“Tom Davis captured me from page one, “Tom Davis weaves his heart for orphans onto every page.” but the story still lingers.” Karen Kingsbury, New York Times best-selling author Mary E. DeMuth, author of Daisy Chain, of Every Now and Thenand Take One A Slow Burn, and Thin Places merican photojournalist Stuart Daniels has found purpose in life. After enduring the fallout of a tragic assignment, Daniels has rediscovered his faith while helping a young African orphan. Now his photo work carries a greater mission: to educate people about social injustice happening around the world. Daniels’ next assignment carries him back overseas and into the heart of Russia, where an old friend persuades him to help save two girls from a desperate situation involving the Russian mafia. Soon, he becomes a key player in a dangerous campaign to rescue helpless girls trapped in the sex-slave industry. What Daniels encounters during his journey will shake his faith, test his courage, and even threaten his life. Yet as Daniels travels deeper and the stakes become higher, he discovers that hope can be found in even the darkest of places. Tomi DAv S is the president and CEo of Children’s HopeChest, a global ministry that empowers individuals, churches, and businesses to care for orphans in Africa, Russia, india, Latin America, and Eastern Europe (www.HopeChest.org). He has authored four books, including the first in this series, Scared: A Novel on the Edge of the World. Tom and his wife, Emily, live in Colorado with their seven children, two of whom they adopted from Russia. Discover more online at www.SheIsPriceless.com Visit Tom’s blog at www.CThomasDavis.com US $14.99 ISBN 978-1-5891-9103-7 FICTION 105384 Contemporary FICT Printed in USA What people are saying about … Priceless “Priceless is one of those books that grabs your heart, breaks it, then spurs you on toward justice. Though fiction, the book shows the stark reality of the sex trade on the well-wrought canvas of Russia. It’s an important book, a needed one, penned by one of our generation’s prophets. Tom Davis captured me from page one, but the story still lingers.” Mary E. DeMuth, author of Daisy Chain, A Slow Burn, and Thin Places “I applaud Tom’s courage in tackling this subject matter. While this is a fictional account, the sex trade is a reality for millions of people. My prayer is that through this well-written story, many would learn the actuality of this most heinous evil and discover our responsibility in becoming modern-day abolitionists. Thank you, Tom, for not only shining a spotlight, but for the reminder that every life, no matter who they are, is valuable beyond compare.” Natalie Grant, singer, songwriter, and founder of The Home Foundation “Tom Davis casts a bright light on the darkest corner of society, exposing a reality that’s all too real, a shocking truth that strikes right at the heart. You can’t read Priceless without being both challenged and changed.” Matt Bronleewe, award-winning music producer, songwriter, and author of Illuminated “Tom Davis’s Priceless opens your eyes to a chilling reality that will rip at your heart as you come face-to-face with evil. But the story doesn’t end before offering a ray of hope that even in the darkest places God’s light can still break through. A must read!” Lisa Harris, author of Blood Ransom “Priceless is a compelling reminder of the value of every life. Tom Davis courageously and passionately captures the struggle of a nation, and gives a voice to children trapped in the horrors of sex trafficking. This novel will break your heart in the best possible way.” Anne Jackson, speaker and author of Permission to Speak Freely “If you are looking for a story that makes the harm of human trafficking visible, then Priceless is it. As one who has studied this modern form of slavery—traveled to over fifty countries to hear from victims and worked with hundreds of brave nongovernmental organizations who are fighting to eradicate it—I can say that Tom Davis has it right. This is a thriller that gets every detail right, down to the tattoos on the girls for sale and the soulless scum making money off these priceless children. Read it and weep. And then take action.” Laura J. Lederer, former senior advisor on Human Trafficking, Office for Global Affairs, U.S. Department of State What people are saying about … Scared “Tom Davis weaves his heart for orphans onto every page. The journey of Scared might lead you on a journey of your own—helping the orphans among us.” Karen Kingsbury, New