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The woman hung her head, tears flowing down her cheeks. “Jim White’s men took me. They drugged me. They took me out to his ranch and kept me there for several days in a cellar. It was dark. I was terrified. I was given drugs to keep me quiet. Then one day he came in and said he had a buyer for me. That I was going to love my new life.”
She started to sob. “I was eight years old and they sold me to a slave trader who put me on the market. In the middle of the night, I was drugged again and put on an airplane. When I woke up, I was in another cell.”
The woman wiped tears from her eyes and did her best to stop crying.
“For the last twelve years, I’ve been at the beck and call of a very powerful man. I was his slave,” she said. “I’ve slept with hundreds of men.”
Ely’s stomach twisted in knots. While he tried to keep an open mind, he knew they had to get to Jim White’s ranch to see if they could find Marta. Maybe they could save her from such a fate.
“I know it’s been twelve years, but can you tell me anything about where this cellar is located on his ranch? Can you give me any clues as to where they kept you?”
Ely wanted to reach out and comfort her, but with many women who had suffered sexual abuse, it was best not to touch them, even if trying to be comforting.
“We want to save another little girl that has been taken,” he said. “She’s about the age you were when you were abducted.”
She closed her eyes. “I was drugged. It’s been so long ago. Let me go with you when you go out there. I’ll help you, but first, can I please speak to my family? It’s the only thing that kept me going all these years.”
They glanced at one another. That would be one way to find the hidden location.
“My assistant was going to call them. Give me a moment,” Jordan said.
Ely stood and walked out the door. Maybe her parents weren’t alive. Maybe they didn’t want to speak to her.
“Robin,” he said when she answered his call. “Did you speak to the parents? It looks like we’ve found Kaitlyn Meander.”
“Yes,” she said. “They want to do a Facebook or a Zoom call.”
“We’ll bring her to the station, run her fingerprints, and do the call. Tell them to give me an hour.”
“Will do, Sheriff,” she said. “What a miraculous break.”
“Yes, but we’re not out of the woods yet,” he said.
He tried to call Camila again, but she didn’t answer. Maybe she was in a dead zone on the highway. Wherever she was, he was not about to leave a message with all the details.
“Call me as soon as you get this message,” he said. “It’s important.”
It just seemed weird that her boss wanted to speak to her and she had to go to San Antonio.
When he walked back into the house, he gazed at Kaitlyn. “Your parents want to do a Zoom call. Are you all right coming back to the station with us? We’d like to verify your fingerprints that we have on file and also put your photo in Spotlight. It’s a tool that will help identify you as Kaitlyn Meander. Are you okay going to the office with us?”
She glanced at the young woman who had sheltered her.
“They’re here to help you,” she said. “They can help you better than I can. They’ve already found your family.”
Kaitlyn nodded. “Thank you for your help. It’s taken me weeks to get here, including sneaking across the border. I’m so afraid if my owner learns where I am, he’ll kill me.”
Jordan shook his head. “We’re going to protect you.”
The woman stood. “Yes, I’ll go with you.”
She reached out and hugged the lady who had helped her. “Thank you, again.”
Without touching Kaitlyn, Jordan led her to the door.
Ely stayed back. “Keep your doors locked and call us if there is any suspicious activity and we’ll come running. I’ll also have one of the deputies drive by every few hours to make certain everything is all right.”
The woman’s eyes widened. “Do you really think Jim White could do this? It’s horrible.”
