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The man coughs, flecks of blood staining his lips. "No time to explain...the children..." His breath comes in ragged, wet rasps. "In the forest...the kid..."
My heart clenches as I realize we're too late. This man, whoever he is, is beyond saving. But if there's any chance of rescuing those children...
I meet Dario's gaze, seeing my own pain reflected in his eyes. We have a lead now, a place to start looking for what the ghost wanted us to know. Right under our noses, in our periphery, there’s someone trying to kidnap children and we’re the only ones who know about it.
Why, I wonder, has the ghost involved us in this. Unless, my heart races with fear, it’s the same ring of child trafficking Dario’s father runs.
Suddenly, my world begins to spin around me as I realize the gravity of the situation. For some reason, the ghost, aware of both who I am and who Dario is, has led us down this path I’ve been investigating for a long time.
But why, I wonder. Is it to show me that Dario might be involved, or of his innocence? Is it something else altogether, perhaps to show Dario who his father is?
Before I can clear my thoughts, the dying man grips Dario's arm with the last of his strength. "Stop them," he whispers. "Please..."
Dario helps the informant by placing his head on his own lap, making the man as comfortable as possible in his last moments. I swallow hard against the ache in my chest.
"Thank you," I whisper. "For everything. We won't let you down."
A ghost of a smile flickers across the informant's face. Then his eyes drift shut, his chest stilling breath by breath. Going right in front of us, with nothing we can do.
I stare at Dario, tears burning in my eyes.
Then his hand falls away, each cell in his body dimming into lifelessness. I stare at his unmoving figure for a long moment, grief and purpose warring within me. We failed to save him. But now, more than ever, we have a duty to carry out his final wish.
Dario stands, pulling me to my feet. His expression is carved from stone, but fury blazes in his eyes. "Come on," he says grimly. "We've got work to do."
I stare at Dario, trying to understand this man. I, because of the work I’ve done for the agency, have been aware of the child trafficking rings that go on in this city.
Dario, however, has just heard of kidnapped children and instead of being confused, or scattered in his thoughts, he’s taking it on with horns blazing and the cynic in me just can’t understand.
Is Dario so focused on getting to these children, on finishing this strange mission we’re on tonight, because he truly is this amazing under stress or because he hopes to cover up his father’s trail.
The thought festers in me, like poison slowly going through my mind. But, I hold back my thoughts and realize there’s only one way I’ll know where Dario stands, with or against his father, and that is if I follow him into the depths of wherever tonight takes us.
***
We move swiftly yet cautiously through the dense forest, our senses on high alert. Every snap of a twig, every rustle in the underbrush, sets my heart pounding. Are the kidnappers still close by? Were we followed?
Dario's grip on his gun tightens as we walk, his sharp gaze scanning our surroundings. I can see the tension in the set of his shoulders, feel the coiled energy radiating from him.
He won't rest until we find those children. Until we make the bastards who took them pay.
My fingers curl into fists, rage simmering in my gut. They killed our informant in cold blood. We were so close to ending this nightmare—only to have victory snatched away at the last second.
But we'll find another way. We have to. Too many young lives depend on it.
The forest seems to close in around us as we walk, shadows lurking behind every tree. An owl hoots softly in the distance, the lonely cry echoing through the woods.
The hair on the back of my neck stands on end, a prickle of awareness running down my spine. We're being watched.
I glance at Dario, whose gaze darts around, scanning for any signs of movement. His hand tightens on my arm, pulling me closer against his side. A subtle warning. We're not alone.
My heart leaps into my throat, pounding so loudly I'm sure our pursuers can hear it. But we won't give in to fear. We can't stop now. Not when we're so close.
Gripping my gun, I stare into the dense forest ahead. Somewhere in these woods are the children we've sworn to save. And somewhere behind us stalk the monsters who took them.
We walk on.
We emerge into a small clearing, and for a moment I can only stare in stunned disbelief. The clearing is bathed in shadows, the dim light of the moon casting an eerie glow.
