"Timing," I say. "Rhys and I were working a homicide at the time. Tourist hunter killed another hunter. Big case for a two-man office. Emma probably planned to tell him when things settled down."
"She never got the chance," Cara says.
"They ran her off the road," I say. My voice sounds distant. "Made it look like an accident. I found the crash site. Called Rhys. He got there in time to hear her last words. She told him it was a black truck that forced her off the road. But she died before she could tell him anything else."
"They were looking for the evidence," Sela says, speculatively.
"Yes. But Emma was smart. She'd already hidden it." Cara looks at her. "Your hospital locker. She wasn't keeping it at home where it might be found. She was safeguarding it until she wasready to report." She looks back at me. "Emma did everything right, gathered proof, protected it. And they killed her anyway."
She followed every procedure, trusted the system. And the system fed her to the wolves.
Finn breaks the silence. "So what's our move?"
"We need corroborating testimony," I say. "Audio recordings are good, but defense attorneys will tear them apart. Emma was a civilian. She had no authority to make the recordings and there are no affidavits as to their veracity. We need live witnesses willing to testify that Haywood threatened them. That he facilitated trafficking operations."
"How many of Emma's victims are still alive?" Sela asks.
Cara pulls up a spreadsheet. "Based on what I can find, some of them are alive and locatable. A few are in Alaska. Others might be harder to find. We can start looking in the Pacific Northwest, but they could be anywhere by now."
"Will they talk?" Finn asks.
Cara shakes her head. "These women were threatened by an FBI agent. They've been through hell. Asking them to testify against him means asking them to relive trauma and put themselves at risk."
"We need someone they'll trust," I say. "Someone who understands what they've been through. Someone who can approach it the right way."
Silence fills the cabin. Everyone knows what I'm saying but nobody wants to voice it. Approaching trafficking victims requires finesse. Trust. The kind of rapport you can't build with a badge and official questions.
Sela sets down her mug. "I could do it."
I look at her. "What?"
"I'm a nurse. Same as Emma. I can reach out as a follow-up on their care. Check on how they're doing. Build rapport. If they're willing to talk, I can explain what we're trying to do."
Every instinct I have screams no. She's already a target. Already has contractors trying to kill her. Putting her in contact with victims means exposing her even more.
"No," I say immediately.
"Why not?"
"Because it puts you at risk. Haywood's already trying to kill you. You think he won't notice if you start contacting his victims?"
"He won't know it's me. I'll use my credentials from Palmer Regional. Approach it as routine follow-up. These women trusted Emma. They might trust another nurse."
Cara nods slowly. "It could work. If Sela's careful about how she makes contact. Uses encrypted communication. Meets in public places."
"It's too dangerous," I say.
"Everything about this is dangerous," Sela counters. "But if we don't get testimony from these women, Haywood walks. And Emma died for nothing."
"Emma died trying to do the right thing," I say. My voice comes out harder than I intend. "I'm not letting you?—"
"It's not your decision to let me do anything." Her voice stays level but I hear steel underneath. "I found Emma's evidence. I'm involved whether you like it or not. And I'm a hell of a lot more useful getting testimony than sitting around waiting for Haywood's contractors to find us again."
She's right and I hate it. Hate that the smart tactical move is putting her in more danger. Hate that I can't keep her safe and still do what needs to be done.
Finn looks between us. "She's got a point, Marc."
"She's a civilian."
