Chapter 2

Dani woke from a strange dream but as she turned over and started to drift back to sleep she heard a crashing sound that made her freeze. Then there was a second softer sound, which was when Dani knew for sure that someone was breaking into her house. Slowly and quietly Dani got out of bed and moved to the door. There were several more noises as she listened at her door but when she turned to the security panel, found that it was not working.

Locking the door handle Dani then took a chair from the corner of her room and jammed it under the knob and looked around her room for some place to hide. She remembered a spot in her closet that was very hard to get into and very difficult for anyone to find unless you knew it was there. So after grabbing her cell she got into her hiding place.

Once inside, Dani did the first thing that came to mind.

The phone ringing woke Mike from a very good dream and was not happy to take the call, but knew he had too. "Heyens."

"Mike, I need you ... There's someone breaking into my house. Please help me, I'm scared." Mike heard the whispered words Dani said and his heart almost stopped.

"Dani is that you? Someone's in your house? Where are you? Ok, Dani I'm coming but I want you to hang up and dial 911. The locals may have someone closer and I'll need back up any way," Mike said as he jumped out of bed to get dressed.

"I'm in my room, I'm hiding. I locked my door and placed a chair under the knob. Please hurry," Dani whispered.

"I'm coming baby just hang in there. Now I need you to hang up so I can finish getting dressed and get out of here. You need to call 911 and get the cops there to help too. Okay?"

"But ... Alright. Please just hurry." And with that Dani hung up. Mike had never felt the fear that welled up in him before as he scrambled to get his pants on. He was scared he wouldn't get to Dani in time.

Dani hung up and dialed 911.

"911, police, fire, or medical?"

"Please someone is in my house. I'm all alone. Please I need the police."

"Ok, I'm dispatching them now, what's your name and address?"

"I'm Daniella Orchard. I'm 16. I live at 55648 N. Orchards road. Please hurry."

"Are you able to get out of the house, Miss?"

"No I'm hiding in my room. I've locked the door and jammed a chair under the handle but I don't know how long that will last if someone really wants to get in."

"Alright, just stay on the line with me until the police get there. Is there someone I can call for you, your parents or a relative?"

"My parents are dead. And I called Special Agent Mike Heyens of the FBI just before calling you. He told me to call you. He's coming but he didn't think he could get here fast enough," Dani paused as she heard another loud noise that was much closer. "Please hurry. They're getting closer."

Dani just sat listening to the 911 operator tell her to just sit tight, that help was on its way. But she didn't say anything else.

"Damn it, I don't like this, we should have just come to her during the day," said Daren as he knocked over a pitcher as he and his partner broke in.

"I told you the reason already. Though I agree with you we have our orders. Now let's find the girl and get out of here," answered Mark.

The two men worked their way up to just outside of Dani's room, only once knocking over a piece of art that had landed on Mark's foot, and then they tried the door. It was locked. Mark took out a small package from his pocket and took out a tool and, after a few seconds of picking and fiddling around opened the lock, but was still unable to open the door.

"Shit, she must have heard us. Now what?" said Daren though he was pleased that the girl would think to block the door somehow.

"It isn't going to matter, we still need to get her," and with that he kicked hard on the door. It moved but just a little bit.

Mike was in his car and half way to Dani's when he thought to call the others. First was to Jeff Morrison. "Morrison and this better be good," Mike heard Jeff's gruff tone.

"I'm on my way to Dani's place, someone's breaking in. I told her to call 911 but I'm still heading over there."

"What? Heyens is that you? Shit, I knew I shouldn't have pulled those men off watching the place. I'll be right behind you. You call Jim and I'll get Randal. We'll see you there."

Jim and Randal had the same reaction to the news and were out their doors in less than three minutes.

Dani heard the loud bang as someone kicked at her door. Even the 911 officer on the phone heard it. Dani pushed even farther back. The operator told her that help was just blocks way and she just had to sit quiet and wait.

There was another even louder sound as the door to her room finally gave way and the men entered only to find the room empty.

"Shit, where the hell is she?" Dani heard one man say.

"Check under the bed. I'll check the bathroom," said another. Time passed very slowly for her.

"Daniella, the officers are pulling into the driveway now, just hang on." Dani heard the operator say. But Dani was just sitting and waiting.

"Shit! the cops are here! I thought you took care of the damn alarm?" said the first man again.

