by Ann, Bry
“Good to know.” Brad’s already on his phone. “I’ll have men out there looking.”
When he’s done texting, he glances at me with an unreadable expression on his face.
“We’ll find her, Landon.”
“We have to, Brad. We have to.”
His jaw sets and he leaves the room in a fury.
* * *
This is some kind of special torture, rewatching these tapes. Where are you, Essie?
Dear God, don’t let them have you again. But I know they do. It’s the only thing that makes sense. I feel it.
Anyway, back to the tapes…
“I don’t know the story yet, but I'm still thinking, baby doll. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”
She yanks her chin away.
“Focus on what’s possible, agent. Saving garbage doesn’t help anyone.” She traces her thumb over my wrist gently. “I think you’re capable of big things. Think harder.”
I promise. Think harder.
“Damn it!” I slam my fist on the desk.
Carson places a hand on my shoulder. “Brad’s team didn’t find anything on the streets. Collin is in town. He’s at a meeting with Dogwood and the local PD right now.”
I nod, feeling defeated. Carson bumps me with his hips.
“Move. Let me look at a few things. All the security tapes with you and Essie are on the drive. You know the password.”
“Yes.”
“Found anything?”
I have to bite my lip to keep from scowling. “Not yet.”
He nods. “Keep— wait.” Carson’s face brightens. “I'm gonna call the team. We’re idiots.”
“What?”
“Her note, Landon. She told you something in that note. That’s how we fucking find her!”
He grabs his cell and texts the team.
“They’re on their way. Go get the note. Landon.” Carson grabs my shoulder and shakes me. “She told you all the answers. We just have to figure it out.”
God, I hope he’s right.
Let’s see if we can figure you out, baby doll.
Chapter Twenty-One
Essie
“Wait! Don’t hurt her! She’s sick! Please!”
“Do you want to see your mom again?” Damon sneers as I try to take in the world around me once again.
Grey walls. Grey floors. Death in the air.
“Yes, but-but…”
“It’s okay,” I murmur, trying to process all this after being somewhere else for so long.
“You’re awake!”
Ellie runs over to me, even though I'm vaguely aware of the fact that Damon has his fingers tangled in my hair. As you can tell, that’s their favorite way to physically control me.
She hugs me around my legs while Damon tries to tug me away.
“You were silly, but it’s okay. I like animals, too.”
I feel her tears dripping down her cheeks onto my bare legs.
“I'm here. I have to go with-with…” I can’t say Damon’s name in front of her. I'm gonna be sick.
Ellie lets go and glances up at me. A wall drops down over her eyes right in front of me. She drops her hair over her eyes and steps away.
“I’ll pray.”
Then she scampers off to the corner, gets right down on her knees, sitting back on her heels, and ducks her head to pray. Right here. In this hell.
The sight rips apart the little that’s left of my heart. Oh God, Pamela, where did you live before here? Ellie knows what’s about to happen to me. Ellie knows why I'm being dragged out.
Because her mom went through the same thing. And protected her from it.
I don’t even realize I'm crying until Damon slams me against a wall and growls.
“You’ve gone soft, Tammy. Z always said you wouldn’t have to be moved. Are we gonna have to change that?”
It hits me. I’ve fucked Damon before and the other man—Gary is his name, I think. They’ve been here. They’ve been inside me before. Who hasn’t?
In the past, I would have begged to be moved. It would have been a miracle to not have to train girls, but now, not ‘til Ellie’s gone.
“It’s up to you,” I mutter.
“Damn right. Now come on. Simon’s waiting.”
I'm so fucked. I'm so fucked. I'm so fucked. I'm so fucked. Simon’s gonna break me… again. He has to make me what I was before. Something’s different about me. Different from even the first time I came here.
Ellie. Landon.
I have things to lose again. Like before: Jenny, Pamela, Sage, and my parents.
