Chapter 6 - The Mark
I stared at the black ink on Nivea's soft skin, completely horrified.
I had bathed her a hundred times and had never seen this mark before.
It had been expertly hidden beneath the thick hospital band she wore earlier.
This was not just a simple kidnapping for a ransom.
My daughter had been cataloged and tagged like a piece of valuable inventory.
I wrapped her foot back up and continued running through the dense forest.
By dawn, I reached the neighboring county and found a small, rural health clinic.
I walked through the glass doors, desperate for some formula and clean bandages.
A young nurse working the front desk looked at my bruised face with deep concern.
She led us into a private examination room and locked the door behind her.
When she removed Nivea's socks to check her temperature, she froze.
She stared at the barcode tattoo, her face draining of all color.
"I have seen this mark before," she whispered, her hands trembling slightly.
She explained that a highly organized international trafficking ring operated in these mountains.
They specialized in providing undocumented infants to wealthy, powerful buyers overseas.
"Your wife is not just a participant, she is a regional supplier," the nurse revealed.
She told me she knew a federal agent who had been hunting this syndicate for years.
I agreed to let her make the call, knowing I could not fight an entire army alone.
We waited in the clinic for an hour until a black SUV pulled up out front.
A tall woman wearing a tactical vest stepped out of the vehicle and entered the clinic.
May you like
I stood up to greet her, but my heart stopped completely.
The federal agent was the exact same EMT who had taken Nivea from me at the park.