"I did! She must have called them. We have to get out of here!"

"Not without the girl, I want to keep my balls, thank you."

Dani then heard the closet door open and many things being moved when she looked up and to her greatest fear saw the man's face.

"Got ya!" the man said and started to pull Dani screaming from the closet.

The operator told the attending officers that the girl had been found by the intruders and they needed to hurry.

Once Dani was out of the closet, the second man grabbed her and they started moving for the door.

That was when Dani's mind snapped and to her everything slowed way down, nearly to the point where time stopped completely. Her mind grabbed onto an episode of Walker Texas Ranger that had someone in the same situation and watched in her mind as she saw how to get out of it. Then her body reacted to what she saw and went through the motions of it. Before the men could do anything about it the man on the right went flying and the man on the left dropped to his knees when she turned and kicked the man directly in the nuts. Time came back to normal and Dani found herself free and so took off running for the downstairs door.

Dani finally got the door open. She ran out and right into the chest of one of the incoming officers. He grabbed her to keep her from falling and moved out of the way of the door to let the other policeman in.

Dani looked up at the officer and said in a thin voice, "I think I killed them," and then passed out.

Officer Bill Jennings didn't know quite what to do with the girl's statement but when the little girl passed out, he acted quickly. He called for an ambulance, took his jacket off, draped it around the girl's shoulders, picked up the girl and moved to where the cars were. As he did, he heard several shouts and a call for a second bus. Jennings was about to call to his men when a car came up the driveway fast and screeching to a halt. Then a man jumped out and ran towards him and the girl.

Mike pulled into the driveway and saw a policeman holding what had to be Dani. The car was barely stopped when he jumped out.

"Dani! Dani! Please God NO!" Mike yelled as he ran to the cop. "Dani! What happened? Please, Dani wake up. Please baby wake up!" Mike looked to the officer holding Dani, "What happened?"

"Are you a relative?" Bill asked.

"Sorry no, I'm Special Agent Mike Heyens. She's a friend. Her father died recently. But she was emancipated before that happened. Now please tell me what happened and why is she unconscious?" Mike said as he looked at the angel in the old cop's arms.

"Easy son, she fainted when she came out of the house. We had just pulled up and were starting for the house when we heard screaming. Then when we were about five feet from the door it opened and she ran out and right into me. My partner went in to check what happened," said the officer. Bill Jennings, a seasoned police officer for more than 20 years and grandfather to several, was beginning to see that this young man was not just a friend but had deeper feelings for the girl. He just hoped that the young man would wait a little longer and let the girl finish growing up.

"Do you have a med kit in the back of your cruiser? There should be something to use to wake her with," Mike said, trying to think. He was just so scared for Dani that he could not get his mind to work.

"Not so fast. She fainted from shock and waking her could cause her some other troubles. Look, the EMTs are coming but I want you to go in and check the others."

"I'll take her and you can check," offered Mike.

"Listen boy, you go do what you do. Kidnapping is in your department. I'll take care of her. Look, when she came out she said something just before she passed out."

"What did she say?"

"She said, 'I think, I killed them.' With a comment like that I can't just up and leave her. Now you go and find out what the hell would make this child say something like that, you get me?" Bill finished and glared at the young man.

Mike looked at the officer and felt like he was standing in front of his father and knew there was no arguing the fact. He nodded and quickly walked to the house.

Bill was glad as the young man was entering the house and was not able to hear what the girl said as she stirred. "Mi ... mi ... Mike. My Mike." Then she fell into a more normal sleep.

Bill chuckled to himself. 'Well at least the feelings are mutual.' He thought as he looked down at the child in his arms. It reminded him of holding his own daughter when she was little.

It wasn't long until the first ambulance arrived. One of the EMTs came to Bill as the other went into the house. The girl in his arms had snuggled in to his chest and was sleeping so he took and laid her out on the gurney as the female EMT started checking the girl over. The woman wanted to wake Dani but Bill told her to wait until the Special Agent came back so that the child didn't freak out. The woman understood so continued to do her job.

Mike went into the house and found a big surprise waiting for him. One cop was standing next to one man that clearly was in pain, doubled over and looked like he was still trying to throw up. Then he looked around and saw a large hole. It was what was on the other side that really caught him in the stomach. Another cop was standing next to another man that looked like he was unconscious but clearly alive. That was when the cop saw him.