Chapter 3: The Woman in the Trees
The woman did not run.
She stood at the edge of the trees with one hand wrapped around the small red sneaker and the other hanging loosely at her side.
Nia raised her weapon.
“Ma’am, step into the road slowly.””
The woman obeyed.
One step.
Then another.
Sunlight caught her face.
Black woman. Early forties, maybe. Hair pulled into a loose knot.
Worn denim jacket. Dust on the knees of her jeans.
She looked exhausted.
Not dangerous.
But Nia had learned a long time ago that exhaustion and danger could wear the same face.
“Drop the shoe,” Nia ordered.
The woman looked at it.
Then at Eli.
Her eyes filled with tears.
“No.””
Nia tightened her stance.
“Put it down.””
The woman shook her head.
“I need him to see it.””
Bear moved forward.
Nia immediately blocked him with one arm.
“Stay back.””
Bear's voice was low.
“Who are you?””
The woman stared at him.
“You really don't remember me?””
Bear went still.
Around them, the bikers exchanged uncertain glances.
The children had stopped crying.
Every face was turned toward the woman.
Nia kept her weapon steady.
“What's your name?””
“Lena.””
“Last name?””
Lena swallowed.
“Cole.””
Nia's eyes narrowed.
“Marcus Cole?””
Lena nodded.
“My brother.””
Bear's face hardened.
Nia lowered her weapon slightly but didn't holster it.
“Why are you carrying that shoe?””
Lena looked at Eli.
“Because it was his brother's.””
Eli's face crumpled.
“Jamal?””
“Yes.””
The boy took one step forward.
Bear caught his shoulder.
“No.””
Eli looked up at him.
“But Grandpa—”
“No.””
Lena's voice broke.
“Let him come to me.””
Bear shook his head.
“You don't get to ask me for anything.””
Lena flinched.
Nia noticed it.
There was history here.
Deep history.
She turned to Lena.
“Start talking.””
Lena took a slow breath.
“Three days ago, my brother came to me.””
“Marcus?””
“Yes.””
“What did he want?””
“To make sure I understood something.””
“What?””
“That the children weren't supposed to survive.””
The bikers erupted.
One man stepped forward.
“Then why the hell are they alive?””
Lena looked at him.
“Because someone changed the plan.””
Nia's eyes moved to Eli.
“Who?””
Lena didn't answer.
Bear did.
“My daughter.””
Lena looked at him.
“No.””
Bear's face tightened.
“You just said she changed the plan.””
“I said someone did.””
“You know it was Ava.””
Lena looked away.
Nia caught the exchange.
“Ava was Eli's mother?””
Bear didn't respond.
Lena did.
“Yes.””
Nia slowly lowered her gun.
“Then explain the phone call.””
Lena's eyes filled again.
“I wasn't on the phone.””
“You said 'Officer Brooks' before.””
“I knew you'd answer.””
“How?””
Lena looked toward the police cruiser.
“Because Marcus told me you would.””
Nia felt a chill despite the heat.
“Why me?””
“I don't know.””
“That's not good enough.””
Lena stepped closer.
“Your name was already on the list.””
Bear suddenly grabbed the paper from Nia's hand.
His eyes moved across it.
Then he looked up.
“What list?””
Lena shook her head.
“The children. The adults. The locations.””
Bear stared at her.
“Who made it?””
Lena said nothing.
Nia stepped between them.
“Lena. You're going to tell me everything right now.””
Lena nodded.
But before she could speak, a motorcycle engine roared.
One of the bikers, a woman named Denise, had mounted her bike.
Nia turned sharply.
“Where are you going?””
“Back to the motel.””
“Why?””
Denise stared at Lena.
“She knows where the others are.””
Lena nodded.
“Some of them.””
Denise revved the engine again.
Bear raised his hand.
“Stay.””
Denise reluctantly killed the engine.
Nia looked at the line of motorcycles.
“You've all been hiding these children.””
Bear's face changed.
“We've been protecting them.””
“From whom?””
“From whoever keeps moving them.””
Nia crossed her arms.
“You're telling me someone is kidnapping children, marking addresses on their wrists, and you've decided to handle it yourselves?””
Bear's voice came quietly.
“Yes.””
“That's not how this works.””
“It is when every time we call the police, the children disappear before the paperwork gets filed.””
That stopped her.
Nia glanced toward her cruiser.
“What happened to Jamal?””
Lena answered.
“They took him.””
“When?””
“Tuesday night.””
“Who?””
“Marcus.””
Bear stepped forward.
“You said Marcus took him.””
“I said Marcus was there.””
“That's not the same thing.””
“No.””
Lena looked directly into Bear's eyes.
“Because Marcus wasn't the one giving orders.””
The road suddenly seemed quieter.
Nia lowered her voice.
“Who was?””
Lena's mouth opened.
Then closed.
She looked at the children.
“Not here.””
Nia studied her.
