Isabel's Run (40 page)
Authors: M. D. Grayson
“What about Isabel?” a congregation member suddenly called out.
Reverend Art looked at the woman. “What about Isabel Delgado?” he said. “What became of the girl who was so horribly abused?”
At that moment, the congregation gasped as Kelli Blair pushed a wheelchair carrying her friend Isabel Delgado from around the curtain behind the lectern. She pushed her to the center of the church, just in front of the altar. Kelli placed her hand on Isabel’s shoulder and then leaned forward and whispered into her ear.
Isabel sat up straight and smiled and waved shyly at her mother, who was seated in the front row of the congregation.
“Despite the horror that this girl had to endure,” Reverend Art said, “Isabel is one of the lucky ones. She fought back. And after a long battle, she’s winning.”
Kelli helped Isabel slowly rise to her feet.
The congregation collectively gasped and then rose to their feet and started clapping. From the second row, Danny Logan reached over and took his partner, Toni Blair’s hand. Both had tears in their eyes. Danny turned to her. “She made it,” he said.
Toni nodded. “Thanks to you,” she said.
Logan pursed his lips and shook his head. “Thanks to Kelli. Thanks to us.” He paused. “Mostly, thanks to God and thanks to Isabel herself. She's a fighter.”
When the congregation calmed, and everyone retook their seats, Reverend Art continued. “God has sent us Isabel to show us the resiliency of the human spirit—,” Reverend Art’s voice boomed, “and the courage of the human heart.” He paused. “And now,” he looked around, “now it’s in your hands. It’s up to you to take up her cause. Take a stand, brothers and sisters! Take a stand for Isabel and for all God’s children just like her.”
* * * *
I’m a storyteller, and I don’t think it’s my job to “preach from the pages.” That said, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have an agenda with
Isabel’s Run
. My goal from the start was to spin a Danny Logan story that was entertaining and, at the same time, would shed light on the national tragedy that is the exploitation—enslavement, really—of underage children in the sex trades right here in this country. The FBI estimates that there are more than 100,000 American children currently being victimized in this horrible manner. Average age when they start: eleven years old. It’s enough to make you cry. In my opinion, not nearly enough is being said or done about it.
In the words of Reverend Art, I urge you to take a stand. Have a look at the website for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at
www.missingkids.com
or the FBI Innocence Lost Task Force website at
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/vc_majorthefts/cac/innocencelost/
.
Isabel’s Run
required a great deal of research and specialized information, which I was fortunate to obtain through the efforts of the following people I’d like to acknowledge:
To Dr. John Kremer, for helping to keep my presentation of medical topics accurate.
To Gabe Robinson, for helping to identify and bring out the real story hidden in the jumble of words that was my original effort.
To Brynn Warriner and Carrie Wicks, for helping me take what I (mistakenly) hoped was a finished manuscript to a manuscript that is now really finished—a humbling but necessary experience. Brynn and Carrie both work in Seattle; they also provided sound advice and assistance on specifics of the novel’s Seattle setting.
To Ellen Johnson, Casey Jacobs, Dennis Doppe, and Jennifer Norton for reading early versions of
Isabel’s Run
and providing valuable feedback.
Finally, as always, to my wife, Michelle, for her constant support in this and all my other endeavors.
Chapter 1 "Cease fire! Cease . . .
Chapter 2 "Jeez–thirty five . . .
Chapter 4 Our staff meeting . . .
Chapter 5 Nancy called Annie . . .
Chapter 8 The next morning . . .
Chapter 9 We were thinking . . .
Chapter 10 With my little . . .
Chapter 11 The girl–whatever . . .
Chapter 15 A few minutes . . .
Chapter 16 "That sucks," Kenny . . .
Chapter 17 I figured that . . .
Chapter 19 Thursday morning means . . .
Chapter 22 She's medium height . . .
Chapter 24 The next morning . . .
Chapter 25 Our rally point . . .
Chapter 27 Nancy and Tyrone . . .
Chapter 29 "Then I yelled . . .
Chapter 30 David drove me . . .
M.D. Grayson is the author of the Danny Logan mystery series including (so far)
Angel Dance
,
No Way to Die
, and now
Isabel’s Run
. He lives on an island near Seattle with his wife Michelle and their three German shepherds.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Mr. Grayson worked in the construction industry, as an accountant for six l-o-n-g weeks (square peg/round hole), and as a piano player on the Las Vegas strip. When he’s not writing, he loves zooming about on two wheels, bicycles and motorcycles alike. In addition, he’s a pilot, a boater, and an accomplished musician—always ready for a jam session!
Connect Online:
Amazon Author Page
Blog:
http://www.mdgrayson.com
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/md_grayson
Facebook:
http://facebook.com/mdgraysonauthorpage
In the Danny Logan series debut, beautiful Seattle business heiress Gina Fiore has vanished without a trace. Desperate for help, her family turns to Danny Logan, Gina’s former boyfriend, to find her and bring her home safely. Logan is a fifth-generation Seattle native who owns Logan Private Investigations. Along with his associates Antoinette “Toni” Blair, Kenny Hale, and Joaquin Kiahtel, he accepts the case and begins the hunt for Gina.
Logan and his team dig for clues and soon find that they’re not the only ones looking for Gina. The Tijuana-Mendez drug cartel is keenly interested in her whereabouts, as is the Calabria crime family from Chicago. The race is on to locate Gina—the stakes could not be higher. In order to prevail, Logan’s going to need all the skill and luck he can gather, and he’s going to need to confront the unresolved feelings he still has for Gina— feelings that might just get him killed!
Why would renowned mathematician Thomas Rasmussen drive to Discovery Park at six-thirty on a dark, rainy morning, put a .357 magnum to his head and pull the trigger? The police say the evidence is conclusive - it was definitely a suicide. But that made no sense to his wife, Katherine. Thomas had everything to live for. So she did what people in Seattle do when they need help on matters such as these. She turned to Danny Logan and Logan Private Investigations for answers.
Logan, along with his associates Antoinette "Toni" Blair, Joaquin "Doc" Kiahtel, and Kenny Hale roll into action, determined to find out what really happened. Did Thomas die by his own hand? Or was he murdered? Either way: why? The answer to these questions would only be found at the end of a trail full of lies, conflicting evidence, and extreme danger. But one thing was certain: alone in a car in a dark parking lot in the rain is No Way to Die
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Isabel's Run
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Copyright © 2012 by M.D. Grayson.
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Cover designed by M.D. Grayson
Cover art:
Copyright © iStockPhoto # 10519930_Woman Walking in Street by Burak Pekakcan
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ISBN-978-0-9849518-3-3 (eBook)
ISBN-978-0-9849518-6-4 (Paperback)