“But you agree that I can handle this, right? You don’t have doubts about my ability to cope?”
“Ingram,” McCall said quietly, “do you remember what I told you when you first became an operative?”
“You said that if there was a time you didn’t think I could handle an op, you would pull me off of it.”
“And that hasn’t changed. If I see you wavering in the least, I’ll pull you out. Just like I would any other operative. Our priorities are and always will be the victims.”
“And I’m no victim.”
“No, you’re sure as hell not. You’re a survivor.”
Justin not only felt like a third wheel, but also one that had rolled over a big pile of dog shit. Yeah, he’d screwed up royally. Riley thought he didn’t believe she could handle this. She was wrong. But how the hell to convince her otherwise?
“Riley, I—”
McCall stood. “I’ll leave you two to talk. I’m in the apartment on the other side of McKenna and Anna. See you at seven for a team meeting.”
Justin waited until McCall walked out the door and then turned back to Riley. “What can I do to prove to you that I believe in you?”
The old Riley might have given him a snarky, sarcastic reply. But they had advanced far beyond her standard form of defense. Besides, she couldn’t stand the worried, almost defeated expression on his face. His eyes were bloodshot, and his shoulders drooped with fatigue.
“Just tell me that you trust me to do my job.”
“I trust you. Absolutely. I just wanted to protect you. I’m sorry.”
This was a new thing for them. For so long, they’d been partners, trusting each other with their lives. But intimacy had added a new dimension. When it came to relationships, especially romantic ones, Riley knew she was a beginner.
Going on instinct alone, she went to him, leaned against his hard body, and softly kissed his mouth. “I believe you, and you’re forgiven.”
“Really?”
The grin on his face made her want to smile. He looked like a little boy who’d found out he wasn’t going to be punished.
“With one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“Let me take care of you for a change.”
“What do you mean?”
“Go take something for that headache I know you have. While you do that, I’m going to fix us something to eat.”
He dropped a kiss on her head. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
She was about to enter the kitchen when Justin stopped at the bedroom door. “Hey, Ingram?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for not kicking my ass.”
She grinned at him. “You’re not out of the woods yet, Kelly.”
“How so?”
She laughed softly as she walked away. “You’ve never eaten my cooking before.”
Chapter Twenty-one
Three days later…
Noah closed the door to his office and locked it. He chose to make the call with no one around. Riley deserved to hear the conversation, but he’d give her the recording later, as he would the rest of the team. For right now, Noah wanted to fully concentrate on Larson’s reaction to the news with the hope that it would give him an idea of how the man planned to proceed.
Hitting the call key, Noah waited for the man to answer.
“Yes? Mr. McCall? Tell me you have good news.”
“We believe we’ve found her, Mr. Larson.”
“Oh, thank God. Where is she? When can I see her?”
“We need to take this one step at a time, Mr. Larson.”
“Oh. Of course. Of course. I just…” He blew out a ragged sigh. “Are you sure it’s her, Mr. McCall? Over the years, my investigators reported sightings, but they all turned out to be wrong.”
Lying to a client wasn’t the norm for Noah. Yeah, he’d softened the truth occasionally. Even withheld information if he thought it could cause damage. But outright lying was a rarity. He’d created Last Chance Rescue out of the soul-deep need to rescue victims, bring loved ones home and closure to grieving families. Protecting victims had always been his number one priority, though, so in this case, lying was not only a necessity for the game they were playing, but also damn satisfying. The bastard was going to pay for the misery he had caused.
“I don’t believe we’re wrong, Mr. Larson. She’s changed a little over the years, but we’re almost certain this is your daughter Jessica.”
“How did you find her so quickly?”
False modesty wasn’t a natural position for him. Noah had no problem bragging about his organization. Without a doubt, he employed the best operatives in the world. In this instance, though, a modicum of modesty would go further.
He gave a short, abrupt laugh. “Actually, it was a lucky break. As I mentioned previously, we’ve got contacts all over the world in all lines of work. I sent Jessica’s photograph to all of them. One of those contacts had just returned from getting his income taxes done and thought that one of the assistants in an accounting firm resembled the photograph. He got in touch with me, and we went from there.”
“So she’s actually working? Able to hold down a job?”
“Yes. She’s quiet. Somewhat shy and awkward. Her employer mentioned that she’s very intelligent.”
“Yes, our Jessica was always a smart one. That’s why when her delusions began, it just broke our hearts.”
“She seemed quite sane and logical to me.”
“You’ve talked to her?”
“Yes. I made the initial contact. She’s agreed to talk with me again in a few days. As you can imagine, the news that you’re trying to locate her was surprising.”
“Yes…I’m sure it was. Mr. McCall…remember, Jessica is very ill. She may seem rational, but I assure you she’s not. We need to see her as soon as possible. When can we arrange a meeting?”
“Soon.”
“Is she in the States?”
“I won’t reveal that information until I’m assured she wants to see you.”
“I told you, Mr. McCall, Jessica is ill. You read the medical records I sent you. She’s delusional and needs psychiatric care.”
