by E. M. Leya
Silence fell over the room as everyone seemed to have something to focus on. D was looking through papers while Jeremy and he dug into the layout of the ranch house in Colorado Springs. It was going to take all day to search for cameras in the area and figure out the security in the house, but he'd done this before. This was what he was good at. This time it meant something even more since it was Danny's kidnapper they'd be going after. He was going to give it his all and make sure everything was done right. One thing he looked forward to more than anything was being able to tell Danny that Larry was in jail and would never hurt him again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Tucking his feet up under him, Danny curled up on the couch with the laptop. Most of the time he was searching recipes, but tonight, he was looking for something else. He'd been stunned by the stuff Faith had told them during his counseling session yesterday. Was there really a team of hunters who went out in the night and saved children? Why had they never come for him? Why had he had to suffer twelve years when others, like Faith, were found in weeks or months?
It wasn't that he was upset the others had been found quickly, but why not him? He'd needed help just as badly as any other. From what Faith had said, they'd managed to track a photo of her from the dark web and figure out the location it had been uploaded from. Had Larry never uploaded pictures or videos? Was that why no one had known he was there?
He had so many questions.
Of course, Faith couldn't answer most of them. She didn't know the men who saved her, only what the news had said about it after. She called them her heroes. Danny would've too had they come for him.
He typed in Faith's name first, pulling up articles about her kidnapping. The tiny child in the photos resembled Faith but was not even close to as beautiful as the woman he knew now. She'd really grown up.
There weren't a ton of details about her captivity, which being she was so young was a good thing. He'd been surprised to see a small map in one article showing just how close to home she'd been. It had been right on the street, open for anyone to witness. How had no one seen her get taken?
He skimmed through more articles, then started to research other cases where people had been castrated. There weren't many articles about it. Did that mean this team didn't do it often? Were they picky about who they helped and who they didn't?
Danny sucked in a hard breath as he found another article, but this one was different. It was about the arrest of one of the team members, and there, right in front of his face was a mug shot of D.
Danny sat up on the couch, nearly knocking the laptop from his legs as he did. It couldn't be him. But it was. There were subtle differences, but there was no doubt that the man on the screen was D.
He stared at it, stunned. Did Marshall know? Did Jeremy? Had D come to Colorado after his odd escape? Danny read the article slowly, trying to digest everything he was reading. D was a wanted man. All traces of him had disappeared after he'd escaped the jail in California.
How was he able to hide out here in Denver? How could Jeremy and the others working with him not know about this if it was online? Did they not do background checks at Marshall's company?
Danny closed his eyes as he thought about the company. They kept odd hours, working late into the night. Marshall never talked much about work. He just said he worked on computers and was good at what he did.
Could it be? He didn't want to allow his mind to go where it was, but he couldn't stop it. Was Marshall working with D and doing the same thing here as D had in California? It made sense. That would be why Faith was so close to the men. If they'd saved her, then it would make sense that she'd have strong feelings for them, just like he did for Marshall.
He sat motionless as he thought about everything he knew and realized how much sense it all made. This was why Marshall was looking for Larry. Would the team go after him? Did he want them to?
He searched D's old name, finding even more articles about his arrest and escape. How had the team managed to get him out of jail? It said the computers were hacked, but there had to be more to it than that. Could D really live in Denver and not worry that he could be recognized at any time?
After reading everything he could find, he was convinced that Marshall worked for a team just like the one who'd saved Faith. What did he do for them? How involved in all this was he? Did he castrate people?
Should he let Marshall know that he'd figured it out? Would that upset Marshall? Be a problem for the team?
At the sound of a car in the driveway, he set the computer on the coffee table. He had to ask Marshall about this. He couldn't just assume things. He needed to know the truth. He sat there waiting, but was shocked when it was Faith who came through the door first, followed by Marshall, then Xander.
"Hope you don't mind if I invited Xander and Faith for dinner." Marshall walked into the room, dropping his keys on the table before leaning over and giving Danny a kiss.
"No, not at all." He smiled at Faith, then frowned as he realized she was staring at the open laptop.
Danny swallowed hard.
"Guys." Faith pointed. "He knows."
Danny watched Marshall for his reaction, curious how he'd respond.
"Well, that was easier than having to break the news to him later." Xander sat down at the other end of the couch a smirk playing on his face.
"You were going to tell me?" Danny asked, still staring at Marshall.
"We'd discussed it, but hadn't gotten to voting on it yet." Marshall took a deep breath. "I couldn't tell you. It's not something we can talk about to anyone, even those we are closest to."
Danny nodded. "So it's true. You are part of this?" He waved a hand at the computer.
Marshall nodded. "What do you want to know?" He sat down.
"We should leave you to talk," Xander said.
"Yeah, it's probably best we do dinner another night. Will you let D and Jeremy know about this? I'll call them as soon as Danny and I finish talking." Marshall glanced over at Xander.
"Of course. And don't sweat it. You know you'd have told him soon anyway. It's easier this way." Xander stood, putting a hand on Faith's shoulder, but she moved from him and went to Danny.
