Chapter 6

Meanwhile, in her loft apartment, Joanne felt a burning sensation in her stomach from too much coffee. Her eyes hurt from reading and rereading the case files. These Bob Whites were her last hope.

They were Katya’s last hope. Her cousin Lilly’s daughter. She bit back tears. Raked a hand through her hair for the tenth time that night. When Lilly and Brice were killed two years ago, she was shocked that they named her Katya’s guardian. She was only twenty-four to Katya’s ten. The pre-teen was a silent mess when she had come to live with Jo.

Now twelve, Katya was all long legs and braces. She had a head full of ash blond hair that she still wore in a waist length braid. The hair color had come from her father’s side as the freckles that dusted her cheeks had come from Lilly’s side of the family. Where the temper and the interest in computers had originated was hotly debated by all.

Jo gulped down another coffee; she had thought they were working things out. Believed that she had done all the right things. Katya had counseling; she was doing much better in school. Her counselor said that most teens went through a phase where they gravitated to their friends rather than their families.

Joanne slammed her mug down on the counter. The bloody counselor had said nothing about what to do if those friends were online. He said nothing about what to do if those so-called friends were online predators. She ignored the pain from the cut on her hand. Katya had to be found or Jo’s life was over. “Damn it, Katya, I thought you had more sense. I thought I had taught you enough about online safety,” Jo sobbed.

In the safe house, Samuel tossed and turned, trying not to think of his uncle. Of the vicious verbal lashings that Dexter gave him when his school marks were not up to par. Of how his uncle had taken his father’s place in the boardroom—he gritted his teeth—and in his mother's bedroom. Sam was tormented by the thought of his uncle’s threats to his younger sisters. Hannah was eleven and Kara was ten; they were at risk. They were not quite the age his uncle and his friends usually targeted, but he couldn’t risk talking to that Jim fellow, no matter how nice the guy was.

Frantically he tried to think of anything other than the threats that filled his mind. A face filled his dreams. He had only caught a glimpse of her. A girl not much younger than him with a tousled braid of ash blond hair and a face full of freckles. She was cussing up a storm, kicking and biting. She had even gotten a piece of his good-for-nothing uncle.

He growled; he refused to call Dexter his stepfather. The man was a slime ball. He hadn’t dreamt, when he started snooping, what horrors he would find. Human trafficker. The man was beyond evil. When Dexter caught him snooping and started in on him, it had taken weeks for the bruises to heal. Only the threats to his younger sisters kept him silent. As for his mother, the less said the better. Despondent, Samuel sank into an uneasy sleep.

In the Wheeler penthouse, Jim cuddled his girl to him. They hadn’t even had to discuss it. They were together in his bedroom. He grinned crookedly; not that anything was going to happen tonight. Trixie wore one of his old sweat tops, over a tank and a pair of shorts, to bed. She had kissed him goodnight and was out faster than the light. He ran a finger through her hair. His girl, the woman he had loved since he was fifteen. The light of his life. His eyes grew heavy with sleep. He wouldn’t let anyone take her away from him, no matter what. Wrapping his arms around her even more firmly, finally he, too, slept.

Chapter 7

The next morning, no one was looking their best. Jo, with dark circles under her eyes, had picked Dan up at seven. They were to meet Hallie, Sam, and the others at the office. When they got there Dan closeted himself with Joey, wanting answers to the questions he had about online gaming. Jim, after a furious row with Hallie about his ditching her yesterday, was going to take another crack at Sam. Meanwhile, Trixie was mainlining coffee as she played online. All knew the stakes and tempers were flaring.

Hallie wandered through the building that was being used as the command post for the current sting operation. She noticed that Jim was pacing, but that there was no sign of Trixie.

He’s probably ready to lose his mind if his precious Trixie is out of his sight, smirked Hallie. She knew that their love was something that poets only dreamed of and the sight of the two always made her stomach turn a bit. She never understood what Jim and Trixie saw in each other. Scanning the rest of room, Hallie’s jaw clenched as she realized that she couldn’t see either Dan or Joanne. “They better not be planning something without me,” she muttered. As Hallie stomped about the room, she opened and closed doors into various rooms in search of Dan and Joanne.

