Blinking away light, a frail girl with duct tape over her mouth jerked her head expecting the worst. Long, brown hair matted around her face, wrists and ankles restrained, and dried blood covered her hands and bare feet. She couldn’t have been more than ten years old, but her haunted eyes showed a much older person.
Emily dropped to her knees to comfort the terrified child. “Rick.” She called softly at first. Careful not to frighten the child more than she already felt. “It’s okay, you’re safe now. I’m here to help you.” Emily looked toward the hall again and said. “Rick.”
Before Emily could call out to Rick again, he stood in the doorway. His expression mimicked Emily’s face with disbelief and sadness.
“Help me get these restraints loose.”
Rick and Emily worked for a few minutes to carefully remove the twine. It cut into the child’s tender skin and left raw, bleeding marks. They worked her free, trying to not cause any more discomfort.
Emily spotted a blanket and wrapped it around the girl. “Can you walk honey?”
She nodded, not making eye contact with her rescuers.
Rick retrieved his phone and dialed 911. He walked out of the room, into the living room, holding his temper if they ignored his request again. “Yes, I’d like to report an abandoned child…” His voice trailed off as he walked away explaining the dire situation.
With her arm around the girl, Emily steered her down the hallway to the living room and sat her on the couch. “Stay right here, okay?”
She nodded again, a glimmer of recognition.
“What’s your name?”
The girl sat in a trance.
“Can you tell me your name? Where do you live?”
Her lower lip quivered as she replied in a tiny voice. “Haley. My mom… we live… Oregon.”
Emily blinked and tried not to show her anger at those two men in front of the child. “Okay, Haley.” She smiled. “We’re going to get you home, okay?”
Haley stayed seated on the edge of the couch like a statue and didn’t move from her position.
Emily joined Rick in the kitchen area. “What do you think? Are they coming now?”
“I hope so.” His voice carried off as he looked at the floor.
Emily looked at his point of view and saw the outline of a trap door that led to the basement. She dragged the two chairs to the side of the room. A crack with some minuscule light made an impression of a two-foot square opening.
Rick grabbed the specified indentation for fingertips and pulled up. It didn’t budge at first, but soon between the two of them, they put their double strength into it and the door creaked open.
Immediately confronted with a musty smell of old garbage and rotting food, they retreated back for a moment.
“Stay right there, put your hands up where I can see them!” A booming voice cut through the reek of the little cottage of horrors.
Emily turned and took her self-defense stance at the intruder, while Rick slowly stood up, not putting his hands in the air.
Lani’s bulk filled the front door entrance to the cottage. His obvious intimidation wasn’t that he had a Glock targeted directly at their torsos, but the fact that his large, muscular physique filled the doorway and blocked out some of the light. He would have resembled a modern day flying superhero if he weren’t wearing the traditional police officer’s blue uniform.
“I’m not going to ask you again.” His voice lent more to an authoritative tone. He meant business and there was no doubt in Emily’s mind that he was prepared to shoot them.
Emily raised her hands higher and took one step forward. “Officer we arrived here and found these little girls and were attacked by the those two men.”
Lani raised his right eyebrow in cynical skepticism. He had already seen the two beaten, bloodied men hogtied on the front porch with zip ties.
A small voice interrupted the confrontation. “They saved me.” Haley stood behind Lani and expressed her concern for Emily and Rick. “Please… they helped me.”
Lani barely flinched, but kept his eagle eye on the couple. “Who are you?” He demanded.
Rick’s authority took over the scene. “I’m Rick Lopez. I placed the call earlier about the girl being held hostage. No one was sent out, so we went in.”
“Simple as that. You took these guys down?” Lani lowered his weapon and scrutinized the couple.
Emily never looked away from his serious gaze and Rick had her back ready to strike. She had bloodstains on her white shirt and a slight scar on her right cheek, but wore it with honor. She knew police procedure and wasn’t scared or intimidated.
Lani took an extra second to study Emily before he holstered his weapon.
“We need to get this little girl out of the basement. We also don’t know if she needs medical attention.” Emily explained.
Lani joined them at the floor opening. Before any of them jumped down into the underground room, eyes peered back at them. For an instant, it looked like they were witnessing an apparition. As the young girl came into view, it was obvious she had been kept captive against her will.
Rick carefully hoisted Cassie to safety in the kitchen. She was filthy with torn tan khaki pants, scared, hungry, but looked relatively unharmed. They were momentarily stunned by her resemblance to Haley. They could have been sisters, twins separated at birth. Long brown hair, short bangs framing a petite, cherub face; they were identical angels. It wasn’t an accident, they were stalked and kidnapped from various cities for their child features. It attracted buyers in other countries. The sex slave industry boomed and wasn’t showing any signs of going bankrupt.
Lani, obviously realized that the couple seemed to be telling the truth, immediately called in the information of the current location and requested an ambulance, an available patrol officer to transport two arrestees, and crime scene techs, which consisted of a patrol officer who had a certification as a crime scene technician. The slow process of the police investigation began to crawl into motion.
