Taken

Prologue

( Author's note....)

This story is dedicated to my baby cousin Zoey, who was taken from us too soon.

Here's "Taken"....

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14 years earlier...

Carson Allen stood on his balcony overlooking New York City, lost in thought. He listened to all the noises the city had to offer at ten p.m., but nothing could take his mind off the problem he had to deal with very soon. He had wasted too much time anyway to be trying to put it off his mind. It had been already two months his wife Sarah Allen has been killed while trying to catch an international art smuggler who had friends in high places. She almost had the bastard too, until the smugglers employer heard about it and hired a sniper to take her out. The damn smuggler had gotten away to only the Lord knew where, while Carson was stuck between New York City and D.C., since he had been ordered to stay away from the case due to personal involvement.

"What am I going to do about Zoey?" Carson moaned out loud. She was his three year old daughter, who he knew he couldn't raise on his own. He also had a 13 year old son, Daniel, but he was old enough to look after himself these days. He'd become quite the man since the incident. But Zoey was a different story. So now Carson had to find some way to take care of her. He was one of the C.I.A.'s top agents, so he couldn't just take time off, and quitting wasn't an option.

"I could hire a nanny..." he thought to himself. But he knew that idea would never work. It had happened many times that escaped criminals would break into his house trying to kill him and his family. It would be too dangerous to leave Zoey with just an average nanny.

Carson put his head in his hands. He had to go back to D.C. in just a few days and there was no way he could bring Zoey to the office with him.

Then he had an idea. He had a brother, Anthony, who was married to a woman named Monica and they lived in California. Anthony was a restaurant owner in L.A., and his wife was a teacher. They had no children of their own, but they had always wanted one or two. But Carson hadn't spoken to his older brother in over three years. He and his wife hadn't come to his wedding, they didn't come for Sarah's funeral, and they didn't even call. Anthony and Monica wanted nothing to do with the C.I.A. Anthony had even changed his last name to Smith that way no one would be able to connect him with his own brother.

Carson threw the idea around in his mind for a few moments. He really didn't want to leave his only daughter with the brother who didn't even talk to him, but he didn't see any other option. He had to at least try to contact Anthony. This was his last option. He took a deep breath, picked up the phone, and dialed his brother's number.

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Sound good? Any ways I can make it better? I'm always looking to improve and i can't do it without you guys! :) Comment and vote please! (Sorry the picture is a little fuzzy! Let me know it you can't make it out!)

~Emily~