She paused when she opened one door and found her cousin totally engrossed in an online game. Once again, she wondered what it was that everybody saw in her cousin that made them think she was so amazing. She’s short, she’s got all those curls, she has freckles, and she has no idea how to even curl her eyelashes, Hallie thought. But deep down, she recognized the beauty that her cousin had become. That a lot of Trixie’s beauty came from within. She listened as Trixie chatted away with an online gamer, not sure if she was making a necessary contact or not.

“What do you mean I need to level up before I can do that?” Hallie heard Trixie ask. “I still need to find the weapons. Maybe you can help me with that.”

Hallie rolled her eyes and made a gagging gesture as Trixie chatted away with an unknown player. Trixie paused only for a brief second as she adjusted the earpiece so that she could hear her fellow gamers more clearly. It appeared to Hallie that once again, Trixie had jumped into the current mystery and was at her peak performance in the quest to solve it.

“Yes! Yes!” Hallie heard Trixie yell. “I got it. Woo-hoo! I love this game and this place.”

Hallie turned and walked away. She knew that with Trixie’s enthusiasm and ability to sniff out clues, it wouldn’t be long before they would be on the trail of whoever was abducting the kids.

Back in her gaming room, Trixie was continuing to play the on-line fantasy game. She had gotten a headset earlier that day and was now chatting with the other players. “How do I get that weapon?” she asked an unknown gamer. After waiting for a reply, Trixie performed a series of moves that netted her the desired weapon. “Thanks for helping me,” she gushed. “You are so smart.” A few minutes later, Trixie could be heard saying, “My name? Oh, my name is Tricia. What’s yours?” As Trixie answered the questions, she felt herself quiver as the familiar excitement of investigating began to unfold for her.

Several miles away, in a den that was filled with soft, cushy furniture and various pictures of family members, sat JD, a man who played 24 hours a day and collected weapons and levels as well as players. Well, collecting the players was more his twin, Jason’s thing. Jason was a well-respected member of the community, one who always gave when school kids knocked on his door selling magazines or chocolates. He made sure to buy extra groceries that he then donated to local food pantries. He always cleaned up after his dog. His trash was always divided between what could be recycled and what could not. In short, he was the type of model citizen that everybody wanted as their next-door neighbor. His slightly graying hair, wire-rimmed glasses, and small stature made him appear quite harmless. His welcoming nature always pulled the neighborhood kids into his circle. He knew how to charm them with jokes and funny stories, yet also be attentive and empathetic at the same time. He was quite a successful asset to the underground world in which he participated.

JD knew how and from where to woo his next victim. His eyes eagerly darted across the computer screen as he noted the number of players that had logged on. JD’s attention intensified as he noted the arrival of a newbie. He monitored her progress and silently cheered when she began conversations with other players. JD knew it would only be a matter of time until he made his introduction to her, found out about her, and then charted her future for her. Sitting back in his Lazy Boy recliner, JD propped his feet up and popped open a Coke. He knew that for the rest of the day, he would be zeroed in on “Tricia,” the new player who seemed to love the game and people who played it. “This day is off to a great start,” he murmured to himself as he raised his Coke in a mock toast to the quiet room and settled his laptop into a more comfortable position.

Jim carefully carried a tray full of coffee and tea that he had brought from the nearby coffee shop. Setting it down on an unoccupied table, he went in search of Trixie and Dan. He immediately found Dan, who was still reviewing the files and muttering to himself.

