Page 132 of Falcon’s Forever

“How?” she asks.

“I don’t know yet,” I admit. “Falcon and the others are working it out now.”

She nods slowly. "Can we help?"

The question catches me off guard. My first instinct is no, keep her away from it, protect her, and I know immediately that's the wrong answer.

"Maybe," I say, and open the trunk again to give my hands something to do while I think. "Falcon asked me what women need right after they're brought somewhere safe."

Sarah goes very still. “He asked you?”

“Yes,” I tell her.

“What did you say?”

“Women first. Privacy. Clothes and food they aren’t forced to accept. Medical care explained before anyone touches them. Don’t automatically separate them from each other.”

Sarah nods at each point. “No men behind closed doors.”

“Even doctors?” I ask.

“Unless she specifically asks for one.”

“Yes.” I commit it to memory. “I’ll tell him.”

Sarah places Emily’s bag in the trunk. “And don’t take their clothes without explaining why.”

“For evidence?”

“Yeah.” She closes the trunk. “If the police need them, they should explain that first. Don’t just strip someone and leave her in a hospital gown wondering what happened.”

I don’t ask whether that happened to her.

I don’t need to.

"I'll add it," I say, and pull my phone out to type a note.

Immediate support after recovery. Women available. Privacy. No closed-door contact with men unless requested. Explain every medical procedure. Don't automatically separate survivors. Food and water offered, not forced. Clean clothes. Explain evidence collection before removing possessions.

“Shoes,” Sarah says, watching me type.

I look up from the screen. “What?”

“Give them shoes. People remember to bring clothes, but they usually forget shoes.”

She’s right. I add it to the list.

“Phones,” she says next.

“I already have that.”

“Not their old ones,” Sarah explains. “If whoever held them had access to those phones, they could use them to track the women.”

“New phones,” I say as I type. “Or none until someone checks the old ones.”

I add the note, then look at her. “Anything else?”

Sarah thinks for a moment. “Don’t ask why they didn’t leave.”