Chapter Nine
Stace made a call to the police department and let Shep and Blake pick up the car while she and Ally stayed at the farmhouse. Her nerves were raw this morning. It was far too easy to recall all the times she’d told family members how she needed them to stay calm. It was hard to follow her own advice when it hit close to home.
“You and Shep seem to have grown pretty close,” Ally said and Stace wondered if this was the other woman’s way of getting her mind off what they may or may not find once Chloe’s car arrived.
“I like him,” Stace admitted, trying to keep the clip of temper out of her voice.
“No judgment here.” Ally spread her hands wide and shook her head. “It was the same for me with Blake, and despite the issues we dealt with in the beginning, there’s never been anyone else since I first laid eyes my fiancé.”
“Not even Shep?” Stace wanted to see if Ally had ever felt more than friendship.
“No. I love him, but I’ve never been in love with him. Shep is an amazing man. He accepts without question, which is a rarity in my life. He was there for me when I needed a friend. Now, he’s one of my best friends. It was inevitable since he and Blake are close. I’m hoping for the opportunity to get to know you better, too. Maybe, we can be friends.”
“I’d like that.” Stace paused then asked what was on her mind. “Did you know he was in love with you?”
Ally smiled but shook her head again. “He was never in love with me. He was in love with what I represented, the closeness Blake and I have. I think Shep’s wanted that type of relationship for a long time.”
Stace nodded but didn’t say anything.
“Hopefully, you’ll come back to Legacy and get to know everyone,” Ally continued. “Shep has a large extended family. I know you met a few of the guys when you went to the offices, but you need to meet them out of office. Meet their better halves and the rest of the family.”
“I’d like that. I really would. But I don’t know what the next few days, the next few weeks, will bring. I don’t know where Shep and I are headed.”
“But you do know the two of you are headed somewhere,” Ally continued. “That says something right there.”
“It does,” Stace admitted with a nod. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course. I’m guessing it’s about what I do. Trust me, you won’t offend me if that’s what you’re worried about. Curiosity is understandable.”
“Judgment isn’t,” Stace said. When the other woman didn’t comment, Stace continued. “What is it like? Being able to do what you do?”
“It’s a gift and a curse,” Ally answered. “People want to use you and yet often treat you like you have the plague or are in league with the devil once it’s all said and done.”
“Some people can’t handle what they don’t understand,” Stace offered.
“You’re right,” Ally said. “I’ve never made friends easily. I was mostly a loner before I met Blake. Blake,” she sighed. “Well, meeting him changed my life.”
“It sounds like you’re very happy now,” Stace said.
“I’m fantastic,” Ally said. “I was worried about making so much noise last night, but I heard you guys after we were done so…” Ally let her sentence dangle, a grin covering her face.
Stace blushed, feeling her face flushing with warmth. “Yeah, well,” she sighed. “Crap. To be honest, I wasn’t even thinking about you being in the house.”
Ally laughed, and Stace couldn’t help but join in. Ally had successfully helped her to relax and get her mind to quit obsessing over what they were going to do today. It was still there, but it wasn’t overwhelming her like it had been.
“Thank you.”
“No matter what happens next, I’d like to be friends,” Ally said. “I’ll do everything I can to help you find your sister. I promise you that.”
Stace understood the unsaid dead or alive part of that vow. As if she’d read something on Stace’s face, Ally took her hands and gave them a squeeze.
“Don’t give up hope yet,” she urged. “Sometimes, it’s the only thing we have left.”
Stace tensed as she heard the hum of an engine and knew Shep and Blake were back. No more waiting. This might be the moment she finally got answers.
“Breathe,” Ally told her giving her another squeeze before stepping back and looking up into Stace’s eyes. “Just breathe.”
“Is that for me or you?” Stace said, noticing that Ally looked a little nervous as well.
“Both of us.” Ally appeared conflicted for a moment. “I can only tell you what I see as I see it. You might…hear things you don’t want to. When I’m connected, I try to stay focused and say everything I’m seeing.”
“It’s okay. I understand. I appreciate what you’re doing for me and Chloe.”
“There was no way I wouldn’t show up when Shep called and explained things,” Ally offered.
