Page 5 of Rex
Chapter Five
Rex
The time it takes me to fly to where I can store my helicopter closest to where I believe Dre is being held doesn’t take long in the grand scheme of things. It feels like I arrived in the blink of an eye. This was definitely the fastest and best option at my disposal. I want to do some reconnaissance as soon as possible and see if my hunch is right. I need visual proof that this is where Beau and Annmarie are hiding out and therefore where they’re holding Dre. If I’m wrong, then I need to go back to the drawing board and figure out where the fuck they could be. Deep down, I feel like this is it. That this is where they’ve been hiding away. Where they’ve made their base to continue on with their crimes and exploiting humanity.
As soon as I have my helicopter stored away, I’m in one of the tricked-out SUVs that’s kept at every location The Khaos Group has access to. Looks are deceiving when it comes to our vehicles. You wouldn’t know by looking at them that they’ve all been modified with reinforced steel, bullet-resistant glass, run-flat tires, and a self-sealing fuel tank, just to name a few of the upgrades. Then there’s the mini-armory hidden under the backseats of every vehicle that can only be accessed using abiometric scanner. The vehicles are all upgraded this way to ensure every operative in The Khaos Group has every possible advantage for whatever they could be facing. If there’s one thing we all know, it’s to be prepared for the unexpected. Even the easiest of cases and missions can take a turn for the worst at the drop of a hat. You never know how someone is going to react to our appearance. We take the safety of every member of The Khaos Group seriously. We live and work in a dangerous world, where more often than not it’s a fight for not only our survival but also for others who don’t belong in our world.
I’m driving at a steady pace towards the location I believe Dre has been held all this time. During my deep dive into Beau and Annmarie, I uncovered a location that they had been in the process of buying before they faked their deaths. The thing about that property, though, is that it’s still up for sale all these years later. The sale fell through with Beau and Annmarie’s untimely demise. Well, what everyone thought was their untimely demise. Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is that the property is supposed to be empty. For all intents and purposes it’s considered abandoned. The elderly owners moved away to Hawaii before they originally put it up for sale, and nobody has been interested in the property since Beau and Annmarie. So, would someone like to explain to me why when I checked satellite footage of the place, making sure I covered all my bases, there was more than a little bit of movement not only around the grounds but also inside the house too? As well as the fact that there are utilities being used there too. I looked into that after I saw that it wasn’t empty on the satellite footage. I wasn’t going to risk missing anything; I knew I needed to cover all my bases, and I’m glad I fucking did.
Clearly someone is using that property when they shouldn’t be, and my gut is telling me it’s Beau and Annmarie. It would make sense that they’d set up somewhere they’re familiarwith, somewhere they knew would be empty. Somewhere off the beaten track, and this place is definitely that. There are no neighbors close by, and it’s surrounded by large trees and foliage, keeping their movements from any prying eyes that might catch sight of what they’re doing.
Well, prying eyes in the normal sense. I doubt they expected anyone to use satellite footage the way I have to check out the area. They have no reason to suspect that anyone thinks they’re still alive. Not after all this time. Not with having a mole within The Khaos Group who has no problem with warning them of any problems that could be heading their way. None of them would ever expect me to be searching for Dre and uncovering the truth. It’s not like I have any real connection to him. The only reason I even began my search is because of Wreck, and the details of everything that happened there have been kept close to the vest. Very few in The Khaos Group know anything about what happened. Even those that are in the know don’t know Wreck’s legal name. I’ve never been more thankful for someone going by a different name than I am right now. There’s no chance anyone will catch wind of the connection between me, Wreck, and Dre. There will be no warning for any of them for what’s to come. Each and every person involved in Dre’s disappearance and Beau and Annmarie’s faked death scheme is in for one hell of a surprise when I get my hands on them.
Roughly two miles away from my target location, I pull over into an overgrown hidden road. The only reason I know it’s here is because I did some research on the area before heading out. If I hadn’t done that, I’d have never known to look for this road. It’s extremely well hidden. It’s an excellent place to leave my vehicle out of view of passersby as I make the rest of my way on foot. There’s not a chance in hell I’d risk getting any closer than I currently am using a vehicle; that’s like waving a sign telling them I’m coming. I can’t be having that. I have the element ofsurprise on my side right now, and I refuse to ever give up such a massive advantage. I’m not some fucking green newbie who’s never done surveillance and reconnaissance before. I have years of experience on my side, and I plan on using all of it to my advantage.
