Chapter 16

“What do we need to know before we go back out?” Jo asked. She felt better than she had in days. Knowing they were close to rescuing Katya had allowed her to sleep almost three hours. It was her first sleep in days. Dan looked refreshed, too. He’d showered; she wasn’t sure if he’d actually managed to sleep or just close his eyes.

“That Jim fellow, the red-head? He got the kid to open up. Sam’s uncle/step-father is in up to his eyeballs. Uncle’s name is Dexter. Uncle Dex made Sam help, beating him to ensure cooperation. He also threatened to beat the kid’s sisters, and then sell them to his friends, if the boy didn’t do as he was told.”

“Are we working on a removal order for the girls?” Jo asked.

“Aww, Jo, you know social services hates us. It’ll be hours before we make progress.” Joanne’s second in command complained.

“Get them out before the school day ends. When this all goes down, they need to be safe. I don’t care what it takes. Go as high up our chain, and social services’, as you have to, just get it done. Now.”

“Sam is going to need to see them,” Dan added. “He’s going to be an emotional wreck until he knows they’re safe, and he won’t take anyone’s word for it, not even Jim’s.”

Joanne nodded. “We’ll do what we can, but they haven’t been kidnapped, so we have to go through social services to remove them from their mother. Knowing social services, they’re going to have issue letting someone involved in a child-trafficking ring near those girls, even if he’s also a victim, and their brother.”

“Get Jim involved,” Dan advised. “He did an internship with social services between undergraduate and graduate school. They might listen to him. And if they don’t, you’re going to need any relationship he’s built with Sam to keep that kid from having a nervous breakdown.” He hesitated, “Hallie might be able to help, too.”

“Do it,” Joanne told her second in command. She turned to go.

“Jo, before you go the audio team has something for you to listen to.”

She nodded and walked down the hall to another room.

“Hi, Joanne.” Kelsey, the audio tech, said.

“You have something for me?”

The audio tech nodded. “We spent most of the night trying to clean up the feeds from the broken microphones, to see if they picked up anything interesting. Nothing much there. They’re pretty well shot. This morning, though, the team outside the warehouse picked up a transmission on our frequency. It was real bad—garbled, static, the works, but we’ve managed to clean it up.” He hit a button and a soundtrack began. There was still a lot of garbage noise, but they managed to isolate a voice, small, female, scared but determined.

“I hope someone’s listening.” The noise was bad for a minute and they couldn’t hear anything. “—anne’s Katya. Tell her I’m sorry—” It cut out again. “—do it again, just please get us out of here. They barely feed us and regularly beat us.” There was some banging. Jo knew she’d missed a few words. “4 boys and 22 girls.” There was a long band of static and banging, but Katya’s voice came back once more. “Dexter took her away—he’ll be taking her to the Boss. They need a webcast, to entice the bidders. The place where the rest of us are kept is not more than 30 by 30. Katya out.”

Jo smiled. “That’s my girl.” She looked at the tech. “There’s no way to transmit to a microphone, right?”

“Not with that model; sorry Jo.”

“That’s okay. This also explains why the wireless microphone went out last night. I didn’t notice it until the other one went out, but she must have lost it in the pen. Katya found it somehow.”

Trixie had just straightened her clothes when someone knocked on the bedroom door. “It’s time for breakfast, Tricia,” a voice called. It sounded like the man from the night before.

“I’ll be right out,” she called, checking that all the wires and microphones were hidden. She had noticed during her inspection that several had been broken from Dexter shoving her around, or perhaps from sleeping on them. She hoped the ones that were still working were picking up everything.

The man from the night before smiled as she followed her nose into a sunny kitchen. She was startled to find another man at the table. The resemblance between the two was unmistakable. The one at the table was graying faster than the man from last night, and his glasses were wire-rimmed and perched higher on his nose, but she doubted she’d be able to separate them in a line up.

The FBI needed to know that, she realized. They’d think they got the guy, and only have one of them. “Are you twins?” She asked, taking a seat opposite the new man.

He grinned without meeting her eyes. “Welcome. I’m JD—Jason Demeter. Jason and I are twins. We look out for each other.”

“What he means is I enable his gaming habit by letting him live in the basement and not forcing him to get a job. He plays almost 24/7. Getting him up here for a meal is a rare treat.”

“I couldn’t resist the opportunity to meet Trish,” JD stated.

“You know me?” Trixie said, her eyes wide and surprised.

At the same time Jason, who was standing behind her, spoke. “You don’t care for such a childish nickname, do you, Tricia?”

Trixie shrugged good-naturedly. “I prefer Tricia, but my mother raised me to be polite.”

When JD smiled again, Trixie decided that the way he smiled, so big and friendly, but without meeting her eyes, was decidedly creepy. “Tricia, then, you might know me better as NESA.”

“Oh, you’re NESA?” She shrieked in that excited way only a teenaged girl does. “You helped me get the weapons to level up to the enchanted castle!”

Jason smiled benevolently at his twin and the newest merchandise. “JD likes to help the young up-and-coming players in the game.”

Before either of them could respond, Jason held up his hand. “No game talk at the table,” He put plates in front of the others and took a seat between her and his twin.

Trixie was impressed. Pancakes weren’t hard to make, but Jason had also fried bacon and scrambled eggs. And, she discovered when she tried one, the blueberry muffins were freshly baked. Did he go to this much trouble for all the new girls? It would relax many of them, this casual family meal. It was everything they didn’t get at home and secretly longed for.

Though game-talk was banned, conversation flowed freely. The two men easily included a strange teenager, making her feel welcome and important. Mostly finished with her breakfast, Trixie asked, “Can Ally and Kat come over? Jase said—” Trixie paused and shook her head. “Not you,” she said, looking at last night’s Jason and this morning’s JD. “My-age-Jase.”

Jason laughed warmly. “It’s a family name. My brother goes by JD to avoid the confusion,” he explained with a nod to his twin.

JD nodded. “Feel free to call me JD, but you were saying something about my son?”

Trixie hid a wince at the thought that friendly Jase was this man’s flesh and blood, but nodded. “Yesterday, Jase said we could hang out with the girls. But then that mean Dex man dragged me away before I could spend hardly any time with them.”

Jason considered, playing the father figure.

“Oh, come on”, JD said. “What’s the harm?”

“That Kat girl is trouble,” Jason answered. “I don’t advise you cultivate a friendship with her,” he told Trixie.

She bit her lip against a smile. Kat was a fighter. Jo would be glad to hear that. “She seemed nice enough in the game,” Trixie said, trying to sound like a disillusioned teen.

“I’ll see about having the Allison girl brought here,” Jason said finally, running his hand over her curls as he stood. “Now be a good girl and help with the dishes.”

She had assumed “help with the dishes” would really mean “do the dishes.” However, Jason washed most of them and only made her dry them. When they finished, he ruffled her hair and said, “Thank you. Now, why don’t you go downstairs and play with JD for a bit while I get some work done and see about Ally coming for a play date.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “I’m too old for ‘play dates’,” she explained plaintively. “Ally, Jase, and I just want to hang out.”

Jason raised an eyebrow. “Whatever you call it, I won’t stand for insubordination,” he warned her, his voice cooling.

Chapter 17

Katya looked around the circle of faces watching her intently. She had made a brilliant decision when she approached Allison. Katya had kept to herself in her time here, trying to soothe her wounded pride for making such a foolish mistake and trusting an internet friendship. Allison, however, being scared and lonely, had sought comfort in talking with the others. She knew each of their fellow captives, who was steady and who was broken. She had nominated one of the boys and two more girls to leadership roles. They and Allison now waited to hear about a plan from Katya.

“Does anyone have any idea where we are, outside of this warehouse I mean?”

The black-haired girl, who had spoken in defense of Jase yesterday, nodded. “Yes, it’s an abandoned industrial neighborhood.”

“What’s the nearest subway station?”

The girl thought for a minute and named one. “It should be four or five blocks due west of here.”

“That’s our meeting place, okay? We can lose ourselves in the crowd. In a pinch, we can jump the turnstiles and get on the trains.”

“We’ll be arrested, if we got caught,” the other girl protested.

“By metro security. They’re on our side,” Ally pointed out.

“Exactly,” Katya said. “You,” she pointed to the girl who had protested. “You’re responsible for him, her, her, and her,” Katya said, pointing out a group of captives. “If you or any of your group gets away, go west toward the station. Stop for nothing and no one, even if you think they’ll help you. The only help we can count on is my Aunt Jo’s FBI team. The Boss’ people could impersonate cops or concerned citizens to try to earn our trust. We have to be wary, understand?” They all nodded somberly. “Good.” Swiftly, she assigned each of them a group of their fellow captives to be responsible for, and a direction to head, if they escaped. She warned the other groups to go at least three blocks in their assigned direction before turning for the station where they would hopefully all meet up, and she warned them against going directly to the station when they did turn west.

