Publisher's Synopsis
In STEP OVER RIO, a teenage boy, a hardnosed female reporter, and a federal agent unite to bring down the brutal kingpins of a child trafficking ring. This triumphant adventure begins in the fall of 2011, when Alex Sifuentes steps from the back of a human trafficker's truck onto US soil. Alex and his brother, Fernando, have lived in an orphanage in Guatemala City. Every evening, they help a priest feed homeless street kids until the fateful night when a death squad murders Fernando, and Alex sees the face of one of the assassins. He is forced to flee to Houston, Texas, where he believes he will work in a cantina as a waiter, but Alex immediately discovers the despotic cantina owner is part of the Latin Angels, a gang that traffics drugs and prostitutes kids. During a cantina raid by federal agents, Alex escapes and finds his way to an exotic shaman, Obispa, who shelters immigrants. She ensures Alex's safety by convincing Elizabeth Grant, an investigative reporter, to take him into her home. Elizabeth regularly knocks heads with Luke Santa Maria, special agent in charge of the countywide trafficking case, but Alex forms a special bond with both of them. When Luke and Elizabeth's investigations lead to the murder of innocent people, Alex goes undercover to help discover who is running the child sex slavery ring. Ultimately, the three of them unveil the crimes of rich and powerful men. This saga of fierce friendships and uncommon courage transforms the lives of Luke and Elizabeth, staunch witnesses to the agony of Alex's boyhood, as he begins anew in America, just a step over rio.
