Once she handed the envelope over, she would head to her great aunt and great uncle’s place in Harpers Ferry, just over the border in West Virginia. She would hang out there until she figured out what to do next.
Sadly, they were both gone now, or else she wouldn’t go anywhere near their place.
Her Uncle Jerry died about nine months ago at the age of seventy-four, and her Great Aunt Marjorie, who’d been a spry seventy-two, passed away three months later.
Charlotte was convinced she died of a broken heart.
They were never blessed with children of their own, but when Charlotte’s mom found out she was pregnant, they’d happily taken her into their home and treated her like she was their daughter. And after Charlotte was born, they’d loved and doted on her like a grandchild.
She and her mom only recently learned the house was left to them. They hadn’t even had a chance to change the name on the deed yet, which was extremely helpful for her current predicament.
After showering off the crappy night she’d had, she brushed her teeth and put on her favorite sleep shirt. She set the pepper spray on her nightstand, tossed back the covers, and crawled into bed. Before falling asleep, she set an alarm to wake her in two hours.
Charlotte snuggled beneath her favorite comforter, closed her eyes, and as she began to doze off, her last thought was how much it sucked not being able to trust people.
CHAPTER FIVE
Hawkpushedopenthetall, thick glass door, and he and Remy stepped into Every Last Child’s reception area. The head receptionist, Rebecca, sat at a wide, wooden desk behind an elevated counter, talking to someone on the phone. She looked up and held up a finger to indicate she’d be right with him.
“Yes, I understand, bu—” She rolled her eyes at being interrupted by the caller. “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m not at liberty to provide that information. If you’d like, I can transfer you to—” She flinched, tapped her earpiece, and muttered, “And a wonderful day to you, too.” She smiled at Hawk, as if someone hadn’t just hung up on her. “Good morning.”
“Does that happen a lot?” he asked.
“What? Getting hung up on?”
“Yeah.”
“Not too often.” She slid her drawer open, grabbed a dog treat from a plastic bag, and slid the drawer shut. “I have something special for you, Remy.” She stood, hurried around the desk, squatted down in front of his dog, and let him take the treat from her palm.
Of course, Remy didn’t even bother chewing it.
“How you doin’ today?” Rebecca scratched the sides of his neck.
He closed his eyes and made a little groaning sound when she rubbed his ears the way he liked.
Hawk and Remy had been to ELC multiple times, and everyone loved seeing his dog. For Remy, it was a toss-up about which he liked best—the snacks or the attention.
“The guy on the phone was asking questions about a couple of the children that were recently rescued.” She stroked Remy’s head one last time, stood, and returned to her seat. “And, as you know, maintaining confidentiality is the only way we can protect the people we help.”
“You guys track those calls, right?” OSI provided Dulce’s organization with all of its security services, both technological and human.
“We definitely do.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I’m sure our security team is already fast at work tracing the number.” A satisfied smile broke across her face. “You’re here to see Dulce and Cole, right?”
“Yeah, but I’m a few minutes early.” His father always told him that if he was on time, he was late.
“I’ll let them know you’re here.” Rebecca tapped one of the many buttons on the phone console.
“Thanks.” Hawk and Remy strolled over to the wall covered with a collage of different-size candid photos of children of all ages and ethnicities. ELC had played a part in liberating or helping every single one of them.
They were just a few of the children rescued since its inception a few years ago. He wasn’t sure what the official number was, but it had to be getting close to five figures.
They were all smiling—visible proof of the success of the great work Dulce and her foundation were doing all over the world.
He recognized one little boy by the scar on his chin and his missing two front teeth. He’d been in a group of kids the Dark Ops Team rescued near the US and Mexico border. He was a cute kid, very chatty, with a pronounced lisp. He’d lost his teeth and gotten the scar trying to protect his little sister from their trafficker. Unfortunately, they were separated, and his sister was still missing.
As part of the Dark Ops team, Hawk had participated in numerous missions on behalf of ELC. One in particular had hit especially close to home for him, literally.
About a year ago, before he’d started working with Remy, two teenage girls disappeared from the same reservation Hawk grew up on. OSI tracked them to a seedy casino and strip joint just off the Vegas Strip. Their uncle lied and told them he was taking them to a concert by their favorite singer. He’d offered them beer, and they’d happily accepted, not knowing he’d drugged it. He then drove to Vegas and handed them over to the owner of the club to cover his thirty-five-hundred-dollar gambling debt.
