Saving Bethany

Foreword

Please be aware, this story contains themes of abuse. It is not overly detailed but is important to the plot. If you are looking for a quicky, this may not be it. Or it might be, who am I to judge.

***

Jason was anxious to see his little girl again, after being kept apart for so many years. His crazy ex had run off with her when she was seven and bunkered down in some equally crazy cult in Nebraska. It had taken him a small fortune on PIs and a decade to even figure out where she was, and then more on lawyers to fight for custody. None of it had worked though, the cult had lawyers and money and fought him tooth and nail. He finally got in contact with a group that said they specialized in rescuing cult hostages. He was desperate, and knew that if he left her there, she would end up one of them, and never have her own life.

An unmarked van pulled up to the safe house they assigned him in the afternoon. He'd been here for two days already. The door slid open, and a young woman stepped out, wearing a white summer dress. She had long brown hair with soft curls down past her shoulders, with bright blue eyes. He recognized her instantly, and she recognized him, calling out to him and rushing to hug him, tears in her eyes.

"Daddy!" He embraced her tightly, never wanting to let her go again. She sobbed into his arms as he held her tiny frame. She was so short, barely 5 feet and weighed so little that he was afraid they'd been starving her. All her relatives were over 6 feet tall, and the anger he felt for them for having starved his little girl for so long almost consumed him. Her cries brought him back though, as he sank to the ground holding her in his arms, comforting her.

The passenger hopped out, politely waiting for him to calm down his daughter. "We can't stay here long. Stay here another day and then leave tomorrow night. An envelope will be put under the door with the keys to a new car, take that and drive to wherever you need."

Jason thanked him profusely, still holding his little girl in his arms. The passenger nodded, then got back into the van and they drove off, leaving him and Bethany alone. He picked her up gently, as she tightened her little arms around him, and he carried her inside, locking the door securely after them.

The house was small, with one bedroom and one bathroom, with minimal conveniences. It wasn't meant for living in, only for hiding in. It was located outside of town and surrounded by trees, making it difficult to even spot from the road. He pulled the curtains just to be safe, then carried her to the couch.

"Baby, I've been looking for you for so long." He was nearly in tears, looking at his sweet girl again. "I searched everywhere."

She looked up at him, eyes red from crying. "I know daddy. Mom didn't want me to know, but I could hear her talking with the leader sometimes. They knew you were looking, and I prayed every day that you'd find me." She burst into tears again, "And here you are. Like a knight coming to save me." He held her tight, rubbing her back, letting the both of them deal with the years of anguish of separation. Her hot tears rolled down his neck as he kissed her softly, gently rocking her.

He held her until she fell asleep in his arms. He couldn't bring himself to let her go, afraid that if he did, he might wake up from this dream. He looked at her, brushing the hair from her face, watching her sleep. He could see the bruises on her arms, the ugly yellows running further up, with fresher ones on her hands. Her rail thin arms seemed like they would snap if he so much as pressed them. He swore to himself he would never let her go; he would never let the monsters get her again.

***

Jason woke up several hours later to Bethany fluttering little kisses on his cheek, a wide smile on her face as he opened his eyes. "Good morning sleepy" she giggled, remembering how he used to wake her up when she was little. A warm smile spread across his face as he recalled those memories, kissing her cheek in return.

"Sweety, are you hungry? You look so thin." He looked worriedly at her. She should be a young woman of 18, but she looked so small that people would think she was a middle schooler.

She nodded, "Daddy, can you make me pancakes like you used to? I haven't had any since I was here."

"Of course, baby. Anything for you." She moved over, hesitant to let him go. He stood up, but then sat right back down, presenting his broad back to her. "Climb on baby." She giggled and clambered onto his back, holding him around the neck and wrapping her legs around his waist. "Might be a bit tough, but I think I can still manage."

Jason went over to the tiny fridge that they had stocked for him. It wasn't much, but it was a week's worth of supplies as they had no way of knowing when they could pick her up. He pulled out the eggs, milk, and flour. He slapped some butter on the frying pan and let it heat up while he mixed up the ingredients. Bethany hummed while he did so, resting her head on his back as he leaned over so that she could stay on more easily.

