Cara took the photos from him and her lips parted in surprise. They were photos of her father as a young man. In the last one, Karl Stanford was standing beside a woman who looked enough like Cara to be her sister. It was her mother.
“Oh my God. Where did you get these? Daddy said that all the old photos had been destroyed in a fire.”
“The fire that he also said killed your mother?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry, Cara, but your father lied to you. Karl Stanford kidnapped you away from your mother when you were a baby and they divorced. Your name isn’t Cara Smith. It’s really Caroline Stanford.”
“What?”
“It’s true,” Maxwell said, then he gestured at Cara’s daughter. “Bellarose is a unique name. How did you think of it?”
“I… I always liked it. I knew if I had a daughter someday that I would name her Bellarose.”
“It’s also your mother’s name. You must have remembered that, despite not having seen her since a few weeks before your second birthday.”
Cara touched the photo that showed her mother. There were tears in her eyes. “My mother is alive?”
“Yes,” Maxwell said. He raised a hand and made a waving motion to his other partner, a young woman named Ali. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, and was twenty-one. Ali had been standing with Cara’s mother behind a brick maintenance building. They both walked toward the bench after seeing Maxwell give the signal to do so.
“Daddy lied to me my whole life,” Cara said. “Why?”
“He was selfish and vindictive. Your mother comes from a wealthy family. When she found out that he’d been having an affair, she wanted to divorce him. Stanford told her that if she didn’t set him up with enough money so that he would never have to work again she’d be sorry. Your mother was younger than you are now. She had no money other than what her family gave her. Even so, her father, your grandfather, agreed to give him a hundred thousand dollars if he would go through with the divorce. Your father took the money and then ran off with you, as a way to hurt your mother.”
“He was a hard man, and could be mean at times, but… my God, to take me away from my mother, to tell me she was dead, oh God.”
“Here comes your mother.”
Cara looked up and saw a woman walking toward her who looked like an older version of herself. The woman was grinning even as tears of joy fell from her eyes.
“My baby. I’ve finally found you,” the woman said, the woman named Bellarose. The mother Cara had never completely forgotten.
Cara stood up from the bench and stared at her mother, who took her in her arms. Little Bellarose walked over to them and Cara wiped away tears as she spoke to her.
“Baby, this woman is your grandmother, and my mom.”
Maxwell stood and joined Bo and Ali. Their work was done in West Virginia. It was time to head to Miami and search for another missing young woman, while hunting for the human monsters that took her.
2
No Mercy
Inga Olson, the young woman who’d been rescued at sea, had quite a story to tell. She went missing four years earlier while in Miami on Spring Break. Inga had been an eighteen-year-old college freshman in Tampa who had broken up with her boyfriend. The boyfriend had been a high school sweetheart who had gone to a college in a different state. The breakup had been mutual after they both admitted that their long-distance romance wasn’t working. They agreed to start dating other people and to remain friends.
Before she became serious with another guy, Inga figured she would have fun over Spring Break. After all, wasn’t that what Spring Break was for?
Inga still hadn’t made any close friends at college, but she did get along well with a woman her age who worked at the local coffee shop. Her name was Regina Young. Regina had long dark hair and eyes as blue as Inga’s. When Inga asked her why she wasn’t in college, Regina said that she didn’t need it and was making good money already.
Inga couldn’t see how working in a coffee shop and surviving on tips from broke college students was “good money,” but Regina seemed happy, so Inga didn’t press the issue.
Anyway, Regina was still young. She had time to change her mind and go to school someday. It was Regina’s idea to go to Miami on Spring Break. She had friends there who could loan them a car to get around in.
On the first day there, they met a guy named Nick Duffy. Duffy was twenty-one, blond, handsome as could be, and had money. He drove a red Porsche 911 and dressed like a GQ model. Inga was attracted to him right away.
Nick Duffy took them both to lunch where they met a friend of his named Johan. Johan was tall, good-looking, and had a cute German accent, but he wasn’t in Nick’s league. For one thing, he was really muscular, too muscular for Inga’s taste. Inga was glad when Regina took a liking to Johan, it meant that she wasn’t interested in Nick. And Inga wanted Nick.
They made plans to meet later that night at a warehouse on 43rd Street, where a rave was going to take place. The warehouse was unoccupied and available to lease, and they were expecting over two hundred people to show up. Inga had never been to a rave, but she loved to dance. The fact that there would be drugs there did bother her a little, as she wasn’t into that type of thing, other than to smoke some pot now and then.
Nick smiled at her. “I’m not a druggie either. I get high on life.”
Inga smiled back at him as she felt her heart flutter and she wondered if she were falling in love.
The warehouse was over ten thousand square feet and had ceilings twenty feet high. Whoever was running the rave had strung up lights and brought in a machine that made fog. The music all had a pounding beat and was so loud that it was difficult to hold a conversation with anyone.
