Chapter 21
TINLEY
The world disappeared. Sounds muted. I detected a shift as the man approached me.
He was one of them. The one who hurt me second to least. In my journal, I referred to him as Mr. Family Man.
He was super nice to me and seemed truly concerned about my well-being.
And genuinely remorseful when he forced me. But seemed to get over it quickly.
“Candy.” He looked around the store and stepped closer. “I thought I’d never see you again.” He reached for me. I snatched my arm back. “Wow.” He looked me up and down. “You look beautiful.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
Not a scream, not a whimper, not a sound.
I stepped around him, but he turned to block me.
I pushed through his outstretched arms and ended up outside.
I made it a few steps before I realized it was cold.
Where were my hat and gloves? I rubbed my arms and continued to walk faster.
I shuffled down the street. I made it to the next block. A shiver ran through me.
“Candy, please wait.” His voice made my stomach turn. He called out again. “Stop.” But in a whisper.
At the corner, I stopped. He caught up with me and put an arm around my shoulders. I tried to shrug it off, but he held on tight. “Please come back to the store. You’re going to catch a cold.”
“No.” I didn’t recognize my voice, but I was happy I had found it. “Get away—”
I didn’t have a chance to finish my sentence before a figure leaped in between us and tackled me to the ground. We rolled away from Mr. Family Man. It took me a second to realize it was Rayna.
He bent down and reached for us.
“No, stay away.” Rayna pointed at him. “You can’t take my bestie.
” She kicked her feet, and her head flew back and bumped me in the nose.
I grabbed my face. He had a hand on Rayna.
That wasn’t going to happen. I slapped at his arm, but I was too late.
He was being dragged away from behind. One second, he was coming after us; the next, he was face down in the middle of the sidewalk.
A guy in black held him to the ground and was securing his arms. Another guy had a gun pointed at his head.
“Oh, thank goodness.” Rayna collapsed against me.
“Are you okay?” I hugged her to me.
“I should be asking you the same.” She cradled her arm. “You’re bleeding.”
I touched my nose and winced. “You head-butted me.” I giggled.
“I’m sorry.” She stood and pulled me up next to her with her good hand. “If he was going to take you, he had to take me, too.”
Tears sprang to my eyes.
“Was he one of the guys who…” She frowned.
I nodded.
“Oh, Tinley.” She hugged me to her.
Yelling and cars and sirens surrounded us, but I held tight to Rayna. When footsteps approached, Rayna went into defense mode again. She really was a ninja.
“Oh, no.” She groaned.
I looked up. Josh and Kyler were sprinting toward us. “We’re never going to be allowed to go out alone ever again.”
“You are probably right.” I giggled.
They both skidded to a stop in front of us.
“Tinley. Oh my God, what happened? Are you okay? Did that man hurt you?” Josh took a handkerchief out of his pocket and held it to my nose as he hugged me. His rapid-fire questions made me dizzy.
“Josh.” My voice muffled. I couldn’t breathe. I pushed his hand.
Police cars with flashing lights came from nowhere and stopped in front of us. The cops jumped out and took over securing Mr. Family Man.
I pushed Josh again.
“What’s wrong?” He let go of me.
“I can’t breathe.” I took the handkerchief and held it myself but snuggled up close to him.
A coat was draped over my shoulders. Rayna spoke a mile a minute, but I couldn’t understand. I want to get out of here. Leave and go back to my safe space with Josh.
“Sweet T.”
I lifted my head.
“Tell me what happened.” He cradled the back of my head.
“He was one of the guys I was with in Turkey, I think.” I peeked over.
“Stay with me.” He held me tightly.
“I guess he recognized me, and I don’t know what happened.” I shivered. “I just had to get away.”
Josh stiffened and I could see the anger waft off him. He pulled away, but I gripped his coat and practically crawled inside it. I didn’t want him to leave me. Tears fell down my cheeks. “I didn’t want him to take me away, so I ran.”
“Oh, baby.” Josh placed my head on his chest and held me while I quietly sobbed.
The chaos around us grew more intense. I wiped my face and looked around.
The chaos had moved closer to us. Mr. Family Man was crying and pleading that he did nothing wrong.
The bodyguards were talking to the police.
Rayna was yapping and gesturing like a crazy person. Kyler tried to calm her.
“Ma’am.” The police officer approached Josh and me. “Can you tell me what happened?”
I looked at Josh.
“The gentleman said he knew you and was just saying hello when this woman” —he gestured toward Rayna— “attacked you both.” He read from a notepad.
“No,” I yelled. I had found my voice. “She didn’t attack us. She was trying to save me.”
“From what?” The cop looked around. “He said he was just trying to say hello.”
Josh stepped in front of me. “There is a lot going on here you don’t know about.”
“Listen, the girls are okay. He’s not going to press charges.” The cop flipped through the book. “Why don’t you all just go your separate ways and enjoy your day.”
Both Kyler and Josh stepped forward and the cop looked up and stepped back.
Two men in dark suits appeared next to us as if dropped out of the air with their badges out.
“Excuse me.” One of the guys bent down to read the cop’s name tag. “Officer Martin. We will take over from here.”
“This isn’t a matter for the FBI. I think we can handle it.” Officer Martin crossed his arms over his chest and turned to his partner. “Warren. Please take Ms.” —he looked at his notes— “Rayna Smith into custody and we will straighten all of this out down at the precinct.”
Rayna gasped.
Kyler growled and stepped in front of her. Josh stepped toward the cop. A phone rang and the FBI agent pulled it out of his pocket.