A few minutes later, he walked into the room where Trixie was excitedly talking to what appeared to be herself. As Jim walked around her, he noticed that she was wearing a small headpiece that had a microphone and an ear set attached. He listened as she chatted away with unknown entities about weapons, levels, and treasures. Shaking his head in amazement, he wondered how Trixie had been able to grasp the game so quickly. He knew that, although she had slept soundly the previous night, she didn’t get many hours of sleep. How she was managing to navigate a complicated game while establishing a new identity was beyond him. He heard her say, “Away from keyboard.” He watched as she slipped the headset off her head and laid it down on the table. Grabbing Jim’s hand, the two walked out of the room. Trixie saw the cups from the nearby shop and made a dash to the table to grab a chai tea for herself.

“Yum, just what I needed. How do you always know what I need?” she purred to Jim.

“I guess I know how to take care of you better than anyone else,” he grinned as he picked up a cup of coffee for himself. “How’s the gaming going? You seem to be doing pretty well.”

“Well,” Trixie began. “I am getting the feel for the game and have managed to make contact with a lot of other players. They keep giving me tips on how to move through the levels faster. It is a pretty intense game with some complicated moves.”

“Have you made contact with anyone who seems suspicious to you?” Jim asked.

“Um, I don’t think so.” answered Trixie. “Nobody has asked me about my personal life yet. When that happens, I will be sure to let you guys know.”

Trixie and Jim sat themselves down at the table and continued to sip their drinks and chat. Trixie was grateful for the chance to relax away from the gaming room. The experience of gaming was intense. She definitely needed a break. Spending time with Jim recharged her energy and it helped Jim feel needed. She knew seeing her safe and out of harm’s way helped Jim as well. While the two of them were chatting, Dan arrived and grabbed himself a cup of the fragrant coffee.

“Man, these kids really have a rough life. You know, for as horrible as mine was, it just doesn’t seem as bad as what these kids have,” he remarked.

Jim nodded grimly. “I know. I really want to be able to give kids some sense of purpose. They have a lot going for them, they just don’t realize it. They think that all they need to do is to get through school. Or at least get to the age where they can drop out, and then live off the streets through various means. Some of these kids don’t even live with their parents. Either they live with relatives or they are in some kind of a group home. No wonder they are so vulnerable.” Jim blew on his coffee slightly before taking another sip.

“And that is why this has to work. We have to get these piece of scum off the streets and away from these kids,” said Trixie as she drained her chair tea and tossed the cup into the nearby trashcan. “Well,” she said standing up and stretching, “I’ve got to get back to the grind.” Dan and Jim watched her as she crossed the room and entered the small office where her gaming system had been set up.

“You okay?” asked Dan as he noted his friend’s tense jaw.

“Yeah,” Jim answered.

“Think she’ll be able to do it?”

Jim stared into his friend’s face. “This is Trixie, the girl who solves 100 year old mysteries, intercepts gun runners, finds jewels, exposes imposters, and saves people. So yes, I have no doubt she will be able to pull this off. I just hope she is still with us when it is all over.”

Dan watched as Jim stood abruptly and walked across the room and out of sight. “I hear you, brother,” he muttered as he tossed his now empty coffee cup into the trash. Standing up, he worked the kinks out of his neck and back as he walked back to his own small office to continue studying the files that were strewn across his desk. As he passed the room where Trixie was playing her game, he could hear her talking.

“Oh crap, I’ll be right back. I have to go do the dishes and if I don’t get them done my step dad will have a fit when he gets home from work. I sure wish he would buy a dishwasher. But then again, why bother when he has me?” Trixie yanked off her headset and turned around to find Dan grinning at her.

“A little realism in your role-playing Belden?” he teased.

Trixie shrugged. “You know what they say. If you keep the lies to a minimum, there is less chance of making an error.”

Dan punched Trixie lightly in the arm. “Who knew that all the slaving over dishes would someday be an asset to you and one of your cases?”

Trixie stuck her tongue out at Dan and then brushed by him on her way to the bathroom. Dan watched her go and then returned to his stack of files.

By the third day, everyone involved in the case was feeling the urgency. If Trixie wasn’t able to make contact soon, they would risk losing Allison and the other girls already abducted. Trixie was incredibly grateful to Jim for insisting from the beginning that she take care of herself, whether it was breaks for food, sleep, or just to stretch and go for a walk.

