Olivia

My heart is pounding in my chest like a hammer against a nail. I take a deep breath and force myself to focus on what Lukshia is saying.

“Alright, so we move tonight,” her voice carries focused, determined authority as she addresses not just me, but the two other members of the team she’s gathered together. I don’t know either of them personally, but if Lukshia trusts them, then I’m confident that they won’t sell us out or turn on us. “You know the plan; stick to it. In and out in under twenty. We do this silently. They have voice sensors as part of security and if we trip those, it’s game over. So not a word. The mermaids are to be handled with complete care, but since we cannot explain to them that we’re friends, first priority is getting them gagged and immobilized so the sensors aren’t set off. We’ll worry about explaining and soothing once we’re on the road. Blindfolds are also required. In case things go wrong and we have to leave them behind, I don’t want our identities known and being revealed. Johnson, you’re in charge of driving. Be ready to go. Allen, you’re on camera duty. Keep an eye on things from inside the truck. Any concerns?”

Neither of her companions speak. Lukshia nods her head. “Then go, do what you have to do to prepare, meet back here in forty-five minutes and we’ll drive out to the center.”

I watch the two take off, and then find Lukshia right in front of me. “You okay?” she asks. “You look a little pale.”

“Just a little nervous,” I admit, rubbing the side of my neck to work out a stress kink. “You’re sure about all of this?”

Lukshia nods, her features soft, no longer hardened and firm like two minutes ago. She places a hand on my shoulder. “I need you to trust me Olivia; this is what I do after all.”

I sigh and brush a lock of my hair back behind my ear, make a mental note to tie it back. “I know and I’m sorry. I'm just nervous; I’ve never done this sort of thing before.”

“Which is why I need you to trust me. I need you focused,” Lukshia says.

“What do you need me here for again? You never actually said.”

Lukshia smiles. “Well, you have a couple jobs. The first is to do what you do. You're a sea vet, Olivia; we’re stealing mermaids. What better doctor than one who deals directly with the ocean? We’re going to be on the road a while and they may need some attention. I’m also going to need you to be prepped for surgery, which is why I had you bring your equipment.”

“Surgery?” I repeat with a frown.

Lukshia winces and nods. “Yeah, as much I hate to think about it, those girls are incredibly valuable and likely will have tags and other chips inside them. Those will need to come out and you’re the best qualified for it out of all of us.”

I take a deep breath, suddenly dizzy and nauseous. “Lukshia, I don’t know if I am qualified to be digging chips out of them. I-”

“Relax,” Lukshia orders. “You can do this.”

“Okay,” I agree with a deep breath. “Whatever it takes. What’s the other job?”

“You’ll be coming inside with me. It’s the smartest move, I think. The others have more experience, but you know your way around tanks and you know one of the targets. That said; don’t let it get personal. Stay detached and stick with the plan,” Lukshia decides.

I nod. “Alright. And you’re certain about all of this?”

“Olivia,” Lukshia warns. “We’ve talked about trusting me. I need you to relax and put some faith in me if we’re going to pull this off. Now come on, let me show you the base.”

I follow her up into the transport truck that she’s made into our base on the road. I haven’t bothered to ask where it came from, but the seafood delivery logo on the side should make it a little less conspicuous tonight. Inside is set up almost like an army travel base, with four metal cots stacked on part of the one wall in two rows. Beside those, are two lower, wider metal tables that, judging by the boxes of medical equipment belted down underneath them, are likely examination tables. The floor of the front of the trailer is an in-ground metal basin that is about a meter in length away from the wall and stretches the width of the trailer. A makeshift tank. It isn’t overly big to fit both mermaids, but should provide enough room for sleeping at least. The opposite side of the trailer is taken up by a fridge and some crib-rimmed shelves already stocked with cans and packages of food, along with a microwave. The final addition to the rather impressive trailer is a long desk of three computer screens.

Lukshia points to them. “That’s where Allen’s going to be. He’ll be watching all the cameras, let us know about unexpected guard rotations or anything else that might arise. You’ll have an earpiece, but don’t answer him. The voice sensors are only on the tank deck, but I don’t want to attract attention anyways, so complete silence unless absolutely necessary.”

“Okay,” I agree, gazing around the trailer in awe. “How did you manage all of this?”

