Page 62 of Operation: Integrity

“You said this is a Christian place, right?” Anna asked.

“You will hear about faith there, but it isn’t required. Why?” Was Anna wavering in her beliefs?

“My parents would approve.” She smiled. “I’m sure this is the right place to be. I’ll be found here.”

Kelly and Anna had been talking daily, discussing faith and what it meant to believe. In just a few days, Kelly had learned more than she had in the months prior. She now knew what it meant to pray and be forgiven. There was more to faith than being saved in a moment of terror. Now she wanted to know more. Her soul seemed to thirst for more than she could give it.

Anna followed Kelly over to Lacy’s car. Lacy got out and opened the trunk, welcoming both of them with a big smile. “Kelly, so glad to see you. You must be Anna.” She gently took Anna’s bag and put it in the trunk. “Is there anything you’ll need out of there before you get to your cabin?” She touched the trunk and waited for Anna’s answer.

“No, there’s not much in there to begin with.” Anna laughed nervously.

“We’ll tackle that once we get to Wayside. I’ve put Anna in the cabin next to yours, Kelly.” She opened the back door for them.

Both Kelly and Anna climbed into the back. “Is Zeus okay?” Kelly hadn’t asked Sam because he’d been there. He probably didn’t know. Lacy had been at Wayside, she’d probably seen Zeus daily.

“I haven’t seen him in a while. I’m sure he’s just fine, though. He’s a good boy.”

Kelly’s heart sank. “He’s the best. Is something wrong that you haven’t seen him?”

Lacy looked in the rearview mirror at her with friendly eyes. “I don’t work in the kennels or out in the yard much. So, unless he was out there when I walk to my cabin for work, I wouldn’t see him.”

Something about the way she said that felt off, like it wasn’t completely true. Kelly hadn’t known Lacy for long, but she seemed like an honest person. She couldn’t really judge, since she’d spent so much of her life living a lie.

Sam got into the car, interrupting the conversation. He closed the door and gave a few papers to Lacy, then buckled in. “Let’s get home. I’m sure you’re ready for some rest and relaxation.”

Anna nodded quickly. “I also want to know what happened. Was Nathan arrested? Is he still in jail? What about the others that Kelly mentioned?”

Sam’s face went hard instantly. “It’s probably a good idea not to talk about those other anywhere but in sessions with Brendon. Right now, those two are still on the loose. Nathan is in custody. He’s in lockdown, but we know how this works. He won’t live long enough to testify.”

Anna flinched. “Will they ask us to testify?”

Lacy cut a glance at Sam that clearly told him to watch his words. He took a deep breath. “I don’t know. We haven’t been told what will happen. If they subpoena you, then you’ll have to.”

Kelly had no desire to recount what had happened to her. Hopefully, the statement she’d already given and the various evidence she’d given would be enough from her. She was ready to be done with the entire mess. If Nathan didn’t make it to trial, well, neither would all the people he had stored in the basement.

“I was told only sixteen people were rescued and Anna and I were two of them.” Kelly moved the seat belt away from her neck, so it didn’t rub against her scar.

Sam nodded. “I know. But I’ve heard from the FREE International representative that it’s common. There arealways some who can’t admit they are stuck or who believe their captor can’t possibly be as bad as some. I don’t know if they’re brainwashed, or what happens.”

“I do,” Anna choked. “Nathan wasn’t the only one to have a hand in that property. He wasn’t even the one to control all those girls. The others knew that if they left and their pimp found out, they might die. There’s no way Wayside could take all of them and neither could the halfway house. Where would they go? They had to choose what they knew over what they thought would be a sure death.”

Lacy sighed. “And this is why we need to rid the world of this stain.”

In under a half hour, Lacy pulled into the Wayside driveway. The rolling hills immediately soothed Kelly. Even though Nathan had found her there, it felt like home. Secure. Safe. Sam had made sure of that. Nathan wouldn’t get to her anymore. She reached over to Anna and threaded their fingers together, despite the immediate discomfort. “Anna, Welcome home.”

Sam foundhimself in the barn again, this time taking a curry brush to Bella so Kelly could ride later. Being home after a few days in a hotel was wonderful. His bed had felt more comfortable than ever. Helping matters was the fact that Kelly was also back and safe. He’d worried the entire time she was in the hospital.

With Nathan behind bars, would she finally have some breathing room? Could she finally start moving forward instead of constantly having to look back? Viceroy was still out there and clearly so was Ramona.After talking with Connor about her, he’d been reminded that she was the nurse who had kidnapped and murdered children to keep her own son alive. At least Kelly probably wasn’t one of her targets, though she was also the one who tortured Dee and left her permanently scarred.

This duo needed to be taken down, but he was hesitant to even suggest Kelly be the one to do it. According to her, though, she’d seen his face. There weren’t many living people who would be willing to turn on him. Kelly might be the only one. Doing that would force her to relive the most horrible moments of her life. Even asking her to do that felt like too much.

At least he wasn’t the one who would have to ask her, but he’d support her no matter what she chose. As he slowly ran the metal brush over the horse’s side, he realized that loving Kelly from this moment forward would look different for him than for most couples. She might never show affection in public. She might never be able to show affection at all. She could, but he had to go into this expecting the worst so that any progress she made was a total joy, a hurdle overcome, a win for them both.

Kelly peeked around the end of the stall, her shy eyes capturing his attention immediately. “Hey, how are you this morning?” He hoped she’d slept well the night before.

“Good. I’m looking forward to my first Thanksgiving where I have something to be thankful for. Even at home, growing up, I never looked it as a day to reflect on what I had. It was just a day to eat a lot and watch a parade on TV.”

“If you’re looking for a little tradition, I’m sure Connor wouldn’t mind if we turned it on.” He motioned for her to come over.

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