by Barb Han
Yeah, that’s exactly what she’d wanted...to have her birth control fail after the two of them had been dating for all of six weeks because she didn’t know that antibiotics made the pill temporarily ineffective. The long distance so-called relationship they’d had during her pregnancy was almost as big of a joke. And then, that Friday night had happened...the crowned jewel of all ways to kick off a weekend, when he’d told her that he couldn’t stick around.
“Good.” She lowered her voice and softened her tone when she turned to Joshua. “Will you give me a ride to the compound?”
He nodded as he fished the keys to his Jeep out of his pocket and led her toward the door before anyone could put up an argument.
Joshua didn’t ask questions when he started the engine, or when Fischer immediately hopped into his silver sedan and followed. Alice didn’t like the silence or the tension sitting between them.
“We dated.” That wasn’t the half of it, but those were the words that blurted out of her mouth when the GPS device said they’d reached the halfway mark to their destination.
“I gathered as much,” Joshua said and his tone was even, unreadable. “Is it over?”
“Yes,” she said with a little more enthusiasm than she’d planned.
“He doesn’t seem to realize that fact.” There was a hint of jealousy in his voice now and it was confusing.
“Well, it is,” she said frankly.
“Is it?” His gaze zeroed in on the stretch of road in front of them.
“For me? Absolutely,” she said. “But you should know that he’s technically the father of my twins.”
Joshua’s grip tightened on the steering wheel and his stare intensified but he didn’t say a word.
* * *
ALICE COULDN’T GET a good read on Joshua since he’d been dead silent for the rest of the drive. Then there were her own stirred-up emotions to deal with about her relationship with Joshua. Sleeping in the same bed last night, the comfort she felt in his arms, only added to her confusion. Feelings between her and Joshua complicated an already complex life. The attraction between them was strong, even he couldn’t deny that now, and yet he seemed just as determined as ever not to act on it. He was smart. Alice was allowing her heart to take over common sense. She cursed her weakness and stuffed her emotions down deep, secure in the knowledge that it would never work between them.
As it was, she was lucky that she hadn’t been arrested for obstruction of justice and she was pretty sure the reason Fischer had imposed himself on this case was so he could control her future. She chalked his act of chivalry up to guilt for abandoning her and the boys. As far as anything else happening between them? Fischer needed to move on. She had. Besides, how could she ever trust a man who’d walked out on her when she was at her most vulnerable?
Alice pinched the bridge of her nose trying to stem the raging headache threatening. This was going to be one red-letter day. It was also the closest she’d been to Isabel in more than six weeks. She was like a hound that’d caught a scent and she planned to follow it through to its conclusion—no matter what that meant. Erin had shared a few startling details about the way the girls had been treated. Hailey, who’d been at the compound for more than thirty terrifying days, didn’t make eye contact, couldn’t. Alice’s heart felt ripped from her chest at seeing that girl—no older than her when she’d gone to live with the sheriff and his wife—after she’d lived through what had to have been her worst nightmare.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Alice had had the added bonus of seeing Fischer again. Although, maybe she should’ve known he’d eventually show if only for curiosity’s sake. In the first few weeks following the breakup, he’d sent checks that she’d torn up. He was only doing it out of guilt and she was determined to take care of her boys on her own, financially and otherwise. Fischer must’ve gotten the hint because money stopped coming a few months later and he never tried to contact her.
She had nothing to say to the man. There were no words that could smooth over the fact that he’d walked out on her when she’d needed a shoulder to lean on. The unexpected pregnancy hadn’t only shaken up his world. She’d been more than shocked. And where had he been since? Her boys were about to reach their first birthday without their father. What had suddenly given Fischer a bout of conscience? If he’d wanted to see his sons he would’ve done it by now. Granted, if he honestly wanted to get to know his boys she wouldn’t stop him. The boys deserved to know their father. But if he wanted to use them to get to her, as she suspected, he was barking up the wrong tree. Experience had taught Alice that people couldn’t be trusted. Besides, her life was a confusing mess and it wouldn’t be long before Joshua figured that out and disappeared, too.
The crime scene was alive with activity when Alice and Joshua arrived twenty minutes later. Neighbors in the acre lot cul-de-sac lingered at their mailboxes, heads shaking as they spoke in hushed tones. Trees lined the property as well as shrubs, making it difficult to see the house and barn from the street or neighboring houses.
“What did Erin say to you that had you needing to come here?” Joshua finally asked after parking, cutting through her heavy thoughts.
She got out and he handed her a pair of gloves and then placed a pair on his own hands. Then, he pulled a few evidence bags from the dashboard of his Jeep.
“Someone who fit Isabel’s description was here when she was first brought to this place two days ago,” Alice said, grateful for the change in subject. All that personal drama was making her crazy anyway.
“How certain is she?” Joshua asked. She couldn’t get a good read on his emotions.
