"I don't really think I'd call this a date. My name is Colby," he said, extending his hand. "I just moved into town. I don't really know anyone here in Kensington, and I've been kind of lonely. I'm just looking for someone to hang out with, and people around these parts aren't too friendly...or sober," he said, trying to make her laugh.

"Oh. Well come in and we can get started," Maggie said mechanically.

Colby walked over to the sofa and sat. Then he reached into the backpack he'd brought with him and pulled out a thermos of coffee and two paper cups. Maggie sat next to him and watched him intently. She was trying to figure out what kinky thing he was into. Did he want her to pretend to be a waitress? Maybe he wanted her to pretend she was working as a barista.

Colby looked over at Maggie. "Cream and sugar?"

"Yeah, that'd be great. Um, you do know if you drug me or anything, my pimp will find out. I have other johns coming in this afternoon. I mean, you do know I'm a sure thing. You don't have to drug me," Maggie offered, getting a little worried.

Colby laughed. "I'm not going to drug you. Watch."

Colby took a big gulp of coffee from each of the cups. Satisfied that the coffee was harmless, Maggie picked up one of the cups and sipped on it.

"So, what would you like me to do for you?" she asked.

"I want you to talk to me. That's all," he stated.

"OK," she said, drawing the word out. "Well, let's see. You know what I do for a living. So why don't you tell me what you do?" Maggie asked, searching for conversation.

"I work with kids," Colby said bluntly.

"What kind of work with kids?" Maggie asked. She had been with many men who supposedly "helped kids."

"Kids that end up on the streets. Doing things they don't want to do." He paused, letting his message sink in. Less than thirty seconds later, he saw that Maggie finally grasped what he was saying.

"Oh, you mean underage kids. Runaways?" she asked.

"Yeah, runaways. Kids like you. I want to help," Colby explained.

"Well, first, I'm not a kid. I'm eighteen years old. And second, there are certain people who will kill you if they find out you're trying to mess with their business," Maggie stated with as much confidence as possible.

"OK, well where I come from, we call those people maggots. The thing about maggots is that when you drench them with hot water and bleach, they die," he said with a smile.

Maggie looked him up and down. "This is a dangerous game you're playing. If my pimp found out that you're telling me these things, he would probably kill you himself. The people you're fighting aren't the type to let anyone take anything from them. I don't know who you are or where you came from, but my advice is to get the hell out of this place," Maggie warned.

"I'm not trying to get anyone hurt, I'm-" Colby started to explain.

Maggie didn't give him a chance to finish. "Like I said, you should just get out of here before it's too late. Otherwise, you're just going to hurt people," she barked.

Colby was shocked. He figured Maggie was in her late teens, and he was pleasantly surprised by her view of the world around her-and even more by her concern for his safety. He was a complete stranger to her. "You're right, Maggie. Thanks for the tip," he said with sincerity.

Maggie's nerves got the better of her, and Colby watched as she fumbled toward the door on her high heels. Colby stayed planted on the sofa. "I paid for an hour, and I'm not leaving until the hour is up," he told her.

"Fine. Then we can sit here and not talk to each other. If you want sex, just tell me what you're looking for. Otherwise, I got nothing more to say," Maggie insisted.

"I think you have a lot to say, Maggie. I've seen you going to the library, caring for that little boy, giving dollar bills to some of the homeless people when you think no one is watching. A person in your profession doesn't do that stuff if she chose this life. You didn't choose this life. Did you?" Colby persisted.

"What's your point?" Maggie asked, remembering the final warning Rock gave her.

"My point is that you and I could work together. Maybe we could help each other and at the same time get some of these young kids off the street," he pleaded.

"No. No way. There is nothing I have that you need," she said dismissively.

"I don't believe you. I think you have more to offer than you're willing to admit. Look, I've taken a big risk coming here and talking to you. I've watched you over the last six months to be certain you were the right person. You don't use drugs; you don't drink; I know you work at a go-go bar and entertain johns at this apartment and another apartment four blocks from here. You meet a little girl every day before she goes to school, and she clearly adores you, just like the young boy who lives with you. I can help," Colby said, trying to get through to her.

Maggie sat with her hands in her lap. She refused to speak. Forty minutes later, after sitting in silence, Colby grabbed his things and walked toward the door. "My hour is up. I hope you'll think about the things I've told you. I'll see you again," he said.

