possibly could’ve killed her.
“She was on a boat where Viktoria could get to her in minutes if I didn’t show up. Did you hear that part?”
Kelsey crossed her arms. “I don’t think it matters.”
“Kelsey, this is not just about Janie, not anymore. All those children. We need to find out what happens to them. How they find the babies. Who’s behind it all. And we need Viktoria to get to those answers.” He looked as bullheaded as she felt.
“So you’re going to use the baby, just like she did.”
It was a direct hit. She could see it on his face.
Then his expression hardened. “If you want to look at it like that.”
She shook her head. “I’m not going to be a part of that.”
“You don’t have to.” He picked the baby up. “I will.”
Janie smiled, patted his face. “Da.”
His I-mean-business face melted and he blew a sputtery kiss into Janie’s neck, sending her into gales of baby giggles and squirms. “All right, peanut, let’s go see an old friend.”
“Wait.” Kelsey got to her feet, still glowering at him despite wanting to give in when he got all sweet with the baby. “I want to be in the room. Someone needs to watch out for her.”
His jaw tightened, but he didn’t say anything, just held the door open for her to walk through.
She opened the door on the opposite side of the hall. Ethan walked through it with the toddler in his arms. Viktoria had her head on her arms, but when she heard the door she looked up. She got to her feet, trembling.
“Now you’ve seen her.” Ethan backed toward the door.
“Please.” The word was a whisper, but full of need.
Janie heard the familiar voice and whipped her head around, her eyes wide. When she saw Vika, she threw herself forward. Ethan caught her, but not beforeViktoria had taken a quick step toward them, hands outstretched.
With a quick look at Ethan, Viktoria took another step forward and took Janie into her arms. She closed her eyes as Janie smiled and rubbed her face on Vika’s shoulder. Viktoria whispered in a language that Kelsey didn’t understand.
When the woman they suspected of trafficking over one hundred babies finally opened her eyes, they were damp with unshed tears. “She was with me a long while.”
Kelsey stepped forward. “Is she yours?”
Viktoria looked at her in surprise. “No, not mine. I couldn’t adopt her out because she was sick. I tried once, but she cried so hard when we handed her over to the new family that she had one of her attacks. They gave her back immediately, said they weren’t prepared for medical issues.”
“Where is her mother?”
Their witness shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Ethan made a noise beside her and Viktoria looked to him, her survival instinct shining fiercely in her eyes. “I don’t know. She could’ve been sold, but I suspect that she is dead. She knew that her child had not been adopted out and she fought them. I think they knew she would try to escape to get back to Jane.”
“The others?” Kelsey’d had enough of Viktoria having her hands on the baby and reached for Janie, who happily came back to her.
Vika sat heavily in the leather chair. “I only know the part of the business I am responsible for. I get thebabies when they are born and I take them to the couple that is adopting them and get papers signed.”
“Where do the babies come from?” Her voice sliced through the air.
In contrast, Viktoria’s voice was weary. “Their mothers are orphans. Some of them like me, economic orphans. Some are real orphans. All from the streets. The boss brings them over when they get pregnant. See?”
“They are brought here pregnant?” A sick feeling knotted Kelsey’s stomach.
A nod from Viktoria, but she didn’t look up. “He works with the local clinics to find the girls.”
Kelsey looked at Ethan. He motioned her to continue questioning Viktoria. She could see why—she’d had more luck with her in the last ten minutes than he had in two
“She was on a boat where Viktoria could get to her in minutes if I didn’t show up. Did you hear that part?”
Kelsey crossed her arms. “I don’t think it matters.”
“Kelsey, this is not just about Janie, not anymore. All those children. We need to find out what happens to them. How they find the babies. Who’s behind it all. And we need Viktoria to get to those answers.” He looked as bullheaded as she felt.
“So you’re going to use the baby, just like she did.”
It was a direct hit. She could see it on his face.
Then his expression hardened. “If you want to look at it like that.”
She shook her head. “I’m not going to be a part of that.”
“You don’t have to.” He picked the baby up. “I will.”
Janie smiled, patted his face. “Da.”
His I-mean-business face melted and he blew a sputtery kiss into Janie’s neck, sending her into gales of baby giggles and squirms. “All right, peanut, let’s go see an old friend.”
“Wait.” Kelsey got to her feet, still glowering at him despite wanting to give in when he got all sweet with the baby. “I want to be in the room. Someone needs to watch out for her.”
His jaw tightened, but he didn’t say anything, just held the door open for her to walk through.
She opened the door on the opposite side of the hall. Ethan walked through it with the toddler in his arms. Viktoria had her head on her arms, but when she heard the door she looked up. She got to her feet, trembling.
“Now you’ve seen her.” Ethan backed toward the door.
“Please.” The word was a whisper, but full of need.
Janie heard the familiar voice and whipped her head around, her eyes wide. When she saw Vika, she threw herself forward. Ethan caught her, but not beforeViktoria had taken a quick step toward them, hands outstretched.
With a quick look at Ethan, Viktoria took another step forward and took Janie into her arms. She closed her eyes as Janie smiled and rubbed her face on Vika’s shoulder. Viktoria whispered in a language that Kelsey didn’t understand.
When the woman they suspected of trafficking over one hundred babies finally opened her eyes, they were damp with unshed tears. “She was with me a long while.”
Kelsey stepped forward. “Is she yours?”
Viktoria looked at her in surprise. “No, not mine. I couldn’t adopt her out because she was sick. I tried once, but she cried so hard when we handed her over to the new family that she had one of her attacks. They gave her back immediately, said they weren’t prepared for medical issues.”
“Where is her mother?”
Their witness shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Ethan made a noise beside her and Viktoria looked to him, her survival instinct shining fiercely in her eyes. “I don’t know. She could’ve been sold, but I suspect that she is dead. She knew that her child had not been adopted out and she fought them. I think they knew she would try to escape to get back to Jane.”
“The others?” Kelsey’d had enough of Viktoria having her hands on the baby and reached for Janie, who happily came back to her.
Vika sat heavily in the leather chair. “I only know the part of the business I am responsible for. I get thebabies when they are born and I take them to the couple that is adopting them and get papers signed.”
“Where do the babies come from?” Her voice sliced through the air.
In contrast, Viktoria’s voice was weary. “Their mothers are orphans. Some of them like me, economic orphans. Some are real orphans. All from the streets. The boss brings them over when they get pregnant. See?”
“They are brought here pregnant?” A sick feeling knotted Kelsey’s stomach.
A nod from Viktoria, but she didn’t look up. “He works with the local clinics to find the girls.”
Kelsey looked at Ethan. He motioned her to continue questioning Viktoria. She could see why—she’d had more luck with her in the last ten minutes than he had in two
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