The MoonLight Baby *story*

Cindy stared through the window, into the moonlight and she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She gasped and ran outside, and across the fluorescently lit street. She quickly pulled back her dark brown hair, and astounded she knelt down. A gun had been shot, and a man killed. The bullet had hit his head, and deep crimson blood poured everywhere. Then she saw a woman lying on the ground. She walked over to her, and before she could even do anything the woman stood up.1

“Ma’am are you all right?” she cried. “Um, I don’t…know…oh my, LILLY!!! LILLY!” She screamed “My baby, Lilly she’s been taken…by someone…a man…in a black jeep, it was blacker than the deepest shade of the night… “She sobbed. Before Cindy could say anything to the frazzled woman, the body of her dead husband was revealed. She sobbed and knelt down by her husband and eventually asked “What am I going to do?”  “I’ll call an ambulance.” Cindy declared. She pulled out her blue cell phone and made the call; all the while the woman sobbed, and didn’t know what to do. Then Cindy explained to her that she was with the FBI and would like to take this case personally. The woman agreed, and gave her a picture of Lilly that she got from her small purse. She was a beautiful two year old girl.  She had blonde hair, blue eyes that shined like diamonds, and had a light complexion. 2

“That man that has Lilly, h-he shot my husband…” she trailed off into deep sobs. Cindy made calls to her agency, explaining what had just occurred. She was told the investigation would begin the next morning, and to make sure that the woman got home safely. The agency asked her to check local grocery stores, and parks, to look for the baby, or a deep black jeep. Cindy woke up the next morning late, it was about 12:00 in the afternoon, she had stayed up late with the woman she now knew as Linda, Lilly’s mother, and now a widow. Cindy frantically got up, dressed in blue jeans, a pink top and black trench coat, and walked out the door into her red minivan. She decided to check the towns’ local park, Greeneville Park which was known for its beautiful trees, and miraculous water fountains. When she arrived to her amazement she found a deep black jeep in the parking lot. After discovering the jeep, she parked and got out of her minivan and casually walked into the park.3

Her eyes as brown as the tree trunks around her, searched for the little girl many knew and loved. She sat on a stone hard bench, and took off her coat. She looked around frantically; there were so many small children. She anxiously stood up, to go back to her minivan and continue her search. But then as she got nearer to her minivan she heard the cry of a small girl.  Cindy twisted around she immediately recognized the girl as Lilly. “It has to be her…” she thought to herself. Running as fast as she could, she did not make it in time to save the poor child. “At least she’s still alive” Cindy thought. She sprinted to her minivan, got in, and from thereafter her every thought was consumed on this man and toddler.4

Or so she thought it’d be. While driving, at a fast speed, but trying not to be too obvious she followed the black jeep out of the parking lot, and onto the main street known as “Rose Street” Doing nothing but keeping her eye on the black jeep, but then she glanced in her rearview mirror, and noticed a bright yellow mustang behind her. She pulled into another lane trying not to look evident. She then noticed that the mustang had pulled over too. So then she quickly pulled back into her original lane, so did the mustang. She steadily began to worry. Then she realized she might really get this guy that had taken Lilly, and murdered the innocent. What was she to do about the person within the mustang? But she kept her sights on the jeep, that baby meant the world to her.5

When Cindy was only twenty she had a miscarriage, and her boyfriend left her, cold and alone. From then on her mission was to save children. Her first thought was to join the FBI. Suddenly the black jeep pulled off the rode, and onto a damp dirt rode. Cindy did the same, just as the yellow mustang behind her. She became paranoid and phoned her agency and told them about her “stalker” and the current situation at hand. They explained to her they’d be there as fast as they could. She then glanced into her rearview mirror, trees passing quickly; she saw that the yellow mustang was no longer present. She let out a sigh of relief, and drove on. She hoped back-up would be there soon, she wasn’t even sure where she was going, or what would take place. 6

Then finally the jeep turned a sharp curve and Cindy slowed down, coasting into the curve. She sat in her minivan, and watched the tall, thin, dark skinned man get out of the car. He walked towards the back of the car, and noticed Cindy’s minivan. He took Lilly from her car seat. Frantically, Cindy looked around hoping to hear sirens of back up, sirens of hope. But she saw nothing. All she saw was an old looking shack, with white paint peeling off, which revealed old blue paint. The windows looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in centuries.7