Pulling out my reconnaissance pack from the back of the SUV, I double-check I have everything I might need, from my night vision scope and goggles to tracking equipment and high-tech cameras, before strapping on my favorite weapons. I never go anywhere without my trusty SRK, the knife that tends to be favored by Navy Seals, and my Sig Sauer M18. They aren’t the only weapons at my disposal though; I also happen to have a Barrett M82 sniper rifle on hand too. This may just be recon, but I’d never go anywhere without making sure I’m armed to the teeth. You never fucking know what you might uncover, and when you might need to defend yourself or someone else. Being prepared is always for the best.
The wind starts to whip around me as I travel at a steady pace towards my destination. Even with all the added weight I’m carrying, this feels like a walk in the park. Considering I’ve made worse treks than this throughout the years while carrying an injured teammate over my shoulder, I’m not all that surprised this feels like nothing. Some of those fuckers were heavy and close to my size. I’m not exactly a small guy, standing at six foot five and having a muscular build from all my training. A pack and some weapons weigh nothing compared to carrying someone with a similar build to that. The additional weight I’m carrying also doesn’t impact my stealth. I’m still light on my feet and am hardly disturbing my surroundings as I move. There’s no chance anyone is going to discover my approach now or in the future.
Reaching the outskirts of my destination, I stay hidden in the large trees as I carefully place my pack on the ground so Ican pull out my night vision goggles. I want to have them close to hand in case I need them. I’m hoping I won’t have to stay out here doing surveillance for too long. I want to catch sight of my targets sooner rather than later so I can take action, but I know that’s not always the case. Sometimes it takes a hell of a lot of patience and time to get the proof needed. I’m prepared for that if that’s the case. I’ve got enough small high-tech video equipment to set up around the area so I don’t have to stay out here for god knows how long it takes to catch sight of who I need to.
I might be determined as hell to find and rescue Dre, but I’m still only one person, and I need time to rest in a safe environment. Staying out in enemy territory won’t give me the option to shut down and rest in any way, shape, or form. I’ll always be on alert. There’s no one out here to watch my back like there normally would be. I’m currently a one-man show. I can’t afford not to get the necessary rest that I need to be functioning at my top level. Not when Dre’s freedom hangs in the balance. I might not have ever met the man, but he’s become really fucking important to me as I’ve searched for him all this time. I’m invested in a way I never have been before, and I won’t risk not being at the top of my game. Not when I’m what stands between him staying in the hands of those pieces of shit and having his freedom.
Chapter Six
Dre
For over a year I’ve been held here in this godforsaken place. I never imagined this would be my life. That I would be the prisoner of assholes I believed had died years ago. They may biologically be responsible for my existence, but they aren’t my parents. They lost that right when I was a child, when they tried to use me for their own gain while simultaneously treating my older brother like he was worthless. I can still remember the day they were told I had a talent with numbers; you’d have thought all their birthdays and Christmases came at once. They saw me as the golden goose and were determined to exploit me any way they saw fit as long as it worked in their favor.
I hated my childhood; having all their attention focused on me wasn’t even remotely fun. They were determined to use my natural talent with numbers to grow their wealth. I couldn’t just be. I didn’t have the option of being a child like everyone else my age. I didn’t get to play and have fun like every other child I saw. My days were spent in front of computers and paperwork with my parents hovering over me, demanding I make them more money. The way my childhood was is probably why I’m a homebody nowadays. The wallflower most people wouldn’tnotice in a crowd. I had my fill of being noticed as a child, of being the center of attention; I can do without ever having to go through any of that ever again.
The only bright spot I have from growing up is my older brother. He did everything in his power to try and shield me from our parents, though he couldn’t do as much as I’m sure he wanted to, just being a child himself. While I was what my parents saw as their golden ticket, my brother was the opposite. To them he was a stain on their reputation, all because they couldn’t exploit his talents the way they could mine. They saw his ability as useless, all because he was talented in a creative manner. Being an exceptional artist meant nothing to them, and in the grand scheme of things to them, he was utterly useless. They told him that enough times over the years. I fucking hated the way they treated him. Their shortsightedness where his talent was concerned was a massive oversight on their parts. They couldn’t see the bigger picture; they didn’t realize just how sought after he would become as he got older, and all because of that talent they dismissed like it was nothing.
Honestly, between the two of us, I don’t know who had it worse with our parents. Me, because I had all their attention, focus, and demands, or Avery, because he was an afterthought, ignored and mistreated, all because they didn’t think he was worthy. It doesn’t matter now though; we survived our childhoods. We might have a few scars internally from our parents, but we’re both thriving as adults, or well, I was before I ended up fucking here.
You’d think after almost a year of finding out they didn’t die in that plane crash like we were all led to believe, I’d have gotten over the shock by now, but I haven’t. It still fucking hits me out of nowhere some days. It’s all fucking insane; it’s like the plot from a movie or one of the books I love so much. This shouldn’t be my fucking life. This shouldn’t be anyone’s fuckinglife. Nobody deserves to be ripped away from their life the way I was.
