Labyrinth

VI

Ivy and Spencer were in the car with the CPS agent, whose name was Nancy Lund. Ivy was in the front seat with Nancy, while Spencer was in the back, holding the case file as they approached the ranch.

 Ivy could feel the knot in her stomach tightening mile by mile.

 "Tell us about the 911 call." Spencer said, seemingly out of nowhere, pulling Ivy out of her trance. "Um, I believe the 'he' that they refer to is the churches leader, Benjamin Cyrus." Nancy said while keeping her eyes on the road.

 She didn't seem nervous at all... How many of these had she done?

 "Benjamin Cyrus... No criminal record." Spencer started looking over the file in his hands, while Ivy looked out the window, trying to calm her nerves and nausea; anxiety had been a bitch lately and this case wasn't helping.

 "No record at all, actually. What else do you know about him?" Spencer asked Nancy curiously. "It's rumored that he's practising polygamy and forced marrieges." Nancy said ever so casually and honestly with the things Ivy has heard and seen; that shouldn't have surprised her as much.

 Ever since she was a kid she wondered why such cruel people existed.

 After a deep breath and a turn of her head to look at Nancy, she decided to speak up and ask about the caller. "Any idea who the caller is?" Ivy asked trying to mask her nerves and anxiety about all this.

 "Uh, Jessica Evanson is the one who the age fits but... we can't be sure. So I negotiated interviews with all the children. It certainly wasn't easy." Lund answered Ivy's question, making the ginger nod.

 "Well, considering their view on outsiders, it would be best if you didn't identify us as FBI; just use our real names and introduce us as child victim interview agents." Ivy instructed Nancy, passing her gun and badge back to Spencer, who handed her a faux ID.

 Breathe in.

 Breathe through.

 Breathe deep.

 Breathe out.

 Soon enough they pulled up at the ranch. "There we go." Ivy mumbled to herself, getting out of the car and straightening out her blazer and shirt. There was a man on the steps, seemingly reading a bible.

 Cyrus.

 "I'm looking for mister Benjamin Cyrus?" Nancy said as the three approached the man, who - without looking up - went "You found him."

 Nancy, Spencer and Ivy walked towards him, stopping a few meters away for safety purposes. "I'm Nancy Lund. We spoke on the phone regarding the allegation?" She introduced herself while Ivy walked next to Spencer.

 Cyrus seemed oddly calm about three CPS agents showing up at his door; even though he expected them.

 The man took his reading glasses off, closed his bible and walked towards the three. "Savages they call us; cause our manner's different from theirs." Cyrus said while putting his glasses in his shirt pocket, looking over at Ivy for a second.

 "We didn't come here to liste to your sight scription, mister Cyrus." Lund said, staring daggers into the man.

 Not that anyone blamed her.

 "Actually it's Benjamin Franklin." Spencer spoke up somewhat quietly, making Ivy smile. She lived for his little facts and rants and found it odd that others weren't. When Spencer told her that they usually cut him off or don't listen, her heart ached; so she vowed - to herself - to always listen to Spencer no matter what.