barely more than a baby. How could this happen? She stole a look at Tommy.
His eyes flashed with rage. “Mr. Niran… can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.” Niran’s eyes were teary.
“Where were the police?” Tommy clenched his jaw. “If we could see those girls so easily, why couldn’t they? Someone in authority should be rescuing these kids.”
Annalee agreed, of course. They all did. Ending the problem of sex trafficking in Phuket seemed simple enough. Arrest the guys with the children, lock them up and throw away the key. That would stop traffickers from thinking they could steal boys and girls and sell them on Bangla Road.
Niran shook his head. “They are smart, these men.” He looked disgusted. “They say they are Grandpa or Uncle. The kids usually agree.”
“Why?” The question was out before Annalee could stop herself. “Don’t they want to be rescued?”
“It’s complicated.” Niran crossed his arms. “Traffickers confuse the brains of these children. They threaten to kill their parents or families. It’s very precise how they treat their victims, like a science. Captors know how to keep their slaves.”
“Of course, it’s not just here.” Annalee’s father looked at each of them. “The United States has the same thing. Even Indianapolis. It’s just harder to see.”
Niran nodded. “I’m afraid so.” He looked toward the front door of the safe house. “We cannot help every child. But today, we thank God for saving that little one.”
Yes, Annalee thought. She closed her eyes for a few seconds. Lord, restore this child of Yours. Give her new life here. And help Niran and his wife save more boys and girls.
And suddenly she had a glimpse of the future. She could see herself working with rescued girls, giving them a safe place to live and heal, saving them from their wretched existence. Right in her own city.
In the vision she didn’t see only herself working with broken children. She saw someone else. But his face wasn’t that of a stranger. It was the face of the only boy she had ever loved.
Tommy Baxter.
3
Basketball practice let out early that September afternoon, and Tommy was thankful. He had agreed to take Annalee to a doctor’s appointment, a checkup. Just to see why she was still tired. Everyone figured she had mononucleosis. Something she might have gotten when they were traveling, and the virus was still lingering.
Her parents were out of town so today it would be just the two of them.
Routine, he told himself. No big deal.
They were a month into their senior year at Northside and all of life lay stretched ahead of them. Today wasn’t going to change that. She’d get the official diagnosis for mono, follow the doctor’s orders and get better. After talking to God about Annalee, Tommy had a sense everything would be okay. Annalee wasn’t dealing with anything serious.
She couldn’t be.
He took another five three-point shots and swished them all. His routine to end every practice.
Across the court Coach Anders entered the gym from the locker room and walked toward him. “Got another call from a scout. University of Michigan.” Coach was a veteran. He’d worked at Northside for nearly two decades. “You telling your parents about these offers?”
Tommy smiled. “They know.” Not for a minute did he want to play college basketball. He’d made that decision a year ago. He wasn’t tall enough for the NBA and college hoops would take too much time. He didn’t need the scholarship. His grades would take care of that.
Coach had a basketball under his arm. “We’re talking full ride. Division I programs.”
“No thanks.” Tommy led the way to the locker room. “Someone else out there wants it more than me. You know that.”
“True.” Coach Anders shook his head. “I’ll never understand you, Baxter.”
That was okay. Lately, even Tommy’s parents struggled to understand him. “You could at least try a season of college ball,” his dad had said to him a few days ago. Tommy listened, patient. But his decision never wavered.
He bid goodbye to his coach. Then he showered, grabbed his backpack and walked across campus toward the library. Annalee would be waiting for him there.
He saw her before she saw him. Did she look thinner? More frail? She wore a white button-up sweater and her shoulders looked practically bony. Weight loss was a symptom of mono. She should’ve gone to the doctor before this. But what if…
No. Annalee was fine. Her weight loss was just a part of the virus. Or maybe she hadn’t lost weight. Maybe it was