She knelt beside him. "Don't be upset with anyone about this, okay? They have to keep secrets to stay safe. They do good work. If you need to talk, call me later, okay?" She gripped his shoulder with a gentle hand.
"Yeah, thanks." He met her stare for a moment, then looked back to Marshall.
Without another word, Xander and Faith left.
At the click of the door, Marshall asked, "do you hate me?"
"God, no." Danny blinked. "I'm just shocked. I don't hate you at all. I respect what you do. I'm just confused by it all."
"I'll explain everything to you." Marshall glanced at the computer. "I should have known you'd come across D's mug shot."
Danny shrugged. "I was searching for information about Faith's kidnapping and it led me to that. When Faith mentioned her rescue, I was curious." That wasn't true. He was jealous. Maybe even hurt that no one had come for him.
"You understand what we do?" Marshall asked as he kicked off his shoes and repositioned himself on the couch.
"Not really. I mean, some things are clear, but how do you choose who you help and who you don't? How come a team helped Faith, but not me?"
Marshall shook his head. "It's not like that. We don't choose. We didn't know about you or we would have done something. Your face never crossed our computer screens, we never got an upload of child porn from the address. There was nothing to alert us about what was going on in that home. Trust me. Larry is exactly the type of man we would go after. We just didn't know."
"So you watch for people trading child porn?"
"Sort of. We go into the darkest parts of the internet where the worst of the worst hang out. It's on there that people upload pictures and videos. They sell children and adults into sex slavery. There's some nasty stuff on there. I go in and track who these p
eople are, keep a database of those we know of but can't find. I also track the children, trying to find where they are so they can be rescued. When we track a pedophile down, we spend time hacking their internet, watching their homes, doing all we can to learn everything about them. We collect all the evidence we can and put it on a flash drive. Once we are sure it's safe for us to go in, several members of the team will go into the home, confine the pedophile, and castrate him. We do this so they live and can still face criminal charges. Once that's done, the flash drive is left for the police to find and the team leaves. Once safely away, they call the police and leave an anonymous report of either a medical issue or sometimes they tell the truth and tell them a pedophile is tied up. After that, we leave it up to the police to rescue any children and deal with convicting the pedophile. Our goal is to take away the pedophile's weapon. Without their cock and balls, the hormone levels change in the body. They live as a eunuch the rest of their lives." Marshall took a long breath. "It's not a pretty thing to talk about, but the abuse these men and women cause isn't pretty either.
"Have you ever made a mistake?" Danny wasn't sure how to feel about any of this. He was glad the team saved kids. What bothered him was that Marshall was a part of it and hadn't told him. Even understanding how something like this had to be kept a secret, with what Danny had gone through, he would have thought Marshall would be honest with him.
"Not here in Denver, and I've never heard of one happening with the other team. We're careful. What we do changes lives. We have to be sure of the facts before we even think about going in. We make sure we have the evidence to back things up. If there is any doubt, we don't go in. We've sent anonymous leads to the police before when we are pretty sure something is going on but aren't comfortable going in ourselves. I couldn't do this if there was a chance of an innocent person being hurt by us." Marshall caressed his arm. "Are you okay with this?"
"I don't know." Danny closed his eyes a moment, trying to figure out exactly what he was feeling. "At first, I was hurt because Faith got help, but no one came for me. I understand why, but I prayed so many nights that help would come."
"We would have if we'd known."
"I know that now. I'm also a little pissed off that you didn't tell me."
"It's not up to me. I wanted to tell you, but when we join the team, there are rules. One is that before anyone is told about the team or invited to join us, it's put to a vote. If one member votes no, that person isn't told about STK. D, Jeremy, and I had discussed you knowing, but we decided to wait a bit. I think they wanted to be sure that you and I were serious enough about each other to make it worth the risk."
"They don't trust me?"
"We don't trust anyone when it comes to the team. That's the only way it works. I trust you, and I know others do too, but we have to follow the rules. No one gets away with breaking them. They're what keep us safe."
"And if I ran to the police right now and told them?"
"There's nothing we could do. If we had time, we'd try and leave. Build the team back up in a new city under new names. If we get arrested, we know we did what we could, and I personally can say I regret none of it. I've seen what you and others have gone through. I watch those videos every day, looking for any evidence of who they are, where they're being held. I've seen the news when those kids are reunited with their parents because of what we do. It's worth the risk."
Danny reached for Marshall's hand. "You know I won't tell anyone. I would never go to the police."
"I know that. So does everyone else. That's why Xander didn't panic when we realized you knew. It's why D and Jeremy haven't called yet to make sure things are safe. They'll give us time to talk, then I'll call them once we're done and let them know things are fine. Where it goes from here, I'm not sure. It will be up to them if you're included when we share information. If you'll be allowed to come to the place we work. I'm not the boss. D is." Marshall brought Danny's hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles. "I'm glad you know."
Danny looked directly into Marshall's eyes. "You've been hunting Larry?"
"Yes. I think I know where he is, but I have to be sure. I promise you, if it is him, the team will go get him. He will pay for what he did to you."
