Zack nodded. He had nothing to say. He didn"t work for the ATF, and he cared less what the pretentious man in the thousand-dollar suit wanted. It only mattered what Alex thought, and right now, it obviously wasn"t much.
Alex turned to Murphy. Both men looked as bleak as the other. "What do you think, Murph?"
Murphy was the definite good cop to Alex"s lethal bad cop. Until now, he"d been quiet. The old guy was in his sixties, thinning gray hair, and the first to admit he wasn"t as smart as the new generation when it came to gizmos and computers and such, but he was a good man. Zack waited on him now.
"I don"t know." Murphy sighed. "Seems to me we still have an active operation on our hands. I"d hate to lose what corporate knowledge we"ve got just because Carducci"s p.i.s.sed."
"I don"t give a d.a.m.n about Carducci," Alex grunted.
Murphy"s blue eyes twinkled. Zack held his breath. Were these two toying with him? If so, it wasn"t funny.
"Just so you two geniuses know," Alex paused long enough to stare him down and keep him wondering. "I got my b.u.t.t reamed good. You"re off the Espinosa case."
He liked the sound of those words. Off. Not fired.
"But you owe me. Big time." Again with the evil eyes. Man, the guy didn"t quit. "You"re both on this little girl"s case. You"d better not screw the pooch, Lennox."
"Yes, Boss." Zack took the hit and let another breath of relief whoosh between his teeth. h.e.l.l, yeah.
Alex leaned across the table, his fingers laced together and all those pointed, killer skills aimed right at his trouble-making junior agent. "I"m flying out to the Seattle office for a couple days. By the time I get back, I want everything settled. You locate her parents. You find out why a couple of punks had her in the back of their van, and you find a way to make that little girl happy. I want your written reports on my desk, ready for my signature by Monday."
Zack glanced at David. Yes, they were both still employed, but d.a.m.n, it was going to be a busy week.
"Email me a copy of your final reports no later than Friday night. I"ll be home. I"ll be waiting." Alex glared. He wasn"t finished.
Zack stilled. Here it comes. He braced himself.
"Screw Carducci. I"d have done the same thing."
FIVE.
What have I gotten myself into?
Zack groaned. He was an ex-Marine sniper. By definition, a man of action. A dedicated covert consultant on The TEAM, he enjoyed the people he worked with. Most of the time he could handle any a.s.signment his boss gave him, but this one was driving him crazy. He was used to tracking down twenty-one-year-old babes who wanted a good time. Little girls? Never.
He"d been at it since his boss left for Seattle the day before. So far, every search on a missing Asian girl around five or six years old had proved a dead end. There was no AMBER Alert, no reports of missing children, nothing. He"d barely broadened his search to the international arena when David tapped on his desk.
Zack looked up. "You finding anything yet?"
"No, but I have another idea. Let"s go visit her." David"s leaning over his desk with an expectant look on his face told Zack plenty. No matter what he said next, he was already on his way to the hospital.
"Why?" Zack pushed back in his chair.
David, another Marine, hailed from the west coast and had served in The Fighting 13th out of Pendleton, California. The irony of a sniper being a devoted family man and father of four boys never ceased to amaze Zack. Yet that"s exactly who David was, as well as a devout Buddhist. He was as big a puzzle to Zack as were most married men in the office, Alex included.
"There might not be much she can tell us," David said, "but we need to see how she"s dealing with her strange surroundings."
"She still stable?"
David nodded. "I"ll drive."
"Nope." Zack snagged his jacket off the back of his chair. "Sorry, old man. I"ll drive. I"d like to get there today."
The playful barb missed David completely.
"So how"s it work?" Zack asked once they were en route. Traffic was light as he maneuvered steadily through the busy D.C. traffic.
"How does what work?"
"You know, the whole Buddhist thing and being a sniper." Zack had never asked before, but his curiosity got the best of him. Of all the agents on staff, David was the least p.r.o.ne to stress, anger, or emotion. The ability to control one"s emotions was a good skill set for a sniper. It just wasn"t one Zack employed twenty-four-seven. No. His peace of mind came from the sleek, black pearl Porsche he and David were cruising in. Pure pleasure, with four hundred and seventy-five horses under the hood, zero-to-sixty in three seconds if he put his foot in it, and a state of the art CDR audio system.
David owned a Toyota, zero-to-sixty in - what? Five minutes? Even the clothes they wore defined them. David was all business, suited up and professional. Zack wore his usual. Jeans. Golf shirt. Leather jacket. He shot a sideways glance at his senior agent. David was married with a wife, four boys, and a home in the "burbs. How on earth was that living? Boring with a capital D-U-L-L.
Besides, could Zack help it if chicks liked that he was ex-military and built? He worked out. It showed. He liked that they liked. Plain and simple, he indulged the fairer gender, but he wasn"t stupid. Pleasure in all forms had its place. He just made sure it had enough room when it showed up and it knew when to leave. The biggest lesson he"d brought home from his many deployments around the globe was that life was short. Don"t screw it up.