Yes, he’d read the trumped-up medical records. Larson had probably paid a lot of money for them.
“Which is why we need to proceed slowly to avoid putting her health at risk. If she agrees to see you, I’ll arrange a meeting. We’ll assess how that goes and then go from there.”
Steam was probably coming out of Larson’s ears about now. After all this time, he seemed to want to barge in and take Jessica. There was something driving the man to get this done quickly.
“Very well, Mr. McCall. We’ll play it your way. I couldn’t bear it if we damaged Jessica. I’m just thrilled she’s alive. With her mental health issues, I greatly feared she had harmed herself, perhaps committed suicide. We’re just so grateful you’ve found her for us.”
Larson must’ve been practicing his acting skills. He actually sounded like a loving father. But this man was as far removed from a loving father as Noah’s own father had been. Both men belonged in hell. Thankfully, his old man had gone there years before.
“As soon as I can persuade Jessica to see you, I’ll call you back.”
“Thank you, Mr. McCall. I can’t wait to tell Loretta that our little girl is coming home.”
Noah rolled his eyes. The guy was laying it on thick again. Desperation made for bad acting. “We’ll talk soon.”
Noah ended the call and then sat back in his chair. Anticipating what evil people would do was part of his job. In earlier years, he had underestimated his opponents on more than one occasion, and it had cost him. They had to be prepared for anything.
***
Hera, Pavli
“Your pores look wonderful, sir. That new lotion is doing wonders for your skin.”
His eyes closed, Dimitri didn’t bother to respond to the technician’s compliments. The man was here to give Dimitri his weekly facial. Pandering had its p
lace, but this wasn’t it. A successful procedure required peace and quiet.
“My, it was a beautiful day, wasn’t it, sir?”
Did the imbecile not understand anything? Dimitri opened his eyes and gave him a hard stare. The technician paled and jumped a foot off the floor.
Satisfied he’d made his point, Dimitri closed his eyes again. The peaceful silence was a soothing balm.
A loud knock on the door almost brought him out of his chair.
“Who is it?” he shouted.
“Telephone call, sir.”
The timid voice belonged to his assistant. The man knew not to interrupt his rejuvenating session. There was only one exception.
“Larson?” he asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Come in.” He glared at the technician. “Get out of here now.”
“But, sir…your mask!”
“I said get out!”
The technician nodded and ran for the door, passing Dimitri’s assistant, who came rushing in, holding the phone. He placed the phone in Dimitri’s outstretched hand, turned, and rushed out of the room.
At least some people knew their place.
He pressed the speaker key. “Larson? You have news?”
“Yes. She’s been located.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know yet. She—”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
“The agency I hired, they have strict rules. They won’t tell me anything until they make sure she agrees to see me.”
“There’s no way she’s going to agree. She’ll tell them things.”
“I’ve got that covered. I’ve already explained to McCall that Jessica is mentally ill, that she’s delusional. If she tells him anything, he won’t believe her.”
“Then how do you think that—”
“When he contacts me again, it will be to set up a meeting. If I can take her without bloodshed, I will. If not, I have no problem taking her by force. Either way, Jessica will be in my custody in a matter of days.”
Dimitri thought about disagreeing. He had men who could wipe out a city block without blinking an eye. One little bitch and a man would be like swatting a gnat. Then again, it was Larson’s failing that had caused all of this. If Jessica had been what Dimitri needed, none of this would have been necessary.
“Once you have her, how do you plan to proceed?”
“I can bring her to you. Or meet you somewhere. Whatever’s most convenient for you.”
“How accommodating,” Dimitri said silkily.
“I want to make this right, Soukis.”
It could never be right. The man was too stupid to realize that, though. The moment he had Jessica in his hands again, Dimitri had plans for Larson. Somebody had to pay for the heartache and loneliness Dimitri had suffered all these years. For all the disappointment he’d endured with those useless cows Larson had sent as replacements. Since killing Jessica would defeat his purposes, Larson could give his life in her stead. It was only fitting.
“As soon as you have her, let me know. I’ll make arrangements for the transfer.”
“Yes, that’s fine. Whatever you want.”
Dimitri heard the relief in the other man’s voice and almost smiled. The imbecile believed that once this was over, and Jessica was returned to him, things could go back to normal.
Larson confirmed that with his next words. “And you’ll tell others that I made good on my promise?”
Dimitri barely held back a snort. The man was finally doing something he should have done eight years ago. There would be no kind words from Dimitri. Not that he would say that.
“But of course I will,” Dimitri assured him. “That was our agreement.”
“I’ll call you as soon as I have her.”
“Very good,” Dimitri said and ended the call.
Dimitri stood. He glanced at the mirror and grinned at himself. The blood-red goop on his face always yielded good results. However, he was impatient today. He took a wet cloth lying on the table and wiped at it his face. Not caring that much of it was still there, he walked out the door.