“Yes, sir.” He handed the phone to Officer Martin. “It’s for you.”
“Who is it?”
“The police commissioner.” The FBI agent shook the phone.
Officer Martin scoffed but took the phone. “Hello.”
It was silent on the street for a minute.
“Uhm, yes, sir.” Officer Martin stepped away.
“Mr. Grant.” He held out his hand. “I’m Special Agent Daniels. This is Special Agent Jensen.”
Kyler shook their hands.
“Which one of you is Tinley?” they asked.
I held my hand up.
“You must be Josh Burroughs.”
Josh nodded and shook the other agent’s hand.
“Don’t worry, Miss Smith.” Agent Daniels guided us down the street a little farther. “No one is going to haul you off to jail.”
An ambulance and a dark sedan pulled up at the corner at the same time. They parked at an angle and blocked a lane of traffic. Agent Stanley stepped out and adjusted his hat.
“Agent Stanley,” Rayna called out and smiled.
“Oh, wow.” He was taller than he appeared on the computer screen. “He does exist in real life.” I squeezed Josh’s arm.
“Hello, everyone.” He nodded at each of us with his hand firmly in his pockets. “I hear there was some commotion on the streets of New York and figured it was a fifty-fifty chance Rayna Smith had something to do with it.”
“Agent Stanley.” She giggled. “I was just protecting my new friend.”
“Tinley. It’s so good to meet you in person.”
“I thought you were only the man on the computer screen.” I held out my hand and he shook it.
“We are going to straighten all of this out, but, Tinley, I was hoping you could help me out.” He tilted his head and smiled.
“I can try.”
Josh’s hand slid down and took mine and squeezed.
“Tell me, where do you know Mr. Crawford over there from?” He pointed to Mr. Family Man.
I looked around and the crowd around me stepped back. Josh stayed next to me.
“He was one of the men who” —I hesitated on the word— “bought me for three weeks.”
“Do you know which country you were in when you met him?” He tilted his head the other way like he was encouraging me.
“Somewhere in Turkey.”
“Good girl.” His smile broadened and then he turned toward the other agents. The three of them walked over to Mr. Crawford. His pasty pale skin had turned beet red. He had been explaining himself to an officer but closed his mouth when Agent Stanley stepped in front of him.
“Mr. Crawford.” Agent Stanley pulled out his phone. He took a photo of Mr. Crawford and then typed something while he spoke. “We are taking you into FBI custody in relation to criminal activity that occurred in Istanbul, Turkey, on or around June 2024.”
“What are you talking about?” Mr. Crawford stammered. “I-I’ve never been to—”
“Please.” Agent Stanley held up his hand.
“Let’s not start this conversation off with a lie.
Mr. Gregory Crawford of Morristown, New Jersey.
Wife’s name is Carolyn, daughter, Kimberly, fourteen and son, Gregory Jr, sixteen.
Maybe I should ask them about your travel schedule in June.
Every year for the last seven, if my quick research is accurate. ”
“I don’t have anything to say to you.” He stepped back into Kyler’s security guards.
“We’re going to the FBI office a few blocks down the road.” He pointed. “And talk about your trips to Istanbul.”
“I want a lawyer,” Mr. Crawford yelled.
“Well, sure.” Agent Stanley smirked. “Go ahead and call him.” A crowd had formed. A few had cell phones out and were recording. “You might want to call your wife, too.”
“Leave my wife out of this.”
“Sure, I just think it would be a sad thing to have your little girl find out her father is a sexual predator on Tikky Tok.” Agent Stanley took out his phone.
“Sexual pre—” Mr. Crawford turned toward me. “Because I fucked some whore on vacation?”
“Hey,” Rayna yelled.
I gasped.
Josh leaped for Mr. Crawford, but Kyler held him back. Agent Stanley pushed him toward his car, and the other agents put him inside.
“Asshole,” Rayna whispered. We both looked at Kyler. It was the one time he didn’t correct her for using bad language.
Kyler whispered something to Josh and his face softened. He walked back to me and I hugged him around the waist.
“Tinley.” Agent Stanley returned. “I can hold on to Mr. Crawford for forty-eight hours, but not any longer unless you are able to tell me what he did to you. You understand?”
“Yes.”
“Now there’s no rush.” Agent Stanley’s voice softened. “We are still going at your pace. If you’re ready to talk, we are ready to listen, but no pressure, okay?”
He turned to Kyler. “I’ll let you know what we find out.” He stepped toward his car.
“No, wait.” I let go of Josh. “He’s been to Turkey seven times?”
“Yes. Flies in and stays at a hotel for a couple of days and then he’s kind of off the grid for two weeks and then back to the hotel for another night before flying home.” Agent Stanley nodded. “Same routine.”
“We were in a small house, in the countryside near Istanbul.” I touched my head. We drove to Turkey, and I saw the sign when we went through a small border station. My head kept knocking against the side of the van on the bumpy streets. “I want to talk to you about it. About all of it.”
“Tinley.” Agent Stanley smiled. “You are a brave young lady. The two of you get checked out by the paramedics and then you and I can go have a conversation.”
“I’m ready,” I said.
“Let’s let them take a look first, just to be sure.” Josh was at my side. “I can’t believe he put his hands on you.”
“He didn’t hurt me.” I touched my nose. “This was from when Rayna tackled me.”
We all turned to Rayna.
“I know. I know. It wasn’t very ninja-like, but it was effective.” Rayna giggled but stopped when she met Kyler’s death stare. “I think I need a paramedic.”