Chapter Twenty-Six
Talia perched on the rock the next morning, hoping Tilly would show. She’d left the cabin early to avoid the nice-but-annoying Joan. She really didn’t feel like plucking weeds today, not when they were close to accomplishing their mission.
She checked the area again, but so far, there was no sign of the girl. Would she even show?
She and Hunter had gone over plans to get Margaret and Robby away that involved using Elijah’s hidden tunnel. Sawyer and Mason would meet them at the garage and they’d be free. The only hiccup was finding Robby.
Talia was as convinced as Hunter that the other door at the end of the tunnel led to the nursery. Tilly had let it slip that there were others helping to take care of the babies. She needed to get more details. They couldn’t risk storming in and possibly harming the baby, so they wanted an idea of what they would face on the other side.
On the way to dinner, they’d casually strolled by Margaret and Rob’s cabin. He stumbled out, looking woozy.
“You okay, Rob? You don’t look so well.”
It spoke of how close they’d become that she could tell this was Hunter’s fake voice.
Rob rubbed his head. “I tripped and hit my head.”
“Oh, no, I hope it is not serious.” She used her fake voice, too.
Rob’s eyes narrowed on her and she held her breath. Was the dose strong enough to wipe out his memory or would he remember her kicking his sorry ass? If he did remember, she was fully prepared to kick it again.
“Nah, Doc said I’ll be fine.”
She sighed a relieved exhale. He had no clue. “Will Margaret be joining us for dinner?”
“No idea.”
Talia took a step forward, prepared for the second ass-kicking, when Hunter grabbed her hand. “Why don’t you see if she would like to join us, darling?”
Rob didn’t stick around when she knocked on the door. Margaret answered with another smile. It was a good look on her.
“Any trouble?”
The grin widened. “None, whatsoever. Phillip looked him over and he was fine.”
“Good. Would you like to join Henry and I for dinner?”
Her eyes lit with pleasure. “I would, thank you. I suddenly have an appetite again.”
They made small talk on the way to the dining hall. After another gourmet meal of blackened salmon, rice pilaf and roasted vegetables, they slowly made their way to the outdoor amphitheater.
“Thank you for inviting me along. I think I’m going to go lay down now,” Margaret said when they passed her cabin.
“Do you feel okay?”
“Fine.” She lowered her voice, “I just can’t sit through another of his boring sermons.”
Talia knew exactly how she felt.
Elijah’s sermon had been mid-range long and boring as heck. When they returned to the cabin, they feigned sleep until Elijah turned the camera off and then Hunter made long, slow love to her. She felt deliciously sore in muscles that hadn’t been used in a while.
What was she going to do when the case was over? They were close. As soon as they found the baby, they’d leave. Before she could ponder it further, Tilly came bopping along.
Talia jumped to her feet. “Tilly. It’s so good to see you.”
“I missed you yesterday,” the girl said giving her a hug before plopping down on the rock.
Talia took a seat next to her. “I know, and I am sorry. I had a prior commitment.”
“That’s okay,” Tilly said.
“What did you do yesterday?”
Tilly kicked out her feet. “Nothing.”
“Tell me all about the dolls you play with. Are they boy dolls or girl dolls?”
“Just one boy doll right now. Before I had more girl bab…er, dolls than boys.”
“When was before? The last place you lived?”
“Yes.”
“Tilly, what happened to the other dolls you played with when you moved?”
“I had to say goodbye to them and then some people came and took them.”
Alarm bells started ringing in Talia’s head. “People took your dolls?”
“Yes.”
“Who would take them away from you, Tilly? That’s mean.”
“Well, they weren’t really my dolls. I just helped take care of them. I wasn’t supposed to know but I heard Richie tell someone that they were selling the bab…er…dolls, to someone who would let them play in traffic. I didn’t like that.”
