Bad Company

Treasure In Florida

In consequent days, the parents were given an update on Nitori’s case. They were told that the survivor wished to remain anonymous, and there was no conclusive evidence linking him to her abduction. The given explanation was that he didn’t want the glory and fame off the case. Nitori’ abduction was a great big deal in the media, and they were itching for the opportunity to consecrate “the hero”. The person was also thought to have saved her life as well. Glen and Megan were hurt that they’d never have the opportunity to thank the person that saved their child’s life.

After all of the madness settled down, the family decided to take a vacation. Fr. Lauderdale, Florida seemed to far enough away from home in Wyoming. Megan and Nitori were at the market looking at figurines. Nitori hummed lightly as she admired an angel dressed in a baby blue gown. An aisle over, sounded a male’s voice, “I’ll be back soon, just not right away, I need this right now.” Nitori paused and her eyes glazed over. Then slowly, she inched away from her mother who was conversing with a store employee. Nitori crept around the aisle and approached the man on his cellphone. He was much taller than her, with a lightly tanned complexion. When she was within a foot of the guy; he just so happened to turn in her direction. His conversation paused abruptly, and then he mumbled, “I gotta go.” He stared at her with his hunter green eyes. Nitori hurriedly rushed up to him and ran her hands over his face.

Right about that time, Megan shrieked, “Nitori!” Her mom flew over frantically and tried to pull Nitori back, while profusely apologizing to the man, “Oh sir, I’m so sorry! Please forgive my daughter, she’s special needs, and she doesn’t know what she’s doing.” Nitori blared a high-pitched scream until her mother let her go, then she hugged the man tightly. “No problem, ma’am, I understand”, he muttered. “Baby, Nitori, come with mommy, what did we tell you about strangers, sweetheart”, bargained Megan. The very handsome man stared dotingly at Nitori. “Nitori, let go!” demanded Megan sternly. Nitori pushed her face into his chest and inhaled. Then she pulled the shirt from her left shoulder to reveal her bullet wound. “Oh my God, Nitori that is enough young lady!” ordered Megan pulling at Nitori again.

Nitori whipped around and hit her flat left hand with her sideways right hand, the sign for “stop”. Megan yelped in surprise and paused. Nitori faced the man again and raised his shirt. Megan covered her mouth in embarrassment. On his right side, in the center of his ribcage, there was a scar, practically identical to Nitori’s. She gently ran her fingers over the wound and smiled up at him. Megan slowly realized that his scar lined up with the scar on Nitori’s shoulder. “You know Nitori?” Megan asked hesitantly. Nitori smiled broadly and opened her mouth, and spoke in a low, fragile, elementary whisper, “He saved me.” Megan gasped and cupped her mouth, the guy did the same. “Nitori, you haven’t said a word in fifteen years!” Megan exclaimed incredulously.

He looked up at Megan and extended his hand, “I do know your daughter ma’am, my name is Christian, we were shot by the same bullet. I pushed her into the lake and took the rest of the shots” Christian kept his shirt raised and turned his back to Megan so she could see the entrance wound on his dorsal ribcage in the respective position, and two other bullet wounds. “Nitori kept me alive ma’am” he paused to look into Nitori’s eyes, “each time I was slipping away, I fought it, because I couldn’t rest until I knew she was okay.” Nitori clutched Christian tightly and whimpered happily. Megan’s eyes welled up with tears. He squeezed Nitori close and burrowed his face into the top of her thick curly hair. “It was you…..you didn’t want us to know who you were, and you saved my baby’s life!” Megan grabbed Christian into a hug. He smiled and hugged them both. “You have to come eat with us tonight, Glen, her father would love meet you! And I’m sure Nitori wouldn’t object”, Megan propose while laughing and stepping back. Christian groaned uncomfortably, “Oooh, I don’t know miss, that’s pretty intimidating.” Nitori squeezed his hand and tiptoed to reach his face and planted a kiss on his chin, just below his lips; she couldn’t fully reach his mouth. “Come, please”, Nitori whispered. Christian was mesmerized and ecstatic. “Anything for Nitori”, he said glancing back up at her mom. Megan smiled broadly, “We’re on the same page darling.” Christian and Nitori gazed into each other’s eyes and smiled, as it became apparently clear that they hadn’t met their end, but a new beginning.