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Prologue
1988-1989 - Age 11-12
Nina Adams stood in the Dallas courtroom and pointed at the four men and one woman who stood accused of more than a hundred counts of sex trafficking, child pornography, and murder.
“Those people are the ones who stole kids all over the place and forced us to-to do things with grown people while they filmed us. They picked me up off the streets. I don’t remember how I got there...I just always was.”
She swallowed against the fear she felt. “I’ve been with them six years. We barely ate, only got baths if we had to perform, and if a kid got sick, they disappeared and we never saw them again.” She looked at the judge and saw the man’s horror and sympathy. “If you let them go, they’ll do it again. They’re sick, violent, and disgusting.”
The defendants glared at her and she stared at them without emotion. “I wish I’d died. I wish you’d killed me like the sick kids. Now I have to live with all this awful stuff in my head. You ruined my life, ruined the lives of all those other kids. I hope you die in prison but before you do, I hope you get a taste of what it was like for us. That would bejustice.”
An hour later, they were given the maximum concurrent sentences allowable by law. The jury deliberated for twenty-three seconds. Enough time to close the door, vote unanimously, and open it again to a surprised court bailiff.
Nina had been the only victim capable of testifying. The prosecutor had coached her but she hadn’t needed it.
She’d beenactingfor as long as she could remember.
Seven months later, when the criminals’ appeals were denied, she was taken from protective custody in a hotel with two female officers. Her panicked imagination conjured up possible scenarios as they drove an hour into the deep country.
They turned into the gravel drive of a house and she stared through the window at a girl waiting on the porch. As the representative of the State opened the back door, the girl smiled and ran to greet her.
“I’m Rowan. Welcome to Miss Jeffries’. We’re the same age. We’re going to be friends. Are you hungry?” The pretty dark-haired girl acted like they’d known each other for years.
In reality, they’d only known each other forfour minutes, years before.
When Nina had turned ten years old, the people who brutalized her decided she would coaxotherchildren to them. She was the best actress, the prettiest, and she would be able to put unsuspecting kids at ease.
They hatched a plan and drove into the suburbs of Dallas, cruising playgrounds and schoolyards for potential victims.
In the backseat, Nina wanted to vomit. She’d been told to beconvincingor the other kids would be punished.
Failure to return with a newactresswould result in a death.
They were turning around to try another area when a girl shot from a tall gate between perfectly manicured hedges and took off running down the street.
Nina had never seen anyone run so fast.
She wore a sundress but no shoes, her dark hair flying behind her as she seemed to try to get as far from the house as she could.
Pronounced pretty enough for the men’s purposes, the driver got a few blocks ahead and pulled to the curb.
“Get her in this car, Nina. You don’t want to know what will happen if you don’t.”
Nina got out and walked a little way to meet the running girl, whose blue eyes were huge in her face.
Nina recognized terror when she saw it. Frowning, she put her hands up, palms out. The girl came to a sudden stop, her breath shuddering in her lungs.
Nina asked, “Hey, are you okay?”
“You shouldn’t be near me...get away from here before he sends his guys to get me back.”
“Who?”
“My father. Please, you have to get away from here. Run, okay? It’s not safe. I’m not being dramatic. You need to go.”
Of all the scenarios that played out in Nina’s head about how such an expedition would go, the current one never entered her mind.
She’d been with the animals who kept her for five years. She tried to take care of the other kids they brought in like the oldest girl did for her when Nina was grabbed.
