Stolen

When they got to the station, Carmen was pale and Vincent was having second thoughts. She took her seatbelt off, though, and opened the door. He let Kevin carry her in. It was almost dinnertime so there were more people than he would have liked but he went up to the front desk.

“Detective Neely, please,” he said and the officer nodded, staring at Carmen.

“She looks like-.”

“Detective Neely,” Vincent repeated and the officer nodded again.

The officer disappeared and he turned to look at the twins. Kevin had sat down in the corner and was glaring at him. Vincent held his hands up, shaking his head.

“What’s going on?” Detective Gaby Neely demanded. “What’s with the girl?”

“That girl is Carmen Jones,” Vincent said and Detective Neely dropped her cup of coffee.

“Carmen?” she whispered, approaching her and Kevin slowly.

“Gaby?” she said. “When did you join the force?”

Gaby laughed tearfully and hugged her. “Come into my office.”

Kevin stood and carried Carmen in, setting her down in the only chair. Gaby pressed a cup of coffee in her hand but Carmen stared at it like it was foreign.

“Coffee,” Carmen said in shock. “I haven’t seen coffee in…. Has it really been five years?” she added to herself.

“What- How- Carmen,” Gaby said. “This is so strange. How are you?”

Carmen looked at her. “Just swell,” she said sarcastically and Vincent smiled a little.

At least she still had her sense of humor.

“Sorry,” Gaby said. She sighed. “Are you here to report everything?”

“Most of it,” she nodded. “I’m nervous, though, about what will happen to everyone.”

“What do you mean?” Gaby asked, starting to write down notes.

“They call themselves The Agency,” Carmen said, looking at her hands. “Their specialty is….”

“Maybe now isn’t the time,” Vincent said as she lowered her head and started to cry. “Just- Tell us about the night it happened.”

Carmen sniffled. “It was the doctor. You know; the one that had been volunteering lately? He wanted to talk to me and asked me to go on a walk with him.”

Carmen shrugged. “Sure. It’ll have to be quick, though. My parents want to do pictures.”

“Yes, of course,” Dr. Parker said. “It’ll be quick. Come along.”

It was warm and Carmen took off her gown, passing it to the teacher for safekeeping. Mrs. Brown rolled her eyes in exasperation. Carmen wanted to retaliate but decided against it. Now she was glad she hadn’t. She didn’t want her last words to be harsh.

They walked down the sidewalk a ways before he stopped. He was looking around for something and Carmen looked at him expectantly. The longer he stood in silence, the longer she got impatient. Dr. Parker was young and had a tendency to flirt with other women. Is that why he brought her out here? To flirt with her?

“I should go back inside,” she said, realizing they were alone.

“Wait,” he said and grabbed her arm. “It’s just- Sorry. I’m just nervous.”

“Why?” she asked with a frown.

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” he mumbled. “I just- I’m sorry, okay?”

“For what?” she asked, now getting more nervous.

“They threatened me,” he continued, wiping sweat off his forehead. “If I don’t do it, then they’ll kill me. I can’t die. I’m too ahead in my career.”

“What are you talking about?” Carmen asked.

She was pulling her arm away from him and started to panic. Something was wrong here. Terribly wrong.

Dr. Parker’s eyes were full of remorse.

“You never should’ve told me about your abilities, Carmen,” he whispered and, suddenly, the world went black.

A heavy silence filled the room and Kevin put his arm around her as Carmen cried into some tissues. Vincent frowned at the desk. Dr. Parker was now the owner and operator of the town hospital. No one knew how he managed to get up there so fast. Was this how? By working with this strange group called The Agency?

“What abilities?” Gaby asked finally, her voice shaking.

“I had been experience some telepathic things,” Carmen sniffled. “At least, that’s what I thought they were. It started after I hit my head during track. You know, when I tripped over the hurdle? Anyway, I went to Dr. Parker to ask for his professional opinion.”

Gaby sighed. “Why are you worried about the town?”