Danny nodded. "Thank you."
"I'll tell you more when I can, but until I'm sure…"
Danny understood, but he needed to know one thing. "Is he close? Can he get to me?"
"No. He's in the state, but not in Denver. I promise you're safe. I'll keep you safe." Marshall took both of Danny's hands in his. "I am doing everything to get him. I won't rest until he's in jail. We're close." He leaned his head against Danny's pressing their foreheads together. "I'm glad you know. I want to be able to tell you when the team goes after him. Let you know when the police have him in custody."
"Can I go?"
"No. And not because I think you couldn't handle it. I won't be going either. Only those on the team who are trained to go into a house and handle a pedophile will go. I'll be here at the office on the computer, keeping track of things outside the home. I'll watch the police, make sure cameras in the area aren't recording the team going in."
Danny closed his eyes. "Then what happens?"
"Then the police take him. He'll be in the hospital for a while because of things the team will do to him, but he'll recover and face trial. You'll have to testify if you're up to it. Then, hopefully, the bastard will spend the rest of his life behind bars."
The thought of getting up in court and talking about everything was so overwhelming, but if Marshall and the team could do what they did, he could at the very least give statements to what Larry had done to him and the other boys. He needed to be brave if it came down to that. There was no way he would forgive himself if Larry was set free to hurt anyone else. "You'll be there?"
"For all of it. I'm guessing I'll have to testify too about when you escaped."
"You're okay with that?"
"More than okay. I want to look the bastard in the eyes as I tell everyone what happened." Marshall smiled. "And I'll be right there when you do the same."
"Thanks." Danny let out a long breath. "Now what?"
"Now, I call D and Jeremy and let them know things are okay. They'll want to speak to you eventually I'm guessing, but I doubt it will be tonight. Let me call them, then we can figure out something simple for dinner."
Danny stood. "I'll throw together something while you call. Tell them I didn't mean to find out, it just happened."
"It's okay. They know there's a risk since D was arrested. No one is going to be upset. Like Xander said, this was probably the easiest way for you to find out. I'll answer any more questions you have once I talk to D and get the okay." Marshall kissed him. "I'll meet you in the kitchen."
Danny smiled and turned away, but he really wanted to stay and listen to Marshall's phone call. He worried he'd gotten him into trouble, and he wanted to defend him. Let them know it wasn't Marshall's fault.
As he walked into the kitchen, he wondered if this would change things between them. He hoped not. He admired what the team did, even if it was graphic and violent. He'd lived through the abuse, and in his opinion, people like Larry were just getting what they deserved.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
"It's a house." Danny looked out the car window at the STK house.
"It is. It blends in well. No one knows what goes on. It looks like a few guys live here who hang out with their friends." Marshall shut off the car.
After talking to D and Jeremy the night before, they'd decided to call a group meeting to discuss things and formally invite him into their circle. He wouldn't work for STK, but he would be allowed to come to the house and know everything that was going on if he wanted to. "Are you sure it's okay that I'm here with you?" Danny eyed the house nervously.
"I'm sure. They said you were more than welcome. Come on, let's go in." Marshall climbed out of the car and went around to wait for Danny who was moving much slower.
&n
bsp; "I feel like I'm intruding."
"Don't feel that way. Think of it as visiting Rani at home. He lives here with Patrick. We're just visiting friends." He linked hands with Danny and tugged him to the front door. He didn't give him time to hesitate as he pushed the door open and stepped inside. Once in, he shut the door and headed to the kitchen where Danny could hear Jeremy laughing.
"Hey, look who's here." Jessica walked over and hugged Danny. "I'm so glad you know everything."
"Do I?" Danny looked around the room once he pulled back from the hug.
"You will." D smiled. "If you want to. That's one of the things we'll discuss in a bit once everyone gets here. Rani won't make the meeting, he's at the hospital and can't get away."
Marshall glanced at Danny. "Want a drink?"
"Water?" Danny moved to stand against the counter near where Marshall was getting into the fridge.
"Here ya go." Marshall handed a bottle to Danny, then looked at the rest of the group. "Danny's feeling a bit odd being here. I assured him that everyone agreed he could be included."
"True." Jeremy smiled. "We talked to everyone today and they all agreed to let you in on what we do. Now it's up to you to decide how involved you want to be."
"Meaning?" Danny asked.
"Do you want details on cases? Do you want to know when the team is going out? Do you want to hang around here when there is a chance at any time we could be raided by the cops if they track us down?" D stood. "I'm being blunt and honest with you. Anyone who knows what we do could face charges if we are ever found. The chances of that are slim, but there is always a chance. The more you know, the more you could be in trouble. We obviously have decided we can trust you not to tell anyone about us, but that doesn't mean that you'll choose to know everything."
Danny gripped the counter tightly, his knuckles turning white. "I know the risks. Marshall and I talked about them earlier today. I think it would be easier for me to know than wonder if everyone is safe. I don't need graphic details, but I like knowing what is going on, what you're all working on." Danny looked at Marshall. "I'd like to maybe be here with you when you work late instead of home alone."