Page 76 of Chasing Dreams
“They think they’ve found a place in Arizona,” Shaine told Maya the next afternoon. “A farm of some sort where the children are taken and hidden until they’re delivered to the people who’ve paid for them.”
“That’s terrifying.” Instinctively Maya brought a protective hand to her round stomach.
“So, how are you feeling?”
“Gross. But I don’t want to talk about me. Marge has been just great. She had some ideas about finishing off that back porch and making an eating area for nice weather.” Maya detailed the plan.
“That’s a great idea.”
They went over the grocery supply, making a list for Marge, then Shaine closeted herself in the small office behind the dining room.
She caught up on paperwork, not realizing it grew late until finally, she turned out all the lights and went downstairs.
Austin was watching a football game, his legs, in a pair of sweat shorts, stretched from the sofa to her coffee table.
She didn’t remember him coming to bed the night before, and when she’d awakened he’d been gone. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
She sat facing him on the sofa. “I know you’re getting antsy to go home.”
“It won’t be long now,” he replied without looking at her.
Inevitable. They both knew it. They’d never made any plans together, never spoken of a future beyond finding Jack. Shaine didn’t know how to have a casual fling.
She studied his profile. She didn’t know how to share what she’d shared with him, how to form an emotional and physical bond and then just sever it. He was obviously used to the process. He didn’t make attachments. The thought angered her, but she tamped it down. She’d better learn fast.
“Ken called.”
She focused her attention on his words. “What did he say?”
“They’ve confirmed the place I saw. It’s east of Tucson, between a couple of mountain ranges, isolated. A couple in their forties going by the name of Holbrook keeps the kids until money is transferred and then they deliver them.”
“That’s awful.”
“Altogether, they figure there are about eight people involved in the operation.”
“What are they going to do?”
“They need another day or so to make a failsafe plan. They want everyone in custody, but the children’s safety comes first.”
“Of course,” she agreed with a nod.
“There are a couple of kids there right now, and they plan to follow the Holbrooks and catch them in the act of transferring.”
“Selling,” Shaine corrected.
“Yeah.”
“Then what?”
Austin turned and looked at her. “Well, caught red-handed, they’ll have to start talking unless they want to go down alone.”
She brought her fingertips to her lips and pressed.
Everything about her seemed weary. He hated the toll this ordeal was taking on her.
“This is so unbelievable,” she said. “It’s like something you see on America’s Most Wanted. If I didn’t know what they’d done to Maggie and Jack, I wouldn’t believe it. I feel like I’ve been having one hellishly long nightmare for the past year.”
