Deadly Exchange

by Lisa Harris

  “Mercy, no.” Kayla caught the sadness in her eyes. “Everything you’re listening to in your head right now is a lie.”

  “Is it? I don’t think God can forgive me for what I’ve done.” She glanced at a blue delft vase on a shelf on the other side of the living room. “I’m like a piece of shattered pottery, and I don’t think it’s possible to put me back together again.”

  Thirteen

  Kayla walked out of the guest room where Mercy had finally agreed to try to get some rest and quietly shut the door behind her. Levi sat at the table working through the files he’d taken from Nicu’s office, while she could see Celine scrubbing down the counters in the adjacent kitchen.

  “Is Mercy okay?” Levi asked, standing up.

  “She’s sleeping now. She’s exhausted.”

  “So are you.” He reached out and squeezed her shoulder gently.

  “I’ll be fine. We don’t exactly have time to rest.” She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. “We have until tomorrow to come up with an answer to save them both. And besides, you’re the one suffering from jet lag.”

  He didn’t look convinced by her argument. “Why don’t you at least lie down for an hour?”

  “I’m not sure I could sleep...even if I wanted to.” She picked up Mercy’s cell phone off the table. “What did you find?”

  “I’ve taken it off, but I did find spyware on it.”

  “How? She said he found her, but she got away. Far as I know, he couldn’t have had access to her cell.”

  “He wouldn’t have to.”

  She dropped the phone back on the table. “What do you mean?”

  “All it takes is someone to connect remotely to your phone via the internet with a cell phone spy app.”

  His answer sent a chill through her. How were they supposed to get out of this? “I’m scared, Levi.”

  He motioned her to sit down next to him. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  “We work with these girls for months. Counseling them, giving them spiritual direction...everything we can to ensure that not only are they safe, but that they begin to heal emotionally.” She pulled her legs up underneath her. “But sometimes...sometimes we can’t stop what’s happening to them. And sometimes the wounds run too deep.”

  Like pieces of shattered pottery.

  Kayla let out a soft whoosh of air. Mercy’s words had dug deep into her own fractured heart. Meeting the girls’ physical needs wasn’t the only thing that had to be dealt with. But sometimes, everything they did to help put the girls back together again wasn’t enough.

  He glanced at her, catching her gaze. “I’m going to keep looking in these files for something we can use for leverage.”

  “But what if that isn’t enough? What if I can’t save my father? What if it’s already too late?”

  Levi hesitated before answering. “God gave man free will, and unfortunately that means we sometimes suffer from the consequences of other people’s actions. But God uses people like you, who can fight for truth and justice. People who are willing to stand for God’s grace and freedom and risk everything. As I recall, there were a few people in the Bible who thought the same thing. Moses... Gideon... Esther... It seems like God’s pretty good at using ordinary—and even sometimes inadequate—people.”

  Like Corrie ten Boom.

  How had she let herself forget?

  “You reminded me of someone,” she said, speaking her thoughts out loud. “You’ve heard of Corrie ten Boom, the woman whose family hid Jews during World War II?”

  “Yes.”

  “She lived with her father and sister above their watch shop in Haarlem, not far from here, for fifty years. She was a licensed watchmaker.”

  An ordinary woman who made watches.

  “Her story’s one of the reasons I’m here right now,” she continued. “My mother read her story to me when I was in junior high. Later, while we were still searching for Lilly, I started volunteering with a friend. After we found Lilly’s body, I kept volunteering and eventually did an internship, working with teenage trafficking victims. Fast-forward a few years, when the organization decided to branch into Europe, and they asked me to work here. I always found it ironic, a sort of coming full circle, because I never forgot Corrie ten Boom’s story and how God used her. I guess I hoped that God would use me. I just never expected my own life to be in danger.”

  And in the process she’d let fear completely take over.

  “God’s involvement in something doesn’t mean it’s risk-free,” he said. “In fact, most of the time it’s the opposite.”

  Kayla glanced back at the blue-and-white vase on the shelf. “My mother visited me here before she died. One afternoon we visited Corrie ten Boom’s home. I never forgot that visit. When I look at the girls, I can’t help thinking about them and the fear they live with every day.”

  “But God is using you, and you are making a difference. And that’s what you can’t forget.”

  Maybe.

  “Thank you for being here. Because if you hadn’t come...”

  She glanced up at him and took in his familiar eyes and the curve of his jawline. Levi was a friend and would never be more than that. But if that was true, then why was her heart racing at his nearness?

  She turned away, needing to distance herself from him and the feelings he invoked. “Would you like some tea? I could really use some tea right now.”

  “Sure, but first...would you mind if I used your phone? I’d like to watch the video of your father again.”

  Kayla pulled the phone from her pocket and handed it to him before escaping into the kitchen where Celine was now busy scrubbing the stove.

