About This Book
Six years ago, in Santa Barbara, California, kidnappers took thirteen-year-old Natalie Martinez and sold her to an organization that trafficked children around the world. A year later, Abu Osama al-Tunisi, an ISIS commander in Raqqa, Syria, acquired her. ISIS indoctrinated her in their dogma and trained her as a deadly assassin. Then they arranged for the CIA to capture her.After her return to the United States, she provided the FBI with the name of Teddy Bear Fantasies, the organization that sold her, and Sheik Abdul Wadid, her first purchaser. Sent to live in a half-way house, her handler contacts her and provides her with weapons and a safe house where she awaits details on her mission. Unknown to her ISIS handler, she has a secret plan of her own to seek revenge on her kidnappers. Now, she must decide whether to carry out the mission ISIS trained her for, or seek revenge.In Santa Barbara, California, Ron Jackson is a private investigator working on divorce cases. Six years ago, he and his partner, Mary Ann McDonald, worked as detectives with the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department, and received the assignment to investigate the kidnapping of eight children. The deaths of all their suspects during the investigation prevented them from finding the children. After that, Ron resigned from the force, racked by guilt at his failure.Mary Ann, now a lieutenant with the Sheriff's Department, calls Ron to inform him the CIA found Natalie, one of the eight kidnapped children. She informs him of the information Natalie provided to the FBI and asks Ron if he wants to track them down. Ron sees an opportunity to relieve himself of the guilt he has carried around for six years, and agrees to help.He discovers the name Bob Hackman, who he believes was the person who took Natalie. In his eagerness to capture him, he is lured to an abandoned factory, where Hackman ambushes him. Before he can kill Ron, Natalie, who decided to pursue her revenge and travel to California, kills Hackman. She had been following Ron, hoping to convince him to help her find her kidnappers.They strike up a loose partnership. Natalie is not sure she can trust Ron, who works with the police. Ron is not sure he can trust Natalie, because she may still be working for ISIS.Meanwhile, they are both being hunted by ISIS and Teddy Bear, who want them dead. To survive, can Natalie and Ron find a way to trust each other before it is too late?
