green. Lots of bathtubs."

"Did you stay with anyone at night?"

"No. I was just in my room. It was locked."

"Was there a bathroom in your room?" Callie asked.

"Yes."

"What did you eat?"

"Microwaved food. Sandwiches and popcorn."

"Rhiannon..." Fenton spoke softly. "Do you remember when you were taken there to stay? Or when you were taken away? Did you see the area?" The girl gave the question some thought, but shook her head.

"I was in a van. In the back. It was dark."

"Do you remember the color of the van? Did it have seats in the back?"

"I think it was blue. I sat on the floor."

"Do you remember reading any words in the building you stayed in? Did any of the walls have any words?" Fenton needed to prod gently. She slowly shook her head.

"I don't think so. But some of the doors did." Fenton perked up.

"Do you remember what the doors said?"

"I think one said SWA Laundry. The other said Shower Room." Callie's eyes perked.

"Any others?" The girl shook her head.

"No." Fenton thought it best not to overwhelm the child. She had supplied more information than he thought she would. He didn't want to push her too hard though with regard to other topics.

"Well, Rhiannon. How about we leave you to read and have lunch. Maybe we can come back and visit later?" She nodded.

"Ok." Callie ran her hand along Rhiannon's arm.

"Thank you, baby. We are going to talk to you again. And your mom and dad when they get here." A faraway look came over her face. Rhiannon looked searchingly at the mention of her parents. It seemed uncertain to her who Callie was referring to. She shook off her trance and slowly focused back on Callie and nodded.

"Ok, Callie. Bye."

"Goodbye, baby." she called back. Fenton smiled and gave the child a silent wave as they left the room.

"Let's go have a chat with the others." Fenton urged. Callie nodded her agreement and the pair disappeared into a nearby elevator.