With that handled, Katya took a deep breath. “We’ve heard enough to know they’re going to move us today. This is our chance. I don’t think they’ll move us a couple at a time—they don’t have the people to guard us here and there. I think they’ll take us all at once in a van or trailer-truck. If they take us out to the vehicle all at once, I think that’s the best time to run. If that happens and you get caught, kick, scream, bite, and fight like you haven’t fought since your first day here. Get loose, get free, whatever it takes, and run. There’s help out there. At least half a dozen FBI agents, if I know my aunt at all.”

“Won’t she and her team have followed Tricia? They never brought her back,” Allison reminded her.

Katya nodded. “Aunt Jo and a team probably did follow Tricia, but Dexter said my name. Now my Aunt Jo knows I’m here. She’d have left a team here until they found a way in to rescue me. So, I think, if we start to break away, they’ll storm the place and arrest Dexter, Togo, and the rest of them. While our guards are distracted, we can disappear.”

The boy spoke for the first time. “And if they don’t take us out all at once?”

“It’s harder then—there may be more of them than us, depending what size group they take us out in. In that case, I think we should let them take us to the vehicle without giving them more trouble than usual. Once they bring the last group, we’ll make a break for it, and try to just out run them. So make sure your groups all know, if they’re the last ones out, when they get right close to the vehicle, they have to fight like hell then and break free. Or at least create a big disturbance to draw the agents down and give the rest of us a chance.”

Four heads nodded. It was the best plan they had and they were all old enough to know things would only get worse the longer they were in captivity.

Sam was emotionally spent. When they’d arrived at the FBI office in the morning, he, Jim, and Hallie, had gone into the room where they’d talked the past several days. Sam set out to tell Jim everything he could about his Uncle Dexter, his threats, his plans, and the beatings. He had thought he was finished when one of the agents, an official looking man Hallie and Jim called “Ogilvie,” came in and started to question him again with a no-nonsense attitude.

Hallie frequently reminded Ogilvie that Sam was a minor, which he assumed had something to do with the court rules Jim had mentioned. Twice, Jim made Ogilvie stop so Sam could calm down. Just thinking about the threats made his heart pound so hard he thought it would break out of his chest.

At last, another agent, this one female, stuck her head in. “We’ve got the removal order.”

“Take your partner and go with the social workers to execute it.” Ogilvie ordered. “If you’re not able to pick up the girls at home, get them at their school. I’m sending another pair to the house to inform the mother and bring her in for questioning. Meanwhile, I’ll update Senior Agent in Charge St. Clair and the field team.” Ogilvie left the office.

Hallie had looked at Jim. “Is the interrogation over?”

Jim nodded. “Good. I need to visit the ladies’ room.” Hallie left, too.

Jim put a gentle hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Sam shrugged. He wasn’t okay. He was beginning to suspect he’d never be okay, but he wasn’t not okay.

“You’ve done great this morning. Take your time. Did you understand what Agent Ogilvie and the other agent were talking about just a minute ago?”

Sam shook his head.

“The agents have the paperwork they need to go get your sisters and take them somewhere safe. The woman who stuck her head in, another agent, and some social workers are going to get them right now. Some more agents are also going to go to your house and tell your mother that the girls are safe but that the government took them.”

“No!” Sam cried. “Dexter will know I told!”

“No, he won’t,” Jim assured him. “Dexter is at the warehouse with all the kidnapped children. There are agents around that warehouse. They’ll follow him if he leaves, and they won’t let him go home.” Jim had made sure Jo passed that instruction on to the field team before she and Dan headed out again.

“It’s going to be okay, Sam. You are safe, and your sisters will be very soon. The agents are also going to bring your mother here, to talk to her. They’ll want to be sure she doesn’t know what Dexter is up to. That she isn’t involved in any way.”

Sam snorted. “She doesn’t even know he beats me, and we live in the same house.”

“Then she’ll walk away from all of this. Are you okay with that?”

“She’s oblivious, but not bad,” Sam said, sadly.

For a moment, they sat in silence. “Would you feel better at the safe house? I can get some agents to take us, if you’d be able to rest there.”

Sam shook his head. “I’m okay here. I want to know that they really got Dexter and that my sisters are safe.”

“Word will get to us there, I can promise you that.”

Sam shook his head. Jim dropped the subject; truth to tell, he didn’t want to go to the safe house, either. When all of this was over, Trixie would come back here first to debrief. He didn’t want to have to wait to see her.

Chapter 18

Dan and Jo argued as they headed out, not sure whether to go back to the suburban house where Trixie was, or to the warehouse where Katya and Allison were.

Just as they were approaching the intersection where they had to make a decision, a message came across from the team at the house. “Targets on the move. Silver Audi, New York plates. Male driver, approximately 40, hair appears brown. Female passenger—confirmed private investigator Belden. Male passenger in the back seat, features undetermined.”

Jo pulled into the nearest parking lot, waiting to see where the car was headed. Before long it was apparent the car was headed toward the warehouse. “Let’s get there before they do. I have a feeling the fun starts when the boss shows up.”

Dan nodded grimly, checking his service weapon as Jo pulled back into traffic.

Back in the warehouse, Togo and Dex were herding the teens towards the doorway, ignoring their panicked questions and fearful looks. Overconfident and arrogant, they missed the subtle rearranging that the teenagers did right under their noses. Katya and Allison managed to be at the back, along with others from their groups.

Trixie was in the car with Jason. He sent JD to the warehouse ahead of him with a message for Togo, Dex, and the third guard. Unbeknownst to Trixie, Jase was drugged and tied up in the trunk of Jason’s car. Jason’s thoughts were cool. Jase was still sentimental sometimes and he had taken a shine to Tricia. Being tied up in the trunk for twenty four hours would cure Jase of such sentimentality.

Tricia’s voice broke the silence. “So Ally, Jase, and I can still hang out, right? Jase said that he knows a way to move up a few levels.” Tricia looked at Jason, wide-eyed. “Oh and I meant to say thank you for letting me sleep at your house last night. I’m sorry I got so freaked out at the warehouse. You’re nice, not like Mr. Dex. It’s cool you letting all those kids in there squat and all.”

Jason’s brow rose. This little piece is a trifle naïve. He answered her absentmindedly. “Absolutely Tricia; I’m sure Allison’s looking forward to a change of scenery.” He pulled in to the road that led to the complex. He bit back a curse as he saw his men leading the rest of the teenagers out of the complex. He had told JD to speed things up and have them contained in the moving van before he arrived. That idiot couldn’t follow orders, if his life depended on it. His little drug habit was getting to be a problem. He’d have to see about having him taken care of after this shipment went out. He may have been Jase’s father and Jason’s twin but JD was also becoming a liability.

“What’s going on with JD? Where is he taking all the kids?”

Jason pulled up to the building with a jerk. There was a large semi pulled up to the entrance. “Stay here,” he ordered Tricia. He got out and slammed the door.

He missed the transformation of naive Tricia back to Trixie. “In your dreams, asshole,” she growled. Trixie promptly got out of the car and began to make for Allison and Katya, who she thought she saw in the crowd.

In the cars, agents on stake-out duty were communicating rapidly, trying to come up with a plan. Did they attempt a take down now or wait until the shipment was completed? Where was Jo? How far away were reinforcements? They hadn’t expected the children to be moved so early in the day.

Jo shook her head, listening to the frantic planning by the team she’d left at the warehouse while she and Dan rested. “Dan, tell them I’m calling in the NYPD and requesting back up. We’ll initiate the take-down when the kids are in the semi—that will keep them out of the line of fire, if it comes to that.” Joanne gave the orders rapidly as they turned onto the access road leading to the warehouse.

Katya, not seeing Trixie, took advantage of the loud argument between the man who had pulled up and the new guy who had shown up that morning with orders to round up the kids. Enough was enough: she stomped on Dex’s foot and yelled, “Scramble, go, go, go!” at the top of her lungs. Dex was yelling about his foot. Togo and the other guard, who had been watching JD and Jason go at it, instead of guarding the teenagers, were taken by surprise. When suddenly the large group of teens separated into smaller groups and ran in four different directions. Trixie found herself pulled into a group and running as if her life depended on it.

The agents caught on first and, even as JD, Jason, Togo, Dex and the second guard ran after the different groups of kids, the field agents surrounded the men. Multiple FBI agents surround each man, shouting for them to put their hands up and get down on the ground, leaving the men little doubt that they were facing their worst nightmare. As for Jason, Dan and Jo went after him personally.

