Truth or Lies?

by A. Gomez

  I nodded my head, remembering Betty Lou. “Yes, her name is Betty Lou. I don’t know her last name. I never asked, but you have to promise me that no one will take her back to her mother. Her mother’s boyfriend sold her to Chang and if she goes back he’ll just do it again.”

  “I promise, baby. We already know the story anyway. The girl’s mother called the police and the sleaze confessed. Betty Lou will probably be placed with her grandmother until the court decides what happens.”

  I sighed with relief. “All the girls are in the attic.”

  “Which one? There’s at least three attics the men have already checked.”

  I chuckled at the girls’ brilliant hiding skills. “I actually don’t know but if I can call my cell phone they’ll answer and I can tell them to come out.”

  “Ha!” Josh let out a quick chuckle. “Did you think of this?”

  I nodded, smiling and feeling relieved. Josh dialed my number and handed me his cell phone. He sat beside me, gazing at me intently. I placed the call on speaker so everyone could hear. I told the girls to come out. I asked Lilly to hand the phone to Betty so I could tell her where to find me. I didn’t want her thinking I’d abandoned her.

  I stood up and headed for a bathroom. “Hey,” Josh jumped up and grabbed my hand. “Where are you going?”

  “I need a bathroom. I’d like to clean up just a bit.”

  “Of course, baby, just don’t get up and leave… okay?” He was in front of me, stroking my hair and cheek. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”

  Together we walked to the bathroom. Josh waited at the threshold, watching me, scanning the inside of the bathroom and everything outside of it. I just focused on cleaning up.

  38

  The girls began to surface. I thought I would hear loud chatter and excited voices but I barely even heard their footsteps. They must be incredulous to the fact, or even the thought, of being rescued. I didn’t blame them, I felt the same way. I stood on the sofa looking for Betty Lou and Lilly. As soon as all the girls saw me rise above all the body-armored men, they began to call my name. I could see relief flood their young faces.

  “Isabel Grace!” I heard Betty’s voice among the sea of girls but I couldn’t locate her. Then I saw Lilly and Betty Lou bouncing up and down. Lilly was waving her hand, holding my phone. I jumped down, about to run to Betty, when I saw the other agents parting the sea of girls so Lilly and Betty could get through. As soon as they reached me, all three of us hugged. Lilly and Betty were sobbing. They couldn’t believe we were actually rescued. Lilly couldn’t believe I was actually alive.

  “I knew you and Caroline would get the jammers disconnected but I thought for sure you would get killed doing it,” Lilly said through sobs. “I’m so glad you didn’t get killed.”

  I giggled at her morbid thoughts. “Me too, Lilly. Me too.” We hugged so tight and for so long that when I finally looked up, a lot of the other girls had been ushered out.

  “Josh! Where are the rest of the girls?” I sounded panicked, letting go of Betty Lou and Lilly.

  “Don’t worry, baby, Pam’s here and so is Davis, helping with medical care and a safe haven for all the girls. They are all safe now.” He wrapped his arm around my waist. “Davis is taking charge of the girls’ medical needs and Pam is taking care of shelter for them. We need to get your two friends to Davis so they can get looked at by a doctor and then to the safe place.”

  “I can’t leave Betty, Josh. I just can’t. I have to make sure… I need to make sure she’s going to be well taken care of and someone that loves her will come get her.”

  Josh nodded. “Of course, baby. Pam and Davis already spoke with her grandmother and she’s to meet us at the hospital Davis designated for all the girls.”

  “Can we trust her grandmother?”

  “Isabel Grace,” Betty was tugging on my arm. “My grandmi is nice. She tried to keep me and my baby sister a long time ago but my mom and her boyfriend ran away with us and we haven’t seen her since.” Betty was smiling with excitement. “You can trust her, really. She loves me and my sister.”

  I smiled down at her, relieved to hear that Betty Lou would have someone that loved her come and take her to a safe home.

  Some of the girls’ parents were able to come to the hospital and be reunited with their daughters right away, practically. The ones whose parents couldn’t come, because of where they were located in the U.S., would come late in the evening or early the next morning. It was whatever they could arrange with the airlines. I was lucky and my entire family was waiting for me at the hospital, parents and both my brothers. Belín was with them too. She never left for Dallas or Spain.