Last time, I lost half of those people. I can’t handle that again. My scalp burns from Damon’s pull, my back is on fire, my face is throbbing, but the streams of tears falling down my cheeks are the worst part about this whole situation. I can’t afford to cry. I can’t afford to be this weak! I know this. I’ve told many other women this. Yet I'm failing myself.
Damon is relentless in his pull. It feels like forever before I'm thrown into a small room. Simon’s in there with two other men besides Damon. Gary slips in a minute later.
“Get up,” Simon barks.
I scramble to my feet, shaking all over. What the fuck is wrong with me? I want to hit myself.
I meet Simon’s eyes for my next order. His eyes are nearly black with rage.
“You had my son killed, even after he so graciously kept you around as his pet.”
He did? That’s why I had to train? Z wanted access to fuck me whenever he wanted?!
I HATE HIM.
Tears burn my eyes.
“I would have rather gone where everyone else went than have to stay here.”
Simon sneers. “Don’t worry, you will. I’ll get you there.”
He glances at the other four men in the room with a wave of his hand.
“Proceed.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Landon
Luca stands at the front with his pale green eyes staring at the projected copy of the note Essie left me. Kyle’s by his side. I don’t like the note being up there. That note was meant for me. Whether she would like it being shown to the entirety of Collin’s team and Brad’s is yet to be determined, but I certainly don’t like it.
I don’t like her being missing and probably hurt more though, so I'm patient-ish.
“It starts with ‘Tammy needs to get her Z’s.’ The first thing I notice here is her use of the name Tammy over Essie, her birth name.”
“This is fairly obvious,” Kyle jumps in, body rigid and brown eyes boring into the room. “I don’t think she was having an episode when she wrote this. I think this was done on purpose. Wherever she is, it is not random. It’s not her running. It’s definitely linked to her past.”
Luca nods. “Then there’s the wording itself.” His voice is stern and laced with a heavy Russian accent.
“‘Tammy needs to get her Z’s.’ I think half of it is literal. She is tired, physically. Mentally. Though that’s not what she’s trying to tell you, Landon.”
Luca’s empty eyes land on me. The dude creeps me the fuck out. The dude was an enforcer for the Russian mafia. He was arrested, but since he was so talented, the FBI gave him the option to work for the bureau or go to prison. He obviously chose the bureau. He moved up through the ranks fast. Although Brad swears he’s loyal up and down, he still gives me the creeps.
“Agreed,” Kyle murmurs, locking eyes with me. He knows I don’t care for Luca. “Me, Luca, and Shiloh…”
I glance over at the smug brunette bombshell, smirking in her seat. She’s slumped in her seat in an almost defiant gesture with her arms crossed over her chest.
“... have reviewed this extensively. It was actually Shiloh who figured it out.”
Brad glances proudly at her. I'm betting she fought hella hard to get where she is. I respect her more than anyone here. Fuck, she’s probably ten times the agent we all are.
“Z’s. That’s a strange word to use, right?” Shiloh jumps in. “Wh
y not just say sleep? So I thought back. Who were the men Nixon Marketta said he found Sage Briar-Rose and Essie Taylor with? The men we all know he killed.”
“Sty Degrager, Marcus Elon, and Zaid Rogers,” I reply.
“Zaid Rogers. Sage called him Z, Landon,” Brad says, meeting my eyes. “Always Z. Never Zaid.”
Needs her Z’s. This has to do with Z in some way. My eyes widen.
“Exactly,” Shiloh says, sitting back again.
“The next line,” Luca continues. “‘Tammy needs safety for her and her animals.’ Fairly obvious to me. I figured this out fast. She was threatened. They threatened someone she cares about.”
“But who else is there? We have her parents in protective custody. Sage is heavily guarded and with Nixon Marketta at virtually all times. Pamela Reynolds died. Who else is there?”
I frown.
