Justice, Mercy and Other Myths (The New Pioneers Book 7)

by Deborah Nam-Krane

  “As long as it’s not your niece,” he murmured. She felt a thrill shoot through her as he snaked his hand under her shirt at her waist.

  “I can’t.”

  “So tell me when you can.”

  She giggled as he nibbled on her ear. “Don’t you care that everyone can see us?”

  Robert looked around the seaport dock and shrugged. “Nope.”

  She laughed again. She didn’t want to go. “Breakfast.”

  “I have to work early tomorrow. Baptiste didn’t even want to let me off today.”

  She kissed his nose. “I can meet you early, I don’t mind.”

  “How about dinner instead? And then we’ll see if you want to stay for breakfast again?”

  Was she blushing? “And where, Detective, would we get dinner?”

  He raised his eyebrows and she bit her lip. “Somewhere very exclusive.”

  “Oh yeah? The kind of place that only seats two?”

  “Good guess.”

  She had to look away because it was getting harder to walk away. “What time?”

  He looked at his watch. “Six.”

  “You know it’s already three, right?”

  “I like an early dinner.”

  “Yeah, you totally seem like that.” His lips were redder from kissing her, which made her want to kiss him more. “Seven.”

  “Okay. I’ll pick you up then.”

  “Like hell. I’m a big girl and I can find my way back to your place. I’ve got one of those magic little boxes that gives me directions and things like that. Or did you think I needed the protection on the streets of Boston?”

  A sound rumbled in the back of his throat that grew into a chuckle. “I think the streets of Boston need protection from you.”

  She broke away after five more minutes of kissing and teasing. She floated all the way back to the apartment in Back Bay, and when she walked in, she smiled as she thought about Josh, Mariela, and Mariana living there together. She was going to make that happen as soon as possible.

  She looked at her watch. She might still be able to catch Nick now.

  Nick Hazard answered the Skype call three minutes later. “Hannah, darling,” the handsome man with wavy dark hair said from the screen in a smooth British accent, “you know I love you, but do you also know what time it is here in Hong Kong?”

  So he was still in Hong Kong? “Nick, Nick, Nick...you know I know you’re not going to bed for at least another two hours.”

  He grinned. “Alright, it’s true, but you’re still supposed to feel bad, especially since I haven’t heard from you in five days.”

  “Sorry,” she said sincerely. “Things picked up speed here after I got that name I was looking for.”

  He smirked. “I can’t believe it took you so long to break that nasty little pimp.” He was referring to Alberto Ramon, the boyfriend-pimp Hannah had blackmailed into giving up his contact in the larger ring she was trying to infiltrate to find Mariela. “You know I probably could have found what you were looking for a bit more quickly.”

  She sat back. “No one is better than you in a tech emergency, but I kind of liked putting the screws to that piece of garbage. Besides,” she said more seriously, “you know what this was to me; I had to do it myself.”

  “Ah, family.” Hannah was sure she heard a note of concern in his voice. “So you got what you needed and everyone’s going to live happily ever after now?”

  “Is something wrong, Nick?”

  “It’s good you weren’t here,” he said after a moment. “Things got rough.”

  “The demonstrations?” Hannah asked carefully. “Were you able to use the time wisely?”

  “We did some good work,” he said.

  She grinned. This was a good day. “How many?”

  “Twenty-five, I think. They’re in safe houses right now. Some of them are adamant about avoiding their point of origin, so we’re trying to get a little creative.”

  “Lovely. Now tell me what else happened.”

  He rapped his knuckles on the countertop as if trying to find some courage. “Do you remember the asset you were so curious about?” he finally asked.

  Amir Abassadi, Hilary Sayles’s husband. “Yes,” she answered immediately.

  “He got caught up.”

  “Really?” That explained the delay. “How long did he have to cool his heels in an overcrowded prison?”

  “No, Hannah,” Nick said slowly. “He’s cooling, but not in prison.”

  Hannah stopped breathing. “Are you sure?” she asked as soon as she could find the words.

