Aftermath

As Louise finished her sentence she realized that he was already gone, "God I hate it when he does that. I swear sometimes that man acts like an animal. Oh well, I guess when he needs it he will come by the agency." She turns towards Katelyn who was still in a heap on the floor, "Was your reunion everything you hoped for Sweetie? I know Sean can seem like a scary man sometimes, he's just not used to normal human interaction anymore."

Katelyn climbs to her feet and collects herself, her smile returning, "It's not that Louise, I'm crying for him, he can't cry for himself anymore but that doesn't mean I shouldn't. I've read his file, the little bit of it thats available to us at the agency. I know the things he's been through as a child first and as a government asset later on."

Harrison approached her and put his hand on her shoulder, "Then you should know not to waste your tears on him, he's already beyond help. Turn your eyes towards something less tragic if you need to find someone who's soul to save dear."

Katelyn took his hand from her shoulder and held it for a moment, "You mistake me Harrison and you are mistaken, its not that I want to save his soul but that I want him to know he doesn't have to be alone. When you and Louise adopted me it proved to me that everything he said and did actually meant something, I wasn't just going to become a pawn for forces beyond my control again. I was actually going to be a person, I would get to have goals and ambitions, friends, family and maybe even find love one day. All these thoughts that would only cause me pain before you became a part of my life. You guys showed me that I do get to be a person, but it was Mr. Darkeye that made it happen. Him and Tiberius. After he saved me that night I knew my life would change, it was only through the courage I gained from them that I was brave enough to try to be a person. I would only catch glimpses of him through the years as I grew up but each time I did he looked just as I remembered him. He looked like a man in deep pain with no way to relieve it, the more I learned about him the more I believed I was right. Now I know I'm right, he is in pain and he will never cry for himself. That's why I must." During her speech Louise had came over to hold her other hand, by the end of it both Harrison and Louise had tears in their eyes and had more pride in their adoptive daughter than in anything else. They wrapped her in a hug for a few seconds and stepped back, holding each other's hands.

"I couldn't be more proud to call you my daughter Katelyn, you have grown into such a beautiful young woman and your heart is as big as it is pure." Louise said while attempting to wipe the tears from her eyes. Harrison helped her and then turned towards Katelyn to speak, "Well per usual your old man put his foot in his mouth, your mother is right when she said you would surpass us both. I couldn't be more proud of you daughter, you grew up so fast right under our noses and have never ceased to amaze this old man."

Katelyn gave them each one last hug, "I love you mom and dad and this has been a very tender moment but as God says, there is a time to heal and there is a time to kill. Mr. Darkeye already took care of the killing for the night but there is much healing left that needs to be done." She broke the embrace, her face filled with new determination as she went to interact with the children still inside the home.

"We love you too!" they said in unison and began to clean up the bodies of the couple that had been recently executed. They were stored in large black bags and put into a secret compartment in the back of the van while Katelyn made sure the children would be ready to leave.

After all preparations had been completed they each picked up a child and brought them to the van and then drove them to the nearest branch of the agency. Harrison got behind the wheel, being careful to follow all traffic laws, the agency works outside the bounds of the law. Saving those 3 children required someone to murder their parents and kidnap them, but after the system fails children for so long the agency takes matters into their own hands. Any police officer that pulled them over would only be doing their job but the agency was aware that sometimes collateral damage couldn't be avoided. It had happened many times in the past, the agency clashing with the bounds of the law. It was never pleasant to kill someone, but to kill a man thats just doing his job, trying to protect his fellow citizens in a world filled with crime, those moments were the ones that would strip away a piece of their humanity. Sometimes they would get lucky and an officer would be one of their sleeper agents, other times they would manage to recruit them, but usually if they were pulled over while on assignment it led to more blood being spilled, innocent blood.

The nearest branch of the agency was located on a county road a few miles outside of town, they pulled up into a thickly forested area with a simple gate with a padlock and chain holding it shut. As they pulled up to the gate Harrison put the window down and a man walked out of the shadows of the trees to speak with them. "Hey there Harrison, long time no see. Lousie, Katelyn. Glad to see you all back in one piece. I'll radio ahead and let them know your coming, welcome back!" As he said this he called ahead on his radio, "Team 255 returning to base, precious cargo in tow."

