security on your floor. That should make you feel safer.”
“Are you sure it’s all right to do that?”
He laughed. “Yes. Part of my job is keeping Americans safe. That means you and little Natasha.”
“Technically she won’t be an American until we land in the States.”
“Close enough for me.”
Liz couldn’t believe he’d gone to all this trouble for her. “I really appreciate all of this. You’re amazing.”
“So are you. Now try to get some rest. I’ll be by in the morning to take you to the orphanage. I don’t want you going out alone for the next couple of days.”
She wasn’t sure about resting, but she was more than happy to wait for David. “We’ll be up bright and early.”
Vladimir Kosanisky kicked an empty cardboard box out of his way as he paced the length of the small warehouse.
“She’s only a girl,” he yelled in Russian to the three men standing in front of the worn desk. “Seventeen. Yet, she got away and you’re telling me you can’t find her?”
None of the men spoke. They knew better. Kosanisky glared at them. “Worse, you sent an amateur to collect the baby. What were you thinking? Now the woman is alerted. We don’t know who else she might have told. Do you want the police involved?”
They hung their heads but still didn’t speak.
He understood their silence, but it annoyed him. They annoyed him. “You are all fools.”
He crossed to the men and punched the middle one in the stomach. The man gasped and clutched his gut, but he still didn’t speak.
“We must get the child,” Kosanisky yelled. “Our American contact is expecting her. The baby has been paid for. She matches the physical description of what the couple wants and we don’t have time to get another child.”
He swore long and loudly. Sophia’s escape frustrated him. She’d defied him in too many ways and she would have to be punished. Then he would take her child. But first Sophia had to be found. She knew too much and he had to keep her from talking.
Seven
D awn came early, turning the sky first light gray, then faintly pink and finally a clear blue. Liz watched the changing colors from her chair by the window in her hotel room. She’d done her best to take David’s advice and get some sleep, but she’d been too on edge.
She’d expected to be nervous about being a new mother. While she’d always loved kids, she hadn’t had much contact with babies. After deciding to adopt, she’d read tons of books on baby care, attended a few classes, even the counseling sessions offered by Children’s Connection. She’d done her best to prepare—and still she’d not been sure about handling Natasha on her own.
But she could deal with those insecurities. She knew that in time she would relax into her role and get better at the everyday chores of feeding and changing Natasha. But the thought that someone might be trying to steal her baby was more than she could handle. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair. She wanted all the bad stuff to go away so she could get back to worrying about things like having enough diapers and making changes in the baby formula.
She stood and stretched the kinks out of her back. After checking that Natasha was still asleep in her crib, she walked into the small bathroom and showered quickly.
The baby woke while Liz was still in her robe. She fed her and changed her and then they played peeka-boo until it was time for both of them to get dressed.
“It feels like a pink day for you,” Liz said. From her suitcase she pulled out a pair of pink cotton pants and a matching shirt covered with bunnies. She dug for a pair of darling pink shoes and held them up for the baby’s inspection.
“What do you think?”
Natasha waved her hands and giggled.
“I knew you’d like them,” Liz said with a laugh. “I’m deeply into shoes. I think it’s a girl thing. We’re going to have a good time shopping for them together.”
Assuming they both got out of
“Are you sure it’s all right to do that?”
He laughed. “Yes. Part of my job is keeping Americans safe. That means you and little Natasha.”
“Technically she won’t be an American until we land in the States.”
“Close enough for me.”
Liz couldn’t believe he’d gone to all this trouble for her. “I really appreciate all of this. You’re amazing.”
“So are you. Now try to get some rest. I’ll be by in the morning to take you to the orphanage. I don’t want you going out alone for the next couple of days.”
She wasn’t sure about resting, but she was more than happy to wait for David. “We’ll be up bright and early.”
Vladimir Kosanisky kicked an empty cardboard box out of his way as he paced the length of the small warehouse.
“She’s only a girl,” he yelled in Russian to the three men standing in front of the worn desk. “Seventeen. Yet, she got away and you’re telling me you can’t find her?”
None of the men spoke. They knew better. Kosanisky glared at them. “Worse, you sent an amateur to collect the baby. What were you thinking? Now the woman is alerted. We don’t know who else she might have told. Do you want the police involved?”
They hung their heads but still didn’t speak.
He understood their silence, but it annoyed him. They annoyed him. “You are all fools.”
He crossed to the men and punched the middle one in the stomach. The man gasped and clutched his gut, but he still didn’t speak.
“We must get the child,” Kosanisky yelled. “Our American contact is expecting her. The baby has been paid for. She matches the physical description of what the couple wants and we don’t have time to get another child.”
He swore long and loudly. Sophia’s escape frustrated him. She’d defied him in too many ways and she would have to be punished. Then he would take her child. But first Sophia had to be found. She knew too much and he had to keep her from talking.
Seven
D awn came early, turning the sky first light gray, then faintly pink and finally a clear blue. Liz watched the changing colors from her chair by the window in her hotel room. She’d done her best to take David’s advice and get some sleep, but she’d been too on edge.
She’d expected to be nervous about being a new mother. While she’d always loved kids, she hadn’t had much contact with babies. After deciding to adopt, she’d read tons of books on baby care, attended a few classes, even the counseling sessions offered by Children’s Connection. She’d done her best to prepare—and still she’d not been sure about handling Natasha on her own.
But she could deal with those insecurities. She knew that in time she would relax into her role and get better at the everyday chores of feeding and changing Natasha. But the thought that someone might be trying to steal her baby was more than she could handle. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair. She wanted all the bad stuff to go away so she could get back to worrying about things like having enough diapers and making changes in the baby formula.
She stood and stretched the kinks out of her back. After checking that Natasha was still asleep in her crib, she walked into the small bathroom and showered quickly.
The baby woke while Liz was still in her robe. She fed her and changed her and then they played peeka-boo until it was time for both of them to get dressed.
“It feels like a pink day for you,” Liz said. From her suitcase she pulled out a pair of pink cotton pants and a matching shirt covered with bunnies. She dug for a pair of darling pink shoes and held them up for the baby’s inspection.
“What do you think?”
Natasha waved her hands and giggled.
“I knew you’d like them,” Liz said with a laugh. “I’m deeply into shoes. I think it’s a girl thing. We’re going to have a good time shopping for them together.”
Assuming they both got out of
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