Xavier stood by the edge of the pool in his compound, arms crossed, watching the three rescued girls relax under the evening sun. They sat on lounge chairs with towels draped over their shoulders, sipping iced tea and talking quietly. For the first time since they arrived they looked almost normal. Their hair drying in the breeze, small smiles when one of them made a joke.
He walked over and pulled up a chair.
“You three doing okay?” he asked.
The oldest one by name, Sofia from Georgia, nodded. “Better than okay. Thank you for everything.”
Xavier sat. “We’re getting you home. All of you. I’ve got people working on locating your families. Safe transport. New IDs if needed. But before you leave I want to make sure you’re protected. That no one follows you and no one finds you.”
The seco