“There weren’t a lot of dark-haired girls, so Isabel stood out. I asked about the birthmark on the back of her left hand. It’s almost the shape of a shamrock and Erin could’ve sworn that she remembered something like that. She’d been so scared when she was thrown into a stall in the barn. There were men watching over the girls in shifts. They’d walk back and forth in front of the stall, checking each one, making sure the girls didn’t interact or try to run,” Alice said, anger rising in her chest. She knew that she should remain detached during an investigation but that was impossible in some cases and especially this one. She glanced to her right and saw a burly-looking officer removing evidence from the house while he wiped away what she figured were tears. Another had punched a board that had been nailed to a tree and used for games of darts.
Even the strongest person had a breaking point, an Achilles’ heel. Heinous crimes against children were right up there at the top of the list for most officers. And especially since many of these officers were parents. The ones with daughters would be especially affected. It would be impossible for them to completely shut out their frustration and anger. “She said that the girls were ordered to stick to their assigned corner. Erin was crying and she couldn’t stop, which was drawing attention. The guards had already threatened her once, saying that if she didn’t cut it out they’d pull her out and shut her up. She was afraid they’d do other things to her, too. But Isabel crawled over and held Erin until she stopped crying. She told her they would get out of there together and not to be afraid.”
“Isabel sounds strong,” Joshua said after a thoughtful moment and Alice was grateful they were talking again. He fell in step beside her as she walked toward the barn situated behind the ranch-style house, which teemed with law enforcement officers.
“She is. And smart. She told Erin that her mother was a cop and wouldn’t stop looking until she found her.” Alice’s voice broke. “She was right. I won’t give up until she’s home.”
“Neither will I,” Joshua said so quietly she almost thought she’d imagined hearing it.
The barn was large enough to house a dozen horses if each were given a private stall. White paint had faded and chipped on the doors. There was straw scattered inside the individual stalls on the ground
and now-empty buckets the girls had been forced to use in place of a bathroom. Erin had told Alice about all those things, the horrors of being treated worse than animals. They’d even been branded with a small capital P on their left hip so that buyers would know they were getting authentic Perez “product.” It was sickening and Alice wanted to see the man rot in a cell for the rest of his life.
“Isabel was bought the day after Erin arrived,” she finally told Joshua as they scanned the makeshift cells to either side of them. Alice pushed open the door to her right. “Erin said that when someone had been purchased they were moved into the main house to be prepared for the delivery.”
Alice could tell Joshua’s reaction mirrored hers by the way he ground his back teeth.
“How long would that process take?” he finally asked.
“She wasn’t sure because she’d only heard rumors. She guessed it could take anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks. They got to shower daily, eat better and were taught how to dress and wear makeup.” The last word came out with disgust.
“What if they rejected the help?” Joshua asked.
“Then they were punished in front of the other girls to make sure the next one complied.” She pointed at the corner where a water hose snaked around a bale of hay. “Some were stripped and then blasted with water.”
“That water would be freezing this time of year,” he ground out.
Alice nodded. “If that didn’t work, they were beaten.”
Something very dark passed behind Joshua’s eyes and he didn’t immediately speak. “I’m guessing the stubborn ones were used for the baby farms.”
“They’d keep a couple on hand, locked inside the house.” Alice wasn’t sure she could handle seeing what was inside there being a mother herself but she would force herself to if it meant finding Isabel.
“No drugs for impregnated ones because that would damage the babies,” he deduced.
Alice nodded. That’s what Erin had said.
“This is the stall Erin said she was in with Isabel,” Alice said, standing in front of the second stall to the right.
“You want me to check it for you?” Joshua asked.
Alice shook her head as she stepped inside the open door. “Come with me?”
He nodded and followed her inside.
She dropped to all fours, skimming the ground, moving pieces of hay out of the way.
“What are we looking for?” he asked.
“I know Erin has good intentions and I don’t think she would lie,” Alice started.
“But she’d been drugged and we can’t exactly rely on her information to be accurate,” he finished.
“I need something more, some evidence she was here in the first place.” She touched the half-heart pendant hanging from a silver chain around her neck. “Isabel always wore the other half to this.”
“I wondered about that,” he said.
“Erin didn’t remember seeing it but Isabel never took it off.” Neither did Alice.
“It could’ve been hidden under her shirt,” Joshua said.
“I was thinking the same thing.” Alice’s hand ran over a small object in the corner. She brushed hay out of the way to get a closer look, praying it was the other half to her necklace. No such luck. She tossed the small stick aside. Just as she started to tell Joshua to look for the chain, commotion from behind stopped her.
“You shouldn’t be here alone,” Fischer’s voice boomed.
Joshua was already to his feet, blocking Fischer’s view of Alice. “She isn’t.”
“Last I checked, neither of you had authority to investigate this case,” Fischer said.
“Then it’s a good thing you’re here,” Joshua shot back, unmoved. The man was steel under pressure.
