by Taylor Hart
“Exactly. Though we can also rescue them, if need be.”
Cyrus thought of Marcella and sighed deeply. What would he give to have someone rescue her? Could he be that someone for another family? “If we’re going to rescue anyone, we’re going to need some of your sketchy friends.”
Cap laughed. “I’m sure we can find some ex-military and law enforcement types who will help us. I know a few guys.” He held up a finger. “Not in the sketchy category.”
“They’ll need a name.” Cyrus thought for a moment, then chuckled for the first time in a long time.
“What?” Cap asked.
“We should call them the S.A.V.E. team.”
“What?”
Cyrus lifted a finger for each word. “Save All Victims Everywhere. S.A.V.E.”
“Works for me.” Cap’s grin widened.
Cyrus started to pace. Finally, he stopped. “I like your idea. We will call it the North Star Foundation.”
“Even better.”
“Do you suppose we can have it ready in the next year?”
Cap’s lips quirked up into a smile. “I do.”
Cyrus found his own lips curving, too. “I do, too.”
“And we’ll continue to search for Marcella.”
“Of course.” Because he would never stop until he found her.
Cap held out a fist. “Let’s make this happen.”
Cyrus bumped his knuckles on Cap’s.
Emotion surged inside of him. He’d invested a lot of money in hiring Cap, who had become much more than an employee. His friend was offering him something to focus himself on, something to keep him sane. “Hey, I … uh, thanks.”
Cap nodded. “No problem.”
More ideas of how to run the place started filling his mind. “I need a project to focus on.”
“I know.” Cap hesitated. “We both do.”
Chapter 13
Cyrus
One Year Later
“This one,” Cap said, pointing.
Cyrus Black turned the SUV and drove up a long driveway.
He parked in front of a large house, a lopsided affair with a Rapunzel tower running up one side. Goosebumps skittered over his arms. This was where they were going to put their first teams of kids.
“What do you think?” Cap asked.
Cyrus studied the building—three floors, peaked roofs, the tower on one end, and beautiful scroll work. There was a peace about this place that he hoped their teams would feel. “I like it.”
They climbed out of the SUV. The air smelled fresh, and a bird flew from one tree to another. The outskirts of Denver lay all around them, but the house felt secluded. Safe. Solid. Cyrus stood still, amazed at how perfect this place was.
And then he saw the roses.
Beautiful yellow roses all along the front of the house.
Could it be?
He walked around the SUV and went to them, then inhaled. When a light lemony fragrance filled his nostrils, warmth flooded him. “Michelangelo roses. Marcella’s favorite.”
This was no coincidence. It felt like a sign.
“Let's buy it,” Cyrus said.
“You haven't even seen the inside.” But Cap was smiling.
“I don't need to.”
“Come inside anyway.”
His heart full, Cyrus entered the soon-to-be Denver team house for his North Star Foundation. Where he would help save other daughters and sons, and maybe one of these teams would get a lead about where Marcella was.
He couldn't give up hope. Some days it was all that sustained him.
This new foundation was built on that hope.
I will never stop looking for you, Marcella. If you are alive, I will find you.
When they reached the tower room, he decided to decorate it with his daughter’s favorite colors: purple and pink. This would be the princess room with a painting of a butterfly on the wall.
He looked out the window at the huge lawn below.
Behind him, Cap said, “The data guys have come up with six survivors who can form our first three teams.”
Cyrus nodded. “The Farm is ready to begin training.”
The two men stared at each other, smiles slowly growing on their faces.
“Thank you, my friend. This is the perfect way to honor my daughter on the second anniversary of her being taken from me.”
Cap nodded. “Thank you.”
After a moment of silence, Cyrus asked, “Will we ever find her, Cap?”
“We’ll keep looking.”
It wasn’t the answer he wanted, but it was the truth. They would keep looking. In the meantime, they would save others. And, God willing, at some point a clue would point them toward his daughter and he would have her back.
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All Books in the North Star to Freedom Series
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Girls being lured away.
Trafficking survivors trying to save them.
Taken meets The Thundermans meets 21 Jump Street with these quirky teams of teenagers going undercover into high schools to help keep other teens safe from creepy sex predators.
#Lost ~ Prequel (Free)
All billionaire Cyrus Black wants is a chance to spend a month in Paris and repair the fractured relationship with his wife and daughter. But things don’t go as planned. Frantic, he realizes his daughter has left without telling anyone where she’s going. When he finds her phone dumped in a garbage can, he grows even more frantic. Though the police assume it is a kidnapping, and tell him to wait for a ransom note, he calls in associates who might help him find her.
Teenager Marcella Black is looking forward to spending time with her parents, especially her father whom she’s hardly seen since her parents separated. But when her father is late—as usual—and her mother is having a melt-down, and she can’t face the fight that’s sure to come, she turns to the only person who understands her—@JamesKind. She met him briefly in Paris last year and has since fallen in love with him. When he asks her to come meet him, she happily goes. Because he loves her, too, right?
