“Right. Now that there’s that second Harrison…” Mellie adds.
I catch Evan’s eye and nod. “Evan’s going to share some things we discovered on the flight here. Getting that text with their names and address was really helpful. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. But can I ask why we’re not just driving over there now. Why wait?”
I was waiting for something like this. Doing what we do isn’t like what they see on television. We don’t run off half-cocked and get the bad guy every time. Hell. Our botched trip to Baltimore is proof of that.
“We need to go in when it’s dark. It’ll allow us to approach, hopefully without detection. Normally, we’d stake out the location for at least a day. Look for exterior cameras, motion detectors, anything that would make it more difficult to breach the premises. But we don’t have time for that. Still, I won’tput anyone at risk by charging in, including the children. We’ll go over the plan, with you understand it. It’ll be fine-tuned as needed. After dark, we’ll drive over and execute the plan.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Mellie agrees. But she doesn’t look happy.
“I’d like to go now too,” Providence says and reaches over to grab my hand where it’s resting on the table. “But Tony’s right. We need to wait until it’s dark. It’ll be safer for everyone.”
I appreciate her support. She’s been with us on two rescue missions, both in Norfolk. Those were easier—closer to home and fully armed. We’ll have more challenges this time, but at least we have comms.
“Everyone will receive a comm unit and we’ll be able to communicate even when we’re not together,” I add. “Evan, why don’t you share what you found out about the Harrisons?”
Providence turns wide eyes toward me. “You found out something about that motherfucker?”
“Shhh, baby. Let Evan explain, But yes, and his supposed son, too.”
Providence clenches my hand tighter, and she and Mellie turn their focus toward Evan. He begins when I give him a nod.
“Charles Lee Harrison bought the house at 3627 Mockingbird Road in nineteen seventy. We couldn’t find any record of him existing before that time. Taxes went delinquent on that homestead until five years ago, just before it was going to go up for a tax sale. I don’t know why it took so long.”
Trudy yells from the other room, “Because this town is damn slow, that’s why.”
My guys all chuckle, but I just shake my head. “Go on, Evan.”
He continues, “After the notice appeared in the paper, the back taxes were paid in full but utilities were not hooked up again until last year.”
Providence sucks in a breath. Yeah, it surprised us too. Where the hell had they been and what were they doing for the last forty years?
“There are no cameras anywhere out here so I wasn’t able to find any surveillance. We do know that the man going by the name Rodney Walter Harrison is forty-nine years old. I couldn’t find any record of his birth, or records at all, really. It’s like he just materialized out of thin air five years ago.”
“I don’t like the sound of this,” Mellie mumbles, barely loud enough for us to hear.
“We don’t either,” I answer. “What we figure is that they’ve been traveling around the country abducting children together. Every time they move, they change names, buy a new place and start over. We may never locate all their aliases or the children they’ve taken.” Clenching my jaw to stop from saying that there could be hundreds of children these men could have abducted through the years. It’s horrifying.
“Son of a motherless goat,” Mellie says on an exhale as tears fill her eyes.
I didn’t need to say how bad this is. We can all imagine the countless families put through hell because of these men.
“As much as I hate even thinking it, I need to play devil’s advocate here. What if we’re wrong?” Providence asks.
“Wrong about what, sweetheart? My thumb is rubbing circles on the back of her hand where our fingers are entwined.
“It could all be a horrible coincidence. Or maybe someone stole their identity? Maybe the person living there now isn’t even Harrison? They could be innocent… Can we really know for sure if whoever is there kidnapped those girls?”
I nod at Evan again.
“We’re better than ninety percent certain it’s the person that goes by Harrison. It’s not Charles, though. He died. But wethink Rodney or whatever his real name is, is continuing in his footsteps. We won’t know for sure until we get inside.”
Providence nods and tilts her head so her gaze meets mine. Her eyes are glassy with tears, and she’s nibbling on her bottom lip, trying to be strong. She’s so brave, and I am so proud of her. I’m not sure many women could have held it together so well.
CHAPTER 14
PROVIDENCE
