Emily Kimelman - Sydney Rye 04 - Strings of Glass by Emily Kimelman Page B

sat
back into my chair and held his gaze. He sat calmly but his eyes made me a
promise I trusted him not to break. “OK,”
I said.
    “Good,”
he sat forward. “Tell me about the children.” 
    Dan
spoke first, “I’m not sure how much you know about Kalpesh Shah and
his,” Dan paused for a moment searching for the right words,
“ways.”
    Agapito
nodded. “I have tried to save those children since I heard of them but
have always failed.”
    “Our
methods probably differ from yours,
Father,” I said.
    “Yes.”
He
looked down at his hands. “Do you plan to kill him,
then?” he said, raising his head, making eye
contact. The man’s brown eyes glowed in the soft light.
    I shook
my head. “No, but I do plan on taking him out of the country against his
will. Do you have a problem with that?”
    The
priest shook his head and then smiled. “There is nothing in the scriptures
that tells us not to move criminals from one jurisdiction to another. Will you
take him to France?” I was surprised by the depth of the man’s knowledge
and it must have showed on my face. “Sydney, you will remember that it was a
Catholic choir the man abused. Before my time, but it is not something we
forget.”
    “So
you will take the children and care for them?”
    “Those
that will come,” Chloe said. “The older ones,” she shook her
head frowning, “you won’t
get near them.” She pursed her lips. “Once they reach a certain age,
they won’t let us help them.”
    “But
you’ll take in anyone who wants to come?” I asked,
leaning forward.
    “I
don’t know how many we can fit,” Chloe said. “And what if you fail?
What if he comes after them? It will put all the children in danger.”
    Agapito
waved his hand. “We will take them and we will protect them. This is a
great opportunity for good.”
    “Except-”
Chloe started, but the priest shook his head.
    “The
Lord has led Sydney and Dan to us so that we may aid them in this most noble of
tasks. Fear will not deter us.”
    Chloe
bit her lip and nodded but I could see she was scared.
    “I’m
glad we are on the same page,” Dan said. He looked over at me. “We
should discuss the size of the donation.” Turning back to the priest he
continued, “What will you need to care for these
children?”
    “How
many do you think he has?” Chloe asked.
    “About
a dozen, we think,” I said.
    “I
know more are arriving tonight,” Agapito said. “And he will be
releasing several.”
    “What?
How do you know that?”
    “I
told you this situation has worried me greatly since I learned of it. So I’ve
made it my business to know what was happening.”
    “You
have a source inside his household?” I asked.
    “Where
my information comes from is not of consequence.”
    Chloe
spoke up. “I can do some math with a couple of different scenarios and get
back to you. When do you
plan on bringing them?”
    “The
night of the Kite Festival,” I said.
    The
priest nodded. “Yes, there will be many distractions.”
    “But
that is only 3 days away,” Chloe said. “That’s not much time.”
    “We
can get you some cash right away,” Dan said. “So that you can buy
beds, clothing, whatever you think you need. Then we can do a larger transfer
once you’ve figured out the long-term costs.”
    Chloe
chewed on her lip some more, but nodded in agreement.
    “What
about the boys being ‘released’ tonight? What
does that even mean?” I asked.
    “He
doesn’t sell them,” Chloe said. “After Shah is done with them he
gives them their freedom.”
    “Freedom?”
Agapito said softly. “Perhaps from his house, but not
his influence. I’ve talked with many of the older boys. Tried to bring them
here,
but am always rebuffed. I will go again tonight though, if I can find
them.”
    “Let
me try,” I said.
    He
cocked his head. “How many languages do you speak?”
    “Only
English, but I have a friend who speaks a few more,” I said,
thinking of Anita. “She will translate