Page 12 of Lost and Found

Kasim stepped closer, his eyes narrowed. “What are you proposing?”

Dash and Angela stepped closer as well, everyone wary, but there was…dare he say it…? Hope in everyone’s eyes.

“I propose that we all…” he paused again, then decided to just blurt it out. “I think we should work together.” He turned to Dash. “I think we should combine our resources. We should work with each other, instead of each of us trying to get out of this hell-hole individually.” He looked at Angela. “All of the friends you escaped with have run away. It’s just you and us now.” He tilted his head towards the other three men. “Do you have any concerns that we’ll treat you like the men who abused you in that house?”

Angela’s chin went up a notch. “No. Each of you have…” she swallowed, her lips pressing together. “You’ve given me renewed hope that not all men are perverts.”

Marco nodded slowly, acknowledging the importance of that statement. “Thank you for that.” He turned to Callum. “What about you? Do you and Dash accept that we’re not going to rat you out to the police?”

Dash and Callum looked at each other, then to Angela, and finally to Kasim before shakig their heads. “No. We’re safe from the child protection services. No one here will turn us in.”

Marco accepted that with a sharp not. “Thank you.” He then turned to Kasim. “And you? I think that your issue is both the easiest and most dangerous to figure out. Would you accept our help to find out who tried to kill you?”

Kasim glared at Marco for a long moment, then he turned his glare to the others before finally sighing with resignation. “Of all the people I’ve known in my life, I think that the four of you are the most trustworthy. I would trust you with my life.”

Marco nodded and he felt a significant drop in the tension among the others. “Thank you for that.”

He lifted his hand, waving everyone closer. When they formed a small group, he extended his hand. “We all have jobs. The jobs don’t pay very well, but if we all put our resources together, I think we could resolve each other’s issues quickly.” He looked at everyone. “Even more so, I think we should all make a vow.”

“What sort of vow?” Angela demanded. “Because I’m never, ever, going to be vulnerable to any man again. Just so that’s clear.”

Dash stared at her, then nodded. “You don’t trust me. We’re okay with that.”

Angela snorted. “I don’t trust anyone.” She turned to look at Kasim. “I’m guessing that you aren’t really in a trusting mood, are you?”

Kasim shrugged. “I trust all of you more than I trust my own body guards.”

Angela couldn’t hide her surprise. She shifted slightly on her feet as her arms crossed over her chest. She jerked her chin at Callum. “What about you? Some ass cheated your family out of your home and your heritage. Surely you’re not going to-“

“I’m in,” Callum interjected, stepping forward as he looked at the others before finally resting his eyes on Angela. “You’re wary because we’re men. But have we done anything to hurt you?”

Her lips pressed together for a brief moment, then she jerked her head. “No.”

“And we never will,” Marco asserted with feeling. “You’re one of us now.” He looked at each of them. “I’m suggesting that we all band together. We’re barely surviving while we keep to our separate corners of this building.” He dropped his arms and looked around again. “I say, let’s fight the damn world together.” He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I’ve been working at a construction site. I have some ideas on how to make the process more profitable and streamlined.” He looked at Kasim. “You know international finance.” Glancing at Callum, he said, “I see the way you look at properties. You lost your home and I’m guessing that you’re evaluating every property now. You’re working in that grocery store over on Eighteenth Street. You’ve helped Mr. McCormick and you’re good with people.” He turned to Dash now. “And you have located several of Angela’s kidnappers as well as the house where they moved the women they’d kidnapped, sending the information to the police.” That information startled Angela. The defiance evaporated from her expression as she looked at Dash. Marco continued. “Angela, you have a lot of anger inside of you. What if you channeled that anger towards fighting the bad guys as a lawyer?”

Angela’s mouth fell open. It was almost as if the suggestion was the first time anyone had ever suggested that she become something other than a mere waif drifting through the world. Marco could see that the idea was tempting to the woman who had been so badly abused.

“A lawyer?” she whispered, unconsciously stepping forward. “How does one become a lawyer?”

Marco’s hands fisted on his hips. “I’m not exactly sure, but I spend a huge amount of time at the library several blocks over. When I’m not working, I’m reading. Anything I can get my hands on.” His eyes turned nervous. “The librarian knows me and she’s figured out a way to give me a library card. I can now check books out and I’m diligent about returning them as soon as I finish them.” Nothing in his body changed, but there was a tension about him now. “She…trusts me.” Those words were hard to utter and, most likely, even harder to understand.

The five of them stood in the awkward circle, tossing those words about in their minds, trying to grasp their meaning.

Kasim was the first to speak. “You’re saying that we should work together,” he offered, stumbling over the words. Not because he struggled with English, but because the concept was too incredible to accept.

Callum nodded. “Aye,” he asserted. “I’m in.” He looked at each of the others. “The four eh ye,” he started, then paused and sighed. “Ye’re the first people I’ve trusted since me ma and da died. And even afore that, the villagers didna come close, too afeared of me da.” He smiled slightly, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe what he was about to say. “Ye four…I’m in. If all eh ye agree. I think we could make it outta this hell-hole if we help each other.”

Five sets of eyes glanced nervously around the room. Five mouths compressed with wariness. And then, the least likely member of the group stepped forward. “I’m in,” Angela announced, then glared at each of them. “All of you are too. If we’re doing this, we treat each other like family.” Then shuddered and looked down at her feet as she simultaneously lifted a finger. “NOT like my family,” she corrected, then smiled as the other laughed.

“Agreed,” the four men stated firmly.

“A baby sister, eh?” Callum teased, gently pushing at her shoulder.

Marco snorted. “And though she be but little, she is fierce.”

Callum chuckled and the others glanced at him curiously. “What?” Callum laughed. “The man lives in a warehouse and eats beans for dinner, but quotes Shakespear?”

Three heads swiveled towards Marco who simply stood there, ignoring their stunned expressions.

---