Melissa felt her pulse quicken as Oliver stared out the window. She had deliberately checked out of the hospital one day early so no one would be aware of her homecoming. Her son stood by her squeezing her hand as he was afraid someone was coming to take her away from him. The old nurse narrowed her gaze as she stood by Oliver by the window. Two men in dark suits exited the black sedan and approached the house.
"Oh thank God." Oliver said relieved "It's the F.B.I. Melissa."
"Agent Hunt?" she asked perplexed "I already told him everything that happened." she sighed not wanting to go over any more details of her abduction, torture and rape. "Charlie, Mommy needs you to go upstairs to your room for a little while." she instructed her three year old.
"No Mommy! I want to stay with you." he protested.
"It's alright darlin' I'm not going anywhere, everything is fine, now go draw me a picture okay, and take Cairo with you." she smiled.
"Alright." the little boy replied as he slowly went upstairs with the dog.
Oliver opened the door letting the two Agents inside. Melissa greeted them introducing them to her nurse, who reminded Agent Hunt of Frau Blucher from the film 'Young Frankenstein'. She smiled shaking the men's hands as she warned them both in a stern voice not to upset Miss Christian, who was of course not happy to see either of them.
"Miss Christian I am sorry to have to come visit you unannounced but I and Agent Owens went to see you in the hospital but you had already left." he explained as Agent Owens shook Melissa's hand with a serious look on his face.
"Well, I have already given you all the information, and I'm not sure what else I can tell you." Melissa sighed as a worried look came upon her face. Oliver went and stood next to her as she sat in her wheelchair.
"Yes, Agent Hunt, my cousin just got home, please I hope you have not come here to upset her." Oliver said with indignation.
Here Agent Owens spoke up not caring for Oliver's tone "No sir. We have merely come to inform you of a rather serious development in your case."
Melissa froze for a moment unable to respond momentarily. "Tell me." she said after a brief pause.
"May we sit down?" Agent Hunt asked as he retrieved a thick folder from his attache case.
"Yes of course! Where are my manners? Please have a seat." Melissa motioned with her good hand. "Would you like something to drink, some iced tea perhaps?" she said remembering to be gracious to the guests in her home.
"No, we're fine." Agent Hunt replied as the two men sat on the large brown leather sofa.
"Well then gentlemen, due tell." Melissa said as Oliver placed a hand on her shoulder.
The F.B.I. Agents opened up the folder, pulling out two photographs setting them down on the coffee table. Melissa recognized the face of her tormentors and she tried to turn her head away. Oliver looked down and picked the photographs up, he too knew these men from his trip to Argentina. "That's them!" Oliver shouted as he stared down at the large capital letters in red that spelled out the word DECEASED; which was a joy to his mighty heart.
"Yes, forensics has confirmed Norman Pierce, a.k.a Bengiman Pruce, and Jerome Hays were in the wreckage of the plane." Agent Hunt said as he took the photos back from Oliver and set them on the table in front of Melissa.
"Yes, just like I told you." Melissa rolled her eyes as she had witnessed first hand the men's demise. She sighed.
"Well Miss Christian," Agent Owens said shaking his head. "You also informed us of the two women you believed to be responsible for your kidnapping."
"Yes, Xation's sisters." Melissa replied.
"Yes, Xation's sisters, I flew down to Argentina to interview them but.., " he paused as Melissa interrupted him.
"What did they tell you?" Melissa asked her heart racing with anticipation.
"Unfortunately I was unable to obtain any further information from the Diaz sisters."
"Well what did you think they would confess?" she laughed.
"No, I was unable to question them because they are no longer alive." Agent Owens informed her.
Melissa sat motionless in shock her mouth dropped open as she stared wide-eyed "What?" she asked incredulous.
"They both committed suicide several days ago, just about the time you were found alive in the jungle."
Both Melissa and her cousin Oliver could not believe what they were hearing. Melissa was confused as she said "Felina?"
"She slit her wrist in her bathtub." Agent Hunt replied.
"Serena?" Melissa whispered.
"Swallowed a bottle of Nembutal." Agent Owens informed her as he pulled out two more photographs and passed them over to her.
Melissa looked down at the pictures; which were taken as Xation's sisters lay in their caskets. The beautiful dead women looked very peaceful in the photographs, unlike the angry faces Melissa saw at the trial and execution of Charles. Now Melissa became angry saying. "You took their pictures at their funeral!?" which she thought was completely disrespectful.
"I took them before the funeral started." Agent Owens explained. "I also obtained copies of the Death Certificates. This was necessary for our files."
Melissa did not know what to say as Oliver and her nurse took the photographs and looked at the dead women. Oliver had known them personally as he had spent the entire summer in '95 with them. He was sad about the circumstances of their demise but he was happy the two women no longer posed a threat to his beloved cousin.
"That's why we are here Miss Christian to inform you this case is officially closed." Agent Hunt said as he retrieved the photographs from the aged nurse.
Melissa bowed her head saying a silent prayer that only God heard and understood, then she looked up and took in a deep breath. "Thank you gentlemen for your time, hard work and dedication." she said as she reached out to shake the F.B.I. Agents hands as they stood giving her a welcome smile. "I can't begin to express my gratitude for everything you have done."
"We are just glad you made it back home to Texas and your family. If you have any questions or need someone to talk to you have our number." Agent Owens said with a knowing look.
"Yes Miss Christian you have been through quite an ordeal and it will take your mind sometime to heal. I hope you can get passed this trauma and move forward with your life, but as Agent Owens has stated, you can call anytime, day or night, we will always be there for you."
With that Oliver showed them to the door thanking them profusely as he shook their hands patting them on the back for job well done. As he turned and closed the door locking it he looked over at his cousin who seemed neither happy nor sad as she stared off into space her green eyes glistening with a few tears. The old nurse reached down moving a long strand of hair from off Melissa's face as she bowed down saying "I can schedule a psychiatrist to come out and see you tomorrow." she said trying to be helpful.
Now a flash of anger came upon Melissa's face as she shouted up at the old woman "I am a psychiatrist!"
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