When the expected ransom note doesn’t arrive, Cyrus fears his daughter might be #lost—maybe forever.
#Seen ~ Book 1 ~ Excerpt of the Next Book in the Series
#Seen ~ Book 1
Zoey Thompson never expected to get hand-picked by philanthropic billionaire Cyrus Black for an elite, undercover team to stop online predators from targeting teens. And she really never expected to have a broody, hot partner named Nicholas who keeps telling her not to ask about his past. Sheesh—he’s not the only one with secrets, so whatever!
Enter Sammy Lewis, sixteen-year-old cheerleader at Montrose High. Sammy has everything—a boyfriend, two best friends, and a shot at becoming cheer captain for the upcoming state cheer competition. Too bad she loses them all in one day. Good thing she has Instagram and @hunterlives, the only guy who really understands her.
Posing as cheerleaders, Zoey and Nicholas think they’re getting through to Sammy about the dangers of her situation. That is, until Sammy runs off in search of the guy who really isn’t her boyfriend at all.
Will they get there in time, or will it be the last time Sammy Lewis is ever #seen?
CHAPTER ONE
Zoey
“Let me out!” Zoey screamed, or maybe she wasn’t screaming. Maybe her voice was muffled now. She didn’t know.
Zoey lay on the bathroom floor, feeling weak. Her vision hazy.
She tried to yell again. “I’m starving!”
How long had she been in this bathroom? Days? Weeks? She didn’t know that, either.
The floor tile was cold against her body and she pulled a dirty, threadbare towel over herself and scrunched into a ball, blocking the smell of pee and trying to hold onto her consciousness.
She closed her eyes, ignoring the swelling in her right eye and the dried blood on her lip. “I hate you, Marcus,�
�� she whispered, thinking of the way he’d come in after her last “client” and tried to make her take a pill. When she’d refused, he’d jammed it down her throat, then pushed her back and slammed the door shut.
“My name is Zoey Thompson.” She mumbled the words. “My name is Zoey Thompson.”
She had to remember her name.
They never let them use names. Told them to forget their names. Forget their old life. Forget…who they used to be.
Well, she wouldn’t forget.
It should have been different. None of this should have happened. But she’d messed it all up.
Her thoughts drifted to that day, on the bus, when she’d run away from her old life. When she’d thought Marcus was her boyfriend. When she thought Marcus…loved her.
The drug started to take more of an affect and all of her thoughts got more blurred. She thought, again, of getting off the bus and the way three guys had grabbed her and gagged her and blindfolded her and shoved her into the back of that car.
She’d been scared then. Afraid that day. Even though she’d still had hope that someone would be coming for her. That she’d get out.
Now…it was worse. More tears pooled into her eyes, because she knew that no one was coming. It had been too long.
So she would go to sleep and wait for the next client to be sent in.
A sudden crash came through the door and Zoey flinched, sitting up and opening her eyes.
A machine gun was in her face.
“What is happening?” She fought for clarity through the drug.
The gun pulled back and another man walked into the bathroom.
“Zoey? Is that you?”
Her name. Her name. Her name. Hope filled her. “Y-yes."
The man went to her side. “I’m here to help you.”
She tried to focus, not believing him. “You know my name?”
The man reached his hand out. “Zoey Thompson.” He hesitated. “I’m Cyrus Black. My team is here to rescue you.”
#Lured ~ Book 2
Kaylee Roberts, sophomore and varsity soccer player, is furious when her arch nemesis not only beats her for the half-back position on the team, but then sends a picture of Kaylee’s eczema-covered face on fire to the whole school. It’s not like she needs a reminder about her skin condition. Lucky for Kaylee, she’s been chatting online with a basketball player from another school who appreciates her photography skills and likes her for who she is.
Seventeen year old Warren Scott’s plan to get out of juvie and rescue his best friend from a trafficker goes out the window when he gets into a fight defending another kid. He’s expecting a reprimand, but instead gets an offer: join a specialized team of sex trafficking survivors who go into high schools to find and warn teenagers who are being targeted by predators. The rich guy in charge promises Warren help finding his friend in exchange for his time.
Warren agrees, but while he and his partner are desperately trying to find the target, he starts having crippling flashbacks of his old life. In the meantime Kaylee’s amazing and supportive online boyfriend tells her he loves her. She loves him too, and wants to show him.
Can Warren find Kaylee before it’s too late, or will Kaylee be #lured away to a fate Warren knows all too well?
#Caged ~ Book 3
Autumn Eldridge considers herself one of the lucky ones—after all, she got rescued from a life of horror after just six months. That was three years ago. Now she has a black belt in karate and she is never going to be a target again. So when billionaire Cyrus Black invites her to help other teens from being taken in the first place by joining his elite team, she jumps at the chance. She is partnered with the mysterious Noah Fuller, and she wonders why he is on the team, since he’s the only team member who was never trafficked.
