Page 17 of Dark Alleys

“Sure. Wait there and I’ll get him.”

The woman came back carrying a good-sized little guy wrapped in a worn blanket. She handed the bundle to the sheriff and said, “Wait until I get you the empty baby bottles.”

She came back and handed me a plastic bag that wasn’t heavy, and I thanked her.

On the driveway, I opened the passenger door, and the sheriff handed the baby up to Cindy. I slid into the driver’s seat trying to come up with a solution that didn’t include her coming to my place.

My cubbyhole over my buddy’s garage was definitely not big enough for another person and a baby, and I was in no shape to deal with a problem this big.

Cindy held her baby and cried quietly to herself while I scrolled through my contacts and called my cousin, Neil.

“Lukas?”

“Neil, I need something and it’s urgent.”

“Sure. What can I help with?”

“I need the address of your shelter, and I need you to call them up and say I’m bringing a young girl and her baby within the next half hour.”

“Sure, I can do that, Lukas. We just got a couple of our girls set up in their own places, so I’m sure we have two spots open.”

“Fantastic. Give me the address and I’ll head there now.”

Neil recited the address, and I programmed it into the GPS. “Got it.”

“I’ll call and get you set up. What’s the girl’s name?”

“Cindy Rimes and her little boy is Flint.”

“The staff will be ready for an intake when you get there, Lukas.”

“Thanks, so much, cuz. Appreciate it.”

“That’s what the place is for, Lukas. We’ll take good care of her.”

“I know you will.”

Cindy turned a tear-stained face towards me, and I winked at her. “Don’t be scared. My cousin has this great place for women in trouble. It’s not a homeless shelter. It’s only for women and he’s going to call and the girls on staff will be ready for you and Flint when we get there.”

“He only has the clothes in the laundry bag. That sheriff wouldn’t let me get his bed and his blankets.”

“They’ll have all that stuff at the shelter, and I’ll get you what you need. You’re not going to live in that hellhole any longer.”

“Why are you helping me, Lukas?”

“I’m not doing that much, Cindy. Only taking you to a place you and Flint will be safe.”

Rosedale House. Rosedale District. Austin.

As we got closer, Cindy said, “This is a nice neighborhood, Lukas. I’ve never been to this part of Austin before.”

“My cousin, Neil, is a lawyer and if you have problems, he’ll help you out. Meantime, I’ll try to find out which guy on the Dragons is responsible for raping you. Anything else you can tell me about him?”

“Just his vest and he stunk of weed. I thought I heard one of his buddies call him by name.”

“What was it?”

“Akito.”

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