Chapter 8

Trixie felt a bit of guilt for her absorption in the case. While she played the game, Jim spent long hours with Sam, earning his trust and learning what he could. She knew the memories of his years under Jones had to be weighing heavily on him, and she was too focused on her piece of the mission to be much support for him.

Dan alternated between playing the game, in the hopes of being targeted as another ‘Sam’, and pouring through the files, trying to make connections. Trixie noticed with a grim smile that he hurried to the computer anytime he heard Hallie’s voice in the hallway. Someday, we’re all going to have to work out the mess between the two of them. But not today. Today the kids come first.

Hallie supervised Jim’s conversations with Sam. Jim understood the necessity, but wished she could leave them alone. Sam had been more receptive when Jim had ducked Hallie and spoken to him alone.

Joanne was everywhere, supervising all of them and her own team of agents, as every lead was pursued and every stone overturned. Subtly she flirted with Dan every chance she got, and smirked when he and Hallie argued. However, what Joanne didn’t let anyone else see was that the digital watch on her wrist counted the time Katya had been missing, rather than displaying the current time. They needed to move faster!

Over a quick lunch break, Joanne asked Trixie how her game play went.

“I just sent a list to your team as I signed out to eat. Half a dozen players have indicated an interest in meeting offline. Three are, I believe, kids trying to find the friends they don’t have at school. Their willingness to give up personal information is dangerous, but genuine.”

“If that’s so, they aren’t our concern.”

“Until they arrange a meeting with someone else who isn’t who they say!” Trixie protested. “We should still set a meet, so someone can explain internet safety to them.”

“The ring is our primary concern. It’s our only objective,” Joanne said firmly.

Trixie glared at her and then looked pleadingly at Dan. He nodded. “With your leave,” he said to Jo, “I know a couple of police officers, who will make the meetings on their own time, for the kids’ sake, if we give them the details.”

“Go ahead,” Joanne said dismissively. “The other three?” She asked Trixie.

“One isn’t who she says she is, but I don’t have a solid read on whether she’s just fantasizing about her younger days, or targeting the children. She strikes me as the last-minute cancellation type. I think one or both of the other two are part of our ring. If I go with my gut instinct the person with user name DragonSlayer might be up to something. But the guy with username NESA, he’s the one. He’s too eager, and the email address that Sam used to contact Allison was Nesa-Sam@yahoo.com.”

“My people will have the IPs traced and the owners of those usernames identified by day’s end,” Joanne assured her. “Set meets with both, as soon as possible. It’s past time we moved in on this ring.”

Chapter 9

In the changing room, Trixie looked down at herself with a sigh. She had been wired for sound, but that wasn’t the problem. Her persona was that of a naive teenage girl and that meant that she had to look the part. Trixie yelled for Joanne to come in. The agent choked back a laugh as she saw why Trixie had called for her.

Due to Trixie’s generous endowments, Trixie and Joanne both thought that she should be wearing something to flatten her breasts. The only problem was Trixie couldn’t contain her breasts and fasten the band at the same time. Jo hurried forward and fastened the band at the back. She watched as Trixie pulled on a faded pale green tee shirt and over that a button up check top in shades of darker green that was too long for her.

She examined the feisty detective. Trixie was all she had hoped for and more. Now if only this sting worked. With her endowments bound and her long messy curls Trixie looked even more like a teenager. Her ill-fitting clothes and sloppy jeans fit her persona to a T.

Trixie sighed again. “I didn’t realize how much my style had changed thanks to Di and Honey. I feel like I’m twelve again and a complete tomboy. Ugh.”

Jo looked her in the eye. “No, that’s good; you need to keep that mentality, that uncertain feeling, Trixie. We’ve been following some chatter overseas and I think you and whoever else they have on their string here in New York are going to be their last haul before they head overseas. I need for you to make this work.”

“Who do they have of yours, Joanne? What is driving you so hard?” Trixie’s blue eyes met Joanne’s grey.

