Karen Rose - Scream For Me

“Beardsley took his gun and Daniel made the head shot.” A grin nearly broke her face in two. “I think we did good.”

Luke grinned back. “I think you did good, too.”

But Beardsley didn’t smile. He shook his head. “You were too late,” he said wearily.

Alex and Luke instantly sobered. “What are you talking about?” Alex said.

Beardsley pushed himself against the wall until he stood. “Come with me.”

Throwing a backward glance at Daniel, Alex followed, Luke’s hand on her back.

Beardsley pulled on the first door to their left. It was unlocked, but not empty. Alex stared in horror. And what she saw would be indelibly etched in her mind forever.

A young girl lay on a thin cot, her arm chained to the wall. She was gaunt, her bones clearly visible. Her eyes were wide open and there was a small round hole in her forehead. She looked about fifteen.

Alex rushed forward, dropping to her knees, pressing her fingers to a thin neck for a pulse. The girl was still warm. She looked up at Luke, overcome. “She’s dead. Maybe an hour ago.”

“They’re all dead,” Beardsley said harshly. “Every one that was left behind.”

“How many were there?” Luke asked, his voice hard with fury.

“I counted seven shots. Bailey…”

“She’s alive,” Luke said. “And she got one girl out with her.”

Beardsley’s shoulders sagged. “Thank God.”

“What is this place?” Alex whispered.

“Human trafficking,” Luke said succinctly, and Alex just stared at him, openmouthed.

“You mean all these girls…? But why kill them? Why? ”

“They didn’t have time to get them all out,” Beardsley said tonelessly. “They didn’t want the ones left behind to talk.”

“Who’s responsible for this?” Alex hissed.

“The man you called Granville.” Beardsley leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, and it was then that Alex noticed the dark stain on his shirt. It was spreading.

“You got shot,” she said, reaching out to help him.

He put out one hand. “Your cop is in worse shape.”

“How many did they get out?” Luke asked, and on his face Alex saw the same feral rage that she’d seen the night at the target range.

“Five or six,” Beardsley said. “They took them down to the river.”

“I’ll notify the local police and the water patrol,” Luke said. “And the Coast Guard.”

Behind them, Daniel was being wheeled out on the gurney.

“Go with him,” Beardsley said. “I’ll be fine.”

Another gurney entered the way they’d come. “These medics are here for you.” She took Beardsley’s hand. “Thank you. You saved my life.”

He nodded, his eyes flat and cold. “You’re welcome. Tell Bailey I’ll visit her.”

“I will.” Then Alex and Luke followed Daniel’s gurney out the door, looking at each door as they passed. Five more victims. She wanted to scream, but in the end she moved up to Daniel’s side, took his hand, and went out with him into the sunshine.

Atlanta , Friday, February 2, 5:45 p.m.

Alex.” Meredith came to her feet as Alex rushed through the emergency room doors. “Oh my God, Alex.” She threw her arms around Alex and Alex held on tight.

“It’s over,” she murmured. “They’re all dead.”

Meredith pulled back, visibly shaking. “You’re hurt. Where are you hurt?”

“It’s not my blood. It’s Daniel’s and Granville’s mostly. Did they bring Daniel in?”

“The helicopter got here about twenty minutes ago.”

Alex went to the nurses’ station, Meredith at her side. “I’m Alex Fallon. Can you-”

“This way,” the nurse interrupted as a crowd of reporters surged around her. She led them back to a small waiting room. “Agent Chase Wharton told us you’d be coming. He wants to talk to you.”

“I want to talk to Daniel Vartanian’s doctor,” Alex insisted. “Bailey Crighton’s, too.”

“The doctor’s in with Mr. Vartanian now,” the nurse said kindly, then looked at Alex more closely. “You were here a few days ago, visiting the nun who died.”

“I was.” Alex was pacing the small room, her nerves jangling.

“You’re an ER nurse.” The nurse’s brows lifted. “Now it makes sense. That was one hell of a field job you did on Vartanian.”

Alex stopped pacing and looked the woman in the eye. “Was it good enough?”

The nurse nodded. “Looks that way.”

Alex let out a sigh of relief. “Can I see Bailey?”

“Come with me.”

Alex held Meredith’s hand hard as they followed. “Where is Hope?”

“With Agent Shannon and Riley, still at the safe house. We thought it best not to bring her to see Bailey until she’s cleaned up. Alex, I saw Bailey when they brought her in. She’s in really bad shape.”

“But alive,” the nurse said. She gestured to the exam room. “Just a few minutes.”

Despite the preparation, Alex winced when she saw Bailey. “Bailey, it’s me, Alex.”

Bailey’s eyelids fluttered as she struggled to open her eyes.

“It’s okay,” Alex soothed. “You need to rest. You’re safe. Hope’s safe.”

Tears seeped from Bailey’s swollen eyes. “You came. You saved my baby.”

Alex gently took her hand, noting the bruises and the nails broken well past the quick. “She’s a beautiful little girl. Meredith’s been taking care of her.”

Bailey forced her eyes open, looking from Alex to Meredith. “ Thank you .”

Meredith’s swallow was audible. “Hope’s fine, Bailey. She misses you. And Alex never gave up hope that you were alive.”

Bailey licked her dry, split lips. “Beardsley?” she croaked.

Alex dabbed Bailey’s mouth with a wet cloth. “He’s alive. He saved my life, too. He told me to tell you he’d come to see you. Bailey, the police found your father.”

Bailey’s lips trembled. “I need to tell you. Wade… did some horrible things. My father knew.”

“I know. I finally let myself remember. Craig killed my mother.”

Bailey flinched. “I didn’t know that.”

“Do you know about the pills I took that day? Did Craig give them to me?”

“I think so. I don’t know for sure. But Alex… Wade… he… I think he killed Alicia.”

“No, he didn’t. He did a lot of other horrible things, but he didn’t kill her.”

“Rape?”

Alex nodded. “Yes.”

“There are others.”

Alex shivered. Granville had said the same thing. “You mean the letter Wade sent you? We found it, with Hope’s help.”

“There were seven. Wade and six others.”

“I know. Except for Garth Davis, they’re all dead, and Garth’s been arrested.”

Again Bailey flinched. “Garth? But he… Oh, God, how stupid I was.”

Alex remembered Sissy’s phone call and the man Bailey was supposed to have met the night before she was taken. “You were having an affair?”

“Yes. He came to see me after Wade died, offered his condolences as mayor.” She closed her eyes. “One thing led to another. And Wade warned me, too. Trust no one .”

“Did Garth ask about Wade’s belongings?” Meredith asked quietly.

“A few times, but I didn’t think anything about it and I hadn’t gotten Wade’s letters yet. I was so happy to be treated nice by someone in the town… Garth was looking for that damn key, just like him. That’s all he kept asking for. That damn key.”

“Who kept asking for the key?” Alex asked, and Bailey shuddered.

“Granville.” She said it bitterly. “What did the key open?”

“A safe-deposit box,” Alex said. “But it was empty.”

Bailey looked up in devastated bewilderment. “Then why did he do this to me?”