Needs, Wants and Other Weaknesses (The New Pioneers Book 6)

by Nam-Krane,Deborah

  She looked at the deed, then looked up the property. "This will go quickly, and you'll get a very good price for it," she said appreciatively.

  "Good," Hannah said. The truth was that she couldn't think about going there, or even looking at the tree in the Public Garden, without thinking about every video Morris had made there. "I have my eye on something else in Back Bay."

  Hannah gave the realtor the address. "Oh, I bet!" she laughed. "The good news is, the sale of the Beacon Hill property will probably cover it. The bad news is that you won't have much left afterward."

  "When can you get me in to see it? And what's the owner's name?"

  It had almost disappointed Hannah how easy it had been to make the owner come down in price. She looked at herself after she'd put on her makeup and she knew that she didn't look four years older; she looked like she was fourteen, but with makeup. She knew that putting her hair in an up-do didn't make her look more sophisticated; if anything, it highlighted how young she looked. The short skirt? That only made it obvious how young her body was. And the cleavage? She swore that she'd never wear anything so tight again.

  She'd never flirted before, but it was easy to smile, say a couple of funny things that made it seem as if she were honored to share her cleverness with him, and then get invited to his table. It was enough when he put his hand on her knee, but she waited until he kissed her.

  She'd held her breath as soon as he leaned in, and not just because she didn't like the way he smelled of garlic. She sighed with relief as soon as he was done, then heard footsteps running toward her.

  "Josh, don't!" she screamed as she stepped in front of the man before Josh could lay a punch on him.

  "You creep!" Josh shouted as Hannah held him back.

  "Did you get the shots?"

  "Yes, okay? I've got shots of him feeling you up for the last fifteen minutes. You take this camera while I punch his face in."

  "What is going on?" the man shrieked.

  "Stop, okay?" Hannah said. Once she was sure Josh wasn't going to lunge for her mark, she turned back around. "I wanted to talk about the price on your condo."

  "If looks could kill," Alexa chortled two weeks after they'd closed on the condo. "Do you want to tell me how you got him to come down seventy-five K?"

  "I believe the word is...'negotiation'."

  Alexa laughed. "Smart girl."

  ~~~

  Mariela's eyes sparked when Josh told her what happened. "I thought older brothers were supposed to protect their little sisters! How could you help her do that?!"

  "I wasn't going to let anything happen—"

  "Some man touched your sister and then kissed her. That's something!"

  "She showed me the house, alright?" Josh snapped. "And it made me sick to watch, but what I kept thinking was that you could leave this place and you could come..." He swallowed. "And you could come with me."

  Mariela's face burned. "I don't want you to watch your sister be touched like that and think that's good for me."

  "Hannah was fine," Josh said as he moved closer. Her face became redder still. "Don't you...think about coming away with me?"

  "Yes," she whispered. "But this is so dangerous."

  "It's worth it," he said, leaning down and kissing her. She kissed him back and he pulled her closer. "If you're with me, I'll do anything."

  "You're as foolish as your sister," Mariela whispered before she kissed him again.

  Josh pretended that Hannah didn’t see him when he slipped some money to her manager that day, or that he snuck Mariela into the office a few minutes later.

  ~~~

  "Northern Ave?" Robert asked after he turned off of Atlantic.

  "All the way down, Detective," she said, looking straight ahead. "And by the way, this might be a good time to speed up."

  "How many?" he asked.

  She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and tried not to squirm. "I don't know," she answered. "At least ten. But they might have gotten in a new...shipment."

  "How long have you known about this?"

  "That there were people being held somewhere in Boston against their will? Years. Who basically owned them? I didn't have a clear idea until two weeks ago. That they're over here? A couple of hours."

  "I could have helped you."

  "You would have sent them to prison, and they didn't do anything wrong. Or if some of them did, they've already been punished, believe me." She turned to him, and for a second, he thought he saw the corners of her lips turn up. "And you're helping me now."

  "And you didn't even have to blackmail me into it. See how that works?"

