Zack (In the Company of Snipers Book 3) by Irish Winters

out and pierced Mei’s heart all over again. Tears sprang to her eyes. She looked to the door. Another mother was out there somewhere looking for her baby girl; only she’d never find her alive.
    Agent Lennox’s brows furrowed. Either he was used to working with bitchy women, or she hadn’t fazed him at all. At any rate, he had the upper hand and she was making a fool of herself. She glanced at the door again. I have to get out of here.
    “I’m sorry, but are you waiting for someone?” he asked. “You keep watching the door like—”
    “No.” She all but growled. “Get on with it. What information do you have?”
    He ran his tongue deliberately over his bottom lip, like he didn’t know if he wanted to continue the conversation. God knew she didn’t.
    “As I mentioned earlier, a couple of the 4 th Street Tigers had this little gal in their possession.” He nodded toward Chai. “Thanks to what you’ve just told us, it seems whoever’s behind it is working a pretty tight area in Anacostia. We’ll start canvassing and asking questions. I’ll tag a few confidential informants. Maybe they’ve heard something.”
    “Child trafficking could be involved,” she blurted out the only lead she had.
    He nodded, a puzzled expression shadowing his face. “Could be. That would explain a lot. Do you have the clothes from the other girls? We might be able to pull evidence from them, and what was the transient’s name? I’d like to talk with him, see if he remembers anything.”
    Mei shivered. He’d reached the extent of her very limited knowledge. Even Claire was watching now. The floor had turned to shifting sand along with her composure. She was going down.
    “The answer to both of your questions is no and no,” she snapped, to disguise her rising panic. “I have no idea which transient found her. How would I know?”
    “Did you ask?”
    Her heart pitched at his probing question. God, yes! I’ve asked everybody, but no one knows where she is. No one will help. Will you? I doubt it. You’re like all the rest.
    “Of course I asked.” She tapped her toe against the polished linoleum floor hoping rudeness might set him back in his place. Those brown eyes of his weren’t honing in on her anymore. He looked annoyed. Certainly not cowed like she wanted.
    “Sounds like we might be able to help each other, Agent Xing.” Agent Lennox turned to his friend even though he’d spoken to her. “What do you think, David? I know the boss wanted us to locate Chai’s family, but it seems there’s a lot more going on. Want to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement? Maybe we can help more than just your little friend.”
    What? Mei’s breath caught. She shot a sideways glance to Agent Tao. Was it even possible these guys would help?
    His eyes rebuked her before he spoke a single word. “Just so you know, Agent Xing. This one has a name. Chai Yenn is a lost and frightened little girl. Right now, she doesn’t know who to trust. She isn’t just the girl .”
    Her hand flew to the back of her neck where muscles wound too tight for too long ached all the way to the soles of her feet. His reprimand was well deserved, but she couldn’t let him see her embarrassment. She’d never meant to imply she didn’t care. Everything out of her mouth had come out wrong since she’d opened Chai’s door. Why did I think I could do this?
    “Can you tell me the names of the others? Do you know?” Agent Tao continued with the same gentle chastisement.
    “The five-year-old is Zhen Ting. The other is a Jane Doe.” Mei stifled her tears. And LiLi is six and it’s cold outside. It’s going to snow, but I don’t know where she is. And she needs her coat!
    “How sad.” He stroked the blanket over the tiny child in his arms.
    That tender movement stabbed Mei. The hole in her heart roared with all she had lost. Little Chai Yenn was safe and warm. Everything in the room reminded her that her daughter was not. Chai’s tiny hand