#Anybody's Daughter by Pamela Samuels Young

Author:Pamela Samuels Young
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Goldman House Publishing
Published: 2018-04-06T17:36:17+00:00

Chapter 35

Day Two: 11:05 p.m.

Dre and Angela had been sitting in a booth at Denny’s for about fifteen minutes.

“You sure she’s coming?” Dre’s eyes had been pinned on the entrance from the second they’d arrived.

Dre had been thrilled to find out that Angela was familiar with Harmony House. She contacted a friend who set up a meeting with Loretha.

“She’s coming,” Angela said. “Just relax.”

His eyes darted back to the door. “Is that her?”

A short woman with dreadlocks had just entered the restaurant. She was wearing jeans and a heavy military-type jacket. Angela held up a hand, waving her over.

Dre couldn’t stop staring. He was both surprised and embarrassed that a woman no taller than Brianna had gotten the jump on him.

Loretha eased into the booth, placing Dre in the middle.

She smiled sheepishly. “Sorry about our little confrontation. I’m like a mother bear when it comes to my girls.”

“No prob,” Dre said. “I’m just glad that gun didn’t go off.”

“I know how to handle a weapon,” Loretha said confidently. “The only way it would’ve gone off is if you’d tried something. I definitely would’ve shot you.”

She turned to Angela. “I’m not supposed to have a gun in the house with the girls, but I’ve had a couple of pimps come knocking before and I refuse to go unprotected.” She smiled. “So, I won’t mention that little incident again if you don’t.”

“No problem,” Angela said. “That’s enough talk about guns. We have a problem and we hope you can help.”

Dre began telling Loretha everything that had happened to date. He stopped short of mentioning his virtual meeting with The Shepherd, fearing that information would upset Angela.

“I feel like I’m trapped in a nightmare that won’t end,” he said.

Loretha sighed heavily. “You are. What’s going on out there in the streets today is nothing like it was in my day. The girls are getting younger and younger. And now that the gangs are in on it, it’s big business.”

“But how can they be bold enough to just snatch a kid off the street?” Dre asked.

“These thugs are getting bolder because the risks of getting caught are low and the financial rewards are extremely high.”

“I can understand how a girl might be initially lured in,” Dre said, “but why don’t they just run away?”

“It’s not that simple. First, the pimp keeps really close tabs on them. And by the time a pimp puts a girl on the street, she’s so traumatized and brainwashed that she’ll do whatever she’s told to do out of fear. They’re beaten or threatened with death or the death of someone close to them. The girls I see show the same signs of post-traumatic stress disorder as the soldiers coming back from war. The only difference is they never get treated for it.”

Dre picked up his hamburger, then put it back down. He wasn’t sure how to respectfully ask his next question. “How long ago were you—uh, when did you leave The Shepherd?”

Loretha grimaced. “A little over five years ago. I was no longer working the streets when I left.

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