Hidden Sins

by Bolton, Karice

  “Am I getting warmer?” I asked.

  “And you think I’d tell you?” he joked.

  I continued walking along the wall, spying any books that looked out of place or any shelving that looked off. I’d finally moved onto the far wall and still nothing, when Luke’s cell rang and he picked up on speaker.

  “You here, Mia?” Luke asked.

  “Pulling up the drive. Just wanted to make sure you were decent,” Mia laughed.

  I busted into laughter.

  “And you’re on speaker. Thanks for that,” Luke replied, smiling and shaking his head. His gaze dropped away from mine, and for once, I caught a little embarrassment flitter through him.

  “Whoops. Shit,” Mia chimed. “Anyway, we’ll be there in a few.”

  Luke disconnected the cell and turned to look at me. “Sorry about that.”

  “What’s to be sorry about?” Our eyes locked on one another and I felt a tingle run through me.

  Luke ran his fingers through his hair and looked around the room. “I think I might have won this bet.”

  “How so?” I asked.

  “Do you have an answer for where the entrance is?” His brow quirked.

  “There wasn’t a time limit,” I reminded him.

  He pressed his lips together. “I assumed that was a given.”

  “Never assume…” My eyes darted behind him to a bookshelf where I noticed a book tipped against another. All of the books in the room were upright. None were out of place. I bet that had fallen when the door moved. I was sure that was exactly where the entrance was. I quickly skimmed over the area and brought my gaze to his. I didn’t want to win this bet.

  “So Mia and Mitch are almost here. That’s probably good,” I said.

  “And why’s that?” Luke asked.

  “Like you said, I lost the bet. So when are you going to cash in on your winnings?” I teased, my pulse quickening.

  “We’ve got a lot to discuss, and I’m hoping that tonight’s events persuaded you to tell us what’s going on. That was too close a call, and I don’t want to lose control of the situation. But in order to design a defensive strategy, I need answers,” Luke replied.

  “I’ll try.”

  His gaze deepened. “So to answer your question, I’ll cash in when there’s no chance of being interrupted.” Luke’s seductive grin added another layer of complexity to my feelings. The look in his eyes revealed a powerful man who didn’t have a problem asserting what he wanted in life, and in this moment, I was what he wanted to claim. And even though I was more nervous than I could ever imagine, it felt really good.

  He pressed his hand against my back and softly moved me forward just as the alarm beeped, alerting us that Mia and Mitch had entered the premises.

  “Let’s get settled,” Luke murmured as we walked into the hall. “There’ll be plenty of time for the other.”

  My heart nearly popped out of my chest as a mischievous smile spread along Luke’s lips. I’d never taken that next step before, and recently that seemed to be all I could think about when I was around Luke. I couldn’t let my feeling for him overshadow what I needed to do, and I worried that every day I stayed, I endangered us all.

  Luke

  I could no longer worry about rushing Hannah. I needed answers. We’d nearly been run off the road because I’d let my personal feelings for Hannah get in the way of taking precautions. If the man had tapped our bumper a moment sooner, I probably wouldn’t have been able to correct our vehicle, which was why he landed over the cliff and we didn’t.

  “Sir,” Mitch greeted me in the foyer. “Mia’s in the kitchen.”

  I nodded and without thinking slipped my hand in Hannah’s as we walked through the hallway. She didn’t say a word once we left the library, but her eyes said it all. She felt responsible for this and had made up her mind. She was going to go if I didn’t stop her first. I needed to distract her. And against my better judgment, the plans for tomorrow had to go on. I needed to get her mind on something else, remind her of what a life can be.

  “Mia,” I called out.

  Mia came running from the kitchen and gave me a big hug just as Hannah slid her hand out of mine. Hannah’s walls were going back up piece by piece.

  “Needed a beer,” Mia smiled. “Finding out my brother and roommate almost got run off the road scrambled my composure.”

  “We’re fine. Can’t say the same for the other guy,” I said.

