2. Evie

"We'll arrestyou and throw your ass in jail if you don't stop snooping around where you don't belong. How many times do we have to tell you? You're meddling in a dangerous situation! They'll kill you. Just go home and let us handle it."

"That's the problem, Officer Bellow. You're not doing your job. My sister has been missing for nine frigging months, and you don't even have a lead. Who's always informing the police that I'm still searching for her?"

"Look, Evie, I hate to say it, but it's most likely your sister is dead. You are right. We have no leads to follow. There were no cameras at the grocery store. We have no evidence; it's as if she vanished into thin air. Her purse and phone were found next to her car. Nobody at the store saw anything. No one in the parking lot saw anything. It's like I said, we have nothing. We are at a dead end," the Officer said in that same arrogant voice they always use when talking to me.

I remained silent, turning and walking to my vehicle. "Evie," he called after me. I know you want to find your sister, but you don't understand the dangers. There is so much evil you can't comprehend," he tried to explain.

"I know all about the dangers out there. I've been hunting for my sister for nine months, and you think I haven't seen the evil. That's why I'm desperate to find Kylie because I've witnessed some of those horrors firsthand, and no one seems to be doing anything to stop it," I growled softly and kept on walking.

Once I got inside my car, I allowed the tears to fall. I felt so overwhelmingly guilty for my sister's abduction. She"d still be here with us if she hadn't stopped for my birthday cake. Despite considering the possibility of her death, I couldn't shake the fear of what she might be enduring if she was still alive, especially considering the horrors of human trafficking.

Returning home was always tough. My mom had a heart attack when Kylie was first taken. That's why I sold my house and moved back in with my parents. Dad had missed so many days of work caring for Mom; his job laid him off. My parents had no income, so I paid off their mortgage so they wouldn't get kicked out of their home.

Dad and I took care of Mom as she slowly recovered. Both of them were upset that I had paid off their home; I had to ensure my family had food and shelter. I inherited my home from my grandparents, and even though I loved my house, I would rather my parents were taken care of. I put everything in storage, which was crazy because most of it was old furniture that belonged to my grandparents. I still loved all of it. My parents sat around depressed. They didn't talk much; we had Kylie on our minds, wondering what she was going through.

I drove to the rough part of town, where I'd been gathering information about the cartel and their victims. "Why do you keep coming back here? I've warned you countless times that it's too dangerous. Do you want to end up like your sister? If you ever saw her, she'd be unrecognizable by now; they pump their trafficked victims full of drugs to keep them compliant. Most don't last six months.

I glancedover at the homeless woman whom I'd spoken to several times; she said her name was Lucy. "How do you know so much about the cartel, Lucy? Have they ever targeted you?"

"No, they have no interest in me; I'm too ugly for their liking. I hear everything from the women they discard and leave on the streets. You see, those women passed out on the sidewalk, and the ones bent over vomiting in their laps," she looked over where she was pointing.

People cross the street to get as far from them as they can. Those women were missing sisters, mothers, and daughters taken by the evil cartel. They don't want to return to their families after the traffickers are done with them," she explained before walking away.

Maybe I should talk to some of those women and see if they've seen Kylie. I made my way to where the homeless, drug-addicted people were on the sidewalks. I walked three feet from them and turned around; the stench made me gag. I headed home, where Mom and Dad were waiting, bombarding me with questions about news on Kylie.

I wondered if they understood the risks I took to find Kylie. Do they know the police were against me? Did they know I hang out with drug-addicted people on the streets? Did they even care where I was? Sometimes, I'd be gone for days chasing leads. Did they even notice my absence?

Dad met me at the door. "The police have been here; they said to tell you to stop digging for information about the cartel and the human traffickers. What the hell is wrong with me, letting my daughter face danger alone? We could have lost you too. I don't want you going out there again. It's over; Kylie's gone. We have to accept that."

"Dad, don't say that. The police are angry because I'm doing more than they are. I'll keep searching for my sister until I find the truth. I'm careful; I don't take unnecessary risks."

"They said you hang out with the homeless drug addicts that are littered on the sidewalks. Don't go back. I refuse to discuss it again. We would never survive you being taken too."

"I'll make dinner after I shower. How is Mom today?" I asked, diverting the conversation.

"Mom's fine," my mother chimed in, joining us. She glanced at my Dad. "Did you talk to her?"

"Yes, and she agreed with me. Why are you on your feet? The doctor said for you to rest in bed," Dad scolded gently.

"Come on, Mom, I'll walk back to your room with you," I offered, wrapping my arm around her.

"Evie, if anything happened to you, I couldn't bear it. Please stop risking your life. I know you miss Kylie, but we can't lose you too," Mom pleaded, kissing my cheek.

"I know, Mom, I won't take any more risks," I promised as an idea popped into my mind. If they didn't target Lucy because she said she was ugly, then they won't take me because I'll be super ugly."

"I almost forgot there was a message left on the front door for you," my Dad mentioned as he entered the kitchen where I was preparing dinner. I glanced at the paper and knew who it was from. "Thanks, Dad," I mumbled, tucking it into my pocket.

"How about I make the salad?" Dad offered, opening the fridge. "Evie, I just realized I've been leaving you to take care of everything. You sold your home to pay off ours and left your job. We've taken advantage of you, and I'm sorry. Have you depleted your savings? I'll try and find a job.

"Dad, those things don't matter to me; they're just material possessions. I have plenty of money for us to live for a couple of years. All I care about is my family. My sweet little sister is missing. I would give my life to save hers."

"Never say that! Do you understand me? I'd never sacrifice one daughter for the other one. I love you both equally," he said, pulling me into a hug.

I rested my head against his chest and relaxed. It seemed this was the first time I'd relaxed since Kylie was taken. "Thank you, Dad. That hug felt good."

"From now on, I'll hug you more often. I love you, Evie. I'm sorry for neglecting you these past nine months," he whispered, kissing my head. It's time for us to start living again."

I didn't read the message until everyone had gone to bed. It scared me thinking about someone coming to our house and leaving messages. As I read, I felt sick. I hated following their instructions but couldn't risk Kylie's safety. "Who is Reaper? Why are they having me send this message? Is Reaper dangerous? He must be because I'm sending this message to the dark web. But they keep insisting Kylie is still alive. I'm not allowed to tell anyone about this. I sighed. Who would I tell anyway? The police wouldn't believe anything I told them. So, I sent the email. Then I went to bed.