  Her smile faded. "What is that?" she asked.

  "I believe that's an Au Bon Pain. Don't judge; everyone has to eat."

  But he knew she was looking at the two dark cars parked three spaces away from the Au Bon Pain. "Keep on," she said, not taking her eyes off of them. "Now park."

  They were in front of the big warehouse at the edge of the water. There was already another car there. "Now would be a great time to call for back up," she said as she got out. "And maybe you can put on your siren."

  He was about to protest when a man came running toward them. Even without the investigation, Robert would have known he was Hannah's brother: same hair, same eyes. "Where have you been?" he demanded by way of greeting. "I could have gone in twenty minutes ago but you said to wait!"

  Robert called for backup as Hannah put her hand on Josh's arm. "We got here as soon as we could." The cars she'd noticed had pulled out of their spots and were driving away. "Were those here when you got here?"

  "Cars? What... Yeah, I think so."

  "Did you see anyone get out?"

  "No." He threw off his sister's arm and walked toward one of the doors of the building.

  "Wait!" Hannah hissed, but followed him anyway.

  Jesus. His backup was five minutes away. He checked his weapon. "Just great."

  ~~~

  Josh banged his hands on the steering wheel on the ride home a month later. "Damn it! When is this going to happen?"

  Josh's urgency had begun to rival her own. "It's not up to me now," Hannah reminded him for the twentieth time. "As soon as Mariela gives the word, we're out." She swallowed. "And her mother...she wants what's best. It'll be soon."

  Josh squeezed the steering wheel. "I want to go there right now," he said fiercely. "I want to drive there and punch the guy who's been using them and drive to Boston right now. I want… I want to begin."

  The spot in the middle of Hannah's chest loosened. "Yeah, me too."

  Mariela sent Josh a text the next day. FRIDAY was all it said, and that was enough. He didn't have to say anything; Hannah could see it was as if his heart had just left his body.

  The plan was so simple: Maria would be waiting for Josh at her work while Hannah and Mariela were at the mall. Josh would get Maria when he knew Hannah would be on her break, and Hannah would grab Mariela and hide in her manager's office until Josh texted to let them know he was there. And then the four of them would leave together, and begin.

  But they forgot about their father.

  "What the hell is this?" Jerry said as he grabbed Hannah's arm as soon as she walked into her house.

  "What is what?" Hannah said, more surprised than scared or indignant.

  "This!" her father shouted, waving a paper in her face. "It says you cut so much school you might have to go to summer school!"

  Hannah threw off her father's arm. "So what?" Hannah said. "I'm still getting all As."

  "Then they might call the police because you're a truant!" Jerry screamed.

  "Don't worry," Hannah snapped. "I won't be here much longer."

  Jerry grabbed her again. "You aren't going anywhere with that mouth," he said. He grabbed her again, dragged her up the stairs, and threw her into her room. "You're not going to go to school? Then you're going to stay right here."

  He slammed the door. Hannah ran to it and pounded with her fists. "Let me ou
t!" she screamed. "I have to go to work! I have to go!"

  "You should have thought of that before you started cutting school. We needed you to work over the summer and now you can't because you have to go to summer school!"

  Hannah kicked the door. No, no, no. She was still wearing her backpack. She threw it off and took out her cellphone. She sent Mariela a text.

  Change in plans. Josh will come and get you without me.

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  My father locked me in my room

  WHY?

  Because he's an asshole. Don't worry. Josh will still get you.

  She called Josh before Mariela could reply. "Jerry just locked me in my room."

  "What?!"

  "He found out I skipped school."

  "Hannah, you said you had everything under control!"

  "Josh, stop!" she said. "I still do. Pick up Mariela's mother, go get Mariela, and then take them to Boston."

  "And just leave you there?"

  "Jerry has to let me out to use the bathroom at some point, and I've gotten to Boston on my own before. I'll take my bike if I have to, just get them out of there."

