In the chaos, no one will notice me slipping out. But if they do, it won’t hurt my case with Dan. I plan on telling him I did exactly that.
No one is in the lavish kitchen. If anyone were in here before, they probably ran when they heard the FBI break-in.
I slip out of the back sliding door, making my way across the massive porch, and towards the stairs.
The cool air is a balm to my heated skin. This suit is confining. I much prefer my jeans and hoodie to this shit.
“Are you going to take me back to my mommy and daddy?” Sarah asks quietly. Her soft, sweet voice is almost a shock to my system.
Adrenaline has been coursing through my veins steadily since the moment she was brought into that room. The chemical won’t dissipate from my body until she’s off this property.
“I am,” I promise gently.
Her hand lifts, her tiny finger tracing one of the scars on my face.
“Does this hurt?”
“Not anymore,” I say quietly, suppressing the urge to lean away from her touch. I’m not used to anyone touching my scars. When Addie did, it felt like fire lacing across the dead skin. Now, with Sarah, it feels a tad uncomfortable. But not unbearable.
“Did the bad guys that took me do this to you?”
“Not the same bad guys, but bad guys all the same.”
She seems to think that over, digesting my words slowly. She blinks at me and wipes away some snot leaking from her nose.
“Do you know if mommy and daddy are alive?”
I nearly trip over my feet when she asks the question.
Considering I didn’t know the girl’s identity beforehand, I haven’t had a chance to look into her background. I’ve no idea who her parents are, or what kind of home she comes from.
“Is there a reason you think they wouldn’t be?” I ask. I make it to the meet up spot, outside of view of any cameras and the front of the house where Dan is.
Her eyes drop, long lashes fan across her chubby cheeks, still damp from her tears.
“I don’t know where they are,” she says simply.
“When’s the last time you saw them?”
She shrugs her little shoulders and says, “I dunno.”
I sigh, giving in to the urge and rolling my neck to ease some tension. Ruby should be here soon to take care of Sarah while I finish up business.
Soon, the agents will lug Dan and anyone else out to be taken down to the station on false charges.
They’re false agents to begin with, hired by myself. Luckily, I have a few high-ranking FBI agents in my pocket, which is the only thing that made this night possible.
They’ll bring Dan down to the station on suspicion of smuggling drugs. They will release him by tomorrow morning when they don’t find anything.
Dan will insist the FBI agents responsible be fired, and considering no real agents were involved, the fake ones will be easily let go of. False paperwork will be filed, and Dan will be satisfied. Or as satisfied as you can be when your dinner party is interrupted by your front door getting kicked in.
“How old are you, shortcake?”
“Five,” she chirps.
“I’ll try to find your mommy and daddy, okay? If I can’t, I’ll make sure you’re safe.”
She nods her little head, her brown eyes now latched back onto me.