* * * * *
Sergeant Lani Candena stormed away from his patrol car carrying a notebook. He walked past the house out of any spectators view to blow off some steam. He knew the typical police procedure and what would likely happen. It still didn’t make him feel any better. The FBI took over the investigation because the minor girls were taken across state lines. Their arrival would be in the next couple of hours.
In the meantime, he was supposed to do all the hard work of interviewing Emily Stone and Rick Lopez, while searching and documenting any evidence inside the house. He was a glorified secretary and clean up guy, and it steamed him.
With hands on hips, he took a couple of deep breaths to calm his nerves. The small island politics wore thin on his generally easy going personality. He needed a few days off to surf his cares away.
Realizing that he was in charge of one of the biggest child pornography rings, he would conduct himself professionally and get the job done right. These unscrupulous people were using his island as a staging area for kidnapped children – it stopped now.
Lani noticed Emily and Rick whispering to one another as they watched the two officers search the scene and take photographs. He would gather their statements and contact information, but he could tell there was more to their story – much more. They told him they were on vacation and had stumbled upon this house on their site seeing adventure.
On a sightseeing adventure? Right. No way. They were able to piece together all of this with just a causal glance?
It was obvious to anyone that took the time to notice, the couple shared more than a strong bond, they had a secret – a big secret. He couldn’t help it, but he was drawn to Emily’s simple beauty, dark brown eyes filled with compassion, and he knew that she would go to the end of the earth to save a child. It made her extremely attractive to him.
Enough mental contemplating, Lani approached Emily and Rick. “Okay, give me your contact information, which hotel, and how long you will be here
on the island. The FBI might want to talk to you as well.”
Rick rattled off the name of the condo they were staying at in Poipu along with their cell phone numbers.
Lani looked directly at Emily. “How long will you be staying?”
“We planned a couple of weeks.” She then smiled at Rick and continued. “Maybe more?”
“Business or pleasure?” He asked.
Emily directed her stare at Lani and answered in an even tone. “Vacation of course.”
“Here’s my card with my cell number on the back if you have any more information.” He dramatically paused and said. “Or, if you happen to come across a terrorist cell or another sex slave operation.” He left the couple and entered the house. His voice was heard directing the two other officers to make sure specific photos were taken.
Emily read the business card and thought, Sergeant Lani Candena what’s your story?
* * * * *
Chapter Five
Tuesday 1610 Hours
The consistent trek of footsteps hit the hiking path on the Kuilau ridge trail. The elevation increased slightly with the prominent smell of the island rainforest, and the feeling of autonomy heightened. A slight tropical mist kissed her bare skin. No other sound struck the imagination, no tourists, no lagging walkers, but just the increased anticipation of the picturesque trail that couldn’t be surpassed by just any walk on the island.
The woman could easily make the two-mile marker to capture a great view of the Wai’ale’ale covered in rain clouds; it was a shielded volcano and the second highest point on the island. Kauai’s impressive daily rainfall accented the already beautiful scenery and the rippling overflow of a water vista.
Any photograph was worth a little bit of pain and discomfort to get to the spot. The sun would be setting soon and the lighting through the clouds would be breathtaking. Her online photography magazine continued to be the most searched and networked magazine on the Internet. Advertisers scrambled to receive choice spots on the home page. This new image would propel her over the top and break quarterly financial records. Not bad for a divorced woman of forty-two who was left with nothing.
She rounded a corner and stopped, a medium, low-level boulder served as a makeshift seat. Adjusting her short, brown ponytail, she stretched her hamstrings of her petite body. Her active mind and ten cups of coffee per day kept her lean and energetic.
Shedding her daypack that housed her digital SLR camera, extra batteries and lightweight tripod, she unzipped a side compartment and retrieved a bottle of water.
For a moment, she took the weight off of her feet and rested. Everything tasted better outdoors and especially on the island, even the bottled water, which had bounced around in recycled plastic.
The environment energized the body and calmed the soul.
Carolyn Sax closed her eyes and took a couple of minutes to mindfully relax and listen to everything around her in real time. She pushed away her demanding to do list and her waiting fiancé back at the Hyatt wishing her to hurry.
Nothing mattered at this moment.
Rain began to build momentum and dappled nearby plants with a gentle patter. The moisture felt good against her hot skin. The light sound was hypnotic.
Suddenly Carolyn opened her eyes. Skin prickled with shivers. She scanned the immediate area and hastily looked behind her.
Nothing.
She quietly reprimanded herself for being silly. Absently she ran her fingertips over her exposed arms and felt the bumps subsiding. Working in the office seven days a week made her fall out of touch with anything but high end mahogany office furniture, laptop screens, and her trusted, all purpose cell phone.
Time ticked away with daylight fading.
Carolyn slung the backpack over her arm, hooked her other arm through, and pointed herself once again up the trail. She picked up the pace and jogged, veining around the turns feeling her calves burn slightly.
Snap.
Slowing her pace, Carolyn looked to her left. She thought movement rustled in the overgrown foliage, but then realized it was her overactive imagination. There were birds and other wildlife that inhabited the Kauai forest.
