“David, you’re in charge.”
“Where are you going?” David asked.
“Stay focused on the task at hand. If they make even the slightest move toward the camp, blow the fuckers to hell.” Where they belong.
“Roger.”
Gabe chimed in, “You really can’t be thinking—”
Rafe reached up and turned his earpiece off. He didn’t need to be told what a fool he was for going down there alone. This was his choice, his mission. They’d lost a sister already. There was no way he was leaving a brother out there. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself knowing he’d sent Josh and the others there. They were following my orders. Now it’s my job to make sure they all get back.
As he slowly made his way through the woods, he kept his gun cocked and ready. He knew he would need to shoot first and ask questions later. If they got a shot off before he took them out, it would be game over. Everyone would know Shadoa wasn’t in the woods alone.
Rafe heard the snap of a branch in the distance. Crouching down behind a bush, he saw two men approaching. Both had a weapon in hand and the look of pure evil on their faces. They wanted that girl badly. What for? She was so young. She was of no value to them. But then again, whoever she was she was important enough for a search party. One that didn’t have good intentions when they located her.
He could hear them speaking. Rafe turned on his earpiece and tapped it once, signaling Gabe to listen.
As Gabe listened, he translated to Rafe, “They said that bitch was going to cost them a lot of money if they didn’t find her. That her family will not pay if they cannot prove she’s alive. The second man said if there’s no money, then they should kill her now and be done with it.”
Very softly, Rafe said, “Gabe you know what you’re looking for.”
“A connection between Shadoa and someone with money.”
Gabe made it sound like looking for a needle in a haystack. Rafe’s gut told him it was a smaller list than that. “Look into the male volunteers.”
“I had already eliminated them. There wasn’t any man with a significant amount of money in the bunch.”
“Is that including the prior volunteers?”
“Yes.”
What the fuck!? I know it’s linked somehow. Rafe wasn’t giving up. Maybe they were casting a net too narrowly. It might be time to expand their search criteria. “It might not be a volunteer’s money.”
“What do you mean?” Gabe asked.
“Look into the financials of all their family members. There’s something we’re missing.”
“It’d be a lot easier with a DNA sample from her. Maybe you should—”
“Do your job and let me do mine,” Rafe said gruffly as he once again turned off his earpiece. There was still a lot of ground to cover before he made it to Josh’s last known location. Let’s concentrate on keeping her alive, and then we’ll figure out what she has to do with all this mess.
Rafe encountered a few more of the men and avoided killing as many as he could. He would do whatever he needed, just like he knew Josh would. But disappearing so suddenly didn’t make any sense. He scanned the area. Where the hell are you?
He looked around for any sign that people had come through. There were several footsteps, but the prints weren’t the standard military boot. That meant they’d already searched this area. Hopefully, they came up empty-handed.
The prints went off in a direction he knew led to a dirt road on the other side of the hill. If they thought Shadoa was alone, it would be logical that she’d run that way for help. Josh, on the other hand, would’ve avoided any public area. He would’ve gone farther in and away from the village.
Rafe came upon some branches that were broken, pointing in one direction, made to appear that whoever had been traveling in that direction was in such a rush they didn’t think about the trail they’d left behind.
It was a game they’d played when they were young. Setting up false clues to lead someone in the opposite direction. Since there weren’t any footprints, he knew it had to be one person. Good thinking, Josh.
Rafe turned around and backtracked. Once again he stood right where the signal stopped. He had to have missed something. Then he saw it. Another bunch of broken twigs leading him forward. Turning around, he noticed several trees close together, thick with brush. He struggled but made his way around them. Bingo. On the other side was some sort of cave. Crouching down, he crawled inside and hoped it wasn’t filled with wild animals waiting to greet him. At certain points it became tight, and he needed to lie on his stomach and inch his way through. After a few feet it widened, and eventually, he could nearly stand up.