There was beer, and ecstasy was being passed around like candy. There were over two hundred people present. Everyone was young, fit, beautiful, and had their lives ahead of them. Inga felt freer than she ever had and took to the dance floor. When Nick joined her, she discovered that along with his good looks he was also a great dancer. And she wasn’t the only one interested in him. Nick was also spending time with a redhead. He’d dance with her, and then return to Inga. When she asked him about the girl, Nick said that they were just friends. Inga had seen the redhead before, at the coffee shop where Regina worked. She was also a friend of Regina’s.
After spending time dancing, Nick leaned in and shouted to be heard over the music. “Let’s get something to drink!”
Inga followed him through the crowd and toward a makeshift bar where there were kegs of beer. Her friend Regina was there with Johan and the two were kissing. When Regina saw them coming, she drew two mugs of beer and told them that they looked thirsty.
“I haven’t danced that much in a long time,” Inga said.
After a short break, Nick wanted to return to the dance floor. When Inga agreed, he leaned in and kissed her. Inga kissed him back and then they headed onto the dance floor again. That was followed by another round of beers.
Later on, as she began feeling disoriented, Inga wondered if she had drunk too much, or if perhaps the warehouse was too hot. It wasn’t until she had trouble standing on her own that she realized something else was to blame. She’d been drunk once while in high school, and she hadn’t felt anything like what she was now experiencing.
She stumbled outside with Nick’s assistance and saw Regina and Johan standing by Johan’s van. When Inga told Regina that something was wrong, Regina said that she was feeling odd too.
“Maybe there was something wrong with the beer,” Regina said.
Inga’s last memory of that night was of Nick Duffy lifting her in his arms and placing her inside the van. Nick had been grinning down at her, and so had his friend, Johan.
Tanner arrived in Miami with the Barlows and was glad he had dressed in lightweight clothing. Although only March, the humidity was high, and the temperature was in the nineties.
Thanks to contacts he’d made through Joe Pullo, he had
a car waiting for him. In the trunk of that car were weapons, ammo, and several useful devices.
The Barlows had to rent a vehicle. Once they had their ride, Tanner followed Kate to the hotel where they were to meet with Maxwell and his team.
Maxwell had a suite on an upper floor. Tanner and the Barlows had reserved rooms in the same hotel before arriving. They had been lucky to get them with Spring Break in session.
Kate pulled into the hotel’s parking structure. When she looked in the rearview mirror, she saw that Tanner drove past the entrance and kept going.
Michael had noticed too. “Where’s he going? I thought we were all staying at the same place.”
“He told me that he wanted to take a look around before checking in, as a precaution.”
“A precaution against what?”
“He didn’t say, but the man hasn’t survived this long while taking on superior odds by not being cautious.”
“Do you think he’s getting paid to do this?”
“No, Michael. He’s doing it as a favor to Spenser.”
“I was nervous being on that ranch of his. I was wondering if he was going to bury us in that private cemetery for what we did to him years ago.”
“Tanner has forgiven us. And he likes us too.”
“He likes you, but I still don’t think he likes me.”
“He might like you more if you weren’t so nervous around him.”
“I can’t help it. The guy makes me jittery.”
After checking in, they waited in the lobby for Tanner. He appeared a short time later.
“Is everything all right?” Kate asked.
“It seems to be. Have you checked in yet?”
“We were waiting for you.”
Tanner looked at the clock icon on his phone. “The meeting is in an hour. That gives us plenty of time.”
They checked in, and after dropping off their baggage in their rooms, they relaxed for a few minutes. Tanner was staying down the hall from the Barlows. He was waiting for an elevator when he saw them leave their room. He noticed that Kate’s eyes were red, and she appeared to be upset.
“Is something wrong, Kate?”
“I… Michael and I just received bad news from my mother. Two old friends of ours died in a house fire. They used to be our best friends and we would double date together.”
“I’m sorry for your loss; you too, Michael.”
“Thanks, Tanner. It was a shock to hear about it, even though we hadn’t seen them in years.”
The elevator arrived and two attractive women stepped off. One of them nudged her friend as she was looking Tanner over. The friend gave Tanner the once over as well, along with a smile. When Tanner didn’t respond, they walked on down the hallway.
“You have admirers, Tanner,” Kate said.
“Women never looked at me like that,” Michael said. “I’m too plain.”
“I always looked at you like that,” Kate said.
Michael kissed her on the cheek. “That’s because I charmed you.”
They arrived at the floor where Maxwell’s suite was located. Bo answered the door and bid them to enter. His voice was a deep baritone. When he offered Tanner his hand, he smiled.
“Spenser said that you had unique eyes. I see what he meant.”
“And he told me that you were huge. He wasn’t kidding.”
Kate patted Bo on the chest as she walked past him. She had to reach up to do so. “Bo is a teddy bear. Don’t let his size fool you. He’s also a wealth of information.”
“I read a lot and I have a great memory,” Bo said.
Maxwell had been seated in a set of chairs at a table, along with Ali. Introductions were made and Maxwell suggested that they all sit and discuss what it is they wanted to do.
“Does anyone want something to drink first?” Ali asked.
