The Men's Camp

Chapter 30 Maria - Finding Bella

The photo was taken to be analysed by the police computer. It confirmed that the child was Bella aged around 11. Finding her might not be as difficult as they thought because the vegetation in the picture was native to a place called Goias, a rural farming area in Brazil.

"How could Sue not give us this photo?" Mike raged. "Why did she just put it away?"

Maria shrugged but she felt that she could understand how a grieving mother might want to keep the only memory of her child close to her while living in hope that someday she might come home.

"Perhaps she thought Bella really was better off?"

"That might be true," Mike scoffed, "but still, Sue should have passed this on to us."

A team was put together and was ready to go to Goias as soon as a location was found. In the meantime, satellite images were searched for similar places to that in the photo.

"What does this mean about a new family that is kind?" Mike mused. "Was she adopted to a rich family?"

"It is possible but what link would there be to Biovus?" Maria asked, remembering the strange corporation that had been a dead end all those years ago.

"hmm, Biovus." Mike had an idea, "let's see if they have any property in Brazil? Maybe we can find documents there."

A computer search revealed that Biovus had vast holdings in Goias of farmland and even villages. Mike looked over the satellite images and his finger landed on an airstrip just outside of one of the larger looking villages.

"There! If they took Bella, that's where they must have landed."

Maria nodded.

"I think we can find her because we also have the house where they took her."

Maria and Mike stared at the photo of a young girl. The girl was standing in front of an old building which had brown shutters and looked European although the vegetation growing around her was tropical.

"This old building must be where her family lives!" Maria said excitedly.