Page 40 of Girl Lost
And to find their daughter. Luna didn’t tell him that. Not yet. She couldn’t tell him about the possibility that Trinity, the girl Stryker kept trying to save, was their daughter.
She saw the flash of understanding in his eyes, a glimmer of something deeper. She wanted to reach out, to touch him, but her fingers tightened around the strap of her seat belt. “Look, I know you’ve probably got a million questions, but—”
“I know. And believe me, I get it. After my dad ... well, let’s just say I understand the need to reinvent yourself.”
It hadn’t even occurred to her that he’d been running from his past as long as she had.
She felt a sudden kinship with him, recognizing the same drive that had pushed her all these years. “Maybe we’re not so different.”
“Yeah. Maybe.”
Corbin pulled his car to a stop across the street from a skate park. The concrete playground had a central bowl surrounded by ramps on one side and several rails and ledges on the other. A high vert ramp dominated the far end.
Beyond the park, the beach was cordoned off. A film crew worked in a swarm of activity, setting up equipment around a makeshift tent. Probably preparing for the moment when the sun dipped toward the horizon. Golden hour. The perfect light.
“This is it.” Corbin turned off the ignition and nodded toward a group of teenagers tracing lines across the concrete ramps. “And there they are.”
Five teens had congregated at the park. Luna recognized Ashley from the photo. A slim girl with purple-tipped hair standing near the top of the vert ramp, holding her phone out to capture the boys as they launched themselves into the air, one after another.
Another girl sat on the edge of a grind rail about twenty feet away from Ashley, her gaze fixed on her phone. She wore torn jeans and a crop top, her dark hair pulled into a tight ponytail. Behind her, a tall kid paced in front of the graffiti-covered ramp. His oversized basketball shorts and faded band T-shirt hung on his bony body. All limbs and nervous energy. Arms crossed. Eyes darting around. He leaned over and whispered into the girl’s ear. She glanced at Corbin’s car and got up.
The two disappeared around the corner.
“I think they made us,” Corbin said.
“They didn’t seem like part of Ashley’s group anyway.” She opened her door and paused to glance at Corbin. “I’ll take the lead on this.”
“Whoa, hold on.” He started to protest, then paused. “You know what? I’d kind of like to see this.”
They got out of the car, and Luna felt the teens’ hostile stares. She straightened her spine, channeling the confidence that had served her well in far more dangerous situations, and crossed the street.
As they approached the remaining teens, Luna took stock. Ashley had climbed down from the vert ramp and now stood at its base. Beside her, her twin brother, Andre, watched them approach. Stocky, with the same freckled complexion, he wore designer jeans, a crisp white tee, and a plaid flannel tied around his waist like he’d stepped straight out of a nineties skate video. His skateboard rested against his thigh, but his posture told the real story. Calm. Watchful. The one to keep an eye on. The leader. Or at least he thought he was.
Another skater nailed an ollie off the quarter pipe and landed clean on the ground. He slid to a stop beside the twins, one foot on his board, the other planted for balance. Smaller than the twins, he had shaggy blond hair that fell into his eyes and wore ripped skinny jeans with a hoodie despite the warm weather.
Luna could see these teenagers weren’t hardened criminals—not yet. They were scared kids playing at being tough, and that made them unpredictable. Dangerous.
Corbin followed Luna toward Ashley, who pocketed her phone and whispered to Andre. Luna caught a faint whiff of marijuana.
“You boys smell bacon?” Andre asked. “What do you two want? We ain’t done nothin’.”
Luna held up her hands, palms out. “We’re not here to cause trouble. We just want to talk.”
“Talk to this.” Andre made a crude gesture with his fist.
Luna didn’t flinch. Instead, she smiled and said, “Nice form, but your execution needs work. Here, let me show you.” She demonstrated the gesture with exaggerated flair, adding a twist at the end that had the boys laughing despite themselves.
“Where’d you learn that?” Andre asked.
“Oh, you pick up all sorts of things in the Marines.” She didn’t bother giving them her name.
The skater kid grabbed his board and stood behind his friends.
“Don’t mind him. He gets nervous around chicks.”
“So does my friend here.” She cocked her head at Corbin. “You guys got names?”
“Andre,” the stocky kid said. “This here’s Ashley and that’s Jordan.”