Trixie found herself running hand in hand with a black haired girl. There escape route was an alley behind the industrial warehouses. They ran alongside another boy and a tiny blond haired girl. Trixie panted “S-stop, please, I think we lost them.”

The four teens looked at each other. “Allison said to go for at least three blocks and then head for the subway,” the boy said.

“But we’re safe now,” Trixie protested. She didn’t want to run all over the city; when help was behind them, at the warehouse.

“No way, I’m not stopping until we get to the subway. Allison and Katya have a plan.” The small blond stammered. Trixie, outnumbered and not knowing the situation back at the warehouse, nodded her agreement. “Ok, where is the subway?”

“Nicki said its west of here, closer to the city,” the girl said. After agreeing which way west was, they started walking.

Chapter 19

Jim was getting an update from Dan. “What do you mean you lost them?” His voice rose. He’d made this argument from the beginning. The FBI had lost Allison. They couldn’t be trusted not to lose Trixie. Trixie, Dan, and Joanne had all assured him this time was different, but it wasn’t. He couldn’t lose Trixie, he couldn’t.

“Katya provided a distraction and the kids split into groups and took off. It looked like it was planned, coordinated by the kids. Trixie got pulled in with one of the groups. Look, we will find her, Jim. Jo’s tech guys are on it; they are trying to get a signal back from the microphones, plus she has a GPS tracker unit on her.” Dan’s voice softened. “We will find her Jim, honest.”

Jim paced back and forth in Jo’s office, ignoring Hallie’s frantic requests to know what was going on. Sam sat unnoticed, curled up as tight as he could; his hands were over his head. He had shut down. It was as he’d feared, his uncle had escaped. Now, he and his sisters would never be safe. Jim was the first to notice something was wrong with Sam.

“Hallie, hush,” he ordered firmly. “Something’s wrong with Sam.”

Startled, Hallie looked at her charge. She had seen kids in that position before; she always hated the helpless feeling that resulted—she’d never found a good way to calm kids that far gone.

Jim crouched by Sam’s chair and put a hand on Sam’s shoulder. He flinched. “Shh, Sam. It’s me, Jim. It’s okay, you’re safe.”

“But they’re not and they’re never going to be!” Sam protested, his eyes wild with fear.

“Your sisters are going to be fine. They’re on their way here and Dexter is under arrest.”

“But you said they lost someone,” Sam argued. “Dex got away, didn’t he?”

“No,” Jim reassured him. “None of them got away. Some of the kids scattered, and Trixie got pulled into escaping with them. But not Dexter, JD, Jason, Togo, or the other guard. They’re all under arrest. The FBI has them now and they won’t hurt anyone anymore. It’s okay. No one is going to hurt you or your sisters.”

Hallie watched anxiously as Jim soothed her charge. She felt another pang of guilt for all the trouble she’d caused this man. Anyone who cared this much about rejected kids had to be a good person. She could have learned from him, certainly could have worked with him on this case, instead of at cross-purposes. Instead, she’d blown it all due to jealousy, again.

Even if her suspicions about Trixie and Dan were true, Jim had never been anything but kind to her. She’d nearly ruined his life and she’d never had a kind word for him.

Back at the warehouse, Jo was giving directions. The men—JD, Jason, Dex, Togo, and the other guard—were sent back to headquarters under heavy guard. Still other agents were sent into the warehouse to search and contain the scene. Her tech guys were busy trying to triangulate the signal from Trixie’s mikes. It was Dan, nearly out of his mind with worry, who thought to check out the trunk of the kidnapper’s car. He was the one to find Jase, unconscious and barely breathing in Jason’s trunk.

After the ambulance came, the attendant asked if anyone was coming along. Torn, he looked at Jo; next to Mart, Trixie was his best friend. “Go. Remember Katya’s with the others. I won’t stop until we find them.” She pushed him towards the ambulance. “I’ll call the minute we find Trixie and the others.”

His face was grim. “Deal.” He stepped closer to her. Kissed her hard. “When this is over, Red, you and I are going on a date.”

She kissed him back. “First of all, don’t call me Red or you won’t be alive for that date. Second, I call the location.”

Dan’s face lit with startled laughter. “Deal.”

Trixie and the three teens she was with turned a corner and found themselves on a quiet side street lined with small shops. The four stopped and tried to catch their breath. The dark haired girl, who had pulled Trixie into the escape, spoke. “Where are we? Aren’t we supposed to go to the subway station?”

The small blond girl nodded, but, before she could speak, Trixie held up her hands. “Wait a minute. We got away from the warehouse and I think we are okay. What’s your name?” she asked as she faced the dark haired girl.

“My name’s Christina. And how do you know that we are okay? We made a plan and I think we should stick to the plan.”

“Who made a plan?” Trixie asked.

“Last night, Allison and Kat came up with a plan. We thought that Dex was going to try to move us so we all agreed to try a make a run for it. But we can’t stay here because they will find us eventually.”

Trixie shook her head. “No, I am sure we are safe here. When we left, there were a ton of FBI agents arresting Dex and Jason and the others. I’m sure the agents are looking for us so we can be reunited with our families.” Trixie looked at the other two kids that were a part of the group. “What is your name?” she asked the other girl.

“My name is Lily,” she answered nervously looking around the street.

Trixie looked at the boy. “What is your name?”

“My name is Nick,” he said.

Trixie stared at the youngsters in front of her and thought of the anguish that their families had gone through. She needed to get these kids back to the FBI and let the authorities talk with them and notify their parents. But, Trixie wasn’t sure which way to go; they had made so many turns while they were running. She looked up and down the street, hoping to see a police car or an FBI vehicle. Surely, by now, they were searching for the kids who had disappeared.

“What’s the matter?” Christina asked. “Don’t you know where we’re supposed to go? If you’re not positive, we should stick to the plan. Kat and Allison will figure things out when we’re all together again.”

Trixie shook her head. “Look, I promise you don’t need to worry about those men getting a hold of you. I’m older than you think I am and I was sent to help you guys get away. Now all I have to do is get you back to the authorities.”

Christina stared at Trixie. “What do you mean you were sent to help us? And just how long did you know about us being held in that horrible warehouse?”

Trixie hesitated. She didn’t really think this was the time to review the mission and how it fell in her hands and yet she also sensed that Christina was reluctant to trust her.

“Look, Christina. I know that you have been through something so horrible that most people can’t even imagine it. You’re just going to have to trust me that I can get you guys to safety and away from Dex and Jason. But I don’t have time right now to go into details. So the choice is up to you, trust me or not.”

The two faced each other, neither speaking. Trixie was relieved when Christina exhaled loudly and said, “Fine. What’s your plan?”

Trixie gathered the three kids together and they began walking down the street. Trixie assessed each business they passed, trying to determine if that business would be a safe place for them or not. She was almost certain that the kidnappers had been arrested, but these kids were placing their trust in her; she couldn’t afford mistakes. Being careful, she erred on the side of caution, assuming enemies were on their tails. Finally, she stopped in front of a small diner. Glancing through the front window, Trixie could see that the place was empty. With surprise, she noted the payphone on the wall. “I didn’t even know those things existed anymore,” she muttered.

“What did you say?” demanded Christina.

“Nothing. I just saw a payphone. I didn’t even know they still existed,” explained Trixie.

“What’s a payphone?” asked Lily.

“It’s something people used before they had cell phones. I think this might be a good place for us to stop. Let’s go in.”

Trixie and the three kids cautiously entered the diner and quickly snagged a booth in the back.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” said Nick.

“Shh,” ordered Christina.

Trixie looked at Christina. She had a decision to make and wasn’t sure what to do. She needed to get Nick to the bathroom and she needed to make a phone call to let others know where she was and that she was safe with three of the kidnap victims.

“Okay guys. Here’s the plan. Lily, you go over to the bathroom with Nick, but just stay outside the door so he has some privacy. Christina, you and I are going to make a phone call.” A thought struck Trixie. “Does anybody have any change?” She asked. “I will need at least a quarter to make a phone call.” The three kids shook their heads. “Okay,” she said. “Lily, you and Nick can go to the bathroom. Christina and I will be waiting right here. Don’t take too long.” Trixie watched as Nick and Lily walked to the end of a hall where the bathroom was located.

“So, where are all the people that are going to rescue us?” Christina challenged.

“They’ll be here. Trust me. Look, I have these wires on so they will know exactly where I am. But I was hoping to be able to call them. Gleeps, we’ll just have to wait.”

Christina stared at Trixie. “What kind of word is ‘gleeps’?” she asked.

Trixie returned the young girl’s stare. “A perfectly perfect word, if I do say so myself.” After a few minutes of silence, Trixie gently prodded the young girl in front of her. “How did you get mixed up in this thing? Was it through the gaming room?”