"Is that the coyote song we used to sing" he asked as the skillet heated up.

"You remembered." She smiled.

"You loved that song, damn near drove me crazy I heard it so much. Now it's the sweetest thing I've ever heard." He swayed gently as she hummed. He poured the batter and made up a short stack for her. He brought it over to the tiny table with two chairs, dropping her off on one before putting the pancakes in front of her.

"I got some syrup too, so don't start yet." Jason walked over and grabbed the utensils, butter, syrup, and a glass of milk for her. "Here you go baby."

She gave him that thousand-watt smile of her's, "Thank you daddy." She held the utensils, but her right hand started to shake as she tried to cut.

"Here baby, let me do it for you." He rushed over, taking the utensils as she handed them to her. "I'm sorry, I should have done that for you, baby."

"It's okay daddy. I'm just a little weak is all." She looked up at him smiling sadly.

"Well, don't you worry baby. I'm here now, and I'm going to get you big and strong." He poured a generous amount of syrup over her pancakes, letting it soak into the sliced areas to saturate each bite. He kissed her head as he sat down again, watching her take little bites.

She had only eaten one and a half silver dollar pancakes when she stopped. "I'm kind of full daddy."

"That's fine baby. Don't force yourself. Drink some milk though, okay." She nodded and drank half a glass. He picked her up again and brought her back to the couch, sitting her on his lap with her back against the padded high arm.

He held her little arm in his hand, "Baby, can I see this? How badly are you hurt?"

She looked at him trustingly, nodding as she sat forward and pulled her hair over her shoulder. He unbuttoned the top three buttons, just enough to slide the material over her shoulder. He swallowed hard, touching the shoulder blade that was almost completely blue. "Does this hurt baby?"

She shook her head, but then winced when he touched her side. "That hurts daddy. They said it wasn't broken, but it still hurts." Rage clouded his eyes before he was able to squash it down.

"Did they give you any medicine?"

She shook her head, "Only good girls get medicine" she whispered. He choked back a sob.

"Well, lucky us that you're a good girl then." He buttoned up the dress again. "I have some pain killers here that will make it feel a lot better." He hesitated, "Is there anywhere else, baby?"

She looked up at him, giving a hesitant nod, almost as if she wanted to hide it. She pulled the hem of her dress up high, and he saw angry red welts across her inner thigh. "They said I was a bad girl" she said it so softly he almost didn't hear it.

He wiped his eyes quickly and gave her a bright smile. "That's impossible cause you're my girl, and my girl can't be bad. I can get that fixed right up; don't you worry baby." He gently moved her over to the couch and he walked into the bathroom. He let out a silent sob when he was out of sight, turning on the faucet so she couldn't hear him. He splashed his face and washed off so that there wasn't any evidence and came back with a big smile carrying pain killers, cream, and bandages. For the third time today, he thanked these guys for being so thorough.

She took the painkillers with some of the milk, but it occurred to him that she should probably shower before he applied first aid. "Baby, do you think you can shower by yourself?"

She nodded, "Can I use hot water daddy?"

"Of course, baby. Use as much as you want."

She smiled and got up from the couch. He showed her the bathroom, and she started taking off her dress before he stopped her. "Baby, you can have some privacy. I'll bring in some fresh clothes for you when you're done." She looked somewhat confused but nodded again.

When he heard the shower begin, he grit his teeth and told himself that if he stormed the compound and killed them all, he'd still be separated from her, and no one would be able to protect her. He instead went to the drawers in the bedroom and went through the clothes. He found a long-sleeved shirt and some loose pants that would fit her, as well as some underwear. She was likely barely an A-cup, having been so malnourished for so long. He grabbed a sports bra for her as well.

He knocked on the door, "Baby, I have your new clothes. I'm going to drop them off inside here and take away the old clothes." He heard her acknowledge and dropped off her clothes. He grabbed the dress she had come in and packed it away for now. He didn't want to leave a trail, so he'd dispose of it on the road by burning it.

Bethany came out a little later, her hair still damp. The shirt was a little loose on her, but it would do. She wasn't wearing the pants though, having just walked out in her panties.

