An FBI agent held the door of the huge khaki tent open and waited for Karly to step inside.

Apprehension squeezed the walls of her lungs, making the simple process of breathing difficult. She inhaled a long, slow breath and walked into the beehive of activity. Lights hung from the metal tent frame, and a propane heater dispensed warmth in the center. The hum of a generator could still be heard over the many voices. Small workstations sat in rows like school desks, filling the room. In the back, another door led to a second tent.

“Karly?” a familiar voice called from the second doorway of the double-wide tent.

Relief eased out in the form of a sigh.

Sandra beckoned to her. The older male agent waved her on, and she made her way to the back.

A genuine warmth for the woman made her quicken her step. “I’m not sure what to call you. Sandra? Agent? Doctor? Wonder Woman?”

“Oh, God. Don’t start that, I’d never hear the end of it. My name is Sandra, and I am a doctor, except my last name is Johnston, not Abbott.

“You are a doctor, then.”

“Yes, and I work for the FBI. I just wasn’t a field operative until I took this assignment. I lobbied hard to get this job. It was personal.” The doctor’s eyes lost focus for a second, misted, then cleared. “My sister was abducted about three years ago. She disappeared in Philadelphia, and I was able to track her to Dallas.”

Karly gasped. “You went undercover to find her.”

“Well, no, not exactly. In my free time, I started reading, searching the web, putting pieces together. A friend sent me the internal memo correspondence. The task force was looking for someone with a medical background to go undercover. That’s when I pulled in a few IOUs. I went through a six-month intensive training, and then the integration process started. That took another six months.”

“Did you find your sister?”

“I did, just not in time.” The doctor’s eyes blinked and flickered like a neon sign about to go out. A tentative smile slid into place, but it wasn’t real. “Come. There’s food in the back. Let’s get you something to eat.”

Karly forced her exhausted body forward and bolstered her resolve for what came next. But when Julia looked her way, Karly remembered why she was doing this, and her spirits lifted. Julia was sitting with an agent who was furiously typing information into a computer. She waved her thin arm, and her eyes brightened.

Karly rushed over to give Julia a quick hug. “I’ve been hoping to see you before you leave.”

“They tell me I’ll be transported out sometime tonight to a rehab facility. I’ll be there at least a couple of months, then I’ll be placed in a group home for awhile. I’m gonna clean up so I can get my babies back.”

“What wonderful news.” Karly looked at Sandra, who was waiting patiently. “Would you email me? My email address is [email protected], Karly and Krane are both spelled with a K.”

“KK. I’ll remember. Don’t worry. Somehow, I’ll get you a message.”

“I’d better get back. I need to give my statement.” She leaned in for one last hug, holding on for a second longer than was appropriate, but she didn’t care. Let the social standards board bust her. She’d been through hell, and didn’t care about those little things anymore.

She took a step back. “Take care of yourself, Julia. Live a good life.”

Julia released her hand and Karly slowly walked back to Sandra. “Where’s the rest of the group?”

“Everyone is safe. Some are being treated for dehydration. Others have opted to get some rest at nearby hotels. Some wanted to meet with the family counselors we flew in for support. Everyone here wants to help the survivors adjust before they are reintroduced to their kids.” Sandra slid a foldup chair next to Karly. “As soon as one of the agents becomes available, we’ll get your statement recorded. I’m sure you want to go home.”

“Will this take long?”

“Not as long as the others. Some of these ladies were sold by their parents, transported to the US with false documents, and have been on the streets for months, even years. That type of history takes time to record.”

“While Thad was getting X-rayed, I went to check on Sung. She looks much better.” Her smile took a dip. “It’s sad, though. The whole time we were talking, she wouldn’t let go of her baby’s bassinet. I think she was still afraid someone would take her son.”

“I’m glad you got to talk to her.”

“I saw the US Marshals arrive. She’s going into protective custody, isn’t she?”

Sandra shrugged, and her brows furrowed. “Sung and her sister have been slaves for a long time. She knows too much.”

Slave. What an awful word. “I hope she finds somewhere safe to live, with a good job, so she can raise her little boy.”

“That’s what we hope.”

“Over the years, I’ve listened to sex trafficking reports on the news. Until this happened, I didn’t pay too much attention. Macedo told me he would make me disappear. He was going to sell me. That’s what he meant—wasn’t it?”

Sandra put a hand on top of hers. “Look, I know you’re scared, but it’s okay. I’ve been working for the past two years to help bust this massive cartel for selling babies and fetal matter. I started in Philly, then moved to Dallas, then Los Angeles, then the trail led me here. Over two hundred arrests will take place in the next twenty-four hours. Anyone who might come after you is either dead or in custody.”