It was then Stace truly realized how much Ally cared. She couldn’t imagine what it must be like to do what Ally could do. Touch something and form a connection with a stranger. Ally called it both a blessing and a curse. Stace hoped today was more of a blessing.
Ally gave her hand one more squeeze before letting it go. “Ready?”
“As ready as I can be,” Stace replied as they walked out the door toward where Shep and Blake were getting out of the cars.
Both men immediately headed toward them. Stace watched Blake wrap his arms around Ally and pull her close then startled when Shep did the same to her. It felt right, though.
“You okay?” he whispered.
She nodded though she knew he felt the shaking she couldn’t control. He hugged her tighter, one hand stroking up and down her spine in a soothing manner. For a moment, they all just stood on the porch looking at Chloe’s little compact. Finally, Blake took Ally’s hand and led her off the porch toward where they’d parked the car.
“How does this work?” Stace quietly asked Shep.
“Ally will do her best to form a connection with your sister,” Shep said. “She can do this with anything your sister has touched, but she wants to form as strong a connection as she can, so she wants to use the last thing we know of Chloe touched. The main thing is, whatever she sees or doesn’t see, no one can touch her, or there’s a high probability it will break any connection she’s able to make.”
Stace watched as Blake opened the car door and noticed how Ally slipped onto the seat without touching anything. Ally closed her eyes and appeared to take a deep breath.
“Let’s move closer,” Shep said, taking her hand. They both moved to the car, standing inches from where Ally now sat. Stace had never held hands so much in her life.
She stared at what was happening in her sister’s car, entranced. One of Ally’s hands hovered over the steering wheel while she held the other out for the keys Blake held in his hands. Her eyes were still closed, and Stace realized Blake had been waiting for Ally’s nod that she was ready. Stace watched as the keys dropped from Blake’s hand and landed in Ally’s. The keys hit Ally’s palm the same second her hand closed on the wheel, and Stace couldn’t have torn her eyes away if she’d needed to.
“She’s made a connection,” Shep whispered.
“Is it Chloe?”
“What do you see?” Blake asked, waving them to be quiet. Stace clung to Shep. Her heart felt as if it were in her throat when Ally spoke.
“She’s in a room. It’s closed in. Small but crowded. A man is there. She’s afraid of him. No, that’s wrong. She’s intimidated by him.” Ally shook her head, concentrating.
“What do you expect?” Ally yelled, but somehow, Stace knew those were Chloe’s words. Ally’s next words confirmed it. “I’m a nursing student not a doctor. These people need a doctor. I don’t know what’s wrong. I don’t know what to do. They need fresh air. They need to be bathed. I can’t do it all myself.”
Ally took a deep breath, shaking her head as she seemed to be glancing around some place none of them could see. “There are at least twenty-five people with her. Some of them are children. They’re sick, very sick. Fever. The heat is from fever. It surrounds her. Whatever they have she’s getting it, as well. She’s tired, exhausted, and now, she’s running a fever, too. They keep spreading it back and forth. As soon as she gets one fever-free another one has it. She can’t seem to keep ahead of whatever they’re passing.”
“Where is she? Are there any windows?” Shep asked, and Stace nodded, though Ally’s eyes were still tightly shut.
“A cabin. They’re in a cabin. He knows. He knows she’s getting sick. He touches her forehead. He’s cursing. He’s mad. Furious. Yelling. He’s worried about her. He’s carrying her out of the cabin. It’s in the middle of a heavily wooded area. Trees everywhere. Thick with trees. Cabins. So many cabins. Can’t focus. So hot. Hard to breathe. So hot.”
Ally panted, and Stace had to cover her mouth to keep from crying out. That was Chloe Ally was channeling.
“Find them, Ally. Look around. Remember everything you see,” Blake urged.
“He’s taking her to another cabin. The air.” Ally shook her head. “His cabin. His bed. Hot. Too hot. Can’t breathe. Water. Please. Clothes. His hands. Stripping. Air. There’s cool air. He’s trying to break her fever. He’s…” Her eyes flew open, pupils blown wide as she stared at something in fear. “He sees me. No. No!”