"Did you want to see them on me, daddy?"

A horrendous sinking feeling hit him. "No, sweety. No one should ever need to check that. Did, did they make you do things like that a lot?"

She nodded.

He didn't want to know, but he had to ask, "Did they do anything else to you, baby. Down there?"

She hesitated and whispered, "They sometimes check that it fit. If we moved, they would punish us for being bad girls."

Jason closed his eyes, clenching his teeth so hard he could hear them creak.

"I'm sorry daddy. Don't be mad with me. I'll be a good girl for you."

He shook his head, looking down at her. "You never have to do that, okay. Never. Don't let anyone ever touch you there unless you love them, okay." He knelt down in front of her, holding her cheek in one hand. "Baby, I'm not mad at you. I could never be mad at you. I just want you to be safe. You should never let anyone do that again. And if they try, you need to tell me. Okay? Can you do that?"

She nodded, tears in her eyes at seeing him so upset, and he scooped her up in another big hug. "It'll be okay baby. I'll protect you now. You'll never have to do something like this again."

He let her go, "Why don't you lie down on the couch. I need to put on your cream and bandages." She climbed up and he took her pants and draped them over her panties to give her some privacy.

He gently applied the cream to the angry marks, making sure to check her for any discomfort. He then wrapped the gauze bandage around her thigh before tying it off. She put on her pants while he put the supplies away.

It was getting dark now, so he took her to the single bedroom. "You can sleep here baby. I'll be just outside, on the couch. If you get scared, just come get me."

She grabbed his hand, "Daddy, can you stay please?"

He swallowed hard, "Of course, baby. Anything you want." She smiled happily and climbed into the bed. Jason climbed up after her, tucking her in and then lying down next to her. She smiled again, grasping his arm and cuddling him. She lay there, watching him silently for a long time before she finally fell asleep.

Jason watched her peacefully close her eyes and waited until he could hear her rhythmic breathing, indicating that she had fallen asleep. He slowly extricated himself so that he wouldn't wake her and left the room, with the door cracked open, just in case. He took a ragged breath once he was in the bathroom, a crushing sensation in his chest as it seemed his heart was running a mile a minute. He took several more steadying breaths as he braced himself over the sink, until he felt back in control.

He was fighting the desire to just run, take his girl and flee into the night, but they had told him that doing so would only get him caught. The cult was likely already aware that she was gone and would be searching the area. He needed to lay low while the group led them on a false trail.

He calmed himself, telling himself that it would all be alright. He looked himself in the eyes in the mirror, seeing the tired man who'd spent a lifetime searching for his daughter. He looked like he'd aged 20 years in the last decade, appearing closer to someone in their mid-40's. Grey was already in his scraggly beard, and wrinkles lined his eyes, but he didn't care; it had all been worth it.

Jason showered, putting on a t-shirt and some sweats when he heard some whining in Bethany's room. He peaked in, and saw her mumbling, moving her head as if trying to look away from something. He lay down next to her, pulling her into his arms, shushing her and stroking her hair as she calmed down. Finally, she stopped thrashing around, and fell back into her peaceful dreams. He held her until he fell asleep too.

***

He awoke to her angelic face looking at him intently. "What's wrong, baby?" he asked, brow furrowing in concern.

"You're here, right? I'm not dreaming?" She spoke quietly, as if worried that she would wake up if she spoke any louder.

He cupped her cheek, running his finger over the large tear that was rolling down. "I'm here baby. You're safe."

She nodded, hesitantly at first, and then more confidently as she felt him touch her, felt him near her. She kissed his cheek and held him again, as if assuring herself that he was real.

They stayed together as the sun came up, both seeking reassurance from the other that it was real, that it hadn't been another cruel dream.

Jason eventually carried her in his arms to the couch so that she could watch him as he made her some breakfast. The little girl was all smiles as she smelled the bacon he was cooking, hearing the pops as the fat sizzled on the skillet. He had a few eggs left, so he scrambled them for her and toasted two of the remaining bread slices. He laid it all out for her on the table, bringing her over so that she could enjoy her first breakfast with him since she had been taken.