  “You’ve just discovered one of my secrets,” Celine said, wringing out her sponge in the sink. “I clean when I’m upset. Jansen always knows he better watch out if he comes home to a sparkling house.”

  Kayla laughed and felt some of the tension break. “I clean out my closets and cupboards when I’m upset. And drink tea. You don’t mind if I make some tea, do you?”

  “Of course not,” Celine said. “If you’ll get the water going, I’ll get the tea and sugar out.”

  Kayla poured water into the electric kettle then flipped it on. “Thank you, Celine. For everything.”

  “Of course. Jansen and I hoped this day would never come, but if it did, we were determined to be ready.”

  “We couldn’t do what we do without people like you who are willing to risk so much for these girls.”

  Celine shook her head. “I can’t imagine not helping. I grew up hearing stories of the underground network from my mother. My grandmother was an onderduiker—in English it literally means under-diver, or a person in hiding. Those who were involved in hiding refugees and enemies of Hitler’s regime.”

  A sliver of anger shot through Kayla. She’d read stories from the Dutch Resistance of hundreds of Jewish children smuggled from a preschool and others who were hidden at the zoo, in the backs of warehouses, behind secret passages. The men and women who, like Celine’s grandmother, had lost their lives as part of the Resistance to save the lives of the Jews. Those who had to hide from men wanting to take their lives just because of who they were. Had anything truly changed?

  “Why haven’t we learned enough to stop this from happening?” Kayla asked. “Things like this aren’t supposed to happen today. People are supposed to look at history and learn from the horrors others lived through.”

  “I’ve asked myself that question more than once.” Celine pulled down a box of tea from the cupboard, then reached for the sugar. “During the time of the Resistance, the Nazis hunted Jewish families in order to throw them into concentration camps. More than three hundred thousand were taken into hiding—tens of thousands of landlords and caretakers helped hide the people. Identity papers were forged, along with intelligence work
to ensure the safety of those in hiding.”

  And here they were again, over half a century later, facing the same situation. It was like it was happening all over again.

  “Do you think she’ll be okay?” Celine asked.

  “I don’t know. I think the only way to end it—at least for Mercy—is ensure Nicu and everyone he works with are in custody.”

  “Which will happen. It has to.” Celine touched her arm as the water in the electric kettle started heating. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

  “Of course.”

  “This is off topic, but I was wondering about Levi. I enjoyed talking with him for a few minutes while you were in with Mercy.”

  Kayla glanced back into the adjoining living room, where Levi continued going through the files they’d brought with them. She wondered exactly what they’d talked about. “He’s just an old friend from back home. We grew up together, though he’s a bit older than me.”

  “Only a friend?” Celine asked.

  “Yes. Why?”

  “I don’t know. There’s something about the way he talks about you. I thought there might have once been something between you.”

  “No. And besides, I...I haven’t seen him for years.”

  “Is that why you blush when he looks at you or when I mention his name?”

  “You’re imagining things.”

  “Am I?”

  She didn’t want to think about their past.

  “Seeing him again just brings up lots of memories. But none of that really matters. He’ll leave soon, and I probably won’t see him again.”

  But was that what she really wanted?

  She set a teabag in the empty cup. Of course it was.

  “All I want to do right now is ensure Mercy and my father are safe.”

  “And all I am saying,” Celine said, “is that when you find that one person, don’t let him go. Trust me. It’s worth it.”

  “Kayla?” Levi stepped into the kitchen, his hands shoved into his back pockets. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I think I’ve found something.”

  * * *

  Levi caught the worry lines etched across Kayla’s forehead. The kettle bubbled in the background as she braced her hands against the counter like she was waiting for another bombshell to drop. She might not think she was courageous, but he knew the truth. Not only did he now know what she did on a day-to-day basis, he’d seen her deal with Ana and Mercy. There was a compassion in her voice when she spoke to them, and a willingness to risk her own life to ensure their safety. As far as he was concerned, God had brought her to this place for such a time as this.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “Go on and talk to him,” Celine urged. “I’ll finish up with the tea, then bring it out in a couple minutes.”

  Kayla nodded her thanks, then followed Levi back into the living room, where she sat down on the edge of the couch.

  He glanced at the stack of files spread out across the table before answering her question, trying to decide on the best way to tell her what he’d come up with. In the army, his job had been to take the information given them and come up with a strategy regarding the enemy, including their size, position and the likely course of action they would take. They had to determine not only what the enemy could do, but what they would do. And how circumstances affected that information.

  In reality, this was the same situation. They needed to determine not only what Nicu could do, but what he would do. And how far he was willing to go to get Mercy back. But Kayla wasn’t going to like what he’d come up with.

  “Levi, what’s going on?”

  He sat down next to her. “I’ve been going through the files, looking for something that would force Nicu to walk away without us having to go to the police and risk Max’s life.”

  “And you found something?”

