Page 11 of Ultimate Justice

Seemed like everyone was careful to hide their identities. “What kind of work did John and Margaret make you do in the fields?”

“Picking vegetables. Beets and corn mostly. And they had honeybees.” An impish expression stole over Noah’s face. “One time, Caleb and I snuck into the honey shed and stole some honey. It was really good.”

Marlie smiled, revealing even white teeth.

“I’ll bet it was.” Evan chuckled. “How did you get away from the camp?”

“It was easy.” He grinned, revealing a dimple in his right cheek. “I hid in the back of a truck. There were so many baskets of stuff to hide behind no one saw me.”

“That was really smart of you,” Evan said. “Not many kids would have had the guts to try an escape.”

“Yeah, but Caleb was supposed to come with me. He never showed up.” A shadow crossed Noah’s face. “I got caught later jumping out of the truck. That’s when Frank stuck me with a needle.”

Marlie curled her hand around the bedrail, her knuckles whitening, her face a blank mask.

“Besides you and Caleb, were there any other kids who wanted to leave the camp?” Evan asked.

“Yeah, at least, I think so. When Caleb and I were talking about leaving, some of the other kids were thinking of coming with us. But when it was time to go, Caleb was the only one besides me who tried. I think the others were too scared of getting caught.”

That was one relatively good piece of news. When the time came, hopefully there was already enough doubt in the other kids’ minds that it wouldn’t be too difficult getting them out of there.

Noah’s lids began closing. Evan still had enough outstanding questions to interview him for hours, but he was tiring quickly.

When Noah yawned, Marlie gently tapped his shoulder. “Cover your mouth when you yawn, sweetie.”

Getting more answers was essential, but he had to be careful not to push too hard or get too invasive. The rest would have to wait for their second interview. Still, there was one question that couldn’t wait.

So far, they were looking at runaways, kidnapping, and forced child labor. If the children were being abused, that was a whole different interview. “There’s something else I have to ask you. It may be hard to talk about, but it’s very important that we do, and you shouldn’t be afraid to tell me. Remember what I said. There’s nothing you can say that will get you in trouble. Okay?” He waited for Noah to nod before continuing. “When you were at the camp, did anyone…hurt you?”

“Yeah, Frank did.” Evan’s stomach churned so violently he hoped it didn’t make noise. “When that assho—” Noah lowered his head, then looked sheepishly at Marlie, as if he were more afraid of offending her than anything else. “After I jumped out of the truck, he grabbed me and twisted my arm. He was mad at me because he was in a big hurry to make more pickups.”

Slowly, Evan let out the breath he’d been holding. Not that hurting and drugging a child was okay in any book, but the other possibilities strafing his mind had been worse. So much worse, it never ceased to make him gag every time he’d encountered it.

Marlie covered her mouth with her hand. Her complexion was fair to begin with. Now it verged on the color of milk. Picking up on her distress, Blue pushed his head into her hand, essentially forcing her to pet him.

“When Frank grabbed you, where did this happen?”

“At one of those big places that sells fruits and vegetables outside.”

“A farmers market?” Maybe there were cameras.

“Mmm-hmm. I think so.” Again, he yawned, and this time, he covered his mouth with his hand.

“You said Frank was in a hurry to make more pickups,” Evan said, sensing time was running out before Noah fell asleep. “Pickups of what?”

“More kids.”

He’d been ready to terminate the interview for today, but Noah’s last response raised another issue. If Frank was trying to grab more kids, he needed to find that camp, and he needed to find it fast. Before more kids disappeared. “Do you know why Frank was in such a hurry to get more kids?”

“I think it had something to do with the weather and packing up.” He yawned again, so broadly Evan could see his tonsils.

“Agent McGarry.” Marlie shot him a concerned look. “He’s tired.”

Was packing up a seasonal thing, or was the camp about to pull up stakes? Evan appreciated her protectiveness of the boy, but she had no way of knowing what was at stake here, and this wasn’t just about his sister.

He rested a hand on the kid’s arm. “I can see you’re sleepy. Would it be all right if I talked to you another day?” Noah nodded. “Do you think you’d recognize the farmers market Frank took you to?”

Marlie gave a quick shake of her head, all while pressing her lips together. Apparently, she didn’t like the idea of him taking Noah on a field trip.