“Why not?””
“Because they are watching.””
Everyone looked around.
Trees.
Cars.
Gas station sign in the distance.
Nothing.
Nia felt exposed all of a sudden.
She looked toward the SUV route Marcus had taken.
“Did Marcus plant the phone?””
Lena shook her head.
“No.””
“Then who did?””
Lena whispered,
“Ava.””
Bear stared at her.
“You're lying.””
Lena's eyes flashed.
“You buried her before you ever checked the basement.””
Bear recoiled.
Nia stepped toward him.
“Basement?””
Bear didn't answer.
Lena did.
“There was someone alive in that house.””
Nia looked from one to the other.
“What house?””
“The firehouse.””
Nia frowned.
“Firehouse?””
Lena corrected herself.
“The house that burned twelve years ago.””
Bear's breathing grew heavier.
“My daughter's house.””
“Yes.””
“You said she died there.””
“I said everyone thought she did.””
Silence.
Eli suddenly whispered,
“Mommy's not dead.””
Every adult turned toward him.
Nia crouched.
“Eli, where is your mommy?””
The boy stared at Lena.
Then at Bear.
“She told me to find Grandpa.””
Bear's eyes closed.
“When?””
“Yesterday.””
Nia's voice softened.
“Where did you see her?””
Eli pointed toward the woods.
“There.””
Lena stepped back.
“No.””
Eli nodded.
“She was in the house.””
Nia's heart hammered.
“What house, Eli?””
The boy pointed toward the same road Marcus had disappeared down.
“The red house.””
Bear went pale.
“That house is gone.””
Eli shook his head.
“No.””
“Eli—”
“I went there.””
Nia's entire body stiffened.
“Who took you?””
Eli looked at Bear.
“Mommy.””
Bear's expression shattered.
Nia stood.
“Lena, you said Ava might be alive.””
“I said someone wanted you to believe she was.””
“That's not what you said.””
Lena stared at her.
“You need to understand something, Officer Brooks.””
She took a trembling step closer.
“Ava disappeared the night of the fire.””
Bear whispered, “I watched her die.””
“No.””
“I carried her out.””
“You carried out someone else's body.””
Bear looked like he'd been punched.
Nia turned toward the tree line.
“Can you take me there?””
Lena hesitated.
“Not alone.””
“Then bring someone.””
Lena looked at Bear.
“No.””
Bear's voice was barely audible.
“Why?””
“Because if you come, she'll run.””
“Who?””
Lena's eyes filled with fear.
“The woman who has been keeping your daughter alive.””
A sound came from behind the motorcycles.
Metal scraping pavement.
Everyone spun.
One of the children's bicycles had fallen over.
But nobody had touched it.
Nia walked toward it.
A folded piece of paper had been tucked beneath the front tire.
She picked it up.
A single sentence was written across the page.
DO NOT TRUST LENA.
Nia looked back.
Lena was gone.
“Where did she go?””
No one answered.
Bear pointed toward the woods.
A flash of denim disappeared between the trees.
“Lena!””
Bear ran.
Nia followed.
Branches whipped across her arms as they plunged into the tree line.
“Stop!”” Nia shouted.
They reached a clearing.
Empty.
Only a narrow trail led deeper into the woods.
Bear crouched beside the dirt.
“She was here.””
Nia looked down.
Fresh footprints.
Two sets.
One belonged to Lena.
The other was much smaller.
A child's.
Nia followed them with her eyes.
They led to an old wooden shed hidden behind the trees.
Its door was slightly open.
Bear reached for the handle.
Nia stopped him.
“Wait.””
She listened.
At first, nothing.
Then—
a soft knocking sound.
Three taps.
Pause.
Three taps.
Pause.
Three taps.
Bear whispered,
“That's our signal.””
Nia looked at him.
“Whose signal?””
“My daughter's.””
They opened the door.
Inside was a chair, an old table, and a child's blanket.
No Lena.
No Ava.
But on the table sat a small cassette recorder.
Nia pressed the button.
Static crackled.
Then a woman's voice filled the shed.
Ava.
“Dad, if you're hearing this, I'm sorry.””
Bear stumbled backward.
Nia stared at the recorder.
Ava continued.
“Eli is not the only child.””
A pause.
“There are seventeen.””
Bear covered his mouth.
“And Officer Brooks…”
Nia's heart stopped.
The recording hissed.
“…you are the only officer they haven't bought.””
The tape clicked.
Then Ava whispered one final sentence.
“Please don't bring Eli to my house.””
The recorder stopped.
Outside, somewhere in the woods, a motorcycle engine started.
Nia rushed out.
Through the trees, she saw Lena climbing onto a black motorcycle.
And sitting behind her was a child Nia had never seen before.
The little girl lifted her head.
Her wrist was covered in fresh black ink.
May you like
And beneath the address were four words:
*NIA KNOWS WHERE WE ARE.*