Christina stared out the window. Trixie could see tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. Although Trixie wanted to push the young girl, she forced herself to slowly count to ten, thus giving Christina time to answer.

“Yes, I thought the gaming room was a really cool place. I could go there, play, and chat with other kids. My mom doesn’t care what I do just as long as I don’t bother her and her guy friends. I swear, the only people who cared about me were the kids in that gaming room. I can’t believe it was a total sham and they only wanted to use me.” Christina struggled to keep tears from falling.

Trixie reached her hand across the table and placed it on Christina’s arm. “Most of those kids did care about you. There was just one real bad man in there who took advantage of you and your situation. I don’t think others were playing you for a fool. Those kids do care.”

Christina wiped her eyes on the grubby sleeve of her shirt. “Yeah, right. They were probably all laughing at me.”

“No,” said Trixie. “They weren’t laughing at you and some of them were locked up in the awful warehouse with you.”

“But why did somebody want to hurt me, to take me away?”

Trixie shrugged. “We don’t always know the motivation behind some people’s actions, Christina. But you need to know that people do care and somebody cared enough to set me up as bait so that I could get taken. So we could rescue you.”

“But what would have happened if we hadn’t gotten away? If you had been shipped out with us?”

Trixie stared at the young girl. “Listen kiddo, the way I am wired, nobody is taking me anywhere. Although, they did cut it a little closer than I would have liked.”

Trixie smiled at the girl as she heard Lily and Nick returning from the bathroom. She wasn’t sure what she should do next. Her priority was to keep the young victims safe until help arrived. “How about if I order you guys some good food to eat?” she asked.

“I thought you didn’t have any money,” said Christina.

“I don’t. But I bet that help will show up by the time we are done eating and they can pay.”

Trixie looked at three faces that suddenly looked a lot brighter.

Back in the industrial park, Dan was about to step into the ambulance. He wavered; he had to find Trixie. Dan couldn’t think straight without knowing she was safe. He glanced again at Jase, already in the ambulance. Someone had to go with the boy and get his story. Another agent came up beside Dan and put a hand on his arm. “Your friend Trixie reminds me of my sister, and I’ve got a nephew his age,” the agent said quietly with a nod to Jase. “I’ll go with him; you go find your friend.”

Dan nodded gratefully and stepped back from the ambulance. It left as soon as the agent was inside. Dan went back to the warehouse. “Come on, Trixie. Where are you?” He muttered. But he only found empty rooms, filled with filth and debris. Dan grimaced as he thought of Trixie having to sleep in such a dismal place, and of all the kids who had spent far longer here. He also recalled the sounds of Trixie being hit and slapped. Shaking his head, he went in search of Jo.

“I can’t find her. Did she come out and I miss her?” he asked.

“No. Apparently these kids had a plan to scatter when the attempt to move them occurred. We are going to have a tough time rounding them up. I believe the plan was to head for a local subway station and get away from the area. I have put the word out and we have additional officers heading towards the stations that we think they are most likely to use. The agents taking the perps back to headquarters spotted one of the groups and we sent agents to pick them up. The exact routes each group is taking was left to the group leaders. There’s no telling where the other kids might be, but at least we know where they’re headed.”

“And we think Trixie’s with one of the groups?”

Jo nodded.

“Where’s the laptop?” Dan demanded. “Trixie should still be wired. I should be able to pick up a signal and find her.”

Jo waved her hand toward the police van that was parked nearby. “Go check in there. They should be monitoring her.”

Dan hurried over to the van and knocked on the door. It slid open to reveal a small room full of various pieces of electronic equipment that had been used in the pursuit of Jason and his men. Dan quickly conferred with the officers at the controls and gleaned the location of his friend. With a quick thanks to the officers in the van, Dan left the warehouse parking lot and began sprinting down the street. He made several turns until he found himself on a small street lined with shops. Gasping for breath, Dan took a minute to rest and to orient himself to the layout of the street and the businesses it contained. He began walking, taking a minute to glance in the windows of each of the shops. Eventually, Dan found himself in front of a small diner. He looked in the window, but all he saw were empty tables. He turned away and glanced up and down the street.

All of a sudden, he heard a burst of laughter from inside the diner. “I’d know that laugh anywhere,” Dan grinned to himself. Entering the small diner, he made his way to a booth in the back where he found Trixie and three of the young captives, enjoying a huge breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and eggs.

Trixie’s face lit up when she saw her friend standing at the table. “Dan!” She cried. “I’m so glad to see you.”

“Me too, Belden.”

“Umm, so,” Trixie said, blushing, “I need you to pay.”

Dan look startled for a moment, then a big grin crossed his handsome face. “Anything for you, Trix.” He pulled her tight against him, hugging her fiercely. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” he whispered in her ear.

Back at the FBI headquarters, Jim continued to pace. His face look ragged and he had a day’s growth of stubble on his chin. “Come on, Trixie. Come on,” he pleaded into the air of the room. Hallie, watching from the doorway, saw his distress. She rapped on the doorframe. Startled, Jim snapped his head up. Hallie saw the flash of disappointment across Jim’s face when he realized that it was Hallie at the door and not his Trixie. Hallie walked across the room and stood next to Jim. The two stared at the afternoon sun that was spreading across the street and through the neighborhood. “I guess no news is good news, right?” Hallie asked Jim.

Jim shrugged but didn’t respond to Hallie.

“You know she is coming back. I bet Dan has found her by now. He wouldn’t let anything happen to Trixie.”

Jim turned to Hallie. “Let’s not go down that road again. Trixie and Dan are friends, good friends. I’m sorry that you cannot deal with that. But right now, I am in no mood to listen to your crap.”

Hallie winced at the sharp words and sharp tone of Jim’s voice. He rarely spoke like that and it made Hallie uncomfortable. How could I have been wrong? Hallie questioned herself.

Dan scooted into the booth with Trixie as the kids finished their breakfast. Now that she was assured of their safety, he could sense Trixie was impatient to get them turned over to the FBI. No doubt she wanted to see Jim as badly as he wanted to see her. “Let them eat,” he whispered in her ear. “They’ve earned it.”

She nodded, flashing a smile up at him. Then she frowned and rubbed a spot on her collarbone. “Do I still need all the wires? They’re getting really annoying. I don’t think they were meant to be slept in. The glue that’s holding them in place is driving me nuts.”

Dan chuckled. “Keep them with you, just in case, but no you don’t have to keep wearing them. Most of them are broken anyway. We were only getting clean audio out of one by the end. Besides, the GPS tracker in your watch is still working.”

Trixie nodded and headed for the restrooms. When she returned, Dan paid for the meal and they herded the kids back outside. Dan led the way as Trixie walked behind the trio, guarding their backs.

“How many have we found?” Dan asked Jo as the trio of rescued teens were hustled into one of the FBI vehicles to be taken to the headquarters, checked out, and interviewed.

“We’ve recovered seven—the group that went south and your three. There are 19 more out there, including Katya and Allison.”

“Jo!” One of the agents from the van called. Dan and Trixie followed her as she went to see what her agent wanted. “We’ve got a report from metro security at the station due west of here. They’ve got a large group of kids who have barricaded themselves in a storage closet. Sounds like they might be some of ours.”

“How many?”

“Metro’s not sure, but they’re estimating a dozen.”

Another agent stuck his head out the door. “Just got another call from metro. The girl who’s speaking for the kids, says her name is Allison and she’ll only open the door for Katya.”

Jo frowned. She had hoped Katya was in the group. Katya was resourceful, Jo reminded herself. They’d find her. She and those she was with would be fine. Jo looked around and saw Trixie standing beside Dan. “Trixie, I think we need your help one more time.”

Dan wrapped his arms around Trixie. “She’s done enough,” he grumbled.

Trixie smiled up at him. “Jo’s right. Allison and the kids know me. They’ll open the door for me. They’re tired, hungry, and scared. They need to be debriefed, cared for, and reunited with their parents. You can come with me, though.”

“We’ll all go,” Jo agreed. “There’s nothing here. The plan was Katya’s—all of the kids we’ve recovered say so. She won’t come back here.”

Trixie knocked on the door to the storage room.

“Katya?” Allison’s voice called nervously.

“No, it’s me, Tricia.” Trixie said.

“Where’s Katya?”

“I don’t know yet,” Trixie admitted. “But I do know it’s safe to come out. I’m here with the FBI agents, who have been trying to find and rescue all of you, including Katya’s Aunt Jo.” Trixie didn’t know if Katya had shared, but she hoped so.

“She’s out there?”