“That’s what we don’t know,” Kyle states. “We’re working on it. It has to be linked to one of the people she cares about: her parents, Ms. Reynolds, Ms. Briar-Rose, or possibly even Zaid’s sister, Jenny Rogers. We were told by Essie’s parents that they were good friends in school. If there was anyone else in her life, either inside or outside her time in captivity, we’d know. Dean has already interviewed her parents, extensively. There’s no one on their side Essie would give herself up for, even while mentally unstable. Brad has talked to Nixon on behalf of Sage. He has made it known that Sage is not to be involved personally in this case in any way. Sage says the only person they have in common is Pamela. Cooper is looking into that right now as we speak.”
I swallow to cover the emotion welling in my throat and nod.
“The next line is obvious,” Luca states in a firm, but quieter voice. “‘Tammy can’t do it anymore.’ She doesn’t care. She’s tired of fighting.”
He rushes through those lines, knowing how hard it is gonna be for all of us to hear.
“Last,” Luca pins me with a hard gaze, “she tells Agent Parker to keep thinking. Despite saying she’s tired of fighting, she’s telling him to figure this out. She’s tired, but she doesn’t want us to quit searching for her.”
I sigh. “So what now?”
Kyle straightens. “We—”
He’s cut off by the sound of five ringing cell phones: Kyle’s, Brad’s, Luca’s, Shiloh’s, and Dean’s.
“Brad Ryan,” Brad answers as the other team members and Kyle listen. It’s clearly a five way call. A few minutes later, everyone’s faces pale.
“What?” Shiloh screeches over everyone else.
Brad quickly takes over the call, but I don’t miss the way he glances at Shiloh with concern in his eyes several times. Everyone else is slightly pale, except for Luca, whose lips have just tightened.
“That-that would make sense.”
Brad clears his throat and pauses. I glance at Kyle. He shakes his eyes. It’s not good. My heart rate picks up.
“Alright. Get back here. I’ll get in contact with Nixon.”
Click. All five of them hang up and glance at me and Carson, the only ones not in the loop. Well, Collin too, but he’s been excessively quiet. Listening intently, but not engaged. I know Kyle’s doing his role right now by working with Brad. When this is all over, we’ll have to check on Collin, but we have bigger fish to fry at the moment. Besides, he’s doing his job, just… behind the scenes and quieter.
With a deep breath, Brad opens his mouth to speak, but I already know he’s not gonna be the one to break the news. Shiloh’s a ball of energy and looks ready to explode.
“They have Pamela Reynolds’ daughter,” she blurts.
Brad, once again, glances at her with worry in his eyes. He gives her a pass for cutting him off and takes over for her.
“Cooper just informed us that Pamela has a daughter, Ellie Reynolds, six years old. According to CPS, a lot of Pamela’s teachers suspected abuse at the home, but nothing was done about it. Rick Mercer, Ellie’s father, according to her birth certificate, ran the foster home Pamela lived in.” Shiloh winces. “We don’t know where Pamela and Ellie went when Pamela turned 18, but we do know that wherever it was turned out to be no better. We know she tried to run and that’s when she was taken. We obviously don’t have Pamela’s full story, but Ellie can fill us in when we get her.”
Brad’s jaw clenches.
“That’s why Tammy ran. Ellie Reynolds, her best friend’s daughter. Landon, you mentioned a video they showed her on a phone. I’d bet my life it’s a video of Ellie. They probably, definitely, threatened her not to tell us or they’d hurt Ellie.”
“Shit,” Carson whispers, then stands abruptly. “I’m gonna see if I can find out more about Ellie. Maybe if we can track where she’s been, we can find out where she was taken from. That may lead us somewhere.”
Collin nods. “Go on.”
“Dean,” Brad says as he cocks his head, “go text Nixon from my phone.”
He throws it at him.
“Tell him we need to meet. Today. ASAP. Tell him not to inform Sage.”
“Yes, boss.”
Dean nods at the rest of us, blond hair shifting to the side, and steps out for a moment.
“Ellie is six,” Brad says to the room, letting that sink in. “She’s six in the hands of sex traffickers.”
Without warning, Brad’s fist comes down on the desk.
“I know we all have different levels of investment and I'm no idiot, this case is fucking personal for all of us in one way or another. This ring…” Brad glances around the room. That seems to spur something in Collin because he stands and addresses the room as well.
