After landing at the airport, Eric and Greg had gone to get their rentals while Les, Joe, and Asher offloaded the jet. Eric explained because of all the equipment he went with two vehicles, both of which could be towed behind the RVs. Asher hadn't complained, the less Joe was around Mina the better. He told her to stay on board until he came to get her, she was currently still sitting at the table, drawing quietly.
Leaving Les to look after Joe, Asher stepped away and called Lexi. "What have you got?"
"Well, she can come live with me if she wants 'cause honestly, this girl's life makes mine look like a walk in a candy store."
"Tell me." Asher frowned. Lexi had been severely psychologically abused by her mother and grandmother, resulting in a host of phobias and an astounding case of OCD, so for her to say Mina could live with her was setting a precedent he wasn't sure he wanted to hear.
"She was born Constance Hackle in 1990, in a small town in Alabama. Her birth parents were very, very religious, like super fundamentalist Christians of the worst kind. She was homeschooled until the age of twelve when Child Protective Services stepped after her first suicide attempt -"
"First? How many were there?" Asher interrupted, his eyes sweeping toward the plane as fear settled into his stomach.
"Three, one at twelve, she got her period and her father accused her of having sex because she got it so young and beat her. She ran away and was found barely alive in a pile of her vomit two days later after she swallowed a bottle of her mother's aspirin. Her next attempt was at thirteen, almost fourteen when she jumped off a bridge. She claimed she was dared to do it but wouldn't say who dared her and later admitted to a nurse who was berating her about how she could've died that that was the point, then retracted it and went back to the dared story when CPS was brought back in. But her parents were in the room and refused to leave when they tried to talk to her."
"She slit her wrists at fifteen in a creek, was found by a couple of boys who were fishing, followed the blood upstream, and found her. She was hospitalized on a seventy-two-hour hold and told the doctor there that her father would handcuff her to the radiator for the duration of her period and beat her when she would inevitably soil herself, then make her clean it up and scrub the floor with a toothbrush. She was then removed from their home and placed with a distant cousin in New York who came forward and offered to take her in. After that, her life was much better until she met her husband."
"Her parents?"
"Arrested and spent some time in prison, the mother was released after serving three years and her father was released after serving six. Both are currently alive and living in her hometown."
"Send me their address."
"Coming at you." Lexi paused. "I know it's not your thing, but give her a hug for me." She disconnected and Asher stood there for a long minute staring at the plane. Well, that explained her response to the bracelet.
Eric and Greg returned with the cars, Asher watched them load up as he thought about all the potential options and outcomes. Making up his mind he went over and helped pack things away, then pulled Les to one side.
"Have you talked to Draco yet?"
"I've got a call in, waiting for him to call me back. Why?"
"I need you to be very persistent and persuasive. Lowball him, but I want the result to be that she isn't turned over to him."
"Do I want to know what Lex told you?" Les raised an eyebrow.
"Let me put it this way, when I tell you, you'll want to join me on my next job for free." He turned and took the stairs into the plane two at a time.
Mina was still sitting at the table sketching. She looked up and then focused back on her drawing. He debated bringing up what he had just learned and decided not to. "Time to go." He looked down at what she was drawing and saw she had started to draw Greg. "You can finish your drawing in the RV."
"Can I know the plan?" She began putting away her art supplies.
"Go pick up the RVs, find a campground for the next three nights, get set up, get some food and some sleep. Tomorrow, Greg will do some reconnaissance. Wednesday, Greg, and Eric will go knock on the door and do the PI thing and then we'll see if I'm making you scream or if we're finished."
Mina nodded and stood up. "I'm ready." Asher hesitated then put his finger under her chin and lifted it so she was looking at him.
"No promises so don't get your hopes up, but I do have Les working on getting you out of this. It's not that we want to pass you over, but we have a contract."
"Yep. It's business. I understand." She held his gaze and he realized all the fight had gone out of her and there was just an odd resignation to her now. He nodded and led her off the plane and to the SUV.