Being woken up in the middle of the night, surrounded by four masked men, was terrifying. I was groggy and half asleep, but I still knew the situation I found myself in wasn’t good. Despite the state I was in, I still tried to move from my bed to get in a better position to protect myself. Not that it did me any good. Before I was even more than halfway to sitting up in my bed, one of the masked figures jabbed me with a needle. Plunging whatever drug was inside into my system, and it was lights out for me.
I woke up in this fucking place. A basement room that had been kitted out as my new home. Not that it’s very fucking homey. A double mattress on the floor, a metal toilet and sink that look like they belong in a jail cell, and a single exposed light hanging from the ceiling. At least they were nice enough to provide me with a decent blanket and some entertainment in the form of books. Not that it makes the situation I’m in any better, but it could certainly be worse.
Confusion was the dominant emotion I first felt when I came to. I had no fucking clue who had taken me and why. That was until the fucking door opened and in stepped two fucking ghosts. Honestly, at first I thought I was having some sort of reaction to the drugs I’d been given. That was the logical explanation for seeing my dead parents standing in front of me. It didn’t take me long to realize that wasn’t the case at all. That somehow I was actually staring into the eyes of the people responsible for my birth. Two people who should have been very fucking dead. Who I thought were buried six feet under in the family plot.
My confusion soon turned to shock and then anger. Not that anyone can fucking blame me for that. The assholes had faked their own deaths for some unknown reason that still to this day I can’t figure out and then had the fucking audacity to haveme drugged and kidnapped from my own home. My own bed. Finding out the reason behind what they’d done didn’t help curb what I was feeling either.
Of course they had me taken because they wanted to exploit me the same way they had when I was a child. Some things never fucking change; a leopard definitely never changes its spots. They overlooked one thing, though: I wasn’t a scared child anymore, doing whatever my parents asked of me, hoping they’d love and care about me the same way other parents did their children. This time I was a grown man; who knew they would never be like other parents. I had no plans to ever do what they wanted. There was no chance in fucking hell. They could keep me locked up here as long as they fucking wanted. That was never going to change. Doesn’t mean they didn’t keep trying to force my hand.
Two months ago things changed for me once again. They gave up trying to convince me to do what they wanted using threats and violence, at least for the time being anyway. They had a new plan for me. One I could never have fucking predicted, not in a million fucking years, but here we are. I’ve spent the past two months caring for a newborn little girl who they dropped in my lap without a care in the world. Their only instructions were to keep her alive and healthy.
I have no idea where she came from, who her parents are, or even her name. None of that matters to me though. She’s an innocent, helpless child who doesn’t deserve the way her short life has turned out. She doesn’t deserve the plans these assholes have for her. Originally, I was more than okay to just ride this shit out and wait to be rescued. I knew for a fact that Wreck, that’s what Avery goes by now, would be searching for me and would eventually figure all this shit out. He’d get me the hell out of here. I can’t afford to wait around for him to come to myrescue anymore though. The stakes are just too high after what I’ve learned.
Bile begins to rise in my throat when I think about what they have planned. Two months old, and those assholes have a buyer for her. Yeah, you heard that right; they plan on selling a helpless fucking baby. A baby who they dumped in my lap without a care in the world just mere moments after she was born. I had no idea how to care for a baby when she first came into my care. I’d never been around one before, so I was more than a little bit out of my comfort zone. I figured it all out pretty quickly though. I didn’t have a choice; she was relying on me to keep her alive and healthy.
I think I’ve done a decent job since she’s been in my care. She is growing at a steady rate, and despite the way we’ve been living and the horrible conditions we’re in, she’s as happy as can be. She never fails to put a smile on my face when I need it. She’s a precious and innocent little girl who I couldn’t help but fall in love with. She stole my heart. She’s my little darling. She doesn’t deserve what grim plans these fuckers have for her.
They took great pleasure in telling me what the buyer wants her for. How they plan to mold and train her to meet all their needs from a young age. Emphasis on all. They didn’t have to say the words; I know what they were hinting towards. Anyone with any sort of moral fucking compass would feel as sick as I do about the thought of her being used in that manner. It’s bad enough when adults are the victims of sex trafficking, but it’s a whole other thing when it’s a child. No, a fucking baby.
I can’t wrap my head around how someone could be so fucking evil as to have no issues with sentencing a child to something so diabolical. It’s even worse when I remember I share DNA with these disgusting people. I have three days maximum to figure out a plan. A way out of this place for me andmy little darling before her buyer arrives to take her away and she’s sentenced to a life of horrors.
