Page 3 of The Dragon's Dream Mate (Savage Shifters Special Ops 3)

I tried so hard to keep the impatience and irritation out of my voice, “First, sir, I almost always get the kids back who have been taken. Second, this is my niece.”

“You should not get involved in cases in which you have a personal stake,” he said.

“Then, with all due respect, sir, I officially request to take my vacation time. I’ve not taken a vacation in years. I believe I have several weeks available to me.”

“Granted. And unofficially, you might try the World Shifters Security Agency.They might be able to help you in ways we can’t.”

“Thank you, sir.”

The term ‘shifter’ put a hiccup in my heart. I knew there were many shifters of different forms all over the world. However, deep in my heart, I both hoped and dreaded the idea of seeing Lucian again sometime.

I shook my head to get rid of all thoughts of him. I couldn’t worry about him right now. Right now, I had to focus on Simone and to figure out where she was and capturing the people responsible for her disappearance.

Gathering up my files and everything else I would need for this investigation, I called the Shifters Security Agency’s number. I told the person who answered that I could be there in an hour. I made several copies of my most important files, so I could give them to the people that I hoped would help me. If they didn’t take the case, I would go after Simone myself.

I usually drive within the speed limit, but today I sped toward the SSA’s office, aware that every single second that the traffickers had Simone made it that much more likely that I would never see her again.

When I arrived, I was greeted by a tall man named Gage. He introduced himself as the head of the company. He called in several other people into a conference room. Then, he escorted me in.

Focused on pulling all of the files out of my briefcase, I didn’t pay attention to all the people who came into the room. Instead, I took a seat, and when I looked up, I saw Lucian sitting across from me.

My heart fell to the floor, and I couldn’t catch my breath. I knew there was a slight possibility I could run into him again. After all, we are both from the same town. And, of course, the name of the agency including the word ‘shifters’ meant there could be a connection. But I still hadn’t believed it.

The room fell silent. My eyes had bugged out, and my mouth had opened in shock. For a second, there was a catch in my throat. Years of unshed tears threatened to gather and spill out of my eyes.

Gage broke the silence, “I take it, you two know each other.”

That shook me out of my shock. “We’ve met,” I said.

Then, focusing my attention back on Simone’s disappearance, I laid my files out on the table for everyone to see.

“Simone is fourteen years old. My sister called me early this morning to tell me that she had disappeared. Her bedroom window was opened, and she was gone. She had packed a few of her favorite things. I checked her computer and found hidden communications with someone called Bad Boi. I recognized him from earlier investigations. He is someone who communicates with the kids and grooms them. He gets them to sneak out; then, they are taken.”

I handed out copies of the emails from Simone and Bad Boi. “This is typical of how he talks to - and grooms - the kids.”

“Do you know where they take them?” Lucian asked.

I had forgotten he was in the room for a minute since I was so preoccupied with Simone’s situation. His voice was a punch in the stomach. I quickly regained my composure.

“Usually to New York,” I said. “They never keep them at the same house, which means we’ve always been one step behind them. Then, in the middle of the night, they transport them to the docks and put them on a boat - or they put them in a semi-truck - to take them somewhere else.”

I took a deep breath. “My concern is that we are often able to catch lower-level guys with some of the kids. That means, though, that these are the ‘gimmes’ from the larger trafficking group. They’ll sacrifice this load and these guards to keep bigger loads and more important guys safe. The people we catch don’t know anything. They are just low-life hired hands.”

“Do you know anything about the top dog?” a man named Damian asked.

“We do. His name is Sam Dawson. He moves around quite a bit. We’ve been close to capturing him a couple of times. He really likes to hide out in countries that aren’t friends with the United States and don’t have extradition agreements with us. That way, even if we do find him, we can’t legally get to him.”

Gage asked her what she wanted from the team.

“First, I want to find my niece and all the other kids with her. There are likely to be five or six of them held in one place. Then, I want to catch the guards holding them. Then, I want to go up the chain. I would love to get Sam. He’s just one of the hundreds of dirtbags running organizations such as this. I can’t take them all out. But Sam is one of the worst.”

I fell silent as the men looked over the files I had brought. I whispered prayers beneath my breath that they would agree.

“Rainey, will you excuse us for a minute?” Gage asked.

I nodded, gathered up my original files, and left the conference room. They shut the door behind me.

Without shame, I will admit to standing outside the door and listening to their conversation. Usually, I wouldn’t even think about doing something so underhanded. But I had to know whether they were going to help me. If they weren’t, I had to get going as soon as possible.

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