Trained to Rescue by Elizabeth Goddard

Author:Elizabeth Goddard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2021-03-09T14:44:04+00:00

THREE

“What I am about to tell you is sensitive,” Agent DeMarco said. “I need your word that you’ll keep it confidential.”

“Of course,” Laney agreed.

“Good, because you’re the only witness to a kidnapping that is connected to the abduction of two other children over the past six weeks.”

“That’s not a secret, Agent. It’s been in the news for a few weeks.” In fact, those abductions—one outside of DC and the other in Annapolis—had been nagging at her when she saw the van on Ashley Street.

“There have also been similar clusters of child abductions in two other states.”

She definitely hadn’t heard that before. “How many children are we talking about?”

“Thirteen others, so far. Not including the three from this area.”

“Sixteen kids missing? I’d think that would be all over the news.”

“It has been. Regional news only. The first seven disappeared from the Los Angeles area over a four-month period. The next six disappeared from the Boston vicinity in just under three months. In many cases, there were reports of a dark van in the area around the time of the abductions.”

“Just like the van tonight.”

He nodded. “Your description is the most detailed, but other witnesses mentioned a dark panel van. Unfortunately, no one has seen the driver. You’re the first witness we have who’s seen everything—the van, the missing child, the kidnappers. It’s the break I’ve been waiting for, and I don’t want anything to jeopardize it. We need to keep the fact that you survived quiet for as long as possible. The less the kidnappers realize we know, the easier it will be to close in on them.”

“I understand. I won’t tell anyone.”

“It’s not as simple as that. The kidnappers are aware that you were shot. They could have followed the ambulance to the hospital. They could be waiting around, hoping to hear some information that will confirm your death or refute it.”

“Why would they bother? I saw them, but I don’t know who they are.”

“You’ve worked with law enforcement for years, Laney. You understand how this works. They tried to silence you to keep you from reporting what you witnessed. If they see that they failed, they may try again.”

“But is sticking around to kill me really worth the risk when they could just skip town with the kids and disappear?” That’s what she thought they’d do, but she wasn’t sure how clear her thinking was. Her head ached so badly, she just wanted to close her eyes.

“This trafficking ring is extensive,” Agent DeMarco explained. “We’ve had reports that the children are being transported overseas and sold into slavery. This is a multi-tier operation that isn’t just being run here in the United States. There are kids missing in Europe, in Canada, in Asia, and each time, the kidnappings occur in clusters. Five, six, seven kids from a region go missing, and then nothing.”

“Except families left with broken hearts and no answers,” Laney murmured, the thought of all those kids, all those parents and siblings, all those empty bedrooms and empty hearts making her heart ache and head pound even more.

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