And this time, he got a sad emoji and then a thumbs-down.
Anybody have one to share?
One name came back.Nico.
He stared at that name and smiled. So Nico had somebody too, did he? He quickly checked over his notes. Nico was in Richmond. And that sucked. While nothing in Vancouver was far away—Richmond only like ten miles south—but the drive was five times longer. Richmond was out by the airport, and that meant a forty-five-minute drive, dealing with traffic and anything else that might come up on the way over and the way back. The good thing about it was, by the time he got back home with his new friend, the police would still be looking for that missing child in Richmond and not in Vancouver, where he was. But, just in case, he asked,Anyone else?
Nothing.
“Damn,” he said aloud. Okay, Nico it was. He quickly sent Nico a message, asking again if he had anything to share.
Nico came back.Maybe.
Wincing, he replied.Maybe?
For a price.
What the hell is up with that? Since when do we charge?
Since I can’t pay my rent.
Shit. No fucking way he was paying if it wasn’t something worth paying for though. Damn it. This girl’s face popped up in the screen, and he stared. She had to be about four, maybe a little younger. He frowned because he hadn’t heard of any missing little girls of her age and coloring. And he had to wonder how long this little girl had been Nico’s.
He quickly typed in a question.How old?
Five.
Definitely doable. Although Nico normally lied about the age, just to make it hit his age-five-and-up preference range.
How long?He knew that Nico would be staring at that question, trying to figure it out, but they all had codes for answers.
Nico came back.A year.
A year in the system was a long time for a five-year-old. On the other hand, she’d be well adapted to it.How much?
Nico turned cagey.What’s your offer?
He got up and paced his room. Grabbing a cigarette, he lit it. He stormed around and stared at the little girl’s face. It might be easier if he just grabbed somebody himself, but the risk was pretty high, what with China Doll found and Leonard still not located.
He sighed. A girl that had been in the system this long would be used to the process, so much easier to travel with. Only he didn’t have her dark hair or almond-shaped eyes. So, if anybody saw them together, it could get people asking questions. Nico, on the other hand, was a blend of many nationalities, and you couldn’t really tell where he was from or what he was. It was convenient at times but caused him more trouble over white children in his possession.
He thought about her for a long moment.
Then Nico came back.I have others interested too.
He snorted.Sure you do.
The trouble was, he actually could have. At least twelve of them were in their small group, but they had access to much bigger groups too. And he hated that, damn it. He didn’t want to have anything to do with everybody else. He thought about her for a long moment, and, just as he was about to type no, he feared the opportunity would be gone, and he’d still be alone. He frowned and then Nico came back.
Two thousand.
He swore again. He quickly typed an angry response and got an angry response back. They kept at it, badgering the price down, until he got as low as twelve hundred and that was it. Twelve hundred for a five-year-old Asian girl. Shit, shit, shit. He could pick one up off the streets. That would be free. He quickly sent a last message, saying he would think about it, and immediately logged off.
Maybe Nico would get desperate and come back at half the price. Half, he could afford—more than that, not so much. He should have asked what the little girl’s name was. But, with her image in his head, and one saved to his desktop, he put it up on the side while searching further. If the investigation into her disappearance was really hot, it would make his life so much more difficult. He came up with absolutely nothing to connect her to any missing child ring. So she’d been in the ring for a long time. A year was possible but more than that? Usually meant she had probably been sold into it much younger. Nico wouldn’t have known very much of the girl’s history.
Honestly none of them cared.
“Damn, damn, damn,” he whispered. He got up, grabbed his jacket, and, with his lit cigarette, stormed out of the small apartment and headed to his favorite park. He sat on the swing in the children’s playground and just let his mind go back and forth over his options.