  I glanced around the room and dismissed Mitch. We needed to talk, alone. Mitch walked out of the room toward the control room to follow up with police about the identity of the man who’d nearly driven us off the road.

  Mia walked over to the couch in the family room and fell onto it, her body succumbing to the tension in the room. I grabbed a beer from the counter and popped it open as I watched Hannah take a seat next to Mia. They both looked exhausted.

  “Hannah, regrettably, I’ve let my personal feelings for you endanger not only you but, also, my sister.”

  Hannah blushed and looked out the window, which only drove me more insane for her. Her power over me made me feel guilty and that wasn’t an emotion I was used to.

  “Don’t go there,” Mia said, her eyes narrowing on me. “If you hadn’t shown an interest in Hannah, she would’ve been captured.”

  “Or worse,” Hannah’s words shook me to my core. “Don’t blame yourself. If anyone is to be blamed, it’s me. I shouldn’t have allowed myself to imagine a different life.”

  Mia frowned and shook her head. “That’s ridiculous to lose hope and sure as hell isn’t how my brother and I operate. No one here is to be blamed. Bad things happen to good people. Isn’t that how the saying goes? My brother and I learned that a long time ago. We’re all in this together. No one’s going to run.” My sister’s gaze caught Hannah’s. “And no one is going to waste time playing the blame game.”

  Everything I wanted to say, Mia just hung out there, and I hoped Hannah would absorb it better coming from Mia. I stared at Hannah waiting to capture her gaze but she wouldn’t look at me.

  “What is it you know, Hannah?” I questioned. “What has you running? What has them chasing?”

  She didn’t answer and continued to look away. Anger was beginning to boil through me, but it wasn’t directed at her. It was at the situation. At her not being able to trust. It was a feeling I knew well, but I wasn’t going to give up on Hannah. I wanted to gain her trust.

  “Look. I know there’s more to it than what I’ve been able to piece together. There are a lot of cults in the world and lots of small communities have sprung up across the country over the decades. Why don’t you tell me what sets yours apart?” I asked. “Is it religion? Is it drugs?”

  Hannah’s eyes flashed to mine, and she pressed her lips together. She looked distant. I was losing her before I had a chance to claim her, claim her heart as my own.

  “There’s evil in this world so dark that it can’t be seen.” Hannah interrupted me, her lips moved slowly. “I grew up thinking the opposite. That people wanted to do good, be good. That was what the community preached. If we all lived together peacefully and without conflict, blessings would come our way. In hindsight—ignorance—not innocence was a virtue. We were taught selflessness. But in truth it was selfishness that drove our existence in the community. How can one truly be selfless, if all we do is concentrate on ourselves? They had us so focused on self-development that if something happened to a neighbor we’d blame it on their lack of self-improvement. It’s brainwashing for the betterment of humankind.” Hannah’s smile was cynical, her eyes darkening. “It worked on my own family. I wanted to see something in my mom that set her apart. I believed that since she was my mom, I could get her to see the light. That was four years ago. I never did break through.”

  “I’m sorry,” Mia said, shifting on the couch. Her eyes connected with mine. She was going to lead Hannah to tell us. “Start with what makes you comfortable.”

  “It’s complica
ted, and I’m worried the more I tell you the more danger I’ll put you in.”

  My stomach tensed. We just went back ten steps. Was she going to run? I had Mitch on alert, but that didn’t mean anything. Mia sensed my worry and stood up quickly.

  “Have you shown her the guest rooms yet?” Mia asked.

  “No. We hadn’t gotten that far.”

  Mitch came rushing into the family room.

  “Mr. Fletcher, we’ve got an identification on the individual who tried to run you off the road.”

  “Who?” I asked.

  Mitch took a deep breath and handed over a piece of paper. “Terrance Bridges.”

  “Bridges?” I repeated, glancing at Hannah.

  She shook her head. “The name doesn’t sound familiar.”

  Mitch walked the photo over to her.

