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I pulled the bag of treats into my hands, following behind her as she led us to a cluster of buildings.

As soon as I turned a corner, children came running.

All ages. All sizes. They were just eager to see someone.

Anyone. I could only imagine the hope they had in longing for someone to pick just one for adoption.

If only I was in a position to do that. But with my career keeping me flying from one country to another, the idea of a stable home wasn’t on the radar.

Elizabeth spoke to them in Spanish, telling them who I was. When she was finished, I crouched down, opening the bag.

There seemed to be so many children, more than I’d originally thought.

As soon as I started handing out candy and the small stuffed animals, I was surrounded.

Hearing their squeals of joy and laughter made my heart sing.

The treats might be short lived, but the memories would remain with them for weeks.

I stood as they scattered away, taking deep sighs.

“You’re very nice to bring them treats. They don’t get many as you might imagine.”

“I hope to change that,” I told her.

She squeezed my hand. “Anything you can do is appreciated. Anytime you’re ready to get started, we can go. You have full access to every building. Anywhere you want to go.”

“I appreciate you being so open. I promise to make this as painless as possible. I do have one question for you and it’s completely off the record.”

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, almost instantly on edge. “Of course.”

“Is there any truth to the rumors several older girls have gone missing?”

“As you might imagine, most are eager to leave the facility and begin their new lives. Sadly, a few have walked off. While I tried my best to locate them, many are very good at not being found.”

“No sign of kidnapping?” I pressed.

She looked away briefly. “There are always rumors, Ms. Douglas. We do our best.”

“With the Alfaro Cartel breathing down your neck.”

Now she was uncomfortable. “I’m certain you want to get started.”

She’d shut down but had at least confirmed my suspicions.

We walked back to the area where Mark had set up the video equipment. I was used to working in difficult surroundings and within minutes, we were up and running.

True to her word, Elizabeth answered a dozen questions, expounding on the significant needs. As she led us through several buildings, I was struck by how clean the interiors were and how efficient her group seemed to be.

Everything had a place. What nearly broke my heart was seeing the limited food pantry. They desperately needed food.

One of the children tugged on my cargo pants. When I peered down, my heart melted. Her bright eyes were smiling up at me. I picked her up, tickling her tummy. Even as she laughed, I could see the pain in her eyes. Whatever the girl had experienced had changed her forever.

As we were about to home in on the last segment, a man approached that I hadn’t seen before. I was instantly on edge, yet hopeful. He hung around in the background, trying to act as if he belonged. However, I caught him scanning the grounds as if worried he’d be caught.

While we were taking a break, he finally approached, holding out his hand, and this wasn’t about a greeting.

“Take this. You’ll know what to do with it.” As soon as he pressed whatever he was holding into my hand, he nodded and simply walked away.

My nerves were instantly on edge. Whoever the emissary was, he remained behind me on purpose. Was this the traitor Alfaro was searching for? “Who are you? What is this about?” I knew what it was about, but garnering any additional information could prove helpful.

A rustle of wind through the trees was the only answer.

“Wait.” I started after him when Maria caught my arm. “What is it?”

“We need to leave.”

“Why?” I barely glanced at what had been given to me, instead shoving the small envelope into my pocket.

She glanced from side to side. “I had a call that there are reports soldiers are headed in this direction.”

“Soldiers? For what reason?”

“If I had to guess, I’d say because they know you’re here.”

“The bar. Shit.” I’d underestimated the man’s reach. I lowered the little girl to her feet, allowing my gaze to sweep the area. “Just a couple additional shots.”

“Charmaine. A Navy SEAL was sent to escort us to safety. I’m telling you that we need to leave now.”

“Okay.” One Navy SEAL? While I was thankful for the escort, I was also irritated that we were being interrupted. “Okay. Then let’s go. We need to get as far away from the children as possible.”

Mark grabbed the equipment and within seconds, we were back in the Jeep, hauling ass toward the small village where we were staying.

“How long until this SEAL arrives?” I asked, breaking protocol.

“Hours. Maybe less. He’s enroute,” Maria said as quietly as possible. There was a sudden gust of wind, which usually meant a storm was fast approaching.

The last thing we needed was to be caught in the middle of a freaking monsoon.

Mark pushed the limits of the Jeep, moving quickly through the jungle to the other side. The sky was already dark and almost as soon as we had the village in our sights, the rain started.

Everything was a horrible blur as we jumped from the Jeep, racing toward the house where we were staying.

A rumble caught my attention and I hung back, searching the road leading to the area. Engines. Fuck. That’s what I was hearing. Several vehicles were approaching.

I backed away, fighting fear and rage.

Maria and the others flanked my side, all of us staring at the road. When we noticed headlights, Kyle groaned. “This isn’t good. This isn’t good at all.”

“Get back,” I told them. “We need to find somewhere to hide.”

We were too late. Within seconds, several vehicles came into view. As men jumped out, I noticed the assault rifles. Oh, my God.

“Run!” I yelled, turning immediately.

All four of us scattered.

Pop! Pop!

The booming sounded pounded in my ears. It was close. Almost immediately everything drifted into slow motion. I turned around, throwing my arms out as I screamed Mark’s name.

His eyes opened wide just seconds before bullets slammed against his back, the force pitching him in my direction. I knew I was screaming. I could feel the vibrations in my throat. The second he tumbled only feet away from me, Kyle grabbed my arm.

“Char, we need to get out of here.”

He jerked me backward, but I could barely move. “Maria. Maria!”

Somehow, I started running, trying to keep up with Kyle.

Gunfire was all around us, screams heard coming from every direction. They were killing the people in the village.

No. No!

Kyle suddenly dropped. I spun around, reaching for him.

“Go!” he shouted. “Just go.”

More gunfire, Kyle’s body riddled with bullets. Blood sprayed across my legs. My heart raced as I bolted forward, seeing Maria only yards away. As soon as I reached her, a soldier grabbed her arm, holding a handgun to her head.

With a grin on his face, the bastard pulled the trigger.