Jasper shoved George against the hard brick and reached down with one hand to lift the driver and plant him on his butt with his head against the building. “Is that better?”
“Yes,” she said. “He might not be a bad guy. We don’t know.” She stared at a cowering George. Why were all bullies such cowards deep down? “Does the driver know anything about your activities?”
George shook his head and tried to speak, but no sound emerged.
“All right. Leah, you drive,” Jasper said. He tossed George into the back seat and followed him in.
Leah sprang into the front seat and started driving. “I don’t know exactly where that address is, but it’s close, right?”
“Yes. Take two lefts and a right,” Jasper said.
George remained silent. Leah followed the instructions until they reached a warehouse area and then parked at the far end of a row, which showed several dented and neglected metal buildings.
“Which warehouse?” Jasper asked.
“The third one,” George croaked, sounding like he’d been swallowing needles all night.
Jasper quickly punched George in the face. Blood spurted across the back of the seat, and George flopped down, out cold. “Stay here, Leah. I’m not messing around.”
Her breath compressed her lungs. While good at her job, she wasn’t that effective. She hadn’t realized anybody could be that casually violent. Shivering, she nodded.
Jasper gracefully exited the car and disappeared into the darkness before returning and handing her a phone. “Got it off one of the guards. Call the police.” He hefted George out and over his shoulder, then turned back the way he’d come.
Leah grabbed the phone and hurried out of the car, following him. “What’s going on?” She paused at seeing two men lying unconscious in front of a large garage door in a rundown warehouse.
Jasper ducked his head and let an unconscious George fall next to the other two. “The kids are inside,” Jasper said, his jaw tight.
“Are they okay?” she whispered.
He looked indomitable in the night air. “Yeah, they look okay, but we need to get the police here, and we need to be gone.”
She hurried toward a smaller, man-sized door and opened it to see about twenty-five children ranging from three to probably seven years old, huddled together or sleeping on thick mats. They appeared clean and wide-eyed. Nobody was crying. She waved and said, “Don’t worry, help is coming.”
Lightning rippled across the sky. She dialed the police and asked the desk clerk to put her in touch with Inspector Dupont, saying she’d hold on for a moment. The man had to be in his vehicle by now after leaving the charity auction.
“Inspector Dupont,” he answered.
“Hi, you don’t know me, and that’s okay. I’m aware that you’ve been trying to stop a child trafficking ring, and we found the children and the traffickers.” She quickly gave him the address. “The traffickers are all knocked out right now, but they’ll probably come to soon. Please send medical care in case any of the children need it.”
The sound of a siren came over the line as the inspector apparently flipped his on. “Who is this?” he asked.
“I’m a Good Samaritan.” She used an Irish accent. “But I can’t be involved with this. I’m sorry. Do your job, Inspector.” She ended the call and tossed the phone on top of George’s face. “I don’t want to leave the children.”
“We have to go. They’re safe,” Jasper said.
Sirens could be heard in the distance.
With Jasper on her heels, she charged toward the black town car, hurrying inside. Jasper quickly drove away, and Leah looked out the back window to see the red and blue lights already swirling at the warehouse. She heard the different sound of an ambulance as it also roared toward the kids.
Relief filled her. “We made it.” She smiled, elated. “We actually made it.” She couldn’t believe it. She’d finally caught George Contingent. This moment had been a long time coming.
Jasper grinned. The bruises on his face had healed, and now all he had to do was wash off the dried blood so he’d look normal. Unlike her. Her body hurt from head to tail—especially her feet. Even so, she’d never felt so good. She mentally crossed George’s name off the list she kept in her head at all times.
“Now, there’s only one more name to get.” She tiredly flipped on the heat and held her hands out to the strong stream of air.
“Are you talking about Wallace?” Jasper turned into traffic.
She nodded. “Absolutely.”
