Page 60 of Sin of Silence

Saskia projected herself as a world-weary adult. It was easy to forget her youth until she let her guard down. The nervous excitement surrounding her now made Shaun realize Saskia needed an adult to guide her. She was looking for permission, though she was attempting to control whatever surprise she had for Shaun.

“I think you’d better show me what you have,” Shaun said gently. She was careful not to promise not to tell Saskia’s parents. She didn’t know what the surprise was, and some things simply couldn’t be kept secret. If Saskia showed Shaun something potentially harmful to herself or others, Shaun would have to take the knowledge to Saskia’s family.

Saskia either didn’t notice or didn’t care about Shaun’s lack of promise. She bit her lip, glanced at the door one more time and then reached into her pocket, digging out an object. She extended her hand toward Shaun.

“A cell phone?” Shaun asked bewildered.

“A burner phone,” Saskia said gleefully. “Untraceable. I got it from a friend, but he doesn’t know why I wanted it.”

“And why do you want it?” Shaun asked carefully.

“It’s for you.” Saskia couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face as she gave Shaun the news. “So you can call your family and tell them you’re okay.”

Hope hit Shaun so hard she felt dizzy. Tears immediately rushed to her eyes and she had to dash them away as she reached to take the phone from Saskia, squeezing her hand as she took it. Emotion choked her voice as she tried to thank the younger woman. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much. This is… this is…”

Saskia’s bright eyes dimmed a little as she took in Shaun’s flustered stammering. “You don’t have to thank me. It’s the least I can do after what my family did to you.”

Shaun dipped her head and nodded, overcome. Clutched tight in her hands was the lifeline she’d been waiting for.

Saskia stood up. “Do you mind making the call in my bedroom closet? It’s big so you should have lots of room. I don’t want to risk anyone finding out.”

“Of course.” Shaun stood and dashed her tears away as she followed Saskia into the bedroom.

She let out a quickly stifled laugh as she saw that the insane pink frilled theme had spilled into the bedroom as well. There was a huge four-poster bed with pink and white striped hangings, covered in a shiny pink and purple bedspread and piled high with frilly pillows and stuffed animals.

Saskia opened her closet and stood back. It really was like stepping into Wonderland. Saskia’s clothes trended toward black with chains, skulls, rips and T-shirts with anarchist slogans. The difference in Saskia’s style preferences was so wild that Shaun determined to one day find out how Saskia had evolved into such a fascinating young woman.

“I’ll give you some privacy.” Saskia closed the door to the closet, leaving Shaun alone inside.

Shaun looked down at the phone.

Every instinct in her body told her to call her mom, but she had to be smart, think first, then make the call. She didn’t know how much time she had, didn’t know if she’d be able to make more than one call, and she had no idea what she was going to say. She could call the authorities, but how? She didn’t know the emergency number for the Czech Republic. It was usually different from country to country.

Then she’d have to hope the person who answered the call spoke enough English that she could communicate her predicament. After that she didn’t know. Would the authorities contact her consulate? Would they come into the mansion with guns blazing? The thought of anyone in the Koba family being killed sent a shaft of remorse through her.

She stared down at the phone with indecision, hyperaware of every second as it ticked by.

She had every right in the world to call the authorities. To bring hell down on a crime syndicate that thought nothing of murdering innocents. Jozef had shot Danilo without a second thought. He not only took away a life, but a future too. Anything Danilo would have accomplished. Wife, family, career, gone. Jozef deserved jail time. Yet she couldn’t imagine him living the rest of his life behind bars. He was like a wild animal, watching, prowling, hunting. He would die if he was caged.

Shaun never imagined this kind of heartbreaking indecision when she finally got her hands on a phone. It was gut-wrenching and she knew, no matter what choice she made, it would be life-altering. Finally, she decided to call the only person she really wanted to talk to.

Luckily, she had Fatima’s cell phone number memorized. It was the middle of the night in Montréal; Shaun hoped her mom would answer.

The phone rang once.

“Hello?”

Chapter Thirty-Five

“Mom?”

There was a long tension-filled pause. “Shaun! Oh my god, is that you?”

“It’s me, Mom.” Tears rushed to Shaun’s eyes as the sound of her mother’s voice reached out to her. It was like she’d been swimming in a dark void these past weeks, never knowing which way to turn, terrified for her survival, and hearing her mother was like a lifeline.

“Oh, my baby, oh my god!” Fatima’s words came out in a panicked rush. “Where are you? Are you hurt? What happened?”

“Mom, calm down, I’m okay.”

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