by E. M. Leya
"Don't go there." Kasey cast a side glance at him with a teasing smile.
Xander laughed and pulled out his phone again, quickly sending a message to Matt.
Police are there along with medical. I'll be there in forty minutes or so.
He hated that they were so far away from the house, but he had to trust the rest of the team to take care of Matt and keep him from going nuts as he waited for information.
What was the house like?
Matt's question had him biting at his lip. What was he supposed to say? Most of the houses they went into were normal, with no sign of the horrendous things that went on inside them. It could have been any neighbor's house, any family members.
It was a normal home, clean, like any other. Will explain when I get there.
He glanced at Kasey. "Matt's asking about the house. Do you think he hopes it was nice, so Faith wasn't held in filth or that it was something out of a horror story?"
"I don't know. Honestly, does it matter?"
"No, but I guess it's where any parent's mind would go."
"There and a lot worse places." Kasey turned onto the road that would take them to the lake.
"Yeah, I can't imagine."
"Look at your past. It happened in the home. There is no one type of place it happens. Homes, churches, schools, friend's houses, it can happen anywhere."
Xander nodded. "We take out so many, and more show up. When does it ever end?"
"I don't know." Kasey pulled up to a turnoff by the lake. "Let's do some stargazing."
"Wow, had no idea you were such a romantic date, first lover's lane, then stargazing. What's next, rose petals on silk sheets?" Xander got out of the car, his tools already bagged to be disposed of.
"Keep it up and I'm going to think you really do want my ass." Kasey tossed his smaller bag of things into the water.
"I've always liked the shy, quiet type." Xander threw his own bag, then the burner phone into the lake.
"I'm not shy or quiet, just picky." Kasey slid onto the hood of the car, looking out over the water.
Xander leaned against the car, anxious to get back to the house, but not wanting to rush Kasey if he needed a few minutes to clear his head after what they'd just done. He took the quiet moment to ask something that had always had him wondering. "Remember after my father's trial and you guys offered me a job?"
"Yeah." Kasey looked over at him.
"Why me? What made you think I was the right person to do this?"
Kasey shrugged. "What makes any of us the right person? We've all been touched by pedophilia, one way or another. Some recover from it, some let it consume their lives, and some, like us, fight back. You had a look in your eye the day they sent your dad to prison. It was a look that scared me, but not Bryon. Bryon said to us, we can save him by offering him a job and a way to deal with his pain or we can watch him self-destruct and take his pain out on everyone around him. It wasn't a hard choice to make. We knew you weren't squeamish. Your past, both personal and military, were enough to show that. Like with any other member we bring in, there was a risk you'd tell us to fuck off, but Bryon was sure you wouldn't."
"He was right. When he came and talked to me about it, I was ready to start that night. I hated that I had to go through training and wait. I kept hoping that just once I'd walk into a sting and see one of those fucks that my dad would give me to."
Kasey met his gaze. "Has it ever happened?"
"No, not yet. I know two of them are dead." Xander held up his hands. "Natural causes. They were the only two I knew the names of. One died before Dad's trial, the other during."
"Would it change how you did things if you did come across one of them?"
Xander shrugged. "I don't know. I'd like to think not, but I don't know." He'd spent more time than he cared to admit thinking what he would do to the men, but honestly, if it came to a sting, anything different would put the team at risk, and saying anything to the men would give away who he was, so no, he probably wouldn't do anything different. He wouldn't jeopardize the team that way.
"Bryon just seems to know who belongs on the team. He hasn't led us wrong yet. I worried about you being too much of a loose cannon, but you surprised me. Somehow you adapted to working as a team. I didn't think you would." Kasey jumped down off the hood. "Come on, let's get you back to your man."
Xander rolled his eyes. "He's not my man."
"He's the closest thing you have right now, so enjoy it. At least you won't have to go bar hopping with Dyson anymore."
"That's if Matt wants to keep up the casual hookups. With Faith home, he might not want anything going on. I'm not sure he's out to her. He's had no reason to ever bring up the fact he likes men too, plus, she might not take well to him seeing someone other than her mom, and right now, keeping things normal for her will be important." Xander climbed back in the car.
"Well, for what it's worth, I think you and Matt are a good thing. If he wants to continue, then go for it. I think you're just what the other needs right now." Kasey pulled out on the road.
As they drove back to the house, Xander wondered about that. How could Kasey know what he needed when he'd spent his entire life trying to answer that same question?
CHAPTER TWENTY
"Why haven't they called?" Matt paced the team house, trying not to shove past everyone and rush to the hospital where Faith was.
"I don't know. Maybe they haven't verified who she is yet. You know they can't call until they are absolutely sure." Becca curled her feet under her as she sat on the couch.
Matt stared out the window. It had only been thirty minutes since Xander had messaged him, telling him the cops were there. He was restless, angry, and scared, but more than anything, he just wanted to see Faith again.
"Beau will call as soon as she gets to the hospital. The scanner traffic says they are en route with three girls." Bryon sat on the edge of the coffee table.
"How long does it take usually?" Matt asked.
