Out Of Hiding

“It’s okay, it’s Kip. Sadie, you with me? Have you eaten today?”

She couldn’t process this. She’d been camped out for two weeks waiting to get a glimpse of Igor coming out of the five-star downtown hotel, but she’d never seen him. Her worst fear, confirmed. The Vladimir network was expanding to El Paso. And the FBI was on the trail. She couldn’t let this Kip guy know the truth. She knew Igor could be in El Paso, but hearing the words brought about a visceral reaction within her.

“Sorry. I haven’t eaten. Sometimes I get a little queasy, low blood sugar and all.” She was hypoglycemic, but her reaction was spurred by something much more sinister.

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a protein bar. “Here, eat this.” His light blue eyes flashed with concern.

“Thanks,” she muttered. This was it. She wasn’t safe here any longer. She’d been tracking Vladimir’s network closely, well, as close as possible, but hadn’t been sure Igor was in the area. Parts of his crew, but not Igor himself. She had known all about his continued operations in New York. The human-trafficking ring that spread up to Canada. As she suspected, his next move had to be expanding into Mexico. But now she had to focus, she had to pull herself together, and quickly. She took a couple of bites of the protein bar as Kip sat silently watching her eat.

“You feeling any better?” he asked.

“Yeah. Where were we?” She needed more information from him to determine whether her initial research was accurate. And while she’d never trust the FBI after what they let happen to her family, she needed Kip’s knowledge right now.

“I was saying that we could use your help in the investigation involving a Russian crime syndicate. It’s actually a family business of sorts that started in New York. They’ve sprung up a satellite office down here, so to speak. Human trafficking over the border.”

“And where do I come into this?” She wanted to close her eyes and pray that there was no way he knew about her past with the Vladimir family. He couldn’t. That person no longer existed.

“I saw you in action on Saturday. You’re good. I also think you know more than you’re letting on. So I was hoping you could consult on the investigation with us.”

“You don’t even know me.”

“I’ve seen enough. And of course, I had the FBI run a background check on you.”

Thankfully, her history before joining Witness Protection was in a sealed file that wouldn’t even show up on his search. Add on to that the additional Witness Protection security protocols. But still she wouldn’t put anything past the FBI. Igor Vladimir may have pulled the trigger and killed both her parents, but it was the FBI’s fault that he had been in her house in the first place.

“So what do you propose?”

“Lunch.” He smiled.

“Not happening,” she said. She wanted more information, but she needed to do it her way.

“Coffee?”

“Possibly. I wasn’t lying. It’s Monday morning. I’ve been busy catching up on things with more ground to cover. We can set something up for later today if you’re really serious.”

“I am. And I can work with your schedule.”

“Meet me back here at two,” she said. That would give her enough time to do some digging.

“All right.” He turned and walked to the door, then looked over his shoulder. “Please don’t draw the gun on me again.” He winked and stepped outside.

She needed to drink some water and clear her head. The room felt like it was closing in on her. Her panic attacks had gotten better, but at times like these they threatened to claim her again. She couldn’t believe she’d passed out earlier. That was dangerous. Super dangerous. She knew the information she’d been given about Igor was probably true, but hearing it out of Kip’s mouth had still been a shock. She was smart enough to know this Kip Moore wasn’t one of the FBI agents responsible for her parents’ death, but the fact he was still a part of the Bureau made her uneasy.

She laughed to herself. Work with the FBI? Really? She despised the FBI’s bureaucratic maze for failing her parents, and rightfully so. However, it would seem that she needed to work with them now to get what she ultimately wanted. Justice. She’d been working toward this goal for years on her own. Going against the shadowy Vladimir network in any small way she could. This, though, could provide her an opportunity to deal them a huge blow. Her two greatest enemies. Could she work with one to take down the other?

TWO

Sadie worked furiously updating her research on the Vladimir network. The FBI had more resources than her. But they’d both been in the woods Saturday night, so they weren’t too far ahead. What was the FBI going to be able to do anyway? The same old thing, which in the end meant nothing.

She felt the pressure building around her temples. Her phone rang loudly, and she shook her head trying to focus.

