Blue Farm by Charles C. Anderson Heartbreaking, Horrible in Several Ways! Kidnapped!

Although the twins, Jack and Ava Carlson had perfect SAT scores at age fourteen, their mom Lindsey refused to allow them to go off to college. Her minimum age for college was sixteen years old. Being a child prodigy and a warrior at the same time was tricky enough. Lindsey and Andy Carlson agreed that Jack and Ava needed to put puberty behind them, develop some much-needed social skills, and grow up physically in order to blend with other college students...
The twins announced their intention to visit the University of Virginia in Charlottesville on the upcoming weekend. They planned to take their five-year-old brother Peewee with  them.
After the three kids had left the farmhouse, Andy tried to restrain his joy at the prospect of Jack and Ava attending a prestigious Southern university a scant fifty-five miles from the Farm they grew up on...

~~~

Blue Farm

By Charles C. Anderson

"Aren't you being a little selfish, Andy, wanting your kids to be close to home?"

"I'm sure that's a factor," he said, "but I'm thinking of our son Peewee the most. He has special needs. Peewee must grow up with his oler brother and sister close by. You know as well as I do that the twins taught each other more than we taught them. Their competitiveness has given them that edge you say in unfair. A five-year-old brainiac needs other brainiacs to interact with. You and I aren't brainiacs...

The Rotunda at the University of Virginia. Charlottesville, Virginia, United States (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

While Andy and Lindsey argued at home over when, where and which university their twins would attend, Ava and Jack were 

approaching the campus of the University of Virginia. Although they had looked at other schools, they had already decided, and knew that they would be going to this school so they would be near PeeWee their brother. Now they wanted to have Peewee look around, starting with the Rotunda.

Jack had immediately offered Peewee a ride on his shoulders since his brother could not easily handle steps and there were many up and into the building.

Ava had moved on ahead since they planned to start at the top and move down. Peewee and Jack had started to talk about the architecture on the campus.

They were the only visitors in the dome room.

"This is the largest round room I've ever been in," Peewee said, back on his own feet. He shoved his spiral notepad back in his right slash pocket. "I like those pairs of columns on the perimeter," he said. He looked up. "And that round skylight makes it bright in here." He walked toward the columns.

Jack walked toward a painting above one fireplace and Ava walked toward the painting over the opposite fireplace.

Peewee called, "There're bookcases behind these columns."

After examining one of the two paintings, Jack decided that the men depicted were Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe. All three Virginians had served as President of the United States. At one time James Madison had been a neighbor to James Carlson. A bridge across the Appomattox River at Sandy Ford connected Madison's property with Carlson's. All three presidents had visited the Carlson plantation.

"Peewee," Jack called, "come look at this." He stared at Thomas Jefferson's profile as he waited for Peewee to make his way to the fireplace.

Ava called from the opposite side of the dome room, "Peewee,"

Peewee didn't answer.

Ava and Jack met each other in the center of the round room. "He went behind a couple of columns over there," Jack said, pointing. They walked toward the perimeter of the dome room...The huge room was silent.

Ava appeared from behind two columns, "I don't like this, Jack," she said. "Peewee doesn't play hide and seek."...

Jack had almost come full circle when he heard Ava scream...

At the base of the column were the remains of Peewee Carlson's industrial-strength glasses. The thick left lens was cracked. The left temple that fit tightly over Peewee's ear had been crushed. The bridge was bent. Jack smelled the glasses...There were five tiny drops of blood on the cracked left lens, in a splatter pattern. The broken left temple had bright red blood on it. A blood trail pointed toward the stairs...

They lay on their sides, their foreheads touching, communicating without speaking for a few moments. They they cried like the day they were born. Peewee had been kidnapped.

~~~

The entire Carlson family were devastated when their five-year-old special needs child was taken, kidnapped during that trip. Jack and Ava, however, blamed themselves and were distraught, but they quickly made notifications and started to search the campus and interview the few students that were around. Andy and Lindsey, of course, were quickly on the way and got both the CIA and FBI involved. Hamilton was the CIA representative to come, quickly pointing out they didn't have any responsibility for this type of issue.

Andy quickly pointed out that they had just been actively involved with a major CIA action, when the President had personally called for their assistance. The end result had been the loss of a number of individuals from the same family--this could be revenge for those deaths! Hamilton accepted this was a point and agreed to a combined task force. but he wanted Andy's agreement that he would become an active CIA agent and accept special jobs, one for which he was already needed, but could wait until after they had found their son. Both Lindsey and Andy quickly agreed, but then was perplexed about what they might have committed to...

Soon, however, a demand for $5M was made. And they further demanded that Ava be the person who brought the money... It was felt that the exchange site was going to be a problem, until they learned more...

Life went on but the Carlsons were changed by the kidnapping... Still the twins had already signed up for the next semester and finally decided to go... Especially when they learned that the two remaining members of the Ivanov family were also scheduled to attend there...

But none of what happened could have ever been planned... The only thing possible was trying to protect Jack and Ava, who might be the next to be targeted... The ending of this one should be a major surprise on several counts...

Charles Anderson has created a series that attracts readers not only for the action-packed thrills, but also for the issues addressed as the family is raised as well as what the United States faces. Using true-to-life situations, the author openly shares about our government, world issues, and how to be prepared to live with the threat of terror...from anywhere and at anytime. Readers may not agree with his conclusions, but I think there is ample evidence that he's working continuously to pinpoint concerns about which we, as citizens, should be aware, prepared for, and alert to possible action. It is not unpatriotic to express opinions and highlight issues that must be addressed. If you are a concerned citizen, you just may become a warrior as well!

Although it is hard to read about a small child being callously hurt, the book brings us forward, better prepared and watchful... Highly recommended...

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