  “Not exactly. But I listened to your conversation with Mercy,” he said, leaning forward. “And the bottom line is I don’t think it matters what we have on Nicu, because I don’t think he will ever just walk away. This isn’t about making a profit. He wants Mercy back. He sees her as his property, yes, but there’s also something far more than that. Anyone who gets in the way is completely inconsequential to him. And because he’s not thinking like a businessman, he’s not willing to cut his losses when things go bad.”

  “So leverage won’t work,” Kayla said.

  “I don’t think so. We have to take their leverage out of the equation.”

  “Okay, but how are we supposed to do that?”

  Levi hesitated before answering her question. “I think I might know where your father is.”

  Kayla stopped pacing and caught his gaze. “Are you serious?”

  “I need you to listen to the video Nicu sent you again.”

  “Levi, I can’t—”

  “I’m sorry. I know this isn’t easy, but there’s a reason for I’m asking you to do this.”

  Kayla sat back down next to him, clearly disturbed by his request. “What am I listening for?”

  “The bells in the background.” He grabbed her phone off the table. “I need to know if you recognize them.”

  He found the video, then pushed Play, wishing he didn’t have to ask her to watch this again.

  I’m so sorry...demanding that you hand over one of your girls...twenty-four hours...they will kill me.

  “Well?” He switched off the phone. “Do you want me to play it again? Or maybe we could ask Celine—”

  “No. I recognize the bells, and I don’t know how I missed that before. They’re from the Westerkerk on the bank of the Prinsengracht. The big church on the canal near the Anne Frank House.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Definitely.”

  “So there would be houseboats nearby?” he asked.

  “Lots of them.”

  “Okay, now this is just an educated guess, but I think I can to track your father to a houseboat along one of the canals near the church.”

  “Wait a minute...you really think he might be on a houseboat?”

  “I found a rental agreement in the files for a houseboat that’s just a couple blocks from the Westerkerk, so it fits. I might be off, but it’s the closest thing we have to a lead at the moment.”

  He wanted to assure her that if they showed up at the houseboat, her father would be there and he’d be okay. But he knew there could be no guarantees.

  “What I’m worried about is how easy it would be to move the boat to a new location,” Levi said. “All they’d have to do is keep moving the boat, and we’d never find him.”

  Kayla shook her head. “They can move him, but not the boat. I had a friend who owned a houseboat. Most of the money you spend is for the mooring. Meaning you can’t just buy a boat and park it wherever you want. It’s a well-documented and organized system. And while they might be able to move my father to a new location, moving the boat itself would be much more complicated.”

  “Okay, so if I’m right about the mooring location, then there’s a good chance that we’ll be able to find your father. But we need to get the police involved.”

  “I agree.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes,” she said, “but I think that means we need further proof he’s there before we call them. It also means that we’re going to have to work fast. If it gets back to Nicu that the police are involved and we don’t know where he is, they will kill my father.”

  Which meant they had to find him quickly.

  Celine opened the front door, letting in a man Levi recognized from a photo in the living room.

  Levi caught the panic in Celine’s eyes. “This is my husband, Jansen.”

  “We’ve got a problem,” he said, rushing into the room. “There are two men downstairs. I don’t know how they found us, but one
of them matches the description you gave Celine of the man after Mercy. One of my employees is trying to stall them, but they’re carrying weapons.”

  Levi’s mind raced through possible scenarios. “If we’re not careful, this could quickly escalate into a hostage situation.”

  “Agreed,” Jansen said.

  Celine grabbed her phone. “The police need to be involved.”

  “I’ve just called them,” her husband said, “and they’re on their way.”

  “But Nicu could find us before they get here,” Kayla said.

  “Do you have an emergency exit strategy?” Levi asked.

  “Yes,” Celine said. “There’s a back way out of here.”

  “Then, Kayla, go get Mercy. We need to get out of here now.”

  Fourteen

  It only took a fraction of a second for the gravity of the situation to sink in and leave Kayla feeling as if she couldn’t breathe. But the swift panic that followed was automatically sidetracked as Kayla’s brain switched into survival gear. She knew exactly what to do. This was what they’d planned for.

  “How did they find us?” Celine asked her husband.

  “I don’t know.”

  The reality was, it didn’t matter how they’d found them. The clock was ticking before Nicu and his men decided to check the upstairs apartment.

  “Celine, get the emergency backpack,” Kayla said. “I’ll wake up Mercy. We need to get out of here now.”

  “Our car’s in the shop,” Jansen said as she crossed the living room. “Which is going to make this more complicated.”

  Kayla frowned, but there was no time to worry about what they couldn’t change. “Then we’ll go with plan B and take the ferry to the other safe house.”

  It had to work. It was the only option they had at the moment.

  “I’ll get the tickets.” Jansen headed for a desk in the corner of the room, making Kayla extra grateful that they’d gone through every scenario they could think of in advance.

  She stepped into room where Mercy was softly snoring. She’d been through so much already, but clearly this was far from over.