“The Lane Group, this is Sadie,” she answered.

“Sadie,” a woman’s voice said. “It’s Carrie Milton. Have you found out anything more about Megan? It’s been over a week now since she’s been missing.”

“Hi, Ms. Milton.” Sadie dreaded telling her that basically the only news she had was no news. “I followed up on a potential lead over the weekend. But unfortunately it didn’t go anywhere.”

Ms. Milton sniffed. “I’m just so worried about her. The police aren’t taking this seriously enough. It doesn’t seem like they’re totally focused on this.”

“Nothing’s ever going to be enough until we find her. I’ve talked to the local PD. They are looking for her, but it’s always better to have more options. From what you’ve told me, Megan is a very smart girl. I’m going to do everything in my power to find her.”

“I wasn’t meaning to imply that you weren’t doing your job. I know you’ve only been on the case a few days. I just can’t describe to you what it’s like to know your child is in danger. But that’s not the main reason I called. Megan’s best friend, Lauren, wants to talk to you. She thinks she might be able to help. They are very close.”

“Send me her contact information, and I’ll get in touch with her right away.”

“Thank you so much, Sadie. Now, we haven’t got around to talking about your rates yet. I don’t have a lot of money. I work two jobs as it is. But I’m willing to do whatever I need to do to help find her. Maybe we can work out some sort of a payment plan?”

Sadie’s heart ripped in two. “Don’t you worry about that right now, okay? I’m sure we can work something out within your budget. I’ve already started investigating, and I’m not going to stop. In the meantime, I’ll need you to send me some additional pictures of your daughter and Lauren’s info.”

“I can’t thank you enough.”

Sadie provided Ms. Milton with her email address for the pictures, and she jotted down Lauren’s contact info. Ms. Milton promised to send pictures right away, as soon as they discontinued their call.

The bell on her door jingled, and Kip was standing there with his arms crossed. She looked forward to the day when she could have a more sophisticated entry with a receptionist. It must already be two o’clock. Ugh, he was the last thing she needed to deal with right now.

“Glad to see you’re not armed.” He took a few steps toward her.

“I don’t have much time to chat. I just talked to the mother of the missing child I told you about. I have to do more to find her.”

“Shouldn’t the police be taking the lead on that?”

“The mother isn’t satisfied with the police’s effort. Can you blame her? It’s her child.”

His eyes softened. “I understand.”

“Let’s make this quick.”

“No coffee?”

“I can make some here if you’d like?”

He smiled. “That’d be great.”

She loved coffee. It was one of her biggest weaknesses. Sadie was glad he wanted some too; she liked being able to brew a pot for more than just herself.

Her office wasn’t large, but she had what she needed. She dreamed of expanding and having another investigator and eventually an assistant. Maybe one day. Then it would really be The Lane Group; for now it was just her and her trusty coffeemaker. She started the coffee and then took a seat back at her desk. While she had told him she wanted to make it quick, what she wanted was more information. With Megan’s disappearance, her personal goals might have to wait.

“I just want to make sure you didn’t see anything more on Saturday night? No matter how small, I want to know everything.”

“I can walk you through it. Again. I was there, in position. When I felt the bullet literally graze by me. I could hear noises but couldn’t see anyone. In fact, the only people I saw were in FBI flak jackets—two of them. And then there was you, of course.”

He gave her a crooked grin. “Yes, then there was me. And you left out the part about holding me at gunpoint.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “I didn’t think you needed to relive that, right?”

“Seriously, though. This Vladimir group is bad news. They’re involved in a bit of everything, but the most egregious part of their operation is human trafficking. I’m guessing I don’t need to tell you what that all entails. They also have a full drug and money-laundering scheme. And they run a variety of legal businesses that help serve as cover.”

“So why the move from New York?”

“Easy. The Mexican border. They move these poor girls over the border, and then...I can’t tell you how awful these men are.”

He didn’t have to. She knew. “And I could help how, exactly?”

“You’ve already shown you’re a good shot. Plus you’re a P.I. I’m sure you have expertise that could help out the FBI investigation.”

She nodded.

