Blood is Thicker Than Water

Chapter Three

My alarm stirred me awake the following morning. I sighed and turned onto my side and glanced at the clock. Six'o'clock. "Morning already?" I mumbled, my hair falling into my eyes. It felt like only minutes ago I had gone to bed! Now I already had to get up?

Sometimes, reality just sucks.

I sighed angrily and sat up. I gave my eyes a few seconds to adjust to the sunlight streaming through my window. It was a beautiful day. I couldn't help but smile. Maybe leading that trail ride at work this afternoon wouldn't be so bad after all.

Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I pushed myself to my feet and grabbed some jeans and a shirt. It was go time.

"Ella!" I kicked her door open and peered inside. She lay sprawled on top of the covers, fiercely clutching her gigantic teddy bear. Her arm was thrown over her head. Her hair looked like a ratsnest.

Note to self: braid that kid's hair from now on.

"Ella," I repeated, although softer this time. She groaned and rolled onto her stomach.
"Wha?" She said while squinting her eyes at me.

"Morning. Breakfast. Time to get up." I walked over to her and pried her teddy out of her grasp. Now she was really glaring. Well, tough. I couldn't afford to be late for work again. It wasn't like she couldn't take a nap after I dropped her off with Aunt Cara.

I looped an arm under her and brought her into a sitting position. She stuck out her lower lip and pouted. "I'm sleepy."

"So am I." I brushed her hair out of her eyes and stood. "But I've got work today. Get dressed and comb your hair. Breakfast is ready." As I passed through her door, I added in a somewhat sterner tone "Don't make me come back up here, El."

Downstairs, I set the table and made Ella a plate. I was pouring her a glass of milk when she came trotting down the stairs. She wore a hot pink shirt and blue leggings. Her glow-in-the-dark sneakers bounced down the steps. "Morning, Kay." She greeted.

Wow. She sure got cheerful fast, I noted. "Morning. Sit down and eat." I motioned to the table and walked into the living room. Ella crammed food into her mouth as I shoved on my boots. I caught a glimpse of Luke through the front window. My heart ached. I had trouble sleeping last night over our fight. Guilt consumed me to the point I felt physically sick. If only I'd dropped the subject, told him I believed him. Whatever.

Turning my thoughts back to the present, I stood and walked into the kitchen. We still had another fifteen minutes before I had to leave.

"Kay," Ella said. "Can I go outside to play for a few minutes?"

I paused. I did have to do the dishes, and I doubted Aunt Cara would let her outside (with due reason.) For a brief moment Luke's words from yesterday rang through my memory, but I dismissed it."Sure." I replied. "Just stay close. We've got to go pretty soon."

"Okay." She wrapped her arms around my waist in thanks, then sprinted out the back door.

Silently, I ran water into the sink and mixed some soap into it. I submerged and rinsed the dishes, one by one, until they were crystal clean.

Fifteen minutes later, I had straightened up the kitchen and was swinging my purse over my shoulder. I stepped out the back door onto our wraparound porch. "Ella! Time to go!" I called.

Nothing.

I rolled my eyes. "Ella! I'm serious. Let's go!"

I was answered only by the whisper of the wind.

"Sis," I called, getting scared. "This isn't funny anymore. Come here!"

Silence.

I stepped off the porch and circled the house. If she's hiding from me she's gonna get it this afternoon. I thought, fighting to keep my emotions reeled in. A terrible feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. What if.... No. I was not going to jump to conclusions.

Ella was nowhere near the house. I started to panic. I rushed to the barn, my heart rate elevating. "Ella? Ella!" I screamed. I climbed into the loft and rummaged through the hay. All I found was an old ax dad definitely needed to get rid of.

Jumping to the ground, I checked each of the stalls, then in the tackroom. It was clear no one had been in here this morning. I didn't think El could have made it any further than here in such a short period of time, but I didn't know. It was possible.

I made one of my lightning-quick decisions. Turning to my horse's stall, I unlatched the door and tacked up. Fear seeped into every ounce of my being as I mounted and rode out of the barn. "Ella!" I tried the helpless action one more time. "Ella, come on! Answer me!"

A blast of wind snatched the words off my lips.

I loped around the barn, around the house and again, and then picked up my pace as I searched the woods and pastures surrounding our home. My sweet baby sister was nowhere to be seen. Now I was practically crying, tears threatening to cascade down my face any second. Where was she? Had Luke told me the truth yesterday? If he had....oh, God.

Human traffickers could have my little sister right now.

I knew I couldn't stay calm and wait any longer. If El had been abducted, there wasn't a second to waste. Every passing minute put her farther away from me and farther from being rescued.

Flicking my reins over my horse's neck, I turned and hightailed it home. "Dear God," I whispered, tears now spilling down my cheeks. "Please protect her. Please don't let anything happen to Ella because of a stupid mistake I made. Please, God. You know if I could trade places with her I would. Please keep her from danger. Don't let them...."

My words caught in my throat as I rode past our house. Whipping out my cell phone, I dialed 911 and bit back my tears. Seconds later, the operator's voice seeped through the phone.

"911, what is your emergency"

"Yes, uh, this is Kayla Arthur. My younger sister, Ella, is m...missing. I can't find her anywhere." Wow. I was handling this well. The world's dumbest person award goes to Kay!

"Miss, how old is your sister? How old are you?" The male sounded exasperated, as if this was some kind of prank. I wished to God it was.

"Ella is barely eight. I'm sixteen, sir. She went outside and...."

"Woah, Miss Arthur. Slow down. How long has your sister been missing?"

I checked my watch. "Forty-five minutes, sir."

He made a noise somewhere between a choking fish and a strangled cat. "Young lady, that is hardly long enough to....."

"I searched our whole property!" I shouted into the phone. "She couldn't have gotten far so quick, not by herself. She could...." I sucked in a deep breath. "She could have been kidnapped! You have to do something!"

I know what you're thinking: helicopter sister. Well, let me ask you this; if your best friend told you about a trafficking ring and then your little blue-eyed blonde sister vanished into thin air, what would you do? The exact same thing I was doing.

The operator was silent a moment, considering. Finally, he said "Where do you live? I'll send a officer there to look around." As if I was lying.

I bit back my anger and rattled off our address. Next I put Cupcake (Yes, Ella named her) back in her stall and ran to the house, my legs barely holding me.

I paced the living room floor and debated whether or not I should call my parents. I didn't want to give them a heart attack for nothing, but I also didn't want to wait if Ella had been....God, I didn't even want to think the word. Kidnapped. Raped. Murdered. The three words that kept circulating in my panicked mind. Oh God. What am I going to do?

My phone rang, lurching me from my trance. I glanced down at the screen. Aunt Cara. Just who I wanted to talk to right now. I hit answer. "Hello?"

"Kayla, aren't you bringing Ella over today? Are you not working?"

I fought to keep my emotions at bay. "Aunt Cara, there's a bit of a problem."

"What? What's the matter, Kay?" Her voice was strained, worried.

I took a deep breath. " Ella is missing."