Lukshia grins. “Giant generator underneath powers the fridge and the computers. The cots and tables weren’t hard. Tank took the most effort and it’ll need to be filled manually, but it should suffice for the trip.” She bends down by the observation table and tugs out a small white briefcase about the size of a large first aid kit or AED. She hands it to me. “Even portable x-ray machines are too large to bring in here, plus the radiation is too risky. But that’s just a scanner. It’ll take more work, but it should have no problem picking up metal or tech inside a body. It’s a high-grade piece of equipment. Can you work it?”

I run a hand over the casing. “Yeah,” I reply. “It shouldn’t be a problem. How do you get your hands on all this stuff?”

Lukshia waves a hand and offers me a wink. “Trade secret.”

“Mhm.”

Lukshia places a hand on my arm. “Okay, so remember the plan,” she tells me. “Everything is going to go fine. We have false ID’s and complete uniforms, even if we run into someone; they’ve no reason to be suspicious. So if we come across a guard, stay calm, let me do the talking, okay?”

“Alright,” I agree, my fingers tightening around the rail of the cleaners cart, already filled with several garbage bags.

“Are you ready?” Lukshia asks as she glances around. We’re standing just outside the employee entrance to the research center.

I inhale deeply, force myself to relax, then I nod my head. “Let’s go.”

Lukshia nods, the curly burgundy wig bobbing slightly on her head. My own hair is tucked up beneath a long brown wig that’s been pulled into a ponytail. I watch Lukshia swipe a key card and punch in the six-digit code. The red light above the door flashes green and the automatic doors slide open. Lukshia takes the lead and I follow in step, pushing the cart. The halls are barren and silent, eerie almost, save for the squeaky noise of the cart’s wheels bumping over the floor tiles.

I studied the blueprint layout of the center while we were on the road, and I know that we are nearing the tank.

I nearly jump from my skin when the earpiece buzzes to life with Allen’s voice. “You are about to enter the dead zone. That one hall with no camera view. Both ends look pretty clear, but be on guard just in case,” he warns. Lukshia doesn’t even twitch as she continues walking, leading us down the empty hall.

Footsteps up ahead cause me to tense up and I nearly stop walking. Lukshia glances back at me and gives me a reassuring look. We have ID cards and everything will blow over fine, I remind myself. That’s the plan.

Except when the owner of the footsteps rounds the corner nearly on top of us, I know that the plan just might crumble and mild disguises aren’t going to be enough.

The young woman pauses, her brown eyes narrowing slightly for a moment, then widening with recognition. I take a moment to look her over; it has been a few months since I saw her last. Her blonde hair is pulled up into a bun, only a few stray curly wisps cupping her face. Dressed in a long white coat, an intern pass clipped to the chest, and both arms holding a heavy looking file box, she stares at me as I stare back. What on earth is she doing here?

Elizabeth breaks the silence first, her whispery voice a mixture of awe and fear. “Aunt Olivia?”

Lukshia purses her lips, but doesn’t speak, clearly waiting to see how this will play out. I don’t answer my niece, still slightly in shock at finding her here. The daughter of my older half-brother, Lucas, she was born when I was mid-way through vet school. She’d always taken an interest in my work, wanting to help in my early years on the job. I knew she’d applied and would be in her fourth year now. She had been talking about her co-op placement, but I never heard where she was placed.

Her eyes shift from me to the cleaners cart, her eyes widening as she takes a slight step back. “You’re here for them.” It’s a statement, not a question. “To free them?”

“Yes,” I reply curtly, my voice colder than I expected it to be. Her involvement with this shocks me and I’m not sure if I should feel disgusted or not.

Elizabeth recoils at my tone and, surprisingly her eyes water and she sinks to her knees as she smothers a sob. “I'm sorry,” she whispers. “I never wanted any part in this. This is my co-op placement and I just wanted to do well, to be like you and I-” she breaks off long enough to shake her head. “I didn’t expect him to be such a monster and afterwards,” she glances up at me. “I couldn’t just walk away and leave them here; I just didn’t know what to do.”

I feel myself relax, my expression softening. “It’s okay, Elizabeth. Come on now get yourself together. Look, I know you and I know that you wouldn’t eagerly be a part of this. I’m not going to ask you to help us; I don’t want you to have any involvement because we’re related. But can you just continue on your way? None of the cameras are actually rolling right now. Feign ignorance?” I practically plead as I help her to her feet and give her back her file box.