No one did, and Maxwell began the meeting. “Let me be clear,” Maxwell said. “When we find these people, we’ll show them no mercy. They certainly don’t deserve any. But before we start talking strategy, Tanner, have you read Inga Olson’s account of her ordeal?”
Tanner nodded. He had read Inga’s story. It made him eager to find the people who harmed her. Being the father of a daughter only gave him more incentive to do so. And yes, he would show them no mercy.
3
Hell On Earth
When Inga woke after having been drugged, she had a pounding headache. As she opened her eyes, she was blinded momentarily by a bright light shining down on her from overhead. Her mind was still fuzzy, but clearing, and she realized that she was naked and lying on a metal surface. Cloth had been wrapped around her wrists and ankles. Over the cloth were manacles connected to chains. In her mouth was a ball gag and something soft was secured around her neck and keeping her from lifting her head.
She was not alone. There were other young women with her. Inga could make out three on her left side and at least five to her right. They were all naked, gagged, and bound the same way she was, and some had yet to wake up.
The girl at the farthest edge of her sight she took to be Regina, because of the mane of dark hair she could see. When she tried to raise her head to get a better look, the restraint around her neck prevented it.
Inga lay there like that, while wondering what the hell was going on. When she realized that the surface she was lying on was rocking gently, she understood that they were on a ship of some kind.
The girl to her left, was the same redhead she had seen at the rave, the one who had been talking to Nick. The girl mumbled at her. Inga turned to look at her and saw a set of pleading eyes staring at her. She was unable to answer the girl’s beseeching green-eyed gaze. Inga knew no more than she did about what was going on. Even if she had, there was no way to communicate with a ball gag secured in her mouth.
The women laid there like that in misery and confusion for over an hour before they heard the sound of boots walking on metal stairs.
Two men had come down into the vessel’s cargo hold. One was younger than the other, who had salt and pepper hair and a gray beard. The older man stopped and stood in front of each of them while staring down at them intently. He spoke to the younger man in a language that sounded to Inga like it might be French. The younger man typed his remarks into the computer tablet he was holding. He also used the tablet to take photos.
The older man’s gaze was like that of a doctor. He was evaluating, not leering. That wasn’t true of the younger man. His eyes were filled with lust and he focused his attention on the space between each of their spread thighs.
The men walked beyond Inga’s line of sight and she understood that it was because there were yet more women there.
Inga was too frightened to make a sound, but some of the others were forming muffled words as they attempted to ask questions. The redhead beside her, who had large natural breasts, was straining with all she had to get free. Her words were unintelligible, but it was easy to discern that she was swearing at the men.
The older man finished his inspection of his captives and went back to stand before the angry woman. When he spoke in English, Inga was certain then that his accent was French.
“Your old lives are over. You now belong to us. You were chosen because of your beauty and youth. They are commodities in this world which many will pay large sums for. When we reach our destination, you will be sold off to the highest bidder. And I assure you that there is no chance that you will be rescued or given an opportunity to escape.”
The woman secured to the floor in front of him had grown louder. The man instructed his companion to release the ball gag in her mouth. Once she was able to talk, she shouted at the man.
“You French son of a bitch. You’d better release me and the others if you know what’s good for you.”
The man appeared to be amused. “And why is that?”
“I’m Vicky Denton. My father is Mack Denton. He owns Denton Realty and is wealthy. My father will hire men to look for me. When they find me, yo
ur ass will be in deep shit.”
The older man appeared to be considering her words. He spoke to his companion.
“Andre, the young lady may be right. Make a note to have someone pay Mr. Mack Denton of Miami a visit.”
“Are you going to ask my father for a ransom?”
“No. He will be killed. If he’s dead, he can’t hire men to find you.”
A face that had been crimson with anger turned pale with fear. “You can’t kill my dad.”
“I won’t, but we have people for such things. If any of you give us trouble or refuse to do as you are told, someone will visit your families and bring harm to them. If even a year from now a client expresses dissatisfaction with you, we will take it out on your family. As I said before, your old lives are over. Behave. Be a good slave, and your loved ones won’t have to suffer with you.”
The older man gestured for the younger man to secure the gag on Vicky Denton again. Vicky didn’t protest, but only begged for her father’s life to be spared until the gag was back in place.
Inga and the others endured being secured to the deck of the ship’s hold for more than a day. During that time, they were not given water or food. Their waste mixed together and spread beneath them as the ship rocked during its journey.
Feelings of degradation, humiliation, and hopelessness washed over Inga during those dark hours, to mix with a sense of disbelief. Like many women, she occasionally feared that she might be raped or otherwise sexually assaulted, perhaps even be a victim of a serial killer. But she never imagined that she would be abducted and shipped off to be sold as property, as chattel. She was experiencing it and it still seemed unimaginable to her.
Her last memory before blacking out concerned Nick Duffy and his friend Johan. Far from looking troubled by her condition, the two of them had been grinning. They must have drugged her, and Regina as well.
Sins of the Father and Mother (A Tanner Novel Book 42) Page 2
