by E. M. Leya
CAGED
CAGED
COPYRIGHT
© 2019 by E.M. Leya
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher or author. Requests for permission to copy part of this work for use in an educational environment may be directed to the author.
This book is a work of fiction. References to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or persons or locales, living or dead, is entirely coincidental
Cover Art by SJ York
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
EPILOGUE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ALSO AVAILABLE FROM E.M. LEYA
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
A huge thank you to my editor for this one. I know it took a bit of extra work. You are amazing and make my work so much better than I could do on my own. To my beta team, you all keep me humble. Your friendship and help means more to me than you know. And to my writing partners, Hannah and Kris, you both keep pushing me. Without you it would take me forever to complete a book. I look forward to working with you each day. Thanks to Dr. J. Rosado for helping make sure my medical scenes are realistic. All mistakes and liberties are my own. And we can't forget the real hunting teams out there who do this daily to keep our kids safe. Thank you isn't enough.
CHAPTER ONE
Marshall rolled his shoulders as he looked around his new home. The place wasn't huge, but hell, he lived alone. He didn't need a lot of room. It was nice though. It was set up with the best features. He'd never dreamed he'd be able to afford this kind of place, but after a year working for STK, he had saved more than enough money to get the place.
Thank God for his job. He smiled as he sat down on his new deck chair. It was big and cushiony, and perfect for late-night reading in the fresh air. At least until fall when it got too cold. One of the many drawbacks of living in Denver.
Luckily, it was only July, so he had plenty of time to enjoy the summer. For the first time in his life, he felt as if he finally had it together. He wasn't living with anyone, wasn't struggling to pay rent on a rundown apartment, and he had a job he loved that paid well.
Working for STK was a dream come true. Despite the fact that he was breaking the law each time he started to work, he was making a difference. In the year he'd been working with the team of pedophile hunters, he'd helped save so many children. Each child meant something and it didn't matter if he was stopping them from being photographed or raped, he was stopping them from being hurt. He couldn't take all the credit, it was a team effort, but he loved that he could play a part. Each time he found a new download of child porn, his heart raced because he knew he'd be able to track down the person who uploaded it and from there, he could usually track the line of abuse until they found who the kids were or at least where they were being held.
Usually.
The children he'd failed were something else. He tried not to think about them. He never gave up hope, but sometimes, even his skills couldn't track down the source. Those kid's faces haunted him at night.
Jeremy and his boyfriend, D, were his bosses, and they tried to help him talk through things, but it wasn't always easy. Even though the other team members understood what it was like to do the job they did, it wasn't always easy to talk about feelings. D was trying to find a counselor for them to talk with, but it wasn't as if the team could just call someone up and say, "hey, we castrate pedophiles for a living, can you help us keep hold of our shit while we do this."
For now, Marshall found ways to relax and try not to dwell on the children. He loved to be outdoors, and he spent a lot of his free time hiking or fishing. And now, he had a nice, quiet backyard to escape to. Just being able to light the tiki-torch and read beside it was going to take a lot of the stress off him.
He glanced up as a shout came from the house next door. He sat forward, glancing over, trying to see in the neighbor's window, but all the blinds were down. He prayed that he hadn't moved next door to some loud person who yelled all the time. His luck, he picked a home next to some couple who fought a ton. It still couldn't be as bad as where he'd been living. His old apartment had been hell. With a mix of druggies and prostitutes in the area, he had kept to himself and avoided going out much. This was much nicer.
He hadn't met any of his neighbors yet. He'd only been in the house for a few days, and most of those were spent putting furniture in place and unpacking the few boxes he'd had from his apartment. Most of the stuff was new. Another bonus from his new job. It was nice to be able to buy what he wanted and needed.
He reached for the glass of iced tea on the patio table and took a long drink as he thought about the garden he'd plant next spring. Since both of his parents had died when he was young, he'd lived with his aunt most of his life and she'd always had a garden. Marshall wanted to follow her example. She'd died over a year ago, but he still wanted to have fresh vegetables in his home.
The sound of his doorbell interrupted his thoughts of his aunt. He quickly jumped up, wondering who could be at the door. Maybe one of his new neighbors dropping by to welcome him.
He glanced threw the peephole and smiled as he quickly opened the door. "Rani!" He stepped back. "Come on in."
Rani was one of his team members, and probably his best friend. The two of them hit it off the moment they'd met, and despite their differences, the two of them found they had a lot in common. "What are you doing here?"
"I had to see the place. You didn't think I'd let you move into a new home without me inspecting it." Rani stepped inside and looked around the sparsely furnished living room. "I like."
"It's a work in progress. I still have some shopping to do, but it's so much better than that damn apartment." He glanced at the bottle of wine Rani held. "Is that for us?"
