Bound by the Red Thread

2

Nicole left Trident’s offices feeling more confident than she had in weeks. Ian had promised her they would do everything in their power to help her, and she believed him.

She let herself into the

small apartment she’d rented in a little town close to Tampa. She’d moved out of the house she and Jin had shared. She couldn’t handle going there and being alone every night. When Clifton returned home, so would she.

As she’d given Brody every detail she knew about Jin Peng and his father Huang, she realized how little she actually knew about the man she’d been married to for the last few years. She knew even less about his family. Brody had promised to contact her in a few days. Now, all she could do was wait.

Two days later and Nicole still hadn’t heard anything from Trident. She was beginning to wonder if anyone would be able to help get her son back.

At first, Jin had let Clifton talk with her, and they’d talked several times a week. For the last couple of months, though, the calls had been dwindling down. It had now been five months since Nicole had seen Clifton, and she was afraid Jin was turning him against her.

The last few of conversations Clifton had made had sounded different. In the beginning, he’d been excited to talk to her and tell her everything that’d happened, but lately their talks had been shorter, and Clifton hadn’t been as animated. It felt like he was being forced to call her against his will.

She spent hours staring at the phone and willing it to ring. She was scared to lie down or shower for fear she would miss a call from him. It was driving her crazy.

Nicole knew she had to do something, or she was going to go out of her mind. Against her better judgment, she dialed the number she had for her ex-husband.

“What,” he answered the phone as if she had dared to interrupt whatever he was doing.

“Hi to you too. You know it wouldn’t hurt you to be at least civil to me.” Nicole knew she was being petty, but it still hurt.

With a sigh, Jin softened the tone of his voice. “What can I do for you, Nicole?”

“How is Clifton? He hardly ever calls me and when he does, he seldom says very much. Is he happy? Really happy?”

“The boy is fine. He’s busy with his studies and making new friends. There are several children his age here at the compound. He’s fine. He misses you and doesn’t understand why you can’t be with us. I’ve explained it to him the best that I can.”

She could hear him talking to someone in the background and waited for him to return to their conversation. “Nicole, I know you are hurting, and I understand you miss the boy, but, at this time, this is the best thing for him. You’ll understand one day. I must go now; my father is unwell, and my presence is needed by his side. Goodbye.” He hung up the phone and was gone.

Nicole stared at her phone a minute before grabbing her purse and slipping her feet into some sandals. She had to get out of the tiny apartment. She felt stifled. She jumped into her car not sure where she was going until she found herself parking at a large outdoor mall..

After a couple of hours of wandering aimlessly she went home. Just as she was sitting down for a late lunch, the phone rang.

“Hello,” she answered the unidentified number.

“Miss Swafford?” a deep voice asked.

“Yes?” Nicole answered hesitantly.

“Brody Evans here from Trident Security. I have some information for you. I was wondering if you would be free tomorrow around ten to come to our office?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll be there.”

Brody thanked her, and the call was disconnected.

He hadn’t told her anything other than she needed to come to the office. She wondered if it was good news or bad.

Nicole was a bundle of nerves. After tossing and turning all night, she was up early for her meeting. The drive to the Trident compound didn’t take as long as she expected, and she was early again. She felt uncomfortable sitting in her car with the security guards watching, so she arrived in the office close to half an hour early.

This time Nicole had come prepared to wait and had stuck a book in her purse. It was a new release by her favorite author, Kristen Anders, and would keep her distracted while she until her appointment time.

The manager’s desk was empty, and Nicole took a seat in the entry, not sure what to do.

She’d been sitting a few minutes when Colleen Helm came out of one of the offices. “Oh. I’m sorry no one was available to greet you, Ms. Swafford. I’m sure Mr. Evans and Mr. Sawyer will be with you shortly. Would you like something to drink?”

“A bottle of water would be nice, thank you.” Nicole wasn’t going to make that mistake again, and she had her book.