Joanne’s dropped first. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Yes, you do. You’ve barely slept the last few days. Your nerves are shot because of all the caffeine you are drinking.” Trixie grabbed Jo’s wrist. “Then there’s this. It isn’t telling the correct time, Joanne. What is it telling you?”

Jo sank back into to the chair in the fitting room. “It says that I failed my cousin.” She whispered brokenly. The story tumbled out of her like a break in a dam. The unexpected death of a beloved cousin. The huge responsibility she had taken on, to raise her cousin’s teenage daughter. The online gaming that Katya had taken to like a duck to water. Finally, the day Katya hadn’t come home. The frantic investigation and the horrifying realization that Katya’s case had similarities to other cases up and down the eastern seaboard.

“Ok, then, let’s not fail.” Trixie handed her a tissue.

Joanne looked at her, grateful to finally have everything off her chest. “Right, so let’s go over what is going to happen at the meet this afternoon. It’s set to go down at a public park. You are supposed to meet up with Jase Morgan. He’s fifteen to your fourteen.” Joanne paused.

“And we need him to either hook me up with the real bad guy, who we think goes by the code name NESA and gave Sam his email address, or play him along until they kidnap me,” Trixie finished calmly.

They both eyed the door. “The guys are going to go nuts. You, Hallie, and the others will have to hold them back, you do know that, right?” Trixie asked.

Joanne winced. “I know; I don’t know who is going to be worse: Jim or Dan.”

Trixie’s grin was sympathetic. “Just keep reminding them that I’m wired sixteen ways to Sunday. We need the hard evidence to back up our theory. Plus we need to find where the other girls and boys have been taken. This is the only way in.” They looked at each other in silent agreement. The kidnapping ring had to be taken down.

Meanwhile, as the two women conferred in the changing room, Dan and Jim were talking, too. Desperate to gather more information, Dan was trying to talk Jim into letting him observe a talk between Jim and Sam.

“Look, Jim, I may be able to see something you don’t. You’re the one with the connection to the kid. I just want to observe and see if I can catch anything.” Dan’s face darkened. “For one thing, I want to know who it is at home that the kid is afraid of. He’s been adamant that we not call anyone.”

Jim’s voice was sardonic. “I have enough trouble with Hallie butting in. What makes you think you are going to do any better?”

“Leave Hallie to me. I can handle her. I want as much information as possible, what with Trixie having her first meet this afternoon.” They both looked over at the tall brunette. Hallie had been cool to everyone. The only time she opened up was when she was protecting her young charge. She had been edgy and short with everyone and more of a hindrance than a help with Sam.

The changing room door opened and Trixie and Joanne walked out of the changing room, Joanne leading the way. When Trixie stepped out from behind Joanne, Jim stood up. Looking at a very young looking Trixie, he couldn’t resist walking over to her and holding out his hand.

“Shake, my name’s Jim,” he said with a big grin gracing his freckled face.

Trixie beamed up at Jim as the memory from their first meeting filtered through her mind. She held out her hand and the handshake rapidly became a tight hug.

“Trix,” Jim murmured. “You look like the girl I met so many years ago. You totally caught me by surprise.”

Trixie sighed and continued to hold on to her boyfriend. She knew that he was stressed about this current case and wanted to ease his pain any way she could. It wasn’t going to get easier for him from here out.

“You know that I will be alright, don’t you?” she asked as she looked up into his face.

Jim looked down at his girlfriend. “Do I know that? Of course I don’t. You are the most precious thing in the world to me and yet I am going to let you walk into an unknown and dangerous situation.”

“Jim,” Trixie explained. “I am so wired that I could probably supply power to a small city. I know that you and Dan and others will be nearby. I know we can do this.” Trixie stood on her tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

Jim grinned down at Trixie. “What happened to the soft, squishy parts of your body?” he teased.

“Blah, they are so bound up that I can hardly breathe. I hope they don’t pop out for a surprise appearance during this operation. That would kind of blow my cover, don’t you think?”