"For you."
"Then it's for us. You know I don't drink alone." Marshall shut the door and headed for the kitchen. "You're not working tonight?"
After coming to live in America from Oman, Rani was still learning new customs and enjoying freedoms he didn't have back in his homeland. He was the team's doctor, but since his medical license in Oman wasn't transferable to the United States, he was working with the team while he also worked on becoming a doctor in the states. The team didn't
care about a license as long as Rani knew what he was doing, and he more than did. Thankfully, the team hadn't had much need for his services over the year he'd been in the States. Other than Jessica, one of the other team members, getting a bad infection from a cut she'd gotten after breaking a glass, Rani hadn't had to do much. That was good though, considering he'd been hired to fix them up when things went wrong on the job.
"Nah, I have the night off. I could have gone home and sat around, but I wanted to see your new place. Besides, D, Jeremy, and Patrick got Mexican over for dinner at the house, and I just can't stand another night of enchiladas and tacos." Rani took a seat at one of the stools that sat beside Marshall's kitchen counter. "This place is nice. We'll never see you at work now that you have such a nice place to kick back."
"I'll be in. You know I can't stay away from work that long. Besides, I haven't even bothered to set up my computers here yet since I've been so busy at work." Marshall pulled two wine glasses down from the cupboard and filled them.
"You won't work from home, will you?"
"Nope. I won't have anything here that can trace back to the team. I'll use my computers here for gaming and shit. No point in bringing work home. Besides, I couldn't run the setup here that we have at work. I've learned a lot from Jeremy and D, but I'm nowhere close to as knowledgeable as they are. Better to keep all that shit at work and my home a safe place."
"I agree. I get nervous sometimes living at the STK house, but honestly, I'm not home enough to get my own place. I sleep a few hours there and then I'm back at work. It doesn't make sense to rent or buy something right now."
"I do have three bedrooms," Marshall hinted. "One could be yours."
"I know you've offered, and I'll think about it. For now, the team house works. Besides, if something does ever go wrong, I like being close." He took a long sip of the wine. "I might sneak over from time to time to keep you company. You know how it gets if you're at the team house too much. It can be kind of a downer."
"Yeah, I know. It's hard. I have to force myself away from the work, but once I step away for a few hours, I feel it all hit me. There are nights I can't close my eyes without seeing the shit I've been searching all day."
"I don't know how you do it. Just knowing is bad enough, but seeing it, digging for it, playing a role that you desire it, that has to get to you."
"It might if I didn't get to see the other end of things as well. When they come back from a sting and I'm able to hear about the perverts being stopped and the kids saved, that makes all the difference. There's nothing more rewarding than turning on the news and seeing a family reunited or a story of a pedophile getting a long prison sentence." He played with the rim of his glass, causing it to ring softly. "This job has its rewards."
"It does. And I'm lucky to be part of it, but I couldn't do what you do." Rani turned to him. "So have you been dating or anything? Found anyone new to go out with?"
He rolled his eyes. "I've been moving. I haven't had time. Besides, after Jerry's bullshit, I really don't have the urge to play the dating game. I really thought things were going good with us." He sighed, thinking about the man he'd dated for three months, only to find out that he was living with another man and seeing two others besides. How he'd been so blind he'd never know. He'd thought the relationship had potential and he really was looking for a future together.
"He was one bad seed in the midst of many. You can't give up dating because of him."
"I haven't given it up. I've just slowed it down. I have a new home to get set up, plus work keeps me busy. I promise I haven't closed the door on dating, but I needed a breather. It's not like time is running out. I'm young enough I can still find Mr. Right down the road." He turned the conversation on Rani. "What about you?"
"Who has time? With work, I seldom have time to sit down and watch a movie or anything. Dating would take too much effort. Once I've got my medical license here, then maybe I can look for someone." He swallowed the last of his wine. "Show me around this place."
"Sure." He set his glass down and stood. "It's not much, and I still need a lot of furniture, but it's mine, and that's all that matters." He led him down the hallway to the bedrooms, then through the living room again and outside to the backyard. "This is my favorite spot. Probably the reason I bought it."
"I love it." Rani leaned against the deck railing and looked out over the yard. "I can see some team dinners back here." He glanced over his shoulder and grinned.
"Yeah, I planned on that. I figure it's my turn. Jessica's thrown a few, D and Jeremy have us over at least once a month. The least I can do is invite the team over to break in the place. I need to get a few more things, then I'll plan something."
"Let me know and I'll help you plan."
Another loud scream echoed from the house next door, sounding as if an older man was yelling at someone.
Rani's eyes went wide.