When Colby left and closed the door, Maggie remained on the sofa, her hands trembling in her lap. She was confused by all of the things Colby had told her. What if he was working for Rock? Was she being tested?

There was no doubt she wanted to help other kids. She'd wished a million times over that she could rescue all of them from the life they'd been given. Then she thought, there is no way I can take a chance and betray Rock. He'd kill me and everyone I know, for sure. But Maggie couldn't help but fantasize about helping some of the younger kids on the street. She thought about the twelve- and thirteen-year-old girls who were hooking because they had no other way to live or they'd been taken from their families, just as she had been.

Her mind whirled. There is no way I can take a chance and betray Rock again. Is there?

Chapter Ninety-Seven.

Before Armando picked Maggie up to take her to Doubles, she rushed back home to tell Juju and Seth all about Colby.

She repeated everything he'd said to her.

"So, what do you think?" Maggie asked them.

"What if he works for Rock?" Seth asked first.

"Yeah, Seth's right. He could be setting you up. You know he'll fuckin' kill you if he finds out that you're giving out any information about him," Juju confirmed.

"I know. I thought of that, too. There's just something about this guy that seems legit, though. If he is for real, we might be able to help a lot of kids-our friends on the streets," Maggie said.

"Aggie, I think we gotta know more about this guy. What's his name again?" Seth asked.

"Colby," Maggie reiterated.

"Yeah, we gotta find out more about this Colby guy," Seth repeated and turned to Juju to back him up.

Juju rubbed her temple. "Well, I think we should see if he comes back to meet you again. If he's for real, then the next time you see him, we'll have questions for him. Oh, I know! Tell him you wanna see his ID. Ask him who he's ever helped. Tell him you wanna look shit up in the newspaper, and he's gotta tell you on the spot. He can't come back a week later, after he had time to research stuff."

"That's a good idea, Juju. If he really does help kids, he should be able to name at least one that he saved," Maggie said thoughtfully. "You're a lot smarter than you look," she teased her friend.

"Yeah, well, you smell a lot worse than I thought you would," Juju poked back.

Seth stood by and laughed at both of them.

"I don't know what you're laughing about, Seth. Your breath smells like shit," Juju added.

Seth had thrived after moving away from Thelma and into the loving care of the two teen girls. He had turned eleven and entered the fifth grade. Seth had become an avid reader, and as a result, he had accelerated in his schoolwork. He was five feet tall, about seven inches taller than most of the boys in his class. Shedding his tiny stature had helped him to claim a place among his peers. He was a very good-looking kid. Many of the girls his age had secret crushes on him, but he was devoted to Joey; the two were inseparable. Joey's light-green eyes shimmered with adoration for her "boyfriend," Seth; and he'd sworn his loyalty to her. When Joey showed up at school with a swollen and blackened eye after Christmas break, Seth rushed to her side.

"What happened to you?" Seth asked with despair in his voice.

"That bitch, Thelma, walloped me 'cause I complained that I didn't get any Christmas presents. Doesn't matter, though, 'cause I slipped some extra cocaine into her beer, and she dropped off to sleep like a load of shit. Then I raided the refrigerator and watched Christmas movies all day," Joey explained.

"We need to get ya outta there, Joey. Aggie got me away from her and Rock," he said with determination.

"How come you call her Aggie and not Maggie?" Joey wondered aloud.

"Don't know. I guess it's just what I always called her. She's my Aggie. 'Cause when I was little I couldn't say Maggie, and then I just never stopped calling her that. Anyways, I think we should talk to Aggie and see if she can help you too. You know, just like she helped me," Seth offered.

"I don't know, Seth. You know what an asshole Rock can be. It ain't like he's gonna like me leavin'. I keep Thelma busy so she stays outta his hair. That's what I heard him tell one of the jerk-offs that works for him," Joey explained.

It didn't matter what Joey said. Seth decided that when he got home that afternoon, he was going to talk to Maggie and Juju.

"But Aggie," Seth shot back after explaining he wanted Joey to live with them. "How can you say no? Maybe if you ask Rock, he would let her," he whined.

"It's not that easy, Seth. Rock doesn't do things just to be nice. I'd need something to bargain with, and right now I don't have anything he needs."