“Um hum,” whispered Jim and he continued to hold Trixie in a tight embrace.

“Okay you two, enough of that. We have work to do,” interrupted Dan as he walked by the pair. Jim and Trixie broke apart and followed Dan over to a table where Joanne was reviewing the plan for the meet in the park.

Joanne opened the conversation, “Trixie and I were talking and she thought it would be a good idea if, before going into the park, she goes into that little grocery store that is across the street from the corner. To buy a candy bar or something. With that unexpected move, we might notice somebody watching her and get a lead on him before Trixie actually goes into the park.” Joanne looked up at the others. Dan and Jim nodded in agreement with that first step of the plan.

“Then,” Joanne continued, “Trixie will cross the street and enter the park. We will have several men positioned throughout the park and, in fact, a few are already there now. Trixie’s job is to make contact and then try to get as much information as possible. Gentlemen,” she said looking sternly at Jim and Dan, “you cannot interfere with anything. We are desperate to solve this case and rescue Allison. Right now, we are up against a time crunch. We simply must get information now. If we blow this, we may not get another chance.”

Joanne had Trixie stand up and show Jim and Dan the various wires connected to a listening device on her body.

“What if they check her for wires?” asked Dan. “Are we prepared for that?”

“Hopefully, with Trixie looking like a teenager, they won’t suspect anything. But if they do search for the wires, we will be right there.” Joanne paused and looked at the three friends standing together. “You guys ready to get this show on the road?” she asked. Trixie, Jim, and Dan looked at each other and then nodded their heads.

“Okay. Jim and Dan, you need to head to the park. Oh, and take these laptops with you. They will make you look busy, but you can also monitor what is going on. I’m going to give you guys a head start. Trixie will be there in a bit.”

Dan grabbed a laptop and moved away, but Jim lingered, wanting to hug Trixie but knowing that action might be out of place. The warring within Jim stopped when he suddenly reached out and pulled Trixie to him, holding her tightly. He heard her whisper in his ear, “I’ll be fine. But if I do get in trouble, I know my knight in shining armor is nearby.”

Jim reluctantly let go of Trixie, grabbed the laptop, and followed Dan out of the door.

When the two men disappeared, Trixie looked at Joanne. “Is there anything else we need to go over?” Trixie asked.

Joanne shook her head. “I think we have everything set. We just need this to work.”

Trixie reached out and grabbed Joanne’s hand. “We will get Katya back, as well as the others.” Joanne looked and saw the determination in Trixie’s eyes. “I think you’re right,” she said slowly. She nodded at Trixie, who then turned and walked out the door to the meeting in the park.

Chapter 10

As Trixie walked down the street, she kept herself alert for anybody who might be following her or watching her. When she arrived at the corner Quickie Mart, Trixie sauntered in. Looking around the small shop, Trixie located the display of candy bars and went over and casually selected a Hershey Almond Bar. On her way to the register, she noticed a rack of magazines and stopped long enough to peruse them. When she saw a gaming magazine, she grabbed that and then went to pay for her purchases.

Exiting the little shop, Trixie unwrapped the candy bar and shoved the magazine under her arm. She strolled into the park across the street. She only paused long enough to scan the park and locate the bench where the meeting was supposed to take place. Trixie sat down on the bench and pulled out the magazine. Pretending to be engrossed in it, Trixie was acutely aware of the various activities and people around her. All of her senses were on high alert. “I’m here on the bench,” she said quietly.

She glanced toward another bench where two men seemed to be working on their laptop computers. The two men gave her a brief nod, their eyes never wavering from the laptops in front of them. “At least you guys can hear me,” muttered Trixie as she turned a page in her magazine. She finished her candy bar and shoved the wrapper into the pocket of her shirt. As she turned another page in her magazine, Trixie heard a rustling noise and detected movement behind her. She looked up quickly as a young man settled on the bench next to her.

“Hi, I’m Tricia,” Trixie greeted him.