Talia frowned. Who would let babies play in traff—horror washed over her, stealing her breath. They weren’t letting the babies play in traffic…they were traffickers. Human traffickers. They were taking the babies and selling them on the black market. She prayed it was to families who wanted to adopt and not to sex traffickers.
She grasped Tilly’s hands. “Tilly, I need you to be completely honest with me. You will not get in any trouble, I promise you. Are they really dolls?”
Tilly shook her head miserably.
“They are babies, are they not?”
“Yes.”
“Who is taking care of the babies right now?”
“Ms. García and Ms. Sanchez.”
“Where are they right now?”
Distress washed over Tilly’s face and she jumped to her feet. “I-I don’t know. I have to go.”
“Tilly, wait. I need you to tell me where the babies are so I can help them.”
Tilly ignored her and took off running.
“Tilly!” Talia bolted after her.
“I don’t know. I don’t want to get in trouble,” Tilly yelled.
“Stop. You are running too fast. I do not want you to get hurt. I told you that you would not be in trouble. I want to help the babies.”
Tilly glanced over her shoulder. “Don’t follow me.” She pumped her arms faster and then gasped when her foot caught on a root and she went down hard.
“Tilly!” Talia slid to her side. The girl was holding her leg and crying, big racking sobs.
“My foot. It hurts.”
“Here, Tilly, let me look.” Talia gingerly lifted the hem of her jeans. Tilly’s foot was at an awkward angle. She knew without checking that it was broken. Talia was strong, but she didn’t think she could carry the girl all the way through the woods to her cabin. They couldn’t use the main path for fear of running into another person. As it was, the way through the woods would take them close to Elijah’s cabin.
“Tilly, honey, your ankle is broken.” Tilly sobbed harder. “I am going to go get my husband so he can carry you.”
“I’ve got your location. I’m on the way,” Hunter said through the earpiece.
What would they do now? They had to get help for the girl. She needed to go to the hospital. How would they do that without alerting Elijah? He would be angry that his sister had been discovered.
“Tilly, listen to me. I know you are in pain and I am sorry. Richie will have to know what happened to you. I will tell him that I found you. Do not tell him that we are friends, okay? Then you will not get in trouble.”
“K,” Tilly managed through gasping sobs. Talia felt like crying with her. She knew the girl was in excruciating pain and there was nothing she could do to help her. Leaves crunched behind her and she was relieved to see Hunter appear. He gave her a reassuring smile and then crouched down and placed a hand on Tilly’s shoulder.
“Hi, Tilly. I’m Henry, Tina’s husband. I’m going to carry you to get help, okay?”
“Okay,” Tilly choked.
Hunter leaned down to whisper, “We need to immobilize it so I don’t jar it when I move her.
“Good idea.” Talia found two sturdy sticks and used strips Hunter had ripped from his t-shirt to secure Tilly’s foot. They tried not to jostle her foot more than was necessary and when they finally managed to secure the splint, Hunter slid his arms under her and scooped her up. “We have to take her to Elijah,” Hunter murmured.
“I know.” Talia dreaded for Elijah to discover
that his sister had been seen, but she needed urgent medical care. Talia led the way through the woods, pointing out obstacles for Hunter. When they reached Elijah’s cabin, she inhaled a deep breath and knocked.
The door swung open and Elijah’s eyes widened in welcome. “Sister Tina. Nice to see you.” Then his gaze moved over her shoulder and he inhaled sharply, rushing past her. “Tilly? My God. What happened.”
“You know her?” Tina asked.
“Yes, she’s my sister.” At least he didn’t deny it.
“I found her lying in the woods. She has broken her ankle.”
“Tilly, are you okay?”
She shook her head as she sobbed silently.
“We need to get her to the closest hospital,” Hunter said.
“Brother Phillip is a doctor,” Elijah said.
Hunter shook his head. “It’s a bad fracture. She needs surgery to set the bone.”
Elijah nodded in resignation. “Let’s go.”