“But I’m not pregnant.” And I can’t get pregnant. “Why did they decide to take me?”

“They wanted free river access to the compound. With you out of the way, they could move up and down the river without your dogs barking and drawing attention to their activities. Plus, it was assumed you could be moved out of the area easily. You were marked for transport to Vegas with the rest of the women.”

A shrill voice echoed through the trailer. “Take your hands off me.”

Karly leaned back and stared down the long narrow space. A shockwave rocked her system. The sheriff was leading Vivian Newhall, Jenna’s mother-in-law to a chair, and then locked her handcuffs to a table. The sheriff escorted in Richard Clairemont, the town’s wealthiest real estate agent, and repeated the process.

“Excuse me for a moment.” Sandra exited through the doorway. As voices escalated, Karly moved to the black mesh window in the canvas to watch. Sandra had disappeared.

Clairemont’s face was red and blotched. “I’ll have your job for this.” The dire warning had no effect on anyone in the vicinity. “Give me a phone. I’ll call the mayor.”

“I can loan you a phone,” Joe said in a slow, even voice, demonstrating he didn’t take kindly to the elitist’s demands, “but I don’t think you’ll be getting a hold of the mayor.”

“He’ll answer my call.”

“Not from a jail cell, he won’t.”

“How dare you!” Clairemont’s spittle landed on the sheriff’s shirt front.

The scene reminded her of a television show, only this time she knew all the characters personally.

“I've read you your rights,” Joe reminded, “but I have to ask, why heroin and sex trafficking?”

Clairemont gave the sheriff an indignant look. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Sheriff Joe opened a file containing several pictures. “Look familiar?” Joe dropped a picture on the table beside the belligerent man. “Your business trip to California last month to set up a transfer of drugs and women? How about this one? You were meeting with a land developer, but you weren’t going to develop the land—were you? You just wanted to have clear access to the river to transport your goods more easily.”

“I’m being framed. You don’t have one piece of evidence that ties me to anything. I insist that you release Mrs. Newhall and me this instant.”

Sandra moved into the scene and stood next to Joe. “Good evening, Dick. Mrs. Newhall. Nice to see you both again.”

Both of the prestigious community members’ faces instantly paled, and their eyes widened. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m special agent Sandra Johnston, member of a special joint task force.” She moved next to Joe. “Sheriff Gaccione, I don’t think you have been properly introduced to the man in front of you, either.” The sheriff watched Sandra curiously as she leaned back against a desk and folded her arms. “Meet Dick Clairemont, the man who murdered your brother.”

“That’s preposterous!” Clairemont tried to stand, but the table beside him lifted. Papers and a computer slid to the end. Joe shoved the arrogant SOB back into the chair.

The sheriff’s expression transformed from astonishment, to a flash of rage, to a simmering bitterness, before the professional mask voided all emotions. He turned to the doctor. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yep, he bragged about it. He even took Sam’s personal videocam recording. He’s such a narcissist, he couldn’t bring himself to destroy the computer chip. When I found it, I made a copy and had the conversation transcribed. It’s sitting in an evidence locker back at headquarters.”

Clairemont became quiet as a mouse trying to sneak past a cat. However, the sheriff had the look of someone who was longing to pounce, extend his deadly claws, and strike the fatal blow.

“Nothing to say, Vivian?” Sandra prompted.

“I insist on talking to my lawyer.” The socialite’s chin rose with indifference, though Karly caught something sinister in her eyes.

“Smart choice, since we will be adding the kidnapping of Karly Krane to the list of charges.”

Vivian sat up straighter. “Kidnapping? Now you’re reaching, doctor. Why would I do something like that?”

“That’s what I wanted to ask you. After your daughter escaped from your little operation, why did you break your rule? You didn’t like the scrutiny. You were the one who gave the order—no more townspeople were to be taken. Why Karly? Why now?”

Her eyes narrowed, and her voice became venomous. “Daughters should always obey their mothers.”

“What?” Karly pushed through the door. “What does my mother have to do with this?”

Vivian’s mouth flattened.

Sandra looked at her. “Don’t blame your mother, Karly. She’s just as much a victim as you were. Like I said before, Dick wanted your land. I just wanted to hear Vivian admit it.”

Karly took a step closer and focused on Vivian. All the job applications. The pressure to interview. My mother is so gullible. “So, when manipulating my mother with lunches and shopping trips didn’t work, you decided to put me out of business by releasing the animals.”

Joe’s chuckle was humorless. “I bet she didn’t count on the whole town pitching in to help.”

