The Lesser Evil

Author's Note: This story, though completely fictional, contains elements of physical child abuse.

It felt like waiting for a storm. Not for it to be over, not for the eye to offer a reprieve, but anticipating nature going out of control. Gathered within the sanctum of a large building that might survive such, an audience waited patiently as a young man took his seat opposite of the host. Trevor Tumnis, an officer of the KPD, was seated opposite of Mars Samson Taffington, a host of "Local Story Dive". On this show, local suburban personnel from everyday life, either as public servants or as the everyday civilians, got to share the untold stories of their respected vicinities that mainstream media tended to look over. On this episode, the young officer would share information for a case that no one expected.

Mars welcomed Trevor, thanking him for coming onto the show. He then realized the day and the time and exclaimed, "Well, firstly, happy birthday!" He then directed the polite applause to the young officer. Once the applause died down, Jamie then added, "And another year for our state's finest, albeit a former victim, is a blessing in itself! So, this case...mind you, we would never pry too much from your department that they aren't willing to share. But this is recorded as the largest kidnapping case in America, right? I mean, this is even bigger than the Chowchilla Kidnapping. So, officer, this case was yours?"

Trevor nodded. "Yes. I was assigned to this case about four months ago." He noted the surprised look on the face of Mars before continuing. "My chief felt that my experiences in the fields of domestic cases would help me solve the unusual kidnappings." He paused to let this sink in while shifting in his chair. "Usually, the kidnappings would be on children of more upstanding places; these could be anyone that might fetch a high ransom. For this case, the pattern was as follows: low-income homes, suburban to rural areas, children from hot spots of domestic abuses..."

At this, Trevor paused. It looked like something had caught in his throat and he needed to breathe to remove the obstruction. The host inquired of his health, but the officer shook his head and responded, "I'm alright. It's just... I myself had come from a bad childhood."

Mars then asked, "So, this case...it didn't compromise you?"

Trevor shook his head again. "No, but it did affect me. These children had been reported to have bruises and scars, yet they always tell the department the same things. They claimed to have fallen, to have run into a tree or house corner, dropped into a bush, or were struck by a large dog. None of it was true, but we were given nothing and, therefore, could only do nothing except report." He breathed heavily again before resuming. "So, one by one, these same kids started disappearing. We started receiving calls hours after they didn't come home. It was speculated that they ran away together, although this was dismissed as most of these children never interacted with each other. Hell, some of them were from the other side of town!" He then turned towards the audience. "Some of them were just a stone's throw away from some of you, those who reside in the city." At this, a murmur went up from a few people, to which Mars interrupted.

"How did this affect you? What was your life like as a child?"

The room then went quiet. Trevor actually contemplated this question; Mars meant no offense to it, but it was still prying into something personal. Still, Trevor decided to reply. "My father died when I was five. My mother worked hard to provide for me and herself. Then, one day, she brought home a stranger. He made her believe that he was her everything, and then turned to me and made me believe that my life would end if I got in his way. Months go by, my mother got pregnant again, and the guy just flew the coup. After she had my brother, Saul, my mother became obsessed with finding that guy. When nothing turned up, she took out her frustrations on me. I worried for Saul, not caring that this random fluke came and ruined our lives." He stopped for a moment before adding, "Sometimes, when she felt like hurting someone again, I would intentionally insult her just so that she wouldn't go after the man's child."

Mars nodded. "You are a brave man to have done that. I'm sorry that such happened to you. What happened to that man?"

Trevor closed his eyes. "When last I heard, he had accumulated a gambling debt and was on the run. My mother, after getting arrested for a DUI, went into rehab and practically forgot about him. At this time, I was working and I took my brother to live with me. He still is, by the way, and he says 'hi'!" Another round of polite applause came from the audience, to which Trevor acknowledged them. "He's going to join the military, that's his plan!" This time, a few people actually cheered the news, but Trevor reminded them that Saul was not yet of age. "It's progress, and I hope that I will forgive my mother in time. I only hope Saul will forgive her, too."

Mars smiled. "Well, back to the case...these children were also abused, right" Trevor nodded, to which Mars pressed; "Abusive fathers? Mothers? Step-parents? Other family members?"

Trevor raised his hand up. "All of that, I cannot discuss openly. But they did have terrible individuals looking out for them. And then, all of a sudden, the kids just disappeared." Once more, the audience went quiet in anticipation of the anecdote. Trevor would not disappoint, but he did struggle. "See, after a couple weeks of inquiries, there was one lead. One car. A pickup, not a van. And given that no one heard any screams, we assumed that each child went willingly into the vehicle."

Trevor rubbed his forehead, the discomfort starting to set in. "There were a few witnesses of the pickup truck. It turned out to be owned by a man named Albert Dawson. People have stated that he was a troubled man, kept to himself and barely talked. He was a welder, and a very good one from what his boss told me. We ended up getting his address from his workplace, but my chief wanted us to stake out the place while he waited to get a warrant. In my honest opinion, so much could have been avoided with a simple knock on the door."

