Read Exposed - A Thriller Novella (Chandler Series) by J.A. Konrath & Ann Voss Peterson for Free Online Page A

it
easy. Julianne’s grabbing and thrashing made keeping my own fear in
check more challenging.
    When panicked, a drowning swimmer can pull
down anyone attempting a rescue. If this kept up, I would have to
dive deep, forcing her to choose between holding onto me or
self-preservation. Once she let go, I would be able to secure her
with a cross chest carry.
    I preferred it wouldn’t go that far. I’d
drowned once before and didn’t care to risk repeating the
experience.
    “Julianne, I have you. It’s all right.” I
looked straight into her panicked blue eyes and kept repeating the
words. Finally she focused, and I seemed to break through.
    I caught sight of a seat cushion carried on
the waves, too far away to justify the effort to fetch it. Instead
I placed Julianne’s hands on my shoulders, so I could perform a
tired swimmer’s assist.
    “Lean back and float.”
    Miraculously she did as I said, her legs
coming up on either side of me. Moving my arms and legs in a
modified breast stroke, I pushed us both toward shore.
    When I finally touched sand, my muscles were
so fried I wasn’t sure I could walk. We emerged from the water and
limped up on a strip of land flanked by a crowded, summertime beach
and a waterside restaurant, its parking lot nearly empty in the
hours between lunch and dinner.
    Julianne leaned against me, her steps uneven
as we wound through swimmers and sunbathers scattered along the
beach’s edge. People eyed her dripping clothes, but no one spoke or
tried to help.
    Overhead, the helicopter hovered high in the
sky, its blades still beating staccato. No doubt the pilot had seen
us come out of the water. Hawk Nose and whatever men he had left
would be descending on the beach soon. We needed to be gone when
they arrived.
    I dipped a hand in the purse still slung
diagonally across my chest and brought out my phone.
    After locating a sign proclaiming the beach’s
rules, I texted the name to the number Jacob had given me.
    I sure as hell hoped Morrissey was close. If
he didn’t arrive soon, we’d have to make a run for it and hope
there was a train station nearby. At least I had the cash Jacob had
stashed in the purse.
    “You … threw me out of a helicopter,”
Julianne said. Her tone was belligerent.
    “It was the only way.”
    “I’m sure there were other ways. There had to
be other ways.”
    “There weren’t.”
    “You’re crazy.” She yanked her arm away and
stumbled on her own for a few steps.
    I caught up, grabbing the crook of her
arm.
    “I’m here to help you.”
    “Get the hell away from me.”
    “Those men weren’t working for a modeling
agency, Julianne,” I said. “You were right to be afraid of
them.”
    “You threw me out of a helicopter, you crazy
bitch.”
    Standing there with her hands fisted by her
side, she reminded me of how young she actually was. And how
stupid. But I couldn’t be too angry. After all, as many mistakes as
she’d made, I was still about half a dozen up at her age.
    “Those men are human traffickers, Julianne.
Ever hear of sexual slavery?”
    She shook her head.
    “They sell girls. They were planning to sell
you.”
    “What?”
    “You think normal modeling agents carry guns
around? They’re going to sell you to some rich asshole overseas,
where you’ll be raped and killed.”
    Her eyes went out of focus. She stammered
something I couldn’t decipher.
    “What are you on?” I asked, squinting into
her eyes. “What did they give you?”
    “Leave me alone.”
    Her pupils looked normal. From the slightly
slurred speech, and the lack of coordination, I guessed it was
something in the diazepam family, Valium, maybe Xanax.
    “Julianne, you have to listen to me and do
whatever I say. We’re not safe here.”
    “If you don’t leave me alone, I’m gonna start
screaming.”
    I saw her take a deep breath. Screaming would
draw attention, which would draw Hawk Nose.
    I raised my hand and slapped her, hard, wet
palm against wet cheek.
    Her eyes went