One shaky hand lifted. ‘Nicholas,’ her voice wobbled, ‘don’t say that. You don’t mean it.’

‘Actually, Mother, I’ve never meant anything more in my life.’ He turned his back on her and placed his hand on the door, but before opening it, he asked his father if he’d make sure to say goodbye to Rachel before leaving. The only evidence of the hurt he must have been feeling came from his crackling voice. His father assured him he’d be in soon, and then Nick returned to his sister’s side.

And Nina shared what she knew. ‘Tatiana and Warren – her husband – shared a cabin near the Fourth of July Picnic Grounds. It’s where he and I would meet.’ She swallowed, her eyes imploring Alyssa and Cord to believe her. ‘I swear I didn’t know anything about Tatiana and a sex trafficking ring.’ She choked on a sob. ‘Warren told me they were divorcing. I didn’t know…’

The woman’s tears did nothing to move Alyssa, and from the cold expression her husband still wore, neither was he affected. ‘Where exactly is this cabin? I want the address.’

Alyssa didn’t think she could be shocked any further, but she was proven wrong when Nina pulled out her phone and supplied the address.

As soon as they had the location of the cabin, Alyssa and Cord rushed to her Tahoe. She was on the verge of contacting the state police to send a unit out just in case Salazar was there, but before she could, her phone rang. Damn it! ‘What!’ she snapped at the person on the other end before knowing who it was.

‘Uh, Alyssa?’

‘What is it, Joe? We have a lead on Tatiana Salazar.’

‘Oh.’ He sounded surprised. ‘That’s why I was calling. I didn’t know you already knew.’

Now Alyssa was confused. And irritated. ‘Thought I already knew what, Joe? Spit it out. Time’s wasting.’

‘We just got a call from the Greyhound station on 1st Street. Salazar came in to purchase a one-way ticket to Tucson. She’s chopped off and dyed her hair completely gray, but when you wave around the amount of cash she apparently flashed, people pay closer attention. Someone recognized her.’

Once again, Alyssa found herself flipping a U-turn and heading the opposite direction. ‘What time does that bus leave?’

‘Twenty-seven minutes. And Tony and I are already headed that way. If you’re still at UNMH, we’ll make it there before you. Transit officers are aware of the situation, and they’re keeping track of her whereabouts until we arrive.’

‘No sirens. Go in silent. I don’t want her to catch on that we’re aware of her movements. Cord and I will be right behind you. And, Joe? Needless to say, we can’t let her board that bus. We can’t risk putting that many people in danger if she feels cornered.’

‘You got it. See you there.’

Thirteen minutes later, Alyssa and Cord parked the Tahoe in the Alvarado station parking lot, radioed Joe that they were there, and took off at a sprint, noting the long line of buses with even longer queues of people waiting to board.