“This is Senior Agent in Charge Joanne St. Clair,” Jo said. “Katya is my second cousin and my ward. We’re here to help you all, but we need you guys to come out.”

Trixie thought she heard quiet debate behind the door, but after a few minutes it opened. The children streamed out, Allison being the last. “Fourteen teens,” Trixie said after counting them twice.

Allison nodded. “We’re missing Katya’s group.”

Trixie squeezed Allison’s shoulder. “I was with the group that went north. They’re safe. Jo’s people picked up the group heading south. They’re safe, too.”

“What about Katya where is she?” Allison asked again.

Trixie shook her head. “I don’t know yet. We’re still looking.”

“They should be here by now, even moving slowly. They went east first, but still.”

Trixie nodded her agreement. “We’ll find them, Allison. Go with the others; you need to be seen to.”

Jo leaned against the wall, talking to herself. “Come on, Katya, talk to me. This was your plan, and it was executed to perfection. Everyone’s safe but you and yours. Where are you? You didn’t stay near the warehouse. We searched a ten block radius around it. You couldn’t have gone much further east before turning back west. Not with scared, hungry, tired kids at your back. You’ve got a microphone with you, but the techs haven’t heard anything from it since the one transmission last night. I have no reason to think you changed your plan. That means you should be here. Where are you?” Jo looked up, just as one of her agents was about to turn a corner down the hallway, with Allison in tow.

“Wait.” She walked briskly over to them. “Allison, you said the plan was to come here right?”

Allison nodded. “This is what Katya and I planned. Split up and make it to the subway station in small groups.”

Joanne nodded. “What was the plan when you got to the subway station? Was holing up always part of the plan?”

Allison shook her head. “That part of the plan wasn’t very precise,” she explained. “Katya figured we could lose ourselves in the crowd, even jump the turnstiles and get on the trains, if we had to.”

“Didn’t it occur to any of you that you’d be arrested if you jumped the turnstiles?” Dan asked.

Allison nodded. “But we figured security was on our side. Katya didn’t want us to trust anyone but FBI. Too easy to impersonate anyone else. If worst came to worst, we figured security should be on our side, and that’d be a fast way to get their attention.”

Jo tapped her foot. Katya’s plans were there somewhere, in what Allison had said. Security hadn’t mentioned any kids jumping the turnstiles. So Katya wasn’t desperate. That was no surprise—none of the kidnappers had escaped to pursue her and her group. “She figured you could lose yourselves in the crowd, you said?”

Allison nodded. Jo turned to seek out the nearest security officer. “Do you have a PA system that’s actually audible over the noise of a busy day?”

The officer nodded.

“Where?”

The officer led them to the main security office. Dan, Allison, and Trixie found themselves scanning the monitors displaying feeds from the security cameras, looking for the last children. Jo went to the microphone. Her announcement was short. “This is a message from the security offices on level two from Senior Agent in Charge Joanne St. Clair.” She didn’t continue. Katya and the other kids would know the message was for them, other passengers wouldn’t pay enough attention to notice there was no real message. She waited, tapping her foot, for five minutes before repeating the broadcast. She studied the monitors but saw no sign of her ward.

Joanne relayed the message a third time. Frustrated that it wasn’t working, she paced, decided there wasn’t enough space in the cramped security officer and opened the door to pace in the hallway beyond. She was just turning back to the office to make another announcement when movement caught her eye. Rounding the nearest corner was Katya who ran towards her guardian, four children trailing her. “Aunt Jo!” Katya cried.

Jo grabbed Katya in a fierce hug. “Oh thank God you’re okay!”

Katya clung to her a minute and then asked nervously, “What about the others?”

“All accounted for. You five are the last. Your plan worked, Katya. It was smart, and you were very brave. I’m so proud of you.”

“You’re proud of me?” Katya asked. “I thought you’d hate me for being stupid. You told me and told me not to trust people on the internet and I got myself kidnapped.”

“And you got yourself and all the other kids to safety. Yes, I wish you’d used more caution on the web, but I’m the parent here. I should have protected you. I should have known you were in trouble before you went missing. I’m sorry, Katya.” At last, Jo set her ward down.

“Can we go home now?” Katya asked.

Jo shook her head. “We have to go back to where the FBI is headquartered. We need statements from all you kids. Then I need to make sure all of the other kids are taken back to their homes. I have a lot of work to do before we can go home.”

Katya nodded her understanding and waved for the other four to follow her as Jo led the way toward the station doors.

Jim was still pacing restlessly. A few of the captive children had begun to arrive, but still no word of Trixie. Hallie brought him a glass of water. “Is there anything I can do, Jim?”

“Not for me. I’ll be a mess until Trixie’s in my arms again. But Sam could use your help. His sisters are here somewhere. I can tell him a hundred times that they’re safe, but, trust me, he won’t believe it until he sees them. Can you get the social workers with them, and the agents, to agree to that?”

Hallie nodded and went in search of Sam’s family. Jim glanced at Sam. He was curled up in a chair at the other end of the room. He’d found a book somewhere and buried himself in it to hold off his worries. The book wouldn’t last forever; Jim wanted to have everything worked out by then.

Hallie returned half an hour later, having spent some time observing the interrogation of Sam’s mother and talking with other agents who were observing. She shared what she’d learned with Jim. Jim nodded, feeling grateful for the information Hallie was able to give him about Sam’s mother and sisters.

He walked over to sit next to Sam. Hallie moved close enough to hear, but kept her distance. Sam glanced up. “Hi, Sam. Can we talk for a minute?” Sam nodded. “I told you before the agents were going to pick up your mother and ask her some questions. They’re almost done with her and she wants to see you and your sisters. Are you ready for that?” Sam nodded. “If they don’t think she’s involved in the ring—and you said you didn’t think she was—the agents are most likely going to release you and your sisters to her tonight.”

“Dexter?”

“Under arrest. He won’t be going home tonight. If they eventually do grant bail, there will be an order of protection, barring him from coming into contact with you or your sisters. Okay?”

Sam nodded. “Alright.” Jim pulled one of the business cards he always had stuck in his wallet. He pointed out his cell phone number. “If you ever need anything, Sam, you can call me. Okay? Anything at all, even just to talk.”

Sam took the card, fiddling with it nervously. “Are you leaving?”

“Not yet,” Jim assured him. “But eventually your mother’s going to take you home, or the agents are going to take you to foster care—if they can’t release you to your mother for some reason. I’ll stay until then,” he promised. Sam relaxed. “Now, how about we go see your sisters?”

A grin split Sam’s face as he jumped up. “They’re here?”

Jim nodded. “I thought that would make you happy.”

“What about Jase?” Trixie thought to ask as they headed back to headquarters. “The kid, the one who was my bait.”

“He’s okay,” Dan answered. “JD or Jason drugged him and stuffed him in the trunk of that car you were in. We found him and sent him to the hospital.”

“He’s going to need help. Jase that is. JD—the 24/7 gamer guy—is his father. Jason is his uncle, and JD’s twin. They beat Jase, because he cares too much about the girls he brings in for them. He does it, because he has to, but he doesn’t like it. I didn’t get a lot of time to talk to him, but I think his situation is worse than Sam’s.”

Dan and Jo nodded. “Did you ever hear that that Dexter fellow is Sam’s uncle and step-father?” Dan asked, twisting so he could see Trixie in the back seat.

“And is he really Jase’s cousin, too?”

Jo shook her head. “No, Dex was Jason’s bully boy. He was there to help control Sam and Jase for Jason. The information that he shared helped today. Jim was the one who got him to open up.”

Trixie smiled with pride. “I knew he would. Dan, honestly, how worried is Jim?”

Dan grimaced. “Very,” he admitted. “Having Sam to focus on helped, though, I think. We should call him, actually. The last he heard from me, you’d disappeared with the kids when they scattered.”

“Oh, gleeps. He must be a nervous wreck.”

Dan nodded, reaching for his phone.

“We’re less than five minutes from headquarters,” Jo advised Dan. “Might be faster to just go find him.”

“I’ll just text him then; let him know Trix is safe and we’re almost back.”

“We still have to debrief you, Trixie,” Jo reminded her as she parked the car.

“Understood,” Trixie called over her shoulder, already out of the car. She was just as eager to see Jim as he was to see her.

Chapter 20

Trixie found Hallie first. “Where’s Jim?” She demanded. She had learned it was best to be direct with Hallie. Simple questions had simple answers, limiting the need for conversation or verbal sparring.

“With Sam and his sisters, just down the hall,” Hallie said, pointing in the general direction. Trixie immediately departed. “Nice to see you’re back safe and sound, too, cousin,” Hallie muttered to the empty room. She could only blame herself that Trixie didn’t care to even say hello or offer reassurances about her well-being.

