Sage's Story (The Town of Pearl 5)

“I don’t even remember.”

“That was the adrenaline rush. A damn good thing your friends in Pearl trained you.”

“I wish Amanda had been trained as well. I can’t believe someone took her. How are you going to find her?” she asked again. But she knew the answer. She overheard the other detectives talking on the phone at the scene by the dance hall. Women that were taken like this hadn’t been found. Except for one, and she was found dead.

The tears hit her eyes, but she wouldn’t cry. She needed to be strong. She needed her family and her men. She closed her eyes as her cheek throbbed. The men were all going to be angry when they saw how swollen her cheek was, and that her stitches came open and her chin was cut, too. But she was alive. She fought and hadn’t let those men take her.

Just as she felt like exhaustion kicked in and she was dozing off, the car slowed down and the back door opened.

“Jesus, baby.” Matt carefully lifted her out of the car and up into his arms. She could hear the others, but her head was throbbing something terrible.

“She’s a trooper. Fought like hell, too. Her head is throbbing, and the paramedic said a slight concussion,” one of the Rangers told them.

She knew that her family was there. She heard the men and then Lena and Doc.

“Set her down on the table and I’ll take care of her,” Doc said.

* * * *

Virgo stood by the side along with Bryant and Lena. The others walked into the waiting room to talk with the Rangers and get an update about everything that had taken place.

“I’ll need to clean these stitches up. It’s not too bad. Only a few split,” Doc told her as Virgo stared at Sage. He was pissed. So were his brothers, but he had the most patience of them all, and they wanted to get the update on what happened in Dallas and where the Rangers were in their investigation into Amanda. They didn’t want to surround her and get in Doc’s way. They would take care of her and hold her as soon as it was okay to take her home.

“Oh God, Sage. I was so scared,” Lena said as a tear rolled down her cheek.

“I know, Lena, but I fought them off. I have Dalton and Hank to thank.” She scrunched her eyes tight.

Virgo kept quiet. All he kept thinking was that they could have taken Sage. Right now, multiple women were missing. They hurt his woman and if he or his cousins ever got their hands on the men, they would suffer for it.

* * * *

Matt, Quaid, and Dale looked at the video surveillance tape on Wyatt’s iPad before Sage arrived. They were all pissed off, but grateful that she was about to counter the guy’s attack.

Dale’s heart was pounding in his chest as Wyatt spoke to them.

“Her friend Curtis and his buddies got there in the nick of time. She might not have made the fight with three on one,” he said.

“They were smart to get the license plate, too. What do you have on that so far?” Matt asked the Rangers.

“We had a command center set up since yesterday once we confirmed that the five women were taken. So far, the van’s license plate is coming up as nonregistered, which means it’s a fake. But, the surveillance cameras on the end of the street where the convenience store was from dance hall Sage was at caught their faces perfectly. The van, license plate, and partial description of the men also match the surveillance tapes in Turbank, Croton, and Keanter. These are who we’re calling our snatchers and exporters,” the Ranger explained.

“We have a lot of new surveillance cameras set up around Pearl, and especially the women’s shelter. Do you think these guys might come this way?” Dale asked.

“I wouldn’t put it past these men to come looking for Sage. She’s the one that got away. She can identify them. They could have some sort of order form, if it’s a way of smuggling women out of the States to sell to high bidders as sex slaves.”

“Jesus.” Quaid ran his fingers through his hair and looked at the room where they were treating Sage.

“She isn’t leaving our side. Not for a minute,” Dale added, and Quaid agreed.

* * * *

Sage was trying so hard to remain awake. But she was so exhausted. It seemed her adrenaline rush was long gone. She could hear them talking. Muffled sounds. Male voices. In her head she saw her attacker, and the syringe he held in his hand. She jerked, trying to get free, and jumped up.

“Sage.”

The sound of a metal tray hitting the tile floor echoed around her, instantly making her shake with fear. Her eyes popped open, as they darted around the room. She jumped the second she felt Virgo’s arms around her. Then she saw Doc’s shocked expression, as he held her ankle so she wouldn’t fall and Lena with her hand covering her mouth and Bryant’s hand over her belly. She was breathing heavy, processing the fact that she was alive, not in danger and back in Pearl.

“You’re okay,” Bryant whispered.