He tried his earpiece to let Gabe know what he’d found. Nothing. Then he opened his phone but had no signal. Well, we know why you dropped off the radar. Now all I need to do is find out where this leads.
Rafe used the light on his phone to guide his way. It seemed as though he’d walked for miles before coming to a point where he could see the light shining through the other side. That wasn’t the only thing either. He could hear rushing water. Rafe knew exactly where he was. At night, they’d made sure to become familiar with the surrounding area. There was a large waterfall on the other side of a hill. This cavern had to come out somewhere near that.
When he came to the end of the cavern, he was met by a wall of rushing water. It’d been a perfect hiding place because no one could see it from the other side. He stuck his hand through the wall of rushing water. Someone grabbed his wrist. Rafe yanked his arm causing the man to come crashing through the water, slamming directly into him, causing them both to fall backward onto the ground. Rafe’s gun had been knocked out of his hand during the struggle. He rolled over and pinned the man beneath him. He was about to smash the guy’s face, then stopped. Josh.
Although he was pleased to see his brother alive and well, he chewed his ass out. “What the fuck are you trying to do, get yourself killed?” Rafe asked, getting off Josh while trying to catch his breath.
“Didn’t expect it to be you. I thought you said to hold positions,” Josh said as he too got off the ground.
“They are. I didn’t.” Rafe looked around then asked, “Where are the others and Shadoa?”
“There’s a small ledge to the left of the falls. It provides plenty of cover but allows us to see what’s happening around us. That’s how I knew we had company. Just didn’t realize it was you.”
“You’re lucky it was. How did you guys stumble across this place? If it weren’t for your clues, I’d never have seen it.”
Josh smiled. “You know that sweet girl you sent us to rescue?” Rafe nodded. “She seems to be doing the rescuing.”
“Shadoa?”
“Yeah. We might not speak the same language, but damn that girl knew trouble was coming and where to go. We’re just hanging here until dark.”
Rafe knew that meant she’d had to hide before. Ever since he put Deanna on that plane, he’d been trying to locate Shadoa. Had she been hiding all this time? Were they what spooked her out of hiding and back into the village? He kept ending up with more questions, and all of them seemed to revolve around someone they’d considered insignificant. Somehow Deanna didn’t.
Part of him wished he’d never bumped into Deanna at the cemetery. Another part knew it was a meeting that finally was going to put his questions to rest. Why here? Why Phoebe, and why the hell didn’t anyone help?
“You look like you’ve learned something that doesn’t make you happy. What is it?” Josh asked.
Rafe wasn’t going to share his thoughts about Deanna. They were only speculations, and he wasn’t sure why, but his judgment was a bit clouded when it came to her. He was going to wait for facts. If she was involved, there’d be hell to pay. If not, he’d do everything in his power to help her heal from her loss. Not that I’ve had any luck with mine.
“Seems that Shadoa is worth a lot of money to them.”
Josh arched a brow. “That kid?
She doesn’t look like a rich man’s daughter. What did I miss since I went off the grid?”
Rafe spent the next hour filling him in and going back and forth on their theories. The only thing they seemed to agree on was protecting Shadoa had become a hell of a lot harder. Damn. This is why I don’t make promises. In my line of work, they’re not easy to keep.
Once nightfall came, they left the safety of the cavern. There was no way they could take Shadoa back to the camp, because they probably used some of the local women who came to the camp as spies. Not because the women wanted to spy, but because not doing as instructed came with a deadly price.
Their backs were against a wall. Even though Rafe couldn’t afford to part with Josh and his team, there was no choice at this point. He’d made the only call he could and instructed Josh and his team to get Shadoa as far away from the village as possible before boarding the chopper. Without something more substantial to go on, there wasn’t a place in Moreira that Rafe felt Shadoa would be safe. Taking her to the States wasn’t a wise choice, but it had to be safer than keeping her in Moreira. Even there they’d need to keep a very low profile until they knew what and who they really were up against. Rafe was positive whoever they were had no issue taking the lives of innocent people. The list of despicable reasons behind such acts was endless. He was hoping Gabe or Renzo would have a solid lead soon, and they could finally take action. Playing the watching and waiting game was fucking with his patience. Not that I have much to start with.