Elizabeth nods. “Yeah, I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to get overly emotional; now’s not the time. Look, I never saw you, but I can do more than that. I'm assuming you know about the voice security around the tank, but if you make some noise; loud footsteps or something, it won’t trip the sensors, but it will probably wake them both. Dr. Auldon isn’t someone either of those girl’s want to mess with and they’ll probably come right to you if they think that it’s him,” she advises. “And on your way out, the security guard normally takes a five minute break to go out the back for a smoke in about twenty minutes. Try not to run into him on your way out.”

I nod. “Alright. Thanks. Elizabeth, seriously, lay low for the next couple of weeks, okay?”

“I will. My placement ends next week, so I’ll be sure to go back to the university like normal, but if they’re still with you, can I come down after?”

“We’ll talk,” Lukshia finally speaks up. “Now we have to go. We’re losing time.”

I nod. “Alright, let’s go,” I agree.

“Good luck,” Elizabeth offers. “Tell Katie that I’m sorry for me okay? I’m assuming that’s why you're here, because you know who she really is.”

I nod and make a slight shooing motion with my hand. “Go back to work. Wouldn’t want you to get into trouble.”

She nods and adjusts the file box in her arms before continuing past us down the hall.

“Close call,” I breathe, glad that it was Elizabeth and that she was willing to risk her co-op to help us.

“Mhm,” Lukshia agrees. She continues down the hall and I hurry after her.

“What took so long?” Allen’s voice echoes in my ear. You two were in that hall for an awful long time, did something happen? Are we still okay?”

Lukshia doesn’t respond, but she flashes the nearest camera a thumbs up. Her hacking skills amaze me, but it’s a good thing; while Allen can see everything the cameras do, all the security here will see is pre-recorded regular guard rotations.

As we begin up the winding metal ramp that spirals the giant hourglass tank, Lukshia grabs the front of the cart and helps me haul it up. Keeping Elizabeth’s advice in mind, I make a point to step much louder than normal as we climb to the platform.

When we reach the top, Lukshia puts her finger to her mouth in reminder before beginning to lay out and partially stuff the two empty garbage bags. She’s shoving another towel into one when the earpiece goes off.

“Hey, Lukshia, be ready. Both fish are coming up to you now,” Allen alerts.

Lukshia beckons me to the edge. Kneeling at the edge, Lukshia remains silent and still until the two blurry forms appear within arms’ reach. Then, with reflexes faster than I’d believe possible, she’s lurched forward and is hauling Katie out of the water. I lean forward and manage to get a grip around the younger child’s waist and yank her from the water. Following Lukshia’s lead, I tie a blindfold into place and cut off the little girl’s hiss as I fix a cloth gag into place.

Tying her arms and tail proves a challenge as the child bucks and thrashes on the ground. Lukshia steps in and jerks a thumb back towards Katie in a clear order for me to let her take over instead. I step back and move towards Katie. She jerks in her already tied restraints, terror etched on her features. I smooth down the shortened strands of hair on her head. Then I hoist the bound teen off the ground and nestle her into the towel filled garbage bag. Shoving two more in around her, I draw the bag shut and tie it off, and then I lift it up and gently place it into the cart alongside the one containing the other girl. Tied with purple ribbons so we can easily pick them out among the other bags, the two special ones still won’t attract any attention if we’re checked… If the one would stop squirming. Katie’s bag remains relatively still, only the occasion shift, but the younger girl is still freaking out and thrashing about. I press down on the bag, wishing I could sooth her fears; we need her to be still since moving garbage would certainly look suspicious.

Lukshia surprises me by pulling a large, piece of cardboard from the cart. She lays it over top of the bag hiding the girls and places the rest of the bags on top. It succeeds in disguising any movement from the bags. Taking my spot behind the cart, I begin to push it back down after Lukshia.

As we near the exit, Lukshia’s pace quickens and I can tell that she’s eager to get out of her. I gratefully match her pace. The sooner we’re out of this place, the better I’ll feel.

As we round the final corner, the back door in sight, we run into trouble.

“Guard,” Allen’s voice warns through the earbud just as the back door opens and a guard steps in. His black hair is smoothed with too much gel and a coffee stain is evident on his uniform. His eyes narrow as he sees us and I feel my breath catch, heart drumming in my chest.

“Can I help you ladies?” He demands in a slightly gravelly voice.

