"I will." She sucked another olive off her finger.
"Night guys." Xander waved at the two boys. "Becca, thank you."
"Anytime." Becca nodded, then turned her attention to the kids. "Okay, finish up. It's time to wind down and get some sleep."
As she watched the children finish their meal, she wondered what Xander and Bryon were talking about. She hated the stress she saw in Bryon's eyes. She prayed everything went okay and they weren't in more trouble now than they had been in before.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Bryon sat in a large chair while Xander rested back on the couch. "You okay?" He knew taking a life wasn't easy, even when it was deserved.
"I'm good. I'll never be able to unsee what I walked in on, but if you're worried about me having a problem with killing the guy, don't be. I'd kill him a million more times for what he was doing to that child." Xander gripped his beard in his fist. "Fucker deserved to suffer. My only regret is I killed him quickly."
"You didn't have a choice. You did the right thing. Carter and Matt are trying to get into his phone now. Did you see anything around the house that might give us an idea who this guy is working with?"
"Nope, the house was a mess. I don't know how he ever got approved to be a foster parent. I didn't take the time to look around. I killed him, grabbed the phone off the nightstand, and got the kid the hell out of there. I was too pissed to do much more. I want the bastards he's working with."
"So do I, but we have to look at this logically. We're out of our area, without resources, without equipment. We have no clue how things work here in Vegas. It will take time to plan, and even then, it could be a huge failure." Bryon rested his arms on his knees and leaned forward. He was so tired. "I'm not putting anyone at risk. We've saved four kids."
"And left how many others?" Xander sighed. "I know you're right, but I can't just walk away when I know I can do something."
"We'll meet as a team in the morning and see what everyone thinks. You're not the only one who wants to do something. We just have to figure out what we can do safely. As soon as they find the body and the kids missing, there's going to be a huge search for us and those kids. We can't just go into something blind." He met Xander's gaze. "If this happened at home, I'd be a lot more comfortable with things, but here, we'd be jumping in blind."
"I know. I'll go along with whatever you decide. What are you going to do with the kids?" Xander asked.
"I'm not sure yet. Lenora mentioned a family friend in Michigan. We're trying to track them down now. Hopefully, they'll know what the parents would want for the kids. If not, we'll figure something out. Parson's got connections. I need to talk to Geo and find out about his past and I don't know what to do about Eric. He's too young to tell us much. I'm hoping Parson's friend can give us some background, but right now, I'm more concerned with his physical wellbeing. Beau said he had some severe tearing but there didn't look to be any internal damage. He's struggling without his equipment and talking about either taking the child to a hospital here or driving him back to Los Angeles where he can get to his equipment. He'll decide in the morning."
"If he takes him to a hospital, there'll be questions." Xander frowned.
"We know. He'd have to come up with some story. He's considering everything. The child is safe and sleeping right now. You know Beau. If that child needs a hospital, he won't hesitate to take him in. If he drives home, I'll be sending Faith and Becca with him. I want them out of the city and safe. I have no doubt the men who had Lenora have access to the video just like we do. They'll have everyone they know watching for the women."
"I agree. They won't be happy, but we have to make sure they're safe. I know Matt's concerned." Xander glanced up as Carter walked into the room. "Got something?"
"We got into the cell phone you brought. It's a treasure trove of information. Contact names and numbers and a chat history that could bring down some big names. We've got the names of the CPS workers who are dirty and working with him and also the two police officers' names and to top it off, links to several websites where requests are made for children. Looks like they've been using CPS as a source to supply people with what they desire. Just let them know the age and hair color you're looking for and they'll find it for you." Carter sat down on the couch beside Xander. "Typical of other setups we've seen when it comes to kids with no family."
"You have names of buyers?"
"A few and we'll have more once we dig a little into the websites. Right now, I'm just giving you the info we've gotten from his text messages. I won't even go into the images the guy had on his phone." Carter offered Xander his hand. "I congratulate you on taking this piece of scum out."
Xander shook his hand. "It was my pleasure."
Bryon sighed again. "Okay, gather me names and all the information you have. We'll decide as a team tomorrow what our next steps are. We might be able to take a few of these guys down and rescue some kids but we aren't going up against a cartel or major player in the trafficking circles. We aren't up to that. I plan on living long enough to actually get married."
"Glad to hear that." Becca walked into the room and sat down on Bryon's lap.
Bryon relaxed at her gentle touch and the scent of the peach lotion she used. He ran his nose through her hair as he settled her across his lap. "How are the kids?"
"Nervous and a bit overwhelmed. I'm not sure Geo trusts us, but that's to be expected. Andy believes whatever Lenora says, so he thinks things are okay. They were lying in bed talking when I left them. I expect the younger ones will fade off fast, but I think Geo will be up and alert most of the night." Becca rested her head against Bryon's shoulder. "It's going to take time for any of them to trust adults. I spoke with each boy alone before they got into bed, and both told me they don't need to see Beau. Geo admitted he'd been raped but swears he's okay. Andy wouldn't say anything but had tears in his eyes when I asked about being touched in inappropriate places. I'm going to have Beau at least talk to him tomorrow. He knows better than me how to get information and earn their trust. I believe Geo when he says he's okay, but I'd like Beau to at least talk to him."
"Hopefully, a good night's sleep will help ease their minds. I can't blame Geo for not trusting us. I wouldn't be shocked if he tried to run. I would if I were in his shoes." Xander shrugged. "He looks like he's seen the worst in people. I have to wonder about his background."
"We'll talk to him about that tomorrow. I promised them they could be involved in all decisions concerning them and I meant it. They need to feel as if they have some control over their lives." Bryon caressed his fingers down Becca's arm. He needed her. She'd always been his escape. The one person he could go to when he needed to forget the past, forget the evil. Just her scent, her touch, and her soft skin made him feel safe and secure. He loved her more than anything. "Listen, guys, get me the information we need on the men. Tomorrow we'll figure this out. Tonight, I need some sleep and my woman." He nuzzled his nose along Becca's neck. "Make sure you get some sleep too. Nothing we have going on is pressing. We have time to figure this out. Don't push yourself too hard." He eased Becca off his lap and stood.
"Sleep well." Carter nodded to them.
"Wake me if the kids need anything." Becca reached down and linked her hand in Bryon's.
"We will, but I'm sure they'll be fine." Xander smiled. "Go rest. Tomorrow will be busy."