“But mainly, you probably have your ear to the ground with sources we don’t have at the FBI. If you hear anything, see anything in your work, we’d appreciate knowing about it. As you can imagine trying to take down an operation like theirs is a huge job. And we still may not succeed. They’ve eluded us before. This isn’t a simple takedown. It’s a very complex operation.”

She thought for a moment then asked. “How long have you been in the FBI?”

“Three years.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah, before that I was in the military.”

“What branch?”

“Army.”

“You weren’t just the in army though, were you?” she asked on a hunch.

“Ranger.”

“I could tell.

“And how is that?”

“You have an edge about you.”

“I guess I should take that as a compliment?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, I think so.”

“So what do you say?”

“If I have any information, I’m happy to share. But right now my top priority is my client and trying to find this missing girl.”

“What do the police say?”

“That they’re overstretched on resources but still doing everything they can. No leads though.”

“Are you concerned?”

“After talking to her mother, yes I am. Moms know best. If she believes something happened to her daughter, then who am I to question that? The girl’s friends also haven’t heard from her. That’s key. A teenager might ignore her mom but definitely not her friends.”

He frowned. “Doesn’t sound good. How old is she?”

“Sixteen.”

“When did she go missing?”

“Saturday before last while out downtown with her friend.”

He frowned even deeper this time.

“What?” she asked.

“Nothing.” He shook his head.

She knew that wasn’t really what he was thinking, but she’d let it go.

“I know you’re busy. So I’ll get out of here. I’d like to take you to lunch sometime, though.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Good.” He stood up and walked out the door.

She couldn’t help but notice how sweet his smile had been. Or his concern over Megan. Army ranger. Those guys were no joke. Why did he have to join the FBI? She shook her head in disgust. The FBI had a way of messing everything up. She hoped Kip hadn’t been corrupted. She shouldn’t focus too much on his sweet smile. Megan Milton was her top priority.

* * *

Sadie didn’t waste any time getting to work after Kip left her office. She needed to talk to Lauren and retrace Megan’s steps from the prior Saturday night. She’d gotten the teenager’s address from Ms. Milton and arrived at the house out in the El Paso suburbs. Lauren’s family had money. The two-story white sprawling house with a perfect fence was so cliché.

She’d called ahead of time to confirm the meeting. Lauren and her mother were actually eager to talk to her. She rang the doorbell and was greeted by a woman with bleached blond hair, in her forties, dressed in a tennis outfit. However, her perfume and heavy makeup didn’t seem consistent with an intense tennis match.

“You must be the private investigator?”

“Yes, I’m Sadie Lane. You must be Mrs. Newton.”

“Yes. Please come in. I’m so glad you’re here.” She waved her hand in the air. “Lauren has been absolutely distraught. She won’t even go out which is so unlike her. She’s a social butterfly. I hope you can help. She’s anxious to talk to you.”

“Before I talk to her, how well did you know Megan?”

“She spent a lot of time over here.” She shook her head. “She’s a sweet girl.” She lowered her voice. “But her mother.” She leaned in closer. “She actually works two jobs.”

Sadie tried to reserve judgment, but Lauren’s mother seemed pretty judgmental herself. Sadie admired the fact that Ms. Milton worked two jobs to support her family. Obviously, from the looks of the expansive house, Mrs. Newton didn’t have to worry about money.

Mrs. Newton fluffed her already-teased hair. “At any rate, her mother leaves Megan alone a lot. It’s sad, but Lauren’s taken her under her wing. My Lauren has her act together. Top grades and a blooming social life to go with it.” She held her head high. “I’m so proud of her. She’s the perfect daughter.”

Sadie wanted to laugh. This lady probably had no clue what her daughter was getting into. “That’s wonderful that Lauren is doing so well, and I’m glad she’s a friend to Megan.”

“Yes, I’m sure she’ll want to talk to you now.” She called out to her daughter, and Lauren bounded down the steps. She was a younger version of Mrs. Newton. Her much more natural blond ponytail was perfectly styled, and she also wore a buff-pink tennis outfit. Maybe a mother-daughter tennis match this evening after the summer sun subsided?