  “Positive. It was in the papers here before the family could keep it quiet, and their representatives were seen collecting the body.”

  She licked her lips. “Is everyone secured?”

  Nick nodded. “We locked everything down as soon as we saw them and we kept someone on the party for the two days they were here.”

  “And you waited a few days to be sure, yes?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Nick said wearily.

  “Okay, good,” Hannah said as her mind raced. “Do they know what happened?”

  “Official story is casualty of the protest.”

  Hannah was ready to jump out of her chair. “And the real story?”

  “Probably already done by the time the demonstrations began.” He raised an eyebrow. “It’s a good thing you declined the invitation you got. You would have been here right at that time.”

  She licked her lips. “You think they knew about the protests ahead of time?”

  “We did,” Nick reminded her. “It wasn’t exactly a well-kept secret.”

  To hell with discretion... “Can you just spit it out already?”

  “I think it’s good you changed your travel plans.”

  Hannah stared blankly at the screen. “Yeah, I think so too.”

  She didn’t move from her chair until her phone rang. It was Robert. Oh no.

  “Everything okay?” he asked from the other end. “It’s seven-fifteen.”

  She couldn’t tell him about the call with Nick or the threat she’d evaded in Hong Kong, and she wasn’t ready to tell him about Abassadi. “I’m sorry. I took a nap,” she lied. “I guess I’m more tired than I thought. I should probably stay in tonight.” That was the smart thing to do.

  “I’m pretty beat too.” She imagined his half-smile on the other end. “I was hoping for an early night myself. So what if I put you to bed as soon as you got here?”

  She bit her lip. Bastard. “I guess I can do that.”

  “Does that mean you also need a ride?”

  “I don’t need one, but I’ll take it. Does that work?”

  She heard the keys jingling in the background. “Be ready in fifteen minutes.”

  She put her phone down and smiled. What was she supposed to be smart about again?

  Chapter Three

  The next day

  Josh reluctantly let Hannah stay with Mariela in her hospital room so he could spend some time with his daughter. “But whatever you do,” he said sternly, “do not upset her.”

  “I won’t, I promise.” He narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Hannah kissed Mariana on the top of her head. “And what are you and Daddy going to do today?”

  The eight-year-old looked up at Josh with awe. “Daddy said we could go to the playground. The one with the tadpole. Right, Daddy?”

  Josh seemed to melt every time Mariana said “Daddy.” He picked up his daughter and kissed her cheek. “And then we can go on the merry-go-round and get a burger.”

  “Oh, Daddy loves burgers,” Hannah said.

  Josh softened a little bit. “Aunt Hannah only likes them if they come with lots of French fries, but Daddy likes them with onion rings. Which do you like better?”

  “I’ve never had onion rings,” Mariana said solemnly.

  “We’re going to fix that today,” Josh said with a grin.

  “And then when I come back, can I see Mommy?”

 
“If Mommy’s awake, there is nothing she wants more now.” Josh closed his eyes and hugged his daughter tighter. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go play.”

  “Bye, Auntie Hannah!” Mariana waved as Josh carried her out.

  “Bye, sweetie,” Hannah said softly as Josh silently walked away.

  Hannah watched Mariela sleep for two hours before she roused. “Hannah?” Mariela murmured.

  Hannah rushed over to her side. “Mari,” she whispered.

  “Hannah,” Mari breathed, then reached out. Hannah grasped it as gently as she could. “Thank you for saving Mariana.”

  “Oh, Mari.” She looked up at the ceiling to try and keep tears from forming. “I am so—”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” Mariela said, squeezing her hand. “You didn’t hurt anyone.”

  Hannah blinked quickly. “I replay that day over and over again, every day. I come up with a thousand ways I could have gotten out of my bedroom. I know everything I could have used to break the door down, or how I could have tied the sheets so I could climb out the window. If I had to do it now, I would do it perfectly.”

  “Josh said you were looking for me the whole time. Did you climb out of any windows or break any doors?”

