"But you're smart enough to know you could end up in another bad situation and want to be ready, right?" Xander set the boxes on the coffee table. "Trust us when we say we'll put you in a safe place. We will make sure you have no reason to run."
"Thanks." Geo didn't look relieved, but he reached for a slice of pizza and let the topic drop.
Bryon understood Geo being nervous. He'd been through hell. He'd never had a safe home. The idea was probably impossible to him. "Again, we won't do anything without your okay. We want to make sure you're safe and happy. You can meet the family we find before you decide on anything."
"For now, what can you tell us about Vegas? What's it like in those underground tunnels? Do a lot of kids go missing?" Noam asked.
"Yeah, but it's hard to say why. A lot just choose to leave with others. Most of the parents are using like mine were. They don't care where we go. There are a few people down there who look out for us, but if someone comes and offers a kid a safe place with food and some spending money, they'll usually choose to go with them. That happens to the girls a lot. Then I'll see them working the streets and hotels later. Most of the boys try to get on at one of the strip clubs in the area, but you have to at least look eighteen to get on at those places." Geo went on to explain about the clubs, the pimps, and the other entities in the area that used kids.
Bryon half-listened as he made notes about the men they were probably going after. He would need to send Noam and Kacey out to do some surveillance and see what they were up against. From the information he had now, both men lived in houses in quiet neighborhoods which made STK's job easier. Apartments were a lot harder to get into without being noticed.
As he made notes and figured out a plan, he once again wished they had teams like theirs for every state. Pedophilia was growing in numbers and there was nothing he could do to stop it. It was frustrating and not for the first time, he wondered what he could do to change it.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Becca looked up as Faith walked into the kitchen. They'd been home a few hours and had just gotten the kids to bed. She gestured to the coffee she'd just made. "Want a cup?"
"Please." Faith slumped into a chair. "I'm so tired. I should just go to bed, but I'm letting Beau catch a few hours of sleep first. We both agree Eric's fine, but we want to watch him one more night to be sure. He's happy to get to sleep in the same bed as Lenora and Andy though. I just hope they don't thrash around in their sleep."
Becca poured Faith a cup of coffee and set it in front of her before sitting down across from her. "They were all so tired I doubt they'll move. I was just making a care package for Carter and Archer to take with them when they leave."
"Where are they?" Faith asked.
"They ran home for a shower and clean clothes. Did they get everything from Beau they needed?" She had no idea what was in the medication Beau gave the team to make the people they hunted paralyzed for a time, but stay wide awake once they were injected with it. She never asked. Didn't want to know. Some things that went on here she was better off not knowing.
"Yeah, enough to take down an army if they need to, but let's hope they don't." Faith rubbed her eyes. "Beau's sending medical supplies along too, just in case. I know they've done this a million times, but something about them doing it so quickly, without planning, makes me nervous."
"They didn't have a lot of time to plan when they rescued you. This isn't the first time they've thrown something together. They know their limits. They'll be just fine." She wished she felt as confident as her words sounded. "Parson thinks he's got a lead on a friend of Lenora's mother in Michigan. He's going to call tomorrow and see. Hopefully, we can get them with a friend who wants them and will keep them safe. As for Eric, Parson can't find any record of him or his family. CPS has nothing. Carter tried hacking into the system and came up blank too."
"I'm glad we came home so Beau could x-ray Eric's arm. It's a small fracture, but at least now he's got a cast on. Andy and Lenora have already signed it and he plans on hitting you up to sign it tomorrow." Faith took a sip of coffee.
"I'll be happy to sign it." Becca grinned. "I called Katie. She's going to drop by tomorrow and talk to the kids. She's not sure they'll tell her much. She says it might be too soon with too much going on around them since it happened, but she'll make sure they're okay and know she's around to talk to if they want to. She suggested that once we place them in a good home, we make sure they get regular counseling sessions for at least a year. She'll know more once she speaks with them."
"Andy let Beau examine him before we left Nevada. He's okay now but had some slight tearing that was healing. Beau gave him some cream for the pain and is watching for infection. I can't imagine how the poor kid felt right after it happened. He's so tiny."
"They all are. It makes me sick to think about what was done to them. I mean, we deal with this all the time, but we don't see the kids." Becca met Faith's gaze. "Does this bring it all back for you?"
"A little, but I'm okay. I'll give Katie a call or talk to her tomorrow when she drops by, but just to reassure her I'm dealing with things. Some days are easier than others, but I just remind myself that I'm alive. I think it brings it back for Dad worse than it does me. I'm glad he's behind the computer and not going out in the field. I worry he wouldn't be able to control his temper if he went out."
"You think Xander has any more control than your dad?" Becca laughed. "I'm sure it's hard on all of them. I'd think seeing what your dad does on the computer would be worse. I know just reading through court records is hard enough for me. I get why Trenton doesn't do it anymore. Speaking of Trenton, any idea where he and Ben disappeared to?"
"They're on the computers trying to dig up information on Jason Wagstaff and some of the people who we know attended his parties. He's determined to find a way to take him out as well, but I just don't see it happening. His house is more secure than the one the team is staying at now in Vegas." Faith took another sip of coffee. "I get why they want to go after these people, but sometimes I worry their passion for justice is going to get them killed. I mean, none of us will forget what it was like watching Dyson sit in jail while we worked to find a way to get him out. I never want to go through that again."
"Neither do I. But we know they can't just walk away. I trust Bryon. He'll do the research needed, and if it's not safe, he'll pull them out. He won't move on a job that puts anyone at greater risk than normal." Becca had confidence Bryon would always put the safety of the team first. She jumped as she heard the front door open, then laughed and herself. "You'd think after years of hanging out here, I wouldn't be nervous, but I swear every time I hear that door open I worry it's a raid."
"It's just Carter and Archer. I heard them pull up." Faith stood.
"You could have warned me." Becca placed a hand over her heart. "They'll want to be leaving soon." She turned and started to gather the food and snacks she'd prepared for them to take with them on the road.
"I smell brownies." Carter walked into the kitchen.
"I made three batches for you to take with you. One for you two to eat on the road, the other two for the team when you get back to Nevada." Becca held up a plastic container she'd put them in.
"They might make it back to the others. Then again, they might not." Archer winked.
"You eat all those and Beau will be treating you for diabetes when you get back." Faith laughed. "I have several bags of stuff from Beau ready for you when you want it. It's in the living room. He's probably over-packed things, but it's better to be safe than sorry. I'd hate for you to need something and not have it."
"We'll be grateful for whatever he sent. I agree, it's better to have it and not use it." Carter poured himself a cup of coffee before sitting down at the table with Archer. "We've got everything we can think of. What we won't have is a security feed of street cameras or access to non-public police channels. I'm nervous as hell going in without our usual backup resources."