“Lauren, dear, this is Ms. Lane. She’s the investigator looking for Megan.”

“I’m glad you’re here,” Lauren said. She walked right over to her and grabbed Sadie’s hand dragging her into the living room. “Mom, can you give us a few minutes to talk?”

“Sure, dear.” Mrs. Newton bounced out of the room, oblivious.

Lauren plopped down on the couch and leaned her head back for a moment before turning and making eye contact with Sadie. Sadie sat down beside her.

“I’m freaked out about Megan,” Lauren said bluntly.

“I’m so glad you’re talking to me. I’m going to need you to be completely honest with me. No one is in this room right now but me and you. To be able to help Megan I need to know the whole truth.”

Lauren nodded. “I get it.” Lauren tightened her ponytail, and then looked directly at her, her blue eyes wide. “That’s exactly why I asked Mom to leave. She can be so controlling and always wants to add her spin to any story.”

“Start at the beginning. What happened that Saturday night?”

“We were going out downtown for a nice dinner. We scored the top two grades in our AP history class. Megan had been saving up for months for this dinner. Megan’s family doesn’t have money. It’s just her and her mom, so this was a big deal. Once we got the grades, we immediately started planning.”

“Okay, so what happened?”

“We made a reservation at the newest and trendiest restaurant in town. I couldn’t believe we were able to get a reservation, but we did. It’s the one inside the fancy Rhubarb Hotel called Sala. It’s also exciting because they play live music, and it’s just the place to go. So anyway, we were at our table and there was a delay in our getting served because it was so busy. I went to find our server to get us some water. By the time I got back, she was gone.” Tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked away. “If I hadn’t left her, maybe she’d be okay.”

“How long were you gone?”

“The restaurant was packed. It was probably at least fifteen minutes or longer. Because—” she paused, looking down “—I took a detour and wandered around a bit, taking it all in.”

“So the last time you saw her, she was at the table. Then fifteen minutes later or longer you walked back, and she wasn’t there. Then what did you do?”

“I looked for her. I checked the ladies’ room and the hostess stand. Then went back to the main seating area. Sala isn’t that large. After I went around the place at least three times, I knew something was wrong. Megan and I like to go out and have fun, but we never ever leave each other like that. She would not have left that restaurant without me. No way. We know it’s not safe. Something happened to her.” Her eyes misted up. “I know it.”

“What did you do then?”

“I went home. Megan’s mom was working the night shift. So I didn’t talk to her until I called the next morning. She hadn’t seen or heard from Megan either. That’s when I flipped out.”

“And you never got any word from her? A text, an email, anything after that night?”

“Nothing.” She paused and her blue eyes filled with tears yet again. “What do you think happened?”

“I don’t know. But I’ll do my best to find her.”

“I know I’m just sixteen, but I’m not stupid. Could someone have taken her?”

“That’s always possible.”

Lauren stood up and started pacing. “I’m so mad at the police. They need to be doing more. I’ve watched enough TV to know that this isn’t exactly a top priority for them. They aren’t taking this seriously enough. They don’t want to commit more resources. It’s not right! I think if my family hadn’t gotten involved they wouldn’t be doing as much as they are now.”

“That’s sad,” Sadie said in truth.

“I know.”

“If Megan was in trouble, is there anywhere she would go?”

“Yeah. She’d come here. To me. To my house. Megan has been through a lot. Her mom works so hard. Megan even got a part-time job at the yogurt shop when she turned sixteen. And her dad, he’s never been in the picture. Like ever.” She hesitated and shifted her eyes away again. “I don’t know what I’ll do if something happened to her. I may put on a big act that I’m all put together, but Megan is the strong one.”

“You’ve been very helpful, Lauren. Is there anything else I should know?”

“I’ll do anything to help, Sadie. Anything.”

Sadie said her goodbyes to Lauren and her mother and went back to the office, settling in at her desk. A few minutes later, she looked up as Kip walked through her office door smiling.

“What’re you doing here? I told you I was working this case.”

“I wanted to see how your afternoon was going. Any leads on the girl?”

“Maybe. I went to see her friend. What do you know about Sala?”