  Hannah laughed in spite of herself and Mariela did too. “When you’re feeling better, I’ll tell you some stories.”

  “Josh didn’t say it exactly, but I know you took a lot of risks.”

  “I would have done anything.”

  “Please stop now,” Mariela said plaintively. “If anything had happened to you, I couldn’t have lived. Just knowing that you and Josh were out there was what got me through most days.”

  “Mari…” No, she couldn’t tell Mariela that for the same reason Hannah had only lived half a life. “This is a dream come true.” She swallowed. “Mariana, huh?” she said, changing the subject. “You’re such a goof, you know. I was sure you were going to name her Maria-Jose.”

  “Never,” Mari said. “I always knew she would be a girl, and I always knew she’d have to have your name in there somewhere.”

  “She’s so wonderful,” Hannah said, her heart feeling as though it might burst. “It must be her great mom.”

  “No, it can’t be that.” Tears formed in Mariela’s eyes. “A good mother wouldn’t have let her child live through what Mariana has.”

  “Don’t say that,” Hannah said softly. “I know you fought for her. I know...you were in that warehouse because you were trying to protect her.”

  “I wouldn’t give her up,” Mariela whispered. “That woman treated Mariana like a pet, but those are the scariest people. They get tired of children when they stop acting like dolls and then they’ll treat them worse than they would an animal. I tried to escape—again—but they caught us. She didn’t want to kill me, so she...” Her tears began to escape. “Am I really here? Is that really you? I don’t know how long I was there. And what did that woman do to my baby? Where is my Mariana right now?”

  Hannah squeezed her hand tighter. “I’m really here. And Josh is with Mariana right now. Do you want me to call them so you can hear their voices?”

  Mariela looked up at the ceiling. “I used to dream this. All of it. I used to dream that I was with the both of you again and that you loved Mariana. I used to dream about Josh taking our daughter to play. But then I’d wake up and I’d be in the warehouse.”

  “Oh, Mari.” Hannah bent down and hugged Mariela. “I don’t know what I can tell you to make you believe me, but none of us are going anywhere until you do.”

  Mariela’s thin fingers squeezed Hannah’s arm. “I know one way.”

  “Anything, just name it.”

  “Where is my mother?”

  Hannah’s chest heaved. “She’s not here. I’m so sorry. That part’s real too.”

  “Then this isn’t my dream, because in my dream, my mother was back. She hadn’t died; she’d been looking for me and Mariana.” She clung to Hannah and sobbed.

  Hannah couldn’t stop her own tears. “I know. I’ve dreamed that too.” She released Mariela and bent down so they were face to face. “She died trying to make sure you and Mariana had a better life. And I’m going to make sure you get that. You and Mariana.”

  Mariela’s lip trembled. “Do you promise me that you won’t ever let anyone hurt her?”

  “I am going to guard her with my life,” Hannah swore. “As long as I live, she’ll be safe.”

  “If anything happens to me, please take care of her.”

  “Mari, I’m not going to let anything happen to you either.”

  “Hannah.” Josh and Mariana had walked in the second before. Mariana was carrying a balloon. He took in the sight. Hannah stood up and shrank from his gaze. “Mariana wanted to see her mom now.”

  “Oh, my sweetheart.” Mariela reached her hand out for her daughter. Mariana looked timidly, then suddenly ran to her.

  “Mommy! Oh, Mommy, you’re awake!” She hugged her mother, who winced silently. “Mommy, this balloon’s for you.”

  Mariela took the balloon string from her daughter as soon as Mariana let her go. “This is the best present anyone ever gave me. Thank you, sweetheart.”

  “When are you going to leave and come back with me and Daddy?”

  “Very soon, little one.” She kissed her daughter. “As soon as the doctors say it’s okay.”

  “Hannah, I need to talk to you,” Josh said abruptly.

  She nodded, then kissed Mariela and Mariana on the cheeks. “See? Everything’s already better.”

