Laura Jo Phillips Read Online Free

packing her food for the trip.  Yes, losing her remaining sons would be difficult, she decided.  But not as difficult as losing her own life would be.  If she was lucky, this trip would be successful.  If she wasn’t lucky, perhaps the lives of her remaining sons would buy her a few more months.
    Feeling better with that optimistic thought, Mara quickly finished her packing, gathered up all of her bags and satchels, and called for a car to drive her to the nearest base.  This was going to be the last trip, she told herself.  This time she would succeed. 
     

 
     
     
    Chapter 3
     
    Summer started to take a deep breath when suddenly Lio stepped around the screen and into the alcove.  Darleen swung the statuette at his head with more force than accuracy, catching him a glancing blow just above his ear.  Lio stumbled sideways, emitting a short “oof” as his hands rose to clap against his head.  Darleen stumbled, and Summer stepped forward, jabbing him with the baton.
    Lio’s “oof” became a hoarse yell and he fell to his knees.  His yell rose when his knees crashed against the hard marble floor, and continued as Summer held the baton against his shoulder. 
    A part of her cringed at the knowledge that she was causing another being so much pain, but the more base, kill or be killed portion of her mind was in control, and it was savagely pleased.  She had seen the multitude of white scars on Darleen’s skin, scars that covered every inch of flesh Summer could see, including the woman’s face.  Skin that was now an artificial, shiny silver, covering a body that was devoid of all hair, and far too thin. 
    Summer saw movement from the corner of her eye and looked up in time to see Darleen preparing to slam the statuette into Lio’s head once more. 
    “No,” she said sharply.
    Darleen hesitated, her wide blue eyes meeting Summer’s in surprise.
    “He has information in that head,” Summer explained.  “I think we should keep him alive long enough to see if we can get some of it.”
    Darleen reluctantly lowered the statuette and gazed thoughtfully at Summer for a long moment.  “What do you intend to do with the information you get from him?” she asked.
    “I will free every woman who has been abducted,” Summer said.  “I don’t know how many there are, or where they are, but I will find them, and I will free them, or account for every one, and I will not stop until I do.”
    Darleen smiled.  “I’ve been imprisoned in this office for a very long time, and I’ve overheard a few tidbits which I will gladly share with you,” she said.  “And, even better, I know how to make this piece of garbage tell you anything and everything you want to know.  But I want something in return.”
    Summer glanced at Lio, who was now sprawled on the floor gasping for air with tears streaming down his face as she continued to hold the baton against him.  She lowered the setting on the baton to three.  She could not risk taking it off of him completely until they restrained him, but she could not continue to hold it at the highest setting, either.
    “What is it that you want?” Summer asked, hoping that the woman didn’t want money, since she didn’t have any.
    “I want to go with you,” Darleen said.  “I want to stay with you until you reach your goal, which is also my goal.  I also want to destroy every single person involved in the slavery ring.  The buyers, the kidnappers, the pick-ups and the trainers, the drivers and the couriers.  Every single person who knows about this and has done nothing to try to stop it.”
    Summer looked into Darleen’s blue eyes and tried to measure the depth of the woman’s anger and pain.  She discovered that they were both too large for her to comprehend.  She herself had been treated quite well compared to what this poor woman had been put through.  She considered Darleen’s offer, asking herself again what her Father would do.
    “It’s a deal, but