Lukshia shrugs. “Nope, just taking the trash out now,” she replies smoothly.

The guard arches a brow. “Takes two of you to do that?”

“No,” Lukshia snorts as though it were obvious. “But the cart has to be stored in the back shed tonight. Cleaning staff tomorrow has to clean it out and restock it. So once we take the trash out, there’s no reason to come back in. We’re clocking out for the night.”

The guard is silent for a moment, clearly mulling her explanation over. He glances up and down our uniforms. Finally, “let me see your I.D.”

I unclip mine from the chest of my shirt while Lukshia removes hers from her chest pocket. Both are offered up to the guard.

After a moment, he grunts in acknowledgement and waves a hand. “Alright, go ahead. You know, sometimes it might be nice to see some action around here. Little too quiet at times,” he complains before walking off down the hall.

You’re going to see some excitement tonight, I think.

“Come on,” Lukshia keeps her voice low. “They have heat sensors in the tank that the guards monitor. It won’t be long before he realizes it’s empty.”

I nod and hurry through the door she holds open for me. The cart’s tires squeak and bounce over the uneven pavement as we flee across the parking lot to the back of the transport trailer. Allen pushes the doors open for us as we arrive. Reaching in, Lukshia grabs the cardboard and hauls it up, one of the top bags tumbling to the ground. I reach in and hoist out the first of the bags, passing it off to Allen.

He’s just taken the second from me when the facility’s alarm sounds. Lukshia’s eyes widen.

“Time to go,” she decides. I bend down to help collapse the cart and she waves a hand. “No time, leave it,” she orders. “Get in.”

I hoist myself up into the trailer and offer her a hand. She takes it and step up into the van.

“Go!” she orders as she pulls the trailer’s door down and shut. Allen bangs on the front wall of the trailer and the engine spurs to life, tires squealing as the transport truck lurches into motion and speeds off.

As it begins to move, I lose my footing and, had Lukshia not fisted her hand in the fabric of my shirt, I would have tumbled down on top of one of the bags.

“You alright?” she asks.

I nod, straighten up, and dust off my pants. “Fine. Thanks.”

I earn a half grin seconds before she tosses me a pocket knife and nods to one of the bags.

“Get to work,” she orders as she bends down and slits open one of the bags with another knife and hoists the younger girl up onto one of the metal tables. The child’s head darts frantically around and she tugs on her restraints. I pull open the other bag and Katie tumbles out of it.

Her tailfin smacks against the floor as she tries to push herself upright without the use of her hands. I gently take Katie’s wrists and slice through the rope, freeing her. Then I scoop her up and set her down on the other table. I run a hand down her cheek and she turns her head. Even blindfolded, I can still feel her gaze; can sense her fear and confusion. “It’s okay,” I whisper to the girl. “You're safe now, I promise. I need you to lie down on your belly, alright?” I push gently on her spine in an attempt to encourage her.

The sleek tail shifts and swipes out over the table as she moves and slowly lowers herself down on the table. I brush the short fronds of her hair away from her neck so I can get a look at the chain around her neck. “I'm going to want to get these off first,” I state, glancing at Lukshia.

She nods. “Good idea, those would be easy to lace with tracers. I have some wire cutters; do you think those will be strong enough?”

“Yeah, those should do the trick; the chain itself isn't that thick.” Before I finish speaking, Lukshia has an arm outstretched to me, wire cutters wrapped in her fingers. I shake my head and accept them. “Do you just have a whole toolbox hidden on your person?”

“No. But it helps to be prepared in this line of work. I had them in case we needed to shut down the power feeds.”

“Good point. Well, thanks.” I turn back to Katie and brush my fingers over the links of the chain, observe it closely. That’s when I notice the weak point in the links. They aren’t actually connected to the clasp, rather held in place by a thicker, tough looking wire. I frown, but position the cutters around it. “Alright sweetheart, stay nice and still for me.”

Katie stiffens beneath me, but she doesn’t move. I let the jaws of the cutter close firmly around the wire. There’s a sharp sparking noise and then a strangled scream, muffled and warped by the gag, escapes Katie’s throat as her body begins to convulse. Startled, I yank the still sparking collar away from her neck. Horror fills me at the bright red, blistering skin of her neck is revealed.

Lukshia snorts in disgust. “Shock collars. I suppose we should have expected that. Is it still live?”

