Unbreakable. Elizabeth Norris

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      Kidnapped. As in abducted.

      He has my full attention now. I can feel my pulse all over my body, even in the tips of my fingers.

      “Everything I’ve uncovered points to a complex organization, one that’s avoided getting caught for a long time,” Barclay continues. “Someone has set up the ultimate human-trafficking ring. They’re going into different universes, kidnapping people, and then selling them into slavery on other earths.”

      “Human trafficking? Like sex slaves?”

      “It’s bigger than that,” Barclay says with a grimace. “Think about the overall picture. Stealing people from other universes, especially universes that don’t have interverse travel capabilities. No one’s going to come looking for them, and they don’t have anywhere to go. No escape.

      “And if there’s no fear of getting caught, someone could turn a huge profit by selling house slaves to the wealthy in every different world. Slaves for cheap labor, slaves that could be soldiers in a war you’re waging, and yes, slaves for sex, too.”

       No one’s going to come looking for them, and they don’t have anywhere to go.

      I can’t help be stuck on that. I see what he’s saying—that makes it the perfect crime—but there’s something in my brain that’s having trouble computing. How selfish and depraved does a person have to be to put something like this together? I wonder if they watch people and pick them out with a purpose, or if they just grab them at random and figure it out later.

      I think of Renee Adams, and I wonder what kind of slave she is right now. The thought makes me want to throw up.

      “So that’s what’s happening here—why we have so many missing people?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.

      “What?” Barclay asks, before he nods and says, “Oh. Yeah. Any world that has low technology capabilities would be a huge target. A world that’s just gone through a disaster or a war, or any kind of devastating event, of course would become a likely target. More people can be abducted in a shorter period of time before authorities catch on.”

      Something in the matter-of-fact way that he says this makes me realize that’s not why he’s here. He doesn’t care about Renee Adams or any of the other hundred thousand missing people we have in San Diego.

      “So why are you here?” I ask.

      “I need to find Ben,” he says. “And you’re the only one who can help me.”

      “I haven’t seen him, Barclay,” I repeat, and I feel my throat tightening and my eyes burning as I have to admit again that he hasn’t come back.

      “I know,” he says. “But you can still help me.”

      “I’m not going to talk him into doing anything dangerous, if that’s what this is about,” I say, although from the look on Barclay’s face, I can tell that’s not it. “Besides, what does Ben have to do with a human-trafficking ring, unless …”

       Unless he’s missing.

      

       can’t bring myself to even voice the possibility.

      Barclay shakes his head. “It’s complicated. Like I said. This is a big case. Missing persons was never even really on my radar—until a few months ago.”

      “And what happened then?”

      “The details aren’t important, but I started looking into a standard missing-persons case as a favor to a friend, only it turned out not to be very standard. It’s big, Tenner. A major interverse trafficking ring.”

      This all makes sense, but … “I still don’t understand what this has to do with Ben.”

      Barclay hesitates. He looks at his hands for a second, and I notice he’s biting the inside of his cheek. I’ve never seen him agitated quite like this.

      “Tell me,” I say, even though I’m afraid to hear it.

      Then he looks up with pity in his face. “Someone with unique abilities—like the ability to open portals and travel universes at will—would have an easier time getting around the strict interverse travel regulations the IA has in place.”

      My mind jumps to the logical conclusion, but it takes my heart a minute to catch up. Because I don’t want to believe that it’s a possibility. “Ben can’t be a suspect. He—”

      “You know what Ben can do,” Barclay says. “He’s the prime suspect.”

      “But he’s home—”

      Barclay shakes his head. “Tenner, Ben hasn’t been in his home world for almost three months.”

      

       can’t breathe. For a minute, I’m not sure what I’m more upset about—the fact that the IA suspects Ben of human trafficking or that he isn’t at home and he hasn’t come back to me. Where else would he be? The whole reason he didn’t stay here was because I told him to go home—to his family.

      “Look, I know Ben isn’t responsible. That’s why I need your help,” Barclay adds.

      That makes me remember what I know of the IA and I realize that if Ben is the prime suspect, they probably have a shoot-on-sight command, and I focus on that.

      “Ben would never do this,” I say. “You know him enough to know that.”

      Barclay nods. “I’ve said as much, but none of my higher-ups will listen.”

      “What do you need from me? To testify or something?” I ask. Character witnesses don’t count for much, but I know Ben. I know him better than anyone else. I know what kind of person he is, the mistakes he’s made, and the things he’s done to make up for them.

      Barclay shakes his head, and something about the look on his face tells me whatever his plan is, it’s bigger, more dangerous, and maybe even less legal than something like testifying. “I need you to help me find him.”

      I almost laugh. “If he’s not at home and he’s not here, I’ve got no other ideas. You have resources I can’t even imagine. How can I possibly help you? Besides, did you look around on your way in? My world is trying to rebuild. I need to be here.”

      He shakes his head. “I’m not on the case anymore.”

      “What do you mean?”

      “Exactly СКАЧАТЬ