  “Oh, honey…” my mother quickly hugged me tight, sobbing. My dad came over and embraced us both. He was kissing the top of my head over and over and holding us close. His embrace was so firm I was having trouble breathing.

  “I’m okay, Mom, really. No one touched me or hurt me… I promise.” I looked up at my father to reassure him and saw that he was blinking tears away.

  “Daddy, it’s okay, I’m okay… well, I may need some therapy but other than that, I’m fine.”

  My father sniffled a few times, releasing my mother and me from his embrace. He walked over to Josh, shook his hand and gave him a tight hug as well. I was so happy to see everyone. Both Charles Andrew and Thomas Henry rushed me, nearly knocking me over, giving me the biggest bear hug I had every gotten from them in all our years growing up together. They even kissed my cheek and forehead. They were never the emotional or affectionate type but I supposed having your sister kidnapped by sex traffickers and possibly sold to some random lowlife and never seeing her again tugged on their heartstrings.

  “Isabel Grace…” Thomas Henry’s voice was hoarse with emotion. “Isabel Grace, I am so sorry. I don’t know what to say. I’m just so sorry.” Charles Andrew was trying to speak but couldn’t manage it.

  I hugged them tight and held them close to me. “I love you both,” I muttered. I wanted to cry but just couldn’t. I didn’t know why. I was so happy to see my family, but since I was so exhausted and preoccupied thinking about the girls, the tears just didn’t come. Belín was the last one to hug me. She kissed both my cheeks and held me close to her, giving me tight squeezes every now and then. Tears pooled in her eyes, spilling over onto her cheeks.

  She let go, gazing at me intently. “Your hair is short.” She smiled warmly, gently touching my hair. “Isabel, I’m so glad you’re safe,” she whimpered. “It should have been me. I’ve been in situations like this a lot. This never should have happened to you. Ben feels terrible about it.”

  She’d been in these situations? And a lot? And she seemed fine. No sign of PTSD that I could see. I had no idea. I shook my head. “Tell him he shouldn’t. This is not his fault. If anything, it’s my fault for not listening to Conny and leaving when they wanted me to leave. Conny would still be alive if it weren’t for me,” I spoke in a whisper. I should’ve killed that Triad member that was crouching over his body. I had so much regret I couldn’t stand it.”

  “Let’s not worry about that now,” Belín said. “You’re home safe and that’s all that matters.”

  Just then, Betty Lou came running with her grandmother at her heels. “Isabel Grace! This is my grandmi,” she shouted cheerfully. “She said that my baby sister is at home with her too!” Betty sounded elated. “She said she got some lawyers and the lawyers were able to help her get custody of my sister. Isn’t that great? I’ll be with my grandmi and my sister!” She hugged me as hard as she could. “I haven’t stopped praying, Isabel Grace. You were right about that. I’ll never stop praying as long as I live.” Betty gazed up at me, still holding me.

  “That’s so great, Betty Lou! You know, you never told me your sister’s name.”

  “It’s Joanna but we call her Jo Jo for short.”

  “Jo Jo, huh? I like it. Hey, why don’t you introduce me to your grandmaw?”

  “Oh, ye
ah.” She giggled at my twang and turned to grab her grandmother’s hand. “Grandmi, this is Isabel Grace. She’s the one I told you about… the lady who told me about praying and she took care of me, too.” Betty’s grandmother’s eyes were filled with tears.

  “Hi, I’m Abigail. I just don’t know how to thank you,” she said, extending her hand. I took it with both of mine then she placed her other hand on top of mine. “The FBI told me who this Victor Chang is and how he bought Betty Lou and then to hear how you protected her…” She couldn’t finish her thought, her voice strained. She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. “I just don’t know what I would do if I ever lost Betty and her sister.”

