As soon as Mrs. Guzman answered and was headed down, Sabrina hurried to dress. Now that she had a plan, she felt almost eerily calm. Help me shut them down. Protect me, Lord.
Minutes later they were out the door, Mrs. Guzman tucked up on the couch. Sabrina loved that old woman, loved how she was ready to be present when needed. Jack would call her part of Sabrina’s team. It occurred to her that she wasn’t part of Mrs. Guzman’s team. She never helped out, or came when needed. As she followed Pancho down the stairs, she started to see her life as very empty, not only of friends, but of times when she could have supported the people around her. There must have been times Mrs. Guzman needed help, but had called someone else.
As she slid into Pancho’s car, her toolbox on her knees, Sabrina felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. She had tried to be independent, to take care of herself, but she had also refused to be present for other people. This wasn’t what she’d ever imagined her life would be, shut off and cold, fighting to take care of her family. She had only herself to blame. But no longer. She was ready to help, to put herself out there the way people did for each other, trusting that it was the right thing to do.
A brick warehouse loomed in the darkness and Sabrina fought back a shudder. They had driven in silence, interrupted every so often by Pancho’s racking cough. He sounded too sick to be out in the cold night air, too sick to be out of bed, but she didn’t comment about it. He had no choice, just like her now.
The door swung open to reveal a completely different warehouse, but the occupants were the same. The workers looked exhausted, maybe a little dirtier. The machine sat idle in the middle of the room, surrounded by boxes of labels. Against the wall were ceiling-high stacks of boxes, probably full of the product.
“Get it fixed,” the boss grunted at her. He parked himself on a chair in the corner and crossed his arms over his belly.
Sabrina didn’t respond, unsure if her voice would be strong enough. She wasn’t afraid now, not fearing for her life the same way she had the first time or sick with fear over her girls alone in the apartment. No, she had a plan and she was going to do her best not to arouse the man’s suspicion.
As she pulled on her coveralls and bent over her toolbox, Sabrina prayed harder than she’d prayed in her life. So many people depended on Sabrina being able to play the part of the frightened girl mechanic one last time. Unplugging the cord, she didn’t even glance at the workers leaning against each other. Her heart ached for them, but she didn’t meet their eyes. She leaned into the machine, adjusting the pressure pads underneath the labels, her fingers reaching deep into the rollers for the bits of paper that had jammed it.
Finally she had it cleaned and ready to run. She turned to the box, reaching for a stack of labels, when the boss barked at her from his seat on the chair.
“No touching,” the boss yelled.
Sabrina jerked her hand back and looked to Pancho. He shrugged and called to a man sitting on the concrete. “Test it,” the boss ordered.
She stood back as the machine roared to life. In seconds packets of powder were flowing smoothly down the belt, receiving labels and being deposited into a box. The workers sprang into action without being told. Closing up her toolbox, Sabrina waited for Pancho to get permission to take her home.
The boss walked over and stood silently in front of her. She looked up, her mouth dry. Did he know? Had he seen what she’d done?
“Remember, I know where you live.” The boss fixed her with a glare that made her skin crawl. His eyes were murky and yellowed, as if he was suffering from some sort of kidney issue.
She dropped her gaze to the ground and nodded. If she could just get out and get back home, then she would have a chance to bring this whole place down.
“Take her home,” the boss said to Pancho and went to the door, waiting to throw the bolt behind them.
Getting into Pancho’s car, Sabrina fought not to look behind her at the warehouse. She was so close to making it back home, where she could examine what she’d pulled from the machine that was now tucked safely into the pocket of her coveralls. The torn label wrenched from the very heart of the machine could mean the difference between life and death to so many people, including her nieces.
Minutes later Sabrina sat at her kitchen table, the small light over the kitchen sink the only illumination. She pulled the label from her pocket and smoothed it out with shaking fingers. At first her brain couldn’t make sense of the words. Then the truth of it fell against her heart with a power that knocked the breath from her lungs.
Colorado Supplements was written in bold letters over the top of the label. Jack’s company was the one that had hired these men.
* * *
“If there’s anything I can do, please let me know,” Grant said. The director was standing in the doorway to Sabrina’s new home. It was only a room, with a bathroom down the hall and no kitchen, but it was their home now.
“I will.” She glanced at the girls as they unfolded their blankets and made up the thin mattresses on the metal bunk bed. They were giggling and whispering to each other as usual, but she had seen the sadness in their eyes as they left their apartment. It was the only home they’d ever known and now it was gone.
“When is the hearing? Lana said you might need someone to give a character reference.”
“In three weeks.” Even saying the words made her stomach flip-flop. It would have been difficult to stand in front of the judge before, knowing her future with Gabby and Kassey was on the line. But now it made her positively sick with nerves. “I have to declare any changes in residence or employment, so I’ve already sent in a form to the local office. They should receive it by then.”
