Unnatural Selection by Odom Mel

Author:Odom, Mel [Odom, Mel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

"Hector Gallivan's security people are keeping the kidnappings quiet," Maggie Chapin said.

Buffy listened, filling in the information she had only guessed at earlier. "How many kids?"

"Six that I know of," Maggie answered. "We lost Cory. I heard the Campbells lost their son Tad last night. The Englands lost both of theirs. The Moltons and the Dixons lost their daughters."

"The Englands lost two?" Buffy asked.

"Twin boys," Maggie said.

"How old?"

"Ten, eleven months. I forget."

"But less than a year old?" Angel asked, his hand tightening slightly on Buffy's arm.

Maggie nodded. Her eyes teared up and her voice thickened. "They all were. Just babies."

Maybe that's a clue, Buffy thought. According to the faery legends Giles and Willow had discussed with them, the spriggans and other evil faeries always replaced babies. Because they had power only over babies? Were they limited in some fashion?

"That's terrible," Buffy said, acting like a concerned parent. It wasn't hard because it really was terrible.

"You look awfully young to have kids of any age. How old are they?" Maggie got up from her chair and walked to the fireplace mantel. She took a picture down.

"Four and two," Buffy replied. "We adopted." The lies felt bad now because Maggie was being so truthful with them.

"You might be safe. I've never heard of any kids over a year old being taken." Maggie handed Buffy the framed picture. "That's Cory."

Buffy studied the picture, imagining how it must feel not to see that smiling little face every day. "He's very cute." She handed the picture back. "I'm sorry."

Maggie took the picture and studied it. "He's still alive. A mother knows these things, you know."

Buffy nodded like she did know, not wanting to think of what she'd put her own mother through. "What is Gallivan doing about it?"

"He says he's got an army of private investigators on it. And he probably does. I talked to three of them myself. He thinks the children are being taken for blackmail. His corporation is very rich, as you know."

"But some of the parents don't believe that?" Buffy said.

"I don't believe that," Maggie said. "I may be the only one. Philip is like the other families Gallivan hired."

"They believe in Gallivan and the job is too good to risk," Angel surmised.

"Yes. Without the job, they'd have nothing. And it's only been a couple weeks since the first baby disappeared."

Two weeks? That was when the heavy machinery started breaking ground around Weatherly Park. Buffy shifted on the couch uneasily. "When did Cory disappear?"

Maggie's voice broke. "Eight days ago."

"Did you go to the police?"

She nodded. "That night. I was hysterical. I called them while Philip called Gallivan. We'd already found out one of the other babies was missing. Maybe two. Gallivan told Philip he'd take care of everything, and Gallivan wanted Philip to make sure I didn't talk to the police."

"But you did," Angel said, "because it only made sense to do that." His support of the decision was obvious, and Buffy knew it would reassure the woman. He was good with dealing with people.

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