“Jase,” he replied with a friendly smile. It was a warm, friendly smile that Trixie wanted to trust. Her fourteen-year-old self would have trusted it.

Jase reminded her of Larry Lynch, with his bright blue eyes and coal black hair, cropped short. Jase had an athletic build; he could be a soccer player, like Sam, but she suspected cross-country was his sport of choice. “Do you play basketball?” She asked suddenly. He was tall enough for it.

A grin lit his face. “I love to. I can’t play on the team and run track, and I’m a better runner than player, but I like to shoot hoops when I can.”

Trixie looked over at the park’s court. It was empty at the moment, and shaded by trees that would conceal the agents. “Do you want to play?” She asked, gesturing to the basketball court.

“You play?” Jase asked, incredulous. “You can’t possibly reach the hoop.”

Trixie scowled. “Bet you a chocolate bar on a game of HORSE.”

“That’d be like stealing candy from a baby,” he taunted, but he headed for the court.

At first, he called easy shots, apparently not wanting to embarrass his new friend. He had three letters before he admitted she had considerable skill and called a shot that actually challenged her.

Sensing he was comfortable, Trixie spoke casually as she prepared her shot. “When I first started playing the game, there were two girls who took me under their wings and helped me figure out how the game works. I haven’t seen either of them online in a while. I assume that, at the high levels they must have reached by now, they don’t have time for newbies anymore, but you’ve reached pretty high. Are Allison and Katya still around?” Trixie asked, smiling as her ball sank into the basket, touching nothing but net.

Jase nodded, catching the rebound. “I saw them this morning. We could probably hang with them, if you want. After you buy me a candy bar.”

He was so friendly Trixie had trouble believing he knew exactly what he was involved in. She wanted to pounce on the information about Allison and Katya. But first, her reputation was at stake, she was a fourteen-year-old shrimp who had been told she couldn’t play basketball because she was just a short girl. Teenage honor was at stake and she had a point to prove!

Tricia laughed. “At this point, you’re buying. I’ve only got an H to your HORS.”

Jase bounced the ball a couple of times, his focus on the net. When he shot, the ball hit the rim, rolling around the edge. “Come on,” she heard him will it under his breath, but the ball tumbled off the edge to bounce on the asphalt.

Trixie grinned, retrieving the ball.

“Guess I am buying,” Jase said, amiably. If he was sore about losing, he gave no sign.

Jase bought the candy—Kit Kats this time—for both of them at the Quickie Mart. “Do you still want to catch up with Ally and Katya?” He asked as they blinked in the bright sunlight outside the store.

Trixie nodded, curls bouncing. Jase reached out to brush the curl out of her eyes and gave it a little tug, the way Jim always did. Trixie winced.

“I’m sorry; did I hurt you?” He asked, upset.

“No,” she replied, thinking up a quick explanation. “It’s just my mom used to do that.”

“Didn’t you say she just lost the battle with cancer a couple months ago?” Jase’s one-armed hug was a friend’s gesture. “I’m really sorry she died. I know how hard it is to get on without a mother.”

She returned his hug with an arm around his waist. “At least mom loved me while she was here,” she offered, hearing the bitterness in his voice.

“Oh no, my mother loved me. When she was sober. She’d probably have loved me high, too. She just didn’t remember she even had a son those times, and that was most of the time.”

“I’m sorry,” Trixie whispered, and didn’t have to fake her tone.

“Me too,” Jase replied before shrugging off the melancholy mood. “But my dad is great; I live with him and my uncle. Right now, Cousin Dex is staying with us, saving for a house. He said he’d wait at the end of the block for me,” Jase explained, heading that way. “He’ll take us to Ally and Katya.”

Jim prayed Trixie wouldn’t get in the car. She had to know the danger she was putting herself in. Trixie looked toward him once before getting in the car. He knew her expressions well—she knew the dangers, knew he didn’t want her to do it. Trixie also knew what would happen to the children if she were unsuccessful, knew that she had to do it.