Page 44 of Only the Small Bones
I let my eyes drift shut on those words as they floated through my head, taking me to a place I didn’t want to be.
“We were able to piece together more information,” Davidson said, bringing me back to reality. I stood taller.
“Anything you can share with me?”
“Most of it is public knowledge by now. Some of the Americans found had been taken while studying abroad. Others while on vacation. A few were abducted right here on our soil. They were forced into labor mostly, but some were passed through the underground sex trade. Residential brothels, online ads and escort services, fake massage businesses… A few were purchased by wealthy sadists to be kept for personal use. Those stories are the worst.”
I wondered where Ryan fell into those categories.Labor,my mind supplied. It had to be forced labor. The other possibilities were too painful to consider.
“William?”
“Huh?”
“I said they were all rounded up and resold to the same benefactor shortly before we found them. None of the survivors can provide an accurate description of the man.” Davidson looked at me as though he wondered if Ryan could.
“I told you, he can’t help you right now.”
“You know, I would think you of all people would—”
“I want these people caught,” I said, stopping him right there. “But he isn’t ready to talk about it, and by law, you can’t make him. You’ve got plenty to work with from the others. Chances are Ryan knows just as much, or as little, as they do.”
“They’ve all got their own story,” he said. “They’ve all faced their own individual horrors.”
What else did he want from me? Did he want me to tie Ryan down and force him to give us answers?
Davidson gave a slow nod when I didn’t engage further. “Have you gotten him any closer to agreeing to go to Safe Haven?”
“Uh, no. I’m still working on it.” I smoothed my hands down my jacket front.
“Uh, huh,” Davidson said, tone indicating he didn’t buy my casual act. On top of everything else, this was the last conversation I wanted to have tonight. Davidson was also the last person I wanted to have it with. If anyone could see through my bullshit, it would be one of the FBI’s top agents.
“Has he communicated anything about a family? People who may be happy to know he’s alive?”
“No. He hasn’t.”
“Has he given you his last name? Something we can plug into the missing person’s database?”
“No.”
Davidson glanced at Ryan before bringing his shrewd gaze back to me. “Have youaskedhim?”
“Is this an interrogation?” My guilt made me defensive.
“No, but the fact that you think so is concerning.” He sounded offended. Davidson was a father figure of sorts. He knew what made this cause personal to me, even if he didn’t know all the particulars involving my abduction. He cared about me, about the work we were doing. He had a right to his questions, and he was smart to be worried.
“I don’t think pressuring him for those answers would be helpful.”
“What are you, a shrink now?” In addition to caring, Davidson could also be direct to a fault.
“He’ll be okay. I’m helping him.”
Davidson moved into my line of sight, blocking my view of Ryan. “He’s fine,” he said when I tried to look around him. “He’s with your mother, and there’s more than a dozen armed men stationed at every entry point.”
I stepped back to let a giggling group of women pass between us, then closed some of the distance again. “Say what you need to say, Davidson.”
“I know you don’t have bad intentions, because that’s not the kind of person you are. But I’m aware you have your demons. Sometimes demons influence our decisions.” He pursed his lips before continuing. “You have feelings for him.”
I didn’t see any point in lying, and it wasn’t a question anyway. Davidson had seen right through me. All I could do was nod.