Pulling a set of keys from his pocket, Dimitri headed to one of his favorite places in the world. He had not played in his special room for years. Not since Jessica had left him. He’d used a smaller, less attractive room for the other girls. Lately, when he had the urge to indulge his desires, he went to a local facility that catered to his particular preferences. Allowing anyone into his home whom he didn’t know or hadn’t fully vetted would be absurd. No, he wasn’t worried he would be caught. He owned enough law enforcement people to ensure no one could touch him. But the very idea of a stranger coming into his home was revolting. Only those he trusted, or was in complete control of, were allowed inside his domain.
He unlocked the door and allowed it to swing open. The lights came on immediately, illuminating the area. For the first time in a long time, a natural smile came to his lips. Those who knew him well would have been alarmed.
Since his servants kept the room clean, all the equipment and tools gleamed as if they were new. Everything was in place, as it should be, except for one thing. The one thing that would make the room complete was Jessica, down on her knees, or hanging from the hooks in the ceiling, or locked in the pretty little box in the corner he’d had designed especially for her.
Soon, very soon, she would be here again. A surge of lust swept through him, followed by a hearty laugh. This might be even better than before. She would be in complete fear, totally subjugated. Terrified of what he would do to her. Wondering if it could be worse than what she’d endured before. Wondering if this time he might actually kill her.
Oh yes, this would be so much more fun.
The bitch had eight years to make up for. He would make sure she paid for every single one of them.
***
Knoxville
The call came in the middle of the night. Just like most people, especially one who was away from his family, a slight panic surged through Noah as he grabbed the phone on the nightstand. When he checked the screen, he was only slightly less worried. A call from one of his research analysts at this hour was rarely a good thing.
“What’s wrong?” Noah barked.
“We’ve got a problem.”
As the analyst explained her findings, fury filled him. Vermin such as these did not deserve to breathe.
Pushing aside his anger, he said evenly, “Send me everything you have. And keep looking. There may be more. And good job, Lilly. You’ve saved several lives today.”
He waited until he’d ended the call to let loose a string of vile curses. Rage made every muscle in his body rigid. The scum-suckers were not going to get away with this.
Punching in a speed-dial number, he barely waited for Riley to answer before he said, “Ingram, something’s come up.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Kelly there with you?”
“Yes. Let me put you on speaker.”
“I’m here, McCall. What’s up?”
“We’re going to have to move faster than we planned.”
“What’s happened?” Ingram asked.
“One of our analysts was trolling the dark web. She came upon a…if you can believe this…a coming-soon site.”
“Oh shit,” Kelly whispered.
“Yeah. The level of depravity defies description. As you know, we habitually search these kinds of sites, hoping we can stem the flow. We traced the IP address back to one of Larson’s places, but this child isn’t one of the ones we knew about. This one is a fifteen year old boy.”
“So he does have more,” Ingram said.
“Yes. We thought he might. It’s good we waited, but dammit, we can’t wait any longer. We’ve got to move now.”
“When’s the sale?” Kelly asked.
“The ad said he’ll be ready for purchase in a couple of weeks.”
“You’re right,” Ingram said. “We have to move now.”
“When we get this piece of shit alone,” Kelly snarled, “we better make damn sure he spills his guts on how many kids he’s got now and how many he’s sold over the years.”
“Trust me,” Noah said with lethal quietness, “the man will talk.”
Chapter Twenty-two
LCR Branch Office
East Tennessee
Things were moving fast. Tomorrow their team would leave for Los Angeles. Several operatives were already there, keeping eyes on Larson’s houses. If one of the locations indicated something hinky, they would have to raid all the locations and rescue the kids immediately. Larson would go down, but Dimitri would probably stay free.
Riley had accepted that inevitability. It wasn’t the ideal situation, but with so many different components, they had no choice but to stay loose. There were too many innocents riding on this to not allow for deviations.
Justin, Noah, Sabrina, Angela, Jake, Aidan, and Riley had reviewed the plan and each of their roles. Riley could have recited it in her sleep. If they were able to carry it out, she had no doubt they would be successful.
Even though the reason they’d had to move the mission up was a deplorable one, Riley couldn’t help but be relieved. Carrying out a deep-cover operation was draining enough. Carrying one out that held such emotional impact was much more wearing. She wanted this over and done with. Kids saved and perverted, disgusting pieces of slime like Larson and Dimitri put out of business for good.
Very soon she would be in the presence of the people who had betrayed her in the worst way possible. Would she see both Larson and his wife? Or just Larson?
Though she had nothing but hatred and revulsion for both of them, she needed answers. Were these people really her parents, or had she, as Noah suspected, been abducted as a child? If so, did they know who her parents were? Was it possible that she had a blood family out there? One that might still be looking for her? Want her? Was it possible that the blood running through her veins didn’t belong to vile human traffickers? She prayed that was so.
She told herself it didn’t really matter. She knew who she was. Being related to evil didn’t make one evil. And LCR was her family. She couldn’t ask for a better one. But still, the fantasy that she had a mother and father who had once loved her was something she couldn’t dismiss no matter how much she tried. What would it feel like?
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