“Because of what they did to me,” she murmured, pointing at her temples.

“Can I?” Gaby asked, holding up a camera.

Carmen nodded and spoke while Gaby took pictures.

“The rashes are from the nodes they attached,” she said. “They used electro shock therapy. They did other things that-.”

She stopped talking, her eyes closing.

“I think that’s enough for today,” Kevin said in a firm voice. “You need to get back home. Gaby, let’s keep this as quiet as possible, please.”

“We’ll do our best,” Gaby promised. Kevin picked Carmen up again. “Well, it’s good to see you, Carmen. I’m glad you’re… okay.”

Carmen managed a smile before falling asleep. The ride back to the house was silent and Vincent kept his gaze on the windshield. When they returned, Kevin put her back in his bed. Vincent pulled out some beers and popped the tab on the drinks. Kevin took it gratefully and they sat on the couch. It had started to snow and Vincent looked at the bare tree.

“I thought you said she wouldn’t be ready,” Kevin murmured.

“I thought she wouldn’t,” Vincent said. “With all the research I’ve done, victims are supposed to be a recluse.” He looked over at the closed door. “You think it’s true about these abilities of hers?”

“I don’t know,” Kevin said, shaking his head. “This is exhausting. I can’t even wrap my head around the fact she’s home.”

Vincent nodded. When they finished their beers, Kevin went to go lie down as well. Vincent stared at the television and got tired of just sitting around. He started to bring in the Christmas decorations, thinking always about the girl sleeping in his bed. He wanted to hold her, to kiss her, to tell her how glad he was that she was safe. Something was keeping him back, though. He couldn’t quite place it.

He was putting the garland on top of the windows when Tara got back from her doctor’s appointment.

“Carmen in bed?” she asked, sitting down slowly on the couch.

She let out a long sigh and put a hand on her stomach. It made Vincent a little uncomfortable, remembering the conversation he had with Kevin.

“You can’t neglect Tara, Kevin,” he whispered in the hallway as Tara comforted Carmen.

“My twin is back from being missing for five years,” he argued. “I need to make sure she’s okay!”

“I get it,” Vincent said. “I really do. But Tara is six months pregnant. She needs you.”

“Oh, and Carmen doesn’t?”

“I can help her,” Vincent said.

Kevin crossed his arms. “Because you want to or because you love her?”

“I don’t love her,” Vincent argued. “And I want to help her. You know she’s the reason I’m going back to school for all this.”

Kevin stared at the two women on the couch. “I don’t know, Vincent. She needs me, too.”

Vincent sighed. “Well, at least promise me this: Don’t get on Carmen’s case about what happened.”

“Are you insane? We need to know what happened!”

“She’s probably not ready yet, though. Just let her get used to being home again.”

“She wants to go to the police already, Vincent,” he hissed. “If she’s ready to go there, then she’s ready to talk about it.”

“Please, Kev. Just trust me on this, okay?”

Kevin sighed. “Fine. I’ll sleep on the couch so she can have the bed with Tara.”

“That’s okay,” Vincent said. “She can sleep in my room.”

Kevin nodded.

“How did the appointment go?” Vincent asked.

“Everything’s healthy,” she said and sighed. “I wish Kevin was there. Where is he?”

“Resting. We went to the station with Carmen.”

Tara stared. “You went to the station already?”

“If I hadn’t taken her, she would’ve walked,” Vincent said and plugged some lights in to check them. “Anyway, we found out that they tortured her. Electro-shock.”

Tara gasped, covering her mouth. “Oh, poor Carmen!”

Vincent nodded. The door to Kevin and Tara’s opened.

“Is that Tara I hear?” he asked, yawning. He smiled and kissed his wife. “How are you doing, babe?”

“Tired,” she said. “And my feet hurt.”

Vincent narrowed his eyes as Kevin looked at the closed door. But then he smiled as Kevin knelt in front of Tara, taking her shoes off and massaging her feet.

“You’re the best,” Tara groaned in relief and both men chuckled.