Digging Deeper 2

Digging Deeper 2
Bjorn 

The rest of the article discussed how the ones who were not groomed for use by the elders or work in the fields were sent to the training camps to learn how to ‘protect against the evils outside their self-labelled garden of Eden’.  
They were training child soldiers, corrupting their own youth and ensuring complete loyalty in the next generation. I spared a thought for this person who had managed to escape to tell their story. What had happened to them and why had this information never been brought to light? 
By the time I stepped out of the office that night, my mind felt numbed. The cool evening air only revived me a little from the dark depths I had been plunged into in my day of research.  
The chief was putting pressure on me again. He told me I should already have closed the kidnapping case long ago. We knew who the perpetrator was, even if he had escaped now, it was only a small matter of catching him again.  
There was no tangible evidence connecting the kidnapping to the incident at the hockey game apart from Jennifers words which she said she had heard when she had sustained multiple head injuries and under extreme duress, so it was not to be taken seriously.  

He told me under no uncertain terms that it was an ’unnecessary waste of recourses to spend any more of the departments funds on investigate what should have been an open and shut case. 
My time had run out for using my recourses at work, but that was fine. I could carry on my research on my own time and feel a little freer that I wouldn’t be able to be tracked and the information I found wouldn’t suddenly ‘disappear’.  
It wasn’t exactly like I had anything else to go home to now that Jennifer wanted to stop seeing me. It felt strange, I had only known her a few short weeks, but it felt like I was missing something without her already. It just felt wrong.  
Well, I still had little Daisy. My mum would have been round earlier as usual to take her out, she had been there every day for Daisy whilst I was at work and the little dog recovered from her wounds.  
She was healthy now with just her fur still missing in patches, but my mother still insisted on coming by every time I was working a long shift. She didn’t want Daisy to get lonely...but really, I think it was her that was lonely.  
My dad had been in bad health the past few years and I think it was wearing her down. He was more irritable and angrier these days and although he would never lay a finger on my mum, the emotional tole was beginning to show.  
He was a prideful man, not being able to take care of his family himself was a hard enough blow but now, there were days when he struggled to care for himself. My mother would never leave him, she loved him too much.  
My mother did not suffer fools though, she knew her worth so when he was in a bad mood she would leave the house, and she wouldn’t come home until he had calmed down.  
My brothers and I had all spoken to our father and stepped in from time to time, but we quickly realised, his frustration was not at anyone else but himself and scolding him only made him feel smaller and humiliated.  
My mother could forgive him for being grumpy and ungrateful, so we conceded to be more understanding as well. He needed proper treatment for his back, but he refused to get the operation and although he would never say it, we knew it was because we were still paying off Cassy’s medical bills and he knew we couldn’t afford it.  
He already couldn’t take care of his own family, he barely was able to take care of himself, the thought of being a burden, an extra worry for us might just be enough to send him over the edge into despair.  
So being able to look after Daisy, who had an abundance of love and gratitude for her every day without fail, was enough to help keep my mothers spirits up and re-energise her. 
Goodness knows, my little Daisy deserved the extra love and attention after everything. My mum had even learned some basic training to do with her when she wasn’t driving her to forest walks and dog parks and pet stores.  
That dog has more toys than me and my brothers had combined growing up, I felt myself chuckle inwardly at that thought. By the time I walked in my front door I was already feeling a little lighter.  
Then I saw my mother, waiting for me on the couch with dried tear streaks running down her cheeks. “Mum? What’s wrong?” I asked in a panic. I quickly found Daisy, curled up next to her, she lifted her head and looked at me with puppy enthusiasm that eased my heart that it could be anything to do with her.  
“Oh Bjorn Leonardo, my darling boy. I need your help.” She said as fresh tears began to spill out. “Mamma, please tell me, whatever it is I will do it.” I said, sitting next to her and taking her hand.  
“It’s all gone, all of it.” She smiled at me through barely contained sobs, “What is mamma?” I implored. “The dept, the mortgage, everything, it is all paid off. According to my bank, we no longer owe a penny.” My mouth fell open.  
“Are you sure?” I asked, trying to wrap my head around this information. “Yes, yes, I checked and checked again.” She replied “But how? Who?” My brain just couldn’t process it, what kind of trick was this?”  
“I don’t know, it was all done anonymously apparently, no one would tell me anything. Please Bjorn, you have to look into it and make sure it is not some cruel joke or some clerical error. My heart could not take it if I told your father and it turned out not to be true.” She pleaded.  
“Of course, momma, I will help you get to the bottom of this. It seems too good to be true but either way, I will find out.” I reassured her. I couldn’t allow myself to hope that this might be real, not yet anyway.