#
The drive to the hospital was quiet except for Tilly’s broken sobs and Tina’s low voice as she murmured comforting words to the girl. Elijah alternated between looking back at his sister and watching the speedometer, silently urging Henry to go faster. Logically, he knew the man was driving as fast as possible on the narrow roads, but he couldn’t stand to see his sister in pain.
What was he going to tell Henry and Tina about Tilly? How did he admit to his flock that he kept his handicapped sister hidden? Would they understand? Forgive him? And how would he explain where she lived? Henry turned into the hospital parking lot, jarring him from his worries.
Henry was out of the van practically before the motor stopped, rushing inside the Emergency Room to find assistance. He came right back out with an aide pushing a gurney, then he reached inside and lifted Tilly out, gently placing her on the stretcher. The aide whisked her away and they followed. He was discombobulated, out of sorts. He was glad to have Henry and Tina with him to take care of the details.
They’d left the compound so fast, he hadn’t had a chance to tell anyone where they were going. They might’ve heard the drawbridge lower and wonder what was transpiring. His flock would be worried if he suddenly disappeared. If this had happened to one of the flock, he would’ve had Brother Phillip take care of the injury, doing the best he could to set the fracture. But this was his sister. She’d faced medical issues her whole life. All thought had fled his mind at her tears, so he’d agreed to bring her to the hospital.
A doctor took him back to a private room and explained that Tilly had a severe compound fracture and she needed surgery to set the bones. He signed all the necessary forms giving consent. When he returned to the waiting room, Henry and Tina looked at him expectantly.
“They have to operate. They said it could take a couple of hours. I uh, I need to go back and explain to the flock.”
“I will wait here in case they finish early,” Tina offered.
He nodded. “Thank you, Sister Tina. I would appreciate it.” He stopped by the nurse’s station and explained that he had to leave, and that Tina would be the contact until he returned. “Brother Henry and I will be back as soon as possible.”
They made their way to the van and once they were on the road, he decided to try to explain. It was important that Henry and Tina understand his motives.
“Tilly is my little sister,” he explained. “As you know, she has Down Syndrome.” Henry stayed quiet, letting him talk. “She’s been bullied. I’ve tried to protect her. Shelter her.”
Henry took his eyes off the road to glance at him. “From the flock?”
Elijah shook his head. “No. They don’t know about her. I’ve kept her out of sight. I trust every member of the congregation, but Tilly is uneasy around strangers. I was trying to protect her.”
“I would’ve done the same thing.”
That made him feel better. “She has a room in the church. I warned her to stay out of sight, but she likes the outdoors. It was just a matter of time before someone saw her. I should’ve anticipated this happening.”
“What will you tell the others?”
Elijah sighed. “I know this is a lot to ask of you and Tina, but I would appreciate if you kept the details to yourselves. I’ll say that my sister has been injured and I am bringing her to the compound to recuperate. I don’t like asking you to lie, even by omission, but this is important. I need to protect my sister.”
“I understand. And Tina will, too.”
Elijah sighed. “Thank you. I knew I could trust you.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Talia used a pay phone to dial Sawyer’s cell. When he answered, she said, “Sawyer, it’s Talia.”
“Talia? Where are you?”
“I’m at the hospital.” She explained about Tilly.
“Who’s there now?”
“Just me. Hunter drove Elijah back to the compound to explain his absence.”
“Mason and I will be right there.”
After she hung up, she dialed the office. After giving her bosses a quick rundown, they transferred her to Tyler.
“S’up Talia?”
“Hey, Tyler. I found out Elijah’s real name. I need you to do a background check on Richie or Richard Caraway. He has a sister, Matilda or Tilly. I do not know any location to narrow it down for you. Tilly has Down Syndrome and she has had medical issues throughout her life. You might find hospital records for her.”
“Awesome sauce. This is good intel. Don’t worry, we’ll track him down.”
“I am using a hospital phone, so call back on Sawyer’s line. He will be here soon.”
