Armoured Attraction. Janie Crouch

needed to get the girl to a hospital. Report this to the authorities. Get the cops or National Guard or Marines or all three to start looking for those other girls.

      “Karine, you were so brave,” she whispered. “I know it is hard, but do you think you could come with me? I can take you to the hospital. Get you the help you need.”

      “I promised other girls I would help them if I lived,” Karine whispered.

      “Yes.” Vanessa nodded. “Absolutely. We will go to the police so they can help find the other girls.”

      Vanessa thought for a moment that Karine might refuse her help, but she finally nodded and got up off the ground, wrapped in Vanessa’s jacket.

      “Okay, I go with you.”

      Karine didn’t seem to have many significant injuries. She was able to walk unassisted from the beach to Vanessa’s car. Dehydration was obviously an issue—she gulped down the contents of the water bottle Vanessa offered in seconds—as was hunger. She made short work of a package of crackers. Vanessa wished she had more to offer. She gave Karine a pair of yoga pants to put on, which were too big for the girl but at least were better than nothing.

      Vanessa took a direct route to the Nags Head Regional Hospital. She’d brought in enough clients over the years that she was pretty well known there. She walked Karine in through the emergency entrance, relieved to see her friend Judy working the desk.

      “Hey, Judy.” Vanessa spoke only loud enough that the other woman could hear her. The last thing Karine needed was the media circus that would come along with anyone finding out she had been part of a probable human-trafficking ring in the area. “I have an assault victim here. Doesn’t speak much English. Probably also suffering from dehydration. She swam a long way to get away from the person or persons who were holding her against her will.”

      Judy shook her head and smiled softly at Karine. “I’m so sorry, honey. We’ll help you.” She turned to Vanessa. “It’s crazy busy in here tonight. Can we put her in temp room one? Just until something else opens up. We won’t do any exams there.”

      Temporary room one was at the front of the trauma unit. They rarely put assault victims there because it was so busy nearby and was only separated by curtains. Judy wouldn’t put them there if she had another choice.

      “Okay, sure. I’ll take Karine in myself.”

      She led the girl into the room and helped her to sit. She seemed to stare blankly out the crack in the curtain.

      Should Vanessa get her some food? She didn’t want to leave Karine alone, but who knew when she’d last had a decent meal? Maybe Judy could get something for them.

      A moment later Karine bounded out of the chair and backed away to the farthest point in the room. Her face was devoid of all color and her eyes were huge.

      “Leave. Leave.” The young woman was shuddering so hard that was all she could get out.

      Vanessa had no idea what was going on. Why was Karine freaking out now when she had been so docile since they’d arrived? Vanessa looked out through the crack in the curtain to where Karine had been looking.

      A uniformed member of the sheriff’s department was talking to Judy at the main desk.

      Had Vanessa misunderstood the whole situation? Was Karine running from the law?

      She turned back to the young woman and found her slipping under the curtains of the room. Vanessa rushed over, stopping her gently.

      “Karine. The policeman out there... Is he looking for you?”

      Karine clutched at Vanessa. “Man. Man on boat.”

      “That man was on the boat?” A sheriff’s deputy?

      “No.” Karine shook her head. “That clothes.”

      Not that particular guy, but someone wearing the same uniform. Dear God. Was Karine telling her that someone from the sheriff’s office was part of a trafficking ring?

      Vanessa stared at her for a few more moments. She had no idea exactly what was going on, but she was willing to give Karine the benefit of the doubt. If Vanessa was wrong, she’d deal with the consequences later.

      “Okay, let’s get you out of here.”

      They slipped under the curtain and were out of the hospital in a matter of minutes. Karine was still shuddering, glancing from side to side frantically, obviously searching for anyone who might be following. Vanessa put an arm around her, tentatively, to guide her through the parking lot to her car. Karine stiffened briefly before leaning into her.

      Vanessa started the car and pulled to the edge of the parking lot. She didn’t know which way to turn. If someone from the sheriff’s office really was in on this, it wouldn’t take long for them to figure out Karine was with her. She couldn’t take Karine to her house. She needed to get her out of the area.

      “Karine.” Vanessa turned to the girl, who was sitting low in her seat so no one could see her. “I’m going to drive you to Norfolk, okay? It’s a city about an hour and a half from here. There are police, FBI, who can help us.”

      “No!” Karine sat straighter in the seat. “I cannot leave. I must stay here to help the other girls. Must find them.”

      “Yes, we’ll get help and then come back here.”

      “No!” Karine repeated, grabbing for the door handle. “I stay here.”

      “No, wait. Don’t get out,” Vanessa said.

      Karine was exhausted, traumatized and injured. Vanessa prayed she had been mistaken about the police uniform. Many of the men in the sheriff’s department Vanessa had known most of her life. She couldn’t imagine they would be involved with the victimization of girls.

      But she wasn’t about to put Karine out on her own, no matter how unlikely the scenario may be.

      “Okay, we’ll stay here in Nags Head,” Vanessa told her, watching her visually relax. “We’ll go to a hotel.”

      Karine nodded and eased lower into her seat.

      If Karine was going to refuse to leave the area, Vanessa was going to need to see about someone coming here to help them. Contacting the local police was out of the question. She needed someone outside that circle, someone in federal law enforcement.

      Liam Goetz.

      He was DEA, which maybe didn’t deal with trafficking directly, but at least she knew he wasn’t local. He’d know how to help or tell her who to contact.

      Of course, she hadn’t talked to Liam in eight years. Didn’t even know if he would be willing to talk to her now. But he was her best chance in this situation. She had to try.

      Vanessa sped to her apartment to get his phone number, which was written on the back of a picture of the two of them. She should’ve thrown it away years ago but hadn’t been able to make herself do it. Now she was glad she hadn’t.

      She grabbed a couple changes of clothes from her room, but nothing to make it look as though she wasn’t there, then ran back out to the car. She had no doubt one of the first places the police would start looking for Karine was at Vanessa’s apartment.

      As she pulled away, she Bluetoothed the number on the back of the picture. She forced herself not to look at the much younger, more innocent version of herself in the photo. That girl was gone forever.

      The phone rang twice before someone answered.

      “DEA call center.”

      “Um, yes, I’m trying to reach an agent. At least he used to be an agent.” Vanessa wasn’t sure exactly what she should say. Maybe Liam didn’t even work for the DEA anymore. “He gave me this number.”

      “Please provide the name of the person you are trying to reach and I’ll direct your call.” The operator was briskly efficient.