Trixie found Jim easily. She stepped into the room. Jim turned and saw her just as she opened her mouth to speak. “Jim,” she said softly. She had time for nothing more as he hauled her against his solid chest, squeezing her tight. His lips sought hers immediately; she returned his kiss with equal passion.

When she had to breathe, she broke the kiss but laid her head against his chest. “I missed you, baby.”

“I missed you, too,” Jim replied. “God, Trixie, I was so worried about you.” He kissed her again and again, reassuring himself that she was here, alive, and well.

This time their kiss was interrupted by a cry from the door.

“There you are, children! I’ve been so worried about you!”

They both turned, Jim’s arms still around Trixie. It was the children’s mother. Jim caught Sam roll his eyes as his mother hugged him and then her two daughters. “Come, children, it’s time to go home.”

Jo came to the door. “Yes, you may take them. Sam will have to appear in court, but evidence suggests he acted against his will. I will recommend the charges are dropped, or sealed.”

“Sam?” His mother asked. “What have you done?”

Sam didn’t answer. He looked to Jim. “Do I have to testify against Dexter?”

“I don’t know,” Jim answered, looking to Jo.

“Maybe,” Jo said honestly. “But I don’t think so. Your uncle will want to save himself. He will make a deal to save himself.”

“What’s this about your father?” Sam’s mother asked him.

“He’s not my father,” Sam muttered glowering at his mother.

Jim spoke up. “Perhaps we should all sit. You seem confused, as if the situation has not been properly explained to you,” he said to Sam’s mother. She nodded and they all took seats around the table.

Claire was not eager to believe what they said of her current husband.

“We arrested him as he was putting kidnapped teenagers into a semi-truck,” Jo said bluntly. “We have him on tape dragging a girl against her will out of a warehouse, hitting her.”

Jim couldn’t help himself, he glanced at the bruise on Trixie’s cheekbone. “Sam has told me that Dexter also beat him, too. He then threatened to traffic your daughters keep Sam silent after Sam discovered what Dexter was part of. Dexter also used Sam to help lure some of the girls in captivity.”

“I don’t believe you.” Claire stiffened in her chair, clearly outraged.

“We picked your son up meeting a girl who was then kidnapped. That’s when we took him into custody. We recovered her when we arrested your husband. There is no doubt your husband is part of this trafficking ring.”

“I understand not wanting to think family could do such a thing,” Trixie admitted, “but I can tell you from personal experience—I was undercover during all this—that your husband struck the girls who didn’t obey him, including me. I can assure you he knew what his masters planned for them.”

When Claire, still mouthing her disbelief, and her three children finally left, Trixie still wasn’t sure that the mother really believed Dexter was guilty, even though they’d laid out the evidence for her. She worried about sending Sam home with Clare, until Jim assured her that Sam had his contact numbers as well as Hallie’s and Joanne’s.

When they were gone, Jo stood. “Trixie, we need to debrief you.”

She nodded. “Jim, I have to go,” she murmured.

“I’m not letting you go yet,” Jim answered.

“I have to,” she repeated.

He nodded. “I know. I’m coming with you.”

Meanwhile Dan, Joanne, and Katya reached Joanne’s offices. Joanne hugged her ward close. “Katya, I love you more than life itself and if you ever do anything like this again.”

“I know, Joey. I’m so sorry. Are the others really ok? Can I see them?”

Jo nodded. “They’ve been asking about you. Your group was the last one found.”

She led Katya to a large conference room nearby where the other teens were waiting. There was a table of food and water for them all.

“Katya!” Allison squealed as she broke from the group of kids she was with and ran for Kat. She hugged her. “They found you.”

Katya snorted, “More like I found them.” They began to compare notes, the other kids gathering around them both.

Joanne’s eyebrow rose. “Looks like Katya has a new friend or two.”

Dan, who was standing at the door with her, grinned. “That’s a good thing, Joey. Real friends can make a huge difference in your life.” He gestured at himself. “I should know. The BWGs made a huge difference in my life.”

Joanne smiled at the dark haired man who had burst into her life and captured her interest so suddenly. She groaned as she caught sight of Ogilvie, who was approaching her rapidly down the hall.

Dan frowned as he saw Hallie approaching them from the other direction. He had a sinking feeling that any talk of their date was going to have to wait.

“Dan, have any of the children’s parents been notified that they are here?” Hallie demanded.

“Agent Sinclair, we need to debrief these children immediately. We need to know if they have any more information on the other kidnapping rings,” Ogilvie barked impatiently.

Late into the night, the FBI went over Trixie’s memory of what had happened. They’d been over her account once and were starting to go back to clarify the important details. Trixie was yawning repeatedly, falling all but asleep between questions. Jim finally looked at Joanne. “This is going to take days. You’ll have more questions as you debrief the kids, and interrogate those you arrested, and those they’ll lead you to. We’re not going anywhere until we’ve seen this all the way through. Trixie needs food and sleep. Can we go home for the night?”

Jo looked at Ogilvie, who seemed to have taken over the case now that the fieldwork was done. He sighed but nodded.

Jim wasted no time taking Trixie back to the penthouse. He didn’t want them to change their mind. He made a quick meal while Trixie showered and changed out of her undercover clothes. They settled on the couch after eating. Jim pulled Trixie into his lap. She snuggled into his arms until Jim put some ice against the bruise on her cheek. She pulled his hand away from her face.

“Trix, your cheekbone is bruised,” Jim informed her.

“I know,” Trixie told him, a bit amused. “But I got that bruise the first night. Almost 24 hours later, that ice isn’t going to do much and it is cold.” She reached up to put her own hand on his cheek. “Baby, I’m okay. I promise.”

Jim sighed, setting the ice aside and pulling her closer. “I know,” he admitted at last. “I just hate knowing you’re putting yourself out there, where you might get hurt, or worse.”

“I don’t do it casually, Jim. I do it because those children deserve better than the fates those traffickers had in store for them. If my bruises make this city a safer place for dozens of kids, I’ll take them.” Trixie sighed. “Though, life is never going to be the same for those kids.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Do you think they’ll be okay? Was it worth it?”

“You know it was.” Jim kissed Trixie’s curls. “And, yes, I do think they’ll be okay. Soon they will be home with their families, and they will have access to counselors. They’re strong kids; they proved that by escaping. They’ll recover, all of them.”

“Even Sam? Do you think he and his mother will ever work things out? He is awfully confused and angry with her.”

“They’ll work something out. I don’t think Sam will ever trust his mother like he did before Dexter. But they’ll be okay, as long as she doesn’t let Dexter back in the house. And we’ll help.”

Trixie sighed, leaning against Jim’s chest. “I’m so glad my parents are both alive and love me.”

“I’m grateful for my friends,” Jim replied. “It’s not just that these kids were in single parent homes, where their parents couldn’t or didn’t keep as close an eye on their internet activities as they should have. These kids didn’t have a strong social network.”

“Didn’t?” Trixie echoed.

“They’ve got each other now. I hear Allison and Katya are already arranging an outing. And Sam and Allison and Katya and maybe Jase are meeting, properly, in the park next week,” Jim answered. “That’ll do Sam good. He hasn’t admitted it to himself yet, but he’s got a bit of a crush on Katya.”

Trixie smiled. “I do hope they stick together. They make a good team. The FBI hardly needed me between Katya’s escape plan and Sam’s information.”

“But you were the glue that brought it all together. Katya knew there was help at hand because she identified you as an agent, and you dropped one of your microphones in the warehouse room where you were held. She used that to get a message to Jo.

“Sam wouldn’t have risked his sisters to give us what we needed to know about Dexter without all the time I spent with him, and I wouldn’t have gone anywhere near this case, if it wasn’t for the fact that I needed to stay in the loop to hear that you were safe.”

Trixie leaned her head back on his shoulder to look at him, her eyes soft. “You wouldn’t have gone anywhere near this case because it stirs memories you’d as soon forget. Working with Sam must have brought the nightmares back. And I was the one who thrust you into this and then abandoned you to deal on your own.”

“Trix, you did what needed to be done and I made the choice to help. I wasn’t forced, by you or anyone else. I’m okay.” He wouldn’t tell her that it was the danger she put herself in that gave him the worst nightmares, worse than the memories speaking to brought back of what it was like to live with an abusive step-father. If she knew, she might stop going out on these kind of cases. The protective part of him loved that idea, but if he took away her dreams, he knew he’d never forgive himself. Besides, if she hadn’t gone undercover in this case, over twenty children would not be sleeping safe tonight. This was who she was; he was getting better at accepting it.