"I know. It's the second one I've heard. I'm not sure what's going on over there. I haven't seen any of the neighbors and the blinds are always down. Sounds like some husband yelling at his wife or kids. I hope they aren't like this all the time."
"They say you should talk to the neighbors before buying a house, but I'm guessing you didn't?"
"Didn't even think about it." He stared into the neighbor's backyard. It was a little overgrown, but not ignored. Someone was taking care of the place. "Hopefully, tonight is just a bad night for them. If it keeps up, then maybe I'll say something."
"You sure you want to get involved?"
"No, but I don't want to listen to him yelling at his family every night either. I could have stayed at the apartment and had that." He turned to Rani. "I'll give it time. Maybe talk to the other neighbors and see if it's an ongoing thing." Not wanting to dwell on anything negative with his new home, he nodded to the back door. "More wine?"
"Sure. Just remember, I have to work at six in the morning, so this is it."
"Workaholic," he teased as they headed inside, hoping to forget his neighbors and focus on the friend he seldom got to hang out with.
CHAPTER TWO
"I told you to get the dishes done."
Danny braced himself for the impact. He no longer flinched. It happened too often. The blow came to his shoulder, throwing him off balance and across the kitchen. He slammed into the counter, then slid to the floor, but he didn't dare remain there. He didn't dare cry. It would be worse if he did. He quickly forced himself to stand, turning away without a word to go to the sink and do the dishes.
"You took too long with the boys." Larry was close behind him as he spoke.
Danny didn't dare look back. He wondered if another hit would come, but he washed the plate in his hand as if that was all that mattered. To do anything else would mean another beating.
He stared into the sink, watching the suds, wondering when this hell was going to end. He was so tired. He just wanted to go to bed and die. It was the only escape, but even death evaded him. He'd tried to kill himself twice, but the first time Larry had caught him with the knife as he started to cut into his vein. The punishment for that had been worse than the pain of the knife would have been. The next time, he'd taken a bunch of pills. But they had only been over the counter pain killers. All that had happened was he ended up sick and vomiting, feeling as if he'd been hit by a truck for the next three days. Larry had been pissed then too. He didn't know about the pills, but being sick was unforgivable. Who would take care of the house or the boys if Danny couldn't?
It was probably for the best. Without him, the boys would suffer more. And they were already hurting enough. They were too young to do anything but obey Larry. Unlike him, Larry only used the boys for his sexual pleasure. He'd quit using Danny for that but now had him taking care of the housekeeping and childcare. Not that there was much childcare to do. The boys were locked in the basement. They had a bedroom, bathroom, and even a radio, but other than that, the boys didn't get to come upstairs.
Danny was the one who
cooked, took them their food, helped them bathe, and get ready for bed every night. He was the one who whispered words of encouragement and love, assuring them that what Larry did to them wasn't their fault. He also promised them that somehow, he'd help them escape Larry, but that was just one more thing he'd failed to do.
Escape.
God, he'd dreamed of that for so long. He couldn't even remember how old he'd been when Larry took him from his mother, but almost from that first night so many years ago, he'd dreamed of escaping. He'd tried to come up with a plan several times, but it never happened. Larry had several locks on each door that opened with keys Larry kept in his pocket. Larry was the only one allowed outside. Each window was locked, and the blinds were always kept down. Not that it would matter. The neighbors didn't seem to pay any attention to them. The few times anyone had ever come to the door, Larry ignored them.
He'd thought about breaking a window, but Larry seldom left him alone long enough that he could do it. When he did leave him alone, he locked him in a tiny, windowless bathroom until he got back. There was no escape. No way out.
The only phone was Larry's cellphone, and he kept that in his pocket, locked with some code he'd probably never be able to figure out if he got his hands on it. There was no way out. No way to help the boys.
So he stayed, doing his best to comfort the boys and make sure they knew that not everyone in the world hated them. He would tell them about his memories with his mother. Get them to try and remember times with their families before they were taken. Most of the time, it only made the boys cry, but he thought it was important to remember. Once they forgot, it meant they accepted this as their fate, and he refused to do that.
"Are you done yet?" Larry yelled.
"Almost." He hurried to dry the last few items and put them away.
This was the time of the night he hated things the most. Larry would rush him to finish, then he'd watch Danny as he showered. Once he'd showered, Larry would have him watch as he washed, forcing Danny to witness him masturbating before he washed himself. It happened almost every night. Still, at least he was no longer forcing Danny to do things with him. That had stopped about two years ago, shortly after he'd brought the boys to the house. Danny hated that. He'd gladly do anything Larry asked of him if it kept Larry from doing it to the boys. They were too young, maybe eight or nine. He'd been just as young when Larry had taken him, but at least he was used to the pain, the torture, the humiliation. The boys still cried every time, and there was nothing Danny could say or do to make it better.