  I was speechless with emotion. The only thing I could do was hug Abigail and Betty Lou. We exchanged phone numbers. I told her I would be in touch since we would most likely be going to court for what happened to us. She gave me her address and said I was always welcome in her home. Josh took it a step further and gave the grandmother his number too. He told them if there was ever a problem with the boyfriend that sold Betty, to give him a call. We then said goodbye to each other.

  “Honey,” my mother interjected, “let’s get you with a doctor so we can take you home and get cleaned up.”

  I wondered if she meant home to my brownstone or back home to Dallas. “Mom, I really want to make sure that all the girls are well taken care of. I can’t just selfishly leave and forget about them. Also… Caroline! I found Caroline Fitzsimmons!”

  “I knew you would say that and yes, we know about Caro.” She was stroking my hair and rubbing my arms. “She’s in surgery and her parents are here now. She’s going to be fine, sweetheart.” Her eyes flashed to my father. “We know about David too, honey, but no one will tell us anything.”

  “I heard they were able to jumpstart him, Cat. Last I heard he was in good hands.”

  I spun, eyeing Josh, “’Jumpstart him?’ Someone’s been spending a lot of time with my father.” I grinned at him. “That is a car analogy if I ever heard one.” Everyone laughed.

  “So, we got two suites at the Waldorf Astoria in the city. Josh, too, had a feeling you wouldn’t leave the girls so he reassured us that he would not leave your side and he would take care of you.” My mother smiled at Josh. He no longer had his bulletproof vest on but only wore a jacket with the letters FBI on the back. I had forgotten that I had his shirt on.

  “Okay, sweetheart, we’ll leave you in good hands. Just make sure you call me once you’re on your way home… or you can come stay with us at the Waldorf.”

  “Thanks, Mom. I’ll call y’all once I’m done here.”

  Josh wouldn’t let me check on any girls until I was checked out by a doctor first. He kept saying he wanted to make sure I really was just drunk and didn’t have other substances in my system. I told him how I was the one who drugged and taped up Chang so there was no reason for concern. He stared at me, speechless.

  Once I was seen by a doctor and my blood work came back clear, I was free to leave. By then, all the girls had been picked up by their parents, were still being seen by a doctor or Pam had relocated them to a safe place.

  “Baby, there’s nothing for you to do here. Let me take you home. I promise you’ll be able to see all the girls again and make sure they’re all fine.” He took my hand and pulled me toward him. He lifted my chin up with his finger, planting a gentle kiss on my lips. “You look beat. Come on… let’s go.”

  Josh didn’t let go of my hand. In fact, he gripped it a little tighter, leading me through the exit and out to his truck. He was scanning the parking lot and taking in all the people around us. He was in FBI mode, it seemed like. Must be an occupational hazard. He helped me in his truck then scanned his surroundings once again before walking to the driver’s side.

  We were both quiet on the ride to my house. Josh held my hand and would occasionally bring it up to his lips and kiss the back of my hand. I just sat in the passenger seat gazing at him, smiling sleepily at him, feeling sluggish. He looked so different, yet he still looked like the same Greek god that was once asleep on my sofa. His hair was over his ears and bushy. It was wavy and it kind of reminded me of beach-blown hair. I liked it. His beard was short yet full and not as blond as his hair. When I had touched it, it didn’t feel like sandpaper anymore. It was soft and plush like an expensive rug. I couldn’t decide if I liked it. I glanced at the clock. It was two in the morning. No wonder I was feeling so sluggish.

  “Hey,” Josh said, glancing over at me, “what are you thinking?”

  “I can’t decide if I like your beard or not.” I paused for a moment. “I think I do like it. I like your long, wavy hair too. It’s almost as long as mine now.” I smirked.

  “Ha ha.” He kissed my hand again. “I suppose it is, since your hair is just above your shoulders now.”

  He stopped the truck and put it in park. I looked around and saw that we weren’t at my house. “I thought you were taking me home?”

  “Yes, my home,” he answered. “Something I should’ve done from the beginning.”

  I looked at the building we were in front of. “You live in a high-rise?” My eyes flashed at the people walking in and out of the building. There was a doorman in a uniform coat suitable for Chicago winters and nice gloves to match. He was at the revolving door, helping some of the people with the door and talking to others. I looked at our surroundings and noticed we were in the heart of the city, very close to my office.

