Vale was up rather late that night. Charlie had sent her home with some paperwork to look over. Nothing major, just some updates she needed to be aware of. Her eyes fell on a picture - the face of a young man, a handful of years older than her, staring up at her with the words, WANTED, plastered boldly on the front. "Things were bad, but they could have been so much worse..."
_____________________________
*15 years prior*
A white corvette drove though the woods of Durant, Wyoming, while I Just Ran (So Far Away) by Flock of Seagulls played loudly on the radio. Three people were in the vehicle: A tall, handsome man with blue eyes and a winning smile, and a beautiful woman with light brown hair and hazel eyes. Their daughter in the back had clearly taken after her mother in appearance, and she was currently singing along to the music, waving her arms in the breeze. "I can't believe you finally got that promotion, honey! I'm so proud of you!" said the wife, taking her husband's hand in hers. "Thanks darling, but I couldn't have done it without your support." He kissed her knuckles gingerly. "Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?" asked the little voice in the back. "I couldn't have done it without you either, sweetheart! Daddy's gonna spoil both his girls on this vacation, and nothing's gonna stop that!" He laughed.
Nothing, that is, except an engine problem. "I don't understand, I just got this fixed!" said the Father sighing. They were stranded on the side of the road, several miles from anywhere, and surrounded by woods. The man turned to his wife. "I think I see a cabin just up ahead. I'm going to go up there and ask to use their phone. You stay here with Vale." "Alright, honey. Be careful." "I love you both. I'll be right back!"
Daddy never came back. Years later, Vale would remember a gunshot, and her mother telling her to stay in the car. Another gunshot. And a man approaching the vehicle. A man who would essentially kidnap her for no apparent reason than to cover his tracks.
"They were on my land. MY land... I escaped a fascist country to come to America... I have full legal right to shoot anyone trespassing on my legal property..."
She would spend the next decade of her life in the clutches of Chance Gilbert, the survivalist who taught his children how to shoot as soon as they could walk. He wanted them to "be prepared" for a government attack. She grew up in the company of his sister-in-law, a woman with a fake smile and false sweetness that was just tempting you to cross the line and disobey Chance's strict rules. Punishments were severe...
Vale would later call him a psychotic cultist, but you can't exactly put that into words when you are only 8 years old. His other children were bigger than she was, and bullying and harassing were favorite pastimes of theirs. Now they had a new toy to play with... Especially Nick, who tormented her about not knowing what happened to her parents, and planting the notion in her head that they might still be alive.
His was the face on the Wanted poster now.
Nobody new what happened to the Rockford family. They just disappeared, as far as anyone was concerned. But there was one sheriff who never forgot the story, and was notorious for never giving up on a case.
His name was Walt Longmire.
YOU ARE READING
I Face My Monsters
FanfictionA young 23 year old woman has had a rough life... she can kick tail and made a life for herself beyond anything most people expected of her, but she's got trust issues... and she doesn't want to spend the rest of her life alone... A Carlisle Cullen...