"I don't know. We don't usually follow up on anything after we leave. We make sure the kids are found, and leave the rest to the cops." Trenton gave him a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure she's telling them who she is right now, and they are contacting the detective in charge of your case."
"If she can tell them." Matt sighed, praying that Faith was alert and not injured.
"You saw our heat signature scan of the house. All three kids were moving around in the room they were in. That's a good sign." Carter handed Matt another bottle of water before sitting down on the couch beside Becca.
Matt closed his eyes, leaning his head against the cool glass of the window. He'd seen all the scans of the house, seen the pictures of Faith that the fuckers who held her had taken, he'd seen it all. It made him sick to think of what Faith had gone through. Any hope that she wasn't abused went out the window with the first photograph he'd seen. They had dressed her up, put make-up on her, and had her pose in ways that a child should never have to. Several times, he had to leave the room, afraid he was going to get sick at some of the images he'd seen. Even then, he was glad he knew. He didn't have to wonder what had happened to her, what she might not tell him. He was prepared for whatever might come up in talks or in therapy. There would be no surprises.
He turned, looking at the group sitting around waiting with him. He hardly knew many of them, but they were supporting him as if they'd been friends for years. He didn't want to think about how hard this would have been to deal with alone. He would have called Jason or his sister to meet him at the hospital, but either one of them would have honestly been more of a hindrance than a help. The team seemed to know that he needed his space, and he was sure once he was with Faith, that would be even more so. He didn't feel pressure to talk about what he was feeling or tell them he was okay. They all knew he wasn't.
Lights flashed as a car turned into the driveway.
"That's Kasey and Xan," Trenton told them.
Matt's stomach ached, wondering what the peop
le who were holding Faith were like. He'd seen their pictures, but that was all. He didn't know who they were, what they did, or even what they had planned for his daughter and the others they held.
Xander climbed out of the car and their gaze met through the window. Matt took a deep breath and watched as Xander did the same. Was he wrong to have asked Xander to go? He'd wanted someone he trusted there. Not that he didn't trust the others, but Xander would have gone the extra mile if he'd needed to, he wasn't sure the others would.
The door opened, and Kasey walked in, followed by Xander. The two looked tired, but both came over to him once the door was closed.
"I'm sorry I couldn't bring her to you." Xander pulled Matt into his arms.
"I know, it's okay." Matt took a heavy breath, trying to find comfort in Xander's embrace. He was barely holding it together. "Were they horrible?"
Xander pulled back and looked at him. "Yes, the fact they had Faith made them horrible. As for who they were, what they were like, neither of them had a chance to even speak. We took them by surprise and had them down before they could even respond. I can't tell you anything about them other than they deserved what they got, and what they will get."
Matt stiffened. "I didn't think about that. Faith will have to go through court, won't she?"
Becca stood. "The courts will do everything they can to keep the children from having to testify. There is enough evidence against these guys that I don't think they will have to. It's never a guaranteed thing, but I don't know of a judge or prosecutor that wants to make a child take the stand."
Matt nodded as he glanced at Kasey, then at Xander. "Thank you, both of you."
"We were doing our jobs," Kasey told him. "But tonight might have meant a little more because we knew it would bring your daughter home again."
Xander nodded. "Has there been any news yet?"
Matt shook his head. "Nothing."
"It's early yet. I bet they are just getting them to the hospital." Xander wrapped an arm around Matt, letting him lean against his chest.
Bryon's phone rang, and he glanced at Matt as he looked at who was calling. "It's Beau." He answered the call, nodding as he listened to whatever was being said. When he hung up, he looked back at Matt. "She's at the hospital. Beau has seen her, but not examined her. He verifies it's Faith. She's alert and scared, but he said she has no visible injuries as of now."
Matt pinched the bridge of his nose, for a moment, hoping that no visible injuries might mean she hadn't been…. He shook his head. He'd seen the pictures. He knew she had been abused. Just because they couldn't see them didn't mean there weren't injuries. He was sure once she was examined they would find some.
He hated the thought of his ten-year-old daughter having to go through the exams that she would have to. No child should ever have to be put through that. He wondered if they could knock her out before doing anything.
"He's waiting for them to officially call him in to examine her and will call once he knows anything more," Bryon told him.
"What if they don't call him in?"
"Only a handful of doctors are trained in handling child sexual assault cases. Beau is one of them. Since he's there, it makes sense they'd just have him help instead of calling another doctor in," Carter said.
Matt nodded. "I want to see her."
"I know you do, but if you go running in there, they are going to wonder how you knew. They'll investigate you for what Xander and Kasey did. It's too big a risk. We have to wait." Dyson pulled another water out of the fridge.
"Grab me one," Xander asked.
"Me too." Kasey stepped into the kitchen.
It was nearly an hour before Matt's phone finally rang. He picked it up on the second ring, hoping he could keep his voice level and not give away that he already knew they had his daughter. "Hello?"
"Mr. Springton, this is Detective Michaels. We've found Faith. She is at Children's Hospital right now. Can I send someone to pick you up?"