Destiny Wexler has had an incredibly bad year. First her mom died, then her dad remarried way too quickly, and she just found out she’s pregnant. When her jerk of a boyfriend breaks up with her, she turns to a friend she met last year in a chat group for teens who have lost their mothers. Finally, things are starting to look up. She’s just met two new friends. Even better, her chat room friend is going to fly in and take her to lunch.
But when she lies to her new friends—who she doesn’t realize are on the team trying to save her—and meets her “friend,” she finds herself #caged and betrayed. She can’t believe how deep the lies have gone and she’s terrified no one will be coming to save her.
Notes from the Three Authors
TAYLOR HART:
I was inspired to write a book about sex-trafficking, after watching a FB Live between Tony Robbins and Timothy Ballard. (Both men are heroes of mine.) As I was watching, Tony asked Tim how people could help. Tim put out a plea to the audience, asking them ‘to talk about the topic, blog about this topic, write a book about this topic—something. Just use your talents to help STOP this!’ And, I felt the hand of God on my back, giving me a nudge and telling me that I could write a book about it. At that time, I argued a bit with God, told Him I didn’t write books about sex trafficking. (I sigh at my arrogance now, to argue with God.) Over the course of the next few months, I prayed and asked for help and I had the privilege of meeting Cammy Bowker, who started giving me first hand information about sex trafficking.
God also led me to these amazing ladies—Jo Schneider and Heather Horrocks. They have ROCKED this project with me. They have brought ideas and energy and written AMAZING stories!
I also had a ‘miracle’ happen to me, that proved to me that I was supposed to keep pushing forward with this project; I had the chance to meet Timothy Ballard in person. And, as I reflect on it, I’m certain it wasn’t a miracle to him…but maybe I’ll have a chance to talk to him about this one day…When I first decided I would do this project, I told God that I wanted to meet Timothy Ballard. But I knew that was pretty much not possible. He’s a super busy guy—rescuing kids, making movies, writing books, traveling all over and speaking about this topic. But, I was coming out of the mall, on a rainy day, and—bam—he was there. I just saw light walking toward me. I’m not kidding. And he got to me and I asked, “Are you Timothy Ballard?” And he said, “Yes.” I got to thank him for all the work he’s doing to save children and raise awareness and I also got to talk to him about this project. At that point I thought I would be writing a book directed at moms. But he said, ‘Write one for the teens, there are more and more who I get calls about everyday.’
JO SCHNEIDER:
Taylor Hart approached me about this project early in 2019. We were sitting in a crowded Olive Garden and she was telling me stories that she’d heard from Cammy Bowker (see her forward at the beginning of the book) about child sex trafficking and exploitation in America. Right here in our home state. I was blown away. Of course I knew it happened, but had never looked too close. Like many of us, for me ignorance was bliss. That night Taylor destroyed my ignorance, and I’ll be forever grateful.
Taylor said she wanted to join the fight, and asked me if I would be willing to write a book and donate all of the proceeds to charity. Duh. Yes. When do you want it?
Our original idea was to write sweet romances, which I write under my pen name Karly Stratford, and donate the money. Then Taylor ran into Tim Ballard, founder of Operation Underground Railroad, at the mall. I saw a picture she’d posted on Facebook and I sent her a text asking her if she was stalking the poor guy! Nope, not stalking. A fortuitous, and possibly inspired, meeting. Taylor thanked him for all he has done, told him we were authors, and asked him what we could do to help. When he said he would love it if we would write books directed at the teens, because more and more get taken every day, that threw a wrench in the plan.
At this point, Heather had joined our little party, and the three of us were a bit dumbfounded. Most of the group write sweet and clean romance...how are we supposed to write something to teens on the topic of sex trafficking?
I’m the young adult writer of the group, so I started thinking. And pra
ying. And thinking. Here’s the thing, in young adult books you need to empower the teenage characters. They have to be driving the story, not be bossed around by their parents or teachers. And we didn’t want to just focus on a victim after they’d been taken—first too grisly, and second most teens won’t relate to the situation. Finally, after a few weeks, I had an idea. If you remember the old 21 Jump Street, with Johnny Depp, you’ll know that young-looking cops got sent undercover into high schools to sniff out drug and theft rings. In the process they usually helped teens who were in trouble. Then it hit me. What if we used young trafficking survivors as our 21 Jump Street-type teams, and they went into high schools to help kids who are being targeted by predators? That way we could tell a story that would be familiar to teens (high school), as well as explore a victim of trafficking after they’d gotten out!
It took a lot of work, praying, planning and coordinating, but in the end it all came together!
I’m not often public about my religious beliefs, but I certainly felt a divine hand holding mine more than once as I researched this brutal topic, planned my book and then wrote it. There was also plenty of opposition as we fought to get this project finished and out to the world.
I hope these books made you just a little bit uncomfortable, but I also hope that you go away from them with a better understanding of the process predators use to lure people into their traps. The internet is not going away, and the best defense against it is open communication with friends and family and as much knowledge as you can gather about the dangers that lurk behind the screen.