I shake my head, glance at the limp chain on the floor of the trailer. Lukshia bends and picks it up, turning it over in her hands. “It’s actually pretty ingenious. The wire has these little live prongs that press directly against the wearer’s neck, while the thing is coated in rubber. IT would allow them to shock her while she’s underwater without worrying about frying her and the other mermaid.”

“It’s barbaric,” I spit. “How can someone do something like this to children?”

“This is why I’ve wanted to screw with the secret government facilities,” Lukshia responds. “The heartless bastards only do what benefits them without a care about who they hurt in the process. Look, we still have to get the younger one’s collar off. Hand me the cutters, I’ll do it. Meanwhile, you get the burn cream out of the first aid kit because that looks like a nasty electrical burn and we should treat it so it doesn’t leave her with a ringed scar around her neck. That wouldn’t be too pleasant a reminder.”

“Alright,” I agree, passing off the wire cutters. “Go for the clasp. The wire is actually the only connector between the links and the clasp.”

“If you don’t need me,” Allen’s voice startles me. I’d forgotten he was still here. “I’m going to go up front with Johnson and play navigator. Any specific destination?”

“Nope,” Lukshia replies. “Just drive. I want to throw them off the trail for as long as possible before we head back to Florida. And be careful heading up front. The last thing I need is you falling underneath the wheels. Then we have a body to hide and I’m down a partner,” she orders.

Allen nods. “Will do.” Then he turns slips through the door that will take him outside so he can climb to the front of the truck. He pauses and turns to me. “Here, catch,” he says, tossing a small white bottle at me.

I catch it, glance over the burn cream label. “Thanks,” I call as I unscrew the cap and dip two fingers into the gel. I feel Katie tense up as I gently spread the cream over her neck. Seconds later she relaxes and falls limp.

Lukshia comes over and drops both collars into a small trashcan. She takes the burn cream from me silently and moves over to the younger girl. Suzie was her stage name and, while I doubt it’s her real one, it is all I have right now. I bend down to gather some of the equipment I’ll need to begin working.

I start by readying a small I.V. bag of sedatives. Veterinary I.V. tubing isn't much different from regular I.V’s so I'm confident that they’ll be fine to use on the girls. Besides, it’s all I have. I hang the I.V. bag on a hook above the table and prep all the tubing. Then I gently lay a hand on Katie’s shoulder. “Alright, I'm going to need your hand, okay?” I keep my voice soft. Though I know she is certainly not an animal in need of soothing, she has been through quite a lot and isn’t aware of who we are. She doesn’t resist me as I take her arm and prop it on a small folded blanket. “It’s going to sting a bit, but I need you to stay still while I put the I.V. in.” The second I say it, the teen tenses and tries to pull her arm away. I tighten my grip on her wrist and rub my thumb over the bridge of her hand. “No, relax. I promise I’m not going to hurt you, but I need to take some x-rays and do some other work. You don’t want to be awake for any of it. It won’t be comfortable. Come on now, settle down and let me work.” I keep hold of her wrist a moment longer before letting go in order to push the I.V tube into her hand. I tape it down and adjust the drip. Then I leave her for a few minutes so I can get an I.V. into Suzie as well. I won’t put her under yet, I’ll do Katie first, but I’d prefer to at least have everything ready for after.

I’m met right away with resistance. Suzie’s fear and obvious lack of trust means that I can’t get near her without her recoiling, chest heaving as she breathes heavily through her nose. Her head darts around, clearly hating not being able to see, and her tail is bunched up against her.

I lean forward and grab her hand, only to have that sapphire limb lash out and smash into my chest, sending me flying backwards to the ground. I groan and pick myself up, cradling my ribs, which are probably bruised.

“Are you alright?” Lukshia demands.

I wave a hand. “Fine,” I answer through grit teeth. “Occupational hazard. I'm going to try again, but I may need you to hold her down.”

Lukshia nods, her hazel eyes full of concern. “Just say the word.”

I take a deep breath and approach the frightened child once more. “Alright you, you got your hit in and it was a good one. Now I need you to calm down. I’m not going to hurt you; I’m trying to help. Just relax,” I whisper in as soothing a voice as I can manage.

Suzie presses herself further into the wall and snorts, her lip curling around her gag to reveal wicked fangs. A muffled hiss sounds from her throat.

