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If the girls are lucky, they’ll find themselves in a group home, but even those are filled mostly with troubled kids. And finding a place that can take both of them—almost impossible. It breaks my heart. That’s why I was fighting with Agent Donnelly about pulling some strings to get them placed together in the foster care system. It isn’t perfect, but it’s better than the alternatives.”
    Lucy was making it up as she went along. She had some familiarity with the juvenile justice system, and some with foster care, but she had no idea what the process was, especially here in San Antonio. But this was a game, a bluff, and she had to get George to turn.
    “Why won’t he? Doesn’t he care about them? They’re just little girls!”
    “Honestly? I don’t think he cares about anything except finding your brother.” That was certainly true. From the beginning of this operation, Donnelly had been focused on Jaime Sanchez. Even before the raid this morning.
    “This is not fair, Agent Kincaid. This is not fair.”
    “I agree. But you heard Agent Donnelly. He wants me off his team. If my boss can’t talk him out of it—well, it’s out of my hands.”
    Ryan said, “Lucy, we’re not backing down off this. Casilla isn’t going to—”
    But Lucy had already given Donnelly the cue to reenter, and Ryan shut his mouth when Donnelly walked in with Officer Wyatt and Bella right behind him. Bella was asking, “Can I bring my doll? She’ll miss me.”
    “No,” Donnelly said gruffly. “Only a change of clothes. And any medicine you need. No personal belongings in detention.”
    Lucy’s heart broke at the tears that filled Bella’s eyes. The girl stared at Donnelly, then looked at her shuffling feet. Did he really have to go this far?
    “Brad,” Lucy said, intentionally using his first name, “you can’t do this.”
    “I can and I will,” he said. “First, I’m writing you up for insubordination and disobeying orders. Casilla won’t pull you, but he’s going to get an earful from me.”
    George pleaded with Donnelly. “ Por favor , don’t do this. Don’t send Isabella to a bad place.”
    A bad place. That was the same phrase that Bella had used in relation to Michael, the boy in the basement.
    Bella leaned into Officer Wyatt, her little body shaking.
    “Her mother has tied my hands,” Donnelly said, focusing on George. “I told her if she cooperates, she can stay here with the girls. I offered probation. I had the AUSA on the phone willing to write it all up. She refused. Now I’m stuck. You think I like being an asshole? It comes with the job when women like your sister care more about themselves than their kids.”
    “I will. I’ll—I’ll help you. But only if you don’t send the girls to a bad place. Please, I beg you.”
    The room was silent.
    George turned to Lucy. “Please, appeal to him. Tell him the girls need to be together, that they need a home. Not a jail.”
    Lucy looked at Donnelly. “Sir?” she said quietly. “Brad? It’s the right thing to do.”
    “What do you know?” Donnelly asked George.
    He shook his head. “I give you nothing until I know that you won’t break your promise. I don’t trust you.”
    “I give you my word.”
    He snorted. “Your word means nothing. You would do this to little girls? Send them to a prison? Make them cry? I want it written. I want it legal.”
    Donnelly appeared to consider the request. Then he swore under his breath and said, “I need to call the AUSA.” He stepped out again.
    Bella looked from Wyatt to Lucy. “Lucy?” she said in a whisper. “Am I being locked up? Did I do something bad?”
    Lucy knelt in front of her. She spoke quietly in Spanish. “No, Bella, you did nothing wrong. You will not be locked up anywhere. Officer Wyatt is going to take you to your room. Pack a suitcase of everything you think you need. Including your doll. Especially your doll. Then pack a suitcase for CeCe.”
    “She doesn’t like me touching