Written In Stone

of killing, come to the Raven District looking to purchase young girls and boys for little more than a box of food, from mothers with several other starving children. Or they simply kidnap the children off the streets. Even if it's reported to the police, they won't look for a missing child from that side of town."
    "I don't understand. Why would they want those children?"
    "They sell them to the highest bidder or use them for their own purposes."
    Angie wrinkled her brow; this made no sense to her. Then, understanding hit her, and she gasped aloud. "You? You were one of those children?"
    "I was five years old. My father died shortly after I was born, leaving my mother with me and four other children. She had no way to support us, so she sent us to various relatives. I wound up with an old aunt and uncle in the Raven District. My uncle used to come to me at night and touch me, and when I told my aunt, she slapped my face and put me out in the streets.
    "What could a five year old do? When a man came to me and asked if I was hungry, I nodded and went with him. He fed me… then started doing the same things to me my uncle did. One night, I bit him and he nearly beat me to death. After that, he took me to another man and sold me to him. Then somehow Gavin was there and I woke up in his arms. He was cradling me, wrapped in a blanket, and there were tears in his eyes. He took me home and had a woman take care of me. I lived there for about a year while he was building this school. Then I came here, and then more and more children began to arrive, and it's been that way ever since."
    "So Gavin's father began all this, and Gavin has been keeping it up since," Angie said, with wonderment in her voice.
    Madison looked at Angie, realizing Gavin hadn't told her the truth yet. She just smiled and nodded. It wouldn't be right to tell Angie the truth herself. That was for Gavin to do.
    "Why doesn't Gavin just tell the police what those men were doing? Why doesn't he tell them about this place? They could talk to the children and maybe prevent it from happening to others."
    "That's why, Angie. He doesn't want the children to have to talk to the police. Growing up here is better than any of us could have hoped. We get new names, papers, an education, everything we would never have had if left where we were. When we are grown, no one knows where we really came from. Some are so young, or so traumatized when they come here, they don't remember where they came from; they only remember growing up here. Gavin provides everyone with all they need. There are housemothers who rock the children, love them, and take care of them. Some of them stay up at night to comfort the ones who have night terrors. There's a full staff, all paid by Gavin to assure the proper raising of these children. There's a church with a priest and a nun, specially trained for what they do here. It's a very unique place, and Gavin wants it to stay that way."
    Angie nodded, wiping a tear from her cheek. She was crying for Gavin, for the children here, and for her own selfishness. She spent two years feeling sorry for herself because she would never be able to bear children of her own, when there was a school full of children who had no mothers or fathers. "Thank you, Madison, for bringing me here, for taking the time to explain it all to me. And please forgive me for what I thought about you earlier."
    Madison smiled and hugged her. "Nothing to forgive, Angie. Gavin loves you, and wants you to know more about him."
    Angie pulled back and looked at the woman. "What did you say?"
    Madison burst into laughter. "Don't tell me he hasn't told you he loves you?"
    "Are you sure?"
    Madison nodded. "Oh, I'm sure. The man is head over heels in love with you."

Chapter Ten
Stand & Deliver
 
    Gavin paced his cell. It wasn't as if he couldn't leave if he decided to do so. No, he stayed because there was a principle at stake. Murder? Ha! How they could call what he did murder, made him angry. He meted out justice. Those men didn't deserve jail, and they definitely didn't deserve second chances. They deserved exactly what they got. He had rescued children for thirty years; ridding the streets of the same kind of scum he was now accused of murdering. It was true, he hadn't been able to keep up with all of them by himself, but he did what he could, rescuing the ones he found. He would rescue them all if he were able. He would like nothing more than to be able to go into the Raven