“The swanky restaurant in the Rhubarb Hotel?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m not into the fancy restaurant scene.”

“Me neither.”

“But I’ve heard it’s the trendy place to go in town. They have live music on the weekends which is a big draw for the college crowd. During the week it caters to business types and young professionals.”

“I’m going to have to go there tonight.”

He frowned. “Why?”

“That’s where Megan was last seen. I need to ask around about her. Someone there saw something. I just know it.”

“What did the friend say?”

“She left Megan at the table alone while she went to track down their server and look around the place. When she came back Megan was gone. She looked everywhere and couldn’t find her.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“I don’t need an escort to a fancy restaurant.”

He laughed. “Believe me, you’ve made it clear you can take care of yourself. But I can do my own recon while we’re there.”

“For what?”

“See if I can get any tips on the Vladimir operation.”

“You think you’d get that at Sala?”

“The newest report from the field team is that Igor has been seen going in and out of the hotel. It’s his speed. Plus, Igor is in the hotel business—the high-end hotels anyway. He also has a few five-star restaurants.”

At the sound of Igor’s name, chills shot down her arms. “Igor?” she asked.

“Yeah. The Vladimir group is headed by the father, Sergei. But his two sons, Igor and Artur, actually do the work. They’re currently in a battle for who’s going to take over.”

“Interesting,” she said. “So Igor is here in El Paso?”

“He comes and goes, as does Artur. But Igor has staked out El Paso as his territory. He appears to be putting down roots.”

“You asked me a lot of questions about what happened in the woods, but you never told me what went down that night.”

He ran his hand through his dark hair. “We tailed one of Igor’s thugs who was involved in a money drop into the woods. Looked like there was some hand off there between the thug and some other guy who we’re still trying to identify. Most likely linked to the trafficking business. Makes me sick.”

“What do you mean?”

“The guy was probably making a payment for more girls.”

She shuddered to think about it. “You’re trying to stop Igor’s network.”

“Me and my team.”

“So they take the girls over the border, then what?”

“You really don’t want to know.”

He was right. She didn’t need the gory details. She understood exactly what happened to those poor girls. “All right. Well, I need to go home and shower before I go out tonight.”

“What do you say about grabbing dinner before we go to the hotel? I’m in the mood for Italian. We can discuss some operational details.”

She considered rejecting his offer immediately but then thought better of it. This man was the key to tracking down Igor. “That would be fine. Why don’t we meet somewhere for dinner?”

He shook his head. “No, I’ll pick you up.”

“You don’t even know where I live.” Then she realized he was in the FBI so he could easily track her down.

“I’ll find you. How does seven-thirty work?”

“See you then.”

He smiled and walked away. She hoped she wasn’t making a big mistake.

* * *

When Kip pulled up to Sadie’s little house, he stopped for a minute to gather his thoughts before exiting his FBI-issued sedan. What exactly was he doing here? Yeah, he didn’t want her going to that fancy downtown restaurant alone, but why should he care so much? He’d cared once before and look where that had gotten him. A broken heart. No, not just a broken heart. His ex-fiancée, Lacy, had ripped his heart out and stomped on it.

Her having cheated on him was hurtful, but the fact that she’d left him for Brad Sullivan—one of the guys from his own ranger team—nearly killed him. Brad had been not only his friend but also someone he’d looked up to as a military leader. They’d bonded after a team retreat in Brad’s cabin in Colorado that they’d taken before they deployed. The pain was still fresh even though it was now years past. He’d never be able to forgive. Ever.

This was business, though. If the FBI report was correct, Igor might be using the hotel as his base of operations. He took a deep breath and stepped out of his car. He knocked lightly, and the door opened. The sight of Sadie took his breath away.

“Hey,” he said.

“Come on in. I just need to feed my cats.”

She was simply stunning. Her long straight dark hair flowed over her shoulders. She’d changed into a pair of black slacks and wore a dark green shirt that looked amazing against her skin. It was made out of some kind of silky material that seemed soft and feminine. He looked at her again as she poured cat food into a dish. Her smile was enough to make his heart unsteady.