“It ends now. They’re done.”
For some reason, I glance back at Shiloh. Her hair is framing her face, but she’s fiddling with her gun, tracing the end with her fingertip. There’s not once piece of me that doesn’t view her as completely capable of handling whatever this case brings up for her.
“Nix will be here in twenty-five minutes,” Dean says, entering the room once more.
“Good. Men, collect yourself. You have one hour. Try to sleep. Be ready for anything.”
Collin meets my eyes from across the room. He nods once.
“Sleep,” he mouths.
Internally, I scoff. If they’re gonna take a break, fine. But I'm gonna use my time. I'm gonna check on Carson, see what he’s doing. If he leaves me out, I’ll call Evie’s therapist to see how she’s doing.
I take a Red Bull from the staff fridge and keep moving.
* * *
When Collin found me sitting with Carson, shifting through data, he called me to meet with him, Brad, and Nixon Marketta. I couldn’t be more grateful to him. I should be fired, but I'm so fucking worried about Essie, I can’t see anything straight.
“Nixon,” Collin greets with a nod.
“We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting,” Nixon leans forward with a cocky smile playing on his lips, but it’s obviously fake. His eyes are full of pain. “And it’s Nix. Nothing else.”
“Sure, Nix. I'm Supervisory Special Agent Collin Fox.”
“Fancy.”
“Don’t be an ass, Nix,” Brad mutters, clearly having talked to Nix enough to be on a somewhat personal basis with him.
“Why am I here?” Nix’s tone becomes serious. He pins Brad with a hard glare.
Brad sighs. “We’re both in agreement to keep this conversation private.”
Nix nods. “I don’t like keeping things from Sage, but it’s not necessary to bring up those bastards to her for no reason. What’s going on?”
“We need to know where you found Essie.”
Nix’s eyebrows crease.
“You probably know her better as Tammy. Her real name is Essie Taylor.”
“Oh,” Nix breathes, a sadness washing over him before he hardens. “Why? I didn’t commit any crimes. I saved her life.”
Brad rolls his eyes. “We all know you’re a criminal, Marketta.”
“Nix,” he growls.
“Where’d you fi
nd her?”
Nix crosses his arms, clearly not gonna talk ‘til we offer more information.
“They have a child,” Brad sighs.
“Fuck. Okay, yeah, of course I’ll share. There’s not an address, but I can get you there. I’ll ride along.”
“Fuck, no. You’re not in on this, Nix.”
Brad slams a map of the county down in front of him.
“Trace the route,” he orders. “Notes go on the side. I can call you if I have questions.”
Collin crosses his arms over his chest, stepping one step closer to Nix. Nix doesn’t need it, though. He immediately gets to work tracing and writing very thorough notes. Nix may be the son of a criminal, and technically may go against everything we stand for, but I actually think I like the guy.
Five minutes later, Collin’s already headed for the door as Brad holds up the map.
“Let’s move.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Landon
Everyone is here. The only exception is Carson. He’s back at the bureau, feeding us intel with a very unexpected guest. Derek’s here. He flew into town to help Collin out with all the drama and emotional turmoil in his personal life right now. As much as we’re a team, we still have people we’re closest to. For me, it’s Kyle. Poor Carson. He’s the baby of the team, doesn’t quite fit in the same as the rest of us. Anyway, Derek can’t sit back. Even though we can’t technically tell him anything, he’s still with Carson. None of us will tell the higher ups.
My jaw is set, my heart hammering.
Please be okay, Essie.
Brad and Collin lead the way with me behind them. We’re the only three who were there to hear Nix give us the layout extensively.
“Third door,” Collin murmurs.
Brad holds up his fingers: one, two, three…
We all know the plan. I easily pick the lock on the door and, as quietly as possible, push it open. We’ve already had to take out one man. We’re hoping to get the girls, get the evidence, and then get the manpower to arrest every motherfucker involved in making this happen.