Her arms prickled in a natural alert signal.
Crunch.
She stopped. Looked up at the trees. Silence.
Never been afraid of the dark or anything that went bump in the night, Carolyn now cringed at the unknown. She spun around slowly to survey her surroundings and backed away from where the sound came from.
Crash.
A wild pig made its way through the brush and tropical plants, hustling onward to wherever pigs go. Carolyn laughed. She was a city girl at heart, but had always loved tropical locales.
She felt a sting the back of her left arm and pressure against her back. Her first thought was a bee had stung her, but her vision melted into long vertical strips of disjointed puzzle pieces. Blinking hard, she tried to regain her perspective. Dizzying vertigo took hold of her balance, she fought the urge to vomit, swallowing hard as her body thrust into a tailspin. Staggering to stay in a vertical poise, she fought in her mind.
Strong hands tucked under her arms and clasped across her chest, without anywhere else to go she fell into the arms of an unknown stranger.
* * * * *
Chapter Six
Tuesday 1945 Hours
The trade winds died down with a calming, warm breeze that filtered through the open sliding doors of the condo. A faint light illuminated from a table lamp and reflected in the corner of the living room next to a large bamboo sofa with Hawaiian flowers plastered all over it.
Distant voices heard in the distance from tourists hurrying to the nearby fish and steak restaurant or a one last quick dip in the oversized public pool complete with waterfalls and swim up bar.
Rick sat in a chair that matched the colorful couch, hunched over, and typed quickly on his laptop finishing up details of the day’s events. He was edgy, preoccupied with another matter that he couldn’t share with Emily.
It bothered him immensely; they shared everything.
He couldn’t share it because she would want to confront it head on, like she always took on problems of this magnitude. Being deeply in love wasn’t always easy, but he never thought he’d find someone like Emily.
He clicked on an email he’d seen several times and stared at the screen, eyes wide and unblinking. Thinking back, he remembered.
Emily literally walked right into his life when he was a Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Detective working homicides stationed at a neighborhood police service center. She wanted to report a neighbor who was harassing the nearby residents and she felt that he was dangerous. How dangerous, they both found out together. Of course, she couldn’t really tell him what she was doing at the time.
They found each other; in fact, the two of them needed one other. He investigated a string of murders that turned out to be the work of two serial killers working together terrorizing the small beach community.
He closed his eyes and remembered every detail.
Rick retired from the sheriff’s department and took up her quest to hunt down serial killers and child predators. They shadowed the official investigation and made sure the local law enforcement investigators received accurate information to solve the case and bring the criminals to justice. It made it unbearable at times for Rick to watch the dangerous predicaments that Emily put herself directly into.
As he continued to stare at the email, he was reminded of how risky their hunts were to their very existence.
The email read: Emily will die just like her parents, it’s only a matter of time. Killers are coming for her…
With a click of the mouse, a booking photograph of Leo Lewinski a.k.a. Leo Brown appeared. Brown dead eyes, styled dark hair, and a phony saloon tan stared back at Rick. Word through the grapevine, he was a washed up actor/stuntman struggling with his sexuality.
Rick knew that the email had to be from Leo Brown who was the second serial kill
er that almost cost Emily her life. He had escaped while transported from one California prison to another. He was still at large and considered extremely dangerous.
It was only a matter of time until Leo would find them, but until then Rick would keep Emily safe. This was the only thing that they had not shared with each other and it slowly ate away at his soul. There was too much at stake to have this new situation hanging over her head.
The email taunted him, burned a hole through his gut. He couldn’t take his eyes away from it and tried to get inside Leo’s head.
Where would he strike? When?
He tried to trace the email’s origin without any luck. It wasn’t the first warning he had received.
Rick’s brown eyes grew darker, more menacing, as anger welled up inside him. Long walks helped to combat the feelings of hatred and give him some sense of peace. Sometimes he walked for hours without realizing the time had slipped away.
He logged off his computer and flipped the cover closed.
The lingering feeling of someone watching them seemed to spill over into his personal space, Rick needed to go for another long walk.
He stood at the doorway to the bedroom. Emily lay sleeping in a loose t-shirt, peaceful, on her side. Her rhythmic breathing, gentle and serene, was the direct opposite of her waking state of high drive and ambition.
Rick watched her a moment longer before he left to unwind and figure out what he was going to do about the killer closing in on them.
The front door quietly closed behind him.
* * * * *
Emily scrambled to where her gun had slid into the shadows of the warehouse. She desperately looked for the loaded weapon, but to no avail. Frantic. Leo knocked her down on her back and was on top of her in seconds, wrapped his large fingers around her throat and squeezed. He jumped at the chance to strangle her out of sheer frustration and rage. Emily was no match for the muscular personal trainer and murderer of her parents.
To her right, she saw one of the metal pipes lying on the cement floor. She estimated the distance, but couldn’t quite reach it with the tips of her fingers. The only choice she had was to dig her thumbs into Leo’s face. Inching her hands closer to his face, she managed to rake her left thumb straight into his left eye, soft, slimy, but a direct hit.
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