Bethany hesitantly reached for the bacon, and seeing her father's glowing smile, took the morsel and savored the salty flavor in her mouth. It brought a tear to her eye, but she blinked it away as she smiled at him, her knight in shining armor that had saved her.

Jason nibbled on some toast, barely having the stomach to eat. The anxiety of waiting for night to come, even though the day had just begun, was eating at him already. He couldn't feel safe here, not until they were far away. The gun he had stashed away provided little comfort to him, but he tried to stay cheerful for Bethany.

After breakfast they sat on the couch, and they talked about old times, the festivals they had gone to, and the zoos they had visited. They laughed, recounting fond memories and holding each other close. Jason stayed away from asking her about her time at the compound, part of him not wanting to know, but the other part desperate to help her work through it. He knew that he didn't have the training to deal with it though; she would need help, professional help. He had been given the number of a psychologist that specialized in cult induced trauma and deprogramming that he could contact. The doctor had an extensive network of safe contacts that would be able to help once they settled down somewhere.

Lunch was a simple sandwich of peanut butter and jam, but Bethany loved it. She seemed to be eating a bit more than yesterday, which was a relief. They spent the rest of the day watching a few videos that the group had left them. Mostly comedy and animated movies from the last 20 years, but Bethany loved them. She watched them with her head in his lap, his hand cupped under her cheek as a pillow, his arm draped over her like a blanket.

Jason was growing more anxious though as the sun set. He hadn't heard any vehicles yet, and a nagging doubt in his mind was telling him to run. He went to the bedroom when Bethany took a bathroom break, and changed into his travel clothes, putting the gun at the small of his back in the belt and tossing on his light jacket to cover it.

He heard vehicles approach an hour later, and he turned off the lights, signaling Bethany to hide in the bedroom. She looked terrified, but nodded, remembering how he had told her that he would protect her.

Jason heard a door open and shut and then feet moving casually toward the door. He stood by the window, peeking out to make sure there weren't more people. The person arrived at the door and slipped an envelope under the crack. He then knocked twice before turning around and heading to the second car. The man got into the passenger seat, and Jason watched them drive back up the driveway, disappearing into the forest.

He waited a moment more, nerves still tense, before looking at the envelope on the floor. It was unmarked but appeared to have something slightly heavy in it. He picked it up, feeling the outline of a set of car keys. He opened it, finding a piece of paper with a time written on it and two keys. He looked back out at the unremarkable car, nodding to himself.

He turned the light back on and heard the bedroom door creak open. "Daddy? Is it safe?"

"Yes baby, it's fine. We'll be leaving soon. Why don't you use the bathroom before we go. I'll pack up what we need."

Bethany nodded, relief obvious on her face. They spent the next few minutes getting ready and then waited another thirty minutes before they went to the car.

It was already dark out when Jason opened the car and had Bethany climb into the back. He knew it would be a long drive, so he had her put a pillow and blanket down for herself. He tossed a small suitcase full of clothes and anything he had brought with him into the trunk and then placed the remaining food and medical supplies in the passenger seat.

The car came to life, lights illuminating the forest as he turned the car around and headed up the driveway. The safehouse receded in his rearview mirror. He was grateful to the group but couldn't wait to be away. They hadn't asked where he was going, and he hadn't told them.

Jason drove through the night, watching carefully every headlight that passed him, and every car that came up behind them. He reminded himself to stay under the speed limit, lest some overeager sheriffs pull them over. While Bethany may be over 18 now, he knew for a fact that the local police and justices were under the cult's sway, and he wouldn't put it past them to have her declared unable to live by herself and assign guardianship back to them.

***

Jason pulled into a roadside diner as the sun came up. He was tired, exhausted really. The adrenaline had kept him going, but he desperately needed some coffee. He looked back to see his smiling girl up and awake. She had slept fitfully through the night, tossing, and turning as she mumbled and whimpered at times.

They sat at a slightly sticky table and ordered some drinks while browsing the menu. It was the typical greasy fare to be expected from a diner, but it all sounded good. Jason ordered corned beef hash with eggs while Bethany ordered the short stack. Jason gladly sipped the hot coffee, not even caring that it tasted slightly over roasted.