  “I don’t recognize him,” Hannah replied. “But I’m beginning to realize that doesn’t matter.”

  “This is a business for them, played out on the streets. But it’s our turn to change the rules. Instead of being the hunted, we need to become the hunter,” I said, my eyes connecting with Hannah’s. A trace of excitement shot through her expression. “But first, you absolutely have to tell us what we’re dealing with. I don’t want to lose a man to these cowards because we’re not prepared.”

  Hannah nodded slowly. “I think I’d like to change first. Maybe, get settled in the guest room.”

  “Certainly,” I replied, glancing at Mia. “Will you show her upstairs?”

  “Totally,” Mia said, grinning.

  Mia and Hannah walked out of the room and I turned my attention to Mitch who’d walked back into the room.

  “They’re sending a message loud and clear that this is no longer only about Hannah. I want to ensure that they don’t regret including us in their plans. We’re going to give them a run for their money. They’ve made it personal.”

  “Absolutely, sir,” Mitch responded.

  I grabbed a beer and glanced at the clock. It was getting later and later and I still had no answers from Hannah. We couldn’t plan until we knew what was worth chasing her across the country.

  “If you’ll excuse me, I need to clear up some things with Hannah.”

  Mitch nodded and retreated to the study down the hall.

  I climbed the stairs trying to talk myself out of tomorrow. I had all the plans set up to take her somewhere magical and out of this world. But with everything happening, it didn’t feel like the time. But on the other side of it, I was so worried that if I just happened to look in the other direction, Hannah would run. And I wanted her to stop running. I wanted to show her what it could be like.

  Damn it. Now I was actually analyzing things as if there was a future with this girl. She needed my help, end of story. The weight of guilt and regret threatened to crush me. I should’ve seen this coming. This was what I did. I’d protected dignitaries and saved lives. What was different about this case?

  I heard Mia and Hannah’s voices coming from the third bedroom on the left. Mia had brought over some clothes for Hannah in case they needed to stay longer than a night. I took a deep breath and commanded myself to get control. But as soon as Hannah’s eyes connected with mine, I knew that was impossible. I was only fooling myself if I thought I’d be able to walk away from this girl after we made her problems become a thing of the past.

  “Every minute I waste is a minute the others don’t have to give,” Hannah whispered.

  “Others?” I asked, taking a seat across the room.

  Hannah nodded and Mia’s expression was frozen in a state of shock. Hannah must’ve told her something.

  “Imagine sins so evil that drug running is chosen as a cover-up to soften the blow. The drug world is less toxic than what the NLC is actually into,” Hannah replied, her eyes holding mine. “They’d rather throw off the authorities by sacrificing a relative or a community member every so often to ensure that their real activities are never uncovered.” She paused. “It worked on you.”

  I nodded. “It did. We traced the drug connection pretty quickly.”

  “And that’s where most people would stop, including the authorities, I’d imagine,” Hannah stated.

  “So they’re throwing the authorities a bone,” Mia whispered, nodding.

  “And it’s an enticing bone. The smuggling ring they’ve built up is impressive, at least on paper,” I admitted.

  “Yes, and if the FBI is busy investigating that network, they’re unlikely to find out what’s really going on,” Hannah replied. “Not that I have much faith that they’re investigating much of anything.”

  “And it’s far worse,” Mia replied, her gaze connecting with mine.

  “What they’re actually into happens three times a year. The next event will happen in less than a month. I think that’s why they’re throwing so much attention my way. They don’t want the next shipment to be in jeopardy. They’re worried that I’ve gone to the authorities or will. But they don’t want to stop the shipment in case it turns out I haven’t gone to the authorities—too much money to be lost,” Hannah’s voice broke off.

  I nodded, prompting Hannah to continue.

  “I have to survive if for nothing more than to end it. I have the proof, but I haven’t been able to trust anyone with it. I tried, but it went nowhere. I’m sure that’s what killed my sister and best friend, but I got away,” her voice trailed off.