Matt's heart pounded. "You found her? Is she okay?"
"Doctors are examining her now. She is alert and is asking for you. I can have a car pick you up in ten minutes."
"No, that is okay. I have a friend here who can drive me." He looked up at Xander, who nodded.
"Just come into the emergency room and ask for me. We can go from there." The detective hung up.
Matt struggled to stay standing. Hearing the detective say she was there made it all real. Not that he didn't trust the team, but having the police call him meant he could be with his daughter. After months of worrying about her, she'd be back in his arms. He swore he'd never let her go again.
"You'll drive me?" He looked at Xander even though he'd already gotten an answer.
"Anything you need." Xander continued to stay right by his side.
"What do you need from us?" Bryon asked as Matt started for the door.
"Nothing now, you guys have all done enough. Thank you. I'll pay you back somehow, but right now, I just need my daughter." Matt walked out the door, not looking back.
Xander had the car unlocked by the time they got to it, and once inside, neither said a word. Matt was glad because his mind was racing, and he didn't know what to say about everything anyway.
He'd imagined this moment for so long, but now that it was really happening, he had no idea what he was supposed to do or say. How was he supposed to help Faith heal from everything she'd gone through? How was he supposed to be enough to let her know that it would never happen again?
Xander lit a cigarette, occasionally glancing over at him. "Are you okay?"
"Scared to death. What do I say to her?"
"How about a simple I love you. I bet that's what she needs to hear more than anything."
Matt nodded. "I should have thought and grabbed her zebra. I didn't think about grabbing anything for her."
"Do you want to tell me what to grab and I can go get it and bring it back? They'll probably keep her for a few days for evaluation," Xander asked.
"Would you mind? I don't want to have to leave her."
"Of course, I don't mind. Reach in the glovebox, there's a pen and paper in there. Write down what you'll need, both for her and you." Xander stopped at a red light. "I want you both as comfortable as you can be."
"Thanks, but I'm only worried about Faith right now." Matt started writing down a list of things Faith might want. There were so many, but he tried to limit it since she would be in the hospital, and he didn't want Xander having to pack up her whole room. Hopefully soon, she would be back in her own bed at home.
He wondered if she would be able to sleep alone. He had no problem with her sleeping in his bed for a while if she was scared. It would probably comfort him almost more than it would her, but it had him thinking about how different things might be once she was home. Would she be the same kid that she had been?
He pulled the completed list off the pad of paper, holding it tightly in his hands as he watched the hospital come into view. Faith was inside, and in just minutes, he would get to see her again. His heart raced as he tried to fight back tears of relief. There had been so many times he thought this moment would never come.
"I'll walk you in, then leave you to reunite with Faith. I'll bring the stuff as soon as I can gather it. Call me if she asks for something more or if you think of anything you forgot." Xander found a parking spot.
"I don't know if I can do this," Matt whispered.
"Of course, you can."
"What if she blames me? What if she hates me for not protecting her?"
Xander reached over and gripped his thigh. "She isn't going to hate you. You are the one secure and safe thing in her life. My guess is she is going to grab on and never let you go."
Matt nodded, but he didn't feel the confidence Xander seemed to. He handed the list to Xander. "Thank you for everything. You've been the one to help me through this. I couldn't have done it without you."
"You would have found a way." Xander smiled. "Now let's ge
t you inside. I am sure Faith is going nuts looking for you."
Matt slowly got out of the car, gripping the door for a moment to stop his knees from shaking. He was so scared about what he was going to walk in and see. Even with Beau saying she had no visible injuries, in his mind, he saw her beaten and bruised. The vision was almost more than he could handle.
Xander was at his side, wrapping an arm around his waist. "I got you." He pushed the door shut, locking it. "Where do we go?"
"Emergency." Matt let Xander lead him to the entryway.
Once inside, he struggled not to have a panic attack. Every breath he took didn't seem enough, and he fought off a tightness in his chest. He had to hold it together. The last thing he needed was to break down just as he was finally getting Faith back.
"Mr. Springton." The detective walked over to them as they came in the door.
"Thanks for calling." Matt didn't know what else to say.
"Let me get her doctor, then he'll walk you back. You'll need to sign in and show ID to get back. The hospital is secure," Detective Michaels told them before walking off.
"Secure?" Matt looked over at Xander.
"It's policy. No one can enter without showing ID and being on an approved visitor list. It's a way to protect the children. You probably remember doing the same thing when Faith was born." Xander led them to the front desk.
Matt nodded, remembering the wristbands that they had to wear and match with the tiny one around Faith's ankle. He looked at the woman behind the desk. "My daughter was brought in. They said I needed to sign in to see her."
The woman nodded, asking for their ID's and information.
"Just him." Xander went to step back.
"No, I want you to get one too. I might need you with me."
Xander nodded and pulled out his driver's license.
"Mr. Springton?" Beau walked over to them, his face showing no sign of recognizing them. "I'm Dr. Maddington. I'll be your daughter's doctor while she is here or until you have her primary doctor come in." Beau offered his hand.