"Why do you ask?"
"Guess I thought Buddhists were always peaceful," Zack answered, "like the monks in the temples, all Zenned out or something."
"Even Buddha in his wisdom understood the need for strong and good soldiers."
There it was again, an unruffled way of listening and answering that Zack did not have and could not understand. "I guess the key word is good, huh?"
David nodded. "You and I are not like most people around us. We truly understand peace because we"ve chosen to be good soldiers. We know what it means to fight for peace. You"re not so different from me."
Zack mulled David"s answer over as they pulled into the hospital zone. David made sense, but he was wrong. He and Zack were worlds apart.
After parking at the curb, they entered the hospital, checked with the information desk, and made their way to the third level. An older woman with a touch of gray at her temples opened the door to the girl"s room.
"I"m David Tao." David extended a hand. "This is Zack Lennox."
"You must be the gentlemen who found our little girl." She ushered them in. "I"m Claire Langley, the Family Services child advocate a.s.signed to this poor little girl. I"m sorry I wasn"t able to meet you at the emergency room when you brought her in. I had a very busy day."
David nodded to Zack. "Zack here is the one who extracted her from the Tigers."
"Good morning, ma"am." Zack accepted her handshake, but she didn"t release him. Instead, she clasped his hand in both of hers and pulled him a step closer.
"You"re very brave," Claire said, her kind blue eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tears. "I"m so proud to know there are still good men like you in the world."
"Yes, ma"am." He accepted her grat.i.tude, but then she leaned in closer and wrapped her motherly arms around his shoulders. It was enough to make a grown man cry. He patted her back and nodded. Thankfully, she didn"t draw it out.
"How is she?" he asked, to divert Claire"s attention.
The girl looked lost in the big hospital bed. Sad, almond-shaped eyes darted back and forth until David spoke to her with a few words in Chinese. Instantly, she locked onto him like radar, her little lower lip quivering. Zack watched the miracle unfold. The minute David sat on the edge of her bed, the tiny tyke scrambled onto his lap and buried her face inside his suit jacket. Right dialect or not, he must have looked or sounded familiar.
"My goodness. Let me get her back into bed," Claire fussed. "You don"t need to-"
"I don"t mind," David interrupted. "I have four sons. Is it okay if I hold her?"
"If you"re sure you don"t mind," Claire replied. "She"s a darling little thing, isn"t she?" she asked Zack.
"Ahh, yeah. She is." Who was he to disagree? The little gal was a danged cute kid. She deserved a lot more than a dismal life with a couple g.a.n.g.b.a.n.gers. He hoped Claire found her a good home. Parents would be nice, too.
David rocked while she nestled inside his arms. He pulled the bed cover up over her to keep warm whatever limbs were not already inside his jacket. She"d calmed and turned into a baby ostrich. David obviously had another talent Zack didn"t.
"What happens to her now?" Zack asked.
"She"ll go into foster care until we can locate her family," Claire explained. "If we can"t find them, she"ll be available for adoption. She"s a sweet little thing considering all she"s been through."
"Do we know what she"s been through?" Zack asked.
"For one thing, she"s been drugged. There weren"t signs of s.e.xual a.s.sault, but she hasn"t been taken care of. She"s very small for her age and underweight." Claire had a sappy look on her face watching David. "Mr. Tao, can you get her to talk? I"ve tried, but she seems to relate to you better than me. I don"t think she understands a word I"ve said."
"Sure. I"ll try." He tugged the blanket off the girl"s face. She peeked out with eyes that didn"t smile in the slightest, her bottom lip stuck in a pout that made her look too serious for her tender age. He spoke softly in Chinese, but she just stared at him.
"What kind of drugs?" Zack asked, but Claire was no longer listening. Her eyes were glued on the drama between David and the girl. He"d covered her face again with a corner of the blanket. Slowly, he pulled it down over her forehead until just her eyes appeared. Without a word, he repeated the game one more time. Zack smiled. It wasn"t every day he saw his senior agent playing peek-a-boo.
David spoke in the soft musical Chinese language. Very quietly, she answered him back in a soft, two-syllable reply. He smiled and patted his chest, as if maybe he was telling her his name. She reached to touch him, her eyes bright with apprehension as four little fingertips touched his pressed white shirt right where he had just touched. A small word escaped her lips, but the poor thing kept her eyes on him the whole time.
He smiled encouragingly and spoke again. Slowly, she flattened her palm to his shirt, her eyes full of concern for the scary thing she was doing. When he nodded and smiled, she pulled her hand back. Slowly, she reached again, her eyes trained on him.
One more, softly uttered phrase slipped from her lips. He tapped her upturned nose with the tip of his index finger and spoke again. She nodded a quick, scared little nod. At last, her hand was flat against his ribs, but the act of courage proved too much. She whined, pulled the blanket over her face, and grunted until she was once again hidden from view.
Playtime was over.