He wracked his brain, hating they were heading to the States. Rafe needed someplace private. A place no one would suspect they’d go. That required pulling in a favor.
Dialing the number, he reached out to someone he thought he wouldn’t be talking to again.
“Didn’t think I’d be hearing from you so soon. Coming back to Tabiq?” Alex Henderson asked.
“Not quite. I hear you have a small island that is . . . private.”
Alex laughed. “I guess not if you’re asking about it.”
“I need to borrow it.”
Alex must’ve been able to tell from Rafe’s tone that this wasn’t a joking matter. “We have been delayed building on it. There are no amenities. Consider it yours for as long as you need it. I just hope you like camping. I’ll text you the coordinates.”
They’d spent more nights than they could remember in places that made camping look like a luxury resort. The chopper had a well-stocked arsenal of weapons and supplies. They were ready for anything.
“Thanks.” Although Rafe had his hands full, he couldn’t forget what they’d left behind to go to Moreira, included his brother. “How are things going in Tabiq?”
“Gabe’s still trying to find out which asshole keeps funding the lowlife here. Whoever it is, they don’t want progress. What I can’t figure out is why. We’ve shut down the human trafficking ring. There’s nothing left for them to want here.”
“They must be looking at replacing it with something.” And whatever it is, isn’t legal.
“Yeah. That’s what Stone is thinking too. Whoever it is, they are good. Each time Gabe thinks he’s got them, the money moves. It’s like a sophisticated cyber chess match. I can’t guess who’s winning.”
“I’d put my money on Gabe. Thanks again. We’re a bit . . . indisposed at the moment, but if you need us, let Gabe know. He can always reach me.”
“Will do and good luck.”
Rafe understood why Gabe was struggling. He was the sole cyber source for two major issues plaguing them. It wasn’t as though one took precedence over the other. Things in Tabiq were just as critical as in Moreira. Because fucking evil likes to spread its wings and touch everything.
Once he had the coordinates, he passed the information to Josh with the change of plans, including collecting the DNA sample from Shadoa and getting it in the right hands. It sucked, but they were going to have to rely on Bennett Stone for some assistance. It came down to location, and Stone was a hell of a lot closer. They’d proven they could work well together—they’d had to lean on each other to get out of a few tight situations in the past—but he sure hoped they weren’t going to need to again. Josh voiced his concerns, but after much debate, they agreed Alex’s island was the best option.
For now, he knew they’d be safe. However, that left the rest of them extremely outnumbered. They were going to have to act quickly and somehow get the Literacy Corps volunteers to pack up and ship out. If not, they’d have to stay and fight. Rafe knew that wouldn’t end well. Not for any of us.
Chapter Ten
‡
Deanna had enjoyed a few days of therapy in the ocean waters with Melissa. She no longer needed crutches to get around, and there was almost no discomfort in her ankle at all.
Besides being amazing at her job, Melissa was an intriguing individual. Not only were her features and her voice like Phoebe’s, but they had also chosen the same path in life. When Deanna tried telling Melissa that, she adamantly denied it, but there was no mistaking those two for sisters.
Deanna appreciated everything Melissa had done for her. That’s why when she offered to cook a favorite local dish, one she and Phoebe used to make, she was shocked that Melissa became upset and said she needed to get some air. I was just trying to be nice.
She sat on the porch swing and waited for what seemed hours. Deanna replayed the day’s events and tried to figure out what exactly she had done. It’s been so long since I’ve tried making friends; maybe I’ve forgotten how. Deanna thought about going to look for Melissa to apologize. It seemed to be the right thing to do. But without knowing what she’d done, the odds were great she’d do it again. That wasn’t going to solve the issue.