York Times best-selling author of Every Now and Then and Take One “With unflinching detail, Tom Davis uncovers the atrocity of the African AIDS epidemic and God’s impossible triumph in its midst. Both sweeping in scope and intimate in expression, Scared leaves the reader with one burning question: How can I help?” Matt Bronleewe, author of Illuminated and House of Wolves “Tom Davis’s first novel, Scared, is a startling beauty-for-ashes tale that takes readers on a journey to Swaziland and introduces them to the least of these Jesus speaks about in Matthew 25. You can’t help but be changed by this heartbreaking, hope-fueling, oh-so-real story.” Claudia Mair Burney, author of Zora and Nicky: A Novel in Black and White “Evocative and intense, Scared cuts deep into your heart as you read along. Healing fills the pages, yet there are no easy answers given, and it shows how each day is a struggle for the people of Swaziland to even survive. That’s why the orphans and the widows need people who care. I loved how Scared showed that many of the sick and dying were truly victims of AIDS through no wrongdoing of their own. I’ve rarely experienced this level of realism in a novel, especially in the CBA. It’s so realistic, it’s downright edgy. Like the Holocaust, there are some awful things that happen in this book. Unspeakable things. But it also shows how God holds those who suffer close to His heart. You see that in this book in a way that is rarely portrayed in Christian fiction. All of the ugly stuff is not smoothed over, nor is the God-given compassion. It’s graphic and harsh in some places, but so worth reading. I highly recommend it.” Michelle Sutton, editor-in-chief of Christian Fiction Online Magazine Priceless Priceless PricelessA N o v e l o N the edge of the world T o m D a v i s PRICELESS Published by David C. Cook 4050 Lee Vance View Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A. David C. Cook Distribution Canada 55 Woodslee Avenue, Paris, Ontario, Canada N3L 3E5 David C. Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England David C. Cook and the graphic circle C logo are registered trademarks of Cook Communications Ministries. All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form without written permission from the publisher. The Web site addresses recommended throughout this book are offered as a resource to you. These Web sites are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement on the part of David C. Cook, nor do we vouch for their content. This story is a work of fiction. All characters and events are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is coincidental. Scripture quote in the Note from the Publisher section is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL READER’S VERSION®. Copyright © 1996, 1998 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society. Scripture quotes in the AfterWords section are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. LCCN 2010923350 ISBN 978-1-58919-103-7 eISBN 978-0-7814-0444-0 © 2010 Tom Davis Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc, 7680 Goddard St., Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. www.alivecommunications.com The Team: Don Pape, Steve Parolini, Amy Kiechlin, Sarah Schultz, Jack Campbell, and Karen Athen Cover Design: DogEared Design, Kirk DouPonce Cover Photos: iStockphoto; 123RF Printed in the United States of America First Edition 2010 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 040510 For Katya and Masha. May God bless you for your courage and dedication to defend the defenseless. Acknowledgments A very special thank you to Moira Allaby who helped this book come to life. My publisher, Don Pape, for always believing. Rick Christian and Andrea Christian (now Heineke!), my wonderful friends and agents. The entire staff at Children’s HopeChest who I care for and love so much: Bob Mudd, Vince Giordano, Ginia Hairston, Hannah Chynoweth, Nicole Irwin, Greg and Brandi McElheny, Hannah Lehman, Mindy Stewart, Sarah Byrd, Leah Wade, Becky Kennedy, Teresa Hanson, and Matthew Monberg. Thanks to my incredible wife, Emily. A special thank you to those who helped me choose the title of this book: Angela Castillo, Susan Wimmer, Teresa Cupit, Alicia Ahlers, Ben Scholten, Deb Gangemi (and the rest of the Gangemi clan), Sarah Battle, Doug Hering, Robby from Utah, Marie Jennings, Bess Ross, Laura Allen, Kevin Bowman, Dawna Larsson, D. J. Payne, and Wes Roberts. 1 1 Prologue “Whenever you’re ready,” I say, then press the On button to film.