David wrapped his arms around the tiny human ostrich, his head lowered while he took extra time making sure her feet and arms were covered. When at last he looked up, his eyes glistened. He cleared his throat and secured the blanket again, his hands smoothing over the tiny body latched onto his. Two soft syllables that sounded like "Shay shay," rose from beneath the covers.
"I asked where her mother is," he offered hoa.r.s.ely as he began rocking. "She said, "No mama"."
"Oh, the poor little thing." Claire came to sit at the edge of the bed with him. "Did she tell you anything else? Her name, maybe?"
David cleared his throat and whispered, "Chai Yenn."
Zack had to turn away. He"d held the baby girl. She needed a mother, d.a.m.n it.
"She doesn"t know how old she is, but I"d guess maybe five," David offered somberly. "It"s hard to tell. She"s very thin."
"I"m so glad you came to visit," Claire said as she reached for his shoulder. "Maybe now that I know her name, she won"t be quite so frightened of me. You"d be surprised how many little ones like this we"ve had lately."
"How many?" Zack jumped at the chance to divert the topic. Dealing with lost children was always a heartbreaker.
"Didn"t you know?" Claire asked. "She"s the third in the last month, and they"ve all been Chinese girls. We"re working with several agenciesthe National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as the FBI. Chai Yenn is in much better condition, but she"s not the first." Claire shook her head. "Ms. Mei Xing is working with me. She"s from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. I"m expecting her this morning if you"d care to hang around a little longer. You just might catch her."
"Do we have time?" Zack asked David.
He should"ve known better than to ask. All he had to do was look at the sad but contented face of his friend. David had his arms full of a little girl with no mother. They had plenty of time.
SIX.
I can do it. One more time. I can!
Mei swallowed hard, straightened her blazer, and tilted her chin up. She paused with her hand to the hospital room door, needing to be convincing. Claire had come to take the girl to the Family Services office. Today was Mei"s last chance to pump the friendly child advocate for information about the child trafficking ring. They were Mei"s next targets. She fully intended to infiltrate them. Somehow. The only problem was where to start?
She rapped quietly to announce her arrival, pushed the door aside, and cringed. Two men looked up, their sharp eyes running over her, and immediately she panicked. Could she fool them as easily as Claire? Better yet, could she intimidate them like Kathleen? She gulped past her dry throat and entered. Showtime. Again.
"Why, Agent Xing, how nice to see you." Claire waved her into the room. "I was just telling Agents Tao and Lennox you might drop by. You"re right on time."
"Good morning." The muscular bald fellow jumped away from the counter he"d been leaning against and politely extended his hand. Deep brown eyes swept over her again, appraising what they liked and didn"t like, no doubt. A wide-open kind of a smile brightened his face, making her very aware when his warm hand engulfed hers. "I"m Zack Lennox. It"s good to meet you."
"G-good morning." She returned the favor by raking him up one side and down the other, the same way he"d done to her.
He wasn"t half-bad looking. Confidence tugged at the corner of his mouth. Laugh lines crinkled across his forehead. The dark gla.s.ses perched on top of his head combined with his leather bomber jacket and jeans made him look like some college preppie, carefree but going places. The man looked like he had it all.
She tried not to notice the ripple of corded muscles down his abdomen when he"d reached for her hand, or the way his shirt fit too tight across his chest. A thick, muscular neck supported his bare bobble-head. She made up her mind right then and there she didn"t like him. He thought he was good looking. It showed in his smirky eyes. The man was a player, and she wasn"t playing. Maybe, never again.
Pulling her fingers free of his gentle and oddly warm grasp, she turned to the other man, Agent Tao. Now there was a real man. He knew how to handle a child. The little girl was snuggled on his lap. By the looks of it, she knew a real man, too.
"You"ll be happy to know Agent Tao was able to learn our little girl"s name," Claire announced. "Agent Xing, please meet Chai Yenn."
Little Chai had already peeked out from beneath her cover when Mei entered the room, but the minute Mei looked at her, Chai ducked behind Agent Tao"s arm. Hiding. That hurt. Mei had never frightened a child before. All she wanted to do was hold Chai, if only for the joy of feeling a little girl in her arms again. Had she changed so much that a child would hide from her?
Agent Lennox still watched, rattling Mei"s confidence even more.
"I am pleased to meet you, Ms. Xing." The older man reached for her hand with genuine hospitality. Now that she"d stepped closer, she could see he wasn"t older at all. She glanced back at that Zack guy. They were both around the same age. Agent Tao just looked more mature. Or something.
"I understand you"re working with Claire?" he asked.
"Yes." She stalled. The sight of these guys had thrown her off balance. She couldn"t put her finger on the reason. Anxiety climbed up her throat, but she pushed it back down. Kept it at bay. Her stomach churned. She had to get the upper hand.
Get tough, Mei. You can do it. Be the ICE agent. Be mean if you have to.
"You the ones who found the girl?" She arched an imperious brow, as least, that"s what she hoped for. It had worked before.