As a former Special Forces man, Sam Dryden has put in his time. While grieving the loss of his wife and young daughter who died in an accident, Dryden encounters 12-year-old Rachel, a young girl in trouble. The meeting was destiny. Dryden walking along the beach to clear his head on a clear So. California night, and Rachel scared and screaming while being chased down by grown men who are armed and looking to kill.
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As Dryden hides Rachel from the bad guys he learns that she has amnesia and can finds it difficult to recall anything other than her name. Using the techniques that made him top in his field, Dryden develops a relationship with Rachel who remains terrified.
As the drugs the captors fed Rachel start to wear off, parts of her memory return She is able to lead Dryden to two women who were held captive along with Rachel and her mom. Dryden hopes they will shed light on why armed killers were after a girl child. Are the women friend or foe?
The “cage” was was where Rachel's mother was sent along with other women with long criminal histories. When her sentence started she was pregnant with Rachel. A bonus for the government, they would get to test and monitor the effects of mind control from fetus through adulthood.
Prior to her breaking out of the cage, Rachel uses her powers of mind-control (gifted to her by the government for their evil use) to find an ally that can help her and her mother. escape. She sends a note through the hands of Holly, an investigative reporter. Rachel takes over Holly's pen and scribes notes, begging for help. Holly defers, she knows what the government is capable of. She knows women prisoners are being used as fodder for experimentation and destined to die in the cage. If she rats on the big dogs there will be death to pay. Hers.
Holly's decision to not get involved with Rachel was unfortunate. Rachel watched as armed cage guards killed her mother in cold blood. If only Holly had intervened. It only would have taken one phone call to alert media.
With government entities working overtime to find Rachel and bring in anyone associated with the prison rebellion that allowed prisoner's to escape and which left law officials dead, the hunt continues.
Rachel learns that she is an invaluable instrumental to government testing and develops a hatred for Holly. She can't forgive her for not helping. She had even begged her.
Dryden is the person who can bring Rachel and Holly together. They need each other to stay alive since they both know of plots and plans by the government to kill anyone who won't cooperate. They also need to disappear.
Dreyden has used all of his skill-set to keep Rachel safe. The truth of the cage is now out, and with it comes the opportunity for Rachel and Holly to start new lives. Along with Dryden, a couple of other good souls still remain supplying Dryden, Rachel, and Holly with tickets far away from California. Dryden fears if he is travels with them, or is even aware of where they are, the government will track and kill all three. He decides to stay behind and continue to fight for truth and justice. As long he does not know where Rachel and Holly are hiding out, they are safe from the government reading his mind and gaining information which would put both the young girl and the woman reporter in jeopardy of being assassinated.
Dryden learns his charges are free from harm when Rachel uses mind control and s helps him write a note from her heart to his. She and Holly are safe and perhaps the little girl who was used by the government, and has lost her mother can move past some of the trauma and heal.
Dreyden may finally have peace with losing his own family by helping keep another little girl safe.
Best part of story, including ending:
I liked this story because it shows the depth of human compassion when in an unjust society.
Best scene in story:
My favorite scene was Holly offering her apology to Rachel by showing up knowing that she may be killed on the spot.
Opinion about the main character:
I liked Dryden for his drive, compassion, and humility.