I hesitate in front of the child, not willing to get in range of that tail again. Lukshia, however, needs no prompting as she strides forward and takes a hold of the girl’s arms. Instantly Suzie freaks, thrashing and twisting in Lukshia’s grip, but the woman doesn’t falter as she bear-hugs the girl and keeps the tail still. I ease the frightened child’s hand free from its spot pressed against her stomach, and push the I.V. tube in quickly. “Keep a hold of her,” I request. “I don’t want her trying to pull the tube out so I’m going to tape it and put some medical mitts on her so she can’t use her hands.

Lukshia nods and tightens her grip on the shaking child. The poor girl’s chest is heaving and she’s straining frantically to get away from Lukshia.

I duck down and pull out a pair of medical mitts, thankful that I thought to bring them. Normally they are meant for sea otters and seals, but they’ll still fit and serve the same purpose, so, starting with the I.V. hand, I press each of Suzie’s hands into the mitts and tighten the child lock. Then I tape the tube along the back of the girl’s arm, just in case. When I move away, Lukshia loosens her grip and sets Suzie back down on the table.

The second she’s free, the child scoots back to press herself against the wall again, her tail curling against her chest. She lifts her arm and runs her other hand futilely over the tube a few times before she lets her arm drop. Her shoulders slump forward and her head bows, allowing some of her long brown hair to fall into her face. She looks thoroughly defeated and miserable, and I begin to feel terrible.

It’s Lukshia that steps forward though. I watch my friend lean in and give the child a tight hug, one hand moving to smooth down her hair. “It’s alright honey. I know you’re scared now and that you don’t trust us, but you’ll see. Everything is going to be all right. We aren’t going to hurt you and we aren’t going to let anyone else hurt you either, ever again,” Lukshia says, her voice barely rising above a whisper.

If Suzie heard her, she gives no indication of it and instead squirms until Lukshia reluctantly releases her again and then she immediately returns to her fetal position.

“Just leave her,” I say to my forlorn looking friend. “She’s just scared and stressed right now. She’ll come around when she’s ready. I’m going to get to work now. Maybe you could see if you can get her to eat something. Don’t force her if she doesn’t want it, but it might be a nice distraction for her,” I suggest.

Lukshia smiles and nods. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea, though…” she pauses. “What on earth do you think they can eat? I have a bunch of frozen seafood stored away, but I didn’t even consider what sort of dietary restrictions they might have.”

I take her arm and pull her off to the side. No need to alarm Susie or make her feel like some sort of wild animal that we want to tame. “Look, I imagine that they’re probably fed fish, but I don’t want to just hand her one and leave it at that. You might as well collar her and call her the family pet at that point,” I say

Lukshia nods. “You want to turn this into a trust exercise,” she acknowledges. “I agree; it’s not going so well with that girl. Olivia, she has an animalistic way about her. I think she’s started to believe them that she’s a fish. Which means she’s probably been there a long time. Much longer than Katie.”

“That’s weird,” I say. “I agree with you, but why is that the case? Why wait so long to turn another girl and get an exhibit going?”

“I have no idea,” Lukshia admits. “But let’s not worry about it right this second. Let’s focus on that trust exercise. What did you have in mind?”

“Feed her,” I reply with a shrug. “Food can have a powerful effect on mentality, especially in a case like this. If she sees you as a food source, as something good and necessary, then-”

“Then she’ll be more likely to trust us more quickly,” Lukshia finishes. “Alright.”

“Just cut up a fish into tiny pieces. That or blend it. Mix it with something, shrimp or clams, seaweed even, and feed it to her with a spoon. Don’t let her do it, not right now anyways.” I sigh and run a hand through my frizzing hair. “I use this sort of exercise on touchy sea lions,” I state. “The fact that I'm now suggesting we use it on a young girl… the fact that it’s probably necessary, that that’s how frayed her mentality is… it’s awful.”

Lukshia nods in agreement. “Yeah, it is. But we’re going to fix it. We’re going to get them to safety. Once we’re back at the marine park, you can remove their blindfolds and draw that conditioning out of them. You’re going to reunite a teenager with her mother, and they’re going to find this girl’s family too. And if they can’t be found… at least you’re sending her somewhere where she’ll be loved, right? Let’s just focus on the task at hand for now. You need to get those x-rays and remove microchips if necessary.”

“Alright,” I agree, steeling my emotions. “You’re right. Let’s get to work.”