Page 5 of In Her Dreams
“What did she mean by that?”Jenna asked, but Ginger only shrugged.
“She gets confused sometimes.Dehydrated, maybe.”
Jenna studied the unconscious woman’s face, searching for any hint of familiarity.Had they met before?She didn’t think so.Jill must be confused.
Unless...
A possibility formed in Jenna’s mind, one that made her breath catch.Could Jill have met Piper?Was she mistaking Jenna for her twin sister?The thought sent a surge of adrenaline through her body.
That was followed by a sense of dread.Could Piper have also been taken by the Harvesters?But how could that be when Piper had been missing for 20 years and was apparently still alive?
She reminded herself that only one thing was certain—if the Harvesters were real, they had a serial killer/organ trafficking ring on their hands.
CHAPTER TWO
When Jenna emerged from the old coal mine, the early morning sun had pierced the darkness.She blinked against the sudden brightness, the horror of what they’d discovered underground still lingering.But what had greeted them as a silent, desolate scene out here hours ago was now swarmed with activity.Red and blue lights from police vehicles sliced through the dawn air, creating rhythmic patterns across the weathered rock face of the mine entrance.The wail of an ambulance siren faded as it pulled into position.
She had waited there deep below ground while Jake went out to call for help.By the time he’d returned with a bolt cutter and a medical team, she’d begun to sense what kind of terror those prisoners had faced.But at least the two women were still alive, although Jill—the one who had seemed to recognize Jenna—had not regained consciousness.
“You okay?”Jake asked, his voice low enough that only she could hear.
She nodded, though the motion felt mechanical.“I will be.”She brushed dust from her uniform, leaving smudges on the fabric.The grit clung to her skin, a physical reminder of what they’d uncovered below.“Let’s check on the victims.”
Two medical teams were working efficiently.The first surrounded Jill, the woman whose cryptic words still echoed in Jenna’s mind.Her gaunt face was now partly covered with an oxygen mask.Her matted hair had been pushed back, revealing deep hollows beneath her closed eyes.
The second team attended to Ginger, who sat upright on a stretcher, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.She squinted against the daylight, her pupils contracting painfully after so many days in subterranean darkness.A female paramedic spoke softly to her, offering a bottle of water, which Ginger clutched with trembling hands.
“Sheriff Graves.”The deep, authoritative voice cut through the ambient noise of the rescue operation.
Jenna turned to see the man striding toward them.His uniform was impeccable despite the early hour, his posture military-straight.The rising sun caught the silver streaks in his hair, and the lines around his piercing blue eyes seemed deeper than the last time she’d seen him.
“Colonel Spelling,” Jenna acknowledged, straightening instinctively.
“Deputy Hawkins,” Spelling nodded toward Jake.“I was briefed on the drive over.Two female victims found in an abandoned mine shaft, apparently held captive.One mentioned a third victim had been recently removed.”His tone was matter-of-fact, but the tight set of his jaw betrayed his anger.
“That’s correct, sir,” Jake confirmed.He gestured toward the ambulances.“Ginger is conscious and relatively stable.The other woman hasn’t regained consciousness.Ginger only gave us her companion’s first name—Jill.She did mention that Jill might be from Springfield.”
Spelling nodded, his gaze sweeping the scene like a searchlight.“Let’s talk somewhere quieter.”
He led them to a spot several yards away, where the trees provided some privacy from the organized chaos of the crime scene.Morning dew still clung to the leaves, a cool reminder of the early hour.
“The ‘Harvesters,’“ Spelling began without preamble, his voice dropping.“That’s what the FBI calls them.They’ve been tracking this group for years with little success.They operate throughout the Midwest.”
Jenna felt a chill that had nothing to do with the morning air.“Human traffickers?”
“Worse.”Spelling’s face hardened.“Organ traffickers.They target individuals with minimal social connections—homeless, estranged from family, new to a city.People who won’t be missed, at least not immediately.”
Jake shook his head, disgust evident in his expression.“They keep them alive until...”
“Until they find a buyer who matches their profile,” Spelling confirmed.“Organ donation waiting lists are long.Some people with means are willing to pay exorbitant sums to skip the line.”
Jenna thought of the gloomy, cramped space they’d discovered below, the stench of human suffering that permeated the rock walls.“And this mine is their storage facility?”
“It represents an evolution in their tactics,” Spelling said, running a hand across his jaw.“Previously, the FBI found evidence they’ve used abandoned houses, forgotten buildings.Places that might draw attention eventually.A sealed mine shaft...”He glanced toward the entrance.“That’s disturbingly clever.”
Behind them, crime scene technicians began unloading equipment, preparing to document every inch of the underground prison.Their methodical movements contrasted with the urgent activity of the medical teams.
“What do we know about the victims?”Jenna asked.
