Page 9 of Tag (The Golden Team #9)

Tag

I moved first, weapon raised, staying low as I followed Aponi through a narrow hallway that led to the back stairs. Her steps were silent, practiced. The only sound was the creak of old wood beneath us.

Another loud bang echoed through the building, followed by the screech of metal dragging across concrete.

We hit the basement door at the same time. I stepped in front of her without thinking—instinct. She didn’t argue.

I threw the bolt and kicked the door open, sweeping the alley behind the rec center.

Nothing.

Until something moved near the dumpsters.

“Stop,” I called out, gun aimed. “Hands up.”

A figure froze. Small. Slender. Trembling.

“Don’t shoot!” a girl’s voice cried. “Please—I wasn’t stealing anything!”

Aponi lowered her weapon. “Shit. She’s a kid.”

We moved in slowly. The girl couldn’t have been more than fourteen. Torn hoodie. Dirty hands. Eyes wide with panic. She looked like she hadn’t eaten in days.

Aponi stepped forward, voice calm. “Hey. What’s your name?”

The girl’s gaze darted to the door, the street, then back to us. “I—I’m not telling you anything. You’re cops.”

Aponi didn’t flinch. “I’m Aponi. He’s Tag. This is a community center. We help people.”

The girl snorted. “No one helps girls like me.”

“Try us.”

Silence.

Then she whispered, “My name’s Kaylie. I was just… looking for a place to sleep. I heard there’s beds upstairs sometimes. I wasn’t gonna take anything.”

Aponi nodded. “You’re safe here. Come inside.”

But as the girl stepped into the light, I noticed something that made my stomach twist.

There was a faded, bruised tattoo on her wrist. A simple symbol I’d seen before—burned into case files, stitched into the memories of survivors. A symbol linked to the trafficking ring Aponi was chasing.

I glanced at Aponi. She saw it too.

Kaylie noticed us staring. She yanked her sleeve down. “You don’t know anything. Nobody does.”

She turned and bolted.

Aponi started after her, but I caught her arm. “Let her go.”

“She could be the lead we need.”

“She could also be bait. If someone sent her here to test your reaction, they’re watching.”

Her jaw clenched, fury rippling across her face. “You think this was a warning?”

“I think this is the calm before the storm.”

Aponi looked back toward the alley, where Kaylie had disappeared into the dark.

“She’s not the only one who needs help,” she whispered.

“No,” I said, my voice low. “But if we’re going to help them, we need to be smart. We move now—before they bury that building in silence.”

Her eyes locked on mine. Fierce. Unbreakable. “Let’s go.”