  "Where am I supposed to get Mariela?"

  "Just get Mariela's mom and wait for my next call."

  She checked her phone. Mariela hadn't replied. She sent her a text anyway.

  Go to the bookstore once Josh has your mom. He'll find you there.

  Hannah sat on her bed, tapping her feet. She looked at the bag she'd packed in her closet, just waiting for her to pick it up and go. She looked out the window. She could make a rope with her sheets to break her fall if she climbed out the window, but she'd make enough noise that one of her parents would have to notice since Jerry wasn't already drunk and high. She could get out tonight and walk to the train station, or if the trains weren't running, she could ride her bike to the nearest bus stop… That would be running later. Or she really could ride her bike into Boston...

  She picked up her phone and started pacing. It had been twenty minutes since she'd heard from Josh, twenty-five since she'd heard from Mariela. She sent Mariela another text.

  What's going on?

  ‘I'm scared.’

  Hannah's heart froze. What happened?

  ‘My mother.’

  Is she okay?!

  ‘I told her that your father wouldn't let you leave, and she said she wouldn't leave if you couldn't.’

  Hannah swallowed. A person who had never met her was more worried about her than her own parents. I'll get out, tomorrow at the latest. I'll meet you there. I'll be fine.

  ‘She doesn't believe that. She's scared now. She told me to go without her.’

  That's silly. Josh is already there by now.

  ‘That's why I'm scared.’

  Hannah called Josh, but he didn't answer. She needed to blink back tears of frustration. She texted Mariela.

  I can't reach him.

  But Mariela didn't answer.

  An hour later, Josh sent her a text. Two words, and on those nights when she was able to dream, she always saw them.

  They're gone

  Jerry let her out three hours later when he heard her weeping. "Good, you finally learned your lesson."

  She called Aunt Ava the next day. Aunt Ava took her to lunch and held her hand as she cried and told her the story. "Hannah, sweetheart," she said when Hannah was done. "It wasn't your fault. You did everything you could."

  "I'm not staying there anymore," Hannah said, and Ava knew from the steeliness in her eyes that she was serious.

  "Do you want to come and stay with me?"

  "You're so sweet, Aunt Ava, but I have somewhere else to go. There is something you can do for me, though."

  On the following Tuesday, she presented her parents with two documents: the deed to the house they lived in, and papers agreeing to completely emancipate her.

  "What does this mean?" Meg demanded as she looked over the papers.

  "It means you don't have a daughter anymore, but now you have a house." She thrust a pen at her mother. "Sign." Meg shrugged, then took the pen and did just that. Jerry grunted then did the same.

  Hannah folded the paper, put it in her bag, and waited outside for the cab to the train station. She hadn't heard from Josh since Friday, but she sent him a text anyway telling him to meet her at the Back Bay condo when he was ready.

  I'm going to find them

  I promise

  Chapter Thirteen

  The front door was unlocked. Robert seethed as Josh pushed the door open and entered. Well, Judge, he thought, trying to imagine how this would play out in court, I thought I heard someone screaming, and I was relieved that the door opened so easily.

  The first floor was an open space, and it was empty. Hannah looked down. "Scratch marks," she said, pointing. "They took something out, not long ago."

  Josh pounded through the doors that led to the stairs without saying a word. Hannah swallowed and followed him with Robert right behind.

  The second and third floor were the same as the first: an open space with signs of things having been pulled out. "Oh no," Josh muttered when they got to the fourth floor. There must have been over one hundred storage lockers. Josh narrowed his eyes and started tapping each one.

  Hannah stood still, then looked up. "Josh, stop. Not here."

  Robert nodded after a moment. "Right. If I wanted to hide something, I'd make it as hard to reach as possible."

  "Top floor."

  Josh ran past them. "Come on then!" he growled as he sprinted up the stairs.

  Hannah and Robert were thirty seconds behind him. He was in the middle of the lockers, banging on each one. "Mariela!" Robert took his left and Hannah took his right.

