Intertwined

Chapter 26

5 months later

Lauren's POV

I wake up to the familiar warmth of the two bodies next to me. Little Lila is laying on top of me with her head on my chest. Dani is next to me with her legs tangled with mine. Last night Lloyd had another one of his hissy fits and tried to take Dani to have sex with her but I wouldn't let him touch her. He just left with a humph and locked the door. He thinks that is a punishment but we really don't give a fuck about him locking us in. Later that night Lila had another nightmare and she ended up falling asleep on top of me as I consoled her. As young as she is, she still remembers her mom. It's been five months, according to Dani, who has kept track of every single day since she first got here.

I begin to play with Dani's dark brown, braided hair. After a week of just Dani, Lila and I being here, we had grown close. Every night before going to bed I brush Dani's and Lila's hair. Although Lila's is less challenging because it's still growing and is still short. Dani's hair is long and reaches her waist. She said that before this she had normal, medium length hair but since she can't really get a haircut here, it just has grown to be long. I try something new on her hair every now and then. But she always favors the french braid and begs me to do it on her. I just laugh and agree. These girls have become my life. 

I don't know if there will be an after to all of this, but if we survive, I can't stand the idea of having to leave these girls. Dani is now 12 years old and Lila is going to turn 3 next week. I can't not survive. Lloyd has earned more money because of me alone and it is what is keeping me here. Men are paying loads to get me, I don't know why though. Lloyd says that I'm his money maker and I have something good coming for me. He can't possibly get rid of me. He needs me.

I've been here for Dani when she has cried all night on several occasions, when she started feeling bad about herself, when she was in so much pain because some asshole went too rough on her, when Lloyd threw that bottle on the ground and her foot bled excessively and that giant bruised formed, causing her to not be able to walk for a week. I've been here for Lila's molars growing in, when she finally sang all the letters in the ABCs that I taught her, when she was finally able to run. I've been here to see them grow. I want there to be an end to this but I don't want to lose them. 

Lila has no one in this world. A couple weeks after I first got here I finally remembered the news story on Lena and I recall that her friends were the ones that reported her missing because Lena had no parents. Lila doesn't have any aunts, uncles, grandparents, nothing. 

And Dani? She just recently admitted that before this she was just a runaway. She ran away from an abusive foster home because she was tired of jumping from house to house and always seeming to land in all the abusive ones. So she doesn't have anyone either. I don't want these girls to end up in foster homes. God, what am I going to do? I gotta get them out of here.

~

Later in the afternoon, when Lloyd has locked us in our room again because he's going out...again, I gather Lila and Dani and have them sit in front of me. And yes...I did say OUR room. Dani now lives in my room as well, so it's just the three of us in one room.

They stare at me intently, waiting on me to speak. 

I clear my throat, "I have a plan and I need you guys to listen carefully." I whisper, just in case Lloyd is still in the house, which I highly doubt.

"A plan for what?" Dani asks nervously. I smile at her lovingly.

"We're going to escape."  

~

Camila's POV

It's been five months. Five months of Lauren being gone. Five months of detectives visiting us. Five months of physical therapy and not being able to breathe very well because of the scar tissue lining the wound in my lung. Five months...

After a month of searching and Lauren's birthday passing by, we were told by the local police department and federal agents investigating the disappearances of over 150 women in that 90 mile radius of where Lauren disappeared that we should go home. We were apparently "getting in the way of the investigation". So Dinah, Normani, Ally and I came back to L.A. and put up a bunch of flyers. We cancelled everything we had planned for "Fifth Harmony" because there was no fifth. We can't just move on when Lauren is still out there. We've traveled to and from Maryland in both car and plane and put up flyers. We've gone to surrounding states on business trips that we were forced to go to and put up flyers. Mike and Clara have gone back to Miami but fly out to Maryland every time they think of somewhere new to look. They constantly call the head of the investigation and ask for any new information found out.

We're just hoping for a miracle to happen. With all the dead bodies of women starting to show up, none of us are ready for the future or the possible identity of the next body to turn up.

My thoughts are interrupted by the phone ringing. I get up off of the couch and head over to the home phone that was left on the counter. I answer in my raspy voice, "Hello?"

"Ms. Cabello it's Denise." She's the secretary of the head detective on Lauren's case. This catches my full attention because they don't ever call here unless there is a lead and that has only happened once and that was a false alarm, we are always the ones to contact them, especially Denise. 

"Denise, hi! What's this about?" I ask as if not knowing the answer.

"We got a lead and it has to do with Lauren." This is the first time they mention her directly. I sit down, "Oh, great! Please, do go on." 

"Detective Morris wants me to tell you about the body we found we found four months ago. Remember the name Lena Adams? The 22 year old?" She asked. I nod rapidly, but then remember she can't see me, "Yes, ma'am."

"Well they found several finger prints on her, unfortunately, it is very hard to make out finger prints on human skin. But, we were still able to get them. They were very clear which is rare. It seems to be that one is an unknown child's finger print, an orphan that disappeared about 7-8 months ago whose name is Danielle Williams, a man named Lloyd Davis, and Lauren's finger prints. This is a HUGE lead. Detective Morris is now finding information upon Lloyd and where is property may be because the lead is now that Lloyd is the one who has these people. We think he may be have Lauren and those two children, which is fascinating because we had no idea children were in this. I already called Mike and Clara Jauregui but I'll keep you informed." I hand up the phone and begin to smile for the first time and god knows how long. All of this can finally come to an end. It's too bad someone had to die in order for us to get this far ahead.

We can finally have our Lauren back.

~

Lauren's POV

"Okay, do you understand the plan?" I ask Danielle for the fourth time just to make sure she has all of it. "YES LAUREN." She says through her teeth. Sassy little girl.

"Alright then, tomorrow is Friday, right?" I ask the human time keeper.

"Yes." Dani replies. 

"Then this will go exactly as planned. Lloyd is always gone from Friday night til Sunday. We have plenty of time. Now, let's go to bed." I say laying down, grabbing Lila and placing her on top of me. She has become used to sleeping like this. She lays her head onto my chest and covers herself with the blanket. Dani lays down next to me and I naturally wrap my arms around her. Not long after I can hear the soft breathing come from both of them.

I'm gonna get these children out of here if it is the last thing I ever do.