If Angels Fall

TWELVE

Danny Becker woke up afraid and hungry. This strange place smelled bad, likeanimal cages at the zoo. His mouth tasted funny. “Dad!” Danny waited. Nothing.“Mommy! Where are you?”

Danny listened. Still nothing.

Something was wrong. He had his shoes on. Mommy neverlet him sleep in bed with his shoes on. His breathing quickened. He was soscared, sitting here on the smelly old mattress. The room was lit by a naked,dim bulb casting long shadows on the concrete walls. One tiny window had barson the inside. Newspapers covered the glass. Danny noticed a cup of milk, plateof cookies and a sandwich on the floor.

He cried as he ate. The sandwich was peanut butter andjam. Not nice like Mommy makes. The jam was dripping off the sides. The cookieswere cream cookies, the fat ones. He remembered being on the subway with Daddywhen he got bumped out the door and fell. He was lifted up from behind by handsthat were strong like Daddy’s. But they weren’t Daddy’s. They held him funny.At first Danny thought it as a game because they were going somewhat fast. Butwhen the person carrying him stumbled, he said a bad word. Danny tried toscream, but a stinky wet cloth smothered his face.

Danny had to pee. He replaced a half-eaten cookie onthe plate, stood up, and looked around. He had to find the bathroom. He went tothe door, reached up, gripped the knob, and turned.

It opened.

The hallway was dark. A shaft of light from a TVilluminated a stairway, and distinct, rhythmic squeak-creak sounds camefrom above.

Sniffling, Danny tiptoed up the stairs. He heard abark. A little blond dog waited for him at the top of the stairs.

It was brighter on the next floor and the bathroom wasnear the stairs. Danny entered and left the door open so it would be known hewas doing the right thing. The dog waited for him at the door. He was friendlyand licked Danny’s hand.

The TV and the squeak-creak grew louder asDanny entered the living room.

“…here’s the pitch; it’s a slider inside. Strike!”

Fifty thousand fans at Dodger Stadium roared. Dannyturned and took in the room. It was barren. Torn rags and soiled sheets andtowels covered the windows. No Mommy. No Daddy.

The walls were filthy. A large table, cluttered with abig computer, papers and maps was pushed to a corner.

Squeak-creak. Squeak-creak.

“…the Giants are looking good here in LosAngeles…”

Baseball. The TV was on a tall stand in the middle ofthe room.

Squeak-creak. Squeak-creak.

A strange man faced the set, rocking back and forth ina rocking chair. His back was turned to Danny.

“I want my mommy and daddy,” Danny said.

The stranger ignored him.

“…but so far they’re giving L.A. a drubbingtoday…”

Squeak-creak. Squeak-creak.

Strewn on the floor beside the man were newspapers.Seeing something familiar. Danny inched closer.

Squeak-creak. Squeak-creak.

Danny saw his own picture in one paper. He saw Daddy’spicture too-he looked worried and sad. Danny shuddered.

Who was that man in the rocking chair? He took half astep backward.

“Home field isn’t helping the Dodgers, Frank…Excuseme, Billy. We’re going to the network’s San Francisco affiliate for an updateon the kidnapping of Danny Becker.”

Danny’s mouth dropped when he heard his name. His eyeswere rived to the set. What was happening?

A man on the TV said, “Good afternoon. I am PeterMcDermid with an EyeWitness News special update.” Danny blinked, staring athimself on TV.

Squeak-creak. Squeak-creak.

“Three-year-old Danny Raphael Becker was kidnapped…”

What is kidnapped?

“…from his father yesterday while they were ridinghome on San Francisco’s Bay Area Transit System subway from a baseball game atOakland’s Alameda County Coliseum. It is believed a man abducted the boy fromthe Balboa Park BART Station. Danny is still missing. Police say his family hasreceived no ransom calls and that they have no suspects, no useful descriptionof Danny’s abductor. Today they are intensifying their investigation. Onehundred additional police and one thousand volunteers are helping in the searchfor Danny. He is the only child of Nathan and Magdalene Becker.”

Squeak-creak. Squeak-creak.

The picture of a little girl appeared beside Danny’s.He knew her. It was the girl he saw on the subway. The one who never smiled.

“A disturbing aspect in Danny’s case is that ithappened nearly one year later, and in almost exactly the same area wheretwo-year-old Tanita Marie Donner was taken from her home. She was murderedthree days later in Golden Gate Park.”

Murdered? Is that when you are dead? Is that murdered?

Squeak-creak. Squeak-creak.

“An unprecedented investigation involving the FBI andSan Francisco police has yet to find Tanita’s killer. Police refuse to say ifTanita Donner’s murder and Danny Becker’s abduction are linked. But EyeWitnessNews has learned the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, expert in profiling serialcriminals, is again assisting.”

“There has been an outpouring of support for theBeckers. We go now to a news conference called by Nathan and Magdalene Becker.EyeWitness News reporter Jennie Duffy is there. Jeannie, give us a sense of theimpact the Becker abduction has had.”

Jennie Duffy stood before a row of TV cameras. Beyondthem, a table with a small mountain of microphones and portable tape recordersrose before two empty chairs.