  "Take turns," Hannah commanded. "We want to be able to hear over each other."

  Tap-tap-tap. Nothing. Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap. For the longest three minutes of Hannah's life, the room responded with silence.

  And then...

  Tap-tap.

  Josh ran to the storage unit Robert had just tapped on. "Mariela!"

  Tap-tap.

  "Mari!" Hannah exclaimed. "Are you alone?"

  Josh began jangling the door. Tap-tap. Hannah's eyes widened.

  Josh pulled on the door, but Robert knew it wasn't going to open. He radioed his backup. "We are on the tenth floor of the address. Bring pliers to cut a lock and a crowbar. We need to free a hostage. Call paramedics to get here ASAP. I repeat: hostage needs to be freed."

  Hannah pulled a bobby pin from her hair and gave it to Josh. "Try this on the padlock."

  "That's not going to work," Robert said.

  "How much longer should we leave her there?" Hannah snapped.

  "For God sake... Mariela? This is Detective Teague. I'm a friend of Hannah and Josh's. I need you to move away from the door. Can you do that? Tap once if you can move away, tap twice if you can't."

  Tap.

  Robert sighed with relief. "Okay, I need you to move away, and then tap once when you're against the opposite wall."

  They heard a dragging sound, but it was very slow. Hannah looked at Robert, then Josh. We have to get her out of there, Robert thought.

  Tap.

  "Back away," Robert commanded. Hannah pulled Josh five feet back. Robert pulled out his weapon, then took two shots at the lock. Josh ran forward, yanked the lock off, and swung the door open.

  A dark-haired, emaciated woman was lying on her side. The storage unit—Robert couldn't even call it a room—smelled foul of human waste and rotting food.

  "Mari!" Josh ran in and knelt by her side. He cradled her head with one hand and put his other hand on her face. "Mari, Mari, Mari," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

  She opened her mouth to say something but the effort was too much. She gasped where someone else might have groaned and closed her eyes.

  "Mariela!" Hannah shouted, running to her side. Robert gingerly stepped inside. "Where is she?" She grabbed a bottle of water from her bag. "Josh, help lift her head." Jos
h did as she asked and Hannah poured a bit of water into the cap. "Drink this." Robert grunted appreciatively. Smart; any more water might make someone that dehydrated sick.

  Mariela sipped the water, then gasped again. Hannah poured her another capful, then another. "Good girl," Josh said, tears coming to his eyes.

  "Mari," Hannah whispered. "Where is she?"

  Mariela closed her eyes as if she were in pain. She started to move her mouth. Hannah leaned down. "What?"

  Robert could hear the barest of whispers as his backup and the paramedics came rushing up the stairs. Hannah's head popped back up. "She took her?" Mariela gasped. Hannah took her hand. "If that's what you said, just tap me with your index finger." Mariela lifted her finger, then let it drop.

  Hannah gently placed Mariela's hand down and looked at Josh. It was the first time he'd made eye contact with her that day, and there was fury where there had been determination. "I'll get her," Hannah said. She kissed Mariela's hair, then stood up.

  Robert grabbed her as she tried to walk past him. "What is going on?"

  Before she could answer, his backup and the paramedics finally arrived. "We're going to need some room," the leader said.

  "I am not leaving her," Josh growled.

  Hannah used the distraction to break free of Robert's grip and run down the stairs. "Hannah!" he shouted, then hissed in frustration. He couldn't leave to follow her.

  "Then, sir, I'm going to need you to help us lift her onto the gurney. You stabilize her head while we lift her, alright?"

  "Yes, sir," Josh said.

  "One-two-three!" Five men including Josh lifted Mariela onto a gurney, never mind that she was so frail one man could have managed it.

  Robert followed close behind while they went down the stairs. "I want every storage unit in this place opened up," he said to the officer right next to him. "Call down as many people as we need."

  "Yes, sir," the young woman said.

  They made it downstairs and the paramedics carefully lifted Mariela into ambulance. "I'm going with her," Josh said.

  "Just a minute," Robert said, holding him back.

  "Sir, we have to leave," one of the paramedics said. "We're taking her to Mass General."