  “And what is it, Hannah?” I asked. “What is the NLC doing?”

  Hannah

  I looked at Luke, and Mia grabbed my hand. I knew by divulging this information I was putting them both in direct danger. They were already targets, but this solidified it, and I hadn’t intended to do that. Not initially. But if something were to happen to me, I couldn’t let this atrocity continue. It was a hidden epidemic just running through the undercurrent of society. I’d kept it hidden long enough as I attempted to gather the information, the proof. There was nothing more crushing than when I tried to present all of my findings to the people who were supposed to protect, only to be dismissed.

  I went to the local police, and that’s when I realized the NLC had dug in far more than I knew. That moment was the first moment I could actually taste fear. My next step had been the local branch of the FBI. They met with me, listened to me, and never returned my call. That was why I trusted no one. But it was time to change that, and I was looking at the two people who I’d finally allow myself to place trust in. I only prayed it wouldn’t backfire. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to either of them.

  I took a deep breath in, my eyes locking on Luke’s as I readied myself to tell them about the people who’d haunted my every nightmare and thought and the energy it took to push it all away just to survive.

  “Human trafficking.” The words left my lips and an immediate chill touched my skin.

  “And you have proof?” Luke’s eyes didn’t leave mine.

  I nodded.

  “Where?”

  “I placed all the documents in a storage locker on my way into California.”

  Luke ran his fingers over his hair while exhaling loudly. “So they want to know who you’ve told. That’s why they want you alive,” he replied.

  “Yes. Before they kill me, they want to know what I know and who I’ve told. I’m sure of it.” Saying the words aloud solidified it. I was ready to fight. “They don’t want to cancel their next shipment unless they have to. Too much money on the line.”

  “Shipment,” Mia whispered.

  “Shipment,” I repeated. “That’s how it’s referred to in every document. It’s beyond sickening. Humans as cargo. Both men and women a commodity.”

  “And you went to—” Luke stopped himself.

  I nodded. “I went to the local police.”

  “So that’s how they know you know enough to be a problem. They had an informant on the inside who reported back,” Luke said, glancing at Mia.

  “It’s not like out here. Back home is just a
small, local police force. My guess is that the person I spoke to is the one who’s involved with the NLC. That’s usually how my luck goes.”

  “Did you go anywhere else?” Mia asked.

  “I found a local branch of the FBI, reported everything and never heard back.”

  Luke’s jaw muscle tensed. “We’ll need to get the FBI involved. I have several contacts at the bureau that I trust, but I agree that timing is of the essence.”

  “If the NLC gets suspicious at all, they’ll stop the upcoming delivery, and the whole process will be disrupted, and all of the information I gathered will be useless. The dates, names, addresses would all be a thing of the imagination,” I said, feeling the panic set in.

  “They’d find new sources, kill the old ones,” Luke agreed. “I see your hesitancy. We won’t do anything to jeopardize what you’ve gathered.”

  “I don’t know how you’ve done it,” Mia whispered.

  “In order to function, I’ve had to compartmentalize everything, including my existence. I didn’t dare allow myself to think of the lives that were in danger, the lives that had already been extinguished in years past. I knew if I let myself think about everything in too much detail, I’d become paralyzed in fear and sorrow. One of the items I came across about six months ago was a photo album…” I stopped.

  “A photo album?” Mia questioned, her eyes filled with sorrow.

  “Pictures of the captives with country of origin, date of birth, etc.” A lump in my throat made it impossible to continue with details.

  “Do you have a copy?” Luke asked, his voice softening.

  I nodded. “It’s all in a storage locker. That’s one of the things that I worried about the most. That something would happen to me, and everything in the storage locker would just get lost. No one would know it existed and everything would continue to go on.”

  “What you’re doing is very brave,” Luke said, walking over to where I was sitting.

  “No. It’s not. It’s just the right thing to do,” I said, his eyes locking on mine. “These people need to be stopped.”