  Josh walked Hannah to the elevators. “I asked you not to upset her. What is the matter with you?”

  Hannah was taken aback. “Josh, I wasn’t trying to—”

  “You are never trying to, but you do it anyway!” he exclaimed. “When are you going to start thinking ahead?”

  Hannah steadied herself so she wouldn’t raise her voice. “We were just talking. I swear to you, I didn’t say anything. Damn it! She’s been through a lot; she’s going to cry.” Hannah felt heat rising to her face. “She’s going to cry about little things and she’s going to cry about nothing. She’s going to have nightmares. She’s going to see something—anything—and it’s going to set her off. That’s the way it works. Even with therapy, it’s going to take a long time before that stops.”

  Josh turned away from her, steadying himself by the elevator buttons. “Did you get a psych degree when I wasn’t looking?”

  There had been so many times when Josh had texted or emailed her frantically any time she’d told him she had a lead on Mariela and Mariana. She couldn’t give him the information fast enough, and there was never enough she could tell him. But it had been nice to talk to her brother, even if it was a coded message about the darkest things she could imagine. Always, that would be followed by a period of weeks where she couldn’t raise him on a phone or computer. She’d be so desperate to reach him that she even called her parents a few times, but Josh wouldn’t come to the phone (and they were always too drunk or high to recognize her voice). Those were the only times that Hannah, who had been trapped more than a dozen times with victims she was trying to free and had been threatened with a gun more times than she could remember, panicked, because she knew that Josh was giving up hope. So she’d give him every scrap of information she had when she could finally get to him, however unrelated, so he would know that she hadn’t.

  She couldn’t let Josh give up hope now.

  “I have been around trafficking victims for years,” she said. “I know what it looks like—and I know what it takes to get better. It can happen—it’s going to happen—but you need to do the work.” Hannah blinked rapidly. “And Mariana is a victim too. She needs to talk to someone.”

  “She has been examined by a doctor,” Josh said curtly. “She wasn’t abused or molested.”

  Hannah sighed. “She was born into it. And even if she wasn’t physically hurt, she had to know what was happening to her mother, and then they were both kidnapped
and separated. That’s trauma too and it leaves scars you can’t see.”

  “And now she has me.”

  “What!?” What was wrong with him? “You can’t fix any of that by yourself. You need help for them, and you need help for you.” She was speaking quickly so he couldn’t stop her. “You don’t trust me and fine, I live with that. But I know that this has eaten you up and you need to tell someone you’re not really angry with or trying to protect about it.”

  “I’ll go meet some guys at a bar for a beer,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “For God’s sake...” Hannah took a deep breath. “If you’re not going to do this for yourself, then do it for them. And if you don’t believe me because I’m such a screw-up, then talk to Mari’s doctor. Or even Robert.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure your boyfriend won’t take your side.”

  “I am on your side and we are both on their side!” Hannah exclaimed. “I love them and I don’t regret one minute of anything I’ve done because they’re finally home, with you. But now that you’ve finally got your family, I want you all to be happy.”

  “Back off.”

  “Or else what?”

  Josh rolled his eyes. “Grow up, Hannah.”

  “Fine,” Hannah said after a moment. “Tell me when you’re ready and I’ll have the apartment set up for you.”

  “And what about you?”

  “I still have the place in Dorchester.”

  “And Teague.” Josh shook his head. “Can you not be so stupid if you’re supposed to be smart? He’s a cop.”

  “I know,” she said. “And he’s one of the good guys.”

  “Whatever.”

  Hannah threw her arms around Josh before he could stop her. “Whatever,” she said as she let go and got on the elevator.

  Chapter Four

  That evening

  “You are a stubborn young man.”

  David Hwang may have been the Mayor of Boston, but even he had to take his medicine sometimes—especially from Lucy Bartolome.

  They had an appointment for dinner at her house, but her office had called his office that afternoon to ask him to arrive half an hour earlier. Her assistant had handed him his usual drink when he was shown into the great room before she left. That, David knew, was a bad sign.