  Josh was gazing at me, still holding my hand. “It’ll be better here. I have no back door, no basement and a lot less square footage… plus I have a doorman that can help me keep an eye on things and people that are coming and going. It’ll be easier to secure.”

  “Oh. You’re talking like I still need protecting. Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  “No, baby, not at all. I’m just feeling overprotective that’s all. Just humor me for now, okay?”

  I nodded, gazing up at the high-rise. “This looks like a pretty high-end building. Don’t they have a garage for your car?”

  “They do and I do have my own spot but I’d like you to meet the doorman. His name is Billy. He hasn’t seen me in six weeks. He must think I’m dead, given the line of work I’m in.” He chuckled.

  Seriously? He wants me to meet him now? “Josh! I look a mess! I mean, look at me! I’m wearing your shirt, I have vomit in my hair and you just have an FBI jacket on and no shirt. What’s he going to think?!”

  “He’s going to think you’re my girlfriend. And I think you look beautiful.”

  I rolled my eyes at him. “Okay, let’s get this over with.” I let out a long sigh, thinking not only did I look awful but it was entirely too late for this.

  “Thank you, baby. Don’t get out. Let me come around and help you.”

  Oh, for goodness sake! How long would this overprotectiveness last? I stepped out of the truck while Josh held the door open and gave me his hand for support. I was actually grateful for his help. I was more tired than I thought and missed the extra step on the truck, getting out.

  He caught me in his arms, planting several kisses on my lips. “Are you okay, baby?” he whispered in my ear, kissing me just under my earlobe.

  “I’m fine. You just have a very tall truck.”

  “Fair enough.” He chuckled.

  It was a short walk to the entrance of the building. Billy had already spotted us and was waving. He wasn’t as tall as Josh but taller than me. He was older with salt and pepper hair and had a pleasant face. His smile was broad and he had a belly you could notice even through his heavy doorman’s coat.

  “Billy, this is my beautiful girlfriend, Dr. Isabel Grace Langley. She’s going to be staying with me for a while so I want you to take extra special care of her.” Josh wrapped his arm around me, kissing my cheek.

  I offered Billy my hand. He shook it with his meaty hand and a firm grip. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Billy,” I said through chattering teeth. I was freezing.
Billy held the door open for us so we could walk in.

  “The pleasure is all mine, Dr. Langley.” He tipped his hat to me. “I never thought I’d see the day that Josh would actually let a girl up to his apartment.”

  Josh flashed him a look. “Billy is our nighttime doorman. When does your shift end, Billy?” Josh quickly changed the subject. I smiled at Billy at the obvious change.

  “I get off at six in the morning. That’s when Otto comes to relieve me. He’s a character. You’ll love him, Dr. Langley,” Billy added, winking.

  “Yes, I’ll introduce you to him tomorrow after a good night’s rest,” Josh said. “Thanks, Billy.” Josh shook his hand. “Take it easy.”

  “It was very nice meeting you, Billy,” I said loudly as we walked to the elevators. Billy tipped his hat to me again, smiling.

  As we rode up the elevator, Josh grasped me by the waist, turned me toward him and kept kissing my hair, my cheek, my neck, my hands and my lips. He was smiling from ear to ear. I placed my hands on his upper arms squeezing his hard biceps.

  “Honey, you’re grinning like a fool. Are you excited I’m staying with you?”

  “Baby, you just have no idea how happy I am to have you here with me. It’s not so much that you’re staying at my place but that we’re actually together.” He kissed me hard on the lips this time, his lips demanding, his tongue invading my mouth. My heart started to race and I felt electricity coursing throughout my body. All those memories of how Josh made me feel when he kissed me or touched me came flooding back. My lips curled up in a shy smile. I could feel my cheeks getting hot. I must have been blushing. I was glad the lights in there were dim.

  The elevator pinged and the doors opened. Josh hesitated, scanning the hallways before walking us out. Why hadn’t his FBI button switched to off? The hallways were deserted and the lights were dimmed. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. We reached his door and he quickly ushered me in, locking and deadbolting the door behind him.