“I know she didn’t,” Sandra added. “She was furious and ordered Dick to get Karly out of the way. And of course Dick agreed, since he was eager to snatch up the property for pennies, or tie the property up in court. Either way, Karly’s business would be closed, and he’d get the river access he needed.”

“Stupid people.” Vivian’s barely audible mumble expanded in the small space.

“No, Vivian.” Karly moved toward the woman, and leaned down to look Vivian directly in the eye. “The townspeople of Elkridge are supportive and kind. Only you don’t know it, because you’ve never wanted to be a part of the town. You always wanted to be above everyone else.”

Joe shifted, his eyes watchful. “Looks like she’ll get her wish.”

Karly turned to Joe. He shrugged and pointed. “She won’t be part of this town for a very long time.”

Delight danced across Sandra’s face. “I hope you like the color orange. I hear orange is the new black. Although somehow, Vivian, I think you’ll find the color doesn’t suit your complexion. But where you’re going, complaints like that will fall on deaf ears.”

“How does Mr. Newhall fit into all this?” Karly wrapped her arms around her waist, trying not to fall apart.

“Buck? He doesn’t.” Sandra looked at Vivian, who seemed to be shrinking more with each passing second. “Vivian wasn’t satisfied with owning one of the largest estates in the area. She wanted more, and her husband couldn’t provide the lifestyle she craved, so she went to find her pot of gold. Her cut from the sales of drugs and babies provided a way for her to fill her offshore bank accounts. The extra money increased her social status. Once the statements are analyzed, I’m pretty sure tax fraud will be added to the list of charges. She even used poor Dick to implement her master plan.”

“That’s a lie.” Though Dick’s belligerent stare and bulging neck muscles suggested Sandra was telling the truth.

“And all this time,” Karly’s voice wobbled with shock, "we didn’t know what was going on in our own backyard. No wonder so many people in this town have gotten hooked on heroin. Talk about easy to get.”

Joe hands gripped his utility belt, and his stance shifted subtly, menacingly. “Finding drugs won’t be easy anymore. After the arrests we’re making tonight, finding a rehab center will be easier than finding drugs.”

Karly looked at Joe. “Did you really arrest the judge and the mayor?”

“Plus half the city council, Cuhna and Beaulieu, a county clerk, and eight people from a drug hideout. Oh, and a drug kingpin, a Shane Boulis, out of Chicago. The general tipped us off about him. That makes twenty-one in all,” Joe confirmed.

“Cuhna and Beaulieu, your two deputies?”

“Yep. I knew they were dirty the first time I met them, but there was nothing I could do about it until we got this problem solved.”

“The town will be in shock.” Karly rubbed her head. Just thinking about the complexity of the scheme gave her a thumping headache. The desolation on the women’s faces would haunt her the rest of her life. How could she trust anyone again? So many people she considered upstanding citizens were honey badgers, ready and willing to rip the throat out of their victims for money. Greed. “Will we have to testify?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Sandra’s soothing hand touched her arm. “Regardless, none of you will be alone. We will be here to support you.”

“Maybe I can work with some of the not-for-profits. There are several supplying service dogs to victims of sexual abuse. There is something to be said for unconditional love.”

“Pffft. Why bother?” Vivian piped up. “They’ll be on the streets again in a matter of weeks.”

That’s not true!

Putting Vivian in a mini skirt and heels and propping her on a busy corner on the wrong side of the tracks in a crowded city to teach the bitch a lesson sounded awesome. Then again, if she could have gotten away with walking over there and punching the woman in the mouth, she would have.

The woman was a piece of trash. “Do you mind if I give my statement now? I want to check on my animals.” And snuggle with a kitten or get a few thousand puppy kisses.

“You should know,” Joe held out his hand. “Several volunteers stepped up to help. Mara wants you to know everything is being taken care of.”

“Oh. Okay.” Dang those tears. She promised herself she wouldn’t cry. “I’m worried about Thad. Would you look in on him? I was supposed to bring him a change of clothes.”

“I’ll make sure he’s looked after.” The commitment in Joe’s voice reassured her. “However, he’s lucky I don’t arrest him for obstructing justice, but we’ll discuss that at another time.”

Her chest squeezed out a nervous sigh when she saw Joe’s face lighten a little when he uncuffed Dick Clairemont to take him over to the processing table.

Finding out the man who’d shot your brother was also the guy you played poker with once a month had to be tough to take.

Life was sure one helluva twisted road, full of curves and steep cliffs.

She hoped her life stayed on level ground for a while, and that Thad could find a way to move on. He deserved happiness.

Then again, what was she going to say to her mom? Or the townspeople?

And she’d thought her life was complicated before.