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Brenda looked at the two others and then back at Charlize. “I feel as though you’ve gotten a real look at the place in your time here so far. We’ve granted you access and information that no one outside of the three of us really gets. I’m worried that perhaps you’ve seen or heard things that might give you pause. Some of our funding comes from... well, to be frank, traditionally frowned upon practices. We've had to do some unconventional things to ensure we have the capital required to truly help people in need."
Charlize only nodded, wanting them to incriminate themselves as much as possible and afraid if she spoke she might derail them.
Brenda went on. “The time you spent with Rose yesterday, maybe she said something to you that would raise alarms too. I don’t think she was in the right state of mind yesterday. We just want to make sure if you have concerns...”
The three board members exchanged nervous glances; their anxiety palpable. Brenda leaned in. "Charlize, we’re a very tight circle here. We’ve been reluctant to invite anyone into it for a long time. We recognize that you bring a skillset we need. But if you think you’ll have trouble reconciling your feelings with some of the less conventional strategies of our organization, I completely understand.”
Charlize let out a boisterous laugh, though her internal turmoil was anything but amusing.
“If you all could see how other nonprofits and corporations I’ve worked for operate, you would not feel the need to have this conversation. My role here isn’t to judge what you do or how you do it, it’s to get you the money to keep doing it. Yes, I’ve peeked behind the curtains and maybe some of the math didn’t add up perfectly but I don’t need it to. And truly Rose spoke highly of you all. She had nothing but praises all around. What gave you the impression it was anything but that?”
“She looked upset when I came back in. I thought maybe she’d gotten your ear and was complaining about something she didn’t agree with or was frustrated with. I was reluctant to bring her in to talk with you and I should have trusted my gut.” Brenda shook her head, still scolding herself for the misstep.
“She was lovely and complimentary.” Charlize tried to keep her expression neutral.
“It doesn’t matter now,” Brenda said with a huff. “We’ve dealt with Rose.”
Before Charlize could inquire further, they pushed the conversation forward.
Fiona cleared her throat and took a small step forward. “Charlize, are you comfortable securing more funding, regardless of some decisions we’ve had to make to keep things afloat in the past? We want you to know that the more profitable we become, the more compensated you will be. Our victories are your financial gains.”
Charlize was ready to play ball. "I like the sound of that. Let me put you at ease. I’ve been in this position for many years. This is how business has to work. That’s the way of the world. A bit of ill-gotten gain in the name of helping people isn't enough to scare me off."
She maintained her composure on the surface, but beneath it all, her thoughts were consumed by Rose. The board members appeared to suspect that Rose might have divulged the charity's dark secrets, possibly leading to dire consequences. Even if she was saying otherwise now, it might be too late for Rose.
Relief seemed to fill the three board members as terror consumed her. They all parted ways with jovial smiles and a promise to have lunch later that day. Charlize left the meeting fighting the shake that was roiling through her body. She had to hear from Mick. She had to know if Rose was okay.
CHAPTER 25
MICK
He silenced his cell phone and reluctantly ignored the text messages coming in from Charlize.
Mick kept his hood up, obscuring his face as he sat in the nondescript fast-food restaurant, anxiously spotting and avoiding the surveillance cameras. He had a plan, one that needed to go off without a hitch. A few tables away from him, Nathaniel, Rose’s son, sat in a back booth. Harry had gone into the restroom as part of the orchestrated plan.
Leaning in close, Mick whispered to Nathaniel, "Remember, stay in plain view of those cameras. Look up at them a couple of times. This is really important." The boy nodded, wide-eyed and trembling. He clutched the small backpack that contained the few belongings he had with him.
Mick hated to be part of the source of this boy’s fear. This was probably so confusing to the kid. But they were running out of time and this was the best Mick could come up with.
Before Harry reappeared from the bathroom, Mick swiftly rose from his seat, making his way over to Nathaniel, who looked up at him with a mask of worry etched onto his face. He knew what had to happen next.
"Come with me, Nathaniel," Mick said, using a firm but gentle tone. He extended a hand, which the boy hesitantly took. He tugged him along a little roughly, but only for show. Mick worried that someone might stop them. Might take notice of what was going on. But people had their faces buried in either their cheeseburgers or their cell phones. Some both. Together, they exited the restaurant, Mick leading Nathaniel through a maze of alleyways and hidden corners. He couldn't afford to be seen, not with the task he was about to carry out.
About five minutes later, Harry met them in a car parked in a very narrow, deserted alley, his expression one of exhaustion.
“I’m calling now,” he explained, gesturing for Nathaniel to stay silent. He picked up his phone and dialed his boss's number, speaking in a hurried and anxious voice.
"Boss, something's gone wrong. I stopped to use the head and took the kid in to the burger place. I figured he’d just sit there for a minute. When I came out he was gone. I asked a couple people and they said some guy came and snatched him. It's like he disappeared into thin air. I looked everywhere. Should I call the police?"
There was a pause on the other end of the line before the boss's stern voice came through, "No. You can’t call the cops. We don’t need that kind of heat on us. Instead, get the video footage from that restaurant. By any means necessary. Lie, threaten, bribe, do whatever it takes to get them to hand it over."
Harry hesitated for a moment, glancing at Nathaniel, who was now safely hidden in the backseat of the car. Mick could feel the growing tension crushing them all. Mick was silently willing him with his eyes to keep his voice level and cool.
"Okay, boss. I'll get the footage. But what do we do next?"
The boss's voice was chillingly calm as he replied, "Maybe that stranger just solved our problem for us. Nathaniel was going to be sold off or adopted out to someone else since Rose won't be around much longer. Whatever happens to him is not our problem now. Bring me that video footage, and meet me at the basement of the building on Lancaster Avenue."
“Lancaster?” Harry asked, furrowing his brows and shooting Mick a look. “Why there?”