By the time she disconnected, Mason and Sawyer were walking into the ER. She noticed the nurses checking them out as they made their way to her. She’d come to discover it was a common reaction to all her handsome COBRA Securities teammates.
“What happened?” Sawyer asked when he reached her.
“I was speaking with Tilly. I tried to ask her about the babies, but she got spooked and she took off. She stumbled and fell, broke her foot.”
“Is she okay?” Mason asked.
“They are taking her in for surgery.” She motioned for the men to follow her to a secluded spot away from the other people in the waiting room.
“You know how Elijah has encouraged all the couples to have children. I believe he is taking them and selling them on the black market.”
Sawyer’s brows lifted. “You’re kidding? Private adoptions?”
“I do not know for sure. Tilly let it slip that she overheard her brother talking about letting the babies play in traffic, but I think she meant traffickers.”
“So not only is he bilking people out of their life savings, he possibly commits murder and traffics human babies,” Mason growled.
“This is much more complicated than we thought,” Sawyer agreed.
“Did you get the chance to check out the garage?”
“Yeah. It’s located just outside the perimeter of the compound. Nothing fancy from the outside and we couldn’t find anything on the inside besides the car,” Mason said. ‘The area is deserted. There’s a dirt road but no other houses for miles.”
Sawyer’s cell rang and Tyler’s face appeared on the screen. “That was fast,” Talia said as Sawyer hit the speaker button.
“I found Richard Caraway. He is the son of a minister. The family travelled the country hosting revivals. The mother died giving birth to Matilda. The father had a heart attack when Richard was eighteen and he briefly took over his father’s church. The other members quickly ran him off and he started his own church. Then he just disappeared. It’ll take some digging, but I’ll find more.”
“Call me when you do.”
“When is Elijah returning?” Sawyer asked when he disconnected.
“Soon. He wanted to let the others know what was happening. I do not know if he will tell them about Tilly.”
“We need to strike while he’s gone,” Mason said.
“I ho
pe that he will stay the night here with Tilly. Hunter and I will go back and get Margaret.”
“What about the baby?”
“I think we know where he is keeping them. Inside the hidden tunnel, there is another door.”
Talia asked for a pen and paper from a nurse behind the desk. She drew a map of the tunnel layout and handed it to them.
“Text us when you have Margaret. We’ll meet you there from the other side.”
#
Hunter noticed Mason and Sawyer as soon as he pulled in to the hospital parking lot. He was glad Talia had called them and filled them in, but then, he should’ve realized she would take charge. Even knowing she was worried about Tilly, she was organized and efficient.
She stood when they entered the waiting room and he walked over to her, taking her into his arms. It felt right. So did the kiss he brushed across her lips.
“Has there been any word?” Elijah asked anxiously.
“She came out of surgery and the doctors were able to set the bone. She is in recovery.”
Elijah breathed a sigh of relief. “Good.” He looked at them. “I’ll stay here with Tilly tonight. Why don’t you two go back to the compound. Henry, if you can come pick me up in the morning?” At Hunter’s nod, Elijah added, “And can you tell Tina what we talked about?”
“Yes.”
They bid Elijah goodbye and then exited the hospital. Mason and Sawyer were waiting beside the van. Sawyer handed him a bag. He looked inside at the weapons, and then removed the vests, handing one to Talia. Bullet-proof Kevlar was standard operation procedure for COBRA Securities agents on assignment, but they couldn’t sneak them inside the compound since their bags had been searched.
“We talked to Talia and decided to try to get Margaret out tonight,” Sawyer said.
Hunter nodded. “Good idea with Elijah away.”
“We just have to hope that the baby is in the room off the hidden tunnel,” Talia said.
“We look for the baby first, and then we can grab Margaret,” Hunter said.
“It’ll take us longer to get to the back exit, so keep that in mind,” Mason said as he and Sawyer hopped in the vehicle and took off.
Once they were settled in the van and driving down the road, Talia asked, “What did Elijah want you to tell me?”
Total Surrender Page 19