Debriefing took days. The FBI, Trixie, and Dan had rescued twenty-eight teenagers ranging from ages thirteen to sixteen. They had been picked up from all up and down the east coast. There were several instances where they were not able to return the teenagers to their homes due to cases of suspected abuse. Jase was one of them. Sadly, three of the teens’ parents hadn’t even bothered to report them missing. Therapy needed to be arranged for all of the students and to some extent their families. Jim and Hallie were in the thick of things, helping with the reunions.

Trixie was there for one reunion in particular. Allison paced back and forth. “Are you sure my mom is coming?”

Trixie looked up from her laptop. The FBI wanted as full an account as she could remember of what happened and when. They wanted the information in written form, too, despite having interviewed her extensively. She was still working on it, trying to nail down the fine details.

“Your mom has been frantic, Allison. She’ll be here. Remember she called me in after the police were not able to do anything after you went missing.”

Katya bumped her new friend in the shoulder. “Ally, your mom is going to be all over you. Joey barely let me out of her sight to come and support you. Your mom will probably cry and then get all mad at you.”

Allison glared at her new best friend. “Oh thanks for all the reassuring words, Katya.”

Trixie grinned at the two girls. Despite her height and beauty, Katya was something of a tomboy. She had her long ash blond hair in a careless side braid and wore jeans and an oversized sweat top of her aunt’s that she had swiped.

Allison was her polar opposite, her blond hair neatly styled. Her makeup was immaculate. She wore jeans and a stylish sweater she had purchased after much thought on a shopping trip with Katya, Joanne, and Trixie. The two older women had sprung for the quick trip to the store after realizing how anxious Allison was about seeing her mother again.

They all looked up as a loud squeal was heard. “Allison Hannah Elisabeth Alexandra, where have you been?” Allison’s mother swooped in and hugged her in a stranglehold. Ally ignored Katya’s smirk and the “I told you so” that she mouthed.

Later in the week, Trixie leaned back into a pair of strong arms that immediately wrapped her in a secure hug. She sighed as she felt his lips graze her neck. “I’m so glad we were able to reunite these kids with their families and stop this horrible operation.”

Jim nuzzled Trixie’s neck. “My shamus to the rescue again,” he murmured. He smiled as he heard Trixie giggle in response to his nuzzling. “Jim, stop that. We’re in a public place.”

“I don’t care. To quote my favorite person, ‘I just about died when you were out on this case.’”

Trixie turned and placed her hand along Jim’s strong jaw. “I told you I would be back. I knew you would be worried and that made me all the more determined to get back to you.” Jim folded his arms around Trixie and they stood, rocking each other, lost in their own world.

Down the hall, Hallie watched the couple. She couldn’t help but remember how sure Jim had been sure that Trixie would come back to him and that Dan would help her. He didn’t seem jealous of their friendship. Why couldn’t she feel that same feeling of security when she was with Dan? Was she really that insecure about her cousin? Again, Hallie felt a slight sneer form on her lips when she thought of her cousin.

“You need to get over that,” a voice spoke behind her.

Hallie whirled around to face a somber-faced Dan.

“What are you talking about?” she demanded.

Dan waved his hand toward the cuddling couple. “That. You need to get over your anger that Trixie and Jim are happy and then get over your resentment of Trixie.”

“What are you talking about?”

Dan sighed. “For some reason that totally escapes me, you have a real issue with Trixie. It’s like you are jealous of her; but then you are always pointing out how you consider yourself to be better than her. Trixie is a special person; full of life and happiness. She brings out the best in people. But that is Trixie. You have your own uniqueness; yet you always choose to look at Trixie’s and ignore your own. Why is that?”

Hallie started to reply, but then stopped herself. She spun around to watch her cousin and Jim. Her eyes never left them as she replied quietly to Dan, “I don’t know. It really bugs me that Trixie always comes out on top, that she has everything she wants, and that it all comes so easily to her. Why can’t I manage one thing?”

“What is it that you want, Hallie?” Dan asked quietly.

Hallie shrugged her shoulders.

“Maybe when you figure that out, you will find that it will come your way,” said Dan. He stood by Hallie, waiting for a response. “Nobody can help you but yourself,” he murmured as he went in search of Joey and Katya.

Dan paused in the doorway of the office that Joey was using to finish up the case. He watched the woman; Joanne was exhausted, yet continued to work endlessly to make everything right for the kids involved.

“Ahem,” Dan’s throat clearing caused Jo to look up.

“Hey,” she said as a smile crossed her weary face.

“Want a break?” asked Dan.

“Sure,” responded Jo. “Have a seat. Want some bad coffee?”

Dan laughed. “No thanks. I’ve had enough of that to last me for a while.” Dan settled himself in the chair that Jo had offered him. “Are all the kids back with their parents?”

Jo nodded. “All of the kids that are going back, and a few are in foster care. Some of the kids were happy to go home, but there were a few that weren’t so happy. We can save the kids from predators, but we can’t save them from an unhappy home.”

“Are you referring to any one kid in particular?”

Jo nodded as she rummaged through the stack of files. She pulled out Sam’s file and stared at it. “I just can’t figure this family out. He is so worried about his sisters and wants to keep them safe. Yet his mother is in complete denial about what has happened. Sam is too young to have these kinds of worries in his life. I just can’t figure out how to get through to his mom. Jim and Hallie agree that taking him away from his sisters is the worst possible move, and we can’t legally take them away from Claire, so that’s out.”

“I have an idea,” suggested Dan.

“I’m open to anything at this point. I don’t want to see Sam get hurt again. What’s your idea?”

“Let Trixie talk to her,” said Dan. “Alone, this time.”

Jo stared at Dan as she mulled the idea around in her mind. Trixie was a professional in her own right, but she was not trained in the social service aspect of the job. “It might work,” she mused. “Okay, I’ll give it a shot. Let’s have the mother and Sam come down here and we can call Trixie and see if she will come talk to them.”

“I think that’s a good idea, Joey,” agreed Dan. “Let’s go make the calls. Try to set up the meeting for tomorrow. That will give Trixie and Jim time to talk. He’ll help her think through what the important points are.”

The next morning, Trixie and Jim arrived in Jo’s office. They sat down with Jo and Dan and discussed the situation between Sam and his mother.

“So, you’ll talk with the mother?” Jo asked Trixie.

Trixie shrugged. “Sure, but I’m not sure I will be able to help. I’m not really good at this kind of stuff.”

Jim grabbed her hand. “You don’t know how good you are, Shamus. You’ll get this mystery solved, too.”

Jo looked up as she heard the arrival of Sam and his mother. Rising, she excused herself and went to greet them. After showing them into separate rooms, Jo returned and tapped on Trixie’s shoulder, “You’re up.”

Trixie stood up and smiled at Jo. She turned to her boyfriend. “Jim, what are you going to do while I’m in there?” she asked.

“I think I might visit with Sam, just to see how the last few nights went for him.”

“Ooh, don’t let Hallie catch you doing that!” warned Trixie as she grinned at him.

“I’ll wear a disguise,” replied Jim and he stood up and followed Trixie out of Jo’s office.

Trixie rapped softly on the door. Sam’s mother looked up and saw a youthful looking young blond with curly hair. “Mind if I come in?” Trixie asked.

“I guess not,” replied Sam’s mother.

Trixie entered the small room and held out her hand. “I don’t think we have officially met. My name is Trixie Belden.”

Sam’s mother stared at Trixie’s hand for a moment before taking it in her own. “My name is Claire Olivia.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Claire. Your son, Sam, is a wonderful boy. You should be proud of him. We all are—everyone who worked on this case.”

“I guess so,” replied Claire said weakly.

“Oh, but he is so brave. He was a big help in this case. His heart is so full. He cares about so many people, especially you and his sisters.”

Sam’s mother stared at the wall in front of her, seemingly uninterested in what Trixie was saying.

“Claire,” Trixie gently prodded the young mother. “Are you alright?”

Claire nodded, then shook her head. “What am I going to do?” she asked quietly.

“What do you mean?” queried Trixie.

The young mother turned and looked at Trixie. She noted the clean clothing and the glowing complexion that was surrounded by a halo of golden curls. The sparkle of her blue eyes was accented by the tiny diamond studs that were in Trixie’s ears. “You’ll never understand.” Claire said tersely.

“Try me, you might be surprised.”

“Look at yourself. I bet you have a nice house and always have food on the table. In fact, I bet you have never known a hungry day in your entire life.”

“How does my life affect what you are doing in your life?”

“I don’t have a fancy place to live. I can’t go to the store to buy tons of groceries so that I always have something in the fridge to feed my kids. I go to work in the morning and come home in the afternoon. Then I start in on the household chores. By the time I have the dinner dishes taken care of, I am tired, so incredibly tired. I can’t even begin to be the nice mother because I’m too worn out trying to provide for them. And now I have this problem with Dexter. How am I going to get him an attorney and get him back home?”