Grant cleared his throat. “I’m not saying that moving to a homeless shelter is a good thing, obviously, but we have many stable families come through here. It feels awful, I know. But try to remember that it’s not the end of the world.”
Sabrina nodded. She couldn’t imagine how the director, married to a CEO and with a darling little boy, could understand how she felt right then.
As if reading her mind, he said, “You probably think I’ve only seen this from one side, but I was homeless for several years in high school. I lived on the streets before finally coming to the mission.”
Her head snapped up in surprise. Grant, polished and handsome, had been a street kid?
“The director helped me get my GED and apply for college scholarships.” He glanced around the room. “Staying here is a way to keep from going any further down and a step up. It’s not the bottom. I’ve seen the bottom.”
Her eyes burned with sudden tears. She spent so much time judging people that she hardly knew who was standing right in front of her.
“I didn’t know that. I just wish...” She looked to the girls, now pulling books from their backpacks and putting them in neat piles on a small table. Her throat closed around the words.
Grant put a hand on her shoulder. “I know,” he said softly. “And that makes a big difference. Some parents don’t care, and those kids carry that forever.”
She looked up at him, thinking back to what Lana had said the other night, about wounds that were hard to heal. Sabrina’s father had loved his beer more than his children, and she was still fighting through those issues. She wanted to make a stable home without depending on anyone else, while Rosa could never seem to stay in one spot or with one person. They were both stuck dealing with having an alcoholic parent. For a long time, Sabrina had thought it was only Rosa who had the issues.
“Thank you,” she said and tried to put everything she couldn’t find words for into those two words.
Grant nodded, looking as if he understood what she meant to say, and closed the door softly behind him as he left.
Sabrina took the label out of her purse and stared at it. Of all the things that had happe
ned lately, this one item was the one that had knocked her world from its axis. She would see Jack at practice tomorrow, but before then, she had a phone call to make to the local police department.
* * *
Jack knocked lightly on the doorframe to the mission director’s office. “Grant, are you busy?”
“Not at all, just working on paperwork. Come on in,” he said, waving Jack into the office.
He sat in the chair and took a deep breath. “I need your help.”
Grant’s brows lowered. “I’ll do what I can, you know that. Tell me what you need.”
“I need you to...” Now that he was here, he wasn’t sure how to describe his plan. “I need you to lie.” He hurried on at the look on Grant’s face. “No, wait. That’s not quite right. I just don’t know how to explain, or where to start.”
Grant came around the desk and leaned against the front. “How about you start at the beginning.”
Jack nodded. “Sabrina needs an apartment.”
“She sure does,” Grant said. He looked even more confused.
“She’s got a hearing in family court in three weeks and I think they’re not going to be happy about her being in a homeless shelter. I’ve asked her if she’ll let me pay for an apartment, but she won’t even listen to me.”
Grant crossed his arms over his chest. “Hmm.”
“I know this is putting you in an awkward position,” Jack said quickly. “I thought if we did this just right, though, there wouldn’t be any outright lying. It would just be sort of omitting the whole truth. And it’s for a good cause.” Grant’s expression made Jack’s stomach drop into his shoes. He didn’t look receptive to the idea at all. “You have to admit that letting me pay for an apartment will get her a better chance at keeping her nieces.”
“Oh, I agree with that part. And I have no problem keeping the donor anonymous. We’ve had grants available to residents before and the donor didn’t want to be named. It’s not so unusual.”
“Then you’ll do it?” Hope rose in him and he started to smile.
“I’m not sure, Jack.” Grant shook his head.
“But why?”
“Sabrina could get very angry if she finds out that she told you not to pay for an apartment, and you did anyway.”
Jack blinked. He hadn’t thought that Grant would be afraid of Sabrina, but he could see how a grown man might be wary of her. She was a loving, tender person, but she also had a core of steel under the surface. “Maybe she won’t blame you. Maybe she’ll lay all the blame on me,” he said.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Grant said. He sighed. “I don’t want to pry into your business, but I’ve seen the way Sabrina looks at you. Are you sure you want to risk losing her over this?”
Jack nodded and spoke slowly. “I do. I’ve thought it over. If it gives her any kind of chance to keep her nieces, I’ll do what it takes to make that happen. Even if it means she...” His voice dropped away. She what? Broke up with him? They weren’t dating, not really. The idea of losing her was like a hot knife in his ribs, but he was resolved to do what he could to ensure she won permanent guardianship.
“As long as you understand that this could have major relationship fallout,” Grant said. His eyes were shadowed with concern, but he held out his hand. “You’re a good man, Jack. One of the very best. And I’m proud to call you a friend.”
Jack swallowed hard and shook Grant’s hand. “Thank you. Now, let’s get this plan in motion.”
Chapter Twelve
“Mr. Thorne, there’s an officer here to see you,” Tina said. Her forehead was furrowed and her red lips were compressed in a thin line. Jack looked up, surprised—not at her words, which hadn’t really sunk in, but by the fact that his secretary was becoming more and more comfortable knocking on his door. For years she’d just taken messages and passed them on to other people who were more interested in doing his job.
