Page 28 of Rescuing Sara

And they paid damn good money for “fresh ones.” Ten thousand bucks a pop, sometimes more. The Cadre had recently placed him “undercover” with several local organizations to find some locals who could help get young girls. It was a win-win situation. Most of the time.

But if “The Man” didn’t realize The Cadre knew exactly who he was, and that he’d missed killing–or having someone do it for him–Danni Blake twice, then he was very arrogant or very stupid, or both. And both was a dangerous combination. Olivier didn’t much care for killing. Too many risks, too messy. He had no personal quarrel with Danni Blake and would prefer to keep it that way.

Because The Cadre would take care of Danni Blake in their own time. Because she would lead them to Brotherhood Protectors, and they would cease to be a threat once and for all.

And then The Cadre would finally control the crime world in East Tennessee. But now, Olivier needed to find another girl someone wanted to sell so he could sell her to Soli Deo Gloria. Unlocking his car, he slid in and consulted his phone before driving away.

CHAPTER 11

Friday morning

Sara Turner loves dogs, horses and chocolate cookies. She’s an honor roll student in the 5thgrade. She loves reading Amish YA stories but can tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the history of the Lady Vols and goes to their home games with her best friend “M" as often as she can. She’s a normal 10-year-old girl who is about to turn eleven on Christmas Eve.

But Sara Turner has been missing for almost two weeks. Her place at the dinner table is empty. Her seat at her school is empty. Her new soccer shoes are still in the box, unused. No one has reported seeing her or heard anything about her or from her. Her friends and family miss her terribly and are afraid for her safety and well-being. Please, if you know anything please contact KPD and ask for Special Crimes. All her family and friends want for Christmas is for Sara to come home, safe and sound. Please help her family and friends find her.

“Damn, that’s good.” Patrick looked up from reading out loud Danni’s story forExcelsioron his phone.“Talk about wringing blood from a stone. How long did you stay up writing this?” It was the most he’d said all morning.

“Past midnight,” Danni said stifling a yawn, “But I actually wrote two pieces. “One more fact based, to show the stats for missing kids in Tennessee over the past twenty years, the percentage found vs those still missing, and that took longer. This one, not so long. I just hope Stanley’s granddaughter likes it and I think it will get people’s attention to not forget Sara. At least I hope so.”

“After hearing that, I’d want to go out and start looking for her immediately,” Kristopher called from the front seat.

“Are you going to park in the State Street Garage?” Danni asked. Beside her, Patrick was quiet again, but the coiled tension rolled off him like a hunting animal lying in wait for its prey, ready to spring when necessary. It was the waiting tension of a man about to go into battle and Danni wondered how many battles he’d fought, risking injury, his own life and maybe even losing friends.

And now you’re fighting a battle to protect me.Why did you join Brotherhood Protectors, Patrick Danton? Have you not earned the right to live in peace?

“Not a good idea,” Kristopher said. “Too many attacks happen in parking garages. You’d think they’d be safe places, but too often they’re not.”

“Where then?” Patrick asked. “We want to have the shortest distance possible to get to The Main Place and back.”

“And we do,” Kristopher agreed. He slowed the car, and another one pulled out of a spot across from the escalator that would take them to Gay Street and then a short walk to The Main Place. After the car was gone, Kristopher eased into the vacant spot. “Here we are.”

“Who was that?” Danni asked as Patrick opened the door and helped her out to the street.

The sergeant’s smile in the rear-view mirror was enigmatic. “A fellow BP who just happens to be in town and owes me a favor. Go on. I’ll be behind you but don’t look for me.”

They took the escalator that led up to the side street, crossed Gay Street and completed their walk to The Main place in minutes. The Main Place, one of downtown Knoxville’s ‘jewels’ for people to gather and dine, feast on live music and shop. The day was crisp-cold, but the sun was out and bright. Booths offering goods of all kinds lined the walks in front of the brightly decorated store windows and she wished this was just a normal Friday spent shopping with friends.

But nothing had felt normal since Sara vanished and Leo had been murdered–was it really just this past Monday?– and Danni wondered for a moment if anything would ever feel normal again. Not until Sara was home again.

Pushing back that thought, she asked, “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” Patrick’s continuing silence so unlike the easy, relaxed temperament she thought she was coming to know.

But then again, just how much did she know about him? Other than him being an Army veteran, a Blue Mountain fanatic and tidy-kitchen freak, she knew nothing.

It is,” he agreed. His slightly narrowed gaze searched the area around them but his pace was steady and calm and she was glad to have him beside her.

She glanced at him. “Do you see Kristopher anywhere?”

“No, and you won’t. In that dark coat and hat he’s wearing, he’s going to blend in so well, he might as well be invisible. Until you need him, that is.

“That’s good,” Danni said cautiously, trying to think of a safe topic that would engage him. His cautious watching was beginning to make her apprehensive. “From those diary pages Mrs. M. sent us, I think Sara has a crush on Silas, but her description makes him sound like he’s in high school.”

He stopped and stared at her, his mouth pulled tight and narrow. “I know we talked about it last night, but let’s go over what we’re here to do.

“Alright.” Even as tall as she was, Danni had to tilt her head back to look at him.

“We’re going to find Silas as quickly as possible and then we’re going back to the Safehouse, understand? No lingering, no shopping, just find and talk to the boy, and then we leave. Got that?”

“No ‘dawdling’?” she teased, hoping to ease him into a better mood.

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