She miserably stepped out of her car, and reached into the pocket of her trench coat, to make sure she could feel her gun, in case things got ugly, but she felt nothing but soft cloth. She had forgotten it at her house. She began to feel a panic come over her. But she knew she had to keep a straight face, “Back-up will be here soon,” She considered. She talked to the man, she asked him carelessly where “Warehouse Drive” was located, but all she got was a puzzled look from him. “Well would you like to come in and have a drink? Maybe look at a map or something? I know it’s not much, but Anna likes it, don’t you Anna?” He said sweetly to Lilly. “Yeah that’s a pretty baby you have there, she doesn’t look much like you?” Cindy questioned suspiciously. “Yeah, well, you know my wife left me with her and she gets her looks from my wife.” said the man. “Well you know I can’t come in, without at least knowing your name first.” Cindy smiled trying to stall. “Joe Lathrop, err, yeah” He said nervously. 8

Cindy wasn’t sure what to do anymore, back-up hadn’t yet arrived…she didn’t want to go in there with him. So she quickly grabbed little Lilly, and turned around to run back to her minivan. But suddenly she stopped running. She heard someone coming it was the sound of tires screeching. “Now we’ve got you!” she cried. “Yeah I bet…” said Joe. It was the yellow mustang she had seen on the rode earlier that day. She silently screamed inside. She then saw a man jump out with a pistol; he looked as unfamiliar as a foreign language. He began to run towards Cindy. She held Lilly tight, and hid her face in her shoulder. She was too far away from her minivan to just get in. Also with the mustang parked behind her, there’s no way she could back up in time.9

As she was again hopelessly praying for back-up the man with the pistol walked closer and grabbed Cindy by the waist. “Ahh, Jace I was hoping you’d come, I had suspicions about this woman that was driving behind Me.” said the man “Give me the baby NOW” Jace demanded, he grabbed Lilly from Cindy before she could even protest. He then picked her up from the off the ground and threw her into the back of his mustang. She tried to get out, only to realize the door handles had been sawed off. Cold, gray, steel bars prevented her from crawling into the front. Then suddenly Jace took off towards the mustang, Joe screaming loudly “WHAT ARE YOU DOING???” with a confused look on his face.” It will be alright Cindy” He said as he got into the car. He sat Lilly in his lap, and began to drive away. “What? Who? Whoa, who are you?” Cindy asked shocked, but suspiciously. “I’m another FBI agent, sent to look after you. It seems that you left your house this morning without any protection.  I’ve been trying to track you all day.” He chuckled. He then showed her his bright, shiny, FBI badge. “Then how did you know Joe?” Cindy pronounced. “Well that’s a story for another time” Jace said sheepishly. “But, but someone needs to arrest that man” Cindy stuttered. “Yeah well, that’s taken care of too; they were just getting into the woods behind his house as we left.” Said Jace10

”That was a fine mess you got yourself into there.” declared Jace. But Cindy said nothing else. She felt that she had failed on her mission, and that her agency didn’t trust she could handle her position. She had solved many cases; she didn’t understand why they went to great lengths to save her. But then she became grateful. She didn’t know what would have happened had Jace not shown up. 11

When they appeared back in the familiar town of Greeneville, Cindy took Lilly back to her mother. “Thank you so much” she sobbed happily “You’re welcome” Cindy cried. Later that day Cindy went to her office building only to find that Joe was caught and would be put to trial. She walked into her office that was very dull, and piles of papers were lying everywhere. But something stuck out to her, a beautiful crimson red rose lying solemnly upon her desk. She picked up the small card next to it and it read 12

“How would you like to have dinner tonight, and I’ll tell you how I know Joe? We need to talk about your new assignment…it will take place in my office…”13

Office number 12, department B, floors two.-From Jace14

She smiled to herself and sat in her chair at her desk, thinking of the dinner to come. A dinner with the man that had not only saved her life, and a child’s, but risked his for a woman he didn’t know. She sighed, and silently stared at the rose.  15