“Show him in,” he said and moved a pile of papers to the side.
A tall man in a Denver City Police uniform strode in and Jack stood to greet him.
“Daniel Daley,” he said, shaking hands. His gray hair was thinning in the front, but he had the lean body of a runner, even though he must have been close to fifty.
“Have a seat. How can I help you?” Jack asked. His thoughts went to Sabrina and her move to the mission and her custody hearing. But surely they didn’t send out officers for character statements. He couldn’t be here because of Sabrina...unless there was something she was hiding. Her face flashed before his eyes. That night she signed the papers to allow her to coach, she had seemed afraid, as if there was a dark secret in her past.
“I’m sorry to disturb you. I wanted to speak to your father, but he seems to be on a leave of absence.”
“He’s been at home, recovering from a heart attack,” Jack said. “But he’s been working half days.”
The officer tilted his head. “So he hasn’t been able to keep a close watch on his company while recovering, but you’ve been running things around here.”
Jack paused. As far as he knew, he hadn’t done anything illegal. He wasn’t the most experienced vice president in the history of business, but it was nothing to call the cops over. “Can you tell me what this is about?”
“This morning the city raided a warehouse on the east side.” Daley paused and watched Jack’s face.
He nodded. “Okay.” He couldn’t imagine why the man was sitting in his office.
“We found a small but lucrative slave-labor ring.”
Jack sat back with a thump, his mouth dropping open. Evie had worked so hard for so long to bust the rings she knew were operating right under the noses of the city.
“You’re familiar with this group?” Daley leaned forward, eyes narrowed.
“My sister has been investigating them for years.” Jack felt a smile spread over his face. She must be thrilled, ecstatic. He couldn’t wait to congratulate her. Then a thought occurred to him that wiped the joy from the moment.
“Officer, was anyone hurt? Is that why you’re here? I told her not to go poking around by herself.” Jack felt bile rise in his throat. If his twin had been hurt, he would be lost, without an anchor. Sweat broke out on his forehead.
“No. No one was hurt.” The cop was still watching him intently. “But we did find a connection there between the slave ring and Colorado Supplements.”
“I’m not surprised. Evie has been trying to make contact with anyone connected to the rings. She probably...” His voice trailed away as the officer’s words sank in. Colorado Supplements. Not The Chronicle. “Excuse me?”
“We found evidence that this company has been using illegal labor to produce or manufacture the product sold.” Daley’s hands were resting on his thighs, perfectly relaxed, but he was watching Jack’s face without blinking.
“Evidence?” He could only manage the one word through his shock.
“Labels, vitamin powder, bottles of pills waiting to be packaged and shipped.”
Jack sat for several seconds, stunned. He had known there was a problem but at the worst he’d thought Bob Barrows was embezzling funds. He’d been sure that an internal audit would reveal a kickback program with another vendor, or a false front used to bill Colorado Supplements.
“Do you deny knowing anything about this?” The officer was calm and polite, but Jack could hear the edge to his voice. He could imagine how angry the man felt, seeing the results of that kind of abuse. Evie had told him stories that gave him insomnia and now it seemed as if his own company was the culprit.
“No,” he said. Then as Daley’s eyes widened, Jack held up a hand. “I mean, I don’t deny knowing about the slave-labor rings. As I said, my sister has been trying to run a story on them for years. She’s very active in social programs that combat human tra
fficking, here and internationally.”
After a long pause, he shook his head. “I should have known,” he whispered. He sat forward, feeling as if the air had been sucked from his lungs. His own voice sounded weak to his ears. The company his father had worked so hard to build, the company he should have been dedicating his time and energy to, was implicated in something illegal...and it was so obvious he must have been blind to miss it.
* * *
Sabrina lay on the narrow bed and rested her forearm across her eyes. In a few hours she and the girls would head down to soccer practice. Gabby and Kassey were playing quietly with a board game. Sabrina knew how much they loved practice, and of course she was also coaching, but if there had been any way to get out of going tonight, she would have taken it. She squeezed her eyes shut tight and tried to relax.
Calling the police this morning with the location of the warehouse and the tip about Colorado Supplements had been one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do. It was the right thing, though.
Fifteen slaves were saved from their lives with the criminals, and although Pancho was surely in jail, he wouldn’t be blamed for the raid. Sabrina’s call to the police had focused on Colorado Supplements, not on anyone from the neighborhood. As far as the gang leaders knew, it was someone associated with the business side, not any of the people she knew. Pancho had been in fear for his life, just as she was, so there may have been a way he could have received a lighter sentence. All she knew was that Mrs. Olmos should be safe. She prayed she would be. Sabrina and the girls had nothing to fear now that they were at the shelter.
But in a few hours, she would see Jack face-to-face. She would have to explain her role in what had happened to his company. The idea made her stomach twist in on itself.
There was a light knock on the door and she sat up in the bed, heart pounding.
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