Trixie stared at Claire. “Why would you want to bring him back? Why do you think you have to find him an attorney? Haven’t you listened to anything that has be said about Dexter? That man is a criminal of the worst kind. He preys on children, including yours.”

“But I can’t make it on my own,” wailed Claire.

“Why not?” challenged Trixie. “It sounds to me like you have been doing that even with Dexter in the house.”

“I’m afraid.” whispered Claire.

Trixie slid closer to the woman and took her hand. “Why are you afraid?”

“What if I don’t find another person who will love me?” sighed Claire.

“Claire,” said Trixie sternly. “You do have a person who loves you, in fact you have three very special people who not only love you, but they think the sun rises and sets with you. No matter what you cook for dinner, they will love you. No matter if the apartment is clean or not, they will love you. Even if the laundry isn’t done, they will love you. Maybe you need to love yourself a little bit more.”

Claire looked at Trixie. “What does that mean? Love yourself?

Trixie paused, “Claire you seem to believe that you can’t do it all on your own. You don’t trust your own judgment. You are using Dexter as a crutch to lean on. Only that crutch was rotten. You are a strong women who needs to believe in herself. You can do this.”

“How?”

“Well, it means you do things for yourself to keep yourself healthy and happy. And you do things for your kids just because those things are fun to do. Don’t let the daily toil of life bring you down. Set aside the time to just be with your kids. You can talk with them and then listen to them. You can play a game or read with them. None of things cost a dime, but they are worth so much more. If you need to lean on someone, let it be the people in life that raise you up not tear you down.”

“Let me tell you something,” Trixie slid a bit closer to Claire. “When I was a kid, I always had to gather the eggs from the chicken coop in the morning so that my mom could use them to make breakfast. I hated that job and always complained about it. But you know what, when I look back, I don’t remember the smell of the chicken coop or the meanness of some of the chickens. I remember the look on my mom’s face when I would bring her the basket full of eggs. She always smiled at me and kissed me. It was just the two of us hanging out in the morning before my brothers woke up. It wasn’t a huge moment, but it is one that I always treasure.”

“But how can I do that for my kids? I don’t have a chicken coop or anything like that!”

Trixie thought for a moment. “Okay, here’s a way to start. When dinner is finished clean up as a family. Make a deal with your children, set a timer for 15 minutes and tell your kids that everybody works hard for 15 minutes then when the timer goes off, they get to choose a game or a book or even a walk, just as long as it is something you guys can do together. Then follow through with that activity. I bet after a while, you will start to find all kinds of little moments with Sam and your daughters.”

Claire sat and thought for a minute. “I suppose I could do that,” she said slowly.

“But there is one more thing,” Trixie cautioned. “You and Sam need to talk, really talk. He told the truth about Dexter. Now he needs to know that you believe him. That, as his mother, you won’t let anything happen to him or his sisters. You need to make him understand that Dexter will never be coming back into your lives. And you need to keep that promise. I know it will be hard and it will be scary. Just remember the unbelievable gift you will be giving your kids, especially Sam. With Dexter gone, they will feel safe. ”

“Do you really think I can do this?” whispered Claire.

“Yes, and because I have complete faith in you, I will help you any way I can. Sam has become good friends with my boyfriend, Jim, and he is a great resource to lean on. I think Sam and Jim are hanging out together right now. Would you like to meet him?” Trixie asked. She was hoping that Claire would say yes.

As Trixie and Claire walked down the hall, they could hear Jim and Sam’s laughter echoing from one of the small rooms. Arriving at the room, the women peeked around the doorway and saw Jim and Sam sitting in chairs, trying to toss their shoes into a nearby trashcan. Trixie looked at Claire and saw the woman entranced by the simple game and the laughter it evoked.

“You can have that with Sam,” Trixie whispered to her. “Sam wants to trust you again. It’s all up to you.”

Sam tossed his shoe but it hit the side of the trash can and spiraled in the direction of the doorway. As he scampered to retrieve his shoe, he saw his mother standing there. Sam abruptly stopped, the smile leaving his face. Sam and his mother stared at each other. Jim stood up, grabbing his own shoes from the trash receptacle. Silence and tension stretched across the small office room. Claire hesitated, glancing at Trixie, who gave her a nod of encouragement. Stepping into the room, Claire cleared her throat, “Um, Sam. I’m really sorry I didn’t believe you when you spoke about Dexter. I was wrong, very wrong. And I promise you that he will never again set foot anywhere near me or you. Can you ever forgive me?”

Sam watched his mother’s anguished face. He looked back at Jim, who smiled encouragingly to the young boy. “Okay, Mom,” Sam said, but everyone in the room could hear that his voice lacked conviction.

“Sam, I think you need to tell your mother what you’re worried about,” Jim prompted.

Sam retreated to the chair he’d been sitting in, but he did speak. “Mom, you keep talking about Dexter and the trouble he’s in and where you’re going to find the money for an attorney to get him back home, but I don’t want him to come back!”

“I know he’s not your father,” Claire told her son, “but you need a man in your life.”

“Not that one,” Sam insisted. “He beat me, Mom, because I found out about the girls he helped kidnap. He beat me so I wouldn’t tell. And my sisters are too young now, but they won’t be for much longer. Dexter threatened to give them to his friends when they’re old enough. He told me he would. He said he’d kill them if I ever ran away. If you let him come back, he’ll blame me and he’ll beat me. I think he’ll try to kill me,” Sam said, clearly frightened. “I’m scared. I don’t want him to hurt my sisters. You said it was my job to look out for them and keep them safe. I’m trying, Mom. Really I am, but I need your help.”

“You’re right, son,” Claire chocked out, tears running down her cheeks. “And you’ll have it. I’ll divorce your uncle, and he won’t live with us anymore. You have my word.” She held out her arms and Sam slowly went into them. Once there, his mother wrapped Sam in a tight hug. Trixie saw Sam’s smaller arms grab hold of his mother as the hug deepened.

Jim watched as tears pooled in the eyes of his shamus. Walking over to her, he pulled her close and whispered in her ear, “You did it again.”

“Wrong,” she whispered back. “We did it again”

Trixie and Jim turned to leave the room and let Claire and Sam work out their remaining issues.

Walking down the hall, arms around each other’s’ waists, they turned a corner and came face to face with an angry Hallie Belden. Jim groaned softly, his arm tightening around Trixie’s waist.

“Yes?” Trixie asked Hallie, meeting her cousin head on.

“You went behind my back again, with Sam!”

“I thought you were going to wear a disguise,” Trixie teased Jim. She looked at Hallie. “We had his mother’s consent, and it wasn’t an interrogation,” Trixie pointed out. “Your work is done, at least with Sam.”

Before Hallie could speak again, Jim asked her bluntly, “Hallie, what do you want?”

Rather than answering, Hallie snapped, “Why does everyone keep asking me that?”

Refusing to take the bait, Jim answered in a soft, clam voice, “Because it’s the only question that matters.”

Hallie stormed off down the hall. Jim watched her go. “I wish we could help her.”

“Me too, but I don’t think we’re the right people,” Trixie answered.

It was like ripples in a pond. As the FBI began to get information from JD, Jason, Dex and the others, they coordinated with other law enforcement officials around the world.

Quietly and without fanfare, group after group was taken into custody. The information gathered from one group was used to take down others. In all, nearly 500 children were saved from kidnappers and worse.

One extraordinary thing that came out of the whole thing was that many of the teens chose to speak up. They had all grown up in the age of computers and cell phones. They were angry but used that anger to share with other children what had happened. A movement was started that year called Wake Up. It came about through the therapy several of the children were put in to help them deal with what happened.

Because they had allowed themselves to be kidnapped and fooled, the teens felt ashamed and guilty. Some were angry that their parents didn’t care that they were gone. Then a smart young therapist in New York asked that the rescued students be allowed to take their therapy in small groups. In comparing notes and experiences, it showed them the commonalities in their experiences. That allowed them to forgive themselves. It also evolved into a plan. They wanted make sure other teens didn’t have to experience what they did.

That plan morphed into a class where students came in to teach their fellow students how to be safer online. The classes were brutally honest and taught by some of the teens who were rescued and a therapist. The teens taught about the methodology the kidnappers used. The reasons behind why the students were vulnerable to the methods used. The cold hard facts were laid out that they were merchandise and not human beings to the kidnappers. They were simply a way to raise money. As a way to end the classes, each group of students taught was asked to come up with a way to help keep youth safe online or to empower youth online. Like ripples on a pond, as teens were empowered to help other teens, changes occurred. Students woke up and took responsibility for their life online.