Deadly Exchange
NO EASY ESCAPEChased across Amsterdam by a human trafficking ring, social advocate Kayla Brooks refuses to help them recapture Mercy, the young girl she rescued from their clutches. Even if they’ve already abducted her father as a hostage…and wouldn’t hesitate to kill her. There’s only one man Kayla can turn to for help: her ex-fiancé’s brooding older brother, Levi Cummings. Though Kayla relies on the handsome former Army Intelligence Officer’s experience, fully trusting Levi seems impossible after she helped send his brother to jail. But as they struggle to save her father, protect Mercy, and outmaneuver the traffickers, Kayla and Levi’s bond transcends pure survival. Armed with only a few clues about her father’s location, though, Kayla and Levi must bring down the crime ring…or lose all their lives.
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NO EASY ESCAPE
Chased across Amsterdam by a human-trafficking ring, social advocate Kayla Brooks refuses to help them recapture Mercy, the young girl she rescued from their clutches. Even if theyâve already abducted her father as a hostage...and wouldnât hesitate to kill her. Thereâs only one man Kayla can turn to for help: her ex-fiancéâs brooding older brother, Levi Cummings. Though Kayla relies on the handsome former army intelligence officerâs experience, fully trusting Levi seems impossible after she helped send his brother to jail. But as they struggle to save her father, protect Mercy and outmaneuver the traffickers, Kayla and Leviâs bond transcends pure survival. Armed with only a few clues about her fatherâs location, though, Kayla and Levi must bring down the crime ring...or lose all their lives.
âYouâre still shaking,â Levi said.
âIâm freezing.â Kayla nodded. It was more than just the weather, but she could use something to take off the chill.
âWait here.â Levi doubled back and a minute later, he handed her a cup of hot chocolate. She took a sip, burning the tip of her tongue in the process.
âWhat are you thinking?â he asked as they headed toward the tram.
âIâm worried about what weâre supposed to do if we end up finding Mercy. Even if we find her, we canât exchange her.â
She turned to face him, tears pooling in her eyes. She needed to stay strong. Needed to keep her head clear, but all she could see was Mercy and her father lying on that slab in the morgue if they didnât stop these men. And they couldnât let that happen.
âHey.â He tilted up her chin with his hand until she was looking at him. âWeâre going to figure this out. I promise.â
âAnd if we donât?â
He shook his head. âWe have to. Thereâs too much at stake.â
LISA HARRIS is a Christy Award winner and winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel for 2011 from RT Book Reviews. She and her family are missionaries in southern Africa. When sheâs not working, she loves hanging out with her family, cooking different ethnic dishes, photography and heading into the African bush on safari. For more information about her books and life in Africa, visit her website at lisaharriswrites.com.
For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy fatherâs house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
âEsther 4:14
To the men and women across the globe whose fight for justice is changing lives, one at a time.
Contents
Kayla Brooks balanced one foot on the bike pedal and the other on the reddish path then waited for the traffic light to turn green. Getting around a city like Amsterdam, where there were more bikes than people, had initially felt like traversing a minefield. But after living here for two years, the choice to navigate the city like the locals was a no-brainer. Not only was it cheaper than public transportation, it was also faster.
A scooter zipped past her down the winding street as the light turned green. Ignoring her irritation, she started through the intersectionâsupposedly reserved for bicyclesâand picked up her pace while mentally going through her to-do list. With the upcoming annual fund-raising luncheon only two weeks away, her list had grown substantially. Which meant sheâd have to postpone running the bulk of her personal errandsâlike restocking her empty fridgeâat least until the weekend.
The squeal of brakes jerked her out of her thoughts.
Kayla glanced behind her just in time to see a car swerve toward her. It slammed into her back tire, throwing her onto the hard pavement face-first. A sharp pain shot through her elbow as she started to untangle herself from her bike. The car flew past, its driver never looking back.
A shot of adrenaline raced through her as she glanced back at the string of bikes coming toward her. She needed to get off the path before she got run over. A man in a business suit riding a sturdy bike swerved out of the way, just barely avoiding hitting her. He shouted a few choice words as he flew past, chastising her both for being a tourist and for blocking the path.
So much for trying to blend in and look like a local.
Five seconds later, she managed to drag her bike out of the line of traffic to a strip of grass, barely avoiding another near collision with a woman riding with her toddler. She examined the damageâfirst on her body. Besides skinned-up palms and the lingering pain in her arm, nothing seemed broken. As for the bike sheâd affectionately named Archie, the back fender was bent and the tire wouldnât move.
