Page 18 of Calypso's Shield
"Do you know who grabbed you?"
He shrugs his shoulder. “It’s not like they introduced themselves or anything.”
Scarlett takes over the questioning. Maybe she’ll have better luck than me. “What about accents? The men who took you, where did they sound like they were from?”
He frowns, clearly trying to focus. “Most of them sounded like me. A couple of them had weird accents, but I have no clue where they’re from. I heard some of the others say they were Russian.”
“What happened after they took you? How’d you end up fighting?”
“They drugged me, and I woke up in the back of a truck with a bunch of others. It was a mix of boys and girls, mostly teens but a few younger, some older. I got no clue how long we were in there. It was long enough for everyone to wake up. When we stopped moving, they opened the door, and a man with an automatic gun, like you see in the movies, ordered us all to get up and get moving. Most of us were too fucking scared to do anything but what we were told. Outside the truck, there were at least a dozen men, all armed and watching us. One kid, a boy about my age, tried to make a run for it, and they shot him.”
He pauses, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. I give him a minute to process, but when he doesn’t speak, Scarlett gently prompts, “What else did you see? Street signs, buildings?”
A shudder runs through Gareth’s frame, and he inhales deeply. His eyes lock onto Scarlett’s, but there’s a visible struggle in his gaze. I can see him battling the horror of what he witnessed. “Um, it was dark, so I didn’t see much.” He closes his eyes again, brow furrowing in concentration. “It was on a corner, and there was a green street sign, but I couldn’t read it in the rush to get inside.” His voice cracks, but he forces himself to continue. “I’m sorry. That’s not really helpful, is it?”
Scarlett reaches out, resting her palm over his forearm. “Anything you can tell us is going to help, no matter how small. What was the building like? Brick? Steel? Was it a warehouse?”
Gareth exhales slowly, trying to steady himself. “I think it used to be a hotel or something. The outside was brick, with metal fire escapes. Three stories high. Sometimes, they’d have fights up on the rooftop. It also had a basement. That’s where they took us. Jammed us into this large room that was already crowded before we got shoved in. It had a thick, iron door. There had to be at least one other room like the one I was in down there. I know I later fought kids who weren’t in the room with me.”
Scarlett exchanges a quick look with me, and I don’t waste any time. I pull out my phone and text Divine to research old, abandoned motels or hotels in the area.
They continue to talk, but I zone out, mentally planning my next move. If this is where I think it is, we’re going to need the Royal Bastards in on it, too. That’s a lot of ground to cover with just us.
My phone pings with a text. I glance at the screen, then look at Allura. “We need to call in the Royal Bastards.” I show her the address Divine sent me.
“I’ll call Capone and see if he can spare some men.”
“Thanks, Prez.”
“Don’t thank me. Figure out a way to make this happen tonight. The longer we wait, the higher the chance they’ll leave.”
“I’ll call Torch and work out a plan.” I swipe my screen and bring up Torch’s number.
“Calypso, what do I have the honor of this call?” I hear laughter in Torch’s voice.
“Remember back when I tattooed your Ol' Lady, and you said if I needed anything, I should ask?”
“Yeah…”
“Well, I need your help. It’s a delicate situation.”
“I’m listening.”
“We found where the sex trafficking ring is. Right in our own backyard.”
“Are you fucking serious?”
“As a heart attack. Listen, my girl from New York City, Scarlett, is here, and we’re going there tonight to slice the head off one of the snakes. Do you want in?”
“Scarlett? I’ve never heard of her, but yeah, count me in.” Torch’s voice drops, and I hear murmuring in the background. “Listen, Derange and a prospect, Haizem, will be there too. Text me the location and time. We’ve got your back.”
“Thanks, Torch. I really appreciate this.”
“No problem. I’ll need a bigger tattoo next time,” he mumbles before ending the call.
I look to Allura, who’s already pulling out her phone. “He’s in, along with a few other brothers.”
“Excellent. Ladies, we ride at midnight. Get rested up and ready for an attack.” Murmurs of “ayes” ripple through the room, and we all disperse, preparing for tonight.
