Step Over Rio

At night, death squads roam the slums of Guatemala City, where no homeless child is safe. Alex Sifuentes lives there in a shelter for orphaned street kids, his dream of a better life dashed, when a murderous squad kills his little brother and targets Alex. Forced to leave, he flees with a coyote who smuggles him and other kids into Houston, Texas, a human trafficking hub. Alex is indentured to a cantina owner who will use him any way she pleases, but during a police raid he escapes, finding his way to an exotic shaman who shelters immigrants. Thus, begins another treacherous journey. Aided Elizabeth Grant, a hard-nosed reporter, and befriended by her lonely daughter, Alex faces new perils in a place he once considered the promise land. He forms a unique bond with Luke Santa Maria, a State Department agent committed to halting prostitution of trafficked teenagers. Assisting Luke's investigation, Alex goes undercover and joins a gang to discover who is running a large-scale sex slavery ring. Ultimately, he, Elizabeth and Luke fall into the grasp of rich and treacherous men. A saga of fierce friendships and uncommon courage transforms Elizabeth and Luke, staunch witnesses to the agony of Alex's past life as he begins anew in America, just a step over rio. This mystery novel, written by Martha Braniff, is based on actual crimes researched through federal agencies and on her work with abused and neglected children and child immigrants over the past thirty years.