“Peter, the people I’ve talked to are horrified. Theabduction of Danny Becker is every parent’s nightmare. They say this kind ofthing isn’t supposed to happen in their neighborhood. It’s something thathappens in the movies, but not here. They’re taking precautions. Neighborhoodwatch parties are being formed, children are not allowed anywhere alone, andstrangers are regarded with suspicion. A blanket of fear has fallen over SanFrancisco.”

“I talked to a relative of the Beckers’ and he told meDanny’s parents will offer a substantial reward for Danny’s safe return. Andthe family just released to reports a home video of Danny at his cousin’sbirthday party. Taken two weeks ago. Here’s a bit of that now. Danny’s thesmaller boy wearing a red shirt.”

Danny’s cousins, Paul and Sarah appeared on TV withhim. Paul kicked a soccer ball to Danny. Sarah was skipping.

The man in the chair stopped rocking, and turned hishead slowly to Danny, allowing him to see only half of his face.

Danny took another step backward and searched the roomfor a door. He wanted to leave. Now. The man resumed rocking. Squeak-creak.

On TV, a man and a woman seated themselves before themicrophones. Transfixed, Danny clasped his hands together, blurting, “Mom, mymommy!”

Squeak-creak.

The press conference room was electric with emotionunder the lights. Silent, except for the soft flashes of still cameras and the whir-clickof their rapid-fire motor drives. Nathan and Maggie held hands, sat with theirheads bowed, struggling to begin. Maggie brushed her eye. No makeup. Nathan wasunshaven. They had not slept.

“I’m sorry,” Nathan said. “This is difficult.”

They faced some one hundred reports, photographers,and camera crews. Relatives, friends, and police officials lined one wall.

Squeak-creak. Squeak-creak.

“Take your time,” somebody said.

Nathan nodded. The cameras flashed and whirred.

“Danny is all we have” Maggie began. “To the personwho has our son, we say please bring Danny back, please let him go, that’s allwe ask. We beg you. Please.” Tears streamed down her face, making it shiny. Thecameras flashed, reporters made notes.

Squeak-creak. Squeak-creak.

Nathan looked toward his family and friends. “We wantto say to the person who has Danny, our only child, please don’t harm him. Weknow you must be hurting to have taken Danny. Our son, Danny. We are nowsuffering together and only you can make things better. We beg you. Danny isjust a little boy, please let Danny go. Please.”

Nathan brushed his eyes. “We are willing-“ he stopped.With the help of our friends, we are willing to pay thirty-five thousanddollars for information that brings Danny home safely. If the person who hasDanny finds it in his heart to return Danny to us, you will receive everyconsideration. Please bring Danny back safely. Please.”

Several reporters started with questions. Nathan stoppedthem.

“That’s all we can say. Thank you.”

“Mr. Becker, a few short questions?” implored onereporter.

Squeak-creak. Squeak-creak.

“I’m sorry. Please, it’s all we can say now. Thankyou.”

“Waiiiittt!” Danny’s arms shot toward his mother andfather. “Come and get me please. I’ll be good. I promise. Mommy. Daddy.”

They left.

The chair stopped and so did Danny’s breathing.

The man stood, switched the set off. Danny scrambledto his feet and hurried to the kitchen, afraid to look behind him. He heard thepaws of the dog, following him. He could see a door in the kitchen. He reachedup and grasped the handle. It wouldn’t move. He kept trying. “Home.” He pulledmightily, and kicked the door for not cooperating. The dog yelped. What if heasked the man nicely?

“Home. Please.”

Nothing happened.

Danny looked over his shoulder-the man was across theroom, leaning over the big table with all the papers.

“Home. Please!” Danny sobbed.

The man raised his head, as if hearing Danny for thefirst time. He turned and faced him, smiling. He looked friendly. Danny noticeda silver cross hanging from his neck. The man squatted, held out his arms,inviting Danny to come to him.

Danny didn’t dare move. Something was funny about theman’s eyes. They were big and wide the way Daddy made his eyes go when he wasZombie Man. The man stepped closer.

“No! You leave me alone. Stop!” Danny shouted.

He ran for the basement stairs. The dog scamperedafter him.

Too small to run down them, Danny sat and bouncedalong each stair on his bottom as quickly as he could, racing to the room wherehe woke, slamming the door behind him, hurrying to a corner. Nowhere to hide.

The door’s handle turned. The man entered and smiled.Danny pushed himself against the corner. “Leave me alone! Go away!”

The man drew nearer, his black shadow looming againstthe wall. Towering over Danny, gazing down upon him from a few feet away.

Danny wanted to push himself through the wall, ballinghis hands into fists, clutching them together against his chest, terrifiedsomething bad was going to happen.

“Go away! Go away!”

The man dropped to his knees, stretched out his arms.

“Oh Raphael! Holy Rescuer, Holy Guardian! Years I havesuffered. Years, I have atoned. Years I have waited and now you have come! Youhave come!”

Edward Keller was enraptured, arms outstretched, palmsto heaven.

“Oh Raphael! The prophet’s words are true. ‘Through meyou enter where the lost are sent.’ Raphael. The resurrection has begun!”

Keller bowed before Danny.

Danny cried harder than he ever had in his life.