"So, three days after we started staking the place out, Albert's pickup came back to his driveway. He had a bunch of bags, which we assumed were groceries. He entered his home and then, unexpectedly, we got the call; the warrant was given. It was a search warrant, but it was all the department needed. Again, a knock would have been preferable, but my chief sent in both us and SWAT. They came out armed and ready, having the entire house surrounded. With all the noise going on, I was shocked that nobody came outside to see what was going on. Not even Albert poked his head out." The discomfort was returning in force, building up just as the suspense was. "The order was given, and we moved in. Men covered the windows, I was behind a few SWAT guys, we approached the door and THEN knocked, announcing our presence and stating that we had a warrant. I said that we should wait, but no one was doing that. I get why, as these were kids, but it was rushed. Everything was rushed! The door was busted in, we rushed inside..."

Inhaling and exhaling were now the only sounds within the room. The crowd strained to hear if anything was said under anyone's breath. Mars couldn't let the moment of silence last any longer. "So, what happened? Where were the kids? What did Albert do to them?!"

Trevor started his answer with a turn of his face towards the host, a ghost of a tear coming to his eye. "Nothing! He didn't do anything to them!"

This confused the host, and the confusion spread to every member of the audience, so Trevor had to explain: "When we came in, the children were hiding in different spots of the house. Slowly, they came out, each one wearing fresh clothes, looking healthier and well-fed and even hydrated. I saw some with fresh bandages upon wounds that they wouldn't have talked about before. A few cried when they saw us, while others wondered what we were doing here. SWAT would lower their weapons, explaining that they came to rescue the kids since they were missing for sixteen days. A few of the tykes told us that they weren't kidnapped; they were rescued."

Members looked at each other with perplexion. Never had anyone heard of a kidnapper who "rescued" children, albeit one that provided them with their basic needs. Finally, a real tear came to Trevor's eye, but he dealt with it quickly. "Albert came around the corner, a tray of food and juices on it. SWAT immediately lifted their weapons up and ordered him to drop it and put his hands up." The officer shook, either out of anger or disbelief. "Albert complied, asking that we put our guns away because we were scaring the children." Trevor looked at the audience again. "He was taking into custody without question, without a fight, and without another word."

The host was left aghast. "This...this is...unique." Now he was the one looking at the audience before looking back at his guest. "So, this kidnapping...why didn't any of the major news networks cover it?"

Trevor shrugged. "I don't know. Perhaps it wasn't the gruesome story that they wanted; it sounded so wholesome. Granted, Albert did commit a crime, and he still had to stand trial; it lasted almost a week, as so many witnesses had to come forth and provide testimonies, from officers to the neighbors of the children. When the children came up to talk, they laid everything out; their abuses at home, how their parents or guardians treated them, how Albert found them and offered them a 'home away from home', and how they were allowed inside his place and got fresh meals, clean water, and soft beds. The only controversial point was the act of the felony itself, and Albert was allowed to speak on it."

Mars was still in disbelief. "So, the kidnapper...Mister Albert, sorry, what did he say?"

Trevor closed his eyes. "He told the court that he did what he did because, a long time ago, he swore that no other child would ever go through what he had lived through if he could help them. He was brought up under a violent household, a single child treated as both a punching bag for his alcoholic father and an ashtray for his pickpocketing mother. Successful days were his lenient days, unsuccessful days were when the beatings would really hurt. One day, his father was released from his job, and he shoved his son into a wall after coming up the stairs. Albert then called him an 'asshole', to which his father threw him down the stairs. The damage left him in more than just unconsciousness; he was in critical condition. His mother ended up calling an ambulance, claiming that Albert slipped and fell. It took weeks for Albert to recover, but his demeanor had changed; he stopped being aggressive and revealed everything to the police. They took in his parents, he went to live with relatives, and for a time he was doing better. But it wasn't long after graduation and landing his career into the world of welding that he started noticing the behaviors of people more and more, mainly children. He could tell when a youth was being treated horribly, when someone was lying, and when someone was trying to hide an injury. However, he never got angry, noting that his own aggression was what got him hospitalized in the first place. Instead, he would go for a more assertive, albeit risky, maneuver that he felt was beneficial despite its unlawful nature." Trevor wiped his face again before concluding, "Albert then apologized to everyone, claiming that he didn't hurt the kids nor wanted to be hurt ever again."

Only the sound of the cameras was heard in the din of the ambience. Mars had to keep the show going and inquired about the verdict. Trevor sighed and told him: guilty. "Albert had committed thirty-three kidnappings, even admitted to doing such, and the court slapped him with twenty years. The mainstream media expected an uproar from Albert, but they only got his quiet agreement. That was pretty much the end for the networks." Then Trevor did something that Mars did not expect; he smiled.

"Why are you smiling, officer?"

"Because," explained Trevor, "his story isn't over. Initially, I expected him to not survive in the prison, but then I had some news from a few of my informants; there were inmates who heard of what Albert did, and they happened to be relatives of the children who were mistreated. They stuck up for Albert, basically protecting him. Even a few of the guards are watching over him specifically, feeling that he had been cheated for doing what he believed was right. Even now, there is talk from the city about overturning his verdict; a lawyer even talked to him about taking his case to the Supreme Court!"

Mars clasped his hands together. "Well, that's good! I mean, not the kidnapping, but the overturning. Anyways, what did Albert say?"

The officer shook his head once more. "He said, 'Don't hurry. There are youths here in prison who will also need my help.'"