Ally screamed, and Stace moved without thinking, grabbing Ally’s hand to offer comfort. Ally jerked at her touch while Shep and Blake both called out behind her. Shep pulled Stace away, but it was too late. Ally jerked again then passed out cold. Blake cursed then moved in and scooped up his fiancée before heading toward the house.
“What?” Stace asked, looking at Shep in confusion. “What happened?”
“You touched her,” Shep said. “Remember I told you, no matter what happened, not to touch her?”
“She was screaming,” Stace all but yelled at him. “What the hell was I supposed to do?”
“You were supposed to listen and let her hold the connection as long as she could,” Shep said, but there was no judgment in his voice.
“I… Damn it!” Stace shook her head. She’d never seen anything like it. Watching Ally had scared the hell out of her while also giving her the first bit of hope she’d had since discovering her sister was missing.
Shep pulled her to his chest and hugged her close. “I know.”
“She’s alive, Shep,” Stace whispered against his shoulder. “Sick but alive.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “When Ally wakes up, she’ll be a little weak, but she tends to recover quickly once she’s awake. She’ll be able to tell us more then.”
“She said cabins.” Stace focused on that for a moment. “Cabins everywhere. I’m drawing a blank. I can’t think of a place like that.”
“We’ll look online at camping sites,” Shep offered, leading the way to the front door. He kept a firm grip on Stace’s hand as they walked. “That many cabins, it has to be a camping ground or some other outdoorsy place that would keep a number of cabins.”
“She’s sick.” Stace shook off the fear that edged in at the way Ally had described the fever. “She has whatever those people have. Twenty-five and some only children. What the hell is my sister caught up in?”
“Don’t panic, but it sounds like she was taken by traffickers. That many people held together. Did they take her to traffic, or because the others were sick and they knew or suspected she was in the medical field? Why was she separated when she got sick?” Shep fired off questions.
“What did Ally mean that he saw her? Was that scream from her or Chloe?” The fear beat with hummingbird wings in her chest. Had that scream been one her sister had given in her last moments?
“Don’t overthink it,” Shep warned. “We’ll get more answers when Ally regains consciousness.”
“Did I hurt her? Am I why she passed out?” The thought that she’d unintentionally hurt Ally didn’t sit well with Stace.
“Any touch while she’s locked in like that is jarring. It breaks the link with a sharp snap instead of letting Ally ease back from it.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. I… She screamed in fear. I couldn’t let her face that alone.”
Shep hugged her tight again. “I know, and Ally will tell you it’s okay.” He stopped outside the door and cupped her face. “Are you okay?”
“Human trafficking. Here. I’ve spent years going to other countries to rescue people. People in the wrong place at the wrong time, but never once did I think that person would be my sister. It didn’t cross my mind that it could happen in my backyard. How stupid is that?”
“Rarely do people think things like that will happen to them. It’s human nature to assume those things happen to other people. I get it. Hell, we did the same thing as you before putting roots down in Legacy. We went into countries where few would venture to help the unlucky ones who did and almost died because of it. The money was good; the adrenaline rush better.”
“Why did you stop?” Stace asked.
“Jack found out he had a daughter,” Shep said, speaking of his boss. The man behind Midnight, Inc. “There were several of us who followed him back and started working in our backyards,” he said, repeating the phrase Stace had used.
They were so much alike. It had to be more than just the circumstance they were in, him helping her find her sister. Perhaps, feelings had developed quicker than they would have otherwise, but she honestly didn’t feel as if it mattered anymore. He was here for her in a way no one else ever had been. Even now, he was pulling her back to him wrapping his arms around her and holding her close as if he needed to touch her even more than she needed to feel his touch.
“We’ll find her, Stace,” Shep whispered against her ear before placing a kiss on the side of her head. “No matter how long it takes, we’ll find your sister.”
And he would. Stace didn’t doubt him for a moment. He was the one who had brought Ally here to help them. He’d had trusted Stace not to judge or sneer at what Ally could do. He had trusted her with something, no someone , important to him. Because she, Stace, was important to him.
“We’ll find her,” she agreed, holding him tight. When they did find Chloe, her recovery would come first. It would have to. Her sister deserved no less from the person who’d failed her too many other times. Stace believed Shep would not only understand but would be around to help, as well. Already, she couldn’t imagine her life without him.