Maggie peered at Juju, who was listening intently. "Juju knows how Rock is. Tell him."

"Maggie's right, Seth. Rock doesn't do anything that isn't good for him. When it comes to Thelma, he won't do a thing that would piss her off. In a couple more years, when Joey is a little older, Thelma will want a younger kid anyway," Juju stated with certainty.

"Well, I think you're both being jerks. We have to do something to help Joey. Remember how mean Thelma was to me? Remember all the bad things she did to me?" Seth pleaded.

"Yeah, we remember. But Thelma did things that were way worse to you-" Maggie began to explain.

"Well, if you won't ask Rock to let her live with us, then I'll ask him myself," Seth said, pouting.

"No. You won't ask Rock anything. Do you hear me?" Maggie yelled.

It was the first time Maggie had ever raised her voice at Seth. Her instincts to protect him went into overdrive. She was pacing the studio apartment, her fingers roughly combing her hair back. Maggie's reaction made Seth nervous, and he went to her.

"OK, I won't talk to Rock. But you have to promise we'll try to do something to help Joey," Seth said in a small voice.

Maggie took Seth into her arms. "I promise that if there is a way to help her, we will."

This made Maggie think about Colby's offer. It was time to find out who Colby was and what motivated him. Aside from potentially being one of Rock's employees, he could be some kind of pedophile. If he checked out, though, they all might have the opportunity for a better life. Maggie picked up her coat and walked to the door.

Chapter Ninety-Eight.

When Lorraine and Rob Clarke weren't working, they dedicated their time to helping missing children and their families. They had teamed up with Crista, who was a source of hope for them, and had set out to help others. The Clarkes and Crista met with children who had been found or returned to their parents. Not all of them had horror stories. Some had been taken by a parent during a custody battle. Others had been stolen and kept in captivity but had not experienced unwanted sex or violence. The children who had been abused were the hardest to help. They were also the children who needed the most help.

One morning at two o'clock, the phone rang.

"Hello?" Rob rasped.

"Rob. It's Rae Harker. The Whitpain police just found a missing girl. They haven't verified her identity yet, but she told them that she was taken five years ago," the detective said. "We need your help. They want you to go in and see what she'll tell you. They found her in the basement of an abandoned house in Norristown. No one else was there at the time, so they don't have any suspects. We need to find out what she knows. There could be others," he said.

"Holy shit!" Rob blurted. "OK, we'll get dressed and head over to see her."

Lorraine was already pulling on her jeans.

"I'll call Julie to come over and stay with Keith," Lorraine said.

When the Clarkes arrived at the hospital, Detective Harker was standing outside the girl's room with a uniformed police officer.

"Thanks for coming. I know this is outside of our normal procedure, but I wanted the two of you to talk with her as soon as possible," Harker explained.

Inside the room, every light had been turned on, even the bathroom light. Rob cast a glance at Rae Harker, who whispered, "She feels better with the lights on. I'm assuming, since they found her in a dark basement, that she's afraid of the dark."

Lorraine rushed over to the girl's bedside. "Hi, sweetheart. My name is Lorraine, and this is my husband, Rob. I don't want you to be scared or worried. We're just here to help you," she said in a calm voice that did not betray the panic coursing through her body.

The girl was scared out of her mind. Her eyes kept darting from Lorraine to Rob to Detective Harker.

Without taking her eyes off the young teen, Lorraine said, "Men, we're going to need you to step outside. OK?"

Rob and Rae exchanged a knowing look and left the room.

"OK. Now it's just us two girls here," Lorraine announced.

The young teen immediately began to loosen her grip on the blanket.

"Can you tell me your name?" Lorraine coaxed, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Kelly," the girl answered in a small voice.

"Kelly, it's nice to meet you. I want you to understand that you are safe here," Lorraine assured her.

Kelly looked around the room and then she met Lorraine's eyes. "What do you want from me?" Kelly asked.

"I don't want anything, honey. I'm here to help you. Do you remember being down in a basement?" Lorraine asked.

"Yeah, I've been down there since they took me," Kelly said.

"Do you remember where you were when you were taken?"

"Yeah, I was playing dodge ball. I was playing with my friends. After it was over, I was walking home because it was time for dinner," she said.