There was a chance the DEA would catch Daniel Henson with his pants around his ankles and bust the entire operation. But that was Akins’s business.

“There’s one more thing,” Skye said to the sheriff. “There’s a young woman. Her name was Sarah. A witness came forward who says Sarah was murdered when they caught her trying to escape. The witness gave us the location where the body is buried.”

Callie made a sound in her throat. Skye had told her about Sarah and that Molly had witnessed the murder, but the pain was still fresh.

“What’s the woman’s last name?” Akins asked.

“She was married to one of Henson’s men,” Skye said. “A man named Webb Rankin. She used his last name. That’s all we know.”

The sheriff’s blue eyes narrowed. “I want to speak to the witness.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Edge said. “The woman escaped the compound. She’s no longer in the area.”

Akins fell silent. Edge could almost see his mind working.

“I only have five deputies for the entire county. That’s not enough to tackle this thing head-on. Not if what you’re telling me is the truth.”

“It’s the truth, all right. Henson’s got a small army out there. The longer you wait, the better the chance he’ll get away. By now he could be on his way to Mexico.”

“The DEA is due to arrive in the next several hours. Until then, there’s nothing I can do.”

Edge didn’t argue because the sheriff was right. Even if Akins deputized the three of them, they wouldn’t have enough manpower to go against Henson’s soldiers. Not without casualties, some of which were bound to be women.

Morning couldn’t come soon enough for Edge.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

IT TOOK THREE HOURS FOR THE DEA TO SET UP OPERATIONS FOR A raid on the Children of the Sun. Skye, Edge, Trace, and Callie had given their statements and answered questions at least a dozen times. They were free to go, but they all refused to leave.

“My best friend is in that compound,” Callie had said. “Until I know Lila is safe, I’m not going anywhere. I promised I’d find a way to help her and the others. I have to make sure they’re okay.”

Skye understood. She felt much the same way. In truth, she was beginning to see her half-sister in a whole new light. Callie had made some mistakes, but she was strong, determined, and loyal. And she was brave in the face of danger. They were qualities Skye admired.

Since the DEA had arrived early that morning, they had been going over their strategies and plans. Supervisory Special Agent Derrick Cross was running the show, a lean, broad-shouldered man with neatly trimmed brown hair, a cookie-cutter version of a federal agent, who, for the most part, seemed to know what he was doing.

Edge had given Agent Cross access to the drone footage revealing the laboratory inside the third metal building. In exchange, no charges would be filed against the three people who had illegally entered the compound to rescue an alleged kidnap victim.