So Deanna decided she would somehow broach the subject with Melissa, and hopefully she’d tell Deanna the truth. Funny. I want the truth from others yet I can’t give it. “When did I become a hypocrite?”
“What makes you think you are?” Melissa asked from the open window behind her.
Deanna practically leaped from her own skin. She had no idea how Melissa was able to keep sneaking up on her. Maybe if I were a bit more observant, it wouldn’t happen.
“Say what?”
“Why do you think you’re a hypocrite?”
Gee, where do I start? Telling her wasn’t an option. Well, it was if Deanna didn’t mind putting Melissa in danger.
“Oh, no reason.” Deanna knew if she started sharing even a small amount of what she felt, the floodgates would open and there’d be no stopping them. If I can hold back from Rafe, then I can hold back from anyone. It wasn’t that she wanted to open up to him, but he had a way of pulling things out of her she didn’t want to divulge. Hell, who am I fooling, I’m dying to tell someone, I just can’t. Melissa was full of surprises, and Deanna didn’t want to find out the hard way that she also was attuned to people. One of you is more than enough. She needed to take the focus off herself and put it back on Melissa. “How was your . . . walk?”
“It was okay. I’m sorry I abandoned you.”
Deanna was the one who should apologize. It was Rafe’s home, and Melissa was family. She belonged there, not her. I’m nothing but a nuisance.
“I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
Melissa didn’t say anything, and Deanna once again felt as though she was going down the wrong path. Why can’t I just leave it alone? She wanted someone who could relate to the pain she’d been feeling. Pushing Phoebe’s family wasn’t the answer.
Melissa appeared on the deck and pulled up a seat next to her. “I’m the one who should apologize.”
“No, really it wasn’t my place to bring it up.”
Melissa leaned back and stared off at the ocean. “It’s just we don’t . . . talk about her much. I’ve forgotten how good it feels.”
By the expression on Melissa’s face it didn’t appear to feel good. “I’m sure it’s . . . hard having me here.”
Melissa snapped her head in her direction. “You? Here? God, no.”
/>
“But—”
“It reminds me of a time when my sister was the happiest. All she talked about was her friend DeeDee. We didn’t even know your real name was Deanna.”
“Yeah, no one except Phoebe called me that. I asked her why, and she said everyone deserved a nickname.”
“She used to call me Lisa. It drove me crazy. What I’d give to hear her say it one more time.”
“I know the feeling.” They were connecting on a level that no one should have to: a mutual understanding of loss.
“I have to admit I was envious of how close you two were.” Melissa’s heartbreak showed in her eyes. “I guess part of me still is.”
Deanna reached out and placed her hand over Melissa’s. “Don’t be. Her family meant everything to her.”
Melissa shook her head. “Thank you for saying that, but I know it isn’t true. She was such a free spirit.”
“That she was. No one could tell her what to do.”
Melissa laughed. “From what I hear she was that way even as a wee baby. I guess that’s why she and Rafe went head to head all the time. He’s what one might call a control freak.”
“You think?” Deanna blushed; she hadn’t meant to blurt that out. “That didn’t sound right.” Her entire day seemed to consist of saying one wrong thing after another. I should’ve stayed in my room.
Melissa peered at her and asked, “How well do you know Rafe?”
Deanna felt uncomfortable speaking about Phoebe, and she only had wonderful things to say about her. That was far from the case with Rafe. She debated how to tactfully say he was a royal pain the ass.
“Not well.” In some ways not as much as I’d like and in others more than I care for. That was how she knew she was a hot mess. There shouldn’t be a thing she wanted to know about him, yet she found herself asking anyway. She was telling herself she didn’t care, that she was only making conversation. But everything she knew had been from Phoebe’s perspective. When she’d been with him, she had already pre-judged him. Somehow she hoped Melissa might say something which would explain why she had mixed feelings for him. Because he’s far from my type.
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