“You wanted to talk to me about Erin?” Alice asked, redirecting the conversation as she stepped beside Joshua. The thought of all those scared girls huddling in their corners filled her with new resolve. At least this group would be home for the holidays with their families. Yes, broken and damaged, but alive. The healing could begin. It wasn’t exactly a great situation for anyone involved, make no mistake about it, but it was a start and more than Isabel had.
Fischer nodded and then led them out of the barn to a shaded area under an oak tree with a picnic table underneath. She noticed that he stood rather than sit and then propped his left foot on the bench. That was no subtle reminder that he was the one in a position of authority. She’d been attracted to his arrogance when they’d first met, confusing it for confidence. Maybe having the boys had changed her because she much preferred Joshua’s quiet strength.
Alice shivered as the frigid air cut through her light jacket. Joshua, cool as ever, seemed unfazed by the weather and especially by Fischer as he leaned against the oak’s thick trunk, arms folded. The two men couldn’t be more opposite. Fischer was territorial and quick to anger whereas the calm cowboy kept a level head under all conditions.
She’d wondered what she’d say to Fischer when she saw him again. As it turned out, she felt sorry for him. He was the one missing out on the two greatest boys in the world. It was his loss.
“Erin said the girls were given a glass of water and told to drink it all so they could sleep on the first night. She doesn’t remember much after that, so it was obviously laced with some kind of drug. I’m guessing ketamine because she felt aware of what was happening to her but she couldn’t move,” Alice said.
“Could’ve been GHB or Rohypnol. Did she say if the water tasted different? Salty?” Fischer’s lips thinned and his tone was clipped.
Alice was already shaking her head. “She couldn’t tell a difference. Said that she felt like she was in a dream and she had trouble remembering even simple things. Her arms and legs felt numb and she remembered the odd feeling that she couldn’t control her body. When she woke the next morning all her personal belongings including the clothes off her back were gone and she was given jeans that were too big and a baggy T-shirt to wear. She had makeup on that she had never worn before and was thrown into the shower and told to clean herself up. She overheard a few of the men talking and realized that first night she was photographed.”
“So, either Perez has the pictures sent directly to his clients or there will be a website,” Joshua said, a spark of hope in his voice.
“I’ve got tech guys working on it right now,” Fischer said. “I know you’re hoping to find information about Isabel.”
“Yes.”
“We’ll do everything we can to locate her,” Fischer said and she hated how perfunctory it sounded. She wasn’t a random civilian who had no idea the odds of finding Isabel at this point. Yes, the probability increased exponentially having both her and Joshua on the case. Fischer most likely would throw extra resources in the mix, too. And none of that guaranteed a good outcome.
Alice pushed aside her despair in order to fill Fischer in on the rest of the details as evidence was carefully removed from the scene. With any luck, the tech gurus would unearth information that would put all the pieces of the operation together and then arrest warrants could be issued. In a worst case, they wouldn’t get anything more than they already had. Fingerprints from the trailer were a good start. A good prosecutor could work with that if they could find Perez.
It’s more than we had yesterday. She would grip that thought with both hands.
“Who do you have back at the sheriff’s office interviewing the men who were picked up?” Alice finally asked Fischer.
“I’ll be talking to them myself. Right now, I’m sweating them a little bit. Giving them a chance to think about how little their boss actually cares for them now that they’ve been arrested. I’ve already planted the seed that the girls are talking and that the guys should’ve been more careful around them. Then, I gave implicit instructions to my team to leav
e both of them alone until I return. I want to oversee every aspect of the interrogation,” he said. It was just like Fischer to want to control every detail. He planned everything to a T. Her pregnancy was one of the curveballs he couldn’t handle but in this case she was relieved. He would be thorough.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. “Will you ask about Isabel?”
“Yes,” he said.
“What else can I do?” she asked, trying not to sound as helpless as she felt.
Fischer took a step closer to her and lowered his voice. “You could go out to dinner with me.”
“Not a good idea,” she said a little more emphatically than she’d planned.
“You’re welcome to hang out at the sheriff’s office where we’re setting up camp. The sheriff has also arranged for us to take over a house nearby. We plan to stick around in town until we see this through.”
“I want access to the house,” she said, nodding toward the small ranch-style on the property.
“As soon as my men finish processing it,” Fischer said, glancing at his watch. “Give me a couple more hours.”
Alice didn’t want to think about the evidence that might be bagged up—evidence that might lead her to Isabel—walking out of there. She needed a quiet place to think this through. The cold was starting to get to her and she tried not to think about how little the girls were given to keep warm in that barn.
“I can drive you wherever you want to go,” Fischer said.
“Thanks for the offer, but—”
“Are you ready?” Joshua asked Alice, stepping away from the tree.
Fischer shot him a look that could freeze alcohol.
“Yes,” she said to Joshua. Even with the few good hours of sleep last night, she could feel her bones ache for more.
An agent wearing cargo pants and a dark jacket jogged over to Fischer before she had a chance to get up. “Sir.”