“We’ll find her together,” she said firmly. “I owe her.”
Julio leaned over Jameson. “Enjoy the medication, but I expect you ready to go when we land in Russia,” he ordered.
Ivan chuckled. “It only took him three shots, and he must lie down. You don’t need to worry about a hangover at this rate. Why don’t you two use the bedroom? I’ll babysit this wuss in here. I need to make some calls to prepare for our landing.”
Julio nodded and led Rebecca toward the back. He felt her body shake as they neared the closed door.
“It’s you and me, partner,” he whispered.
Gathering her courage, she went inside and sat on the bed. Julio put away their bags and helped her remove her coat. He shrugged out of his and laid it over a chair. The plane started down the runway, and she moved to one of the chairs, buckling her belt. Julio sat across from her and did the same. Ready or not, Russia was their next destination and hopefully provided the last pieces to their puzzle.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Julio unbuckled his seatbelt and moved to Rebecca, who seemed rooted to her chair.
He knelt before her and waited for her to process her emotions.
“I’m nervous. My head knows you won’t hurt me, but my body wants to run out of here screaming,” she admitted.
“Me, too,” Julio agreed. “I’m terrified you’ll run away and not give us a chance. I’ll burn down the world for you, Rebecca.”
“You did. These people are ruthless. I’m worried about what we’ll find when we land,” she admitted.
“Nope. We’re not discussing work. You tend to go there when you don’t want to face what happened. Look at me, Becca.”
She turned her gaze to meet his. “I’m scared.”
“Do you remember the nights when we cuddled in bed and you told me about your day?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said, glancing behind him.
“Don’t focus on it,” he said gently. “Keep your attention on me. I’ll unbuckle you, and I want you to lie down. You’ve experienced a long day, and I want you to tell me about it.”
“You already know what happened,” she argued.
“Then tell me about something else. How did you meet Ebony? How do you know about Megan?” he asked as he loosened the belt and took her to the bed. Pulling down the covers, he waited while she climbed in. He replaced the covers and lay on top of them. He adjusted his pillow and put his arm around her.
“How did you meet Ebony?”
“We met the first night they threw me into the cage. She helped me get to a mattress and covered me with a blanket. They usually put us in a basement or sometimes a dungeon. I think they deliberately put us in the coldest places. I don’t think I’ll ever feel warm again.”
“What about Megan? I think I met her the night we found you. They brought in a bunch of kids dressed in white nightgowns and white pajamas for the boys. She seemed more upset than the others, and one of the guards slapped her. I picked her up, gave her a piece of cake, and ordered milk for the lot of them. I knew we planned to rescue them, but I refused to allow them to go hungry until then. I’m sorry we didn’t catch Gerard. I’m sure he’s holding Megan somewhere. He left the country and sent the men to find you and the others. I imagine he’s in hot water with the ring leaders. We disrupted their business too many times to keep someone from paying.”
Rebecca listened. All those long, lonely nights, she craved to hear his voice. Even as nervous as she felt, her shoulders relaxed and she snuggled closer.
“One night, I woke up to hear a woman pleading. I didn’t see her face in the dark room, and my head pounded from an earlier beating. I thought Jim busted my eardrum. The next thing I know, they shoved this tiny little girl into our cage. I crawled over to her, picked her up and took her to my mattress. The floor was cold and I didn’t want to leave her on it. I covered her up and she clung to me the entire time,” Rebecca sniffled.
“We’ll find her,” he vowed as he kissed her temple.
“Jim claimed he killed her. I made a mistake and Megan paid for it,” she confessed.
“What happened?” he asked gently.
Rebecca shrugged. “Jim used Megan to get me to comply. He threatened to beat her or take her upstairs,” she confessed as she trembled. “I did anything he wanted to spare her the pain.”
Julio pulled her closer, still giving her space. The books taught him the art of listening without using his interrogation skills. Right now, she didn’t want the agent, she needed him. He waited until she gathered her thoughts.
“They removed me from the cage and took me upstairs to dress. When I entered the hall, I saw them taking Megan. I didn’t think as I ran toward her to grab her. I hit a few of the men and took off running. I saw all the other kids, but I kept going, seeking a way to escape. From the landscape, I deduced we must’ve stopped in Florida. Jim and the men chased us, and I dived into a lake with Megan. I know how stupid it sounds, but I felt past desperate to get her away from them. One of the men swam after us and the gators got him. Jim ran around the lake. By then, my body refused to go any faster. Megan weighed more with her wet clothes and I couldn’t outrun them. Jim threatened to kill her, and he made her walk around the water’s edge,” she said, sobbing. “He took her away and she screamed my name over and over.”