"Thanks Tom, its good to be back." Harrison said quickly followed by Louise and Katelyn. "See you up at base soon Tom." Louise said. While they were speaking the gate and area immediately around it began sink into the ground, bringing the van in with it and revealing an underground tunnel that would lead them to the outskirts of the base. Upon reaching bottom Harrison moved the van forwards off of the platform while Tom walked up to the gate and pressed a hidden button that would raise everything back up to ground level and leave no trace of its existence. Tom waved goodbye as everything put itself back into place and the van disappeared from sight. I hope those kids are all okay Tom thought to himself as he seen Katelyn for the last time, thinking of the first time he laid eyes on her when she was still just a little girl. Tom had been a gate guard for a very long time. I'm so proud of that child he thought to himself, she has come so far from that fateful night, I'm glad Sean made it to her in time and I'm glad that Harrison and Louise were able to help her. They are good people and she's a good girl.

As the lift disappeared from sight Katelyn spoke, "Tom was here the night I arrived, I will never forget his smile and kind eyes. Mr. Darkeye saved me but he's not much of a talker, Tom spoke with me for a little while that night. Telling me how the gate worked and what a good "dog" Tiberius was, I think he's one of the only people here besides myself that Tiberius will allow to touch him." She laughed out loud thinking about the memories she had with Tom and Tiberius together and how funny it was when he referred to Tiberius as "just little puppy dog" and Tiberius would roll onto his back and wait for belly rubs. "It seems there is a lot of things we don't know my dear," Harrison said to Louise without any bitterness in his voice. "Why didn't you ever tell us about Tiberius Katelyn?"

"Honesty? I'm surprised to learn you didn't know about the giant black wolf that follows him around, he's 5 feet at the shoulders so I just assumed everyone knew about him." she replied with a little chuckle.

"Fair point, now come on lets get on with our mission." Harrison put the van into gear again and began to drive through the pitch black tunnel until it opened up into a giant underground chamber with what looked to be a castle carved into the wall in the far distance. In the initial approach they passed under a giant stone archway with "A Light in Darkness" carved into it with giant letters. Passing under this archway took a burden off of all 3 of them, allowing them to breathe freely.

"Its therapeutic, returning home after being gone so long, even this small outcropping of the facility helps to reduce the pressure on my chest." Louise said passionately while Harrison and Katelyn both nodded. They continued the approach to the main keep in silence. Small lights lit the walls every 20 or 30 feet, they were precious gemstones grafted into the walls that produced natural light. The closer they got to the keep the more often they appeared and the more luminous they became until the entire cave was fully lit. In front of the keep there was a giant fountain, nearly 100 feet wide with a statue of a man kneeling holding a small boy in the crook of his left arm and his right hand extended helping a little girl to get back onto her feet. An inscription on the statue plinth read, "I beheld a light in the darkness as my hand gripped his".

Another tear glistened in Katelyn's eye while reading this age old inscription that she held so very dearly to her heart, those 12 words resonated deeply with her and others who had lived a truth similar to hers. She didn't shed that tear though, it represented the determination she felt while learning to be a person instead of an object. The children with them had been awake for awhile, they just stared out the window and sat together in silence. Too afraid to ask any questions. Katelyn read the inscription on the statue out loud to them. "I beheld a light in darkness as my hand gripped his. Its a mantra for us here children, it speaks of the light that comes to us in our darkest hour, to save us from that darkness and show us what more there is to life. This place is called Sanctuary, it has been my home for 15 years, ever since I was brought here in the middle of the night. My name is Katelyn and if you need anything you only need to ask, first we will eat and then we will rest. I will stay with you for the time being, there will plenty of time for questions after we eat together. Now come outside of the van and I'll show you inside." She opened the van door and stepped out while holding out her hand to help then down 1 at a time. They felt very comfortable with Katelyn and had no hesitancy following her, they implicitly knew that she would protect them and take care of them. That was the very reason many had began calling her "Mother Kate".

"Children these are Harrison and Louise, they have been my adoptive parents and they are both wonderful people. Tell them good bye children."

"Goodbye Harrison, goodbye Louise." the children replied in unison very quickly. Harrison and Louise smiled and told them goodbye before driving away.

Katelyn walked the children around the fountain, it had many gemstones embedded into it that made it glitter and sent the light shining in every direction. All of the stone had been polished white and the entire castle front seemed to be glowing, large stone pillars held up the ceiling every 15 or 20 feet in front of the large redwood gates that stood open in front of them.